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Twenty years ago, when Michael Giordano used to have to be at work at 7 a.m., he’d pick out his outfits before bed. Michael still picks his outfits out every night, even when his workdays start later—and even when he’s working from home. Michael is the men’s stylist and one of the most popular guys at our San Francisco headquarters, for both his outgoing personality and his original fashion sense. When he’s putting together a look, no matter how crazy, he always starts with his jeans. Here, in his own words, he describes what he’s wearing.
These soft vintage 501® jeans from the ’90s (pictured below) are my favorites right now. I got them at a vintage store a year and a half ago. They’re my go-to when I’m looking to wear worn, faded denim. I like how the fabric is becoming threadbare, gradually creating holes. I like the length. They break nicely with a pair of tennis shoes.
Music is my muse. At my core I’m a rocker-hippie guy, but I’m not afraid to change it up. I have confidence in everything I wear, and I’m not really trying to gain approval. When I set out my looks, I’m just dressing to be myself.
I’ll wear vintage pieces, but I also embrace streetwear culture. I’m a stylist, so I try to figure out some looks by wearing them myself. If I can understand what looks good on my body, I can take those ideas and those proportions to work. I’m also always paying attention to what’s happening trend-wise for shoes. I never want to date myself — I want to show I know what’s going on.
For me, getting dressed takes 10 minutes to a half-hour. I may lay something out, then look at it an hour later and decide, “Ehhh, I don’t like that. The color isn’t right. I don’t like the jacket with the bottom.” I might say, “This is trying too hard.”
I might swap out the shoelaces, change my shoes, remove a belt. I may change the socks. Little things. I’m always simplifying, always taking something away.