Fashion Thread

This is the thread to talk about all things fashion. We'll talk about such things as the

• History of clothes, accessories, and styles
• Types of fabric and their different uses.
• Styles and types of clothes, shoes, and accessories, for every occasion, usage, weather, and taste.
• Sociological, economic, political implications of all things fashion and clothing.
• Fitting, and all the little subtleties thereof.
• On a related note, tailors and how they can help you improve your wardrobe and make it look nicer on you.
• Brands and their histories
• Current and classic trents
• High fashion, sorry, haute couture and its bizarre and amazing world
• Whether bowties, fezzes, or Stetsons are actually cool.

To start off, how about we talk about Jeans.

Here's a couple of pretty damn detailed articles:

• Blue Jeans: An Introduction to Denim
• Your Grandpa’s Jeans: A Primer on Raw and Selvedge Denim

And here's a vid with tips on how to choose jeans:

A tumblr on everything Jean.

The Other Wiki, including an interesting little bit on Jeans in the USSR.

The Denim Industry polluting rivers in China.

Now, I'm a dude, so the fashion blogs I frequent will usually focus on men's fashion. But this thread is about all fashion, and I know for a fact that women's fashion is a fascinating world of its own, that I'd love to learn more about.

On an unrelated note, Russian Fashion! Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia: Top 5 newcomers. Also, an article on the national exceptionalism of Russian fashion.

I think we've got enough material to guide the thread's line, and to get the yarn ball rolling, so, ladies and gentlemen, let's get to it!

edited 22nd Apr '15 1:58:28 PM by TheHandle

This...

This isn't gonna die before being born, is it?

Why would it? Who doesn't have something to say about clothes and hair and po(i)se?

Quiksilver Now Has A Wetsuit That Looks Like A Real Suit For Your New Amphibious Lifestyle. This was hilarious to watch, and it's even funnier that Quicksilver's True Wetsuit might actually be useful in the more chaotic sufferings of Australian Weather.

I found this cool video about hand-crafted shoes in England. Truly a joy to watch these skilled hands and precise machines making excellent footwear together:

Huh, so the Mercedes Benz fashion week is a worldwide thing? Funny. I did not know that.

According to The Other Wiki

Their website has galleries for the old events, which is awesome.

Speaking of fashion and Mercedes, what about cars' dimension as a fashion accessory? I don't just mean "status symbol", I mean the way in which cars can complement one's aesthetics and presentation, regardless of price or age. I'm a big fan of Mercedes myself; they tend to have an air of robust reliability about them that's tempered with a minimalistic elegance and a great focus on comfort, both kinesthetic and auditory. They're basically portable living rooms.

A cursory search turns up a Fashion, Cars, and Lifestyle blog, but I think it's too focused on show-off, in-your-face luxury and too little on aesthetic purity.

A much more interesting result is this website about automobile design, which really goes deeply into the detail of car aesthetics, with titles such as Speaking the Buick language: capturing, understanding, and exploring brand identity with shape grammars or Japanese Aesthetics in Design. Some are articles, some are presentations, and some are academic papers. I'm definitely adding that to my to-read list.

Cars as fashion accessories: The last time I saw someone discuss that, they reckoned that it would draw attention to your lack of... endowment or get you a date with the Cock-O-Meter.

Fashion accessories based on cars and car culture are somewhat better, although I'm not so sure about the Veyron watch.

Again, that's if you're unsubtle and over-the-top about it. Proper fashion, as far as I'm concerned, is about choosing things that fit you well, feel comfortable, are easy on the eyes, and express your personality honestly (or, at least, the best aspects thereof). It's not about trying to draw attention to yourself with absurdityoriginality or gaudinesspizzaz. Think well-tailored suit, not one of these.

The clothes we see on fashion shows are artistic statements, not things you're supposed to actually wear, unless you expressly exist to show them off, like models do, or drawing attention to yourself is an essential part of your job, like with public enteratiners.

edited 28th Apr '15 12:17:28 AM by TheHandle

what the hell is the point of fake pockets/shallow pockets?

I think they were devised by US Marine Corps staff NCOs.

I've been looking through Acronym's catalog thanks to Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, and while their prices are astronomical for the most part, the idea a jacket that can be packed into a small stow pocket is pretty interesting.

So I found this silly but very pertinent thing:

Does anyone know a practical, useful, sensible fashion magazine that lets you feel okay in your own skin?

Also, why is it that when people working in the fashion industry are portrayed in fiction, this kind of insanity is pretty much ignored? It seems like such a wasted chance for analysis and debate...

DIRNELLI’S TEN COMMANDMENTS OF THE POCKET SQUARE. A fun little summary of what to do seek and what to avoid when purchasing and using pocket squares. The bit that amused me the most was:

"A G-Sring! I'LL WEAR IT! NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW!"

I also really love the blue blazers in all those pictures, especially the double-breasted navy one near the bottom.

John Oliver did a very interesting segment on fashion. Specifically, on ready-to-wear, affordable clothing, and the hidden human costs thereof.

Saves fabric and money, especially if the maker doesn't expect you to need them; women in particular tend to be expected to carry stuff in a purse, and their clothes are designed accordingly.

Frankly, I'd prefer they skip them entirely or make proper, sturdy pockets that don't cause your clothes to get deformed over time from simply carrying a wallet, and that won't randomly open from the bottom and spill coins or keys down your leg, or what have you.

edited 6th May '15 3:57:40 AM by TheHandle

edited 6th May '15 3:57:30 AM by TheHandle

I'll add to that with pockets that aren't so tight as to abrade or crush items in your pockets. I have to go find a new wallet courtesy of that, and I'm not sure if my phone case can actually hack it.

Oh damn these are some nice... everythings!

@ Handle: Check out The Devil Wears Prada. Both the movie and the book.

On car fashion, could someone throw out more examples? There are several car designs with interesting aesthetics worth discussing. I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of Mercedes-Benz, to be honest.

Bugatti. Often forgotten... until you get lucky and see one in the flesh. Modern or classic, take your pick.

I like the cheese shaver/door wedge look of 90s Japanese sports cars like the NSX and the MR2.

edited 7th May '15 6:26:50 AM by Aprilla

Too "flashy" and "roadster" to my taste; looks like a batmobile. Same for the Rolls Royce, which is also way too square. Aston Martin is a tad too sporty. BMW strike an acceptable balance between sporty and classy. Jaguar are nice. Mercedes...

Actually, all of these brands have been having some very annoying trends as of late, in terms of how aggressive-yet-smooth their lines have become. It's all about curves that go downwards, a vaguely menacing appearance.

Compare

• this◊ to this◊
• this◊ to this◊
• this to this

They just strike me as trying too hard for the "I'm so modern and edgy" thing. They look less like cars than toys or gadgets.

Always was a fan of those, outdoing the likes of Ferrari and costing less? Sign me up!

I think that has more to do with aerodynamics (for fuel efficiency) and pedestrian safety regulations resulting in a convergence of sorts in car design.

As to car fashion, nothing screams 80s like a Testarossa:

Although for stuff you can actually wear, Blipshift is probably the place to go. The cost of shipping means I can only window shop, though.

So I found this hilarious little thing: One Normal Woman Spoofs 10 Fashion Ads

Also, ten current fashions in the wearing of suits and the like. I'm betting the Tenth Doctor introduced (or popularized?) the "wearing a suit with sneakers" one.

Sockless feet in dress shoes, however, have been fashionable for a very long time, I think. Or maybe it's a thing that comes and goes?

I'm not very fond of wearing shorts with suit jackets... it just comes off as unbalanced, I find. Having tried it, though, I can definitely speak for the comfort and freshness of it. But aesthetically I think it just doesn't click.

What do you guys think? What trends look like they're here to stay, and which are fads and future photographic embarrassments?

Melissa McCarthy’s All-Sizes Fashion Line Is Actually Built for All-Sizes specifically size 4 to size 28.

That's very sm-oh, those are US siz—wait that's huge!

But yeah, I love the concept! Pockets! Sleeves! Comfort!

I would wear skirts so much more often if there were more nice ones with decent pockets.