Urbane Inquiry presents… Michael Brown,... |

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Urbane Inquiry presents…

Michael Brown, blogger/graphic designer

When we began the Urbane Inquiry, we not only wanted to talk to those in the menswear business, but we also wanted to get perspectives from our followers who have exceptional style. Clad in his signature bow tie and trouser shorts look, 21-year-old Michael Brown frames his look around timeless menswear elements. The Savannah, Georgia native has a particular aesthetic that has been influenced by his college student lifestyle and profession as a graphic designer. Here Michael talks to us about cringing at bad hairstyles and his beloved bow ties.

What influences your style?
I’m very inspired and influenced by what I see here on Tumblr and the Internet. It’s just a fantastic resource for inspiration and knowledge about style. As of late, I’ve been really influenced by interior spaces. If I could just walk into a beautifully decorated room, take the colors and textures, and make it into an outfit, that would be great. A lot of people dress not for who they are, but who they want to be. I can definitely relate to that. So, yeah, maybe sometimes I do want to be a newsie, so I’ll dress like one.

Why are you interested in style?
Oh wow. It’s all very selfish. I like to say that I dress for myself. When I look good, I feel good. I usually dress my best on my worst day because I know it can cheer me up. I think the process of choosing what to wear that day is really fun, especially when I start experimenting with color combinations and textures. I think that’s why I’m really interested in style. It’s fun.

How does your graphic design major influence your style and vice versa?
One of the most important things in graphic design is appropriateness. Is that typeface appropriate for this poster? Are those textures appropriate for the message you’re trying to get across? I think that “appropriateness” in graphic design terms definitely applies to style and clothing. I’ve really learned to appreciate simplicity and cleanness when it comes to clothes. Graphic design has really changed the way I look at and use color and texture. I understand now how to mix those things when it comes to my clothes.

Style and fashion is a huge influence on my work. My dream career is working for a fashion magazine or anything to do with that industry, so as I get closer to graduation and putting together my portfolio, I’ve been shifting my graphic design work to focus more on those things.

What is your favorite item in your wardrobe?
Does my bow tie collection count as one item? I have some great bow ties that I love dearly.

What is your go-to uniform & why?
I wear a lot of button down shirts tucked into a nice pair of shorts and a “fun” belt. I think it’s such an easy way to look put-together without being so formal. Usually near the end of the school year there are tons of gallery openings happening but I’m also in the middle of classes and finals. I need an outfit that I can put on, go to class, work in, and then go to a swanky gallery opening without having to go home and change.

Your hair is a great part of your look. What inspired it?
I actually used to have really awful hair. I’m embarrassing to go onto Facebook and look at pictures before my first year of college. I really got into not having such terrible hair around the same time I really got into fashion. I definitely looked at how male models were wearing their hair, which was longer on top, cropped short on the sides, and usually slicked back. I should definitely cite Buddy Holly and Mad Men as a huge inspiration for how I wear my hair.

What did you wear today?
A really lightweight, off-white button-down shirt to bear the Georgia heat paired with this great orange and pink floral bow-tie, tan suspenders, nice trouser shorts, and my go-to braided loafers. I wanted to keep it very neutral but with small splashes of almost-fall-but-still-summer-because-I-live-in-Georgia colors.