HOF: Member pictures

[Bandwagonesque]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

eh, unfortunately that's just a combo of my wallet (which moved to my back trouser pocket) and the way I'm standing

Big wallet... or small jacket

 

[edmorel]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

going out to mod/soul nite in a bit....

closeup of Paul Smith toe medallion chukka boots from the new 'British Collection' which is his new Made in England line.

Very Yazuka-ish (except for the socks!). You just need a cigarette and a concealed weapon

. The PS boots are made by Cheaney, if I am not mistaken. They are making some real nice stuff for PS, including your boots.

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by Bandwagonesque

Big wallet... or small jacket

both!

Ed, thanks for the info on Cheaney making PS boots...and the reminder reference to the Yakuza fantasies I used to have 12 years ago when I was dating a gal for a few years from Tokyo who's father *was* Yakuza!

 

[hossoso]

The clothes look great but it is actually the expression that is more Yakuza evocative for me. A couple of years ago a couple of friends of mine and myself found jobs teaching in Korea (sans credentials, of course), we made way more money than anyone our age should have. We used to go to Japan a couple times a month; frequenting estsablishments in Shinjuku and Rappongi and, always, the HyperHotelAkasaka, places where we normally wouldn't have been able to get into the door. Luckily we all dressed quite well and were just out to have a good time which eventually ingraciated us into the casual drinking circles of the Yakuza and the Gwangju-area mobs in Korea. The Yakuza was very difficult to even talk to, much more defensive than the Korean mob, but once they realized that we had absolutely zero interest in their business dealings, personal lives or their names we got along great. I still attest to the Korean mob being the most cordial mob on earth, but the Fukuoka, Kyoto and Tokyo guys were great too. Sorry for the tangent but the "no bullshit" look and the great clothes in GetSmarts' post were a trip down memory lane for me. Why is it that so much of the worlds criminal element seem to share a common penchant for style? It can't just be a matter of disposable income, there are so many rich business gurus that dress like high-school science teachers. Wow, I really ran with this post. More than a few generalizations in there too, apologies.

 

[Get Smart]

hossoso, thanks for the story! Back when I was in Tokyo staying with that ex for a couple months I had the privilege of meeting her father's associates, eating at their sushi bar which would always have various patrons missing fingers, his father and local friends took me to public bath houses that allowed tattoos (as I was also heavily covered) as that particular time there was a real crackdown on not allowing tattooed guests in, and being invited to one of the hostess bars her father's best friend (a Korean yakuza) owned (which was nice considering there was no way we could afford the $600 cover charge to walk in). Cordiality was definitely something everyone had in common, but I'm sure that was due to my being an "insider" for being an "outsider". The ex (who worked for one of their companies) told me stories of how nice and polite they all are but in the office she worked she'd overhear them yelling over the phone, threatening to cut, burn, maim....all in a day's work.

 

[Arethusa]

I have got to get a yakuza girlfriend.

 

[Baron]

Jason, what make is that suit - is that your own make you'd talked about earlier? If so, so you still plan on offering suits for sale?

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by Baron

Jason, what make is that suit - is that your own make you'd talked about earlier? If so, so you still plan on offering suits for sale?

yes it is, and yes i am....still finalizing a 2nd style (3 button) before putting everything together. once it's all done, expect to see my

thread about it!

 

[hossoso]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

hossoso, thanks for the story! Back when I was in Tokyo staying with that ex for a couple months I had the privilege of meeting her father's associates, eating at their sushi bar which would always have various patrons missing fingers, his father and local friends took me to public bath houses that allowed tattoos (as I was also heavily covered) as that particular time there was a real crackdown on not allowing tattooed guests in, and being invited to one of the hostess bars her father's best friend (a Korean yakuza) owned (which was nice considering there was no way we could afford the $600 cover charge to walk in). Cordiality was definitely something everyone had in common, but I'm sure that was due to my being an "insider" for being an "outsider". The ex (who worked for one of their companies) told me stories of how nice and polite they all are but in the office she worked she'd overhear them yelling over the phone, threatening to cut, burn, maim....all in a day's work.

I know! They were all like Daddy Warbucks buying drinks, dinner...but there was always an underlying sense of unease. I got a good sense of their power from their actions but I felt bad that they had to live with that uncertainty. I was never so ignorant or naive to think that they weren't doing bad things, but I didn't know what and they were always nice to me. My only complaint is that they were extremely sexist and racist(not to me, but I'm sure the conversation was different in my absence). Fortunately, for me, they tolerated me speaking my mind before I knew who they really were. In their defense, they are moving towards more legitimate business ventures and phasing out their more violent practices as is possible.
*I feel bad saying good things about them and I feel bad saying derogatory things about them-these posts have just been my personal experience*

 

[hossoso]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

yes it is, and yes i am....still finalizing a 2nd style (3 button) before putting everything together. once it's all done, expect to see my

thread about it!

You make suits?

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by hossoso

You make suits?


I'm starting a side project with a line of suits called "Thick as Thieves"....I had some made where an ex (who worked as a fashion designer for many years) helped me develop a pattern of what *I* wanted that I couldnt find at an affordable price, then some of my friends wanted one so I sold some to them and figured why not try to start a small label. They're based on early 60s style and more for the guy who wears a suit for going out socially, rather than a work-oriented suit.

 

[Jovan]

My friend, upon seeing that picture of you in your sunglasses and taupe (?) suit sitting in a car, said you looked like a "Japanese cyborg ninja." Hahahaha.

Is the three button style going to be 3-roll-2? Not sure if I asked you before in PM.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

I'm starting a side project with a line of suits called "Thick as Thieves"....I had some made where an ex (who worked as a fashion designer for many years) helped me develop a pattern of what *I* wanted that I couldnt find at an affordable price, then some of my friends wanted one so I sold some to them and figured why not try to start a small label. They're based on early 60s style and more for the guy who wears a suit for going out socially, rather than a work-oriented suit.
Are they mohair suits?

 

[Get Smart]

100% wool, wool flannel, and a 95/5 wool/cash blend...mohair would be nice if I could find good affordable fabric, but not yet

Jovan...no a true 3 button, rolled to the top button

 

[Jovan]

Hmm... I don't know about that then, unless the buttoning stance is low enough to really show off some shirt and tie.