So Extro

Mens? Womens? Does it Matter?

2018-06-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

What's good, what's good. Yeah, ya boy's back - I swear this blog isn't dead (surprise surprise), I have a bunch of reasons why I haven't updated.
For a long while we were in a lull for runway shows - but with Paris, Milan and London men's fashion weeks coming up, I've got some content lined up.
I had planned on writing about past shows I liked, but we can save that for a rainy day.
Also, I did have a post drafted about Virgil Abloh's move to Louis Vuitton earlier this year, but I just couldn't write an entire article on Abloh without getting a headache. That Louis Vuitton show just reinforced the meme anyways, way to make a banger of a show with BADBADNOTGOOD playing ye, Kanye and co. in the front rows, and Kid Cudi as a model (lul), and still have a boring uninspired collection. Yikes.

Now back to the actual blog post. I've always been an advocate for blurring the line between men and women's fashion, buying women's jeans when men's skinny jeans weren't a thing yet, and baggy women's sweaters for the / / D R A P E / /. In the past years, that line has never been less clear. Plenty of designers are taking to genderless clothing, as well as exaggerated "masculine" or "feminine" silhouettes. Cropped jackets, skinny pants and heeled shoes have been en vogue in recent years for menswear, and while it's starting to cycle out, I can't see it completely exiting the youth fashion culture ever. At least I hope it doesn't, Hedi will never die. Or at least if he does, Amiri will carry on robbing his grave.

In 2016, Jaden Smith was the figurehead of Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2016 collection. The womenswear collection. Appearing in skirts, women's blouses and plenty of leather, Jaden made waves for the culture by completely rocking the looks. Although it kinda helps he has the legs for it, boy is built like a house on stilts.
Jaden then took the inevitable backlash from the public to heart, and fucking came back for the Fall/Winter 2017 collection, lul.

This shit isn't new either - in an interview with GQ in 2015, the Atlanta rapper Young Thug said his wardrobe was essentially all womenswear pieces. Which I think is fucking wild. Although, Young Thug is a fucking alien, so YMMV.

But clothes weren't always this accessible between genders. So I thought it would be cool to go through some iconic pieces that set the game for gendered garmz and ting to happen today.

The first stop in our tour would have to be style icon Coco Chanel. It seems pretty normal to see everyone wearing pants nowadays, trousers are a key part of any woman's wardrobe. But prior to Coco, no high-class woman would be caught dead in anything but skirts and dresses. Coco came at an opportune time, with post-war women having worn their husbands' pants to do factory work, and realising that pants are actually hot shit. Coco capitalised on this, creating womens trousers based on pants she borrowed from her boyfriend at the time, changing the course of women's fashion for decades to come.

Coco wasn't done with just the pants, though. She took the entire men's suit and flipped it, creating one of the most iconic silhouettes and pieces in fashion, ever, worn by famous fashionable women such as Aubrey Hepburn.

Talk about a fuckin' legacy - the little black dress, the Chanel shoulder bag, the tweed suit, the pearls, Chanel No. 5, the entire movement of women's pants - Coco Chanel did it all.

But enough about Coco Chanel - she wasn't the only one to touch a suit. It's time to talk about one of my favorite houses again, the house of Yves Saint Laurent. One of the most iconic original YSL pieces, the Le Smoking tuxedo, was designed as a "fuck you" to the unestablished rules of black tie, rejecting the dress for something that looked both masculine and feminine. Style icon Nan Kempner was even rejected from a high-class restaurant while wearing a Le Smoking tuxedo. She responded by ditching the pants, and walked right in wearing just the tuxedo blazer as a dress. Fuckin' power move, dude.

You can still see the Le Smoking re-iterated in later seasons, too. It's a classic silhouette for the history books, and it's also my desktop wallpaper, so of course it bangs.

Of course it bangs, it's my damn wallpaper.

But enough about menswear transitioning to womenswear, what about womenswear transitioning into menswear? Fear not, I've got some shit just for you boyyy.

Probably not surprisingly, there's been less movements in incorporating womenswear into men's fashion than in the reverse. However, we are at a turning point in time, where some women's silhouettes are being adopted into menswear pieces. I mean, just looking at this year, take a look at the Ann Demeulemeester show from a few days ago. What a great collection, featuring heavy use of lace, cropped jackets, long flowy shirts and pastel shades, Sebastien Meunier always rocks the house with these very traditionally feminine themes.

One piece that actually inspired me writing this article, again comes from the house of Saint Laurent. Featuring heavily in the Fall/Winter 2015 show, which is incidentally where I first came across them, the Saint Laurent French 85 boot is one of the wildest boots I've seen. The "85" part of the boot comes from the 85mm heel, like damn that's an actual heel and a half. It's a refreshing silhouette to see, and one I can only become more mainstream as time goes on.

@lukasabbat wearing his French 85 boots with a Haider Ackermann shirt

Another major style icon adopting women's pieces is of course, the enigmatic Kanye West. I remember watching his video with Jay-Z for "Niggas in Paris" in 1080p HD when I was but a young lad in 2012, and absolutely going fucking nuts at how hype the entire video was. The kaleidoscope effects and color blocking was mental to see, but that wasn't the only crazy part of the show. West showed up in a black oversized Givenchy rottweiler tee, and a leather pleated skirt, and actually killed it. Sure it's a strange silhouette, and not really one I would wear, but it looked damn cool. Damn where'd you learn how to wear skirts? Yeezy teach you?

The final stop in this little tour is from a show from last year. Specifically, Thom Browne's Spring/Summer 2018 runway show. The theme of it was to recreate that "genderless" clothing that we used to wear as infants and children, before we had these clothing cultures and patinas enforced on us. You can really see that theme come alive in the collection. In between the Thom Browne Special, the suit with shorts, you see men walking down the runway, wearing skirts and dresses, perfectly tailored, with perfect pleats and that clean detailing that Browne loves to show.

At first glance it's quite strange - they look normal, but somehow a little off.

Look 2 from the collection.

Like this second look from the show. It's a cohesive silhouette, and looks great, and it isn't until the second glance (at least for me it wasn't) that you notice the skirt.

I guess I'm done rambling now. From one of the first mavericks to introduce gender swapped clothing, Coco Chanel, to modern "hot takes" on what constituted gendered clothing, it's going to be interesting what trends and social barriers fashion will look at next. All in all, guys clothes and womens clothes are made from the same shit anyway, as long as you're having fun in what you're wearing who gives a fuck. If it looks fly then that's just a bonus right?

no thats wrong i need clothes that make me look like a manly man, where's that flat tire i needa change

Ethical Fashion in 2018 - An Open Discussion to Closing the Loop - Denim

2018-03-27T18:09:00.001-07:00

Swear to God this post isn't bought out, this is legit me. Although if any companies want to "sponsor" a post, I'm more than happy to discuss specifics ;)

Long story short, we're doing pretty poorly in terms of our ecological footprint in fashion. There's around 330 million people in the USA alone, and ideally each one of them should have a decent set of clothes. I dunno about you but that's gonna take a shit-ton amount of fabric. And in 2015, ya'll threw out more than 11 million tons of clothing.
It's not just you Yanks, though - in 2017, the average Australian bought 27 kgs of textiles, only to throw out 23 kgs. (Side note: that article is fucking hilarious, you can almost taste the millennial hate through the monitor).
The worst part is, this shit just ends up in landfills, most of which are out of our day-to-day, or to the ocean where it has massive environmental impact. In fact, there's so much junk in the sea, it's formed its own fucking island.

I get that a lot of us brokebois aren't exactly gonna have access to runway gear, and we have to make do with high-street derivatives to stay on-trend. Honestly I get you, I'm in the same damn boat lol. BUT, ya boy had to go cook up some HEAT to help you get your fits popping off without that green guilt on your backside. Let's talk shop.

The Fuck is up With Denim?

Denim jeans are a staple in everyone's wardrobe, you don't need anyone to tell you that. They were popularized by the Levi and Strauss Company in the late 19th century as a hard-wearing, durable "man's man" pair of trousers. Aaaand of course Americans back then were all about it (still), so they ate that shit up. Nowadays, entire aesthetics rely on jeans - Americana, workwear, greaser, punk, rocker, to name a few. That pair of selvedge indigo raws are killer pieces for your wardrobe - but they were developed in a time when people didn't realize their effects on the environment. They're killer for the environment, too.

The average pair of indigo jeans takes about 1,800 gallons of water just to grow the cotton to make them. That's just growing the cotton - including the dyeing and finishing processes, it takes nearly 10,000 gallons of water to get you that pair of skinny jeans from H&M. One pair.

I think that's pretty fucked up. I've not bought any new jeans since I read about them, and I'm urging you not to either. There's really only one way fast fashion companies will listen to the consumer, and it's through your wallet. I'm not saying to remove all denim in your life, but you can definitely lower your environmental footprint without sacrificing them sweet blue threads.

Levi's Water<Less

I dug into Levi's earlier for their shitty foresight, but realistically, if there's money to be made you know someone's gonna make a move for it, so fair play tbh.

Nowadays Levi's is genuinely a pretty good option. Their denim is durable, built to last, and they even advise you to donate your denims after you're done with them. I see Levi's in the thrifts pretty damn often, so people are definitely taking this to heart.

They're also doing some good with a new line of denim, called Water<Less. I'd be pretty much reading off the video, so you can go watch it in the link.

IMO, they're onto something here, using less water where they can, and making sure they're making green choices in every step of the production process. The end result: The same blue Levi's jeans you know and love, but with stronger threads, less water waste, completely recycleable, and a clean conscience for the environmentally minded buyer (you).

Thrift GANG

We're not done with Levi's here. Ethical jeans will definitely set you apart from your peers as the fashionably ethical well-dressed hot boy, but in the end you're still introducing new denim into the world. I'm not discrediting the above option; I think it's fuckin lit - but there's an even better way to save your dosh and still look banging: The TRENCHES, BOY.

A huge chunk of my wardrobe comes from the thrifts (I'll make a post about that soon), and it's definitely fair to say I go thrift shopping a LOT. There's always something I notice in the thrifts though - SO. MUCH. DENIM. Literally there's so many jeans at the thrifts, and so much of it is going to waste.

Thrift stores will get flooded with jeans, not be able to move enough of them, and they get discarded, sending all those production costs to the tip. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Closing Thoughts

Again, this shit is all my opinion. If you don't want to ditch your raws, then go ahead. I just know I am, and I'd encourage you to do the same.

I'm gonna try and turn this into a series of blog posts, so watch this space. I've got a lot more content to write about regarding ethical fashion, like fast fashion retailers, the thrifts in general, recycling programs, etc.

Stick around, I'll catch you up.

Saint Laurent Paris Spring/Summer 2018 Menswear - Second Pictorial - A Review, Analysis and Opinion

2018-03-18T23:13:00.001-07:00

Ain't Laurent without... Hedi?

View the online pictorial here.

Overall

The Parisian fashion house Saint Laurent recently launched the second part of their Spring/Summer Menswear Campaign a few days ago. Under the creative direction of Anthony Vaccarello, this marks 2 years since his debut at the house, taking the reins from fashion meme-lord and messiah of skinny jeans, Hedi Slimane.

The collection showcases a wide range of summer looks (duh), drawing a majority of inspiration from the Bohemian chic trend that flooded your Pinterest boards 3 years ago. Remember beaded bracelets, rolled linen and leather fringes? Because Vaccarello does.

The collection still sticks to the essential SLP aesthetic - pretty much formulaic at this point. But without the heroin-chic context behind it, it seems to fall flat in Vaccarello's rendition of the house's 2018 summer collection.

Expect to see:
- Polka dots
- Drainpipe skinny jeans
- Vertical stripes (Now, in 1 easy step anyone can be 6'5!)

To be fair, I'm digging into him a bit too much. Vaccarello has introduced some new items to the Saint Laurent arsenal; whether they're good or bad additions is another can of worms.
For example, Saint Lauren't entry to the w i d e b o i aesthetic comes in the form of pleated wide trousers with a sash detailing - looking like it was born from a Craig Green fever dream.

And peep the distinct lack of Wyatt boots in the collection - deliberately not including the piece that defined Hedi-era Saint Laurent. It seems Vaccarello is instead pushing some boho shoe choices, like leather strapped sandals, as well as another rendition of the Saint Laurent Court Classic - a truly \\ m i n i m a l \\ sneaker. Now, the last thing you want in your Saint Laurent shoe is your foot fungus, but as it turns out - okay I'll stop. In all honesty, this footwear choice is actually kinda tight, I dig gladiator sandals - but in the wake of Demna's chunky shoe revolution, I doubt these sandals are gonna make waves. People seem to only be going bigger and bigger (sigh).

Looks I Liked

There are some quintessential Saint Laurent looks here, very reminiscent of Hedi-era SLP. For example, Look 35 is very "safe" in terms of what we expect to see from the brand. A white denim jacket, a textured top underneath it, and skinny black pants. A formulaic look for sure, but it's still something I like to see.

Look 22 is my favorite though, for sure. Taking a page from Ann D, Vaccarello has introduced a sort of belted shirt, with a fabric belt wrapping around the back of it. I'm a sucker for fabric detailing, and this one is a refreshing change of pace from the clean white shirts seen in every season.

Look 22

Look 35

My Personal (PERSONAL) Opinion

Overall, I can't say I hate the clothes. It's very Saint Laurent, and I fucks with that. But it's just that. It's JUST Saint Laurent - this shit was new in 2015, it's not new in 2018. Years ago I would have said that Sandro seemed like Saint Laurent but with a lighter color palette, but this collection I would describe as the opposite. Without the rocker story behind it, the clothes have lost its context. The house has become a derivative of itself - you could slap a fat ZARA logo over this collection and I wouldn't have noticed.

Vaccarello, I gotta say your menswear has disappointed me. For someone who's put out such a killer womenswear show, your menswear show is just lacking. Stop with the Hedi derivatives, stop with the boho aesthetic, and carve out a real story for Vaccarello's Saint Laurent.

Again, I'm not gonna rank this shit since fuck that, but I will say this:

#CELINEBOYS2018 FUCK WHAT THEY SAY HEDIBOYS ARE BACK

Raf Simons Fall/Winter 2018 - An Analysis, Review, and Opinion

2018-02-13T00:12:00.001-08:00

I suppose I should follow up on my last post and actually write an analysis of a runway show, and what better to talk about than the Raf Simons Fall/Winter 2018 Collection.

The Show

This collection, dubbed "Youth in Motion", shown in New York's Fashion Week: Men showcased Simons' commentary about the youth drug culture in Europe during the 70s. A key source of inspiration behind his collection was the film Christiane. F, a film that followed the titular Christiane, through the drug scene of Berlin, and it is directly referenced in graphic printed tees with Christiane's profile on them.

The theme, appropriately, was a feast complete with piles and banquets of fruits, wine, cheeses and meats that guests were encouraged to eat, Simons' interpretation of the reckless abandon of the current rave and drug culture - a sort of hedonistic orgy that would slowly deteriorate the runway over the course of the show.
Colors also played a part in reflecting the drug culture, with lots of vibrant saturated pastel colors referencing the bright playful colors of pills. This can be seen in Simons' deconstructed hoodies, and on the leather full-arm length gloves on his models.

Key Pieces

There were several showings in the show that would drive the season's offerings. The first and most heavily shown was the dickey, the turtleneck/bib type top that would be shown on the majority of looks in the show. The deconstructed sweater, a trademark of Simons', could be worn in different ways, as a bib, a scarf, and worn sideways as in look 29, shown below.

The counterpart of this sweater was the deconstructed hoodie, with "DRUGS" screenprinted across the chest, shoving the theme in your face with loud colors.

Another big part of the collection was satin, which was used in trousers and coat linings, as in look 1, as well as on shirts. Earlier on in the year, Raf Simons also used satin heavily for his first show taking over Calvin Klein, in satin re-imagings of Western clothes.

Looks I liked

Look 1 essentially sums up the entire collection, a strong showing of outerwear with satin lining, with Simons' deconstructed knitwear, slim satin trousers and white leather boots. Very tonal, very well put together.

Look 15 showcased the other side of his show; emphasizing a dark but playful atmosphere, and drapey knits.

Look 40 was cool, it was a very cohesive tonal outfit that I could see on the shelves of high end boutiques.

My PERSONAL Opinion:

Honestly, I'm not a great fan of this collection. Thematically, it was very interesting but that's all I can really say about it. Raf has used great sources of inspiration for his show, and it does seem very cohesive, but the show almost seemed more important than the clothes themselves, and the feast seemed like a gimmick to get people to pay attention to Raf Simons in 2018.

Simons' sweaters have always been polarizing. Raf has showcased deconstructed sweaters before, with asymmetric sleeves, cropping, distressing, and a piece that has undoubtedly captured the attention of hypebeasts everywhere, the now-iconic oversized "I Love New York" sweater, with parabolic sleeves and a slight crop to the body. I'm a fan of oversized knitwear, I'm not a fan of Simons' oversized knitwear. This season's bib would be another addition to my list of Raf sweaters that I don't particularly like, and I'm not looking forward to high-street derivatives of it. It's the next generation of side-zips, and honestly we can leave that shit behind in 2015.

The tailoring in the collection was very nice. It seemed like a more toned-down version of the boxy tailoring that has flooded runways since Demna drove it to popularity at Balenciaga. The unstructured 3-button blazers were very interesting, and the outerwear was very well done, at the expense of losing its "Raf-ness".

I'm not gonna give a rating out of 10, because fuck that, you make your own judgements. All I can say to close this review off is,

don't worry A$AP Rocky, I'm not gonna touch your Raf.

You can view the collection here.

Hell, if you don't like my review you can look at some other reviews, from Vogue,Hypebeast, and WWD.