Raven Smith on finding a signature style, Barbour jackets and owning 400 pairs of shoes
Author and columnist Raven Smith discusses learning from his style mistakes
Words: Zak Maoui
Raven Smith has one of the wittiest Instagram accounts on the platform, cutting through with his takes on the zeitgeist.
But more than just an Insta-funnyman, Smith, who is of mixed Jamaican and white British heritage and who claims to have been 32-years-young for almost as many years, is a regular columnist for British Vogue and author of two top selling books, Trivial Pursuits and Men. He's also got his finger on the pulse when it comes to his style. He's all about sharp suiting, a fine pair of loafers, short shorts in the summer and owning more than 400 pairs of smart shoes.
And this not only landed him a recent starring role in a Barbour campaign, but also got us interested in speaking to him about his wardrobe icons, dos and don'ts and shopping habits.
Hey Raven! You're known as much for your stylish lifestyle, as your quick wit. How would your describe your personal style?
It’s so hard to describe your own style! I think I dress fairly classically, but I love print. So anything with a classic cut and a bit of print thrown in is what works for me. That’s my top line style. I think menswear is very navy, black and grey, and anything that takes me away from that is more my personality, let’s say. The louder the print, the better. I’m on the cusp of jazzy and clownish, but try not to tip into the clownish too much. But I don’t want to look like I’m wearing a Topman pastel suit.
It’s nice to dress classically, but a good outfit also feels of the moment. When I dress more conservatively I get compliments, but I give it a twist with a brooch or something. Playing with accessories, brooches, earrings or whatever, reinvents some of those more classic pieces.
Do you regret anything you've worn?
During that one summer when Nu Rave was a thing, that was ugly. A lot of H&M green trousers. I was in New York in 2006 and got really swept up in it. It was such a bloggy trends and you’d look to Copenhagen street style sites for inspiration. I grew up during the skinny jeans, Converse and leather jackets era. It was 2009 and everyone was going to gigs. I’m now into tailoring and things that have more structure. I get everything tailored.
What's a style lesson you've learnt?
Nearly everything I wore in my twenties was too small. Dressing appropriately for the size I am is something I’ve learned to do. I don’t have a strange body type, I am just very, very long. I’m used to things that have been cropped and now wearing things that have been made for me are a game changer. I used to think my style was showing lots of sock, because I didn’t have a choice, but it turns out I’m just very tall (I’m 6ft5in) and it doesn’t need to be that way.
Where do you like to shop?
I don’t do a lot of physical shopping and most purchasing is done online. I’ve been going mad on eBay recently. I’ve got five years worth of saved searches and I’m just waiting for them to pop up. It's fun, really! There’s a Prada shirt I want that looks like it has slices of kiwi on it. I’ve just bought Bottega Veneta and Prada blazers, and I’ve had them slightly fitted to my body. The more rare I think something is, the more attracted I am to it. And the same goes for bespoke. I’d rather have something bespoke to me. I recently had a few shirt and trouser combos made and they’ve been serving me well. I have a friend who knows a tailor who has my block on file, and if he’s shopping for fabrics he’ll message and just say “what about a shirt in this print”, which is cool.
Do you follow trends?
I am aware of trends, but I find it exhausting the speed of the rollover. I think it’s better to find something that is distinctive to you. I enjoy buying things I’m not sure about and then rediscovering them later down the line and working out how to wear them. I think when I was younger I was more in tune with trends and dressing a certain way in summer, but now I just wear what I wore last summer and add a few details.
What have you recently bought?
I bought the new Bob Marley T-shirt from Wacko Maria. There is something about Bob Marley that reminds me so much of my dad and my youth, and I don’t find it in any way embarrassing to be like 'I’ve got Bob Marley on my T-shirt.' I mean, I’m Jamaican, I’m allowed. Reggae can be quite North London white middle class lady, which is fine, but it’s put me off wearing Marley-emblazoned stuff a little bit. But if you’re jamming you’re jamming.
Do you take inspiration from your parents?
My mum dresses nice. She wears nice florals and doesn’t like to be silly or pioneering. She’s not breaking boundaries. My dad had quite a strong, what I call, Jamaican look. He wore a pair of Levi’s, an African print shirt and a pair of loafers. And I’m very into that. I’m really here for it. It’s quite me. Some heritage is bleeding into my own style.
You're a loafer man, I've never seen you in trainers.
I don’t fuck about with shoes. I have about 400 pairs of black shoes. It’s not interesting to me to have silly shoes, bright colours or too many bells an whistles. I am a maximalist from the waist up and I will go to town, but I like a smart slack and a sensible shoe. I like a Vinny's croc loafer. I like classic Gucci loafers, but I prefer those with jeans, because it can all feel a bit too ‘suity’ with smart trousers.
What're your memories of clothes when you were younger?
I absolutely begged my mum for a Barbour Liddesdale jacket for Christmas. It was around the time of the Glastonbury afterglow, when people were actually wearing wellies in the city. That was too far for me, but I leant into that whole thing with the quilted jacket.
Like this? Now find out what makes up Danny Lomas' wardrobe...
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