Australian Members

[tobiasj]



Yesterday's discussion of split toes made me get my Meermin's out from the back of the wardrobe. I've always thought they were a bit too light in colour and a bit too red. But I took to them with some dark brown and then a coat of black polish and I'm pretty happy with the results.

Hey Manu, are those the Classic Collection split-toe bluchers?: http://meermin.es/ficha_articulo.php?id=1947. They look pretty nice, and I've been looking for affordable (and not too narrow) STBs for a while now. Care to give me a mini-review?

 

[nabilmust]



chukkas boots friday

I think it's official.

Also in chukka boots:

 

[hasnostyle]

I'll offer a contrasting response to the many replies that you have gotten so far.

What the books recommended so far will "teach" you (or at least attempt to do so) is a set of rules which if you follow will be guaranteed a minimum level of "taste". They are written by older men who are all successful in a conventional way, come from broadly similar backgrounds (educated, white, upper middle class) and this is reflected in their choice of clothes. This may or may not be something you aspire to. However they cannot possibly go through every single possible feature of an outfit - e.g. a slight difference in collar style can elevate a "OK' look to "wow". Nor is the written word anywhere near an adequate substitute for your eyes.

Taste is subjective, and not of us all have it as it is most conventionally defined, no matter how hard they may try. That's OK, because in a sense taste is the antithesis of creativity, and we all come from different backgrounds and live in different contexts. tiraullier's outfits are not conventionally in "good taste" IMO, but they are certainly creative and do "work" for him. Ditto for PJ's and TR's outfits, but they do toe the line between taste/creativity. HC's outfits are tasteful, so are whnay's, Alan See's (Armoury), and certainly voxsartoria/FCcorbera.

Mastering conventional taste however, is the "safer", if more difficult option - and if you are ever through choice or necessity plunged into a conservative/conventional working environment having it will serve you well. It is more difficult because not only is it a smaller target to hit, like composing a haiku vs writing freeform prose there are rigid boundaries/formats to follow and express your creativity within.

You need to figure out where on the taste<---->creativity spectrum you lie, and IMO you can only do that through looking at a **** ton of images first, finding out what naturally appeals to you, and then finally using the books as an aid to help you understand why XYZ is considered tasteful and ABC is not.

TLDR: you need images on the internet to find what you are comfortable with, then use the books to help you get there

Thanks for your considered response.
I am not exactly sure what 'type' or 'style' of taste i am after. And in the end if i am not comfortable with any of the advice given either on the forum or in any books i read i will not follow it.
Looking through a heap of images and deciding what appeals to me is probably a good start along with the books i intend to read.

 

[Pink Socks]



chukkas boots friday

Damn, first Friday in weeks I have not worn one of my pairs. Slumming it in Common Project Achilles today (very casual Friday).

Today (also in chukka boots):

GN in the EthanDesu/lnsee uniform - http://linenforsummertweedforwinter...579/variations-of-the-ethandesu-lnsee-uniform Looking good as always.

 

[aussiejake]

But seriously man, **** reddit

Avoiding MFA is good advice as well. That place is crazy.

Yeah, let's not take advice from a bunch of fedora wearing neckbeards.

Why so much Reddit hate? MFA is a great place for beginner to intermediate information/help/discussion on streetwear. The sidebar is superb for information and help.

 

[Journeyman]



At the risk of sounding even more pedantic, it was a conscious effort on manton's part to mimic the same format, writing style, and the methods of arguments as The Prince.

Exactly - but I didn't want to be quite that pedantic!

 

[California Dreamer]



hey guys,

any suggestions on duffle coats?

due to the northern hemisphere weather, i can't seem to find any gloverall duffles on sale. any other brands? tempted to just get an asos branded one but i know they don't have a good rep on this place.

looking to spend $250ish at most. unfortunately i'm only about 5"8, so will probably need a shortened version

At the risk of being accused of heresy, I spent all day a while ago seeking a nice 3/4 length winter coat at a good price and found nothing.

On my way home I saw a Chinese-made duffle in the crappy Lichfield outlet store for $100. It's black, as are the loops and toggles, so it looks dressy enough to wear to work. 60/40 wool/poly, but I'm not wearing it all day, so that's not too bad. Warm as toast and comes with a hood. For the price (less than half that of similar things in DJs) I am very satisfied.

 

[Henry Carter]



Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I'll offer a contrasting response to the many replies that you have gotten so far.

What the books recommended so far will "teach" you (or at least attempt to do so) is a set of rules which if you follow will be guaranteed a minimum level of "taste". They are written by older men who are all successful in a conventional way, come from broadly similar backgrounds (educated, white, upper middle class) and this is reflected in their choice of clothes. This may or may not be something you aspire to. However they cannot possibly go through every single possible feature of an outfit - e.g. a slight difference in collar style can elevate a "OK' look to "wow". Nor is the written word anywhere near an adequate substitute for your eyes.

Taste is subjective, and not of us all have it as it is most conventionally defined, no matter how hard they may try. That's OK, because in a sense taste is the antithesis of creativity, and we all come from different backgrounds and live in different contexts. tiraullier's outfits are not conventionally in "good taste" IMO, but they are certainly creative and do "work" for him. Ditto for PJ's and TR's outfits, but they do toe the line between taste/creativity. HC's outfits are tasteful, so are whnay's, Alan See's (Armoury), and certainly voxsartoria/FCcorbera.

Mastering conventional taste however, is the "safer", if more difficult option - and if you are ever through choice or necessity plunged into a conservative/conventional working environment having it will serve you well. It is more difficult because not only is it a smaller target to hit, like composing a haiku vs writing freeform prose there are rigid boundaries/formats to follow and express your creativity within.

You need to figure out where on the taste<---->creativity spectrum you lie, and IMO you can only do that through looking at a **** ton of images first, finding out what naturally appeals to you, and then finally using the books as an aid to help you understand why XYZ is considered tasteful and ABC is not.

TLDR: you need images on the internet to find what you are comfortable with, then use the books to help you get there

Well put. FWIW I've never read a single one of those menswear books. Having the knowledge and putting in to practice are 2 different things as everyone knows.

Learning fit and proportion are pretty easy I think with time, but learning about complementing colours while not being boring while still being stylish/conservative is a lot harder. Those Armoury boys are quite good at the colour thing.

I prob don't think too much about it either I just figure some people have it naturally, others need to work on it and some people will never have it no matter what they read, or look at. Like most things in life I guess.

 

[tobiasj]



Why so much Reddit hate? MFA is a great place for beginner to intermediate information/help/discussion on streetwear. The sidebar is superb for information and help.

It's funny how everyone on reddit thinks everyone *else* on reddit is a loser/nerd/neckbeard, while they are (of course) the one cool exception.

Reddit has a massive readership these days--it's well beyond these kinds of stereotypes. MFA is fine.

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]



At the risk of sounding pedantic, it's more of the sartorial equivalent of Machiavelli's "The Prince".

I beg to differ but I take your point and he has admitted as much in an interview. How ever a text is open to interpretation based on the readers intellectual disposition. ( laughs loudly)

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

Ps As for reading Mens Wear books its a nice pass time form a contemporary, historical and cultural perspective. And if the writer does have good command of the language, subject matter and is prepared to provide some interesting trivia along the way 'that's entertainment' to quote Paul Weller.

 

[fxh]



hey guys,
any suggestions on duffle coats?
due to the northern hemisphere weather, i can't seem to find any gloverall duffles on sale. any other brands? tempted to just get an asos branded one but i know they don't have a good rep on this place.
looking to spend $250ish at most. unfortunately i'm only about 5"8, so will probably need a shortened version

I'd be careful with Gloverall Duffles (or Duffer). I cant claim to have seen their entire range and they may have a lighter model or two but the only Gloveralls I've seen were that heavy that you'd need another person to help you on with it and unless you were going to spend hours sitting on a Tasmanian mountain in winter birdwatching then I'd stay clear.

edit:: I've noticed that duffles are back in fashion in a big way and most shops seem to have a version of it - not sure how well any come up to scratch - but you might score an ok one cheap if you scout around.

 

[fxh]



Lovely outfit, but I really don't like a single turn up on jeans. Either hem them or buy them long enough to build a proper turn up.
Perhaps like this or this.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

The single narrow turn up is the only one I can like.

 

[fxh]



At the risk of sounding even more pedantic, it was a conscious effort on manton's part to mimic the same format, writing style, and the methods of arguments as The Prince.

At the risk of sounding like a wet blanket I'd say don't bother buying Manton's The Suit unless you have read and enjoyed The Prince. There are hilarious examples online from when Mantons book was released of people who had never heard of The Prince using Manton's book for clothing guidance.

I enjoyed The Suit and his attempt at using the style. Some chapters are much better than others and I suspect he ran out of puff a bit - and that it wasn't written in chapter order - so it can be a bit uneven. Still I give high points for effort.

 

[Oli2012]

The suit was definitely my favourite. It is small and has a very low price as compared to flusser etc.

He has some good hard and fast rules - if you absorbed 95% of what he says you'd have a good grasp of what works sartorially.