Nickelson Wooster [STYLE ICON]

While magazine editorials are often fun and whimsical, my greatest source of inspiration is often found in seeing the styling efforts of the person walking down the street. Street style is this pretty amazing intersection of fashion as an art and fashion as a practicality. I love to see how people pair the high and low in an attempt express who they are. It's a magical process!

I started following street style blogs back in 2005. I got my fashion voyeurism fix from seeing quietly known fashion insiders or creative persons often depicted on the pages of The Sartorialist and Stockholm Street Style. For as long as I could remember, I kept seeing pictures of this one silver haired gentlemen with impeccably tailored suits. From New York to Milan to Paris to London, the photographers loved him and always felt the need to display his style.

It wasn't until I got a Tumblr account a few years back did the face finally get a name. Dubbed the "alpha male of street style" by GQ, Nick Wooster is, literally, THE most influential and creative individual behind men's street style. He has worked with nearly every single iconic label and retailer, including Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Barneys. Most recently, he became the creative director at JCPenney, bringing in collaborations with major fashion houses and improving the quality and style of clothing offered by the retailer before exiting that post in April 2013. Any male who has bought clothing from a major retailer in the past 20 years has, essentially, purchased something Nick Wooster picked out for you. His taste is magnificent.

To me, his hair and beard are a major part of his signature look - short tousled silver hair, medium beard, and a curated handlebar mustache. He is a fellow camo aficionado and has been spotted in everything from full camo suits to camo scarves. He favors classic, impeccable tailoring with slacks often having a shorter, ankle skimming hem (the way the Italians prefer as to display the sickening shoes, of course). And he is not afraid to dress up shorts with blazers and ties during warmer months.

My personal aesthetic is neither traditional girly or edgy or boho; I describe my style as fearless. I will wear pretty much anything as so long as I like it and compliments my shape. Hell, I've even worn things I didn't like just because I was curious to see if I could really pull it off. Nick Wooster, to me, is fearless in that same sense. He has very distinct silhouettes he prefers but, when it comes to the flexibility of the garment, he is not afraid to experiment with color, patterns, prints, texture, length, or accessories. As a bonus  his myriad of tattoos offer a captivating and unexpected twist to his classic look. After seeing him photographed in suits for a few years, I was actually taken aback the first time I saw a picture of him in a short sleeve shirt with his full sleeves out. And, by "taken aback", I mean full on "swoon". 

My favorite Nickelson Wooster pic will forever be:

Clean and classic menswear but that subtle display of his tattoo brings a personal edge. It speaks so loudly and proclaims his style perfectly, don't you think?

To keep up with Nick Wooster and his amazing street style, check out his personal site or this fan appreciation Tumblr page.

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sources 1, 2, 3, 4