A Philosophical Conversation with Shayne Pax
with the temps constantly rising in southern cal, going outside becomes irritating. our sweat glands give in, ruining our carefully picked outfit for the day. it's a only matter of time until gary, your awkward co-worker who's always unexplainably sweaty, invites you to join the club. walking down the streets of north hollywood, i witnessed too many victims of this heat. everyone blended in together after relinquishing their style for plain, summer comfort. looking at the sea of uniformity, i noticed a speck of black. when i got closer, i realized it wasn't just a "speck of black." it was the cool, calm and suave, shaynepax.
you act, write, model, and the list keeps going. on the outside, we see an accomplished artist, but looking behind all of that, who is shaynepax?
that's a good question. i would say, boston born and raised. migrated to the west coast to pursue film, acting and writing. three things i'm most attracted to in life are acting, philosophy and writing. i guess that's how i would define myself, if i can even define myself, if that's even possible.
who is shayne, in terms of style?
in terms of style? i would say my mission statement is flow easy and bring classic back. my grandfather translated the iliad from ancient greek to english and since childhood i have been deeply rooted and connected to greco-roman ideals of expression: classic simplicity and unforced, natural grace. but there are definitely tones of bohemia in my style. standing for elegance, while maintaining that natural, simplistic quality is important to me. i think that's why i love the combination of a tucked rose and silk bow tie so much.
any style icons? inspiration that helped you get where you are today?
well growing up, i was very attracted to 60’s, 50’s era fashion. i love almost like a greaser esque feel. i love simplicity and naturalism. i look up to figures like the marlon brandos, the rudolph valentinos, and even silent film stars like buster keaton. something sleek, elegant, natural, simple. it has to be something that has a timeless nature to it. something that will only get better with age, like a fine wine. a hundred years from now, you want to look back and not say, “what was going on in 2016?! why was that happening?” i want to look back and say “what a cool choice. what a good choice. a strong choice.” timelessness is a very important quality.
we know what shayne looks like when he's out and about. what does he look like on a lazy sunday?
mostly just my underwear to be honest. but, let's say people are over- i love comfortable oversized. i have this old 70’s 'nike' sweater that my dad had from back in the day, i think from oregon. i live in that sweater. sleep, eat, do everything in that sweater. i’m a big fan of comfortable big oversized sweaters. i like knit sweaters, comfortable pants. if i’m at home lounging- if it’s a movie night or it’s a writing night, than yeah, it’s gonna be comfort first. usually i put my curly hair out of my face and slick it back, so i don’t have to deal with it. something oversized. something i can feel like i’m in a blanket almost. if no one’s coming over, it’s just underwear.
dressing comfortably works at home, but maybe not for a first date. you want to impress. go!
i love, especially if it's a night time thing, i just usually go all black. you can't go wrong with all black and no one can fault you for it, you know? it's either dressing down or dressing up. if it's all black, it's super easy, it's simple. so, maybe a pair of black jeans, black tee, a nice pair of black boots. you're like a walking night sky i guess, but i would say that's something simple and easy and it's not gonna throw anybody off. you can wear it to an art show or theater. it works for everything. black for every occasion.
unfortunately, there are some pieces we love to wear, but act as a repellent in the dating culture. any advice to those stuck in that dilemma?
in the realm of love, relationships and dating, someone who is just unabashedly themselves, is always the most attractive. i have friends who will wear a trash bag and make it work, because they are so eccentric and that’s who they are and they can literally wear a cloth and make it work. so, as long as it feels natural and it feels comfortable. it’s always obvious when somebody is not being themselves, and i think the most attractive thing is when somebody is comfortable, and they’re themselves. that’s gonna get you dates regardless, of who you are, what you look like and what you wear. pure style and body confidence. it’s like an essence. the clothes are just physical objects. they accentuate what’s already there. as long as it brings out some sense of soul, confidence and comfort, than you could go out naked. i don’t care, as long as you’re comfortable with it.
everyone has a different level of confidence, that helps them wear what they want to wear. for some, it may be certain shirts, or pants, and for others, accessories. how do you do on accessories?
i’ve tried so many times to be an accessory person. i’ve had earrings, i’ve had rings, i’ve had necklaces, and i’ve always found that after a short period of time, it makes me feel heavy. i like the simplicity of almost nakedness, so i end up stripping whatever accessory i have down and never wearing it again. it’s a very short life span for accessories with me.
before we close, any advice to those wanting to grow or take their style in a new direction? possibly incorporate the shaynepax style into their wardrobe?
never copy. never be someone else. choose your influences very carefully and very wisely. for me, those were old classic icons of early american film. i could watch old marlon brando movies, i could watch old time black and white cinema forever. i love things that are elegant without trying too hard. those are my influences and i made sure i stayed true to those in 2016. myself now, in a modern world, but knowing where my style is coming from, why i made the choices i made. so, for anybody who would want to take advice from that, i would say pick your style icons wisely. borrow from their philosophy behind what they do, and then incorporate it into yourself. it doesn’t just have to be “oh, i’m gonna be a 1950’s greaser” or “i’m gonna be a modern hipster.” styles are not mutually exclusive. they can be blended and there can be a new creative discovery by blending those decades or blending those styles and those philosophies. you can blend multiple themes together. for me, it’s blending ancient greece with 1950’s americana, which is not two things that go hand in hand, but i just like to incorporate both and find out how they can work together. find your own. choose your icons wisely, choose your influences wisely. have a philosophy behind why you dress the way you dress.
for more on shayne, you can follow his classy life on instagram and facebook.