Assignment

1. Choose an underutilized piece in your aesthetic medium
2. Build something new around it using a constraint
3. Document your process

• Initial constraints
• Reference inspiration
• Development steps
• Show off your creativity and be cool!

The Devil Is In the Details

When we take time to appreciate an aesthetic piece, one of our subconscious metrics is "How much time was invested?". If you see someone investing a lot of time into something you know they actually care -- it's a high cost signal. The most common heuristic for the time invested is the level of detail and ornamentation in the piece. When you take in the details, you notice the nuance and complexity that took time and effort to achieve, and you know that this person cares. That caring draws people in by signaling thoughtfulness and foresight. You can even pile details on your details, as Myra Magdalen demonstrates to an extreme.

Getting the details right also helps in being cool. A single overt flaw can shatter the projection of ease that cool relies on.

The details you need to get right are contextually dependent on your aesthetic medium. We'll be going into detail on fashion, then look at finding the right details to focus on in your own medium.

This completes the 80/20 fundamentals of aesthetics.

Cohort Discussion: Constraints and Details

After looking at my example, take turns answering the following questions:

• How successfully did we incorporate our central piece?
• What details emerged from the constraint?
• What details did I get right / wrong?

Example

• How successfully did we incorporate our central piece (the tie)?
  • Very successfully, the tie matching with the other pieces and showing my playful side.
• What details emerged from the constraint (matching the tie's colors)?
  • The orange and blue pallete, conveying both seriousness and playfulness.
• What details did I get right / wrong?
  • The jeans aren't clearly on either the serious or playful side, and could be swapped out for more serious slacks, or with shorts to make things sillier.

Fits So Good

Fit is the best way to turn a piece from something that looks good on its own and making it work best for you specifically. Often, the way clothing fits or drapes over your body has a huge impact on the message it sends. An incorrect fit can be seen as a clear oversight on how you're presenting yourself, taken as a sign of unprofessionalism. They might think, “If you can't even wear clothing that fits correctly (a very basic thing that humans should do), how can we trust you with everything else that might be important?”

Take the Middle Path

Too big	Too small

Clothing that's too large can get in the way or be hard to control. If it's too small, it clearly shows the shape of your body, drawing attention to small imperfections. In either case it can show an almost willful ignorance or naivete about the shape of our own bodies. While I will always encourage everyone to become more healthy and that will cause some changes in your physiology, the truth is that your particular form matters less than how well you pair the fit of your clothing to that form.

How to find your sizes

• In person
  • Find a tailor near you, who can also resize or change the fit of your clothes
  • Try on items at many stores to get an idea of how different items / brands are sized
• On your own (you'll need a flexible measuring tape)
  • Once you know your sizes, you can look up the sizing charts for each brand. You can use this in your online shopping to make sure that the clothing fits you before you ordering it.
  • How to get your sizes
    • For men
    • For women

Fabric Choice

This could be an entire course on its own, but for most items you should lean towards natural fabrics and materials. Natural materials generally:

• Have good thermal conductivity
• Allow air to circulate through them to get sweat to evaporate
• In a fire, will burn instead of melting onto you like artificial fabrics

Tips for specific items

• Prefer wool over cotton for anything that might get wet (socks especially), as wool will dry much easier
• Cotton is cheap but wears and loses color easily
• Some proprietary fabrics can be worth the price.
  • Gore-Tex is far and away the best raincoat material, as it stops water from getting in but still allows air to circulate.
  • There's various nano-materials can be sprayed on to create things like self-cleaning silk. You clean in by letting it warm in the sun, then shading it to expand and contract the fibers. After that, you can just shake the dirt off.

Ballin' on a Budget

Often people will try to replicate a specific outfit that a fashion icon has put together. Then they start assembling it and realize that it's ridiculously expensive to copy a model's exact look.

Wholesalers

Wholesalers are sort of a second hand shop, where the stock goes that the larger chain stores can't sell for some reason. These can be small imperfections that are easily fixed, but can't be sold at their name brand store. For example, when I worked at Men's Wearhouse we would sell Calvin Klein suits for $700. One pant leg was shorter than the other, and was fixed easily by a tailor, but the store couldn't sell it. Instead they sent it to Burlington Coat Factory, where I found it for $250.

There are wholesalers for other materials too. You could go to a junk shop or scrapyard for sculpture or product design. You can also find discount stores who have a huge variety of items for cheap.

Looking for Deals

You find the best deals by becoming aware of the production cycle of clothing. Learn where the brands you like are produced, and find a wholesaler near them selling the surplus at a discount. The variety in a thrift store can be inspiring, and offer deals you'll find nowhere else.

Discerning Details

Finding out which details you need to get right is more of a process than a set of rules. These steps will get you started.

• Search for "what mistakes to avoid in (aesthetic medium, e.g. fashion)".
• Look at your inspiration board and contrast similar pieces with an eye to anything that feels wrong, like the fit being too extreme.
• Get a second opinion from someone with expertise in your area of exploration.

Conclusion

We've learned over this workshop series how to do Aesthetic Exploration , first finding your inspirations, then Honing Your Craft through experimentation, and filling out the 80/20 Fundamentals to succeed going forward. Go forth, experiment, and let your aesthetic be your first line of communication!