Image via Complex Original
André 3000 was in New York City last week to give out some grooming tips in time for Movember and help guys put their best faces forward with Gillette's eMO'gency Styler Tour. Ever the style icon, he laced us with some wisdom regarding personal style, self-expression, and the fact that even the best-dressed man of today has some fashion mistakes in his past. Straight from the man himself, here are 12 Style Tips From André 3000.
Find Facial Hair That Works For You
"You gotta find out what works for you and your face shape and what you’re trying to say. Your job has a lot to do with it too. Some clean cut people they pretty much work corporate jobs, and for me it's just whatever. Me and Big Boi started rapping 'cause we didn’t want to be in the corporate world, but if I had to be in it I’d probably try the handlebar mustache."
Emulate, Don't Imitate Your Icons
"Find people that you like and admire. Try to mimic them, then you’ll end up finding your own thing. Like one of my favorite artists, Miles Davis, he said when he started playing horn he said the best thing to do is play exactly like who you love and then you’ll end up turning around and it’ll become you. So Charlie Parker was probably his guy and then he ended up finding his own style. Just mimic the people who you dig and your personality will come out from it."
You Can Shop In Your Own Closet
"I’ve worn this outfit for weeks and these are my own clothes. I didn’t pay for anything new. You’re used to it. You know what works. How to mix and match it."
You Don't Have to Dress In All Designer Duds
"I hate looking like a mannequin. And by that I mean like if you go to some store and the mannequin's head-to-toe in designer brands. I hate head-to-toe dressers."
You'll Make Style Mistakes, and That's Okay
"I've done some crazy looks that didn’t really look to cool on me and I had to figure out well, that’s not my thing. It’s trial and error. You just have to see what works for you and what doesn’t."
Developing Style Starts Early
"It’s almost like learning how to talk, your parents, you hear them as a baby and you kind of mimic and they say ABCs and you mimic the ABCs and then once you learn those pieces you put them together in your own kind of way. It’s the same thing with style."
Learn The Rules Well Enough to Break Them
Once you learn the rules it’s so cool to break them. When you know why they said that, sometimes it's cool to just say 'fuck it.' And that’s a style within itself."
Accessorize According to Who You Are, Not Trends
"Accessorizing is not about if it's too much—it’s just if it's too much for you. I've never been in a real big gold chain wearer. I never been that kind of person and like right now in recession times, hard times, I would feel really stupid for wearing big gold chains. For me its just a personal thing. I've had this bead necklace for like 15 years and my descent is African and Native American so it’s a little bit of both."
Every Day Can Serve As Inspiration
"My inspiration is the people on the street. Style is a personal thing, and my thing is 'just try it,' 'cause you never know what works."
Dress For Yourself and No One Else
"Style is a feeling. And I mean, you can get caught up into chasing and pleasing other people, but you’ll feel like shit inside. You’ll do it for a while, and then you just say 'you know what? I don’t feel that way' and then you’ll just grab what you feel like and you’ll feel great."
Mending Your Own Clothes Makes Them Cooler
"I’ve had this jacket for years and I bought these jeans off the Internet, and then the knee tore up so I put pins in it. I was supposed to put a patch under it, but this was like a makeshift thing—and then people was like 'oh, that’s cool!' so I just left it. So it's just kinda like adding new stuff to old stuff."
Style is a Conversation
"At the end of the day it's your world. Other people's opinion about how you look is just opinion. It’s all about how you feel. It’s all a conversation., and you speak with your clothes. "