Caulfield Preparatory

I was going to post about something else today, but I was compelled to write on this topic. These words were itching to get out.

When it comes to menswear I think men are very lucky due to the fact that they have so many chic options (which is probably why menswear-inspired clothing for women is so big right now). I really love Ben Sherman for menswear, but while reading Nylon I stumbled upon Caulfield Preparatory (http://www.caulfieldpreparatory.com/) and of course the name spoke to me, as it would to any die-hard J.D. Salinger fan. It turns out the line is based around a protagonist (Finnegan Sinclair) who is very Holden Caulfield-like in his writing. The clothes are tailored with reference to Holden's days at Pencey Prep and are kind of a "bookworm look." I enjoyed the thought put into the story behind the line and how the ABOUT section of the Web site looks like a copy of The Catcher in the Rye. So good to see Salinger's legacy alive and well in so many unexpected places. Below are the excerpts that affected me most in a completely unexpected (and perhaps much needed way).

"By some absurd mistake I am leading someone else's life ... and I am desparate to find a path back to my own. I mean have you ever woke up and realized you have become the person you don't want to be? My grandfather warned me of this, 'It sneaks up on you like a thief in the night ... and before you know it, you're robbed of your true self.'

" If you really want to know someone -heart, soul, and mind, then ask them for their story. A great story can keep you warm and entertained on the coldest of nights. A great story can buoy your spirits when you're feeling sad and lonely. A great story can transport you to any place anytime when you feel like you're stuck in the mundane."

This is why I write after all; to transport myself and others elsewhere. And really this is why we read, why we should listen, so that we can gain the many experiences and knowledge life is offering out to us. Stories are important in how they bind people together, and also why they bring people apart. Empathy and love can only be achieved by the sharing of a story. I love it when a fashion collection is referred to as the telling of a story. I take great joy in studying the intersection between fashion and literature. While it seems an unlikely pair, I feel that both of these mediums are great art forms and they can speak (and listen) to each other. Don't let today be just another day; let it be the beginning of a wonderful story.

Share your story. Listen to someone else's. It might just keep you warm on the coldest of nights, feed you on the days you feel you are running on empty, quench an incurable thirst, reveal something you never realized to be true, or inspire you to make more art.