Ezra Pound: poet + fashionisto

Again, we bring to you for inspiration a terribly fashionable literatus (for comparison, see: William Faulkner, Joan Didion, and Bob Dylan). Ezra Pound is certainly best known for his poetry (and rightly so), most famously for "In a Station of the Metro"--

The apparition of these faces in the crowd

Petals on a wet, black bough.

Though Pound favored simplicity in his verse, this doesn't seem to apply to his fashion.

For instance, he sports this delightful fur-collared wool overcoat. The softness of the fur complements the coarse texture of the wool. This should make a comeback.

As should his smolder. One can just imagine it piercing one through the squalor and noise of the Paris metro (the inspiration for Pound's above-quoted poem).

Having already featured Dylan on this blog, I can't help but wonder if perhaps Pound's hair was an inspiration for Dylan (who picked his stage name after Dylan Thomas).

The Ranch: William

Found these pictures of my dear brother which I took over break.

I like how he dresses up his burgundy jeans with a vest and bow tie. I'll admit, I may have had something to do with the purchasing of these accoutrements, but I didn't have anything to do with putting them together. I miss you, dear brother!

Dress well, test well: Zach Santonil

I apologize for not posting more recently. University life has a tendency to explode during the months of November and December.

Today, I ran into Zach, triumphant from his first exam. He still had his Spanish textbooks in hand and looked the part of a victorious Charles Ryder, having emerged from weeks with his books to rejoin his dear friends.

Now to find Sebastian Flyte on campus.

Haggar: Thomas

Thomas has the stylish academic down to an art. The pairing of a tweed jacket with a sweater vest, shirt and tie is classic.

But, he brightens what could easily become dour and stodgy by means of a yellow vest and a plaid shirt.

The Tallest Man on Earth

If you spend much time around me, you've probably realized that I am obsessed with The Tallest Man on Earth right now. Kristian Matsson has a delightfully raspy voice and a skillful hand at the guitar.

Although he's from Sweden, he writes in English. But, he writes well. Matsson's brand of neo-folk is not the trite, not-quite-Biblical nonsense that Mumford and Sons has been churning out. It is delicate, understated, and beautiful; it does not require overly dramatic banjo bridges to get its point across.

Indeed, Matsson conveys an immense soul all by his lonesome. Just one man and a guitar.

Oh, and did I mention? He rides horses.

Bob Dylan: musical fashion icon

Earlier I wrote a post about William Faulkner as a fashion icon for UD men. Well, this post is a continuation in that theme. 

 There is another and notable brand of man at this school. This kind does not model himself off of pipe-smoking Southern gentlemen. Rather, he takes as his icon Bob Dylan.

Disheveled shirts, old blue jeans, a cigarette, and expressive eyebrows, these are his accoutrements of choice.

Chances are, he will also adorn himself with a guitar, or maybe a mandolin. He is known to skip class on occasion, generally for the purposes of playing music. He may be mistaken for a hobo.

I'm sure you can think of some names.

The Mall near Braniff

He looks so picturesque there with hat and book.

William Faulker: literary fashion icon

If you've spent any time at this school, you've probably realized that the men like to grow mustaches (or beards) and smoke pipes.

It makes them feel something like William Faulkner. That's nice. He was manly and wrote books about killing bears. Very cool. He also wore tweed. Also cool.

 

But, as the French say, l'habit ne fait le moine. A dashing mustache and pipe may not make you Faulkner (though it might help), but a well-fitted jacket and tie will make you look good.

The Capp Bar: Pavlos Papadapoulos

 I like what Pavlos has going on here: the tie, the flag belt (you can barely see it, but it's cool), the casual rolled up sleeves.

I also like the book and the spread cut of his collar. It transforms a white button-down from the middle-aged office worker look to graduate student chic (that's a technical term). 

I was trying to be surreptitious, but he noticed me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my camera was on flash.