Random fashion thoughts

Originally Posted by Jekyll

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I agree with all of these except the bolded ones. Shorts are not a trend. That's like saying jeans are a trend. (Shorts with dress shoes is a trend, as you say.) Varsity jackets do seem to be a bit of a trend, but I don't think they're going to be especially regrettable.

I'd say boat shoes too they have an occasion during summers in southern california, other places not so much and they've been neither in or out of style at any point as long as I've grown up here.

Originally Posted by Teger

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they will be regrettable because most people who wear them look like they couldn't throw a baseball let alone make a varsity team. the TOJ one is nice (especially at the price point), but its just the next step in ironic asian americana.

This made me laf, my cousin once made a comment a decade ago about them and messenger bags saying once they grab ahold of a trend they all follow and play it the **** out.

1. The generation after me (I'm 32) is much more concerned with the quality and ethical nature of fashion items than mine is. They're also keyed into supporting independent businesses. Certainly not everyone, but I feel that they're more conscious in general. This is a wonderful thing.

2. I wish that people would stop saying "Man-bag" and "Man-purse." It's just a ******* bag, alright? How the hell else am I going to carry my wallet, keys, and phone in these slim-ass khakis?

3. If you feel too self-conscious or have just never tried a shorter bathing suit, then give it a shot. Being freed from 3 meters of wet nylon fabric slapping against your legs is priceless.

4. Women absolutely love men in colorful woven shirts. If you ever have a first date, wear one of those. It works even with really boring girls.

5. Polo has some shirts with great fabric. But unless you're the King of Queens, stay far away from their traditional fit. I bought a beautiful madras shirt at 50% off from a boutique in Montauk a few weeks ago. It looked okay in their under-lit dressing room. It was a higher-end piece with shell buttons. I liked it, the price was right, I wanted to support the scene with an independent store, and I didn't want to be the dude at lunch with a tank top. So I bought it.

If I had a slim version of this in the store for Spring, I could have sold hundreds of them. When I got home, my fiancee took one look and said, where the hell did you get that HUGE shirt. This was a medium, and I weigh in at nearly 200lb. So don't get caught up in the moment.

Originally Posted by Epaulet

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1. The generation after me (I'm 32) is much more concerned with the quality and ethical nature of fashion items than mine is. They're also keyed into supporting independent businesses. Certainly not everyone, but I feel that they're more conscious in general. This is a wonderful thing.

2. I wish that people would stop saying "Man-bag" and "Man-purse." It's just a ******* bag, alright? How the hell else am I going to carry my wallet, keys, and phone in these slim-ass khakis?

3. If you feel too self-conscious or have just never tried a shorter bathing suit, then give it a shot. Being freed from 3 meters of wet nylon fabric slapping against your legs is priceless.

4. Women absolutely love men in colorful woven shirts. If you ever have a first date, wear one of those. It works even with really boring girls.

5. Polo has some shirts with great fabric. But unless you're the King of Queens, stay far away from their traditional fit. I bought a beautiful madras shirt at 50% off from a boutique in Montauk a few weeks ago. It looked okay in their under-lit dressing room. It was a higher-end piece with shell buttons. I liked it, the price was right, I wanted to support the scene with an independent store, and I didn't want to be the dude at lunch with a tank top. So I bought it.

If I had a slim version of this in the store for Spring, I could have sold hundreds of them. When I got home, my fiancee took one look and said, where the hell did you get that HUGE shirt. This was a medium, and I weigh in at nearly 200lb. So don't get caught up in the moment.

This is some insight right here. I really feel smarter and more potentially stylish after reading this.

Originally Posted by Rye GB

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What the ****? Let's all jump on the pot belly band wagon. In truth this get-up was pretty much the unvarying male uniform last summer also, but this year an unexpected element has been added to the look, and that is a burgeoning potbelly one might term the Ralph Kramden. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/fa...3POTBELLY.html
So early signs of future obesity is a trend now? Looks like when I was a chubby adolescent years ago I was really a trend setter. Too bad the chicks back then didn't see me for the stylish guy I apparently was.

Originally Posted by Epaulet

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4. Women absolutely love men in colorful woven shirts. If you ever have a first date, wear one of those. It works even with really boring girls.

Example(s)?

Man, people turned on varsity jackets pretty quickly Not to take it personally and get defensive, but since I am running the varsity group buy...

Originally Posted by LA Guy

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Varsity jackets (remember the 8-ball jacket?)
Indeed and I'm trying to avoid that pitfall. Also popular in the early 90s were the gap varsitys with denim sleeves.

Originally Posted by Teger

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they will be regrettable because most people who wear them look like they couldn't throw a baseball let alone make a varsity team. the TOJ one is nice (especially at the price point), but its just the next step in ironic asian americana.
Exactly whom are you referencing, Ben? And the ironic Asian Americana thing--it's not like every asian line is spitting out varsitys. I'm guessing your only source for this assertion is the fact that they sell on rakuten.

Originally Posted by Teger

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also LA Guy I have been bored enough to look at the early WAYWT threads and just.. damn
Post up a Tiegs fit pic from 2004, and we'll see what's up!

Originally Posted by Razele

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I don't get varsity jackets, but maybe because I'm Australian. TOJ was nice though. Are varsity's ment to be cheap? Is it like an rugby jersey? (We get our names on the back for high school graduation) Americana style stuff is at its coolest when you keep it simple. Go full on and you either look like your trying to win at cosplay or your a bear on the look for your next cub.
Thanks for confidently adding your 2 cents, then.

Originally Posted by shoreman1782

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Man, people turned on varsity jackets pretty quickly

Not to take it personally and get defensive, but since I am running the varsity group buy... Indeed and I'm trying to avoid that pitfall. Also popular in the early 90s were the gap varsitys with denim sleeves. Exactly whom are you referencing, Ben? And the ironic Asian Americana thing--it's not like every asian line is spitting out varsitys. I'm guessing your only source for this assertion is the fact that they sell on rakuten. Post up a Tiegs fit pic from 2004, and we'll see what's up! Thanks for confidently adding your 2 cents, then.
Uh my 2004 fit pic would blow your mind dude. Baggy gap chinos, baggy RL polo (big pony), nike dunks Dude the varsity thing started here because of Japanese companies starting to put them out, and it hit a lot of the designer/aspiring designer brands for this season - W+H, Balenciaga, APC (again, although they released a basic one last season). It's the new 'in' jacket, just like m65s were 3 years ago. It's in the exact same spirit as workwear, trying to capture an idea of a 1950s Americana ideal that never actually existed (which is ok), but honestly I think it looks WAY more inauthentic than any lumberjack gear ever will. I also think that most varsity jackets are incredibly poorly cut. It's ok on a cute girl, because it mines the same vein as the 'wearing my boyfriends shirt', but on a guy it just makes you look frumpy and old before your time. I'd be happy for you to prove me wrong once your Centralia buy comes in, but I doubt it, and in 6 months when the jackets are totally played out, people will be agreeing with me. I was considering buying a TOJ one, but then I realized that Varsity jackets have a time and a place: high school, and if you're not in high school, it just looks off.

I don't see anything wrong with a clean varsity jacket. The only reason one wouldn't last is because of obnoxious multi-coloring, huge fit and a gigantic 8 ball on the back. A nice fitting subtle designed jacket will never go out of style and it's not like they have chenille letters on them.

Originally Posted by stylesmurf

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Example(s)?

For the most part, my Shipley & Halmos Spring collection was a disaster. The fit was off, the pricing was too high, and the dudes weren't digging it.

Except this shirt below. Sold out in a little over a week. A lot of our customers shop as couples. Every time a guy tried it on, his parter (mostly girls, a few guys) would look at him and say "**** yeah." If it fit him, then he bought it every time. It wasn't cheap either - I think that the retail was around $170.



We also did great with madras shirts from a few brands. The bolder the colors, the better in every case.

Out of boredom this afternoon I turned to On Demand on cable and watched some Real World eps. Is this really how most guys that age dress these days?

Originally Posted by jet

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I don't see anything wrong with a clean varsity jacket. The only reason one wouldn't last is because of obnoxious multi-coloring, huge fit and a gigantic 8 ball on the back. A nice fitting subtle designed jacket will never go out of style and it's not like they have chenille letters on them.

This is my view. Yes, it's trendy at the moment but a clean, well fitting varsity will always look on point.

Originally Posted by Teger

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Uh my 2004 fit pic would blow your mind dude. Baggy gap chinos, baggy RL polo (big pony), nike dunks

Dude the varsity thing started here because of Japanese companies starting to put them out, and it hit a lot of the designer/aspiring designer brands for this season - W+H, Balenciaga, APC (again, although they released a basic one last season).

It's the new 'in' jacket, just like m65s were 3 years ago.

I was considering buying a TOJ one, but then I realized that Varsity jackets have a time and a place: high school, and if you're not in high school, it just looks off.

What japanese companies?? Yes, APC put out a cotton bomber that looked like a varsity--W+H has a bomber for fall that has varsity lines--balenciaga has a jacket that significantly reinterprets the varsity. None of those are jp companies, and none of them are cashing in on kodachrome fedora-lounge-like nostalgia (which, despite appearances, I find distasteful, too). I understand that the CKM buy didn't come from out of nowhere and is picking up on a trend, and I know you've been enjoying being the local iconoclast for a little while now (Nice collective isn't the pinnacle of awesome?! Tell me more!), but you seem bitter and dismissive of a trend before it's even really happened.

On the high school thing, I hear you--maybe b/c you're closer to being in high school than I am you're more sensitive to this. I also know that in actual HS I wouldn't have been caught dead in a varsity jacket, but hey, tastes change.

Originally Posted by shoreman1782

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What japanese companies?? Yes, APC put out a cotton bomber that looked like a varsity--W+H has a bomber for fall that has varsity lines--balenciaga has a jacket that significantly reinterprets the varsity. None of those are jp companies, and none of them are cashing in on kodachrome fedora-lounge-like nostalgia (which, despite appearances, I find distasteful, too). I understand that the CKM buy didn't come from out of nowhere and is picking up on a trend, and I know you've been enjoying being the local iconoclast for a little while now (Nice collective isn't the pinnacle of awesome?! Tell me more!), but you seem bitter and dismissive of a trend before it's even really happened. On the high school thing, I hear you--maybe b/c you're closer to being in high school than I am you're more sensitive to this. I also know that in actual HS I wouldn't have been caught dead in a varsity jacket, but hey, tastes change.
Honestly I think my distaste stems from two things: actually being a varsity high school baseball player recently, and passing on a varsity jacket (like most of my team) because it was expensive (oh how things have changed...) and dorky, leading me to find this whole 'not in high school yet trying to capture that ideal' bizarre, and the fact that I think in 6 months it'll be the new Urban Outfitters in look, and we'll get to see 500 variations wandering around Georgetown. And dude, considering the fact that nobody bought Nice Collective at retail for basically the entire time I work at Farinelli's, and every sales person I've talked to in any store that carries it has concurred that it has horrible sale numbers, I obviously am not alone in my dislike. It's one of those brands that people rave about when they see the look book, but never actually buy because it fit weirds, is terribly over designed, and, at its best, cribs from far better brands. I can hear a hundred people (and have heard that many on this board) talk about how each season is so amazing and it will make me a believer, but three months later it's at 75% at Barney's co-op and I'm still not buying it. If you like Nice Collective go to the Georgetown Co-Op, because there's about 30 pieces in full size run sitting on their discount racks. I get the military aesthetic with a grunge edge, I really do, but I'd rather try to hunt down Cloak on ebay then pay more $10 for any NiCo piece. I don't want to turn this thread into me ranting about NiCo, but until I actually see people purchasing or wearing the clothing, then I don't care how many people admire it from afar, because praise is empty unless you follow it up with your wallet. Honestly, this leads me to another random fashion thought: I think that there are maybe 10 brands on here that everyone always praises, yet nobody ever buys. If you compare threads like Recent Purchases and F/W Arrival/Reviews, you see a huge disconnect: for as much talk exists about something like .. WWM or NDG, very few people actually come through with a purchase, instead relying on safe fallbacks. I'm sure price point is one thing, but is not the whole picture. I'm definitely guilty of the same thing, but I'm trying to change it.

Originally Posted by Epaulet

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For the most part, my Shipley & Halmos Spring collection was a disaster. The fit was off, the pricing was too high, and the dudes weren't digging it.

Except this shirt below. Sold out in a little over a week. A lot of our customers shop as couples. Every time a guy tried it on, his parter (mostly girls, a few guys) would look at him and say "**** yeah." If it fit him, then he bought it every time. It wasn't cheap either - I think that the retail was around $170.

We also did great with madras shirts from a few brands. The bolder the colors, the better in every case.

That's a pretty major trend nowadays I think, the whole patterned shirts in really bold colors. I see it often, and I can't help but associate it with the Hypebeast whatever trend.

But I'm all for it, I love bold colors.

Originally Posted by Rye GB

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What the ****? Let's all jump on the pot belly band wagon. In truth this get-up was pretty much the unvarying male uniform last summer also, but this year an unexpected element has been added to the look, and that is a burgeoning potbelly one might term the Ralph Kramden. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/fa...3POTBELLY.html
this is why people hate hipsters

Originally Posted by Razele

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The three pitfalls that are easiest to fall into when your new are: A: Buy heaps of cheap garbage and not focus on investment B: Buy items that don't fit an overarching theme C: Chase hype Glad I waited awhile and focused on my basics first. Next year I can just pick up a few cool pieces here and there that work in my overall collection.
i'm gonna have to watch out for those...

Originally Posted by Epaulet

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For the most part, my Shipley & Halmos Spring collection was a disaster. The fit was off, the pricing was too high, and the dudes weren't digging it. Except this shirt below. Sold out in a little over a week. A lot of our customers shop as couples. Every time a guy tried it on, his parter (mostly girls, a few guys) would look at him and say "**** yeah." If it fit him, then he bought it every time. It wasn't cheap either - I think that the retail was around $170. We also did great with madras shirts from a few brands. The bolder the colors, the better in every case.
that is an awesome shirt i'd say the loud woven shirts and madras prints are pretty traditionally masculine though - i don't connect it with hypebeast at all.

Originally Posted by Nil

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This is my view. Yes, it's trendy at the moment but a clean, well fitting varsity will always look on point.
+1

Originally Posted by Teger

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And dude, considering the fact that nobody bought Nice Collective at retail for basically the entire time I work at Farinelli's, and every sales person I've talked to in any store that carries it has concurred that it has horrible sale numbers, I obviously am not alone in my dislike. It's one of those brands that people rave about when they see the look book, but never actually buy because it fit weirds, is terribly over designed, and, at its best, cribs from far better brands. I can hear a hundred people (and have heard that many on this board) talk about how each season is so amazing and it will make me a believer, but three months later it's at 75% at Barney's co-op and I'm still not buying it. If you like Nice Collective go to the Georgetown Co-Op, because there's about 30 pieces in full size run sitting on their discount racks. I get the military aesthetic with a grunge edge, I really do, but I'd rather try to hunt down Cloak on ebay then pay more $10 for any NiCo piece.
if only i wasn't poor

Until recently, men were under no particular obligation to exhibit bulging deltoids and shredded abdominals; that all changed, said David Zinczenko, the editor of Men’s Health, when women moved into the work force in numbers. “The only ripples Ralph Kramden” and successors like Mike Brady of “The Brady Bunch” had to demonstrate were in their billfolds, said Mr. Zinczenko, himself a dogged crusader in the battle of the muffin top. “But that traditional male role has changed.” As women have come to outnumber men in the workplace, it becomes more important than ever for guys to armor themselves, Mr. Zinczenko said, with the “complete package of financial and physical,” to billboard their abilities as survivors of the cultural and economic wilds.

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remember kids, whenever you read this line of logic, that it is completely and utterly false. I've never met a man who felt threatened because women were *gasp* working. what is this, the 1930s?