What is style?

[chronoaug]

You mean US weekly type pics? If there were paparazzi type people all the time back then, you really think those 3 guys wouldn't be photographed looking kinda bad at times? Brad Pitt still looks like a million bucks in his movies. Same with most all male movie stars in big time movies with at least some style. Look at all the threads about trying to find the clothes from bond movies when the new movies come out. I'm sure daniel craig can have some paparazzi shots that look kinda bleh at times

 

[erbs]

I guess my original point got lost in the discussion of Brando, Dean, and McQueen, but I would still like to know how you think stylish individuals created their style before the internet age.

How would a stylish (as opposed to being dressed for a movie) individual discover their 'look' without the instant information and feedback that an internet forum offers?

Also, is such a non-mediated (or less-mediated) look somehow more 'authentic' or 'congruent' than an internet-created look?

 

[Robert]

People had real lives back then, where they talked to one another in person and hung out in bars and stuff so they could see how all their friends dressed. They also walked into places like men's stores, and they bought real magazines like Esquire. They tried things on that they saw their peers wearing or in the pages of magazines, and asked for advice from men who sold men's clothing.

 

[mulansauce]

Originally Posted by Robert

People had real lives back then, where they talked to one another in person and hung out in bars and stuff so they could see how all their friends dressed. They also walked into places like men's stores, and they bought real magazines like Esquire. They tried things on that they saw their peers wearing or in the pages of magazines, and asked for advice from men who sold men's clothing.

Tell me more about these "bars" and "people"--what are they like?

 

[LabelKing]

 

[chronoaug]

Originally Posted by Robert

People had real lives back then, where they talked to one another in person and hung out in bars and stuff so they could see how all their friends dressed. They also walked into places like men's stores, and they bought real magazines like Esquire. They tried things on that they saw their peers wearing or in the pages of magazines, and asked for advice from men who sold men's clothing.

People also did what you guys do now and see the new bond, brando, james dean, mcqueen, etc... movie and want to dress like that as well. Magazines, catalogues, tv shows, what they see others wear and what becomes popular. Or we can keep pretending that everyone that lived before the 1980s was intrinsically better and had a magical quality.

 

[Robert]

Originally Posted by chronoaug

People also did what you guys do now and see the new bond, brando, james dean, mcqueen, etc... movie and want to dress like that as well. Magazines, catalogues, tv shows, what they see others wear and what becomes popular. Or we can keep pretending that everyone that lived before the 1980s was intrinsically better and had a magical quality.

This is true. Pathetic as it might sound, I credit my newfound love for the cardigan to Craig wearing the shawl collar in Casino Royale. But I took my style in the 60s, and to a lesser extent in the 70s, straight from the screen, many times, as well. I was also a sometimes Esquire reader in the 70s, too, and took a few clues from that.

 

[Lel]

Another interesting note that I have always thought about but never talked is details. And I really mean the details that on SF are sort of standard but to everyone else are *almost unnoticeable. And by that I mean little things other people may notice but don't appreciate as much as you do. Some examples... -Wore my TaT to a dance. After the dance my (now)ex-girlfriend was just playing around with my jacket, buttoning and unbuttoning the sleeve buttons. -Same night, she also noticed (ironically in the dark and with terrible lighting) that my jacket was actually dark navy, not black. -People who live around me know I never wear white socks. And I know that people notice this tiny detail every now and then (when I put on and take off shoes, etc) and sometimes I even get comments (Oh nice socks, I really like those beer mugs). -"Hidden" interior pocket on my leather jacket. Good for putting in various items, tickets, and hiding flasks... EDIT: The more I think about it, the more I fall in love with SoCal's Yohji jacket that completely zips apart. I think if I had it I would only wear it in the "normal" version until a girl noticed all the extra zippers and then becomes completely enthralled with unzipping the coat.

 

[SoCal2NYC]

Originally Posted by Lel

-People who live around me know I never wear white socks. And I know that people notice this tiny detail every now and then (when I put on and take off shoes, etc) and sometimes I even get comments (Oh nice socks, I really like those beer mugs).

More and more I realize that I only wear charcoal socks.

 

[Lel]

I've been thinking a lot recently (warning, essay coming up) and I've been thinking about how much style is personal.

I recently had two girls tell me how they essentially don't like the way I dress and asked if they could take me shopping. When I asked what was wrong with the way I dressed they mainly narrowed it down to 2 things; my jeans and shoes (APCNC and Clarks respectively). When I asked what I should wear instead they said baggier pants and Nike dunks, essentially what everyone else wears.

My point with my story is, they're fairly typical girls and they wanted me to dress like a fairly typical guy. To me if I did that, as vain as it sounds, I think that I would lose a lot of my personality. I'm not trying to be pretentious and say that fashion=art and the way I dress=self-expression (though I actually am...) but I think that at the end of the day, if you look in the mirror and like what you see, like yourself and how you dress, that's ultimately what matters.

Of course, other people's opinions matter but I think Kunk summed it up nicely.

Originally Posted by thekunk07

i'd rather look how I want to look than let people dress me so they approve of it. if you look good in everyone's opinion but aren't comfortable with what you're wearing, there is no point.

As valuable as I find "SF's approval", it's not how I dictate the way I dress. While I mostly agree with the popular consensus of the forum, when I ask for advice that's all it is. Advice. As in, I can take it or not, but I like to hear different opinions. And while some people are criticized for not listening to the advice that SF offers, other times you end up with a lot of "dressed by the internet" comments in WAYWT which seems equally criticized.

I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with all this, but I felt that it needed to be said (and I'm not going to bug SF with another topic filled with my inane senseless rambling).

 

[bluemagic]

You should hang around with classier girls.

 

[CharlieAngel]

Originally Posted by bluemagic

You should hang around with classier girls.

Absolutely. They'll have him wearing True Religion in no time.

 

[bluemagic]

No, I mean actual classier girls, not trashy girls.

 

[mkarim]

Originally Posted by bluemagic

No, I mean actual classier girls, not trashy girls.

Exactly! Classier girls will notice the clean, classic, timeless style better than others.

 

[Lel]

Originally Posted by bluemagic

You should hang around with classier girls.

I don't like to let person style/religion/politics/beliefs get in the way of friendships. Though I do see a lot of very well dressed girls around campus, ankle boots make me weak in the knees

Unfortunately they are either sorority girls, upper classmen, or both.