An unlikely style inspiration: Chamath Palihapitiya

[niddes]

Chamath is the former Head of Growth at Facebook and the founder of Social.Capital - an iconic Venture Capital firm that was an early investor in Slack and famously took Virgin Galactic, SoFi and Opendoor public using a SPAC.

What I love about this is that he is an absolutely typical Silicon Valley guy, but instead of wearing hoodies, he's wearing classical menswear. He used to wear a lot of suits, some of them a little out there, but seems to have gone a little more casual. As far as I know he is dating an Italian - maybe that's a reason.

This is him in what I think might be a Rubinacci Jacket (I am fairly sure I saw this on their website about a year ago), a very cool pocket square and a cutaway collar shirt.

Here he is in, what looks to me like a Valstarino, a cutaway collar white shirt and denim (yes, unfortunately, ripped...).

Can't say I love his entire wardrobe, but I have massive respect for him going against the grain of SV and wearing proper clothes. He has definitely also evolved over time too, which shows he is actually interested in it.

A few more images I found of outfits I liked:

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Yeah he dresses well but what a prick! This guy made his money at Facebook, which basically exists to sell personal information left by “people who are stupid”, to paraphrase its founder, and now he’s off and running with his socially responsible fund. All the while he’s wearing exquisitely tailored clothing.

Sure he dresses better than most of the SV schmucks in that he’s at least not wearing jeans and a hoodie.

Sort of difficult to reconcile his feeling on the sins and shortcoming of modern day capitalism when the outfit he’s wearing may very likely represent a regular families food and rent budget for 6 months.

 

[dauster]

looks ok to me.... fit looks meh especially the last pic

 

[taxgenius]

Huge gap between shirt neck and jacket, maybe it just needs to be pulled down.

 

[comrade]

I envy him his money, not his taste.
In the second pic he is wearing torn jeans like his tween daughter
might put on.

 

[TheShetlandSweater]

So brave. My hero. [swoons]

 

[MrCat]

Serious prole gap* In all fairness, in the second/third pictures, he's at Stanford GSB, where dressing like a tech bro is de rigueur.
Neither stylish, nor sartorially inspirational.

 

[TheIronDandy]

"Excuse me, sir, is that a suit from 'the gap'? Cause that collar..."

 

[nsgmd]

Is the top one this one: https://therake.com/rubinacci-navy-and-burgundy-herringbone-cashmere-single-breasted-jacket.html

 

[niddes]

Is the top one this one: https://therake.com/rubinacci-navy-and-burgundy-herringbone-cashmere-single-breasted-jacket.html

Wow, nice job finding it! Pretty sure that's it.

 

[Sam H]

He also has the Rubinacci coral lapel chain that seems to generate a lot of opinions throughout the menswear world whenever it’s brought up

 

[Phileas Fogg]

He also has the Rubinacci coral lapel chain that seems to generate a lot of opinions throughout the menswear world whenever it’s brought up

this is different from the Isaia coral pin that some fancy leaving on the lapel?

Sort of the high end equivalent of leaving the “Kenneth Cole” label on the sleeve of a jacket.

 

[Sam H]

I remember it coming up because of an ASW post about it, I think it’s one of those things people get mad about or love, depending on how much they like Pitti. Also the price tag versus functionality.

I like looking at Pitti photos and like bead jewelry look, even though I try to keep things simple when wearing a jacket for the most part, since I don’t often do it. But it confirms that this guy also is aware of Rubinacci, Pitti, #menswear, etc or has a stylist who is.