Should Asians wear tweeds, browns, and bold patterns?

winston · Nov 3, 2008

Most Caucasians would probably advise against wearing tweed, too. (not to mention bow ties, also mentioned in the OP) Most would probably also shy away from bold patterns, at least of the very specific type we're talking about. It's going to be quite a small niche wherever you go.

Kent Wang · Nov 3, 2008

I like tweed, corduroy and browns. Not so much bold patterns like window panes, though. Glen plaid, yes. I think mafoo looks good in his outfits. The fabrics look great, just the cuts are out of proportion for him.

justsayno · Nov 3, 2008

^ that grey herringbone jacket in the middle looks great. who made it?

Viktri · Nov 3, 2008

Chinese people tend to have black appearing hair (arguably very dark brown but the appearance is generally black except in some types of lighting). Black clothes generally go well with our hair. In China, particularly SH/**, people tend to be very tanned and some browns do not provide the appropriate contrast. For those with pale skin dark brown can work perfectly well.

Tweed, on the other hand, is something inherently different. It looks very old manish. The only Chinese person I know who would wear a tweed jacket is one of my aunts and she is very British, like her husband.

academe · Nov 3, 2008

Originally Posted by Viktri

Tweed, on the other hand, is something inherently different. It looks very old manish. The only Chinese person I know who would wear a tweed jacket is one of my aunts and she is very British, like her husband.

I think it's all about the cut, and not necessarily about the fabric itself. It can look old manish, but I don't agree with that as a generalisation. I mean, take a look at Andrew Yew's Mahon, or some of the stuff Voxsartoria posted on the Anderson & Sheppard's expatriate thread:

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=67722

Granted, a few of Vox's items are not strictly tweed, but they certainly have the appearance of it

vitaminc · Nov 3, 2008

Tweeds: don't see any reason why not...

Browns: only if your skin tone is pinkish (instead of yellowish). Light browns are very hard to pull off for East Asians as it does not provide enough contrast to either pinkish or yellowish skin tones.

Bold patterns: will look ludicrous on people with small frames, regardless of ethnicity.

voxsartoria · Nov 3, 2008

Originally Posted by vitaminc

Bold patterns: will look ludicrous on people with small frames, regardless of ethnicity.

Are you throwing down again?

- B

voxsartoria · Nov 3, 2008

Originally Posted by Viktri

Tweed, on the other hand, is something inherently different. It looks very old manish.

Possibly. But I think that you are committing the sin of thinking of garments as self-standing objects, when if fact they clothe people who have a variety of personalities. Even Chinese people have a variety of personalities...or so I saw on documentary once.

A young man with a histrionic, lively or engaging personality is not going to become old manish from wearing tweed. A young man with none of those qualities will seem like an old man no matter what he wears.

Originally Posted by academe

I think it's all about the cut, and not necessarily about the fabric itself. It can look old manish, but I don't agree with that as a generalisation. I mean, take a look at Andrew Yew's Mahon, or some of the stuff Voxsartoria posted on the Anderson & Sheppard's expatriate thread:

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=67722

Granted, a few of Vox's items are not strictly tweed, but they certainly have the appearance of it

I have some gnarly tweeds in the pipeline in case you want to reverse your opinion later.

- B

TheFoo · Nov 3, 2008

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Even Chinese people have a variety of personalities...or so I saw on documentary once.

This flies in the face of the commonly held Borg theory.

unpainted huffheinz · Nov 3, 2008

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I have some gnarly tweeds in the pipeline in case you want to reverse your opinion later.

You have tweeds made up with formal peak lapels, so perhaps there is no hope for you...

I happen to have a 4x1 DB tweed jacket, which might disqualify me from making the above comment (although it came from a consignment shop for the cost of a sandwich).

voxsartoria · Nov 3, 2008

Originally Posted by mafoofan

This flies in the face of the commonly held Borg theory.

Believe me, I was both startled and humbled by my prior ignorance.

- B

Viktri · Nov 3, 2008

will respond later, in edit

voxsartoria · Nov 3, 2008

Originally Posted by unpainted huffheinz

You have tweeds made up with formal peak lapels, so perhaps there is no hope for you...

Faux tweed.

Originally Posted by unpainted huffheinz

I happen to have a 4x1 DB tweed jacket, which might disqualify me from making the above comment (although it came from a consignment shop for the cost of a sandwich).

That sounds rockin'.

Post pics so that we can judge if you should have gone with the sandwich.

- B

TheFoo · Nov 3, 2008

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Believe me, I was both startled and humbled by my prior ignorance.

I'm trying to get to where you are, but the voice in my head keeps saying 'we', not 'me'.

voxsartoria · Nov 3, 2008

Originally Posted by Viktri

1) Isn't Mahon a Saville row tailor? That is pretty old manish imo.

Have you encountered such clothes in person?

Originally Posted by Viktri

2) Vox is Asian? I was under the impression he was Caucasian.

I prefer melanin-challenged.

Originally Posted by Viktri

3) Agree with vitaminC re: bold patterns for smaller/shorter people. It overwhelms us. I've seen many garments with patterns I thought would look great but when I tried them on they took away from my focus (which is fit).

Hmmm...I'm not sure that "fit" is really a concern of yours given your first point.

- B

Should Asians wear tweeds, browns, and bold patterns?

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