Why David Bowie Is Right
In a 1975 interview on the Dinah Shore show Mr. David Bowie (my style guru) gives a very dry, cheeky, yet honest answer as to where he buys his attire:
“Sears Roebuck.”
Although I cannot find the exact clip online, what he is saying is essentially one of the mantra’s of Made To Measure:
It doesn’t have to cost a lot to look stylish. It’s all how you wear it.
What I have noticed about dressing well is that people always ask me where I get my money from. How I can afford “all these clothes”. Simply put I do not have that many clothes. I have a lot of pieces that work together and manage to make them LOOK expensive.
I buy on sale, I buy no name brands, make religious visits to my tailor, and shop at places like Target, Gap, Thrift Stores, E-Bay, and Daffy’s. In these stores I always keep a keen eye on the stitching of pieces, button quality and placement, material, and sleeve length.
I also have found the benefits of buying quality custom pieces from Imparali, Indochino, and Alexander West.
This is not a blog dedicated to fashion, it’s a blog dedicated to STYLE. Your own personal style. A lot of people think that the title MADE TO MEASURE refers to custom clothing and while in the technical sense that is totally true, I chose that title because it is more of a way to live ones life:
Custom make your entire world to fit you perfectly.
We can all do well following David Bowie’s little quip about Sears Roebuck.
In the “Black Tie, White Noise” video, peppered with exclusive interviews and music videos, Bowie goes into detail regarding his choice to wear clothes from the Sears Roebuck catalog. He says that in wanting to appeal to the everyman, he decided to buy his clothes from the same source: Sears Roebuck. Making them look stylish is definitely what Bowie does; I think if you can find a copy of this video, you’ll be very pleased with the wealth of interview info, from one Bowie fan to another.
Paul,
Thank you so much for this!
All the best,
Dennis
Bravo!
Absolutely spot on.
Thank you, Dr. Winston O’Boogie (if you get that reference we are best friends for life).
All the best,
Dennis
I mean’t to reply to this yesterday. I am always striving to debunk the notion that stylish, well dressed or best dressed is equal to brand names or expensive. This is so apt. I love how a few carefully chosen pieces are good together and can expand into a whole wardrobe.
Well done Dennis.
M.,
Thank you so much again. I’m really happy you are a regular reader and are getting the most out of these articles!
All the best,
Dennis