Media Inspiration: Gold On The Ceiling

R.E. and I had the pleasure of seeing The Black Keys live this past March. Even though we could literally only get the worst seats in the house, the entire experience was still awesome. Turns out, one of the best kind of shows is a live music show. I once read a review of one of their performances in NYC that called them a band out of time. Their gigs could have taken place in the 1970s or now, and they would still resonate and sound good without the aid of frivolous modern technology.  They rocked a crowd of thousands, but would have been just as awesome (if not better) in a dive bar or a coffee shop. What makes the Keys awesome is their simplicity and the overall vibe that at the end of the day, what matters to them most is the music.

The Gold on the Ceiling video is the epitome of The Black Keys experience. It has retro film grain coupled with black and white shots, a killer denim wardrobe and the premise of it is simple: a lot of good old fashioned rocking out. If you haven’t seen it, turn up the volume and hop to it. 

Sartorially speaking, two guys like Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney are all about understatement. Their music is soulful, but their wardrobes are simple. Which is exactly why we decided this video should be the Media Inspiration for this week. The rising popularity of minimalist fashion, playing it casual and cool, and oh yeah, this:

Behold, the notorious, infamous, dreaded double denim. This is formerly the look of rock bands in the 70s and soccer moms in the 90s, now re-adapted into hipster gold. Patrick (on the right) is rocking jean from top to bottom, which is a tough look to pull off. Good thing for you, here at V is for Velvet, we love a challenge.

 

Glasses: Alfred Sung Jean Jacket: Thrifted Gap Jean Dress: H&M Belt: Thrifted Gold Sneaks: Keds Ring: Vintage Harmonica necklace: Forever 21

DOUBLE DENIM • KEY POINTS
• To make the denim look a little more accessible, try using two different shades of it. A light and a darkwash are always good places to start!

• To lighten the layers I used a jean dress and a spring jacket to achieve DD status. It is summer for the most part, and no one wants to cook like a turkey.

• Accessories include my dad’s vintage graduation ring, a thrift store brown belt (coincidentally reminiscent of Dan's studio guitar strap) and a silver harmonica necklace, as a nod to the blues. 

• In keeping in line with theme and basement rock, I threw on some gold washed Keds and called this a day. Where my sneaks at?


TRY IT YOURSELF
If you're still not convinced that double denim isn't for you, there are other ways to get your style on with a nod to the Keys without dressing in monochrome denim from head to toe.


At one point in this video, our eyes are blessed with the amazing sight of Patrick Carney wearing this thing of beauty....

THIS. Pretty sure it's a joke to them, but we have a raging stud addiction that won't be satisfied, and this so-blinged-it's-channeling-Johnny-Cash-in-Vegas style jacket hit the sweet spot for me. So I concocted an outfit to try and bring a bit of summery, feminine accent to the whole concept. Still, I picked ultra studded shorts, a collared shirt (another element of Keys' style), and again, avoided heels to keep it casual.

Cap sleeve: Forever 21 Studded Shorts: Topshop Shoes: Aldo Derek Cardigan Glasses: Clearly Contacts Guitar Necklace: Etsy

 

That's it for this week's Media Inspiration post, now we put the power back into your hands. How would you tackle double denim? What's your favourite Black Keys' tune? Will I ever stop asking you questions? (Probably not.)

- Riley

The Velvet Team