MC General Chat - Page 2

hahah. ^ ;-)

yeah, hendrix, I have a fairly monochrome wardrobe which makes mixing easier. but still, the styles of specific items have to mesh. e.g. I have traditional cut jackets that look best with regular "office pants", but also slim cut, shorter jackets that are better with jeans and tees. And then I've even got a few unique items that don't really mix with anything else. so I think of some things as outfits and other things as "ingredients".

 

With how confusing and self-contradictory the advice has gotten on MC, I am quite sure that no one knows anything.  If you need evidence of this, go to the latest fit thread, 25% of replies talk about how bad the divots are, 25% say there are no divots but the waist is atrocious, 25% say the suit fits perfectly, and the last 25% say that the suit should be thrown away, and replaced with a bespoke navy suit with hacking pockets, a ticket pocket, 7" peak lapels, and one button; with matching cape of course.

The problem with that is exacerbating the inevitable groupthink.
While perhaps on a math forum something is either useful or not, on here there are much more fluid possibilities...
Not saying that we should listen to the clowns or whatever, I'm just worried about what could be a big circlejerk. TBH as a poster I wouldn't ever want to feel as if the things I say aren't questioned or dissected, and that's a real risk when you have online reputation.

I don't really understand why everyone is trying to get the forum to change when it's largely just a product of its posters. Sure, you can format it in ways which are going to give more credence to what might be the intelligent voice, but you still need the threads, the posts, the pictures, the dialogue, the substance. The only way to change the general mass opinion of the forum is to get that voice out there.

The reputation system that we already have works fine: some member have a good reputation, some don't.

If you come to Styleforum looking for quick advice on your outfit based on an iPhone pic in your bathroom, well you get what you pay for.

For a guy who is travelling right now - can someone explain why MC has had a renaissance of old posters? And allegedly Vox has disappeared? Basically, the content I am seeing is not the content I was seeing 2 weeks ago.
 

Depending on your travel schedule, you can spend an hour or so catching up on the most likely source of the recent resurgence of old posters here. Though it may also require some reading between the lines. Either way, it's worth it to read a genuinely upset and passionate Vox. Refreshing break from the relentless snark, though I do enjoy the majority of his humor. Hopefully the static will clear soon and Bill will be back in business.

The resurgence of old posters and the amount of useful content the forum has seen in the last weeks is both good and bad.

It's good because it helps us in our way to sartorial greatness. But it's bad because it makes us see how wrong we were doing things in the past. Now for example I find most of my ties don't work with a white shirt, what the hell! In fact I think I was happier pre-SF; now I believe nothing in my wardrobe fits at all, I can't feel confident wearing anything, and I don't think I would be happy even with the best bespoke in the world...

the new task force should/could think about a welcome comitée to avoid train wrecks like this:

http://www.styleforum.net/t/309802/vintage-john-lobb-ostrich-loafers

or has spoo already made the deal?

Sort of a Committee of Public Safety?

Yes they don't leave one in much doubt about their opinions do they.

The new threads are great of course, but they are not exactly inviting to new posters or "improvers" to take part, nor do they always invite much in the way of discussion.

Think of it as reading an article, then. If you were well versed in something you'd probably get annoyed if you had entry level questions directed at you day after day because a lot of other people can answer those, and they aren't interesting.

The forum had gotten boring because so many of the posts just wanted "the answer" or affirmation. To me, vigorous debate is much more interesting, and anyone who can articulate a reasonable opinion should feel free to join in. Lord knows I've been arguing with Manton for years now. He's even been right a time or two.

Those new to the forum or who are fostering a newly discovered interest in style should take more away from the newly-created "veteran" threads than just the pictures or dismissive banter. What you need to realize is that everyone (for the most part) chiming in on these threads has had a VERY serious interest in getting dressed for a very long time. They have invested a great deal of time, money and thought into what their style means to them. While there are a few narrow rules that they all agree on, if you read the threads at length you'll quickly realize they all have different ideas and opinions.

A prime example of this is Ed's penchant for black longwings with khakis. Much to the chagrin of Manton and Foo, Ed openly stated that he appreciated the aesthetic, citing Thom Browne as the inspiration. There was a small hiccup and some ball busting, but Ed basically said "if you don't like, fuck you" and the thread continued. While they didn't like the look, Ed's clear understanding and appreciation of what he was doing is worthy of respect.

New members should learn a great deal from this. Not only will you never get dressed to 100% approval, but you should never seek approval in the first place. You should study, learn and then make informed decisions on what you like. However, that is only the first phase and not nearly as important as having confidence in what you wear and not letting group think determine your every move.

Far too often this forum is polluted with those who immediately recoil when critiqued or criticized. "Well, if the dudes at SF don't like it, it must be wrong" is the exact opposite of why this forum was started. It's also a mentality that will never lead to any flavor of true style. Unfortunately, this seems to be the dominant opinion and so now we see buzz word and brand obsessed fanboys who are afraid to contribute for fear of going against "taste-making" internet strangers.

Investigate. Learn. Understand. Select. If you've done your due diligence and appreciate the process then you'll never let "popular opinion" dictate your success.

^great post, bb. I have fallen into the trap you describe at times before in the past and it's not a good place to be. Along the lines of what others have said too, it's frustrating when people come to the forum with questions like "I want teh best suit, where to buy?" or "what color tie should I wear with my navy suit and white shirt?" or other questions that presume a "correct answer" when one does not exist.

Style cannot be given from one person to another in an equation. Reading SF can be helpful, reading various guides such as Flusser and others can be helpful, but in the end you have to develop and trust your own tastes.