Something Bespoke Welcomes David Chen

  • July 22, 2014
  • Written By Timothy Nguyen

Let me go ahead and take this chance to announce that David is going to be a contributor to Something Bespoke from this day forward. He will be releasing content every Thursday at 10:00AM CST.

David Chen is a friend I made a little bit over a year ago through MaleFashionAdvice on Reddit when he responded to a post about a Houston meetup. Read below to find out who he is and what he has planned for Something Bespoke.

 

Why have you decided to write for Something Bespoke?

I love(d) writing. I wanted to be a movie director when I was younger.  But before that, I relished writing short stories in English class.

Story time: I once wrote a short about a stripping experience.  I read the story out loud for the class until I got to the point where she starts to caress her nether regions and then the teacher told me to stop.

How did you meet the guys at Something Bespoke?

Reddit/r/MFA meetup.  The guys were looking for inspiration and that I am.

Do you have a celebrity fashion idol?

I  don’t know really.  I admire so many different styles that this would be a list.

The easy thing is to show a clip of Victoria Beckham in Zoolander saying, “Derek Zoolanda is a fashion icon.”

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Is there a difference between self taught and book taught style?

Ummm, I am self taught in the sense that I just trial and error my way through this.  I never really thought deeply about WHY I liked something before, but I started to once my budget increased and I had a plethora of basics at my disposal.

As far as book taught, I feel like a lot of my fashion is so instinctive.  My wife is way more methodical in the sense that she will look like at an item and think, how do I wear this with what to where and how.

I see something and either I immediately gravitate towards it or completely disregard it.

How much do you think your wardrobe is worth retail?

Ballparking it here.  25k. USD. Including accessories like Watch and rings and stuff?IMG_0900

 Why Julius_7?

Good question.  I love it’s despair.  I love the black.  I love the pragmatism.  It’s useful with combats and cargos.  It’s got chaos in the asymmetry and destroyed hems.  They make fantastic leather products and at the same time, the brand has class.

What is your most hated genre of fashion?

I’m not sure if I would call this fashion really, but the general douchey style that pervades Houston.  Tight muscle shirts and True Religion Jeans.  I guess there is no saving that aesthetic.

Biggest Regret:

Not trying hard enough to be the person I should be.  I think I could’ve done more with my life, but I was too caught up in trying to be something I wasn’t.  I spent too much time trying to fit in and fit an image but that was a huge waste of time.  The silver lining is, I learned a lot about myself afterwards.

What fears keep me up in life?

Being a complete failure.  Success is so big to me.IMG_0953

Lets change it up a bit. Happiest moment in your life?

It would feel shallow to say it was a purchase.  I don’t know yet.

I don’t think this really answers the question and it probably sounds like bullshit, but just the “everyday”.

I have good friends, I have a nice job, I have a nice house, I have a nice wife, I eat, drink and play.  I laugh and love.  There isn’t much more to life other than being really really really good looking.

What are the most proud of?

Getting a job I guess.  I have a pretty decent job and just getting into a good company validates all the hard work that you put into it.

What is fashion to you?

Easy question.  Expression.  I want to my clothes to speak for me, speak with me, say what I want to say without saying it.  I want my clothes and fashion to be able to communicate who I am right now at this moment in time. IMG_0925

At this very moment what is your style end game? I say in this very moment because endgames change.

To be a chameleon.  I want to be able to blend into any situation or not blend in, but have a multitude of complete aestheics at my disposal.  From Sprezz, to Menswear, to Avant Garde, to Techwear, to prep, to work tshirts and cargo shorts.

What do you think you can bring to the readers?

This is a really good question.  I don’t know.  I am older than most of the viewership so I have seen more cycles of fashion.  I am also quite the risk taker (at least I think) so readers can learn from my mistakes.

Any final thoughts for the readers and what they should expect from you in the near future?

I am an absolute joker. Don’t get mad when I offend your style or something you like.  I am a fairly opinionated guy.  You can always leave comments and tell me how much I suck.

Another thought. I am also a movie, Scotch and foodie buff so feel free to drop me an email or leave something in the comments.  As the kids say, “#boutdatluxelife.”

Not so much a thought, but I am very curious to see what viewers would like to read from me.

Maybe, reviews on clothes that I have in my closet, to past funny experiences, to where to buy, or maybe some history on popular fashion.IMG_0944

Bonus Question:  What brands do I like or am familiar with?

In no specific order:

  1. Julius
  2. Richard Saturnino Owens
  3. Gucci
  4. Prada
  5. Viktor & Rolf
  6. Ferragamo shoes
  7. Jcrew shirts (slim of course)
  8. American Eagle
  9. Nike

 David is wearing a Neil Barrett tee, Balmain biker jeans and Rick Owens pony hair Geobaskets.

Follow him on Instagram and Twitter for updates!

David can also be reached at David@somethingbespoke.com

Photos are courtesy of Levi Lemaster

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