Menswear #StyleChallenge with @HisOOTD

It’s been a while since the last time I invited a #GuestBlogger to Happily Ever Style!

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And it’s also been a while I felt like I’ve done something a little more “creative” and different. So when I connected with Williamson PR, a New York City-based agency representing a well-curated mix of global brands, I decided I had to take the opportunity to think outside the box a little.

Originally, I was simply planning on styling some pieces for New York or London Fashion Week. But when I visited 180 The Store and saw the chic mens section, a fun idea came to mind — why not invite an influencer to do a #StyleChallenge with me? Better yet, why not ask a male influencer to join me?

The person that came to mind was Victor from @hisOOTD. Mostly because I found him super friendly and easy to talk to since the first time we met at an event! And of course, I thought of him because of his sense of style, too. Victor was already in the creative field before he came to the U.S. from Dominican Republic. But it wasn’t until he moved to New York City did he become a menswear influencer.

I personally love Victor’s casual way of incorporating sleek pieces like a blazer or a camel coat into everyday wear — the outfits he put together don’t look pretentious. This semi-formal and this layering-game-strong look are just some of my favorites! According to Victor, his signature look would be “an all black outfit with white sneakers” — he called it his combat uniform! Victor also does a lot of travel content — and you’d be surprised but 99% of his photos are taken by himself on a tripod!

So the #StyleChallenge we gave ourselves was to put 3 different looks together featuring similar pieces or pieces from the same brand and collection. I would have to wear at least one item from the men’s collection.

Scroll down to check out the outfits we created:

Matching Orange and Navy Hues + Stripes

The first men’s piece I picked out from the store was a navy and orange striped knit by a brand from London called YouMustCreate — or YMC. I was drawn to the design because of the contrasting colors and also the soft texture. When I folded the sleeves up to shorten the length, I revealed the striking beautiful shade of blue hidden inside; it was a pleasant surprise! I wanted to play with the idea of mixing textures so I wore it over an burnt orange satin dress. The sweater was obviously “oversized,” so I grabbed a belt to accentuate my waist. I completed the look with a cobalt blue leather bag handmade in New England by a bran called Lotuff Leather.

Meanwhile, Victor picked out a buttoned up shirt-jacket from the same brand, YMC. Quite honestly, our oranges happened to be very similar allowing us to match really well! To echo the stripes of my knitwear, Victor also wore a striped t-shirt. His blue jeans echoed the blue in my outfit, too.

And because we are the cool kids on the block, we both wore nice sunnies from the Japanese eyewear brand Eyevan.

Victor and I outside 180 The Store. Photos by Ashley Gallerani.

When I asked Victor which look out of the 3 was his favorite, he told me it was this one! He said it’s because the color combination got him out of his usual “comfort zone.”

Well, let’s just say menswear isn’t exactly in my comfort zone, either, because I imagined they’d be baggy and less flattering on me. But in the end, this look worked, so I’m glad we both gave something new a try!

Twinning in Military Jackets

I wanted a twinning look so Victor and I did it for our second outfits! The starring key pieces were these army green military jackets by Atelier & Repairs, which is a sustainable brand that focuses on designing and repurposing the materials that already exist. Although the design concept of the shirts we picked out were essentially the same, none of their items are ever identical because every detail would vary from piece to piece. I adore the unique element; I feel like its reminding us that we as human brings are all one-of-a-kind, too!

We both wore white t-shirts underneath, paired them with black bottoms and white shoes! Victor had a pair of really nice white trainers from Brandblack. Meanwhile, the army green bag by New York-based Bags in Progress fit right in with our outfits.

Personally, this look was my favorite out of the three because — MAN, did I feel oh, so cool in it!

The army green military jackets Victor and I are wearing are from Atelier & Repairs; the bag is from Bags in Progress. Photos by Ashley Gallerani.

The patchwork on the shirts Victor and I wore are different.

This pair of sunglasses I tried on at 180 The Store is from Eyevan.

Breaking Up a Set

For the last look, we took apart a light grey set that is from a “unique enough, but basic” brand called Still By Hand; Victor wore the bottom while I styled the blazer!

To keep the overall look fresh and warmer-weather-ready, and also to avoid picking out pieces that would overpower the grey, I decided to wear the light blazer over a ivory silk skirt and keep my white booties on. Meanwhile, Victor wore a striped t-shirt under an opened shirt, also keeping the tones light and airy.

At first I thought the blazer would be too long on me, because proportionally my legs are quite short. But I think because the skirt is high-waisted, and I wore all white underneath, the elongation effect helped!

This was quite a fun look to put together because I love suits and anything that comes in a set. Breaking up the matching set is already something I would do with my own pieces.

If I were to choose my favorite outfit of Victor’s, I think it would be this one! I just love how “clean” it looks. It’s put-together but somewhat casual, too. So effortlessly chic!