WAYWN - The best of

[james_timothy]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Keep in mind that Il Vecchio's soft-tailored clothes were made in the 80s and 90s. I don't believe that he had anything new made after Mr. Russell died. So: these garments that you see are worn in, physically and psychologically they have become old friends. They are 20th century clothes worn in the 21st century. This is one of the things about bespoke tailoring that is antithetical to the concept of consumer RTW fashion. Why is he comfortable in his clothes? Well, he knows them very well. He chose them carefully. He had them made by someone who knew what he was doing. And he's worn them for awhile.

I was, following Baron's comment and Manton's knowledge ("Given the softness of the construction, the shoulder tends to "break down" over time and eventually fall over the delt with wear."), tracking down the idea that these were old from the shape and look of the sleevehead. Not because they were made to look like that, but because they evolved to become that shape.

All of a sudden I find myself in awe of his tailors.

 

[bmulford]

Originally Posted by lefty

Which is clearly the face of a stone cold killer.

Of course by the time you register this, you're already dead.

lefty

heh

 

[voxsartoria]

More good stuff, from the first half of Roctober:

- B

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I'm not surprised that the little tangent that I posted was so interesting to many. It was very gracious of Il Vecchio (thank you, S!) for tolerating the additional images that I posted, and my further comments about his tailor which I offered because I thought they provided some interesting clues to why he looks so debonair.

You should add his pictures to your A&S expat thread. Fastest way to silence all the A&S drape haters.

--Andre

 

[aportnoy]

Foo--

IMHO, this is shot offers a wonderful appereciation of how good your stuff looks. The posed shots in your apartment pale in comaprison.

Please, more action shots in light of day!!

[/quote]

 

[Manton]

Foo: plz in future get 3b coatz.

kthxbai.

 

[yfyf]

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

Anyone know any info about these overcoats? http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/8...80303rexv5.jpg
It was a collaboration between a Japanese retailer called Beyes and a Swedish printmaker (hence the orange check). Quite cheap too, about $300, I was chuffed. +1 on all of the il Vecchio admiration. It is an extremely refined aesthetic, distilled even, and clearly comes with age and experience. Maximum possible with minimum required.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Damn I already forgot I had that jacket

 

[Fuuma]

Nice jacket, didn't know you acquired it.

 

[KtownGreg]

Please keep 'em coming. Inspiring.

 

[barims]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

I like the understated nature of his suits - dark, simple colors. while I like a lot of the more "Dandyish" stuff people wear, it isn't for me. IV wears stuff that I would love to wear.

the issue of not trying too hard is also a big one. he looks very natural, and simple. it looks like no thought has gone into what he is wearing.

Some, including me, would argue that this would make IV a dandy himself. His style seem to be what some dandies grow into as they approach a more dignified age and begin to dress accordingly. I like his look for more or less the same reasons I admire my abovementioned uncle or Prince Charles - classic English tradition. I plan to occupy a hinterland between flamboyance and sobriety in the next few years and hope to be as close as possible to this sort of ideal a few more years after that

 

[bluemagic]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Contrast this with what is unavoidable with most people who post, simply because of age or background. I would say that a great majority of people in WAYWRN have not figured out how they want themselves to look, or if they have, they are often unable to or unwilling to make the leap and investment into looking as they wish and sticking with it. Reinvention is not effortless...it can be edgy, it can be interesting, it can be mortifyng...but it is not effortless. Again, this is not a criticism...it is rather inevitable since the generational chain of men teaching boys how to dress was long ago sundered. Nearly everyone starts out on their own now. Nearly all flop around like fishes out of water for a time...and maybe, forever.

Let's get back to more good pics! Thank you again, Il Vecchio, for showing us one standard of elegance. It's not the only one...let's see more!


- B

Another great VS comment/essay. It strikes at the core.

 

[gnatty8]

I must have been drinking very heavily the first half of 2008; I remember seeing about 10% of these pictures..

 

[AJL]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I'm not surprised that the little tangent that I posted was so interesting to many. It was very gracious of Il Vecchio (thank you, S!) for tolerating the additional images that I posted, and my further comments about his tailor which I offered because I thought they provided some interesting clues to why he looks so debonair.

Moreover, the photographs are wonderful. The extremes of appeal or dismay are most easily reached with a natural atmosphere, which his has, but those of us who blur or crop out our faces will not have except rarely.

Keep in mind that Il Vecchio's soft-tailored clothes were made in the 80s and 90s. I don't believe that he had anything new made after Mr. Russell died. So: these garments that you see are worn in, physically and psychologically they have become old friends. They are 20th century clothes worn in the 21st century. This is one of the things about bespoke tailoring that is antithetical to the concept of consumer RTW fashion. Why is he comfortable in his clothes? Well, he knows them very well. He chose them carefully. He had them made by someone who knew what he was doing. And he's worn them for awhile.

It is a formula that works.

Contrast this with what is unavoidable with most people who post, simply because of age or background. I would say that a great majority of people in WAYWRN have not figured out how they want themselves to look, or if they have, they are often unable to or unwilling to make the leap and investment into looking as they wish and sticking with it. Reinvention is not effortless...it can be edgy, it can be interesting, it can be mortifyng...but it is not effortless. Again, this is not a criticism...it is rather inevitable since the generational chain of men teaching boys how to dress was long ago sundered. Nearly everyone starts out on their own now. Nearly all flop around like fishes out of water for a time...and maybe, forever.

Let's get back to more good pics! Thank you again, Il Vecchio, for showing us one standard of elegance. It's not the only one...let's see more!


- B

Well done, sir! I believe you've hit at least a couple nails on the head with the one brief post, beginning with your cogent analysis of what makes Il Vecchio's look so appealing to so many here, and ending with the fact that so many of us continue to struggle to achieve that level of serenity and confidence in our own sense of style. Fast approaching 50, I still struggle to identify with a look that is truly my own, that says to me this is who I am. Of course aging can play into that, and some clothing I might have considered more "me" 20 years ago, now feels too young.

At any rate, I am enjoying this best of '08 retrospective, so please carry on...

 

[A Harris]

May

Colors/tint are off in the pic, but I have a feeling I would have loved this in person:

Foxx needs to embrace his inner Iammatt and undo another button, but this is still nice: