RickaRae and Dee, aka The Fourth, give DIVA their fashion tips.
RickaRae and Dee are two of the best dressed people I've ever met. They pull off that elusive, seemingly effortless andrognous chic that most of us can only dream about. These women know how to wear the hell out of a simple tee and jeans from the menswear section, accessorising it with a just-so fedora and looking like they just stepped out of a fashion spread. As styling duo The Fourth, they inspire and guide others to reach their own state of fashion nirvana. The trendsetting duo took time out of their high fashion schedules to share their fashion tips for flawless dapper style.
DIVA: First up, what does The Fourth stand for?
THE FOURTH: We started this together wanting a outlet we could put together our creative passion in menswear. The Fourth is the final stage of a compilation concept. It's the styling services we offer for women who prefer to dress in menswear and men for all occasions. Here’s the breakdown:
(III) Our cut to fit line – this will kick off with a small line of merchandise, which for now will be just for us.
(II) Our fragrance line – also known as our retirement plan.
(I) The underwear range; for women like us, because the beginning to every great outfit is great underwear.
You two always look on fleek. What’s your top tip for DIVA readers who want to dress all dapper like you?
RICKARAE: Get things tailored to fit your body and don't be afraid of the women's section. There are some gems in there that could make your dapper look oh-so-exquisite.
Is it hard to find menswear that fits you properly?
DEE: Being women and having women’s figures, we've gotten into the habit of knowing our sizes in the men's section for shirts and trousers and knowing the cuts that fit us best. Then it's all about personalising them, so we never just buy from the men's section and wear it as is. We're all about tailoring them ourselves. We've learned that not everything in the men section will fit our bodies. We understand we need to purchase extra small when buying men's T-shirts otherwise it would engulf us. Which is why the women's section is so important. Sometimes you need that slimline tailoring into the waist or into the shoulders.
.jpg)
Where do you love to shop?
RICKARAE: Hands down Topman, Zara and H&M.
DEE: Plus Cheap Monday and I'm starting to get into Uniqlo.
RICKARAE: Bershka is cool and reasonably priced.
DEE: For shoes? I get my sneakers from Size and Footlocker.
RICKARAE: For Chelsea boots, probably Office, and there are some gems in Topman and Zara for shoes.
What's your most treasured item of clothing?
RICKARAE: It would have to be, as weird as it may sound, my underwear first and foremost and then my hats – my fedoras, my western hats, stuff like that. My underwear, my hats and my glasses – you probably won't see me out without one of those. Well, definitely not without the underwear [laughs].
DEE: Listen, sometimes you have to go commando. I'm kidding, I don’t do that [laughs]. For me, I'm obsessed with and can't stop buying jeans. Especially faded black jeans. That’s part of the reason I want to make my own denim line. After denim it would have to be my jackets and my boots.
Who or what inspires the way you dress?
DEE: Kanye from back in the golden ages, ASAP, Tinie Tempa and many others from tumblr and instagram. I could watch a movie or a video and really like a look from it and want to incorporate it in my look. Obviously as well, you [grins at RickaRae].
RICKARAE: Who's you? Say my name [laughs].
DEE: We draw from each other. We bounce off each other. It's crazy.
RICKARAE: I draw from nature, good outfits and even bad outfits. I draw from myself and my former self if that makes sense. Like I tend to often get dressed to go to the store and then I’ll be like, “This is dope.” Then I might remix it and wear it out.
DEE: It’s throwing something on and it turns out amazing.
You guys always look so good, but go on, admit it – have you ever made any really bad fashion mistakes?
DEE: Trying to be something I wasn't for a period of my teenage years resulted in me looking like something I was not comfortable with. I wore clothing to please my mum or styled my hair how she wanted. I remember once she told me to get my hair done in a Nicki Minaj long bob and I ended up looking like Dora The Explorer. We’re both Jamaican which is very relevant when you're talking about personal style. They are naturally very bold and out there with bright colours, prints and patterns, no matter what the event. It could be a funeral or a wedding, it doesn’t matter.
RICKARAE: Over the years I've trialled and errored with many different out-there looks. We did a video on some of our throwback looks on our YouTube page. Both funny and embarrassing, if I may say so myself.
For more style inspo, follow The Fourth on Instagram and YouTube or, to find out more about their styling services, contact [email protected].
Only reading DIVA online? You're missing out. For more news, reviews and commentary, check out the latest issue. It's pretty badass, if we do say so ourselves.
divadigital.co.uk // divadirect.co.uk