Urban Fashion & Style for Today

by D. Chestnut – © DonAlesante Fashions

www.Da-ent.com

Fashion can be described as a plethora of different things.  Personally, I like to define fashion as one's own style!   Hey, after all, what person did you admire while growing up, someone who helped to develop your own sense of style, besides the legends of fashion empires today?   I have a few myself, one being Steve Stovall, who I met while growing up in the hood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin having come from Mobile Alabama, where fashion and style were recognized as only fads.

I'm talking about the authentic style of that era, being in the Midwest in the late 80's 1985 to be exact. Being new to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin 14 years old, fresh to death but square, witnessing things like young hustlers male and female during the winter time, out side in bitter cold -10 below zero weather, 4 feet of snow or higher wearing Leather Bomber Jackets, authentic Major League team base ball caps that had the real fur around the collar, a stankin’ pair of the latest Cazal executive eyewear or high-fashion collection of shades on.

Many older O G's, Pimps and Players wore the Phattest ones that is how we identified with the real from the fake, and I can't forget the Britches my daddy used to call them, we call them pants, an extremely starched and crisp pair of Levis 501 Jeans on, and a matching major league baseball team t-shirt and a pair of what they called "Hustlers" on their feet and if you were really doin’ it swell you had the 14kt Diamond Cut 27in Phat Gold Chain with the no charm and a color coordinated gator skin belt. 

While other cats in Mobile, Alabama were wearing Polo Shirts with the collars flipped up, all flavors, the matching symbols on the socks to boot, with a paisley imprinted cardigan sweater, or a starched collared Polo or Izod dress shirt.  The look would not be complete without the checkerboard pants and some Dexter's on your feet, or the infamous pair of Sebago's.

That is what the cool cats like Margo Reed, who went to school with me at Booker T. Washington in Mobile, was rocking that's what we called a Prep or a being "Preppy was the new trend or fad and there is so much more to this when talking about fashion and style and me growing up in the south.   Margo set his own trend for those around him to pay attention to their own sense of style, but for now, his swagger was saying, look you better "Get Like Me!".... And they did!  I, on the other hand, had to wear what was bought and provided, so I couldn't keep up with that fad.   I was confident smart and clean though, and kept a fresh ball fade and a fresh pair of Sears and Roebuck Pro Wings on my feet.