Random Fashion Thoughts (Part 3: Style farmer strikes back) - our general discussion thread

[London]

Local store in Jersey that is Black owned:

Men's shop specializing in hard to find denim brands from USA & Japan

Highly curated Men's lifestyle shop specializing in hard to find Raw & Selvedge Denim brands from the USA and Japan. As well as classic heritage brands like Red Wing Boots, Blundstone and Schott NYC leather jackets.

cityworkshopmsc.com

 

[imatlas]

Well **** now I’m craving a new knife:

The James Brand - The Ellis Black + Stainless / Serrated

A daily workhorse. The Ellis uses a lockback design so that you can do real work with a tool that locks; no more busted knuckles turning screws. Other features include a partially-serrated drop point blade, a combination bottle-opener and screwdriver, our "All Things"® scraper and pry and a bail...

cityworkshopmsc.com

 

[Joytropics]

You missed out off-white cmon

I don't think Virgil owns the controlling stake in Off-White any more. It's been purchased by the Marcelo Burlon holding company.

(I'm not saying that's a good reason to or to not support it. But I don't think it's a black-owned business.)

And it looks like that company is now owned by Farfetch.

 

[penanceroyaltea]

Nah man I just posted that cos everyone was ******** on Virgil a few pages back

 

[whorishconsumer]

In re the forever discussion of aluminum vs. poly vs. fabric luggage, I find myself drawn to a hardcase despite the well-documented arguments against voiced by @LA Guy and others. However, as I am leaning toward concession to Draconian TSA mandates in terms of size, how sorely will I be losing packing flexibility with a hard carry-on? I know @gdl203 has stated a position on this at least once before.

My luggage for my adult life has been a fabric suitcase with dimensions roughly in accordance with TSA, which I have become accustomed to overpacking, successfully, and have only been asked to check once or twice.

Specifically, I'm looking at a two-wheel aluminum.

 

[gdl203]

A hard case allows you to pack more, not less than a soft sided case. It allows more flexibility, not less.

 

[Newcomer]

Wow, @gdl203 - kudos! My wife and I have been talking about how we can make a difference with our limited power (and, in our instance, we have discussed pushing more diverse hiring in our law firms) - and I have got to say, your commitment is really commendable and a great example of what "making a difference" looks like.

 

[Timbaland]

Aluminum looks the best but I don't know about it's durability, carry on will be much better than checked though. I've seen some people with check in size Rimowa and they're all scratched and dinged up.

I use Bric's Riccione carry on luggage, I love it. It's light, durable, and rolls very well though it does have scratches from some dirt/debris on surfaces I've out it on in hotels. It's 4 wheels not 2 though you can roll it either way

 

[gdl203]

Aluminum cases are very durable. Scratches and bumps are just that, cosmetic marks. They should be ignored (or if you're a patina fetishist, celebrated). I know people who travel all the time and still have the same aluminum for 20 years. All dinged and scratched, yes.

 

[gdl203]

Wow, @gdl203 - kudos! My wife and I have been talking about how we can make a difference with our limited power (and, in our instance, we have discussed pushing more diverse hiring in our law firms) - and I have got to say, your commitment is really commendable and a great example of what "making a difference" looks like.

Thanks. This one is important and has to go beyond words and expressions of solidarity. If every one of us commits to action (not saying that we or you have been inactive), then we have a chance at progress. Public opinion shifts over time and I see some hope right now that public opinion will force elected officials to start changing our institutions, but we know that news cycles are short, so committing to ongoing actions is necessary right now.

 

[cyc wid it]

Wow, @gdl203 - kudos! My wife and I have been talking about how we can make a difference with our limited power (and, in our instance, we have discussed pushing more diverse hiring in our law firms) - and I have got to say, your commitment is really commendable and a great example of what "making a difference" looks like.

@Newcomer I'm always curious about diversity and inclusion efforts in industries like legal and banking. Even in the bay area, there are some pretty well known firms that simply don't think they're required.

 

[Newcomer]

Thanks. This one is important and has to go beyond words and expressions of solidarity. If every one of us commits to action (not saying that we or you have been inactive), then we have a chance at progress. Public opinion shifts over time and I see some hope right now that public opinion will force elected officials to start changing our institutions, but we know that news cycles are short, so committing to ongoing actions is necessary right now.

I'll be the first to admit - I have not done nearly enough. And it is not because I do not recognize a problem. Rather, it is because I struggle to think about what I can do to help. More often than not, I will provide free or severely discounted legal assistance to members of the black community who reach out to me directly. I do not do it too often, but I try to make a difference when I can. But when I look at the city that I live in, I see such an overwhelming problem - a near Sisyphean task to overcome. My city is 47%-47% white-black, and it is divided entirely along racial lines. There is, quite literally, an entire half of the city that resides in abject poverty. No grocery stores, no businesses, no jobs. It is overwhelmingly depressing. This is a systemic problem that is so vast it feels incapable of adequately addressing. And at least in my city, the majority of the white population is dead set on making this worse (link is worth the read).

@Newcomer I'm always curious about diversity and inclusion efforts in industries like legal and banking. Even in the bay area, there are some pretty well known firms that simply don't think they're required.

I'd say that is a dominant viewpoint.

I think most people in the legal industry are dead set on recruiting the so-called "best legal talent." That is usually seen from the framework of grades - specifically, top 5% or 10% from a well-known law school. Exceptions will be made for connected individuals (i.e., daddy is CEO at big company). This standard, in and of itself, has a disparate impact on black law students. If a black law student is in the top-10% of the class, he or she will be hired by just about every firm in my state, and will have out-of-state job prospects. After a student falls out of a certain percentage-threshold, or if a student comes from a lower tier law school, a lot of law firms will dismiss that student because they are not deemed the "best legal talent."

In short, I think law firms want to be more diverse. However, diversity for the sake of diversity is not an "end." Personally, I think that viewpoint needs to change, and I think that law firms vastly under appreciate the importance of a diverse work environment - specifically, different perspectives is critical to providing value to clients. I'm very fortunate to have an exceedingly progressive firm - especially firm leadership - on matters of diversity. That said, we can all do a whole lot better.

The treatment of minorities after hiring is an even more difficult topic, and one that is arguably outside the scope of your question. It is also something that I am wholly unprepared to speak on. But retention of minority attorneys is a massive issue in the legal industry which, at its top, is still old and white and male.

 

[cyc wid it]

I'll be the first to admit - I have not done nearly enough. And it is not because I do not recognize a problem. Rather, it is because I struggle to think about what I can do to help. More often than not, I will provide free or severely discounted legal assistance to members of the black community who reach out to me directly. I do not do it too often, but I try to make a difference when I can. But when I look at the city that I live in, I see such an overwhelming problem - a near Sisyphean task to overcome. My city is 47%-47% white-black, and it is divided entirely along racial lines. There is, quite literally, an entire half of the city that resides in abject poverty. No grocery stores, no businesses, no jobs. It is overwhelmingly depressing. This is a systemic problem that is so vast it feels incapable of adequately addressing. And at least in my city, the majority of the white population is dead set on making this worse (link is worth the read).



I'd say that is a dominant viewpoint.

I think most people in the legal industry are dead set on recruiting the so-called "best legal talent." That is usually seen from the framework of grades - specifically, top 5% or 10% from a well-known law school. Exceptions will be made for connected individuals (i.e., daddy is CEO at big company). This standard, in and of itself, has a disparate impact on black law students. If a black law student is in the top-10% of the class, he or she will be hired by just about every firm in my state, and will have out-of-state job prospects. After a student falls out of a certain percentage-threshold, or if a student comes from a lower tier law school, a lot of law firms will dismiss that student because they are not deemed the "best legal talent."

In short, I think law firms want to be more diverse. However, diversity for the sake of diversity is not an "end." Personally, I think that viewpoint needs to change, and I think that law firms vastly under appreciate the importance of a diverse work environment - specifically, different perspectives is critical to providing value to clients. I'm very fortunate to have an exceedingly progressive firm - especially firm leadership - on matters of diversity. That said, we can all do a whole lot better.

The treatment of minorities after hiring is an even more difficult topic, and one that is arguably outside the scope of your question. It is also something that I am wholly unprepared to speak on. But retention of minority attorneys is a massive issue in the legal industry which, at its top, is still old and white and male.

Thanks for the thoughtful response. There's still a (very) long way to go in tech, but I do see progress. While meaningful change requires everybody to become more educated and buy in, the most successful efforts have involved dedicated people/teams focused on D&I. The discussion around "best talent" is definitely a familiar topic and something that I've talked through quite a bit with engineering leaders.

Retention and growth (for all URP) is also serious challenge, starting from initial offer negotiation.

 

[Timbaland]

Not saying it's right (or that I'm right for the matter) but I always felt the lack of minorities (non Asian/Indian) in tech was because of the demographics of computer science and engineering graduates. I have a computer engineering degree and there was not a single minority in my graduating class and only a couple women. Everyone was practically a white or Asian male.

I feel this needs to be addressed in grade school by giving them more opportunities/experience with tech and programming. I started late and didn't program until college but a lot of programmers now start when they're kids. It's hard to hire someone without a related degree or work experience.

 

[Jonas251]

Not saying it's right (or that I'm right for the matter) but I always felt the lack of minorities (non Asian/Indian) in tech was because of the demographics of computer science and engineering graduates. I have a computer engineering degree and there was not a single minority in my graduating class and only a couple women. Everyone was practically a white or Asian male

I feel this needs to be addressed in grade school by giving them more opportunities/experience with tech and programming. I started late and didn't program until college but a lot of programmers now start when they're kids. It's hard to hire someone without a related degree or work experience.

This is a main feature of racism/sexism/classism. The issue is not always people getting doors shut in their face but rather not having access to them because of societal structure.