P R O F I L E
´My first fonay into the sphere of personal style was my adoption, in 1972, of the original Skinhead Suedehead ( almost Preppy) style of Two Tone Mohair, 4 button, 14´´ single vented suit, button-down Ben Sherman shirt and wingtip shoes. This gave me a taste for the suit and the effect it created which has stayed with me ever since.
Having been lucky enough to have experienced my adolescence in the 70´s. I was able to indulge myself in the 34´ ´ wild, high-waisted ´ bags´ (trousers) of the Northem Soul movement and in the 40s and 50s revivals of the mid-70s. Aroused by the sheer perversity of the earl y ´SEX` bondage look. I immersed myself in the early Punk scene untiI I became a trend invaded by middle-class wannabees. As a reaction, I flirted with the jazz\funk\design scene. Then in 1978 still appalled by ´Punk Rock´. I founded the ´Boy´s Weekly Rocker´ movement. We all dressed as our favourite ´Boys Weekly´ magazine hero - Blackheard The Pirate, Buffalo Bill, Clark Kent, etc. This developed into a scene in itself and became know ( much to out chagrin) as the ´New Romantic Movement´.
Actually there was little romanticism in us - just a collective drive towards being differnet frmo the norm, individual. My favourite vige at the time was the ´El Tipico´ English Gentleman, replete with spats and monocle. In the early 1980s, as a reaction to the preponderance of male make-up and effeminacy in the New Romantics, I Pioneered the rebirth of the Big Suit - based loosely on the zoot suit - and in the process managed to amass one of the UK´s largest collection of had-painted ties. As a reaction to the big suits, I then moved into the silk\mohair, early 60s single-buttoned suit. From there I digressed to a New Edwardian style, complet with moustache, beard, frockcoat and large Disraeli-type bows. My hair grew and by 1988 it was in the form of a braid halfway down my back. This allowed me to move from a Oriental Look to English eccentric, from Rasputin to Buffalo Bill with fringe jacket and knee-high moccasns. After I´d exploited every possible expression my long hair, beard and moustache could achieve. i gradually cut it into a bob whereby I could realize my penchant for Medieval\Richard III - inspired outfits. As it got shorter still, I passed through a 1900´s vibe, a 20s feel and now, as my hair is cropped. I´ve gone back to my roots wearing 4 buttons tonic jackets brogues, button downs - my large sideburns also allowing me to carry off an almost 70s vibe with velvet suits, round collar shirts, etc... or a British businessman circa 1960s, with three-piece suit, detachable collar and bowler hat´
´Basically, I have always been ´Style Sufring´ - touching the high points of dress over the last century, using adapting , mixing them up´
CHRIS SULLIVAN
STYLE SURFING - TED POLHEMUS