Jordan Curry

Jordan Curry, also known as the_simple_truth_iam on Instagram and /u/Alchemist-23 on Reddit, is someone who has caught my eye browsing social media time and time again. His style not only has a sense of self but plays with silhouettes and colors effortlessly. He has a style that can be hard to describe, so we sat down with Jordan to talk about his journey into the world of clothing.

Q: How did you get into clothing, personal style, and fashion?

A: Modeling was my introduction. I started with Glasswing Shop in Seattle and Dehen in Portland, and that was my first exposure to nicer brands, better materials, and more expensive clothes. It pushed me to look at what actually goes into making a garment — what makes one quality versus not, and what justifies a high price.

Trying on pieces I never would have picked for myself also let me see myself in a much wider range of clothing. Some I liked, some I didn't. At that point, I honestly didn't have much of a sense of style yet.

I started buying new clothes, and my girlfriend Rachel — my partner — has strongly influenced my style. I often run things by her. I don't always agree with her answers, but she's a good filter for styling and fashion ideas, and she's helped me stabilize my own preferences.

She also suggested I try wider pants, and I was very pleased with how they looked on me. Through that process of buying, trying things on, and paying more attention to how I looked in clothes, I started developing a sense of fashion and styling.

One thing worth mentioning: early on, my purchases were about quality pieces I appreciated at face value. Later, I shifted to thinking about how a piece could be styled and how it would fit with the rest of my wardrobe.

Q: Who are your biggest style influences?

A: Too many to mention, but some of the first and biggest were Waiper, a Japanese retailer, and ALMW by Waiper. L.L. Wood is one of the owners of both, and they're a military surplus store. I really appreciated seeing him style military wear — that's where I learned about M-47 trousers, British military trousers, gray Swiss denim, and the M-65 and M-51.

There's also Almost Vintage in the heritage world, and boot heads I talked to. Mostly it was by association: I'd go to stores like Shop Boswell, Glasswing Shop, or Dehen, try to find a size or a color, and look for stockists. Those stockists carried other similar brands, so through what you might call the law of association, I became aware of brands I wanted to try.

In short: people in the modeling and fashion world — the stores, and social media personalities — are where my inspiration came from.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I don't stick to one specific area. My wardrobe has modern pieces, rugged pieces, heritage brands, and military. When I buy something, I don't think about what style it is — I think about whether it works with what I already have and how I can incorporate it.

I think in terms of colors, shapes, color balance, and ratios. People have told me my style is closest to amekaji, though I'm not sure what more to say on that. In short, I don't have a particular style I can name. I weave multiple styles into my wardrobe, and it's evolved into what people know as mine — no specific label.

Q: How did you get into dyeing clothing?

A: I started with Rit dye. The first piece I dyed was a pair of French M-47 trousers, and I was trying to match a plum or raisin color I saw on a Lady White heavyweight hoodie. My first influence was probably Wild Frontier Goods.

From there it evolved. Yoko Sakamoto was a big influence on the persimmon dye side. Taiga Takahashi and Evan Kinori are where my inspiration for mud dyes came from. Wild Frontier Goods basically produces the entire rainbow with a variety of natural dyes.

Once I got a good sense of dyeing in general from the more basic dyes like Rit, I was more comfortable trying what typically can be more complicated — natural dyes. Being into selvedge denim, you also develop an appreciation for indigo, which is usually a natural dye.

I'm far from an expert. But when I find a piece I like and don't expect it'll be made in a color I prefer anytime soon, I find it — hopefully for a good price — and re-dye it myself. That way I get pieces that are one of a kind: garment-dyed pieces are one of a kind, and sometimes companies will never dye a garment the color I want.

Q: How do you find most brands — for example, the Clinch boots?

A: The Clinch boots came through Almost Vintage — that's his Instagram handle; his name is Jake. He had a YouTube channel where he talked about his many boots, and Clinch, made by Brass Tokyo, was one of them. I fell in love with the aesthetic, and as I dove deeper, I found very high-quality construction and leather choices. I've never been someone who wanted my things to age, but this made me appreciate it — the Clinch boots often looked even more beautiful used and aged than brand new.

Beyond that, it's the same as before: being in a store and feeling a garment, or seeing something on Instagram that catches my eye and asking what it is. When I find a brand I like, I go back — especially if they do a shape or silhouette well. Right now I'm looking for the perfect turtleneck.