Americana/Work Wear
Looking to update your style? Want a new look that’s both rustic, comfortable, but also high in quality? Then, perhaps you should try out the Americana fashion aesthetic.
What Is It?
So, what is the Americana fashion style? This clothing aesthetic is known by a few other terms. These other terms include Work Wear and American Heritage. With those other names, you can start to get an idea behind the heart and soul of this fashion style. And yes, fashion styles and aesthetics have hearts and souls.
Once you delve a little deeper into the world of fashion, you’ll find that there are whole cultures, communities, and even outlooks that surround these very styles.
With the Americana aesthetic, men are enveloped in the world of the rugged working man. The miner trudging to work at 4 in the morning. The fisher clambering into his boat and rowing off into the misty waters with the hope of catching dinner.
The woodsman in the midst of the deep forest as he hacks his way into a tall tree and hauls its pieces to his cabin. The Americana fashion style is about resonating with the era of hard work and rustic living.
Related: How men can build their fashion style right
In order to mirror this lifestyle, the clothes focus on layers, quality and hearty fabrics made in America, and looser clothing that provides room for movement or work while still protecting you from the weather.
Of course, there’s room to experiment with this fashion style. You can focus on making a minor’s outfit from the 1800s or you can make your styling choices be updated/modern version of those earlier times. The decision is up to you.
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Quality
Something you will want to stay mindful of, however, is the quality of the clothes. You want high-quality fabrics that can stand the weather, the work, the tests of time. Also, as explained above, you want to be aware of the location of the clothes’ production. While many will think this is over the top and unnecessary, because not many can tell at the end of the day, there’s something so meaningful and powerful about owning clothes from America when consciously dressing in the Americana style.
Fit
You’ll also want to think about the layering and fit of your clothes. Again, make sure that you have room to move around in your clothes. There’s no need for tight skinny jeans here! If you had that, you would be betraying the very essence and soul of the aesthetic you’re trying to mimic and embrace. Instead, focus on straight-legged pants.
If you're comfortable with it, you can also try out baggier pants than you're used too. Not too baggy tho! In addition, get shirts that are loose enough to move but don’t look like you’re swimming in them. The same can be said for jackets. Try a canvas or denim jacket, and see how you feel/look.
Where To Buy
Lastly, you have to consider where you’re going to buy your first round of Americana clothes. If you stick to the high-quality side of this fashion community, you could be looking to spend a pretty penny. That’s because high-quality American-made clothes take time and money. That said, you can start off with cheaper products. Consider going for brands and stores that exude an “All American” feel. This includes levi’s or L.C. King. You could also check out your local thrift store and see if anything appropriate is waiting there.
At the end of the day, discovering and adopting a new fashion style is about experimentation until you get what fits you best. If you need some additional next steps, check out this inspiration album or this one, do some more research, and then start buying/experimenting from there.
