Luciano Barbera on NOT wearing jeans. Ever. - Page 3

that's what i thought too. I think jeans are awesome in the right circumstances.

Don't see a difference in adding a comma.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but both of these state that wearing jeans is always inappropriate.

Jeans are a lifesaver. I like to wear sportcoats a lot (mostly tweed in winter, cord in shoulder seasons, hemp/linen/wool/silk in summer), and I'd look much more fuddy-duddy if I wore them with proper trousers all the time. Ditto for leather-soled shoes. But then again, I'm 31. My dad is roughly Barbera's age and I only remember him wearing his one pair of jeans in summer, strictly on holidays.

Barbera has every right to his opinion but I imagine he is a city guy and doesn't have my lifestyle.
Casual clothes are a huge part of my wardrobe and they have to be durable clothes. I can get grease out of my jeans that I might encounter while doing some little chore on my tractor after I'm home from work. I can't say the same for chinos and khakis or any wool pants I have ever stained in that way. Denim is inherently ripstop and other cloths not so much.
Jeans with a sport coat, and I mean stiffly starched jeans, is a fashion norm where I live and play.
Fashion sense is not an absolute with one answer.

Don't wear jeans ever is kind of extreme. I agree that most men wear them too much of the time. I also have found that if I buy a good pair of wool or cotton trousers and have them altered to fit perfect they are more comfortable than a pair of jeans. I wore jeans exclusively when I was younger, but have changed to wearing more trousers.
I decided I just wanted to look better and updated my wardrobe.
I still wear jeans on a rare occasion. Actually had to buy a pair a few months ago, because I no longer owned any.

That's how I read it too. My guess is that's what he meant. It's hard to know, for sure, though, due to the brevity of the statement and lack of context.

Without the comma: The adverbial phrase "for any occasion" qualifies the "wearing jeans." We're not talking about just "wearing jeans" but specifically about "wearing jeans for any occasion."

With the comma: We're now talking about "wearing jeans" in general. He's against it, period, no matter the occasion. The "for any occassion" is no longer essential to the meaning but has been tacked on for emphasis.

It's impossible to tell for sure which of the two he meant. Whoever transcribed the interview made an interpretive call, and that's what we have to go on. Based on his admiration for Ralph Lauren and the fact he has made jeans before, I'm banking on the "any and all" interpretation.
Edited by ChetBakerSings - 8/12/12 at 11:31pm

^ I'm curious about what he actually said in Italian.

As he was talking about he would dress, and not necessarily how others should dress, he probably meant that he doesn't wear denim in his life.

At least it seems so in this video from Vox's "Luciano Barbera Tells You to S*ck It" thread . . .



- M

^^ wow, that video is incredible.

Is saying that there are some occasions where jeans aren't appropriate that controversial? I personally wear jeans maybe every day of the month but 1-2 and I still agree.

On the other hand liking RL should be ground for fashion reeducation, that's a brand for wankers by wankers.

^ now that's controversial.

They do not.  With the comma communicates that wearing jeans is always inappropriate.  Without implies that there are occasions where jeans are appropriate but every occasion is not.

Yeah, caught that.... lost some of my nuts and bolts for a sec.

My father didn't own any jeans and I don't recall seeing any photos of him in jeans either. He likely owned jeans at some point in his life when younger, but I never knew of them.

I used to lament that he was so "formal" (and limited) in his attire (i.e. that he always wore trousers and button shirts), but now appreciate his choice and his sense that suiting (or trousers and jackets) were what suited him best..

I haven't owned denim jeans for 20 years (46 years old now) -  just didn't like the feel of them.

 

But I have informal pants such as chinos and corduroys. Nothing wrong with jeans at the right time though, and I'm probably getting a pair soon.