workwear, authenticity, details and context

[mainy]

Very much agree with A Harris post.

I think designer workwear is by definition an oxymoron. Therefore, most of the more expensive "fashion pieces" are I guess authentic in design only. How can something truly be workwear if it is not made to be worked in? I suppose at that point you're just wearing high priced replicas in an effort to channel a certain aesthetic. Which is what clothing is all about, but I think "workwear" is kind of a bizarre thing to emulate.

I think this is more apparent for those of us that have grown up in the Midwest, specifically working class areas. I see a lot of the "workwear" posts on the WAYT thread, and to be honest they are often very similar to outfits I saw on guys when I worked construction and what is worn on hunting trips etc, or at least similar in more ways than one. Which is funny, because oftentimes these fits are praised when they look as absurd to my eye as somebody dressing like a cowboy, or some other form of costume.

 

[Superb0bo]

It might be a case of different perspectives, since I live in Europe, but I cant think of a single post that has the wearer looking like a "construction worker". Wearing a plaid shirt and boot is far from what you see at a construction site, atleast here.

 

[Johnny Amiga]

Yeah, same here. The whole "workwear"-look is so far detached from what actual construction workers and such wear here. It's all blue overalls and cargo pants.

But then again, I tend to wear my EG pants with Nike sneakers and such, so I guess I'm going for something else anyways (or then I just lack style, which is quite possible).

 

[wiru]

Originally Posted by Johnny Amiga

It's all blue overalls and cargo pants.

Yes, it's not as if people here are wearing jumpsuits, overalls, tool belts or whatever. The items we pick up tend to be the "work" versions of what people normally wear. Unlike a few of the igents, no one really wants to be a 1930s laborer. I dig the Grapes of Wrath, but I'm not cultivating a 21st century Tom Joad persona.

 

[erbs]

Originally Posted by fuego!

In order to be authentic you have to be authentic... and if you are authentic most likely you don't care.

Exactly. Once you become self-conscious of the garment/item/process, the concept of authenticity is lost.

 

[milosz]

Actual 'workwear' in my experience:

Wolverine/Timberland work boots, or hiking boots
Light/medium wash 501s or similar. Maybe a bit baggier.
T-shirt, sometimes with a chest pocket
Hoodie or coat when it's cold

 

[PinkPantser]

Authentic:

 

[pcl]

It's interesting to note that Japan, a retail market obsessed with many of the same Americana brands discussed here and "authenticity" in design and production of the same also has a prominent popular cultrure sub-text and reference around make believes and "cosplay".

Originally Posted by A Harris

Slightly ott, but I think excessive emphasis on authenticity is one of biggest mistakes that men interested in clothing make (I'm talking more about men in general than I am about this forum btw.)

Guys tend to go wrong not so much with individual purchases as they do with their overall look. From what I've seen, men are far more likely to to dress AS something than women are and this is almost always a mistake. I'd no sooner leave the house in head to toe workwear as I would in head to toe western gear or WWII pilot gear. I've spent most of my life in areas where workwear and westernwear are commonplace, and like Crane's I hunt and fish and have spent my share of time on construction sites. So I can't help but chuckle a little when I see some of the more stereotypical of the 'authentic' workwear looks being touted these days. Unless you are actually going to work as a construction worker or logger etc. this is basically costume.

Still, workwear is undeniably relevent at the moment so the trick is to incorporate it into your own style without coming off as a stereotype. Bobo does this extremely well - most all the stuff he wears is authentic but he doesn't look like a parody. Additionally, he does this while staying within a fairly narrow stylistic range which is even harder. It's a tricky line to toe - I thought what I was wearing yesterday for instance was borderline costumey for me. I think for most guys it's much easier to pull iconic looks from a range of influences and combine them into an appealing whole with a masculine and classic but not stereotypical vibe. That's what I attempt with my casual clothing.


Re. specific items - yes, most of the detailing on men's clothing was originally functional in a way that is not relevant to modern wearers. But these styles and details have survived because they have aesthetic merit in their own right (also because of cultural resonance as Bobo and ringring referenced, but that is a topic for another dissertation.) If the authentic detailing of a garment contributes to its' overall aesthetic appeal then I'm all for it. But if the details were originally added for purely functional reasons and the garment would look better without them then I have no problem with a pared down version. I have as much of an issue with stuff that is overly detailed for the sake of authenticity as I do with designer stuff that is overly detailed in an attempt to be different. In the end though, the 100% authentic items can still look good as long as they are paired effectively.

 

[ghulkhan]

I only intend to buy EG, Woolrich, Freemans, etc. for actual outdoor purposes.

 

[A Harris]

Originally Posted by SuperBobo

It might be a case of different perspectives, since I live in Europe, but I cant think of a single post that has the wearer looking like a "construction worker". Wearing a plaid shirt and boot is far from what you see at a construction site, atleast here.

What I wrote was aimed more at what I'm seeing in magazines and on fashion sites that it is at stuff from the WAYWT thread. I've seen a few fits here that were over the line IMO but they aren't the norm. More than anything the concept of workwear as fashion is odd to me because of where I live (though I have a degree of fondness for these sorts of clothes so I don't necessarily hate the idea.) Redwing, Pendleton, Woolrich Carhartt, Whites etc. are all commonly sold and worn here and where I was living in Norcal. Orvis, LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, Filson, and lower priced versions of the same from Cabela's are also somewhat common. This is the sort of stuff that you will have no problem finding in local thrift stores and vintage shops.

 

[Crane's]

Originally Posted by zissou

Crane's- you bring up a very good point, but where to draw the line? When you are in your shop being the business owner and selling goods, do you wear a business suit?

OK, now I really must get to the library. I'll catch up with this all later... I think this is one of the better discussions I've seen here on SF.

(I don't own the place, Dave does, I'm the webmaster and keeper of the Dungeon.)

Anyway, no I do not wear a suit. For the most part I'm dressed like you see me in the WAYWT thread. Heavy on Filson, Carhartt, Pendleton with my Nudie jeans as the odd part that no one notices anyway. The rest of the gang dresses likewise. There's a simple philosophy at work in all this. We wear what we sell which sells more of what we sell without saying a word.