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Sidewalk Style: Justice for All

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This week’s Sidewalk Style subject mixed up his preppy weekend basics with exotic accessories.

By Rachel Cothran   Published Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Brandon Dunn, 22
Paralegal, Department of Justice

What he’s wearing:
J. Crew shorts and shoes, Gap T-shirt, and H&M blazer. The glasses are Ray-Ban. The necklace is from a friend’s trip to Kenya; the silver bracelet is from a trip Brandon took to Agadir, Morocco.

Tell us about your style.
“I like to go for relaxed looks, but I also like to turn heads. I like to have people think, ‘Oh, I never would have thought to do that.’ ”

So your first day at the Justice Department is Monday. It’s going to be a bit conservative, right?
“I just bought a few new suits from Jones New York. I think I’ll wear a patterned shirt and a solid tie. I recently bought a red Longchamp case. I’m trying to decide if I can use it.”

Comments

"DEFEATED"?

I didn’t realize there was a contest going on--oops my mistake.

Congrats you win --now put on your party dress and just dance!!

Posted by: ponyboy, Aug 20, 2009 04:56:44 PM

Ponyboy,


You can’t just submit pictures of yourself. They pin you down on the street. Hence the title. Duh.

"Blah, blah, blah," eh?

A response by someone who’s been clearly defeated.


Ta ta!

Posted by: CB, Aug 20, 2009 01:45:28 PM

Blah,Blah,Blah

Now I’m bored! I hope your picture appears on here one day so we can all take a good look at what a stylish person looks like--lol

Hey I have a better idea--- why don’t you just send in a picture of yourself so you can show us how it’s done!

Until then -- can’t wait!

Posted by: ponyboy, Aug 20, 2009 01:26:42 PM

Ponyboy,

Assume much?

Nowhere did I write that one has to wear outrageous clothing to be stylish. I think the first lady is fabulous. She has a great knack for color, fit, accessories (bright purple dress and a big Alaia belt—sedate but not boring) and she takes risks (that red and black Narciso Rodriguez dress she wore on election night). A black jacket can be avant-garde if the draping or shape is unusual. Details count a lot.

David Bowie was and is considered very stylish, not just outrageous. Countless runway shows have been inspired by him, especially Hedi Slimane’s designs for Dior Homme.

I don’t remember Madonna wearing masks or dresses with Muppets on them. Lady Gaga is not wearing belts that say "BOY TOY", bustiers, or crosses.

Lastly, I’ve not made any personal attacks on any individuals here or in the column. Calling someone’s style boring is not the same as calling someone a fool (as you did to me earlier). How someone dresses is not necessarily reflective of who they are as a person. I am able to make that distinction.

Posted by: CB, Aug 20, 2009 12:41:58 PM

CB so now that you have shown YOUR true colors which obviously lean more to the outrageous isn’t it time to acknowledge that you don’t have to wear a costume to be stylish?
There are plenty of men and women considered to be stylish that wear nothing more than the ordinary. It is how they carry themselves in those clothes that gives them the air of stylishness.
My point is that while David Bowie and Lady Gaga were/are outrageous they are considered icons for being just that--- OUTRAGEOUS not stylish--big difference. Besides the fact that Lady Gaga’s so called "style" is no more than a rip-off of Madonna.
It is nice too see you have an opinion but when it comes out as an attack on the individual you have crossed the line from opinion to catty queen.
Your posts are quite articulate--I’ll give you that and your musings appear intelligent but please make sure you are talking about the clothes and not the individual wearing them.

Posted by: ponyboy, Aug 20, 2009 11:03:12 AM

Ponyboy,

It probably is a costume. So?

David Bowie became a style icon through wearing costumes for his concerts. Lady Gaga wears crazy getups and she’s featured in fashion magazines all over the place. I’m not a fan of what she wears but I appreciate her fearlessness.

Eccentricity is interesting, memorable. It gets people talking. I’d rather see someone try wearing risky or even outrageous clothes than going for safe and conservative any day.

Debates are also more interesting than people agreeing all the time, too.

Posted by: CB, Aug 20, 2009 10:18:36 AM

CB what you’re describing-- bright orange shirt, navy satin blazer, yellow jeans, crazy sneakers--a modern day Riddler? More like a costume --the jokes on YOU! No wonder YOUR opinion really doesn’t matter--

WHO’S THE FOOL NOW?!! THE RIDDLER

Posted by: ponyboy, Aug 20, 2009 09:20:05 AM

"I have seen the Satorialist and can honestly say besides the outrageous there doesn’t seem to a whole lot of difference."

Are you kidding? I see a wealth of difference: bold colors, unusual pant lengths, quirky accessories, fierce shoes, the angular cuts of blazers, and so forth.

Parisians are vastly different than anyone else in the world. Yes, that attitude translates into how they dress. Accept it. They buy high quality items that fit beautifully. That’s why their seemingly simple outfits work so well.

On my way to work, I saw a guy in Adams Morgan dressed as a modern Riddler: bright orange shirt, yellow jeans, crazy sneakers, and a navy satin jacket with yellow question marks all over it. He had a big smile on his face. He looked amazing. Now, that’s style and personality! THAT guy needs to be in the column. I’m sorry I didn’t have a camera on me.

Posted by: CB, Aug 20, 2009 07:36:15 AM

Wow- CB and DC Fashion Survivor sound like typical bitter queens.

CB you are correct this is a style column that invites people to chime in with their opinions.
Hence the word opinion--- unfortunately from seeing your posts you seem to think only YOU have the correct opinion. I have seen the Satorialist and can honestly say besides the outrageous there doesn’t seem to a whole lot of difference. Style is not just defined by the clothes it is the way in which the wearer owns it. I have seen guys on the Satorialist that are wearing nothing more ordinary than jeans,t-shirt and a long scarf --is that so risk taking? No but they looked great because of the way they owned it. As a matter of fact The Satorialist recently featured a guy in almost the same outfit but he was in Paris-- so I guess it is ok for you in Paris but not DC--lol--come on.
This kids choice of outfit would not be mine but like the I said before he owns it! That makes him stylish. So get the sour lemon out of your mouth and try to be reasonably fair.

Posted by: JT, Aug 19, 2009 11:43:49 PM

I agree with DC Fashion Survivor. This column doesn’t really go out of its way to feature people who take real style risks. All pretty conventional, including this kid. What’s bold about a seersucker jacket, khaki shorts, and boat shoes (which are too dark for the outfit)? Give me an unusual cut, color, texture, SOMETHING.

Bella, this is a style column which invites people to chime in with their opinions. See the poll? Duh! How do you know what DCFS has no sense of style? You don’t know what he/she looks like.

Look at the people who appear on the Sartorialist. You cannot honestly say these Sidewalk Style folks look half as good as they do. Yes, I know it’s mostly New York, Paris, and Milan, but what I wouldn’t give to see interesting mixes of colors, textures, prints, and shapes! These people are boring!

Posted by: CB, Aug 19, 2009 11:53:05 AM

To Mr. DC Fashion Survivor, you obviously have no idea what you are talking, and apparently you don’t have a sense of style either. Just because you may not agree with this article and this man’s choice of clothing for the day, who really cares. It is all about feeling comfortable, and loving the clothes you are in, and not worrying about what others have to say. Even my own brother, and i’ve even seen it with some of his friends, they wear similar outfits, and they look great. In this society, you tend to define yourself by the clothes you wear, and here, this man defines himself a strong individual, ready to take on whatever comes his way. So next time you’re going to comment on someones attire, remember that it doesn’t matter what you think, because everyone is different, and having your own sense of style is what truly makes you an independent individual.

Oh and PS to the writer of this article: Great choice! I will definitely be reading your article every week.

Posted by: Bella Cullen, Aug 19, 2009 08:50:39 AM

I think he looks "HOT" and not temperature!!!!!!!!! I guess "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", but laughing in someone’s face because of their clothing choice..........hmmmmmmmmm......no comment............

Posted by: Michele, Aug 19, 2009 08:02:56 AM

I have to ask after reviewing your "Sidewalk Style" entries, are you actively working to promote the popular assumption that DC is Hollywood for ugly people?

Nothing personal to those you stopped, but these styles are not fashion-forward. Instead, they appear like a reel of rejected candidates from What Not to Wear. Based on your current progression, I have to assume that you’ll soon be interviewing the nice man who lives under the overpass on Rock Creek Parkway because he "takes chances" with his daring mismatch of patterns. Except that he looks far more put-together than any of these poor souls.

To be specific about this gentleman, you’ve taken a basic DC look (cotton/seersucker sport coat, khaki shorts, loafers, etc.) and chosen someone who makes it look as ridiculous as possible. I would openly and unapologetically laugh in the face of anyone wearing this get-up who entered my proximity. And, they would learn a valuable lesson that they could carry forward in their life and, likely, thank me for later.

Posted by: DC Fashion Survivor, Aug 18, 2009 03:11:43 PM

I have to ask after reviewing your "Sidewalk Style" entries, are you actively working to promote the popular assumption that DC is Hollywood for ugly people?

Nothing personal to those you stopped, but these styles are not fashion-forward. Instead, they appear like a reel of rejected candidates from What Not to Wear. Based on your current progression, I have to assume that you’ll soon be interviewing the nice man who lives under the overpass on Rock Creek Parkway because he takes chances with his daring mismatch of patterns. Except that he looks far more put-together than any of these poor souls.

To be specific about this gentleman, you’ve taken a basic DC look (cotton/seersucker blazer, khaki shorts, loafers, etc.) and chosen someone who makes it look as ridiculous as possible. I would openly and unapologetically laugh in the face of anyone wearing this get-up who entered my proximity. And, they would learn a valuable lesson that they could carry forward in their life and, likely, thank me for later.

Posted by: DC Fashion Survivor, Aug 18, 2009 03:01:50 PM

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