Style Solutions For Bleak Conditions

First shoot of the new year! The theme behind this weekend’s shoot was everyone’s favorite or go-to outfit for colder weather. It’s been abnormally cold this time of year for the LA area, so our choices varied from just a simple jacket to some nice layering. Due to some scheduling issues we had to shoot my cousin JR first on Friday night since he couldn’t meet up with the rest of us. And let me tell you, my man Wiz came through and killed it.

Ray: “I wore a shawl neck sweater with front pockets, tweed vest with suede shoulder accents for added warmth, faded jeans and some Cool Grey Air Jordan 11′s. Since it was so cold today I rolled with the shawl collar so it keeps my neck warm and a vest over it since it’s more comfortable to me than wearing a down jacket instead. The beanie’s a no-brainer to keep my head warm when it’s freezing in Socal.”

JR: “I like this ‘fit because it’s pretty basic and can be worn in multiple settings. Chinos can be dressed up or dressed down so you’ll find a lot of them in my closet during the cold season. I’ve been going with 3/4 sleeve baseball ringer tees because of the simple color variations. You can match it real clean with your kicks and in my case, it was the “Jewel” Nike Air Force Ones, a timeless shoe. The ringer tees can be found pretty much anywhere and I rolled with a Fila vest because it was a little chilly out, but not too cold to where I needed a thick jacket.”

J Brooks: In terms of clothing I never really go super crazy with style or color choices, but once in a while I’ll break out some wild colored kicks or some retros I really like to make my outfit pop. I wore a Goonies t-shirt with a denim jacket over it, and a pair of chinos with some Van Doren Vans Sk8-His. Anytime I wear bright colored shoes I want to go more neutral with my pants/top choices and the denim jacket is just so versatile. Rocking all of this together probably cost me less than $200 but it’s still a solid go-to when it’s a little chillier out. Honestly I regret only sporting a tee underneath because it was way colder than I thought when I stepped out. Aside from iconic logos and such that I grew up with, I stay away from branding because it just looks a little cheesy to me. To each his own but I prefer everything to have as little branding as possible, aside from my shoes and fitted caps.

Wiz: Today was a typical lazy Sunday vibe for me.  This meant that I did not want to wear a suit with neck accessory.  The lamb leather jacket serves me well until the low 70s by itself.  The weather was expected to be in the low 60s so with that in mind, I opted for a cotton sweater as a layering piece over a red plaid flannel.  Gray is a very versatile color.  As a layering piece, I feel it can mesh well with nearly anything.  For the bottom piece, nothing is more basic than a pair of denim, which is what I went with.  The painted sneakers are probably my favorite pair of sneakers.  The more I wear them, the more characteristics appear; the pre-painted panels continue to crack and flake.  PS the red plaid flannel shirt underneath the sweater aesthetic was partially inspired by Arnold from the cartoon ‘Hey Arnold.’”

Definitely a fun shoot, even though I’m a little uncomfortable posing for pictures. I’m sure I’ll get over it since I like bringing different styles in the mix for photo ops. Me and Ray both agree that Wiz shitted on our collective outfits with his custom attire. Yep, that killer jacket was made to fit by one of his contacts and seeing how dope it turned out, you can count us in on that bandwagon. He even came through with a Comme Des Garcon wallet and an oiled leather briefcase. Too ill. The theme of the shoot was casual, and hopefully we’ve shown some folks out there that you can go casual and still look presentable for an impromptu night on the town without having to change.