In 1882, playwright Oscar Wilde publicly wore a velvet lounge jacket with satin breeches to general disapproval. However, his flamboyant dress was ardently followed by like-minded Aesthetes-writers and artists whose aim was “to exist beautifully.” 

Caption From LACMA Reigning Men Exhibit April 2016

I have a velvet jacket that I broke out at a company meeting years ago; it was a two button sportcoat, dark blue in color, and was designed by Versace. I couldn’t help but buy it when I saw it on the sale rack at the Saks in Phipps Plaza in Atlanta.😂 Sale rack?! You kiddin’ me!!😂 It was like a sign from heaven: “John! Thou art commanded to wear this blue coat. Obey my commands, and you will be blessed.” 

Or so, I’d like to think, but I was actually making an impulsive decision enabled by my trusty Visa; it truly is “everywhere you want to be”.😂

As I was looking back at my pictures, and what were my favorite portions of the LACMA “Reigning Men” exhibit, I found one I had been meaning to write about. Besides it being super inspiring to me, it was pretty much confirmation of my dreams, what I want to write about, and how I will be striving to live out my life-as an “aesthete”.😊

It’s so wonderfully described in the quote above, and it pretty much sums up why I named my blog this, why I dress the way I dress, why I love art so much, etc. I always wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t have the confidence to pursue it, so I settled on becoming a cog in the large corporate machine that opresses us and is so wonderfully exposed in the movie “The Big Short”.😊

Thank you mom for encouraging me to do otherwise. I’ll be walking in the footsteps of Oscar Wilde-the footsteps of thr aesthetes before me (like you!!😂😂).❤️✌🏾️