Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor and Red Foxx brought the laughs in the 1989 film Harlem Nights, but their style was serious business, says Chicagoan David Northington.
Northington, owner of Styles By Dave, is a fashion-forward stylist who wants young men to adopt the look of yesteryear, just as he does.
Now, it’s not every day that rolling out happens upon a young brother wearing an ascot, so we were compelled to meet him.
Tell us about your ensemble.
These shades are Sean John, one of my favorite designers. He’s been a trendsetter since he first got on the scene. He does what he wants to do, trailblazer, one of the few African Americans who are really doing it and are relevant to this day.
I’m wearing my ascot, with my pocket square, also another key piece to any man’s outfit. We like to accessorize, when I’m wearing a suit, if I don’t have my pocket square, I feel naked.
This is my velvet blazer, you can wear jeans with a blazer.
It’s kind of cool today, so I have to put on the velvet.
Are those designer jeans?
These are Levi’s. I swear away from designer denim, the $300-$400 jeans, which are fine. But my personal preference is Levi’s because you can wear Levi’s forever. You can’t wear those designer jeans in two years from now because someone will ask you, “why are you wearing those Ed Hardy’s?” Levi’s are timeless.
Are those denim shoes?
Yes, as you can see, they match my jeans.
How did you get involved with fashion?
I’ve always had a passion for fashion, which is my tag line now, I’ve always dressed differently from the other guys in school and I just never followed trends. I’m comfortable with what I wear, I try to bring the old style back, like in Harlem Nights, I loved the way they dressed with the hats and the shirts and the cuff links.
What is the biggest fashion faux pas that young men make today?
The young generation, the whole sagging thing, I don’t get it, it’s not cute. If they only knew the origins of sagging, from the penal system! I’ve heard that the men would walk around the prison with their pants down, and the other inmates would look at that as an invitation. And it translated to the streets, and the young boys think that it’s hip and cute but it’s not. I think you should look appropriate, and dress appropriate and people will respect you because when you look good, you feel good about yourself and it shows.
Eddie Murphy, truth be told, is a pretty snazzy dresser when he’s not on-screen, and a Harlem Nights sense of style may do a lot of young brothers some good. Connect with Dave on Facebook: Styles By Dave
VIDEO: Dave Rocks the Ascot
