Sometimes people like to ruffle feathers with their fashion; other times, they simply dress to please themselves. But both of these scenarios apply to Mason Thomas, a local musician and St. Louis native who moved to Denver (by way of Phoenix) last year. Continue reading to find out what Internet music genres inspire his sound and style, where he shops, and what's inside his bag.
See also: - Menswear Mondays: Metro student Peyton Kyer on his furry style - Menswear Mondays: Fashion designer Brien Hollowell on his line, Jesus Pistols - Menswear Mondays: Industrial dancer Jolt Holcomb on his Clockwork Orange style
Name: Mason Thomas. Spotted at: 20th and Logan streets.
Profession: I just got a job at Lowe's: I'm a flower boy there; I plant flowers. I also record music and write lyrics under the name Beach Boii. Check out his band camp here and sound cloud here.
Favorite film: Spring Breakers will probably be my new favorite when it comes out on the 22nd of this month, but I also like the film The Comedy . My favorite genre is comedy. I love a film that can make me laugh.
2013 jam: Salem's "King Night (Rotterdam Terror Corps Remix)."
Style inspirations/icons: I like super-ghetto stuff that looks classy and expensive as well. I like snap backs and track jackets. Snap backs are ghetto, as opposed to fitted hats. I'm getting more into dark, gothic clothes, too.
Favorite color: Black.
Favorite accessory: I like shoes. I like it when people have tattoos and piercings, too. I consider those accessories.
Style mantra: In a perfect world, I would get to wear whatever I want, but I dress based on my mood. I like to wear things that look effortless -- like I put very little effort into my look when so many people are concerned with their appearance. One of my mantra's is go slow and die old. I like to piss people off with my clothes sometimes, too. I also like Internet symbolism, like my Monster hat: It represents internet ads, energy drinks, bro-culture, and even that whole ADD culture.
Shops at: Thrifts stores, mostly. I got my Monster hat from Compton Mart. I like cheap clothes. I like A1 thrift store, too. I bought my ring from karma-loop.com.
"I love Denver style," Thomas says. "People really know their shit here. St. Louis is too ghetto, and not classy ghetto. In Phoenix, people model themselves on California style. Here in Denver, people are themselves, and you can tell it's genuine."
Some of Thomas's favorite symbols are peace signs, ying-yang circles, crosses, and marijuana leaves, which are on his bracelets. There is even a marijuana leaf on his belt buckle, too.
"I look forward to progressing with Denver's style," he adds. "People dress warm here, in lots of layers, and have reasons to wear lots of clothes. I want to layer more and experiment more with my style."
Check out what's inside Mason Thomas's bag on page two!
This bag features a patch that says "$WG CULT," which is an acronym for sewage cult. "I received this patch from a woman who made it for me a long time ago, when I was on a label named Sewage Tapes," he explains, "and I sewed it on my backpack myself."
Let's take a look inside his black backpack to see if there are any items that reveal more about Thomas.
Inside the bag is a switchblade for protection, a variety of mixtapes by Beach Boii, a fire-starter in case of emergency, cards for a salon where Thomas plans to get his hair cut, a vaporizer, a grinder, a small pouch and a glass pipe. Thomas says that Beach Boii is heavily influenced by a combination of musical subgenres that exist primarily on the Internet nowadays, including trap music, witch house, industrial music, gothic music, wave music, twerk music, trip-hop, lo-fi, bounce and death metal. He also likes to incorporate Internet imagery into his visual elements, such as album artwork and street fashion.
"My music goes hand in hand with my look," Thomas says. "It's very dark, and people don't understand it sometimes. But it can also be light and easy."
Style analysis: While many people live behind a screen on the Internet, Thomas uses it to intensify his personal aesthetic and art. He takes fashion cues from small musical circles and looks forward to growing Denver's evolving fashion scene as his style becomes darker and more layered. His black Puma track jacket is a hip-hop reference, while his snap back is a nod to his interest in "classy ghetto" culture. The black color makes reference to death-metal lyrics and the dark beats of witch house.
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