Maybe James Blake Makes a Better Model Than Musician
James Blake has such an excellent eye for personal style that this dude ought to be a personal stylist — for himself. Well, I guess he already is. But Blake has such a natty eye for fit and proportion that I can't help but wonder if he's better at modeling clothes than he is at music.
Blake is fabulously talented as a musician, by the way, so I don't mean that as a diss. But as much a wizard he is as a producer, Blake may actually be even better at wearing clothes. He's just that good at getting dressed.
Look at the outfit that Blake wore with longtime partner Jameela Jamil while out in New York on October 6. This is a masterclass in polished perfection, a top-to-bottom schooling in how to balance layers, add texture, and make luxury goods look lived-in.
James Blake knows his stuff. You can tell that he dresses with intent without making a big deal out of it, a key touchstone of anyone who's got real style. Observe how he cannily paired a velvet Prada overshirt to wide corduroy trousers — these items are far from identical but their texture and color are so complementary that you'd think that Blake was wearing a full Prada suit.
It's smart color-matching that's underscored by impressive texture play. Like, corduroy ain't velvet but the plush softness of each texture is indeed a potent combo. The snap buttons on Blake's shirt keep the look understated. No contrasting buttons here!
That's just scratching the surface. Blake's proportions are in perfect check, his Prada shirt ending just below the waistline of his elegantly wide corduroy slacks, which themselves barely kiss the top of his Zegna sneakers. Wow! I mean actually, wow. This is smart stuff, done so unpretentiously it looks almost incidental.
And, then, for an added texture punch, Blake straps on his favorite bag, a $2k intrecciato Cassette, worn crossbody.
He's in stylish company here, given all the great-looking folks who flock to the Italian house, but the magic is in how Blake has personalized his expensive pieces to his taste. These are all expensive luxury goods but they're worn in a workmanlike way that reads as aspirationally effortless.
I'm sayin'! If James Blake ever gets tired of turning out bangers, he could make some rich, swagless dudes very happy by showing them how to make their clothes look as expensive as they actually are.
