Incorporating unusual fasion

[oDD_LotS]

I've recently been trying to clean up my image, and being from a rural area from West Virginia (ever seen "Mothman Prophecies", that's about my town), I have trouble finding things to fit my newfound style, especially in my size.

The look I'm coming from is the typical mix of rocker and skater that many people call "freak". It's close to goth, but without the makeup (mostly) and t-shirts and huge, baggy jeans instead of lace and velvet pants.

The look I'm trying to cultivate is more of what one would see on a succesful rockstar or artist: a mixture of designer pieces that give an individual, creative look while still being flattering and more attractive than my former threads.

To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, I wear "dirty" denim, usually bootcut, Doc Marten boots (although I would like something more like Dsquared with the "biker" look to it), somewhat fitted t-shirts with unusual band logos (usually black), and dress shirts (dark colors, untucked, sleeves rolled up). I tend to rely heavily on accessories, such as my collection of unusal rings (chunky, silver, often adorned with hotrod or tattoo images), my body jewelry (stretched ears and pierced eyebrow), large beltbuckles, stylish bracelets (hematite beads or a leather cuff), and sometimes a necklace (the chunkier the better).

Although I've recently dropped about fifty pounds (one of the reasons that I'm revamping my wardrobe), I'm still a big guy: 6'0", size 38-40 pants (inches, not suit sizes), and XL shirts (17.5 neck, 33-34 in. sleeves, perhaps). I never expect to be a small guy, since I've got a huge frame and a decent amount of muscle.

I love the look of Diesel, Paper Denim and such, but I'm only able to find those products in my size on Ebay. Would Diesel's jeans, specifically the Rivec, Rabox, or Kratt fit well on someone of my size?

Also, where might I find more unique, possibly even one-off pieces to fit this style? I enjoy things with a lot of detail, especially detail not usually found on clothing, such as a small patch, embroidery or subtle stencilling.

Also, I'm always on the look out for detailed belts (especially with intricate tooling or an usual finish, such as distressed leather), buckles, and jewelry, you know of anywhere that would carry such items. I like the look of the higher end VonDutch accessories, such as the rings and belt buckles, but can't see paying those prices for jewelry that isn't that much different from what I already buy for less.

My budget isn't huge, but it is substantial enough to pick up a couple of pairs of good denim and a few shirts at retail prices or a sizable amount if I can get a good deal.

If I had to choose a celebrity style to compare this to, I would say that Dave Navarro fits the most closely (in his personal attire, not what he wears on the videos).

Internet sources are preferable, especially ones with a decent return policy.

Sorry for the wordiness.
Thanks.

 

[LA Guy]

For Paper Denim and Diesel, get yourself a membership at www.trenddepot.com. They have Paper Denims at under $100, Diesels and Sevens even lower than that. You'll make up the membership fee in a couple of purchases, or share a membership with a couple of friends. And Kratt's will fit you well. I like them when I want a more relaxed look. Von Dutch jeans are cool, but the accessories are laughably over, strictly for clueless high school and college students. For accessories like belt buckles, look for one of a kind stuff online. I saw a good (English) website offering bridle leather belts and cool Celtic cross buckles a while ago. Google it. The original celebrity belt is Hollywood Trading Company, which was started by one of the owners of LA's Denim Doctors, who are awesome. Unfortunately, these belts also cost upwards of $150, so scour for vintage belts yourself. The original L.A. rocker company is Chrome Hearts, but their stuff is pretty expensive as well. For interesting pieces, scour YOOX. There are a lot of more obscure European street labels on there. Shirts by Age would suit your style well, as would Dsquared - you are probably too big to wear Dsquared, even in their biggest size. I wear a large or an extra large in DSquared, and I'm 5'11'' and barely tipping 170. I personally wear Costume National, Prada, and Jil Sander shirts, sometimes Helmut Lang. Remember that YOOX sizes are all messed up. You probably want an 18, since for some reason, they think that a 41, or 16, is a 17. Seriously, the coolest (and possibly most exclusive) RTW shirts I've seen are the Lisa Kline private label. Unfortunately, they are only obtainable at Lisa Kline Men in L.A. or online at www.lisakline.com, as far as I know, and they are never, ever, on sale. Very LA rocker though. Tshirts from Upper Playground, Charizmatik or real band tshirts (never fake designer ones) should complete the look. Don't go crazy with the accessories, especially if you have lots of body art. Keep piercings to a minimum, and no stupid art projects with your hair - you want Dave Navarro, not Fred Durst. If you're a big guy, keeping your hair a reasonable length, but not shaved, and keeping cleanshaven will do a lot towards making you look more rock star and less backwoods thug. Do not use too much product in your hair - that's the pimply freshmen look.

 

[oDD_LotS]

Thanks for the advice.

There's tons of good ideas in your post that I'll be sure to check out.

As for Dsquared, I mostly only like their footwear, the rest of it I haven't really clicked with.

As for band shirts, I agree on the designer crap. All of mine are from concerts, or at the least, the same as what you'd get from a concert.

As for hair, I have very curly auburn hair that looks like a rug when it's short, so I keep it VERY long, but it's currently a natural color, and I don't do anything wild with it. My facial hair is pretty much the same as Dave Navarro's, except considerably longer, and my side burns are a little pointier.

The accessories I don't exactly go crazy with, even though I do wear more than most people, I only have two rings on each hand. I know what you're saying, though. Currently all my tattoos aren't visible in normal clothing, so that's not a concern (at least for now, as of tomorrow, I may change my tune).

I use a decent amount of product, but with the length of my hair, it's hard to tell I use any at all. I generally use just enough to keep my curls defined, and not looking like a frizzy bunch of steel wool. I also like to use a good leave-in conditioner to add shine (and because I can't even force a brush through it if I don't).

As for my size, I've gone from morbidly obese, to more of what you'd see working the door at a rock dive (big, but more balanced, and less of a gut), and hopefully by the end of the year I'll be down to a "good weight" (probably about 190-200, low bodyfat, good amount of muscle).

The only reason I mentioned VonDutch accessories are because I love VonDutch (the person, not the clothing line), and I'm into the hotrod scene, hoping to open my own shop this summer. I don't like the hats, and most of the accessories I see around campus are very tacky, so I would definitely prefer one-off things, or vintage pieces with some serious flair. It still kind of gets me to see someone decked out in VonDutch, who has NO idea who VonDutch even was.

Thanks for all the good sources.