r/ThreadTalks

Kiko’s latest collection was inspired by the Italian sculptor and painter Agostino Bonalumi, whose work was important in the post war avant-garde movement. He was known for his “extroflexions” which gave the impression of form pushing out from behind the canvas, alluding to the shapes hidden underneath.

Kiko references these hidden geometric forms in this collection and I find it quite interesting. The collection has a very overt dystopian, retro-futuristic character, like something the characters in Dune would wear. Curious to see if the sentiment of these garments is a hint at future trends we will see more broadly in the fashion space. Some of you commented in my thread about where menswear is heading in the future and mentioned this retro futurism as a potentiality.

Link: https://akindofguise.com/blogs/collections/ss26-hariri

I’m curious where you guys see the menswear fashion meta heading in the coming decades.

Arguably the three main aesthetics popular in menswear right now (at least in urban coastal cities in the US, but I imagine there are similarities in other major cities worldwide) are Japanese Americana, Post-minimalism (my term for this slow fashion aesthetic heralded by brands such as Cottle, The Row, EK), and Neo Prep (essentially Ralph Lauren mixed with vintage).

Obviously each one of these aesthetics have been popular in part before, and inevitably will be again in different forms. But where do you think menswear and the larger fashion world are headed in the coming decades? Will it be further Popeye-ification and even slower and more esoteric clothing? Will we see a punk or streetwear resurgence? Curious to hear your thoughts and analysis.

hey what's up hello, I happened upon this subreddit last night and was inspired by u/slowfashconnoisseur's style reflections and wanted to share my own.

Background: I started getting intentional about how I dressed in 2014. I lurked r/malefashionadvice and posted occasionally on Styleforum. I was most active contributing on MFA from 2016 - 2022. Once most users migrated to Discord, my participation significantly dropped off because the new platform did not align with how I preferred to digest information or have discussions about clothes. That also coincided with some life events that helped me update my relationship to the consumption-side of this hobby.

Pics 1 -2 are from 2016 - 2019. It reflected my early interest in fashion anchored in Japanese designer brands like Kapital, Visvim, and Engineered Garments which I liked to complement with similarly striking designers like Craig Green. I gravitated towards loud pieces and bright colors. I participated a lot in WAYWT threads because this feeling of self-expression empowered me to share. However reflecting on this time, I was heavily rotating in and out new pieces to satiate my desire to find my personal style.

Pics 3 - 8 are from 2020 - 2022. This time marked a natural progression from the fashion exploration phase. I start to integrate more designers like Bode, Evan Kinori, and Needles while maintaining a core wardrobe comprising of Kapital. While this is happening, I begin to take motorcycling more seriously. I got my license in 2019 but the pandemic allowed me more time to get comfortable with it and meet more people to go on rides with. I also start designing my first couple of samples which did not have a clear vision or intention behind them.

Pics 9-14 are from 2023 to the present. I settled into a more uniform style of dress. I took my motorcycle on a long trip from LA to Wyoming and designed a kevlar denim set which would be worn everyday through different climates. My own samples are worn in most contexts, whether on and off the bike. My consumption of brand new clothes has largely grinded to a halt.

These takeaways came to mind when looking back at this journey:

• You cannot avoid style mistakes - they're necessary for your style evolution and personal growth.
• Being able to move unencumbered became a key deciding factor of what I wanted to wear.
• Sometimes, it's better to block out the noise (social media consumption, participation in fashion forums) to hone in on what style expression truly matters to you.
• Wear something you already have instead of buying a new thing that's similar to it.
• Going back to basics reflects how much you've synthesized and (in my opinion) reflects that you've settled into your personal style. For me, the simplicity of a utilitarian-minded outfit for my primary pastime of motorcycling bleeds informs how I put together my outfits off the bike.
• Designing clothes for my lifestyle resonated far greater than those designed with an aesthetic in mind. My early designs did not anchor into my own life, they came off as cheap copies of the designers I was inspired by.

Thanks for reading and looking forward to continued discussions and conversations on this subreddit.

u/SirKrimzon has been subtly encouraging me to post more so I thought I'd one about personal style over the years hoping that it might resonate with some of you.

In my 20s, I didn’t just wear denim. I kind of lived inside it: Raw denim, heavy ounces, boots that felt like they could survive a war, and usually some variation of a flannel shirt that I thought gave me “depth”. It’s not really an exaggeration to say raw denim became a personality trait. I was deep in it. Osaka 5, selvedge forums, fade charts, debates about stitch density. I was also, in hindsight, extremely annoying about it, couldn't have made it through a conversation without saying the word “texture” at least twice.

There was also a kind of quiet snobbery to it. If it wasn’t raw, it wasn’t worth talking about. If it was washed, it was already compromised. I remember genuinely judging people for wearing regular slim jeans from high street brands, while I was out here treating denim like it was a philosophy degree.

The irony is that I looked terrible. I was (and still am) quite top heavy, and my entire silhouette back then was basically: heavily tapered 20oz jeans, chunky leather boots, a shirt, a gilet, and then some heavy blazer thrown on top like I was assembling armour. The result was less “heritage workwear icon” and more “popsicle trying to dress like a menswear blog in 2012”. I never wore any Iron Heart which is probably the denim heads equivalent to “I never used heroin”. 

Then something shifted in my 30s. It wasn’t a dramatic break. More like a slow embarrassment that crept in every time I opened my wardrobe. My jeans got slimmer and slimmer by comparison to how I actually wanted to dress. Eventually I stopped wearing most of them. Not because I didn’t like denim anymore, but because it felt like looking at a former version of myself I didn’t quite recognise. Around the same time, I pivoted hard into wider fits, and then basically took a long detour away from denim altogether. Fatigues, some gorp, workwear trousers, sneakers, layering pieces that didn’t require a doctrine to wear. Engineered Garments ended up becoming a kind of backbone for my wardrobe, and I think that’s where the shift really becomes clear in hindsight.

It stopped being about “heritage” as a fixed idea. And became more about “post-heritage”, where references still exist, but they’re not treated like rules. You’re not trying to recreate something anymore. You’re just borrowing what works and ignoring the rest. Function over ideology, I suppose, but without losing the enjoyment of it. I really enjoyed fashion again, to an extent I haven’t in a long time before. When you’re breaking in a pair of jeans, there was zero creativity involved, the whole idea is that you wear the same things over and over. 

In that phase, my denim didn’t fit me anymore, physically or mentally. Some of the low-rise tapered jeans would simply look ridiculous on me now. The fades I had obsessed over suddenly felt like artefacts of a different life. Impressive, maybe, but not especially useful.

Then I hit my 40s. Third kid arrived a month ago and somehow denim became a thing for me again. Maybe denim reminded me of being younger or something else that triggered 

 It started with denim jackets, mostly because the ones I had bought 15 years ago still just about worked for my current wardrobe. I put one on again and realised it didn’t feel like cosplay the way my old jeans did.

But jeans were trickier. People always say denim goes with everything, but I actually don’t think that’s true in practice. At least not for me. The problem was never denim itself, it was silhouette. Once your proportions shift, everything you thought you knew about “classic” combinations stops working. A slim tapered jean with certain jackets (or in my case ALL my jackets) just looks off. I like chunky footwear so a slim leg opening doesn’t work. I also think that once you start to appreciate things like drape or things hang, heavy ounce denim looses its appeal. Two jeans that I really enjoy wearing are 102 from Studio d’Artisan and Big John’s XX003. 

What I found myself gravitating towards again was wider cuts, lighter weight. I also just wash jeans whenever they’re dirty and I will never ever freeze denim again. I am also going to France tonight and will not be wearing jeans telling everyone that it’s actually super breathable. A lot of the dogmas around denim, I have put to rest. I even bought a pair of pre-faded denim and you know what? I love it. 

In a strange way, it feels like a meeting point between the two versions of me: The younger one who cared too much about denim. And the older one who stopped caring entirely for a while. Now I’m somewhere in between. I still like denim, but not because of what it represents. More because of how it sits in an outfit when everything else is doing its job properly. Because as a material, it actually does go with so many things, but I literally had to hit my 40s to appreciate why denim has such an enduring allure.

Thanks for reading guys! 

A couple of photos of pieces I bought from Ven. Space & Ven. Archive when I was visiting recently from abroad. I've spent a loooot of time researching different brands, multi-product stores, looking for different niches. I think I've got a pretty good understanding of my style and the stores that cater to that.

However, coming to Ven. Space had me reflecting on the hyper-online space that menswear occupies, which is great, but it's also so easy. Everything at the click of a button. Look for Paraboot collaborations in X city and you'll find a well-known store. The offline, in-person space that Ven. Space occupies is exciting to me. I loved going in and not knowing what was going to be there, I just don't really get that feeling anymore so it was nice to feel it. Helps that the staff were lovely too.

Were I not in New York would I be frustrated it was in-person only? Probably. But I kinda like that -- makes the journey to the store, and the hunt, more rewarding.

Outfit 1: mfpen mail jacket, Graphpaper trousers, RM Williams

Outfit 2: Velva Sheen 2 pck tee, Graphpaper trousers, Tarvas Wanderers

Hey guys, I wanted to start a new series called “Runway Histories” (I am open to other names). Essentially, the purpose is to provide a brief overview of historically important designers, their tenures at various fashion houses, and important runway shows and how they impacted the global fashion industry. To launch this series, I wanted to discuss the legendary debut of Alessandro Michele for Gucci beginning with his F/W 2015 Menswear collection.

Michele was born in Rome and studied theatrical costume at the Accademia di Costume e di Moda (Academy of Costume and Fashion). He had a brief stint at Fendi designing accessories and afterwards, Tom Ford hired him to design handbags for Gucci. Eventually he climbed the corporate ladder and became Associate Creative Director under Frida Giannini.

Giannini left abruptly as a result of stagnating sales and restructuring of upper management which was heralded by the firing of the then CEO, Patrizio di Marco, whom Giannini was romantically involved with. Giannini maneuvered the brand from the hyper-sexualized Tom Ford era to one of understated, somber, and some would say stuffy, elegance. Her designs were more muted and wearable compared to Ford’s, but perhaps fatally so, as Guccis brand cache and revenue were crawling to a halt. Giannini’s termination could not have come at a worse time, as she was prepared to showcase her FW 15 collection in Milan in just 10 days. Michele was chosen to take her place, and through sheer will alongside a small creative group, birthed a brand new collection just 5 days before Milan Fashion Week.

Michele instantly breathed fresh life into Gucci with his eccentric, maximalist, and romantic design language. The collection was almost universally revered and he was named creative director of Gucci shortly after. He then launched the women’s wear collection two weeks later and eventually was tasked with global brand vision. He not only looked into the brand's archive for inspiration, he looked back into different centuries, cultures and tapped nostalgia for inspiration, though the Italian Renaissance is probably his strongest influence.

Under Michele’s leadership, Gucci’s international image transformed overnight and revenue followed suit. Alessandro was a big proponent of the concept of “assemblages” which essentially meant mixing cultural garment fragments from different eras together. He may combine 70s British tailoring with Byzantine jewelry and a Renaissance-era floral print in one look. His collection heralded the end of minimalism and ushered in a new era of flamboyance, androgyny and eccentricity that was missing in the fashion meta of the time. His parents were passionate connoisseurs of cinema and sculpture and you can sense how that has informed Michele’s story-telling over the years with different religious iconography, pop culture and historic references. He was maximalist in some ways like Galliano, but Michele’s references were more subtle, androgynous and wearable.

I like how Jansen Garside summarized the influence of Michele in his Youtube video on the subject (would recommend you watching when able. It’s where I got a lot of my info from). He said “His (Michele’s) essence can be recreated by anyone around the world with one trip to a vintage store”. Of course he does not mean re-creating the look to a T, but the idea of mixing and matching different genres of items and garments in a unique and not so serious manner. His collections were whimsical (take a look at his infamous “severed heads” looks in FW 18 that I’ve included) and made runway fashion fun and entertaining for gen X and millennials at the time who were beginning to feel the fatigue of the serious and stuffy looks of luxury fashion houses.

Also from a content creation side, you can see his impact today on the way so many brands do story telling. The hyper reliance on perfect air-brushed celebrity endorsements changed into these more eclectic, nuanced, and playful adverts. Take a look at any Golf Le Fleur advert and you can see what I mean (the “Wes-Andersonification” of fashion media if you will). Michele’s "Geek Chic" aesthetic I also believe is a force that led to more focus on eclecticism, the rise of vintage shopping and the “grandpa-core” aesthetic we are still seeing today, though someone can correct me if I’m wrong.

Imo, I was more impressed with Michele’s womenswear collection for F/W 2015 compared to the mens, but I think his work in the following years at Gucci is where he really hit his stride and he created some of his most iconic looks. I’ve tried to include some of his craziest looks especially some from my personal favorite, FW 18. The end of the album includes some fits of the man himself.

As always, I’m open to your feedback and let me know if you want me to continue this series. Anyone else obviously can do their own and I would love to see that. And if I made any mistakes, gross oversimplifications or obvious omissions, please let me know. I never formally studied fashion history. I am just an enthusiast trying to share things I find interesting amongst like-minded individuals. Cheers

Personally I loved the use of more full cuts in Purple Label (finally) and the use of boro fabrics in this collection. As always, Ralph sticks to his formula that works best but adds incremental changes over time. Still think his styling is the best in the industry. I’m also just a huge Ralph Stan so I’m biased. Curious on your thoughts. Part 2 will be on TF

This is mainly for my friends from /n/navyblazer but I did want to expose everyone to more classic menswear and Trad stuff. I don’t want this sub to be limited to only the prevailing Japanese Americana and post minimalist aesthetics that are so prevalent now. I think we all grow through exposure to new ideas.

Yasin Tarabia is a menswear enthusiast based out of Vienna. His tailoring in my humble opinion, is some of the best I’ve ever seen. Not only is the fit of his garments immaculate (classic full cut but not obscenely so like certain people whose name rhymes with ass lowkey), but the details are exceptional. From interesting yokes and cuffs on his jackets to interesting signet rings and watch chains, everything is polished to a T.

Classic menswear does not have to be boring. I always thought it was pretty restrictive, but as evidenced by Yasin, there’s actually quite a good bit of variety within it. And if you’re like me and mix it with different styles such as western and workwear, it’s quite a fun way to dress up without feeling too stuffy. I hope you guys enjoy.

Starting with the sashiko patch I put in my thrifted 13MWZ Wranglers, after spilling acid on them at work, I quickly became hooked on the possibilities mending clothes allows. Specifically, the center of the Venn Diagram between anti-consumerism, vintage clothing, and (in)visible mending.

The removal of the public's attention from material, quality, and construction of clothes has caused an ignorance towards clothing like we have never seen before. The hyperconsumerism starting in the 90s paired with the transition to cheaper and cheaper manufacturing processes has lead to the perfect storm of nearly unrepairable clothing produced and sold for cheaper than ever before. Why would someone take the time and resources to repair a $10 shirt from TJ Maxx when they can go get a brand new one?

The availability of hyper-cheap clothes has moved the public's attention away from "is this a good investment for me" to "I dont care how long it lasts, its only $10." Along with the removal of many standard home-ec courses in public schools due to slashed funding, and we have the perfect storm of a generation (my generation) who is all but forced to either spend the time and money to self-educate on the value of decent clothes and mending techniques or continually buy more and more cheap plastic clothing. Which one is the easier path?

Further example, I went to a $15 fill-a-bag thrift sale and found a pair of genuine 1950-60s wool Korean War army surplus pants. Very surprising seeing as the sale had been going on for hours and nearly everything was picked through. They were my size so I looked them over trying to find why the pants were still there. Surely there must have been a massive stain, huge hole or tear? No, the zipper was off its track and thats it. Took the pants home and within 10 minutes I had a perfect pair of 60 year old trousers again that I could wear on my honeymoon.

Spending the few hours it takes to learn how to handstitch or even better yet, dusting off that old sewing machine in your parent's closet, will take your style to the next level. Lived in, worn in, repaired and mended jeans look infinitely cooler than brand new, off the rack acid washed/stone washed jeans. The trope of 'Is that a stylishly clad old man' or is that just an old man wearing the same clothes for 15 years is a trope for a reason. Clothes are meant to be lived in and especially in this day and age where everything is marketed to you as authentic, real or genuine, the authenticity of wearing your clothes is unmistakable.

More importantly to me, is the removal of oneself from the Hedonic Treadmill that is the clothing industry. I realize I might be preaching to the choir in this sub but not only is buying and fixing secondhand clothes one way to customize your style, but its more ethical. There is enough clothes left on Earth to clothe everyone on the planet for years to come. That isnt to say that buying new clothes makes you a bad person, but thinking about the longevity and repairability of your clothes will shift your mindset to one that is more beneficial for the earth as a whole.