This is Marteen, my fashionable friend who generously donated his time and energy and accompanied me on my music fest exploits this past weekend (see "Fest Gear" post in "What We Wear").  For whatever reason, Marteen refuses to be photographed wearing any sort of average expression, but his outfits for Outside Lands were too above average to pass up.  Not only is he a talented musical artist himself (check out his solo project at http://www.myspace.com/venusboymusic or his band at http://www.myspace.com/yeahrightyeahright ) but he somehow knows exactly how to dress for a music festival.  The keyword here is "Easy". 

 While his Outside Lands outfits were undeniably fresh and feisty in their use of color, deliberate pattern-clashing, and unexpected layering, Marteen managed to recycle items so that dressing was a cinch and packing was light.  It goes without saying that this is a skill I have yet to master.  (pictured above: Marteen's Day 1 outfit)

He bookended both ensembles with this vintage felt bowler hat and the neon blue sneakers pictured above (a tasty dose of color in a otherwise muted palette).  This second-hand pleated beige jacket was his fog-tackler for both days as well.  And yet, despite all these identical elements and the nearly identical colors and patterns, he produced two very different looks.  The first, an uber-layered 80's-influenced dance-ready look grounded by a pair of leggings.  That's right, leggings on a dude: a tricky but rewarding maneuver.  The second (pictured below,) is a curious mix of a gentlemanly vibe -- trousers, a thick knit turtleneck, and a polished chapeau -- and a sort of Bauhaus artistry -- contrasting geometric prints, unexpected patterns, and a shock of neon blue at the toe.  While Marteen took considerable and refreshingly successful risks with both lookss,  his deft wardrobe editing skills pre-music-fest meant that he slept in while I tunneled through an enormous bag of potential garments.  Point taken.  

-K