Using Tumblr to Define Personal Style

[jesuisperdu]

Great blogs! Just followed them.

 

[Anden]

Cheers! New great blogs to follow!

 

[bourbonbasted]

Meh, I use tumblr for inspiration and as a repository for images that I stumble upon and like. In fact, I find my tumblr (which started solely for menswear) straying further and further from fit pics or clothes at all. It's become much more a collection of culture or lifestyle than of clothes. Then again, I mostly only post things I find on my own and very rarely reblog.

In any event, I'd use the resources here to learn "proper dress" before I'd venture into tumblr. A lot of misleading crap from people touting themselves as experts.

 

[brillopad]

In any event, I'd use the resources here to learn "proper dress" before I'd venture into tumblr. A lot of misleading crap from people touting themselves as experts.

Speaking as someone who likes to pretend he's an expert on tumblr, I totally agree with this.

 

[aw82]

aw82, well, what's YOUR tumblr?

http://dtoaw.tumblr.com

I purposefully didn't include it earlier because my purpose with this thread isn't to advertise. Feel free to view/follow if you'd like, but don't assume my collection of images conveys "proper" menswear technique.

Meh, I use tumblr for inspiration and as a repository for images that I stumble upon and like. In fact, I find my tumblr (which started solely for menswear) straying further and further from fit pics or clothes at all. It's become much more a collection of culture or lifestyle than of clothes. Then again, I mostly only post things I find on my own and very rarely reblog.

In any event, I'd use the resources here to learn "proper dress" before I'd venture into tumblr. A lot of misleading crap from people touting themselves as experts.

Oh, I definitely include random stuff on there that I like, too (like stuff from http://memoriastoica.tumblr.com/).

To your second thought, I agree...but I think that point in time when one needs to venture farther varies from person to person. Maybe it's because my circumstances call for a style somewhere between SW&D and CM (more than likely it's just because I'm a noob), but over-focusing on "proper dress" via CM, et al resulted in me dressing in a way that I wasn't comfortable with and that wasn't appropriate for my lifestyle. I got a fair amount of ribbing for being "over-dressed"...but now that I've found a clearer direction for my style, I instead get more "I don't know what you're doing different...but you look really nice these days" type comments. Maybe I didn't look hard enough around here to find what I needed, but it just happens that I had to venture outside of StyleForum to do that. So I agree, learning the rules/approach to "proper dress" is the correct place to start, but for me, I had to venture further at some point. I still read A Suitable Wardrobe every day, but I personally would never want to dress like Will Boehlke (no offense).

 

[bourbonbasted]

I think you're stuck in the idea that "CM" or "proper dress" pertains to suit-and-tie; you're substituting "proper dress" for "conservative business dress."

In reality, "proper dress" is just that -- proper. That means that it fits your lifestyle and circumstance. However, it also means a deeper understanding of things like fit, proportion, colors, textures and combinations.

Tumblr is full of dudes wearing flood-water hems on flannel pants matched with fresco odd jackets and silk ties in every color of the rainbow. In short, it's full of abortions. However, if you don't understand why something works (and why something doesn't) or what purpose something serves in a larger scheme of dress, then you have no concept of why someone is well dressed. And you end up liking pictures of dudes in jeggings just because their sport coat has a piece of coral on the lapel.

I'm by no means a person who believes that style is about rules and objective measures. In fact, more often than not, I'm dressed in a manner that would garner next-to-no praise from these boards. However, I've done my due diligence. I know why something works and why it doesn't. I know what to avoid for my life(style) and what works.

There may be a few places on tumblr to find actionable, informative information, but there is no way it comes close to touching the wisdom that has been shared here over the past 10 years.

 

[TheFoo]



I think you're stuck in the idea that "CM" or "proper dress" pertains to suit-and-tie; you're substituting "proper dress" for "conservative business dress."

In reality, "proper dress" is just that -- proper. That means that it fits your lifestyle and circumstance. However, it also means a deeper understanding of things like fit, proportion, colors, textures and combinations.

Tumblr is full of dudes wearing flood-water hems on flannel pants matched with fresco odd jackets and silk ties in every color of the rainbow. In short, it's full of abortions. However, if you don't understand why something works (and why something doesn't) or what purpose something serves in a larger scheme of dress, then you have no concept of why someone is well dressed. And you end up liking pictures of dudes in jeggings just because their sport coat has a piece of coral on the lapel.

I'm by no means a person who believes that style is about rules and objective measures. In fact, more often than not, I'm dressed in a manner that would garner next-to-no praise from these boards. However, I've done my due diligence. I know why something works and why it doesn't. I know what to avoid for my life(style) and what works.

There may be a few places on tumblr to find actionable, informative information, but there is no way it comes close to touching the wisdom that has been shared here over the past 10 years.

+1000

 

[Veremund]



I think you're stuck in the idea that "CM" or "proper dress" pertains to suit-and-tie; you're substituting "proper dress" for "conservative business dress."

In reality, "proper dress" is just that -- proper. That means that it fits your lifestyle and circumstance. However, it also means a deeper understanding of things like fit, proportion, colors, textures and combinations.

Tumblr is full of dudes wearing flood-water hems on flannel pants matched with fresco odd jackets and silk ties in every color of the rainbow. In short, it's full of abortions. However, if you don't understand why something works (and why something doesn't) or what purpose something serves in a larger scheme of dress, then you have no concept of why someone is well dressed. And you end up liking pictures of dudes in jeggings just because their sport coat has a piece of coral on the lapel.

I'm by no means a person who believes that style is about rules and objective measures. In fact, more often than not, I'm dressed in a manner that would garner next-to-no praise from these boards. However, I've done my due diligence. I know why something works and why it doesn't. I know what to avoid for my life(style) and what works. .

+1

 

[aw82]

Great points. Thanks for the input.

I definitely come back here if I have questions and I have learned a good bit from the board (as well as Ask Andy, PutThisOn, Dappered, and others). I guess the the void that Tumblr fills (for me anyway) is the visual side...which is important since I'm a very visual person. Furthermore, I guess I could say that I learned a lot here, but it took several weeks of seeing things on tumblr for everything to really "click." But yeah, you have to be very aware that there is a lot of crap out there. Of course, there's a lot of crap here, too.

All that said, clothing is not a hobby of mine. My goal is to a) learn the rules and b) define my personal style. Then, I'd like to forget about online fora, tumblr, etc. and get beyond having to put effort into dressing myself so that I can spend my time focusing on other things. Not sure if that has any bearing, but it may provide some perspective...

Great conversation, by the way.

 

[Veremund]

Sweet tumblr though, AW!

 

[TheFoo]



Great points.  Thanks for the input.

I definitely come back here if I have questions and I have learned a good bit from the board (as well as Ask Andy, PutThisOn, Dappered, and others).  I guess the the void that Tumblr fills (for me anyway) is the visual side...which is important since I'm a very visual person.  Furthermore, I guess I could say that I learned a lot here, but it took several weeks of seeing things on tumblr for everything to really "click."  But yeah, you have to be very aware that there is a lot of crap out there.  Of course, there's a lot of crap here, too.

All that said, clothing is not a hobby of mine.  My goal is to a) learn the rules and b) define my personal style.  Then, I'd like to forget about online fora, tumblr, etc. and get beyond having to put effort into dressing myself so that I can spend my time focusing on other things.  Not sure if that has any bearing, but it may provide some perspective...

Great conversation, by the way.

This sounds just like me.

The problem with Tumblr and looking at outfits in pictures anywhere is that, at best, they teach you about outfits, not wardrobes. You need to learn what works well day-to-day and is highly adaptable, not what might look good in a single one-trick shot.

 

[aw82]

This sounds just like me.

The problem with Tumblr and looking at outfits in pictures anywhere is that, at best, they teach you about outfits, not wardrobes. You need to learn what works well day-to-day and is highly adaptable, not what might look good in a single one-trick shot.

Absolutely. It might not have been obvious, but the lists in my first post relate to wardrobe-building. I mentioned seeing a lot of blue and navy sport coats in my historic tumblr posts...therefore, (even though a brown SC is an "essential"), I've focused on building my wardrobe around navy sportcoats. I've also focused on acquiring versatile burgundy ties.

This is only marginally related, but taking this approach with navy sportcoats being the foundation of my wardrobe, I got lucky and found a navy nailhead tweed sportcoat made by Cremieux for $7 at a thrift shop. This may not impress any of the power thrifters out there, but I love the look and feel of it, and after having the sleeves let out and inch, it fits me like a glove. The fact that I spent $7 + $30 for tailoring makes me love the garment even more.

 

[TheFoo]

Wait, I don't understand--navy sportcoats? Plural? A blazer is a staple, but how many do you need? Really, just one.

 

[Veremund]

^ Wool for cold weather, cotton or linen of hot weather. I got three.

 

[aw82]

Wait, I don't understand--navy sportcoats? Plural? A blazer is a staple, but how many do you need? Really, just one.

I have the aforementioned tweed for fall/winter as well as a cotton chino for summer and casual occasions. I would like a year-round variant, but I'm turned off by the traditional worsted look for a sport coat. My preference is for a SC to have texture (real or apparent). But I'm still considering another one for dressier occasions in the warmer months. I think it makes sense to have at least two, if not three, if you wear them daily and in various seasons. I'm in North Texas, by the way, where temps range from mid-20s to 110+.