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Thousand Yard Style: An Eye for Fashion
Men’s fashion has always been an interest of mine, as I tend to think I have my own sense of style. Whether it be good or bad, and my father has always been a big advocate for “Look Good, Feel Good.” I enjoy a good suit for a regular occasion, that is just me, you can see in a lot of my events I’ll be in a suit.
Men’s fashion has always been an interest of mine, as I tend to think I have my own sense of style. Whether it be good or bad, and my father has always been a big advocate for “Look Good, Feel Good.
As a military veteran, I suppose it’s far-off our radar to be stylish or have a sense of fashion, seeing how that doesn’t win wars. When I left the military in 2012, I got on social media. However, it wasn’t long until I stumbled across @ThousandYardStyle and was instantly pulled in by his approach to the entire men’s fashion world.
Gear Spotlight: Relevant to This Story
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Swift, Silent, Dressed to Kill
When you think of reconnaissance Marines, a few things probably enter your mind. Although one thing most likely doesn’t, and that’s men’s fashion. Robert Spangle, is a former recon Marine from 2007-2011. Who served in Afghanistan in 2009 & 2010 with 2D Force Recon, is now a professional roving men’s fashion photographer and men’s fashion aficionado.
From documenting the World War Two Airborne Demonstration Team to bicycling Kabul covering Afghani horse sports to helping the Point Dune Fire Brigade with signaling for wildfires, he is there to capture it all. A man of the world, Robert has worked for British GQ, The Rake, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Monrowe, and Popeye.
He spends his days now traveling and working on locations such as Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo, Tbilisi, Ukraine, and Tel Aviv. More recently, you can see Robert on the cover of the first US edition of the international men’s fashion magazine Plaza Uomo.
Fashion Across the Globe
After following and becoming friends with Robert, I gotta say, it is more than just men’s fashion photography. It is a doorway into a world populated by stunning imagery, heart-felt work you can feel, and a genuine belief in trying to make this world better than we received it.
You can see he cares about what he does. The Observer Collection is Robert’s company where he specializes in hand-made leather goods, a distinctly perfect cologne, limited Afghani Cheetah’s, and more recently, men’s clothing. One item I love that he produces is a passport wallet so aptly named the ‘Papa Passport Wallet’ after the papa himself, Ernest Hemingway.
I believe it is a testament to his character seeing the quality in his approach to making these items, they are of the highest quality, and he is not looking to make these streamlined. It is beautiful to see the craftsmanship and care.
There is something refreshing about seeing a Veteran break from the mold of what we assume veterans to be. Seeing someone follow their dreams and making a meaningful difference is truly inspiring. With a blue checkmark and a following of 63.3k, Spangle or his IG handle, @ThousandYardStyle, is the gateway into men’s fashion for all veterans who wish to enter a world nearly alien to us all.
