Daily Fashion 192
I Began To Dive Much Deeper Into Fashion, Diligently Educating Myself…
Story submitted by Andrew Tria. Addictedgent.com
instagram @addicted_gent
‘My appreciation for clothing became apparent at a very young age. I recall even as a child in elementary, I was always concerned with ensuring my appearance was presented properly (of course at that age my idea of proper presentation may not have been anything particularly special). Although I can’t specifically recall my taste in clothing from that far back, I can still remember urging my mother to make sure I was dressed with “my” specific clothing ideas. In spite of being a struggling single parent, full-time university student, and full-time employee, she still found the time to take me shopping. I’m confident it was this dedication to concerning herself with my interests in dressing well that initiated my life’s passion – gentleman’s fashion.
Fast-forward to my young adult years.
As a product of my environment, my taste in style had always been more partial to the influence of urban-casual (think Karmaloop.com). While I always had an appreciation for fine dressing, with the exception of work, I was never required to dress in this manner – consequently, my well-dressed sophistication was limited to my time at work. As I continued to mature as a young adult in the business environment, my style matured with me. I began to frequent the choice of a suit more often; in both choosing my daily attire and while shopping for new ones. My style at that point was soon the product of my new fascination for finer fashion, infused with my former urban influences. The result was luxury fashion incorporated with hoodies, snap-backs, high-tops, bright colors, and contemporary patterns. When looking back on this now, I can’t help but laugh at my unorthodox way of dressing; however I can’t deny the praise I received.
It wasn’t uncommon for me to be accepted through compliments. I was soon known around town for my unique sense of style, contrary to lacking much of any social media presence up to this point (unbelievable, I know). It wasn’t until the latter half of 2012 that I was encouraged by a friend to begin blogging my style and outfits. After short consideration, I began posting my outfits via Instagram, immediately receiving positive feedback. I was featured by numerous accounts and eventually asked to become a main contributor for a popular up-and-coming fashion website, where I continued to contribute until the summer of 2013.
It was during this time that I began to dive much deeper into fine fashion,
diligently educating myself on the various rules and elements of the culture. It was also during this time that I feel I truly discovered my personal style. I believe the large amount of new knowledge allowed me to better understand the culture and heritage behind it. Instantly, I discontinued my habits of infusing urban elements and modern fads into my wardrobe.
By learning the heritage behind the traditional norms of this culture, my respect and appreciation for maintaining these norms grew strong (As they say, tradition never fades, as classic elegance will never go out of style). As a result, I became detached from anything that wavered too far from traditional elegance – such as printed blazers, pastel colors, and contemporary tailoring (skinny ties and jacket lapels & cropped blazers) – which is quickly progressing into my biggest pet peeve. In addition, my fascination for the Italian influence on fine fashion evolved into a meaningful appreciation, ultimately acting as the main influenc of my style today.
The combination of my newfangled respect for the heritage
and my desire to continue my blogging, I launched my own Website, AddictedGent.com. Initially the purpose of the Website was to express my views, hoping to offer insight and inspiration to anyone interested in reading. What began as nothing more than a simple urge to voice my opinion, had quickly evolved into a full-scale business plan. Shortly after beginning the design plan for my website, my active imagination began to constantly bless me with one idea after the next, until I convinced myself to pursue the launching of a full-service website.
It has since grown into a full-time project,
offering a blog for personal outfit inspirations, a style “rule” blog, weekly-approved clothing suggestions, fashion week updates (F.W. Hub), articles promoting the style of other inspirational gentlemen worldwide, featured brand reviews, and a random blog where I write about general related topics (i.e. wardrobe organization). All of which is maintained solely by me while I attend university full-time as an accounting major. I’m sure you can imagine how busy I am, however I finally feel that I’ve truly found my place in the fashion community, where I attempt to assist my fellow gentleman with his style, progressively making a name for myself!
I am truly thankful, and honored to be blessed with the supportive audience I have. I would be nowhere without them, and plan to continue dedicating my services to them! I would also like to thank everyone who took the time to read and acknowledge my story! I hope my inspirations can be passed on through others.’
