Tone-on-tone Eccentricity

Eureka! I've cracked the code as to how the style greats keep their eccentricity streamlined: they go tone-on-tone.

In what I'd call the street style photo of the season, Korean model/actor Bae Jung Nam (alias: Jake) does his very own rendition of convoluted Francophilia in shades of navy. (via The Sartorialist)

I have always harbored a liking for eccentricity: it is, after all, the cornerstone of dandyism. I could never be a true minimalist. But much as my tolerance for weirdness has increased over the years, I still believe the best delivery of eccentricity is when it is elegantly contained within boundaries; streamlined.

Allow me to illustrate with sartorial idols, new and old:

Jake looking more pared-down in shades of gray. Note the laundry pin brooch and the purple belt. (via Pop Bop and Snap)

cheerful old chap in a donut-tied silk scarf and trench coat worn as a cape, all in shades of navy (photo by Tommy Ton for GQ)

And all-time favorite Robbie Spencer in a couple of versions his signature combination of severe haircut, tremendous scarf, and wool coat:

honeycomb knit, wool felt, and velvet, all in blue (photo by Tommy Ton for GQ)

rib-knit and tweed, all in charcoal (photo by Tommy Ton for GQ)

A style idol so old he was featured in a post on the first month of this blog, tailor Ross Hancock (center) in a fringed tapestry dressing gown over a suit in dark grayish gold, picking up some of the colors of the robe's pattern (worn shirtless, no less). Photo taken at an Esquire party where he was awarded "Britain's Best-Dressed Man". (via Esquire's Le Ross, Le Blog)

Going tone-on-tone may not be the only way to keep one's style weirdness at bay, but for kooks like me who deal with silk and fur and velvet and brooches on a daily basis, it sure cuts dressing-time to a fraction when you're relegated to just one section of your congested clothing collection.