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The Look goes on...

FrankCowperwood

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@Clouseau thanks for that challenge. I find the details of many surplus items are very interesting and then I'll notice the same details in military inspired items.

Interesting also that you find age can make it harder to wear certain items though.

When I was school aged, I liked to wear camouflage BDUs. I was even recently talking with a friend from growing up and he reminded me of a pair of US desert camo trousers I wore a lot as a kid. For some reason, I really wouldn't see myself wearing those these days in middle age. This despite the fact that I really like the camo shirt I wore for the FC and that I very much like the abstractness of camouflage patterns. I don't know what changed.

This reminds me that I have a pair of duck hunter camo pants that I should get out and wear. See how it goes!
 

Clouseau

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@Clouseau thanks for that challenge. I find the details of many surplus items are very interesting and then I'll notice the same details in military inspired items.

Interesting also that you find age can make it harder to wear certain items though.

When I was school aged, I liked to wear camouflage BDUs. I was even recently talking with a friend from growing up and he reminded me of a pair of US desert camo trousers I wore a lot as a kid. For some reason, I really wouldn't see myself wearing those these days in middle age. This despite the fact that I really like the camo shirt I wore for the FC and that I very much like the abstractness of camouflage patterns. I don't know what changed.

This reminds me that I have a pair of duck hunter camo pants that I should get out and wear. See how it goes!
Just that as time goes by, i guess we feel comfy/looking good in certain clothes, and not in some we used to like before...
It was a great Challenge, and we had some real good entries.
Of course @UrbanComposition 's entry was one of the best, but he would look good in a trash bag anyway !
BTW UC, i think an 'Inspired' Challenge is more interesting than a 'Summer' one, but you're the boss on this one...
It would be interesting if it could attract posters from SW&D & CM...
 

cerneabbas

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I think that 'military' clothing is a big part of the mod and hard mod/skinhead looks : Fishtail Parkas, MA-1s, Army Boots, Desert Boots, Jungle greens, etc, were used as well for their functional as for their aesthetic contribution to the style.
It is probably true for the skinhead haircut too : "the most striking element of the look was the cropped haircut, taken from the American GI and deliberately used to shock, subvert, and frighten" (The Soul Stylists).
That's one of the reasons why i chose this topic, but it is also true for other subcultures.
In fact a lot of classic items, like coats and jackets, find their origin in military clothing (that can be old, like cavalry)...

I found the Challenge interesting in the way the posters incorporated and appropriated 'military' style in their own look.
I was of course impressed by the perfection of @Rais look, but also by the coolness of @FrankCowperwood and @Dirt who wore Army items in such a natural way.
Like you Mr K, it opened my eyes to the infinite possibilities of military inspired clothing.
I also discovered that one of my actual favorite item, The Uniqlo U fatigue jacket (that i wore for my entry) was in fact a perfect copy of the Vietnam Type 3 Jungle fatigue jacket.

View attachment 1203816
Original Vietnam 'Jungle Jacket'

View attachment 1203819
Uniqlo U 'fatigue jacket'

I had a thought about the Challenge,supposing it wasn't just Styleforum members who could take part,suppose that real historical people or actors or anyone who wore military inspired clothing could have taken part.
Plenty of choices General Montgomery,Orde Wingate,Osama bin Laden,Chairman Mao,Stalin etc etc

Surely though the winner would be Steve Mcqueen in the Great Escape ? no one in the military in WW2 looked that good (imo) the 'chinos' shaped more like jeans than the chinos that were really worn,the Leather flying jacket, did pilots wear 'roughout boots'? definitely military inspired but NOT military uniform.

On the Camo subject,it is one that has interested me for a long time and the reason is why are there so many different types of camo when they are all trying to do the same thing ?
Ok there will be specific camos like Snow or desert but for most places the same camo should do but there are dozens of different ones.
Why not to wear it ? just look at any pictures of Militias,plenty of camo there,its too militaristic (of course) for normal wear.
Plus the 'Walts' (Walter Mitty types) who seem to be in most woodland areas near to cities,either wearing camo or black (or a mixture of both) with a military water bottle on their belt,best avoided and who wants to look like one.

I wear one 'camo' item a North Face rain hat in 4 shades of blue,its obviously not real military.

btw I once worked on a site where the security guard had sewed sergeants stripes on his uniform jumper,we called him Sergeant Security,a real 'Walt'.
 

cerneabbas

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My latest purchases have been more M&S pure wool flat front trousers (new) from Ebay, I really like these trousers,some are Italian wool and some Alfred Brown from Yorkshire.
I buy M&S best of British,Savile Row or Autograph,in store they are £119 and more,I don't pay more than £30 and that includes delivery,ok sometimes I have to pay £9 to have them shortened, where else can you get 100% wool trousers for that price ?

I bought a summer shirt this week,J Crew Mercantile,its an hawaiiaan print but it has a BD collar,its short sleeve and the sleeves are a bit too short for my taste but it is very different (because its a BD) definitely going to get some comments when I am wearing it but don't worry I have plenty of put downs for the 'wits'.
 

Clouseau

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I had a thought about the Challenge,supposing it wasn't just Styleforum members who could take part,suppose that real historical people or actors or anyone who wore military inspired clothing could have taken part.
Plenty of choices General Montgomery,Orde Wingate,Osama bin Laden,Chairman Mao,Stalin etc etc

Surely though the winner would be Steve Mcqueen in the Great Escape ? no one in the military in WW2 looked that good (imo) the 'chinos' shaped more like jeans than the chinos that were really worn,the Leather flying jacket, did pilots wear 'roughout boots'? definitely military inspired but NOT military uniform.

On the Camo subject,it is one that has interested me for a long time and the reason is why are there so many different types of camo when they are all trying to do the same thing ?
Ok there will be specific camos like Snow or desert but for most places the same camo should do but there are dozens of different ones.
Why not to wear it ? just look at any pictures of Militias,plenty of camo there,its too militaristic (of course) for normal wear.
Plus the 'Walts' (Walter Mitty types) who seem to be in most woodland areas near to cities,either wearing camo or black (or a mixture of both) with a military water bottle on their belt,best avoided and who wants to look like one.

I wear one 'camo' item a North Face rain hat in 4 shades of blue,its obviously not real military.

btw I once worked on a site where the security guard had sewed sergeants stripes on his uniform jumper,we called him Sergeant Security,a real 'Walt'.
Funnily i went to have a look at the sales, and in the Fred Perry shop, the 'Arktis' camo polos, Tshirts, and Sweat shirts were 50% off. I was a bit tempted - as they look quite good -, but i remembered our conversation and realized i was indeed too old to wear them...
 

FrankCowperwood

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@cerneabbas I think you get it exactly right with the Walter Mitty risk of camouflage!

Also, several of what I consider to be the mainline Hawaiian shirt makers (thinking of Reyn Spooner and Avanti) use BD collars pretty much as a rule. Interesting, especially when you combine that with Spooner Cloth, which is a crisp, cool, quick drying cotton/poly blend. Makes for quite a neat presentation that might be at odds with common conceptions of Hawaiian shirts.
 

Clouseau

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I guess most of the items that we embraced within the Look were inspired by military, sportswear or workwear clothing.

I think this is true for the early mods, i red an interesting essay about 'the origins of skinhead style', where they added youth culture and immigrant culture (jamaican).
 

Mr Knightley

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My latest purchases have been more M&S pure wool flat front trousers (new) from Ebay, I really like these trousers,some are Italian wool and some Alfred Brown from Yorkshire.
I buy M&S best of British,Savile Row or Autograph,in store they are £119 and more,I don't pay more than £30 and that includes delivery,ok sometimes I have to pay £9 to have them shortened, where else can you get 100% wool trousers for that price ?

I bought a summer shirt this week,J Crew Mercantile,its an hawaiiaan print but it has a BD collar,its short sleeve and the sleeves are a bit too short for my taste but it is very different (because its a BD) definitely going to get some comments when I am wearing it but don't worry I have plenty of put downs for the 'wits'.
I see M&S are in trouble again @cerneabbas on the clothing and fashion front with their CEO stepping in to take direct control. Your tailoring prices sound very reasonable to me.

I have not bought much this summer. I 'had to' buy one or two items for my holiday - a Polo RL Golf polo in grey camo pattern and PRL black webbing belt.

Since getting back I have bought a tie from a small start-up in the Lake District, 'Primal ties', the previously-mentioned Uniqlo + EG polo and a Drake's cashmere and cotton mix pocket hanky.

On the footwear front two casual pairs - Castaner + Missoni espadrilles and recently, in the Mr Porter sale, a pair of Converse Gore-Tex low tops in a horrible yellow colour...
 

Clouseau

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I didn't buy much in the sales apart some Merc Sta-Prest in brown, that were reduced to €20 !

I still want to buy some quality shorts, and discovered some by S.K.U (Save Khaki United, a Californian brand that @Botolph most probably know; reputed for their Khakis/Chinos of course that exist in 4 different fits) in Supima cotton. Really nice, good look and comfy, but pricey. I saw them at Jinji, a small parisian shop i mentioned before where they only sell top notch stuff (Alden, Buzz Rickson, Mc Coy, Orslow, Kapital…) They also had one Valstarino A1 suede jacket, so i could see one 'in the flesh', and i was not disappointed… Not in my size unfortunately as it was at 50% off.
 

Botolph

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I didn't buy much in the sales apart some Merc Sta-Prest in brown, that were reduced to €20 !

I still want to buy some quality shorts, and discovered some by S.K.U (Save Khaki United, a Californian brand that @Botolph most probably know; reputed for their Khakis/Chinos of course that exist in 4 different fits) in Supima cotton. Really nice, good look and comfy, but pricey. I saw them at Jinji, a small parisian shop i mentioned before where they only sell top notch stuff (Alden, Buzz Rickson, Mc Coy, Orslow, Kapital…) They also had one Valstarino A1 suede jacket, so i could see one 'in the flesh', and i was not disappointed… Not in my size unfortunately as it was at 50% off.


Yeah they seem pretty nice. Oddly enough I only tried on a Save Khaki buttondown shirt while in the Unionmade shop in San Francisco. Never tried their chinos. I stick with LL Bean, Brook Bros, my Albam chinos from their early days(like steel), and a pair of Real McCoy’s ones for when I want a baggy pair.
 

Clouseau

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Finally treated myself with Schott Fatigue shorts in cotton/linen mix, 30% off.
They look pretty good, if you like the Fatigue style, and are really comfy in the heat. And on the contrary to Stan Ray and SKU, the price was very reasonable, but still good quality.

Schott Fatigue_opt.jpg
 

am55

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As once again the watch thread is alight with the petrol fumes of Rolex, I was wondering to what extent the brand interacted with the good folks habitually posting here. I know @Clouseau at least has/had one.
 

Clouseau

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As once again the watch thread is alight with the petrol fumes of Rolex, I was wondering to what extent the brand interacted with the good folks habitually posting here. I know @Clouseau at least has/had one.
Well it was a must have for the 'Drugstore crowd' members and affiliates. My older brother, who used to hang out at the Drugstore late 60s-early 70s, a tad later than the originals though, had one that he gave me before he went West.

Brown3.JPG


As i said before, twenty years later, i gave in turn the watch to his daughter, my niece, as a wedding present. She has now a little boy, i hope she will give him the watch in the future.
 

Gsvs5

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Thanks to the Challenge, i discovered the Vastarino (by italian brand Valstar,
I never saw anyone around 69-70 wearing anything other than a type III,so I felt it was a move forward to me.Much the same as I wear a Valstarino style blouson today and would never consider a Harrington.
Stimulating a conversation was my only objectively,in a style that can be relevant today.
I

Just when I thought I was out,they pull me back in......

Sorry,late to the party,but I like the idea.Being a creature of habit,I still bewilder my Wife with my Blue obsession.

1) Marmot Ama Dablam Down Jacket

2) Blouson Jacket - Valstarino /Hardy Amies / MA-1

3) Polo - LS Pique, spread collar ,hidden placket.Custom

4) Jeans- Iron Heart 1955s

5) Trousers - Frogmouth Moleskin

6) Lands End LS Cotton crew T Shirts Gray/Navy/White

7) Uniqulo Down Vest Gray/Brown

8) Puma Volvo Off Shore Rain Jacket

9) Tod's Suede Gommino Boots/Shoes

10) Vasque Sundowner Boots

Thats my survival kit for Autumn through Spring.NOT what I would love to wear ,but appropriate for my current lifestyle.Corduroy Suits and bespoke shoes are something I hope to slip into in later life !
 

Gsvs5

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Moving on now ...Fred Perry
 

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