Jun
09
Authentic Yet Modern | Watch Me Dress
In retail, there is this movement in menswear for authenticity and storied tradition. Guys are falling in love with items, whether they be watches or denim jeans, that have a story behind the construction or an interesting conception tale about the company producing them. That’s why “Made in Brooklyn” is a cool thing about David Hart ties. That’s why selvedge and tartan are so interesting and immensely cool. Perhaps, it is just a natural translation of the vintage Rolex collector, or the old school car buff. For us men, it once was about vintage restored, but as of late, it’s about the vintage freshly re-imagined and new.
I guess to some extent, it’s sad man needs to be invested in an idea to love fashion, but then again, men move slower than women and thus don’t churn through the “newness” of the fashion cycle as quickly as their counter-gender. My inspiration for this outfit was the idea of “something borrowed.” I spend a lot of money I don’t have on clothes that make me smile, but let’s face it, I’m young and broke and can’t afford to have many of the pieces I want. I refuse to buy and return, and thus, I have organically grown inspiration in the struggle to cultivate stylish ideas with limited resources. I dressed that up a bit; I know most of us are probably pretty similar in the “wallet/purse” area.
My outfit is a modern interpretation of different eras of dress. I always think of the old-fashioned paperboy or the suiting of the 1930s when braces and vests enter my head. That’s why I decided to don the vest. I find it fun to layer on ideas though, so I went ahead and supported my trousers with skinny braces as well. Traditionally, the braces would be quite thicker, but this is modernity at its best. Chambray invites elements of workwear, which is quintessential to the authenticity of the idea.
Of course, green trousers, or colorful trousers in any case, wouldn’t be the traditional garb…but remember, we are re-creating, re-telling a story through our eyes. The wool tie is a vintage buy with its own battle scars to match (holes). Last summer, I used to wear a folded pocket square in my back pocket. It was my way of dabbing blotches of color into my summer wardrobe since it was so hot I usually only wore a v-neck and shorts/jeans. This time around, I’m kind of just stuffing the pocket squares into my back pocket like a mechanic would stuff an oily rag while greeting the next customer. I have to wear a suit most days, so it’s my disheveled rebellion – love it or hate it. I think it’s just another way to mix it up or spice it up rather. Feel free to toss a pocket square into the vest pocket as well. That’s all folks, until next time…
Credits
Wool herringbone vest by J.Crew, Chambray button collar shirt by Tommy Hilfiger, Trousers by Uniqlo, Braces by Topman, Vintage wool tie from Quality Mending Co., Shrunken silver tie clip by Fine and Dandy Shop, Chocolate tonal watch by Brera Orologi, Cap-toe soft leather brogues by Bally, Cross pattern denim pocket square by The Hill-side (via J.Crew)
Please note all photos used in this post were taken by Justin Bridges of Tucked LLC. For inquiries, product submissions, or to send press kits, please contact us at [email protected].
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Justin Bridges of Tucked LLC
