Alternate Career #4: Fashion Designer

(In case you missed it, the others are: 1. writer, 2. classicist, 3. lawyer.)

I'm often complimented for my distinctive style in sartorial presentation, by friends and strangers alike. Such a shame, I would think each time, that I can't turn those compliments into something that'll pay the bills. Which is not to say that I regret the compliments themselves. I just mean that Axl Rose must have felt something like this back when he was an urchin in the backwoods of Lafayette, IN, and far from the lucrative artery of the world's potentially limitless market economy.

In truth, I'm not original in my stylistic choices. I've always had these vague images of aspiration in my head when I'm shopping, which guide me to things that are right for ME. I think I may have crystallized these images into faces.

When I get dressed in the morning, I think of:
1. DAVID JOHANSEN (which you all knew already)
2. Joey Ramone
3. beaches - mostly California, but sometimes Hawaii

When I get dressed for the evenings, I think of:
1. JEAN HARLOW
2. Prince
3. Tina Turner

Other factors:
1. laziness
2. is it slimming/flattering?
3. TV's Buffy the Vampire Slayer - for (feminine) accessories
4. Gwen Stefani - inevitably more than purposefully

Isn't it interesting? Of my 6 primary icons, 3 are men, and 1 is an inanimate being. If I were a fashion designer, I think this would be the secret to my edge - as long as I'm designing for David Johansen, I couldn't possibly be a consummate slave to fads.