Philosophy of the Kop

[Contingency Plan]

The latest in denim, sneakers, expensive hoodies, and obscure high-end Japanese trends

I opened my closet the other and day and was disgusted by what I saw: I've got Paul Smiths, Common Projects and Japanese denim coming out the wazoo. I've been into clothing for a couple of years now; but am rapidly losing interest.

The never-ending process of buying more stuff just isn't doing it for me as it once did.

What keeps you guys trying out new stuff (especially when you already own 20+ pairs of shoes/jeans/whatever)?

 

[bluemagic]

Clothing alone won't be a panacea for an unhappy life; are you experiencing some post-Christmas depression? That said, read my signature.

 

[MiniW]

just keep exploring new brands, new aesthetics, new looks. At this point you shouldn't be buying anything that resembles something you already own. For the past 2 years, I was filling my closet with nearly one specific brand that I thought was perfect. The problem was, each piece was super expensive and each piece was more suited for special occasions only. I was wearing really cheap stuff 90% of the time, and the stuff I went out of my way to Kop was sitting in my closet collecting dust. Thank god for ebay, I've sold a lot of that sutuff and branched out more in the last 6 months. Right now I'm really into clothing that will last me 5 years or more, just some raw jeans, and boots, and anything else that'll look better with wear. The stuff I used to buy looked best when new, and that was part of the reason I never wore it. Seek out brands that have been around a long time already, there's a reason they are still in business. Stuff that lasts will build character and be more personal to you. This may make the pieces more interesting in the long run. Good luck.

 

[kiya]

Every single item i buy.. i look at deeply and think "will i wear this for the next five years?"
And if the answer is "no" then i pass.
Most people would not be able to do this because they would end up with a very limited wardrobe, but i'd rather be limited than be jumping genres every two years.

 

[dbtbandit67]

maybe you should look into designing your own clothes? maybe you got some ideas that haven't been implemented yet.

 

[Contingency Plan]

I think my growing dissatisfaction with clothing is a product of a general lack of faith in materialism. Subconsciously, I used to think that I'd be happy if I just bought that perfect pair of jeans/shoes/etc. but this just leaves you looking to the next purchase after the initial excitement wears off.

I can appreciate the aesthetic enjoyment derived from a good silhouette/fit/fabric, but don't get much joy simply from accumulating more and more stuff (indeed, quite the opposite).

Don't you guys ever open your wardrobes with a sense of dread: when am I ever going to find the time to wear all this stuff?

 

[why]

I always thought wearing clothes was the best use for them instead of buying them and hanging them in my closet.

 

[Spirit of 69]

Originally Posted by MiniW

At this point you shouldn't be buying anything that resembles something you already own.

And there in just one short sentence we have the epitome of fashion and the antithesis of style and class.

 

[JoelF]

There's a whole process here and it never really ends. I suppose in theory it could but once you are into this going back to wearing **** clothes is just not an option. Sounds like the OP really jumped in head first and now is backing away. On the other hand, I dipped a toe in the water a year or so ago with some stuff that improved somewhat on quality, fit etc. But that has continued to evolve and now I have several layers (pun intended) to peel off - the pre-SF stuff (baggy Levis, sweats and tees for casual, all Brook Bros. for work) and now my early SF stuff (APCs not sized down enough, some random purchases that just never worked). Need to get organized to sell stuff but meanwhile some friends are benefitting from my cast offs, so that is some satisfaction at least.

It is truly unbelievable what you can spend on this stuff though, and how quickly you get used to doing that. SF really needs to come with some kind of warning message.

 

[Jekyll]

Originally Posted by Contingency Plan

Don't you guys ever open your wardrobes with a sense of dread: when am I ever going to find the time to wear all this stuff?

I wish. I'm poor.

 

[constant struggle]

you have the sneakers, the denim, etc
how is your formal wear looking?
do you have the perfectly tailored suit?
tuxedo?
tailored shirts that fit so well you want to wear nothing else?

You need to get that area down as well. Then look into the perfect watch, perhaps umbrella, luggage, bag, anything, you must bring the rest of your life up to the level. This shall be your never ending quest.

 

[JoelF]

Originally Posted by constant struggle

You need to get that area down as well. Then look into the perfect watch, perhaps umbrella, luggage, bag, anything, you must bring the rest of your life up to the level. This shall be your never ending quest.

You're being only half serious I know but you've summed up the problem exactly.

Fortunately, assuming you don't lose it completely, at some point sanity kicks in. Or maybe just bankruptcy . . .

 

[jet]

I've been refining my process over the past couple of years so that I can look back at least five years from now and be like this was a good pickup. By being discerning and following in this methodology you avoid impulse and all unnecessary purchses that will lead you to that line of thinking so you will have few regrets.

No man's wardrobe is complete without some of the essentials cs mentioned above and it's great when you always have the appropriate attire for the occasion or mood.

 

[Johnathan]

For some reason, I expected this thread to be about this:

 

[Warren G.]

Originally Posted by constant struggle

you have the sneakers, the denim, etc
how is your formal wear looking?
do you have the perfectly tailored suit?
tuxedo?
tailored shirts that fit so well you want to wear nothing else?

You need to get that area down as well. Then look into the perfect watch, perhaps umbrella, luggage, bag, anything, you must bring the rest of your life up to the level. This shall be your never ending quest.

This. ^

I'm investing in more tailored clothes next year. But yeah I really try my best not to fill up my closest. Because like miniw said..most of the time I'm just wearing my cheap stuff most of the time. I end up selling some stuff on the side. I guess if my closest isn't stack with clothes..then I did good for that year lol.