Running a menswear blog comes with the added responsibility of responding to the requests of many brands that may want to collaborate on a project. More often than not, the product or brand doesn’t match up or they’re asking for something outrageous with no true benefit to your brand. As the Men’s Style Pro’s email inbox was flooding with spring requests, I was hit with a request from CAT Footwear (yeah the construction machinery & work boot brand) to model a pair of their boots for the S/S 15′ campaign.
Initially, I was going to decline the request because I left that the Men’s Style Pro & CAT Footwear didn’t really match up. After a day of posturing, it really hit me that it was time for a bit of growth in regards to the brands that I work with, as well as, some of the general style aesthetics that I want to get across to readers. CAT footwear has done a fair amount of expanding its reach over the years and have even been seen on high fashion runways of #NYFW (ASSK Runway Show). It was evident that this isn’t the same CAT Footwear brand that were use to seeing on every hard hat wearing, construction dude, rather, an emerging fashion brand in the making.
Grey T-Shirt & Blue Cargo Pants – H&M USA | Joseph Marc Aviators – Coastal.com | Green Suede Burnish Boots – CAT Footwear | Gold Watch – Peugeot |
The theme behind this shoot was, “Festival Wear”. Below are some more fundamental behind this look that may help in execute something similar;
- The Boots | Before trying these boots out myself, I would have never thought of them as an option to wear to a festival. What makes them work is the deep green color (that would hit grass stains) and the otherwise casualness of the design. Off that bat, what stands out is the wearability of the boots. Slipping them on and running around, these boots felt broken in from the start
- The T-Shirt | Typically you’ll see guys at spring/summer festivals (primarily music festivals) shirtless or wearing an ironic tank. This t-shirt teeters the line of summer popover & regular tee. With a deep button, v-neck drop, you can show off that “summer body” you’ve been working on.
- Cargo Pants | I opted for cargo pants instead of shorts because it was more realistic to how I would personally style the look. Also, for practical reasons like, having extra pockets or if it gets cold at night, a pair of pants can really come in handy
- Sunglasses | A classic pair of aviators or wayfarers will do the trick. You don’t have to “bro out” and pull out your neon sunglasses just because you’re in the “Land Of The Bro” aka a festival
Photo Credit: Marina T. Peele @Cantwinklefty
Best,
Sabir
