Musings on Father & Son Style By Coltrane Curtis

Who’s More Stylish, Me or My Kid?

Since becoming a father and handing down a legacy of style, one could argue that in the process, I’ve become less stylish. When I take a look at Ellington’s wardrobe, I tend to agree. But what’s harder to see is the tradeoff: maybe in contrast I’m less stylish now, but I’ve become closer to the man I want to be. With fatherhood, I lost a little fashion-wise, but I gained more than I could ever dream. 

The core of my style is new business. I’d describe my look as: New Business/Friendly Editorial. I have a look that sparks conversation and interest—something that’s very important to Team Epiphany’s brand and our new business process. I’m not afraid to wear skirts with big hats and bowties with shorts. I love creating a look that’s a differentiator and a conversation starter.

Comfort is the true epicenter of Ellington’s look. When it comes to his style, being a kid comes first. He’s never worn a pair of jeans. His wardrobe is comprised of military-influence and a lot of fleece. I would describe Ellington’s look as: Mini Menswear. He’s got all the pieces we wish we as grown men wish we had—and we’ll never have the luxury of dressing like a three year-old. I’ve been curating Ellington’s look his whole life, but it’s evolved into something we really build together. We always dress from his sneakers up. He’s on a comfortable streak right now, but I’m confident that he’s gotten to the point where he has a look that he can sustain for the rest of his life. We’ve crafted something that is both timeless and ownable.

My style skews more experimental—and anyone who knows me can attest to my many fashion experiments through the years. I’m comfortable playing around with my look, and because of this, I have way fewer fashion wins than Ellington does. (A quick peek at literally anything I wore during my MTV days will reveal that I also have far more fashion losses than Ellington ever will.) 

Even when I win, I find that I win biggest when I have Ellington coordinating by my side—like our much-discussed moment at New York Fashion Week. In style, what came first—the chicken or the egg? I look at photographs of the two of us together and think there is no question: my son is more stylish than me, hands down.  

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