my new muse

Last week I was sitting on the bus stuck in traffic heading to school. I looked out the window and there was this white van very close to me. It was clearly advertising a plumbing company. I leaned my head forward to see the driver and I froze. As I was listening to Bob Dylan on my iPod, this guy, this burly, beer-bellied, mid-30s plumber was wearing Ray-Bans like no one had before. It didn’t look brand new, it looked grungy, worn out, classic. It was the most beautiful pair of Ray-Bans I’d ever seen. It wasn’t shining or gleaming, but it was loved, used, and cherished by this man and it fit him so perfectly as though he wore it everyday and I’m sure he did. I was in awe of its beauty. He was wearing it with a beat-up shirt, his hair was messy, and he was concentrated on squeezing his van out of the traffic, and his sunglasses were just amazing. I smiled, now that is style. Ever since that morning, I now pay more attention to taxi drivers, electricians, construction workers, any blue-collar workers because I guarantee you, they can be more stylish than you may notice.

Even the ever influential Sartorialist picked up on this with a lovable painter from Milan

It’s completely innocent, carefree and so stylish. I haven’t thought of any more inspiring muse in a long time like this.


-Sara