Where do you get your casual clothes?

Originally Posted by Metlin

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There wouldn't be a point to it, of course, except pure entertainment for the rest of us!

Entertainment is 99% of the reason I'm here these days. Remember that comment that was profound in it's profundity ... or was it the other way around. Oh well, it matters not. Even so, I do occasionally try to make a genuine contribution.

Originally Posted by RSS

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No need to imagine ... Doe Bay is all that one need say.
+1 Ever been to the Doe Bay music festival? I haven't, but it has had a good lineup the past couple of years! Great place.

Originally Posted by RSS

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Entertainment is 99% of the reason I'm here these days. Remember that comment that was profound in it's profundity ... or was it the other way around. Oh well, it matters not. Even so, I do occasionally try to make a genuine contribution.

Making us feel like miserable small-timers in the no purchase club thread?

Originally Posted by Metlin

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You missed the point of my post completely. It's SW&D as a whole that's creepy, not individual posters or their predispositions, and the signal to noise ratio on that forum.

Most of the ones that seem decent all seem to be folks who also happen to post on MC.



Here's the deal - the ones who post on MC mostly belong to a certain demographic that's different than the ones that post on SW&D. Nothing wrong with either, but the point remains that there's precious little in common between the two, except for a handful of posters who can straddle the two.

There's a fine line of difference here in that most posters on MC could probably pull off casual, but choose not to. There's a key point that you seem to have missed, a la confirmation bias if you will. These are folks who find reasons to wear a jacket and a tie, do you really see them "wanting" to dress down?

While I'll admit that there's a bit of sartorial dishonesty at play here (i.e. people who seem to wear conservative business dress entirely because of their own volition, and not because their job/lifestyle demands it), it is still important to consider that folks who are looking for casual wear on MC will probably not want to wear anything particularly casual, at least not the kind that SW&D espouses (either because they do not want to, as exemplified by the intellectual dishonesty, or because of genuine personal or professional reasons).

Either way, you complaining about men who yearn for times when morning coats were the norm do not want to dress down the way people in SW&D do is simply disingenuous at best. Formal and dressed up clothing is the raison d'sartre of MC's existence.


You make valid points.

I do think there is a certain place for the "MCer on the weekend" who posts in SW&D. Phat Guido used to do it a lot, Man of Kent does it quite a lot and looks good, NOBD even posts his more casual fits over there and they get plenty of love.

I think it would be great if there could be more crosstalk. I think it would be advantageous to both the forum as a whole, and the individual posters. There's stuff you can learn over there that people just don't pick up on over here, and vice versa.

There is good inspiration in both MC and SW forums. Both have their extremes that are mocked by the other: Ridiculous skinny jeans, stupid hi-tops and the world-naive rebel hipster aethsetic, or 1950's middle-aged out-of-shape thrift store Allen Edmonds costume party.

However, in between is just a bunch of guys who want to dress nice and are interested in fashion. Don't hate and find casual looks in both places.

Originally Posted by Ace_Face

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I'm with the OP, it is hard to find casual clothes that aren't too dressy and don't make you look like you are going to play golf.


My "casual" clothing does not look like I am playing golf. It has on a few occasions, however, elicited "young republican" jokes.

Originally Posted by acecow

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Making us feel like miserable small-timers in the no purchase club thread?

Hey, I'm with you there in all sincerity. I had not one clothing purchase during the month of June. I'd have made it for May too except I was traveling and forgot my hat ... but we are talking minimal purchase.

I may have to opt out in July as I'm running low on a staple (khaki trousers), but them I'm back in.

Originally Posted by SirGrotius

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If you like JCrew and BR, you'd like Band of Outsiders...
Mmmm...yeah. I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree, mmkay? Yeah... If you want really, really tight versions of mall brand clothing, you can always just have yours tailored for hundreds less. You're just paying more the tingly feeling of ordering from a boutique brand (read: brands that can't afford massive advertising, who pass the costs on to you), not any jump in quality over something like JCrew. Hell, even the mall stuff's catching up. With practically everyone now offering 'custom', 'slim', or 'tailored' fits, even the Oh, I do it for the fit and the styling! arguments begin to crumble... P.S. Why do all the ****** internet brands hijack the names of New Wave films?

Originally Posted by lenahan

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My "casual" clothing does not look like I am playing golf. It has on a few occasions, however, elicited "young republican" jokes.

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Originally Posted by lenahan

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My "casual" clothing does not look like I am playing golf. It has on a few occasions, however, elicited "young republican" jokes.
I'm sure I've told this story before, but what the heck.

I once got onto an elevator in which Senator Lloyd Bentsen was riding. I said hello, but he didn't speak in return. As I departed the elevator I turned and said, "Don't worry, I just look like a Republican." He laughed so hard I was afraid he was choking. It was shortly thereafter that I heard he died. Months fellows ... not minutes.

--

Metlin, I think there are a couple of CE participants in that clip. I shall not name names.

I like casual clothing that strikes a balance between fashion and history, while upholding decent standards for materials and construction. In different ways, this holds true for the European take on American casual from Our Legacy and APC; the updated North Americana/workwear of Engineered Garments and Wings + Horns; and the Japanese reproductions of Flat Head and Iron Heart. There are a few fashion designers who base some of their designs on American clothing, like Adam Kimmel and Junya Watanabe. Some longtime brands have always been the best at what they do and haven't gotten obsessed with branding, like John Smedley and some of the Scottish knitwear companies in the UK, as well as a few US companies like Crescent Down Works.

I'm not a fan of companies who just copy the above firms with lower standards (J. Crew, The Gap). I also think there's a relatively close correspondence between reliance on logos and departures from quality, such as with the casual stuff from Ralph Lifshitz and from Claudio del Vecchio's American arm.

Originally Posted by Metlin

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Y


There's a fine line of difference here in that most posters on MC could probably pull off casual, but choose not to. There's a key point that you seem to have missed, a la confirmation bias if you will. These are folks who find reasons to wear a jacket and a tie, do you really see them "wanting" to dress down?

While I'll admit that there's a bit of sartorial dishonesty at play here (i.e. people who seem to wear conservative business dress entirely because of their own volition, and not because their job/lifestyle demands it), it is still important to consider that folks who are looking for casual wear on MC will probably not want to wear anything particularly casual, at least not the kind that SW&D espouses (either because they do not want to, as exemplified by the intellectual dishonesty, or because of genuine personal or professional reasons).

Either way, you complaining about men who yearn for times when morning coats were the norm do not want to dress down the way people in SW&D do is simply disingenuous at best. Formal and dressed up clothing is the raison d'sartre of MC's existence.

I agree that casual clothing is a world apart from this forum (MC), but I strongly disagree with the point "most posters on MC could probably pull off casual" whether they choose to or not. Many MCers look comically bad when they wear jeans.

And I think that says something about whether they are good at dressing. I think Despos has said that a man's wardrobe should be measured on whether it includes items for every occasion. If you are younger than 60, then you better be able to dress casually, or you're not a great dresser (or, at best, walking around like Tom Wolfe in his cream suit at frat parties).

Wearing casual clothes well requires a different sartorial language (even if it shares some of the same vocabulary, such as some common ground on fit, materials and construction). If you choose not to speak that language, don't fool yourself into thinking that you're as well-dressed as someone who tries at both tailored and casual clothing. I put Berlin Report and mellow fellow in the same rarefied level of dressing as anyone on MC.

Each forum is different, but for me, valuable. I'm more of an MC person, as my knowledge finds more engagement here. How many own, know the history of, and used their opera hat? My taste in general is more situated here (suits, cufflinks, overcoats, khakis, blazers/jackets, polos, loafers, oxfords, topsiders).

Both MC and SW&D give the wearer social capital in varying degrees. Exclusive reliance on my MC wardrobe would ingratiate me with one group and indict me as stuffy with the other. (Well, I'm a stuffy "old man" 21 year old anyway and my social circles know it). So, I adapt. I'll blend my best pieces from both. A classic hoodie, straight leg jeans (slightly fitted/tailored), loafers/moccasins, and an OCBD is neither stuffy nor too "urban/hipster/god damned hippy!" If I want to cut down on prep, I wear oxfords/derbies instead of loafers.

If you guys think MC is comical, this has nothing on Ask Andy. A lot of wannabe's circle-jerking over lapel width and pointillisms that became antiquated in the 1920's. The trad forum is even worse. The crown jewel is the Lord Pretender, Earl Ormonde, leader of the Anglophile lemmings. The worst "sin" I've seen is the over-excitement towards thrift shop Allen-Edmonds/Aldens. I mean Christ....I find the concept of another's shoes...wierd.

Surprised by all the elitist posturing in this thread.

Why pretend like there's a huge disparity in sophistication between MC and SW&D? If you'd spent 5 minutes glancing at the SW&D WAYWT, you'd see that the best posters dress quite conservatively.

Whether you're willing to admit it, the best posters in SW&D aren't teen hipsters, and in fact, probably live in the same neighborhoods and work in the same industries or offices as many of you. So it's embarrassing to pretend that you all are above them, and rather than adopt style tips, remain content in wearing your mall-brand chinos and polos on the weekend. I'm not as enthusiastic about MC as I am about streetwear, but that doesn't mean I have nothing to learn from MC.

Big fan of the ivy prep style so i frequent blogs and try to get an understanding of the better brands that fit that style.I always fall back to Rugby Ralph Lauren for most things, great fit, good price, student discounts, RL quality is top notch under Black Label and better than Outlet Polo quality.

They offer different types of casual as well, jeans, shorts etc.. but also if you're in preppy moods, sport coats, green chinos, etc...

Next best thing? RRL (Jeans especially) , though usually priced higher than everything else.

I used to frequent Polo RL for most, but recently started diverging primarily to Rugby for the better slim fitting everything.

Wish I had more input but I grew too accustomed to RL and simply find it too nerve wrecking to part with his style and brands.