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Drinkwaters

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FYI...Yes, we took a pause from EG for SS21 partly because of Covid but more specifically, because we've been challenged and dismayed over the fit issues that seem to linger for the foreseeable future. We're happy to say that we will have a small offering for FW21, mostly jackets, vests and trousers, the shirts are for whom, we do not know.
As some of you may know, we have offered the collections since 2004 and still have some articles in the store that date back to those times. We are currently assessing the SS22 collection for articles that will work for us.
 

bry2000

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OK, I still associate EG with Drinkwaters (Odin, one of the OG stockists, seems to have faded, sadly and Gentry is gone for good). It would be shocking to me if you stopped carrying EG outright.

I agree that some, not all, of the shirt models have become a bit challenging to size and wear. The camp collar, popovers, and some of the work shirts are fine. The 19C B/D and westerns have been tougher.

I like the fit of the current Bedfords better and the outerwear and trousers are still excellent.
 

jaaz16

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For those who haven't read the Vogue blurb:

Engineered Garments is known for marrying utilitarian garments with eye-catching textures and fabrics, and the spring 2022 collection continues this mission. Last season, Daiki Suzuki looked to American classics—think plaids and C.C. Filson jackets—but this time, he was inspired by “the beautiful imagery and vast range of cultures of Africa,” as well as “the work of several brands in the ’80s, including Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren, Willis & Geiger, Ruff Hew, and British Khaki, who drew from African imagery in their collections.”

In 2021, citing a continent of 54 countries as inspiration will feel outdated and trivializing to many. Safaris seem to have guided the silhouettes: jackets and vests with ample pockets, jumpsuits in khaki and brown plaid, and cargo pants. Some of the prints were a bit too on the nose, such as the cheetah-spotted windbreakers and the many giraffes that appeared throughout the collection. But more concerning was a blue and yellow motif closely resembling the Ghanaian textile kente cloth; Suzuki is a Japanese designer, and it could come across as culturally appropriative. Meanwhile, the decision to style some of the looks with pith helmets, a hat that’s become increasingly controversial due to its association with European colonizers, felt legitimately tone-deaf.

Suzuki said his goal was to “[highlight] the need to restore [Africa’s] wilderness to help stabilize the global ecosystem,” and the profits from the stuffed animals featured in the lookbook will be donated to help “make clean water wells in Africa.” Even so, this collection would have been served by a more specific starting point. For the most part, designers have come to view collections inspired by cultures other than their own as misguided, especially if the clothes weren’t made in collaboration with the artisans or designers who belong to that community. Had Suzuki gone the extra mile to partner with weavers or makers in Africa, this collection may have felt more genuine.

Without going in to the a-word, I think those bolded lines are spot on. Sean Jacobs founded the website Africa is A Country over a decade ago to challenge these really flat understandings of an incredibly diverse continent. And I mean that quite literally: Kenya is very different than Sudan; Johannesburg is very different than Lagos, etc. To reduce a continent with global cities light years more advanced than my little Midwestern US town seems...not only in bad taste, but lazy and uninteresting.

Personally, I thought the way A Kind of Guise drew inspiration from Ghana in a recent season (for example) was much more authentic and interesting, and as a result, I think simply better from an aesthetic point of view.

FYI...Yes, we took a pause from EG for SS21 partly because of Covid but more specifically, because we've been challenged and dismayed over the fit issues that seem to linger for the foreseeable future. We're happy to say that we will have a small offering for FW21, mostly jackets, vests and trousers, the shirts are for whom, we do not know.
As some of you may know, we have offered the collections since 2004 and still have some articles in the store that date back to those times. We are currently assessing the SS22 collection for articles that will work for us.

I'm more of a newcomer to EG so it's interesting to see others reflect on what seemed to be a more classic and less trendy (for lack of better words) history. I'll say that I really like how the shirts fit above the waist (the sleeves and collar opening are just great for my body and taste), but yeah, they are quite a few inches too long. I now have 2 and like to tuck them in on their own or wear them as a base layer.
 

BlakeRVA

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This is silly. Who complains about a trailer before the movie comes out? Even if you're not in the mood for that kinda movie in the moment
I don't know how to articulate the feeling.. it's more so a complaint / commentary on how I engage with ceaseless consumerism and the ways that brands enable it. I find myself constantly buying new things, then within days fixating on the next purchase, which will of course be my favorite item until the next one. The SS22 lookbook being released simultaneously with FW21 first deliveries feels like the embodiment of this. I understand it's geared towards buyers, but inevitably it makes it's rounds on social media and fashion news sites - so I'll see it and start thinking about the next season. I recognize I voluntarily participate in this, but it would be nice to slow things down and enjoy what's in front of me for a little longer.
 

zenosparadox

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Without going in to the a-word, I think those bolded lines are spot on. Sean Jacobs founded the website Africa is A Country over a decade ago to challenge these really flat understandings of an incredibly diverse continent. And I mean that quite literally: Kenya is very different than Sudan; Johannesburg is very different than Lagos, etc. To reduce a continent with global cities light years more advanced than my little Midwestern US town seems...not only in bad taste, but lazy and uninteresting.

Personally, I thought the way A Kind of Guise drew inspiration from Ghana in a recent season (for example) was much more authentic and interesting, and as a result, I think simply better from an aesthetic point of view.



I'm more of a newcomer to EG so it's interesting to see others reflect on what seemed to be a more classic and less trendy (for lack of better words) history. I'll say that I really like how the shirts fit above the waist (the sleeves and collar opening are just great for my body and taste), but yeah, they are quite a few inches too long. I now have 2 and like to tuck them in on their own or wear them as a base layer.
I suppose the one defense here is that the collection claims to be citing the “African imaginary,” which was always tokenizing and vaguely racist, rather than Africa itself. Although why you’d cite the imaginary rather than, you know, Africa, except out of a tonedeaf nostalgia for when Africa existed as a mostly “dark” but occasionally “colorful” continent in the Western imagination, is quite honestly beyond me. (And I like EG, but the ways in which many brands have chosen to participate in the diversity and inclusion conversation recently are unfortunate and, as you note, often unsuccessful, even if well-intentioned. EG just isn’t that brand and they’d probably need to further diversify their design team to become that brand.)
 

Spehsmonkey

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I find shirts that are a little too long or a little too short (especially for camp collars) better than the standard lengths of most shirts in any given size, mostly because I want my shirts to be either above my jacket line or below it to break up the horizontal lines in an outfit. Not sure where new EG shirts fall in that though.

To be a bit more clear, if I were to reach into my closet and pick a random jacket (not talking bombers or long coats or whatever), odds are it’s around 30” long. Just so happens that most buttoned shirts in my closet are also often 29-30” long. Given that I generally try to avoid having my shirt hem and jacket hem at the same spot (visually looks off to me), I’d prefer my shirts to be an inch or two shorter or longer.
 

Drinkwaters

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Again, multiple seasons when fit was great. Got a pair of white bucks, so I thought I'd bring on that country club look today.
Baker Jacket Madras Plaid
USN Pant Grey Birdseye
Workshirt White Broad Cloth
Bass White Bucks
W. Kleinberg Cognac Calf Belt
Pantherella No Show Socks
Cableami Gary Navy RIPSTOP Longbill Cap
IWC Mark XV

tempImage4dnNX7.jpg
 
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Phullyman

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Anyone have fit pics in the fatigue pants in cone denim? Thanks!
 

Ken P

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Didn’t EG do an “African” themed SS season a few years back too? I stopped following them for a bit. I distinctly remember Junya Watanabe facing backlash for this exact same issue. I respect that EG has a focus on ethical production I just wish they had the forethought to think about cultural appropriation as a part of that as well. I think in contrast to a brand like 18East who has made clothing inspired by different cultures that are actually made in those countries. I know EG is staunchly made in the US but I’d feel better about the collection if I knew the fabrics were sourced from specific makers in those countries . Definitely agree that the pith helmets are cringey and unnecessary. Thank you for sharing the blurb.
 

noob in 89

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…but this time, he was inspired by “the beautiful imagery and vast range of cultures of Africa,” as well as “the work of several brands in the ’80s, including Banana Republic, Abercrombie & Fitch, Ralph Lauren, Willis & Geiger…who drew from African imagery in their collections.

A-ha! Nailed it. I knew it seemed like — what was it — zeno’s African imaginary viewed through the fish lens of the 80s. Banana Republic was tacky. Anyone who quotes it is bound to be, too — a little bit, anyway.

I’m not outraged by it; Vogue’s not outraged by it. There is only the lingering hint that some white person, somewhere could be.

But Daiki is Extremely Offline — so there’s no harming him.
 

innerpiece

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I do wish they would extend appreciation into collaboration. I know that there is a very strong NYC ethos but as others have said, others are actively doing these types of partnerships and sourcing practices. I know it's not easy to divorce design and inhouse production but I think that could be a great way for EG and Nepenthes in general to branch out. Thing is, I don't know if they actually want to do that. And while Daiki may be shielded from social media, money talks pretty hard.
 

zenosparadox

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I do wish they would extend appreciation into collaboration. I know that there is a very strong NYC ethos but as others have said, others are actively doing these types of partnerships and sourcing practices. I know it's not easy to divorce design and inhouse production but I think that could be a great way for EG and Nepenthes in general to branch out. Thing is, I don't know if they actually want to do that. And while Daiki may be shielded from social media, money talks pretty hard.
Out of fairness to EG, they did do an interesting but small collaborative collection with Post-Imperial a couple of years back. Don't know why they don't do more of the same, as it would necessarily result in different fabrics, textures, dyeing practices, etc. Their fabric choices are getting very repetitive--just different color variations on the same base textiles--and I'd love to see how some of their designs would work if married to novel fabrics.
 

innerpiece

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Out of fairness to EG, they did do an interesting but small collaborative collection with Post-Imperial a couple of years back. Don't know why they don't do more of the same, as it would necessarily result in different fabrics, textures, dyeing practices, etc. Their fabric choices are getting very repetitive--just different color variations on the same base textiles--and I'd love to see how some of their designs would work if married to novel fabrics.

Weird, I had thought this collab was only the screen printed Ts, but looking back they had a few other pieces. This one is fun:

1627659195566.png
 

zenosparadox

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Weird, I had thought this collab was only the screen printed Ts, but looking back they had a few other pieces. This one is fun:

View attachment 1646491
Yeah, there were some really interesting ideas, but none of those were incorporated into EG's own collection that season. It was more of a side thing, which seemed to be bracketed in such a way so as to not influence the main line. And I would argue that Post-Imperial didn't quite know who they were at that time, whereas their last two or three collections have been very strong. I'd love to see what could be done now.
 

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