Houlton's Style Guide
This is a lookbook and shopping guide I made as a Christmas present for my boyfriend, Houlton. I designed it as a magazine and printed a physical copy for him that he could open on Christmas Day. I also included coupons in the back of the magazine for cash towards purchasing items in the guide and consultation time with the style director (me).
Finding Houlton’s Aesthetic
Prior to creating the style guide, I sent Houlton style quizzes to help determine which styles were his favorite. Based on his answers, I identified his style as casual cool. The casual cool aesthetic is a relaxed yet stylish approach to men’s fashion that prioritizes comfort, versatility, and effortless appeal.
Picking Houlton’s Style Icons
Next I picked Houlton’s style icons: Glen Powell, Ryan Reynolds, David James Elliot, Henry Cavill, and Jack Harries. Some of these style icons were ones I knew Houlton liked already, while others were ones I discovered in my research that embodied elements of his style aesthetic. I picked Glen Powell because of his taste in glasses and sunglasses. Henry Cavill has interesting formalwear looks. David James Elliot is a fashion influencer who creates male fashion content, so he’s a great resource for specific tips, tricks, and recommendations.
Online Shopping
Next, I started doing some online shopping to find pieces that fit Houlton’s style aesthetic and aligned with his interests. In addition to shopping for new pieces, I also highlighted existing clothes from his wardrobe that fit his style aesthetic and would match well with the new items.
Some of the brands I picked pieces from most include: Uniqlo, Madewell, Abercrombie, J. Crew, and L.L.Bean.
Some of my favorite finds included an orange TIMBUK2 crossbody bag from one of his favorite San Francisco brands which contrasted well with all the blue in his wardrobe, a navy baseball cap with a penguin on it, a midcentury modern chair graphic tee, and a reversible black and brown leather belt.
While some of the pieces I picked were very affordable, I also included some splurge options based on my research about which pieces would be the most impactful to splurge on. I wanted him to see what some of the higher end products looked like and read about the materials, but since both of us are frugal, I was also ready and happy to help find cheaper alternatives.
I’ll highlight a few of my favorite splurge items I picked out for him. I found a great pair of Japanese denim jeans from Buck Mason that would be a versatile and timeless wardrobe staple. I also picked two pairs of high quality boots to elevate his footwear collection: a rugged pair of brown suede lace-up boots from the Maine brand G.H.Bass and a sleek pair of black chelsea boots with handmade Italian leather from Koio. Also from Koio, I picked out a pair of white leather sneakers, a staple in Houlton’s outfit inspiration pictures. Lastly, I selected the Seiko Presage Automatic SRPE43 in Blue Stainless Steel. Seiko is one of Houlton’s favorite watch brands, and given his love for the color blue, this was a recommendation I was really excited about.
Creating the Lookbook
After picking out pieces from Houlton’s wardobe and my online shopping sessions, I started building out as many outfit combinations as I could think of to showcase the versatility of the collection. It’s amazing how different a piece can look when paired with a different top or bottom and accessories. I tried to make unique combinations that looked different from each other, but in reality even changing a slight detail can make a whole new outfit, so his options are pretty endless.
