Australian Members

[Halifax]

No Lad is just a moneyed Bogan.

My son would like to know where the young members buy shorts from either online or bricks and mortar. Don't ask me I have already pointed him in the direction of J Crew STP.

Excuse my ignorance, STP?

 

[fxh]



Is sharpie just and older term for lad?

No

There is a problem in referring to Sharpies. There were two eras. {continues below fold}

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

The later era was just violent yobs who had more in common with Skinheads than the earlier Sharpies. The first iteration of Sharpies in Melbourne, and this was almost an exclusive Melbourne phenomena, were interested in a a "look" and probably had more in common with UK Mods than anything else. But the style was entirely homegrown. Could be described as a Mod look influenced by European (mainly Italians). It was sort of centered in the north from Fitzroy/ Collingwood to Coburg/Preston. And revolved around clothes and music rather than brawling.

It was composed of mainly young men (and also women) - under 22 or so - who were in the main , but not exclusively, apprentices, or trainees/juniors at work. This is important as its a different age and employment status than the later yob Sharpies. Because they were employed and not students they had money to spend on clothes. Sharp clothes were made in Thornbury, Brunswick, and Richmond by European tailors. In the early 70s a first year apprentice earned sixteen dollars per week, and by the time they were on a full time wage thirty six dollars…a Conte cardigan cost thirty dollars and had a two week wait.

The clothes clearly had some UK Mod influences, but morphed into something else. There was an easy availability of Italian and Greek tailors in Fitzroy, Brunswick and along High Street. The odd old shop is still there. The Cresknit factory was in High street somewhere and Conte Brothers factory was in Alphington - or vice versa. A Conti Cardigan became the generic name for the type of customised knitwear in polo tops, jumpers and cardigans.

You could go the the factory and stand at the counter and order your cardigan in whatever colours and combinations you wanted. Different coloured buttons, half belt at back, broad stripes across chest, patch pockets - whatever. Or as many did you could take a coloured drawing in pencil, no computers or textas, and have it made up to specs.

Flags were very wide/ straight legged high wasted trouser that were made up out of suiting material. Mostly stuff like grey chalk striped flannel, herringbone or POW checks The most common and classic was a mid or charcoal grey with a chalk stripe. They were fitted around the bum, hips and waist and high waisted. They were straight down in that French manner. They flapped around as you walked hence "flags". . They were high and tight at the waist and falling straight down to a 11" - 12 " cuff opening.

What made them different was that in the early days you could only get them by going to a tailor and getting a pair made. Later on there were small shops that sold some ready to wear and many of the tailors saw an opening and had a bunch of ready to wear in their shops.

Toward the end a few small chains and menswear shops stocked a variation of flags. Trouble was they weren't as well made, had inferior materials and lacked the spiffy details like back buckles belts and pocket flaps etc that real clothes nerds appreciate.

Melbourne still had shoemaking factories and blokes who would hand make you custom shoes. Usually glued not stitched but hand made. These too were designed by the customer. Venus and Apollo and Acropolis shoes were some favourites. The shoes usually had a high heel, sometimes a small (or large) platform sole, and wide square chisel toes. In various colours. Red, Blue, green and spectator /correspondent combinations as well.

The hair was short, compared to the Hippies extant and general public, but longer than skinhead. More like the suedehead look.

The music was often at the inner city conservative business dress venues - called discos - but usually live music. Many had lunch time concerts during the day where workers could spend and hour in darkness listening and dancing (or pashing) to live music during the weekday.

This clothes focused sharpies era probably only lasted from the late 60s to 72 or so. The fashion soon died out as people grew up and moved on, became qualified tradesmen etc and had families, and especially as it was devalued by the violence of the younger yobs in jeans, boots and skinhead look, coming through and their ignorance about clothes.

As you can imagine many of those truly interested in clothes to go to tailors and spec up a pair of pants, plus go to a shoemaker and order their own design shoes, plus go to the cresknit factory and get a one off cardigan , are likely to carry on to suits and other stuff and not remain stuck in a youth culture forever.

 

[California Dreamer]



Excuse my ignorance, STP?

Sierra Trading Post, I believe.

 

[Journeyman]



Excuse my ignorance, STP?

I suspect that it's Sierra Trading Post.

It's a US-based business that offloads excess stock or old-season stock. Shipping can be a bit expensive but there are often coupons floating around (particularly if you sign up for STP e-mails) that give you an extra 20% or 30% off the price of items, which helps to offset the shipping costs.

I've used STP to purchase a couple of pairs of odd trousers, some pocket squares, some socks and a couple of Isaia jackets in the past.


Edited to add: Beaten by Cal Dreamer!

 

[California Dreamer]



Edited to add: Beaten by Cal Dreamer!

I win! 'Bout time.

 

[Halifax]

Thanks guys. In my vernacular it means Standard Temperature and Pressure

So this is independent of J Crew?

PS Does anyone use Macy's for anything? I didn't mind the Tasso Elba polos.

 

[Osiris2012]

For anyone in Brisbane, Libertine perfumes in west end is having sale Thursday - sat/sun. Good opportunity to pick up some quality fragrances for okay prices. Good Fragrance might not be as visual as your pocket square or knit tie but imo they are just as important an accessory.

 

[kayhill]

This is pretty common for people who don't actually remember the eighties first hand. The novel is a shallow, vacuous and soulless ****-heap, which I guess it has to be to be a relevant cristicism of the decade, but boy it makes for a tough read. The film, I think, is too much fun, it loses a lot of the banality that makes the novel such an edifying drag.

I don't think the film works as a criticism of the eighties, it's a bit too nostalgic, and not really how I remember them.

The music back then was still ******* awesome though.

I have to say for those exact reasons I love the movie and find the book to be so-so. The movie is a lot of fun, and condenses all the hilarious lines and scenes from the book into an enjoyable form. With the book I couldn't really stomach the endless descriptions of Phil Collins and other eighties artists, and the excruciating detail with which he described his outfits and shopping habits, which as you point out is part of the point. Unfortunately I feel when the author goes as far as to make the actual writing style (which reflects the narrator, Bateman) totally lifeless, it tells the message at the expense of readability.

Having said that, the book delivers the message that Bateman is actually a massive loser quite well, while I feel the movie doesn't manage the same thing. As much as everyone around him refers to him as a loser (even his buddies rank his business card as the worst amongst them), the film ends up blurring that message with all the 'desirable' things he does. Hitting clubs, having expensive things, eating nice meals, banging chicks - it's all meant to be vacuous, but it ends up being a long advertisement for why you'd want to be a banker. In reality you're probably just doing really long hours before munting out in a brothel in the early hours of Saturday, before bumping line to get you back to work at 9am.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Foxhound

I think it's an entertaining story, I really like the movie and the scenes in it. I find Patrick's character very interesting.

Fair call. Have a read of the book if you haven't already. It makes for a fairly different take on the story, while still maintaining some of the funny bits (and more gory bits).

 

[Oli2012]

Prepolling for Fitzy




Jacket: Suit Shop
Shirt: MJ Bale
Pants: Levis
Belt and Shoes: RMWs

 

[Romp]



Quick straw poll: what in your opinion (dear reader) are the most SF-approved and versatile colours for t-shirts? White, navy, heather gray...others? (For possiblities, look here.)

I only really wear white t shirts. More as a layering tool.

Prepolling for Fitzy Jacket: Suit Shop Shirt: MJ Bale Pants: Levis Belt and Shoes: RMWs

Oli I think you should try higher waisted jeans/trousers next time you purchase

 

[kayhill]

Quick straw poll: what in your opinion (dear reader) are the most SF-approved and versatile colours for t-shirts? White, navy, heather gray...others?

(For possiblities, look here.)

White for me.

Anyone bought any MJ Bale t-shirts? Are the white ones see-through (nipplez)?

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]



Excuse my ignorance, STP?

2 hours later Sierra Trading Post

Well this is what happens when one disconnects from one screen to partake of the electronic campfire and Crossfire Hurricane.

 

[Henry Carter]



Oli I think you should try higher waisted jeans/trousers next time you purchase

I think they look about right, not a fan of high rise jeans and for a young bloke like Oli, well the chicks they don't like them... Anyway I think he has said he only wears 501's, which aren't exactly a low rise cut, in fact they were too high for me. I've always abided by trousers on waist, jeans on hips.

 

[Foxhound]

No

There is a problem in referring to Sharpies. There were two eras. {continues below fold}
The later era was just violent yobs who had more in common with Skinheads than the earlier Sharpies. The first iteration of Sharpies in Melbourne, and this was almost an exclusive Melbourne phenomena, were interested in a a "look" and probably had more in common with UK Mods than anything else. But the style was entirely homegrown. Could be described as a Mod look influenced by European (mainly Italians). It was sort of centered in the north from Fitzroy/ Collingwood to Coburg/Preston. And revolved around clothes and music rather than brawling.

It was composed of mainly young men (and also women) - under 22 or so - who were in the main , but not exclusively, apprentices, or trainees/juniors at work. This is important as its a different age and employment status than the later yob Sharpies. Because they were employed and not students they had money to spend on clothes. Sharp clothes were made in Thornbury, Brunswick, and Richmond by European tailors. In the early 70s a first year apprentice earned sixteen dollars per week, and by the time they were on a full time wage thirty six dollars…a Conte cardigan cost thirty dollars and had a two week wait.

The clothes clearly had some UK Mod influences, but morphed into something else. There was an easy availability of Italian and Greek tailors in Fitzroy, Brunswick and along High Street. The odd old shop is still there. The Cresknit factory was in High street somewhere and Conte Brothers factory was in Alphington - or vice versa. A Conti Cardigan became the generic name for the type of customised knitwear in polo tops, jumpers and cardigans.

You could go the the factory and stand at the counter and order your cardigan in whatever colours and combinations you wanted. Different coloured buttons, half belt at back, broad stripes across chest, patch pockets - whatever. Or as many did you could take a coloured drawing in pencil, no computers or textas, and have it made up to specs.

Flags were very wide/ straight legged high wasted trouser that were made up out of suiting material. Mostly stuff like grey chalk striped flannel, herringbone or POW checks The most common and classic was a mid or charcoal grey with a chalk stripe. They were fitted around the bum, hips and waist and high waisted. They were straight down in that French manner. They flapped around as you walked hence "flags". . They were high and tight at the waist and falling straight down to a 11" - 12 " cuff opening.

What made them different was that in the early days you could only get them by going to a tailor and getting a pair made. Later on there were small shops that sold some ready to wear and many of the tailors saw an opening and had a bunch of ready to wear in their shops.

Toward the end a few small chains and menswear shops stocked a variation of flags. Trouble was they weren't as well made, had inferior materials and lacked the spiffy details like back buckles belts and pocket flaps etc that real clothes nerds appreciate.

Melbourne still had shoemaking factories and blokes who would hand make you custom shoes. Usually glued not stitched but hand made. These too were designed by the customer. Venus and Apollo and Acropolis shoes were some favourites. The shoes usually had a high heel, sometimes a small (or large) platform sole, and wide square chisel toes. In various colours. Red, Blue, green and spectator /correspondent combinations as well.

The hair was short, compared to the Hippies extant and general public, but longer than skinhead. More like the suedehead look.

The music was often at the inner city conservative business dress venues - called discos - but usually live music. Many had lunch time concerts during the day where workers could spend and hour in darkness listening and dancing (or pashing) to live music during the weekday.

This clothes focused sharpies era probably only lasted from the late 60s to 72 or so. The fashion soon died out as people grew up and moved on, became qualified tradesmen etc and had families, and especially as it was devalued by the violence of the younger yobs in jeans, boots and skinhead look, coming through and their ignorance about clothes.

As you can imagine many of those truly interested in clothes to go to tailors and spec up a pair of pants, plus go to a shoemaker and order their own design shoes, plus go to the cresknit factory and get a one off cardigan , are likely to carry on to suits and other stuff and not remain stuck in a youth culture forever.

Thanks dude, hectic read.
What I wore today.

 

[Oli2012]

Ty guys. Have to agree with Jason sorry - I'm old man enough without being harry high pants.

I'll take another photo next week - looking for some tips for what I should do with my next odd jacket (thinking it will be my last).