Meet Dorian Slaybod, local Attorney, writer and undoubtedly one of the neatest people I know. Yes, he's interesting and fun and also a bit absurd (though innocently so), but I'm not talking about that sort of neat for the purposes of this post. Not "neato"...just neat. His outfits are purposefully curated almost to the point of being theatrically professorial, but never without a sense of humor. It's not difficult to conclude that he's a sentimental, experientially-influenced person and his outfits reflect that. I often imagine Dorian with a precise morning grooming routine set to the twee sounds of a Wes Anderson film score. I have a habit of staring at his socks. And his ties. Oh, his ties. In fact, as I was searching for bow ties for the "Dress like Dorian" section of this post, I texted him in a panic with the following message: Cannot find image of perfectly dimpled bow tie...help! Now you can look at them too. Enjoy!!!
xoxo,
Jordan
P.S. This was my first attempt at organizing photos and it makes me appreciate our HDIC Renee SOOO MUCH MORE. Renee, you make us look fantastic.
Describe your personal style.
I just try to be me. Animal print sweatshirts. T-shirts with the faces of forgotten R&B artists. Slim denim. Expressive socks. Oxford and polo shirts in 1980s cuts. It’s a mix of Mr. Rogers comfort and Brat Pack prep. My style of dress has not changed much since I was five-years-old, people just interpret my choices now as thoughtfully ironic or smart. Or strange.
Business clothes, though, were alien to me until a couple years ago. I finally finished school and had to start wearing suits. I owned only one up until that point that served me for weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs, and seminars. Suddenly, I passed the Bar Exam, and became a professional. I wanted to look like one.
I ordered a starter kit of wrinkle-free dress shirts from Brooks Brothers. I bought some ties on flash sales. I befriended a tailor. I learned how to tie a bow tie and shine my shoes. Along the way, I picked up a few more suits. Now I look like someone you would want to hire.
When I go to work, I try to look clean and conservative. My shirts are various patterns and shades of white, blue, and pink. My ties are of simple prints, stripes, or solids. If I’m feeling wild, I’ll wear polka dot socks. I play more with texture than design: wools in winter and cottons in summer. I’m more likely to toss in a pocket square on the weekends than during the week. I work in a courthouse, not a French fashion house. If you want people to notice you before they notice your clothes, then refrain from wearing a green suit with a Jerry Garcia tie that looks like it was painted by an acid-tripped carnival worker.
What (if anything) is important to you about expressing yourself through what you wear?
I try to wear clothes I believe in. Now, I’m not saying all of my clothing is organically grown in a field of good-vibes and fair wages. But buying a pair of jeans with a tag that says “Made in America” feels very good. Buying clothes from my friend’s Army/Navy Surplus shop feels great. Wearing a watch from Switzerland feels good, too.
We hear you have a pretty cool Tumblr you are thinking about retiring. Do you still plan to write about music you like in blog format?
I blog once per year, with the addition of random weeks of mania that I cannot predict. There is a small cadre of people that enjoy reading my list of favorite songs and albums from each year. And I love making lists like grandmothers love clipping grocery coupons, so I also enjoy the exchange. I do plan to write more aggressively; both in content and quantity. There is a lot I want to put on paper more traditionally that has been coming out in strange ways. I have been responding too often to simple emails and texts in prose. Not all links to Youtube videos or news articles that are sent to me require a Shakespearean sonnet in reply.
I desperately love to write. It is thrilling, exhausting; intimately revealing. Communication is inherently flawed. You and I will never have a complete and full understanding of each other. But give me a clean sheet of paper, and I can get damn close to making you feel how I feel. Stephen King has called it telepathy. I think of it as spinning words like clay until they look most like the images and arguments inside my head. Psychological studies have shown that there is little difference in how the pleasure receptors in our brains process fiction and reality. You are perpetually a paragraph away from happiness.
Tell us a little bit about courthouse fashion you see on a daily basis: the good, the bad and the ugly!
Most of what I see are shirt/tie combos that look like they were ripped directly off the mannequin at Kohl’s. A burnt orange shirt is bad enough, but the matching tie is more than I can handle. I’ve seen enough shades of beige and brown to create an entire universe of sad, fluorescently-lit cubicle walls. I see a lot of people trying way too hard, and people wearing suits with slip-on Sketchers that clearly aren’t trying hard enough.
The best of what I see are seasoned attorneys with decade(s)-old American and Italian oxfords that have been continually polished and protected. I see designer ties older than me. I see hand-me-down luxury timepieces. I see suits that still fit, and fit well.
The best part of menswear is that it gets better with time. This is not to say that you should wear that Zoot suit you found at your local antique shop. But a pair of chukka boots become infinitely more cool after they are stained from the skate park punk show you went to last weekend. A solid navy suit will look good longer than you if you take care of it. You can continue to wear a simple, well-made tie for as long as you can keep the ketchup stains away.
You are known among friends to make a mean cocktail. If you had to design one for the next swap, what would it be?
I would make something old that feels new again: déjà vu with custom ice cubes.
GET DORIAN'S LOOK
GET DORIAN'S LOOK
1. Pink and Navy Striped Tie www.absoluteties.com $12.99
2. Swim Shorts with Polka Dot Print www.asos.com $36.58
3. Pinch Penny Loafer www.nordstrom.com $158.00
4. Stepped Wool Bowtie www.thetiebar.com $15.00
5. 1970's Nordic Jersild Wool Sweater www.etsy.com $45.00
6. American Apparel Fox Sweatshirt www.etsy.com $52.81
7. Sean John Quilted Puffer Jacket www.kgstores.com $59.99
8. UO Whoa Stripe Sock www.urbanoutfitters.com $8.00 (3 for 20)
9. Men's Watch Orange Dial www.dhgate.com $10.03
10. Perry Ellis Sunglasses www.bonanza.com $18.18
11. Ohio State T-shirt www.homage.com $28.00
12. Vintage Military Canvas bag www.ebay.com $27.50
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