DAPPER KID - a men's fashion and dress blog

A Yohji Army + ShowStudio Live Panel

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 16:00:00 +0000

Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme

Spring/Summer 2021

Photographed by Takay

"Soldiers uniforms for a Yohji army fighting the current world in crises. Global warming, social movements, sanitary emergencies, animal protection. Yohji Yamamoto express his feelings in his own poetic way. Eyes printed on clothes as witnesses of what is happening today in our world and also looking into the future."

What is the role of fashion in the midst of a global pandemic, ongoing social and political crises, and a widespread feeling of uncertainty in the world? I think that social, cultural and political contexts are always important when looking at fashion shows and fashion trends throughout history. Fashion does not operate within a vacuum, for it is designed to be of the moment, and thus entirely anchored to our lived experience and understanding of the present. However, fashion seeks to operate outside of any linear notion of time, existing forever in the present moment and thus ultimately seeking to fly in the face of death (a personal favourite read is Giacomo Leopardi's Dialogue Between Fashion And Death, written in 1824). However, every so often we are faced with events on a global scale that impact us all in some form or another, to the point that it seems as if every designer is ostensibly forced to respond.

In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic the Paris menswear shows for the Spring/Summer 2021 season have been digital, with designers opting for fashion film in the place of live runway shows. The impact of the pandemic has forced a radical rethink in how we approach fashion shows and collections this season, with many fashion houses saying in the earlier days of the pandemic that they would be cutting down the number of shows per year, and some considering the transition to season-less releases.

It has been interesting to see how quickly designers have embraced digital content, given that it is something I believe ought to have happened long before the pandemic. Fashion has been consumed digitally for a long time now, and so it seems well overdue for fashion houses to focus more on digital content as an avenue for creative expression and promotion. Most people, myself included, consume the majority of their fashion content online or in print, through fashion show images, video campaigns, magazine editorials, and posts on social media. This is certainly nothing new, for once fashion was disseminated through fashion dolls and fashion plates. You do not have to look far for evidence of fashion designed primarily for social media, with an emphasis on photographic value rather than creative design.

Fashion is at its core about the relationship between body and fabric, and few designers understand this better than Yohji. People often talk of his work being cerebral, and while I agree that is the case for the observer, I think it is important to note that it is ultimately a kinaesthetic experience for the wearer. You have to wear the clothes and move around in them for the full experience, because that sensory feedback informs the way you come to understand his work. It is a psychosomatic connection, because the sensory experience is where the psychological feeling of armour derives from in his work. I believe that it is that liminal space between your biological skin and your social skin (the clothing) which provides you a breathing space, both physically and mentally. The flow and drape of the fabric is soft and almost sensuous, and yet that coverage and softness is what for me provides a psychological strength by way of comfort.

For his Spring/Summer 2021 collection Yohji proposed uniforms for those fighting through the "new" normal we find ourselves in now. But there was a quiet optimism there that was truly poetic. These were not the bruised and stitched men of his Autumn/Winter 2015 collection, although some sported eye patches, but rather determined and resilient, even as the designer himself wore a coat with the word "Fragile" stitched on the back. I think there is always a strength in the vulnerability that Yohji shows in his men, because it is not about bravado or machismo, but what I personally feel like is an honest emotional expression from him at the time (with some seasons being more melancholic than nostalgic). Indeed he says he does not like talking too much about his clothing, because he puts all the emotion in the clothing for you to see and feel when wearing. The collection was half the size of his usual collections, which is still no mean feat during a pandemic, and I actually thought it was one of this strongest in a while now.

Army uniforms and archetypal masculine uniforms feature heavily in Yohji's work, but they are always reframed in such a way as to make them suitable for the vagabond or rebellious man that he so loves. Here using linens, cottons and light wool, the clothing was soft in its drape and flowed poetically in movement. Seams that looked upon first glance to be torn were instead buttoned, showing men who had been through a lot but still held their composure. And then there was the running eye motif with those beautiful eye buttons that appeared throughout. The eyes were witnessing the world, and so we come to think of Yohji witnessing the world as he created this collection and wondering how to respond. But once the clothing is worn and out there in the wild, it witnesses an as of yet un-imagined future, for who knows what is to come (this year has already had so many surprises!).

I do often think of that phrase, "to bear witness", for it appears so much in legal and religious texts. To witness is to give, or at least confirm, truth, and yet in modernity and post-modernity truth is uncertain. So one proposes truths, and that is what I think of when I think of Yohji - a designer proposing ideas for those who witness the world in a similar fashion to himself. If his clothing is armour, the eyes keep a watchful lookout as the world constantly changes around us and we seek to re-establish our place within it. Yes, the videography and photography by Takay is dark, the music, at times sung by Yohji himself, is moody, and yet there is always hope to be found. The show continues and we are all thankfully here to witness it.

I was also incredibly fortunate to be able to discuss Yohji's work on the ShowStudio live panel for the show with the amazing Dal Chodha and Rachel Tashjian. Please do check it out on their website, or embedded below!

xxxx

Masks and The New Normal

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 07:00:00 +0000

A selection of sewn masks alongside a disposable mask

Some Liberty print masks and filters

When did wearing face masks become a political issue instead of a public health issue? I find it curious that the two countries with some of the worst recorded fatalities from COVID-19 worldwide, America and Britain, are also the two counties where the wearing of masks (or face "coverings" as the British government would prefer them to be called) is such a contentious issue. To be clear I believe that the high number of deaths in both countries has to do with poor government response, however I do think that the widespread adoption of face masks would be helpful. It is a practical step that the vast majority of us can take in order to help reduce the spread of the virus. Obviously a small minority are unable to wear masks for health or age reasons, however I do believe that it is incumbent on those of us who are able to, to do so, so that we may help protect the most vulnerable in society. If wearing a mask reduces the risk of transmission by even a small percentage, then I think that it should be encouraged. Besides, if nothing else, they are useful in ensuring that you do not touch your face as often when you are outside because there is a physical barrier to your nose and mouth.

I go for daily walks, and where I currently am in South London I am lucky to see one person out of every thirty wearing a face mask. Even on buses, where it is now ostensibly mandatory to wear a face covering of some kind, you still see a number of people without. I really do find this frustrating given the number of family friends who have passed away from the virus thus far. The government has said on many occasions that it will rely on "the common sense of the British public" rather than creating actual laws or enforcing guidelines. It does rather confirm my belief that nobody in government has ever met members of the public. I therefore believe that with everything opening up again we have to make sure that as individuals we are being responsible, because the government is clearly not helping as much as they could. But regardless of what a government does or does not do, life hopefully goes on for the majority, and so it is a matter of adjusting and making sure that we carry on in the healthiest way possible, both mentally and physically.

There has been a lot of talk of "the new normal", which I find an interesting phrase. To my mind each and every one of us has our own idea and experience of normal. Ideally we should seek to adjust to the present moment and to things as they are right now, rather than as we wish they were. People spoke at the beginning of quarantine season of their lives being "on hold", but the truth is that life goes on, the conditions simply change. You have to learn to adapt, and the quicker you are able to adapt, the easier it is for you in the long run mentally. It is the reason why children are more resilient than adults in certain instances, because they do not always have the life experience to compare a bad situation or event to and understand that it is out of the ordinary, so they accept it as it is and try to adapt accordingly. The quicker you are able to accept things as they are and figure out how to operate within those conditions, the easier it is to keep going. It is one of the reasons that I think that normalizing face masks is so important, because the sooner we come to realize that coronavirus is not going away anytime soon, the easier it becomes for us to adapt and carry on rather than having our lives on pause.

I hope you do not think I am trivializing the issue, but I honestly believe that the sooner masks become just another clothing accessory that you throw on before you go out, the better it would be for us. I think that if it can become an everyday mundane behaviour to wear a mask in crowded places, or see people wearing masks when out and about, then the easier it becomes for us all to re-adjust to "the new normal". I am not saying that masks should be compulsory for everyone at all times, but rather than it would be nice to see wearing masks as a normalized behaviour, especially during Winter when cold and flu season arrives, because it would be useful for public health in general. It has been a common behaviour in Asia for years now to wear masks to prevent droplets from spreading when coughing or sneezing, and I think that is a really considerate societal attitude to have, because it does help protect those most at risk. I am actually looking beyond the current pandemic, however think that this a good opportunity to create a future where we have a plethora of mask options just as we do for glasses or gloves or shoes.

You can already buy masks in a number of stores from supermarkets to clothing shops, and I am happy to see that there is choice available at different price points. Nobody should be priced out of owning a mask and I do think it is important for free masks to be offered in certain situations to ensure that everybody is able to wear one when required. I think we are still in the early days of mask production and mask wearing, and the market has a long way to go before reaching maturity. The higher the demand, the more choice there will be, the better the pattern cutting will get, which means the easier it will be to find masks that fit you well and that are functional. One of the innovations I am interested in is the idea of a transparent mask that does not fog up, which is useful for lip readers, but would also mean that we are able to see more facial expressions, making interactions easier with others. I think in particular that when sports brands get involved that we will see truly innovative design and features. Reebok have, for example, shared concept designs for transparent exercise masks that feature technology such as heart rate monitors and breathing sensors, which I think gives us a fascinating glimpse into a potential post-corona future.

Once you have the ability to choose different fabrics, different patterns, different colours, and match your mask to your outfit, the sooner masks stop being something scary and daunting. Rather than a fearful prophylactic they become an optional accessory. Wearing a mask then becomes a normalized behaviour and a normal sight on the street. My hope is that it would allow for us to become a more considerate society, wherein we come to see wearing masks as a polite thing to do, especially during cold and flu seasons. Even when the pandemic is long gone and our memory of 2020 feels utterly surreal, I would like for wearing a mask not to be seen as unusual, but rather a socially responsible behaviour, particularly when feeling unwell. And, to be flippant for a moment - imagine all the new styling possibilities.

xxxx

Quarantine Vibes

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Fri, 15 May 2020 06:00:00 +0000

GQ Magazine

(June/July 2020)

Robert Pattinson shot by Robert Pattinson

By now I am sure that many of you have already seen the cover and accompanying editorial for the June/July 2020 edition of GQ Magazine. They were shot by Robert Pattinson while at home during the ongoing quarantine season. This might be the first time I have considered buying an issue of GQ Magazine, simply for the fact that I love this shoot. I have to admit that I know very little about Robert Pattinson - I remember seeing him in Harry Potter, and then his funny French accent in The King, which was also the first time I ever saw Timothée Chalamet in anything. For some reason I thought Chalamet spoke with a French accent in real life. I was suspicious of how good his English accent was in the film, because he sounded like an American doing an English accent, and it turns out that he is indeed American. My knowledge of celebrity these days is quite poor to say the least.

Anyhow, I think that this editorial works so much better than the umpteenth "Facetime" photoshoot that I have seen recently. The difference an actual camera that you can move around makes (not to mention the image quality), compared to a phone that you have to keep propped up or a laptop that you have to keep on a level surface, is night and day. I am not saying that you cannot get good results with a phone or tablet, but the Facetime shoots have all looked rather similar in execution to me, with static framing and no real sense of dynamism. They seem almost sterile in a way. This shoot in comparison manages to draw me in and capture some of the chaotic energy of the interview itself. Plus anyone who manages to get a can of Heinz beans and a bottle of HP sauce into a GQ photograph is cool in my books.

I like the fact that this is not simply a series of full body poses in front of the camera. I hope they do not try to overdo this style of editorial, but I love the concept of this issue. Hopefully I can order a print copy for myself, because there really is a vast difference for me between experiencing images on a screen and holding a physical magazine in your hands. I am still not the type to read magazines on an iPad, and do not enjoy reading long articles on my phone, because my eyes tend to hurt after a while. I have actually been on the lookout for a new fashion magazine to subscribe to, or at least some that I can buy on a semi-regular basis, because I miss the editorials. If anyone has recommendations feel free to hit me up!

xxxx

Crep Check: Quarantine Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Tue, 05 May 2020 07:00:00 +0000

I have seen a number of articles and shopping guides covering house shoes lately, and maybe it is just me, but the idea of spending a ton on a pair of high fashion slippers seems a bit redundant right now. If you have the money, then by all means ball out, but I thought I would share a few comparatively more affordable options that I have personally worn over the years. Admittedly these are all more expensive than your standard flip flop or fabric slipper, but I like footwear that will last as long as possible and I believe you are getting your money's worth with all of these. If you happen to be the type of person wearing their outdoor shoes around the house right now...feel free to check out the rest of the blog, this might not be for you. But for those who are interested in some comfortable and functional options, here we go!

To be clear, my personal preference is for footwear that is easy to slip on and off, is hard-wearing, provides a relatively decent amount of support, and, if possible, is easy to clean. I grew up in a household where we removed our shoes at the front door and wore slippers around the house. We did not walk around barefoot or in socks alone, so the ability to slip them on and off quickly when trying to curl up on the sofa is important to me. I do not personally wear slippers in my bedroom - it is a strictly footwear-free zone - but that is up to your own preference (unless you one of those people who wears or puts shoes on the bed, in which case, hopefully the pandemic has been teaching you better hygiene practices). These are just some of my choices, but please do go with what works for you - whether it be leather slippers, fuzzy teddy bear slippers, room socks or moccasins.

Adidas Adilette Slides

Not sure when slides and socks became such a big thing, but they are what I wore throughout childhood, so apparently I was fresh as a kid and did not even realise it. Slides are a pretty no nonsense option - as the name suggests you can simply slide them on, they wash easily, and you can go as basic or creative as you like. I actually like the fluffy pink or purple ones that you can get from the likes of the Fenty x Puma collaboration, but that does not really fit into my wardrobe (and I am not sure they actually make my size), so my preferred pair is the black Adilette. The Nike Benassi is another popular option, but it is does not hold its structure, and so ends up looking lopsided and worn out rather quickly. I like the fact that these have at least some attempt at a molded footbed, and I do find them comfortable to wear around the house, although I would not personally wear them outside.

Birkenstock Amsterdam Vegan

These are fully vegan Birkenstocks with a synthetic felt upper and a microfiber footbed lining. They have a clean indoor slipper design, with a gently curved tongue which I prefer to the elongated tongue on the otherwise visually similar (non-vegan) Davos model. Cosy and comfortable. These are clearly not designed with long walks in mind given the lack of any way to adjust the fit of the upper, however the EVA sole mean that these will last a long time. I do like the fact that so many footwear manufacturers offer vegan options these days, as it provides the consumer with greater choice (although not all of them are necessarily better for the environment, it really does depend on the materials used).

Birkenstock Arizona EVA

One of the more practical Birkenstock designs out there, because it is made entirely from EVA, making it hard-wearing, lightweight and easy to clean (the material is technically waterproof, although obviously the design means that in practice it is anything but). While it may not have the same feel underfoot as the cork latex footbed of the regular Birkenstocks, these still feel comfortable and supportive. The straps are also practical for getting a good fit and they feel secure when walking. I have worn these outside before for short trips in a pinch, and they are perfectly serviceable, although for that I would prefer the Bostons.

Birkenstock Boston Leather

The classic Birkenstock clog, I absolutely love these. The cork latex footbed is comfortable, and these really do mold well to your feet. I find them incredibly hard-wearing, with the EVA sole and the leather upper. The leather is thick, but does not feel uncomfortable, even when fresh out of the box. The strap offers the chance for an adjusted fit, and even I can find a good fit (I have large but thin feet). Pair these with chunky socks during colder months, or wear them barefoot in Summer, and they really do work for every season. They do a "soft" footbed option that I have never tried before, but I am curious about. These work well if you want something you can wear outdoors too, although I have tended to use them as gardening shoes rather than as proper outdoor footwear.

Birkenstock Boston Wool Felt

Same as above, but in a wool felt material, which is far more pliable and cosy. The felt stays in good condition for a surprisingly long time, although it is more difficult to clean than the leather clogs, which you can simply wipe with a wet cloth. I do like these for wearing around the house though because they are super snuggly.

Crocs Classic Clog

Love them or hate them, there is no denying that Crocs are massively comfortable. They have also enjoyed a bit of a fashionable moment the past few seasons with designer collaborations and all manner of charms that you can plug into those vent holes. The heel strap can be swung forward when you want a simple clog, or used to secure the heel when you mean business. Seriously, if you have never tried a pair on before, try them out, you will be amazed. Imagine the first time you tried on a pair of Ultraboost, but in clog form.

Crocs Specialist Vent

These are actually my preferred Crocs, because I find them far more practical. These are designed for working environments, and I do seem to find them less fatiguing on the feet when wearing them all day (that might just be in my head, but hey, placebos work). I prefer the closed upper because it means that they are more practical in the kitchen or garden in case of spills, although they do have vents on the side for air flow. These just look a little more refined than the standard Croc...well, not exactly refined, but a bit less like shoes designed for toddlers. I have worn these to hospital before and seen a number of nurses wearing the same ones, and if it is good enough for them running around for hours on end saving lives, then they suit me perfectly fine.

I should probably add at this point that while I have chosen black and grey models, these all come in a variety of colours, so feel free to find a colorway that suits your tastes!

xxxx

Dress For Yourself

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Y-3

Spring/Summer 2019

I took a step back from the blog for a while to focus on my mental health. Then a global pandemic came along, which means that most of the world is now focusing on their mental health. Somehow it feels like the perfect time for me to get back into blogging. I hope you are all safe, your loved ones are healthy, and that you are staying at home. Please do not take any unnecessary risks and please do make sure that you are checking up on vulnerable neighbours and family members, because now is a time for us to come together (albeit not physically) and make sure that nobody suffers unnecessarily. Make sure to follow whatever guidance is in place local to you. But also, can I just say that you do not have to be particularly productive or hardworking right now - go easy on yourself and do whatever you need to do in order to cope, you're doing amazing no matter what.

Many of us are currently working from home (shout out to all the essential workers still going in for work, it would be impossible for us to thank you enough, however hopefully the pressure builds for you to at least receive higher salaries moving forward), but for most it is likely their first time working or studying from home for any extended period of time. Now this understandably comes with its own set of obstacles and challenges, whether it be figuring out how to work undisturbed in a home full of other people, or figuring out how to use Zoom while making sure your microphone is on mute when you are not talking, or just hoping that the WiFi is playing ball and learning where all the signal dead spots in your home are. On the other hand, a lot of people are not currently working or studying, and so have to figure out how to keep themselves occupied at home during quarantine season. You can use the time to catch up on television shows, books, music, video games, workout routines - whatever it is that you find easy and enjoyable to concentrate on.

Given the focus of this blog it is perhaps unsurprising that what I am interested in is how people are choosing to dress. As someone who has battled with agoraphobia and anxiety for years, and is therefore no stranger to social distancing and staying at home, my personal experience has been that the way you choose to dress on a daily basis can absolutely help or hinder your mood and sense of self. To be clear: wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and secure right now. You do not have to dress up, you do not have to dress down, you do not have wear any clothes at all if you feel more comfortable walking around your home nude (just make sure not to flash your neighbours). Dress in a way that makes you feel confident, because that is what is important right now. Dress is a social practice, but right now most of us are not socialising past video calls, so you truly do have the opportunity to dress just for yourself.

Comfort has always been one of the most important considerations for my wardrobe - physical comfort, psychological comfort, and clothes that help me feel like I am prepared and can take on whatever I am doing that day. My quarantine wardrobe is not particularly different to my regular wardrobe, because I tend to spend so much time at home anyway. The only major difference is that my shoes are looking rather lonely, as I wear Birkenstocks and Crocs around the house. Because my physical health has not been the best this past year, I was already working on making my wardrobe comfortable and cosy - my plan over Winter had been to buy enough fleece to turn myself into a human teddy bear. It did not quite plan out like that, but I do have enough soft fabrics to keep myself feeling cosy at home. Tactility has always played a huge role in my dressing process, just because I tend to focus equally between how clothes feel on my body and how they look on my body.

Right now I am prioritising fluidity of movement in my clothes, because I tend to curl up at home. I might sit cross legged on the chair at my desk, or I might squat on the floor while reading, but generally I end up with my limbs stretched or folded or wrapped around each other, so clothing that is too restrictive is obviously not ideal. Softer fabrics go hand in hand with this, whether it be a plush cotton corduroy, a thick cotton jersey, or just a crisp lightweight poplin cotton that glides gently over the skin and feels airy to wear as the warmer weather approaches. The cut of the garments also has to allow for as full a range of movement as possible, because I do not like feeling restricted, past my preference for a secure waist (I enjoy a belted high waist, which I actually attribute to the fact that I have Crohn's disease, and so feeling like my stomach is physically supported is nice for me psychologically).

Anyhow I decided to post the Spring/Summer 2019 collection from Y-3 because the brand really has been hitting the mark for me the past few years. I make no secret about the fact that Yohji Yamamoto is my favourite designer, and while I could happily wear nothing but Pour Homme if my income allowed, there is something to be said for the practicality of Y-3 (not to mention the comparatively more affordable pricing...ok, the interesting stuff is still not that affordable, but let's ignore the branded basics). Sportswear is comfortable and practical, but I prefer something a touch more elegant than your standard tracksuit, which Yohji always provides with Y-3. The collection was focused around the idea of lightness and freedom of movement, which is obviously appealing to me right now. The result was a thoroughly "Yohji" collection, with cuts and silhouettes that Adidas would likely never have attempted themselves. Swap the sneakers out for some Crocs and I would happily rock any of these looks at home right now.

xxxx

Creating Fashion Objects: Sneaker Collaborations

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 08:00:00 +0000

Nike Air Fear of God

Spring/Summer 2019

i-D Magazine Editorial

Photographer: Sasha Samsonova

Models: Teyana Taylor & Gilda Ambrosio

I dismissed Jerry Lorenzo's work for the longest time thanks to the adoption of the Fear of God aesthetic into the fuccboi uniform a few years ago. Speaking of which: what is the fuccboi uniform these days, and is there even a defined singular aesthetic anymore? I suppose there are multiple avenues, what with eboys, those TikTok kids, and the Instagram streetwear look with the oversize sweatshirt, white polo shirt buttoned up, exposed necklace, cropped trousers and chunky sneakers (which literally reminds me of British school kids, so it is unfortunately a rather infantile aesthetic to my mind). Anyhow, back to Jerry Lorenzo - his Nike collaboration came along and the sneakers forced me to pay attention. From the Air Fear of God 1s, to his reinterpretation of the Air Raid, I really do enjoy the risk he took in creating entirely new models. Lorenzo used his own Fear of God lasts in order to provide the sneakers a sleeker toebox and that rather recognisable profile. The sole with the small exposed air unit that features heavily across multiple models was also a nice change to the floating window or more contemporary Air Max units where parts (if not all) of the midsole are essentially formed of giant air bubbles.

As mentioned in the past I also loved Lorenzo's take on the existing Skylon II model, which was released as a "Recrafted" model. He employed felt and mesh on the exterior true to the original, albeit with a patent swoosh, while the interior was lined in a buttery soft leather for a touch of hidden luxury. I actually ended up buying a pair for my own wardrobe, which goes to show how much I liked them because in the past year I have won raffles for Yeezys, Off White Nikes, Sacai Nikes, and Undercover Nikes, and flipped all of them. I really am grateful for the insane resale prices because they helped me buy more fashion books and pay for my cat's vet bills. There is also the fact that I admittedly have weird taste when it comes to footwear, but as long as I can get the sneakers I like for under retail I take that as a definite win.

I really am fascinated by the sneakers that emerge from designer collaborations, because I believe that sneakers are the closest thing we have to democratization in fashion. Everybody wears sneakers, from toddlers to CEOs of billion dollar businesses, and you can find them being worn in just about every single country on Earth. They are now a mass cultural object, and whereas footwear in general has historically been a highly gendered object, sneakers have slowly begun to mend that divide. To be sure there are still a number of lazy women's only releases that are just pink colorways, but the fact that more women's sneakers are being released in extended size runs means that those with larger feet can actually take part. Sneakers make up the largest segment of the footwear market worldwide, which I always find amusing given that there is infinitely more academic writing on high heels than sneakers, although thankfully that is changing. In light of this I find designer collaborations so intriguing because they deftly mark the passage of how a cultural object is transformed into a fashion object.

Whether it is Rick Owens with his Adidas Springblades (I still want to try a pair of those on and bounce around), Karl Lagerfeld's luxurious take on the Reebok Insta Pump Fury for Chanel's Spring/Summer 2001 collection, or more recently Chitose Abe and Virgil Abloh's respective Nike collaborations, and Kiko Kostadinov's original models with Asics, there is a wealth of interesting design. Admittedly there are also some shoes that you can probably skip. Raf Simons did an amazing job with the Adidas Ozweego, but how anyone spends money on his overpriced Stan Smiths puzzles me, because they are just ordinary Stan Smiths with an "R" formed of perforations along the sides. I am also not entirely sold on any of the Stella McCartney Adidas sneakers either, although the performance clothing is nice. Jun Takahashi (the designer of Undercover) also creates really nice performance clothing with his Gyakusou line in collaboration with Nike, which provides some of the coolest running gear around.

When speaking of collaborations between fashion and sports brands, the gold standard for me will always be Yohji Yamamoto's work with Adidas. Y-3 was formed in 2001 and in the years since has undeniably changed sneaker culture, opening up the space for the vast number of designer collaborations we see today. More than that, Y-3 is actually how I was first introduced to Yohji. I was around sixteen years old and I came across some Y-3 sneakers, which had the name Yohji Yamamoto printed down the side of them. I looked the name up online and found not only the Y-3 catwalk collections, but also his mainline labels. That was the exact moment where my awareness of Fashion began. It was the first time that fashion clicked for me and became something I aspired to wear. I have been fascinated by clothing for as long as I can remember, but that was when my interests went from dress to fashion.

I also believe that sneaker collaborations provide designers with a truly unique opportunity, if only because of the research budget and technology available to sports brands such as Nike and Adidas. They pump millions of dollars into research and development to create some of the most cutting edge wearable technology around. I remember when Nike's Flyknit first came out, with its featherweight yarn upper that utilised computational design, and being amazed at the technology. It took four years of research and experimentation to produce the first Flyknit sneaker. Nike's Vapormax model took seven years, and the mold for the sole unit is composed of over 39,000 components, which would have been entirely unthinkable just a few years ago. And then there is the Vaporfly Next%, which was worn by Eliud Kipchoge recently to break the sub two-hour marathon for the first time in history, which absolutely blew my mind. Over at Adidas you have the Futurecraft 4D with its 3D-printed sole made using liquid polymer, that took years of research and molecular science to design and create. Their efforts in creating fully recyclable sneakers, alongside their Parley collaboration, which recycles waste ocean plastics to produce sneakers with no discernible negative when it comes to performance or comfort, is also fantastic to see.

While there are designers such as Iris Van Herpen achieving truly remarkable technological feats in fashion, the majority of fashion brands are understandably unable to compete with the research and development of the major sports brands (not that they have to, because it is two entirely different fields). I really do feel that it must be a fascinating experience for designers to have the chance to employ such advanced technology, which the majority of wearers do not even think twice about, in order to create new products that usually end up having a broader consumer base by virtue of the size of the sports brands. The future of fashion and footwear technology really does excite me, and both come into play with sneaker collaborations (and performance clothing collaborations). We are living in the future and I can't wait to see what comes next.

xxxx

OG Fashion Blogging: Performance of Self

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 07:00:00 +0000

At the risk of sounding a little jaded, I miss the old days of fashion blogging. I miss the sense of community and I miss reading what everyone thought about different collections. I miss people sharing what they were wearing just to share it, and writing about what they had chosen to wear that day. Before the days of stylized Instagram outfit posts...we had stylized blogging outfit posts. But before that we had mirror photographs and janky self-timer shoots (for both blogs and fashion forums). So I thought I would take it right the way back and indulge in the side of blogging that I really have missed these past few years. What follows is a series of everyday outfits that I have worn recently, with a little commentary on each. I did not dress up specially for these, I did not try to style weird and wonderful fashion looks, I just captured what I happened to be wearing each day. I thought it would be nice to document things as they currently stand and just catch up on sharing my daily style here on the blog. You getting to know me while I am getting to know my self I suppose. I chose my bedroom mirror rather than a self-timer because I like the idea of fashion blogs as a virtual bedroom. A safe public-private space where the blogger gets to explore and share the performance of self, manifest through the materiality of their clothing. The mirror feels like a gateway into this world, paralleled by the black mirror of the computer or phone screen through which the reader engages with the blog. Plus this was a lot easier and quicker than setting up my tripod.

Sleeves rolled up. Ankle socks. Must be Summer weather in London. Has anybody else noticed how Summer seems to get later and later each year? I remember being pretty much fully wrapped up and covered come the back-to-school season as a kid. But nowadays, the sun is out and it is pleasantly warm until well into October time. I lost quite a lot of weight over the Summer, so have been feeling a little insecure about my arms, hence the long sleeves. Although to be fair, it has been a number of years since I left the house in short sleeves, but I am working on that...well, not right now given that the colder weather is coming, but watch this space. And yes, I do wear white from time to time, although I usually only wear it layered underneath black, so this was a pretty bold look in my books (which probably goes to show how much black has become "safety" black for me).

The trousers are from this past Spring/Summer Uniqlo U drop - they are made from a medium weight shirting cotton, and have a really nice flow to them. I tapered the ankle roll a little, because otherwise they look a touch too wide for my slender ankles. I did however size up on them to get the baggier fit that I wanted. I wish they were longer in the leg, but the Uniqlo U trousers all seem to be cropped, so bear that in mind when the new season stuff drops next week. The shoes are classic German army trainers, which I managed to get fresh from Germany (thankfully before whatever Mad Max/Hunger Games situation descends on Britain once Brexit gets rolling). I might write a post on them in the near future, because it has been a number of years since I last owned a pair, so it was a nostalgia-fueled experience for me ordering them once again.

Untucked shirt looks a little sloppy here, but it is what it is. The shirt is an oxford cloth button down from Supreme, because apparently I am an undercover hypebeast. I like the way this shirt fits, but unfortunately they seem to change the cut ever so slightly from season to season. Couple this with the fact that you can only ever buy one size and one colour per season, and it does make it rather a frustrating experience. I wish Ann Demeulemeester did some heavier weight oxford cloth shirts year round, because the fit of their shirts is still my gold standard. I wish I could say Yohji or Comme, but being tall and slender means that the sleeves never fit as I would like, and so either I get a shirt that fits well in the body but looks like it has three quarter length sleeves, or I end up with something majorly baggy and oversized (which can be cool, but given the small size of my wardrobe, I prefer a more versatile fit).

The sweater is a merino silk blend from Muji, which, as you would imagine, has a slightly silkier and smooth feel than your bog standard merino, making it comfortable to move around in. I believe I bought it around six years ago, which is a testament to Muji quality considering the great condition that it is still in. The trousers are from Folk, and are sold as a "relaxed" fit, although I would beg to differ. They are a really soft cotton that feels nice against your legs. Given how often my weight seems to fluctuate, elasticated trousers are something of cheat code - I always feel secure in them. The Dr Martens are in fact waiting to be donated, because I do not wear them anymore, but it was raining and they kept my feet dry...but not my ankles, so those Missoni socks ended up wet. Oh, and the stone in my ring and the stones of my bracelet do indeed match, which is not something I would usually go for, but I wear them for protection (as weird as I am sure that sounds).

Fresh out of hospital and feeling tender? Feels like hoodie szn to me homie. I love this hoodie so much that I bought two of them. If you are expecting something rare or expensive, look elsewhere - it is an IND4000 heavyweight hoodie from Independent Trading Company. I bought it from one of those online commercial printing companies as a blank "sample". I suppose I could always get it printed or embroidered if I wanted at some point, but I think a giant photograph of my cat...ok, I was about to type "is not the best idea ever", but midway though typing that sentence I came to a different conclusion. I could wear it in the house and follow Yohji around with a banner reading "Best cat ever", and cheer every time he did something cute. Not the most practical garment though, so I am probably better off with the plain ones I already own. I know a lot of people seem to prefer the Champion reverse weaves these days, but I find those quite coarse and stiff. This has a nice fleecy interior that holds up well to repeated washing, and I really enjoy the shape of the hood. I went true to size, and it is like wearing a hug. I have only started wearing hoodies again within the last few years, because for the longest while I felt uncomfortable in them, which is weird because now I absolutely love how secure they make me feel. I have not figured out why I was previously so uncomfortable wearing them, but it is something that I do think about. Oh, and my socks have metallic gold thread in them so they shimmer quite a bit, which makes me smile.

More shimmery socks! This time gold chevrons. I might wear black most of the time, but I enjoy colourful accessories - hence my sock collection and the fact that I always carry a different Liberty print handkerchief in my pocket each day. The t-shirt is a waffle cotton top from Sunspel that I picked up on sale last year. The waffle knit makes this stretchier than your normal t-shirt and the cotton is super soft, so it feels great on skin. As might already be obvious by this point in the post, I really like soft fabrics and things that feel comfortable against the skin, especially when moving around. I enjoy sensory stimulation when dressing, because even though dressing is obviously also a visual process, for me the foundation is always the way it makes me feel. I previously spent an entire year getting dressed without using a mirror just to focus in on how the clothes made me feel.

Keeping the cosy theme going, I wore an ultra light down vest from Uniqlo, which is a cheap and cheerful mid-layer to go underneath my rain jacket. I feel a little bro-ish, for want of a better term, when wearing a gilet, but it is practical. The shoes here are the Fear Of God x Nike Skylon II, which I absolutely love, but do not seem to be all that popular with most sneakerheads for some reason. I actually wanted to buy these when they released, but was on the fence for too long about the price and missed out. Fast forward six months and they were reselling for under retail, so I finally pulled the trigger and I am glad that I did. The exterior materials are faithful to the original Skylon II, meaning felt and mesh, so I can understand why people might be a bit underwhelmed when there is Fear Of God branding to go with. What does however seem to get overlooked is that the interior of the shoe is lined with buttery soft leather and the tongue is made from an equally buttery leather, so your foot is encased in a luxury that is not readily apparent to the outside world - I love hidden details that are just for the wearer.

Polka dot socks because at this point my sock game is clearly more interesting than the rest of my outfits. The button down shirt here is a black poplin cotton from Arket. I like the sound poplin makes, because it is a very crisp cotton, and that gentle rustling sounds very "fresh" to my mind. Yes, it wrinkles almost as bad as linen, but I am not too bothered by wrinkles that appear from wear - I like seeing those traces of the body upon the fabric. On top of the shirt I am wearing a lambswool cardigan, because the Autumn weather is creeping in ever so slowly, and that means cardigan weather. This cardigan has pockets, and I love pockets, so I will take as many as I can. Whether it is keeping a handkerchief in the breast pocket of my shirt, or some chewing gum in my cardigan pocket, I like having storage options without having to necessarily lug a bag around. The trousers are a ripstop cotton from Folk and have a nice loose seat coupled with a decent taper, which works well for my figure (I have a somewhat larger bum coupled with stick legs). Again I enjoy the sound the fabric of these trousers makes when moving. It is quieter than the poplin, but there is still a soft susurration...similar to the alliteration right there.

Bro vest once again on account of the cooler temperature (I realise I might be the only one to get bro vibes off it, but it is difficult for me to describe exactly why). Here I am wearing a wool sweatshirt from Matthew Miller's Autumn/Winter 2016 collection. I got it on clearance at a crazy reduced price, which makes it all the nicer for me because it is a piece of luxury on an everyday budget. The feel of this sweatshirt is gorgeous, it is like a compacted candy floss. It feels soft and warm against the skin, is enjoyable to stroke, and has a dense enough weave that it does not seem to stretch out at all, even around the elbows. I will try to take a detailed close up of it at some point, because it has a finely wrinkled texture, with random broken vertical lines, that I find really interesting. The trousers are the elasticated waist Folk trousers again, because as you can tell, this was a cosy fit. I would have worn the Pleats Please trousers for some added cosy boy action, but my legs get cold in them, and I did not want to pull out the leggings just yet. Although saying that, I have just stocked up on leggings and vests (of the undershirt variety) for the upcoming colder months, and so am feeling ready for whatever Winter has to bring this year.

Turquoise, black and purple Basket Lunch (no idea who named them) socks by Ayame. These fit well, which I am not used to with Japanese socks given how large my feet are, and are nicely made. At this point I might as well do a blog post on all my socks, but I will save that thrilling adventure for a different day. Anyhow, I now own two printed pieces of clothing, obviously not including socks, and both happen to be shirts. In this instance I am wearing a Tana Lawn cotton shirt from Liberty with a palm print on it. I go for the more colourful Liberty prints where my handkerchiefs are concerned, but not for my clothes, because I feel more comfortable in a darker look. I like the muted colour palette here because it allows me to indulge my love of botanical prints without it being too loud or obvious from a distance. I enjoy looks where the real details are there to be seen when up close. I also really like lawn cotton, because it wears well and feels light without being unsubstantial. I find it wrinkles a ton when washing, but once ironed out, it wears without wrinkling much in wear. I am actually on the lookout for some printed black trousers of some kind, but have yet to find anything that I like. Who knows, by next year I could be rocking full on print head to toe.

xxxx

Self-Transformations

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Tue, 23 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000

Lad Musician

Autumn/Winter 2019

I seem forever drawn to oversize silhouettes and extended sleeves, not only because I enjoy the way they visually change the shape of the body, but because of how they look and feel against the body when moving. There is something oddly luxurious to me about an artful excess of fabric. Perhaps it is the way in which it helps to create a far more fluid dynamic between skin and clothing than the immediate intimacy of a closer cut. I do however usually wonder the extent to which that attraction is a reaction, and perhaps even a subconscious answer, to personal insecurities I have surrounding my body. I have had a difficult relationship with my body image over the years thanks to inflammatory bowel disease, which obviously has a very direct influence on my weight and overall sense of confidence in my own body. But then I have never really thought of oversize or drapey looks as necessarily negating the body, which I suppose one could easily levy as an accusation against oversize clothing. Indeed I find that when properly employed it is actually a style that allows us to truly appreciate the body. It teases us with the reveal of the body beneath without even having to show the skin, allowing us to imagine the whole while only ever suggesting a part. I especially enjoy seeing the body pressing against the fabric in movement (think of knees pushing against the fabric of loose trousers when walking). Yes, the body is covered, but I think that there is a distinct difference between a covered body and a hidden body.

Clothes are by definition items used to cover the body. A fact that has always tickled me is that the collective noun for tailors is a “disguisery”. Tailors work to enhance our strengths and hide our imperfections, making us seem far more symmetrical and sleek than nature may have allowed. My health has not been great this Summer, meaning that I have lost rather a lot of weight rather rapidly. It has naturally been exhausting, both physically and mentally. My clothes get looser, my belt has to be drawn in tighter, but oddly the thing that makes it feel most real to me is when my rings are loose on my fingers, and I find myself spinning them around with my thumb as I walk (side note: I really do want to sit down and write about jewelry properly in the near future, just because of how integral it is to my dressing process and allowing me to feel like me - I have mentioned this previously, but the moment I feel truly vulnerable in hospital is not when I remove my clothes to put on a gown, but when I have to take off my jewelry). I think I am more so aware of the changes in my body right now because I am in the process of getting outfits ready for an upcoming family wedding. I have been suit shopping for the first time in about eight years, which is longer than I had even realised until I tried to remember the last time I bought a suit. I have owned Yohji and Comme separates in the intervening years, but I believe that the last formal suit I actually bought was a Uniqlo x Jil Sander collaboration (still one of the greatest high street collaborations ever in my opinion).

I have a naturally narrow frame, which makes suit shopping difficult at the best of times, but combined with the fact that I am tall does complicate things further. I either find shoulders that fit well, which are however coupled with sleeves short enough to expose the entirety of my shirt cuff, or I end up looking like a child trying on their father’s suit, drowning in fabric and looking even thinner as a result. In trying on so many different styles and cuts of suits I become hyper-aware of my body shape and how it has changed in the past few months. It is a very stark realization, reminding me of how unwell I have actually been. I have also noticed how unnatural these suits feel on me, not to mention how odd they feel in movement. Rather than finding clothes that compliment my body, it has felt like a battle, with a readily apparent friction between fabric and skin. Umberto Ecco once wrote about "epidermic self-awareness", using the example of jeans that are slightly too tight, and how we register that discomfort at a barely conscious level throughout the duration of the day. But in this instance, that self-awareness might as well be accompanied by a fog horn. To be honest, I am not even sure whether it is simply down to the fact that I have had difficult in finding a suit that fits. There was a time when I felt more comfortable in a suit than any other type of clothing, but that time apparently slipped away without me realizing.

My natural inclination is to move towards the oversize and more forgiving cuts that a fashion-forward choice might allow, but in this instance that actually does feel like hiding, because that would be avoidance. If I would like to accept my body the way it is right now, even though it is not how I would like it to be, then I want to continue on in my mission to find a traditionally cut suit that feels right and feels comfortable for me right now. You see, the power of dressing for me is not about the end product, it is not about how I look. Rather it lies in the fact that it provides me with a choice in how I look, and just as importantly for me, a choice in how I feel. It is that freedom to choose that I am fascinated by, because of the myriad of driving forces behind our clothing choices at any moment in time. For me right now, that choice is about putting on a sharply cut suit and the confidence that comes with it. It is the choice to accept my body as it is and dress my body as well as I possibly can exactly as it happens to be right now. It is a feeling that I have not experienced in a while, but a feeling that is for me incredibly empowering and forever worth pursuing.

xxxx

Futurecraft or Futurewaste? The Loop Dilemma

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 06:30:00 +0000

adidas

Futurecraft Loop

Climate change is a very real and dangerous prospect that requires action to be taken now if we want to secure a liveable future for generations to come. Most governments are unfortunately reluctant to spend the money required to make the changes necessary to offset the damage we have done to the planet. The simplest explanation I can think of for this is that it requires long term planning and expenditure, and a government here in the UK, or across in the USA, only holds power for around four or five years between elections. So it is easier to address short term issues that will win votes, and use what money you have within your budget to address problems here and now (the majority of which are indeed necessary to address). Governments are slowly coming around to the idea of securing our future past just the next election, but those changes come at a glacial pace. This will continue to be the case until the public appetite changes and acting on climate change becomes a vote winner.

For the public discourse on climate change to be transformed, there has to be greater awareness of the issue. London has seen major protests these past few days, with hundreds of arrests resulting from said protests, and so I suppose that the issue of climate change has been rather forcefully brought into the spotlight. However I do hope that moving forward there is a more positive engagement, because these protests have in my opinion been rather detrimental to winning over public opinion. I believe that for there to be major change, it is about making the option to be environmentally friendly as easy as possible. In order to do this it is about creating an understanding that the changes we can make to improve our future need not be detrimental to our current quality of life. Of course how those changes are implemented is the real question.

It is easy for a wealthier person to say that there should be an additional tax on plastic food packaging, for example, but it will be the poorest in society who suffer. You can already guess that companies will drag out the process of changing their packaging, if they do so at all, and so the result will simply be a price rise that impacts those who are barely able to make ends meet anyway. And that is not to even mention farming practices, the welfare of the workers, transport methods and the myriad of others issues in the journey from seed to table. I do not think of action on climate change as a top-down or bottom-up process, but something that requires effort on every level, from micro to macro, for there to be an effective shift and positive movement forward. I really do think that we are all able to make decisions and choices on a daily basis that can have a profound impact in the long run. Even the smallest of habit changes makes a difference.

My primary interest is of course fashion and dress, and I am happy to see things slowly changing. Then again the majority of those changes seem to be a way for companies to cash into the latest consumer trend and raise their "woke" value on social media. Getting an environmentally friendly option to exist and be easily accessible in the first place is a major move, but it is what we do after that really matters. Within the last two decades fashion has become so fast that it is now disposable, and it is difficult to see how it could get any faster than that. In the UK it is estimated that £140 million worth of clothing, around 300,000 tonnes (however total textile wastage is apparently closer to 1,000,000 tonnes), is sent to landfill each year, rather than being recycled or reused. At this point even MPs in the UK have criticised major companies for promoting a culture of throwaway fast fashion. Such criticism has usually been met with the most tepid of reactions, with fast fashion chains putting out recycling bins for a short while, or introducing a range of "eco-friendly" clothing for a few days.

There are reports of how common it is for people to hit up cheap retailers for socks and underwear to take on holiday, and then throw each piece away after wearing, instead of bringing them home and washing them. But it is not just holiday clothing. Indeed, it seems as if fast fashion has truly become single use. Even where clothing is not ending up incinerated or in landfill, charities are actually concerned with what they can do with the amount of cheaply made clothing coming in. The garments are too poorly constructed to be resold or reused, and there is even difficulty with regards to recycling due to the nature of the fabrics being used. So not only is the amount of clothing we buy and dispose of each year a concern, but that clothing is becoming cheaper and cheaper, to the point that it is not even worth salvaging in many instances.

I am reminded of one of my favourite Yohji Yamamoto quotes - "Faster, faster, cheaper, cheaper. People have started wasting fashion." We are now used to buying new clothing and going shopping as a form of weekly entertainment, a desire met and reinforced by the abundance of fast fashion chains and clothing stores. In such a climate it is perhaps unsurprising that clothing and fashion have become so cheap to the point of being disposable. But then I suppose fashion at its beating heart is hardly concerned about waste - it is the constant pursuit of the new, and that necessarily equates to everything old falling by the wayside (until of course it is cut and sewn back together with a variety of other discarded relics by a designer looking for inspiration for their newest collection). However there are changes being made towards sustainability and socially/ecologically conscious manufacturing practices. These remain primarily at the fringes, either with high priced high fashion, or else rather unfashionable looking clothing for eco warriors.

But the fringe is where everything starts, because once it enters the market and picks up some speed, then others see the potential to make money and jump aboard. The cynic in me thinks it is all about commerce, and so even with big players like Ralph Lauren recently announcing a polo shirt made from recycled plastic bottles (along with a commitment to use 100% sustainably-sourced cotton and recyclable packaging by 2025), it does seem like a publicity drive. As long as the consumer behaviour exists wherein clothing is treated as disposable, the amount of clothing and amount of waste will increase, even if that process is made more sustainable. Surely it would be better to change the behaviour and treat fashion and clothing as something to be considered for the long haul - to be bought and repaired and reused? After all the most ecologically friendly purchase we can make is no purchase at all, or, failing that, to buy used.

And thus we come to my concern with the recently announced Adidas Futurecraft Loop, the first fully recyclable TPU sneaker made by Adidas, which is set to launch in 2021. The sneaker is made from reclaimed ocean plastic waste, and the idea behind it is that instead of disposing of the sneaker after wearing it for however long, it can be broken down and recycled in a closed-loop system to create another pair of shoes. The tagline of the marketing video they released on Instagram featuring Willow Smith is "Made To Be Remade". There seems to be a huge emphasis on recycling after wear instead of the shoes going to landfill, but it seems curious to me to advertise a shoe on the basis of what happens at the end of its lifespan. I really do have mixed emotions about advertising future waste, because while the fact that they are fully recyclable and made from recycled content is fantastic to see, they are essentially just preying on a pre-existing behaviour for disposable fashion and saying that now you can carry on guilt-free. Buy more, throw it away whenever you please, but don't worry, it will be recycled.

However, as cynical as I am about the marketing of the sneakers, I do still find them an incredible feat. It is a shoe that is fully recycled and recyclable, and looks exactly like the majority of the Boost sneakers that Adidas is producing these days. The fact that it looks similar to an existing product, but is recyclable, is a clever move, because it makes the choice easier for the consumer. It is easy to pick the environmentally friendly option if it is on the shelf next to the standard option and looks the same. Anything we can do to make those choices easier and more easily accessible is well worth pursuing, because eventually it will gain in popularity and proliferate as a result. I expect to see more recycled and recyclable clothing and shoes moving forward, and that can only be a good thing. If we are going to continue to gorge on fashion, the easiest step is to perhaps make the objects we are consuming at such a rapid pace greener. After that maybe we can work on changing habits.

xxxx

Talking Watches: The Seiko SKX013

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Tue, 26 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000

A noticeable absence on this blog has been talking about watches, because I have honestly only gotten into watches within the past two years. I have worn a watch daily since I was around fifteen years old, however, until recently, never really thought about them as much more than a functional tool. Well, I say that, but I have always had a clear preference for clean analogue styles. In all the years since I began wearing a watch on a daily basis, I think that I have owned a total of two digital watches (both Casio). There has always been something about the simplicity of an analogue watch that I enjoy, and the fact that for me it seems somehow less obtrusive and more elegant than a digital display. Additionally, although there have been more adventurous designs, such as some Swatch and Mr Jones watches, that I have loved the look of, the lack of numeral markers, or too busy a dial, have meant that I struggle to get an accurate reading, which rather defeats the purpose for me. I realise that a lot of people consider their watches as nothing more than jewellery (after all, we all carry phones that tell the time far more accurately), but I like the idea of a beauty informed by such essential and simple function.

There has always been something magical about telling the time for me, which is difficult to describe without sounding a little bit insane. But sod that, I will try anyway. Here I have a tool on my wrist which measures time - one the most important concepts and metrics we have to identify, situate and consider our lived experiences, sense of identity and relationship with others and the world around us. Three moving hands and a dozen numbers, and somehow I can use those to gain an understanding of when I am, when I have been, and when I am going to be. There is something truly beautiful in that. An hour is an hour, but we have all experienced an hour that seemed like it would never end, and an hour that passed by so fast we wished we could have another four or five. Apparently time does actually move slower for children and faster for the elderly. It has to do with the way that the brain processes novel experiences. While you are learning new things, your brain apparently perceives time as slower, versus speeding it up when you are in autopilot mode. Consider commuting to a new job for the first time - that first half hour journey seems to take forever, but within a month it seems to go by in a blink of the eye (unless of course there is something out of the ordinary like a cancelled train).

My parents were kind enough to offer me buy me a watch for my birthday at the start of last year. Having researched for a few months previously to find something that felt right for me, I ended up choosing the Seiko SKX013 (the baby brother of the venerable SKX007). It is the first automatic watch I have ever owned, and having dived deep into the "watch world", I was fascinated by the beauty of all these different mechanical movements and complications, and so wanted a piece of that rich history. I am still a total novice when it comes to watches, but the SKX series seems to be where many collectors start, because they are just so well designed and functional. There is a wealth of information about watches online (a bit too much snobbish stuff, but I guess that is the same with fashion at large), and it really was that feeling of finding a new passion. I have never really thought of watches having character before, but I really like the character of this watch. It was the first time I have put on a watch and rather than seeing it purely as a functional tool, I saw it is as a beautiful object. I have owned and worn the watch for over a year now (and added a second watch to my collection for my birthday earlier this year), and it still makes me smile.

Seiko SKX013

Movement Type: Automatic

Movement Caliber: Seiko 7s26

Case Diameter: 37mm

Lug-to-lug: 43mm

Lug Width: 20mm

Despite the fact that I have never learnt how to swim, I love the style of dive watches. I suppose it is because they value legibility so highly, and tend to have a bit of a chunkier style that makes them easy to operate (...the more I think about it, am I just a grandpa when it comes to watches?). The SKX has a dial that is really easy to read, with large amounts of Seiko's proprietary lume, which is surprisingly bright and will last for hours. I chose the SKX013 over its older brother, the SKX007, because I have super small wrists. Although given the compact lug-to-lug measurement of both, most people can probably get away with wearing either. Apart from the size difference the only noticeable visual difference is that the second hand has an arrowhead lume pip halfway down the stalk. The SKX007 has the second hand lume on the counterbalance. That has never made all that much sense to me, because in the dark you are essentially looking at it backwards, but I suppose having a ball of lume sweeping around the indices might make it a touch confusing to read in lower light. For those of you who like a little bit colour, you can get a Pepsi bezel version, the SKX009, which is otherwise identical to the SKX007.

Speaking of the bezel - a rotating dive time bezel is something I never knew I wanted until I had one. I literally use it multiple times per day, which I really did not expect, but having the bezel right there makes it so easy. I think that it is the immediacy of it that makes me time things so much more readily. I mostly use it when cooking, because you can roughly time things on the fly. I find that with digital watches I never used the stopwatch feature, because you have to press buttons to get into another screen, but then have to press again to get back to the actual time. I do not like extra steps, preferring to see the time and the timer in one go, which is also why I do not set timers on my phone (especially not when cooking, because I prefer not to touch my phone then). With a dive bezel you can set your time in one twist, and see at a glance how much time has passed. I can most certainly understand why chefs seem to love dive watches (aside from the rugged nature of them), because that ability to time things so easily really is lovely.

The bracelet is apparently not all that popular, because it is not rigid, but I think that its flexibility makes it all the more comfortable to wear. I actually wear mine a little loose, because I do not like anything too constrictive, and find that it wears nicely with no pinching or tugging of arm hairs. I tried putting it on a Nato strap, but did not particularly like the top heavy feeling of that. But getting back to the comfort, the shape of the case is nice and compact, so it hugs the wrist, and I like the crown being shifted down to the four o'clock position, preventing it from digging uncomfortably into the back of your hand. It is a screw down crown, with the first position allowing you to change the day and date, while the second position is for the time. The movement in my watch runs at about -7 seconds per day, which is well within the stated tolerance, and suits me fine as I tend to set my watch a few minutes fast. Apparently you can strike lucky with the 7s26 and find ones that run within +/- 3 seconds, which is pretty amazing given the price, and not to mention the fact that they seem to run well for years between servicing. In general there is something quite nice about having an automatic movement - it feels like there is beating heart in the watch, as opposed to the comparative sterility of a quartz movement and cell battery. A quick shake of the watch from side to side and it starts ticking away nicely (well, sweeping, it is an automatic after all).

Overall, the nicest watch I have ever owned. It appears to have quite the cult following online, and I can most certainly see why.

xxxx

God Is Black (Part 1) - Umit Benan SS19

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 07:00:00 +0000

Umit Benan

"God Is Black Part 1"

Spring/Summer 2019

This look = 10/10

I love designers who are story tellers, because in a way I think it is one of the purest aims of fashion - simply sharing a story. Umit Benan is one of those designers who shows each and every season his incredible ability to share stories, creating colourful fictions to immerse yourself in. And yet those fictions still manage to translate into wearable pieces that you can comfortably incorporate into your wardrobe. The starting point for his Spring/Summer 2019 collection, God Is Black Part One (Part Two debuted earlier this month in Barcelona), were takkes (otherwise known as topis or kufis) hand-knitted by his mother, that took him back to living in the Bronx as a young child. He said he remembered seeing African-American Muslims leaving the mosque, and thinking how stylish they were. And so for this collection he explored the ideas of religion and racial identity, looking towards an array of African-Americans including Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and, most obviously from the styling of the collection, Tupac Shakur.

If you are wondering why you may have not seen much of Umit before this collection, it is because he actually took time away from designing. During this hiatus he underwent therapy and says that process allowed him to reconnect with his Muslim identity and belief in God, a journey which led him towards creating this collection. The result is a collection that resonates with me on a personal level and that reminded me of just how meaningful Umit's work is for me. There are multiple threads in this collection that hit home for me, and a lot of it is admittedly not even intentional on his part. Instead, as with most forms of art, it is what I connect to within the collection, and how I interpret those ideas. And that is one of the reasons I am always so impressed with Umit's work, in that he creates these highly stylized fictions each season, which you think would constrain your interpretation, but for me there is always something there that I see which gets me hooked and then flowers in my mind.

I am fascinated by this collection primarily because of the very simple question - what does a Muslim look like? As regular readers will know, I do not discuss religion here, mostly because I subscribe to the Ron Swanson belief that I am a practising none of your ****** business. However, I am a Muslim, and what with my name I am sure that some can work out which sect. Given the dominant narrative surrounding Islam in the media today, I think the idea of dress and identity where being Muslim "in the West" is concerned is a truly intriguing topic. The most often spoken about article of dress when Islam is mentioned is the "hijab", although in fact people are usually discussing the niqab, which is the face covering worn by a small minority of women. Hijab is actually an umbrella term, referring not only to dress codes, but also behaviour, which applies to both men and women. However in colloquial discussion hijab usually refers to the simple headscarf for women that covers their hair. People seem to throw the term burka around a lot, but that is actually a full on long loose robe worn by women, whereas the niqab is the aforementioned face covering.

Umit took for his inspiration the idea of the Black Muslim, but this collection is clearly not a take on the stereotypical attire one might associate with a member of the Nation, which I assume most Americans would think of when given the combination of Black and Muslim. Rather it fits nicely into a wider discussion of Muslim representation as a whole, and what it means to be a Muslim today. An interesting aside at this point is that the Hispanic community is actually the fastest growing group of Muslim converts in America today. As much as the media like to portray a singular conservative image of Islam, Islamic history is actually one of a cultural melting pot, where one can find a wealth of diversity when it comes to architecture, artistic styles and indeed dress history. Here we see everything from a hoodie and bandana, to more formal tailoring, but all tied in together seamlessly. Remove the topis, and you would likely not necessarily even think the word Muslim, which I think is the power of this collection. What does a Muslim look like? Well, like everybody else. But even so, Umit's mix of sportswear alongside kaftans seemed wholly organic for me.

You see, I have my own childhood memories of topis, having attended Saturday school until my late teens. Even now I am fascinated by what people wear to the mosque, and how this has changed over the years - the most notable difference is actually just in the shift from working class to middle class, and the pecuniary freedom that comes with it. Whereas people used to wear discount high street brands, you now see far more higher end store brands and even a number of designer pieces. And where more traditional clothing is concerned, you used to see shalwar kameez that were ill-fitting and imported on the cheap, but now you are much more likely to see tailored pieces bought while travelling "back home". My local mosque was home to first and second generation immigrants as I was growing up, although now it has a far more diverse attendance. For those of us whose parents had come to London from abroad before we were born (primarily South Asia and East Africa in my local community), we grew up with a stark clash of cultures, and you would see numerous attempts to resolve that nebulous sense of identity through clothing.

Culture and religion are two very different things, and yet the overlap in this instance is difficult to divide neatly. Dress was the site for negotiating identity and exploring what it meant to be British, while also being South Asian (or East African, or Iraqi, or Syrian, etc.) and Muslim. It was, and still is, common to see a dishdasha worn with the latest Air Max sneakers, or a shalwar kameez with the pyjama swapped out for sweatpants and some Air Force Ones. My mother actually came to the UK as a child and went to school here, and she remembers wearing flared jeans with kurtas as a teenager. Combining styles and combining garments was a way of fitting into and attempting to resolve two parts of our identities, that to the outside world may have seemed entirely incompatible. But that is the beauty of dress, in that you are able to create something that reflects who you feel you are, and thus allowing you to celebrate the beauty in that. I have always thought of it as getting the best of both worlds.

Then again, I have been asked on a number of occasions when simply wearing a Yohji blazer and trousers with the hems rolled whether I was dressed that way "for religious reasons" (the answer is yes, you should accept our Lord and Saviour Yohji Yamamoto into your life, and I am happy to take cash or PayPal donations directly for the Church). I am a brown man with a beard, and here in the UK that generally seems to mean Muslim for most observers. I remember being stopped and searched by police on a number of occasions at the train station when I started university. I was always told that it was a "random" search. They would take me into a side room where, lo and behold, the only other people being searched were also brown men with beards. No matter that one person could be in a suit, another in sweats, and someone else in their work uniform. And obviously it goes without saying that not everyone there was even Muslim. But once I remember catching someone's eye as we were both being searched, and we gave each other a sad smile and a nod.

Even as a teenager being brown was enough to get Islamaphobic abuse hurtled your way. I remember shortly after the Iraq war began being pelted with hamburgers and a milkshake while in a shopping center. I was repeatedly called a "dirty Muslim" and told to go home (in actuality they had Northern accents, I have a London accent, and so clearly they were the ones who could do with going home). But no matter what happens, how I might be negatively judged for my skin colour and appearance (to say nothing of my religion), I am proud of who I am. I see the meeting and mixing of these different backgrounds and identities as an opportunity to find the best in each world and use that to celebrate what makes each and every one of us individual.

And so, while I obviously cannot relate to the Black identity or experience presented in this collection, the pride and celebration of racial identity in itself is something that most certainly resonated with me. Umit celebrated race and religion, I mean just look at the title of the collection, in a way that really hit home for me. I enjoyed how luxurious the clothes were, what with a workwear jacket made of velvet, or crisp white pyjamas presented alongside white tailoring, and the fact that there was such an effortless elegance and beauty to the garments. The hand-knitted topis really were the icing on the cake, and made me instantly smile. Here being Muslim and being Black are truly things to be celebrated, and I really do think we need more of that these days.

xxxx

January Pick Ups

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 07:00:00 +0000

Arket - Thermore Padded Nylon Blouson

(Size 46 - 184cm - 68kg)

The sleeve pocket is unfortunately a touch too narrow for my usual notebook.

Fred Perry - Twin Tipped Polo

Hoka One One - Hupana Slip

(second image not very colour accurate)

I have been the process of clearing my wardrobe out, but I still managed to pick a few things up in the end of the year sales. I thought it might be interesting to write about my impressions of, and experiences with, each piece thus far.

Arket Padded Blouson

I wanted to pick up a lightly padded jacket for the in-between seasons, because I sold my previous jacket. I actually had my eye on this jacket for around a year, because it had been, and apparently still is, languishing in the Arket sale section for several months. Now when a garment has been in multiple seasonal sales and is still not sold out, I do get curious as to whether it is actually just hot garbage. But I thought that it was worth trying out, because I could simply return it without any issue if it was indeed basura. And I am most certainly glad that I did, because I really like this jacket.

The reason that I had not pulled the trigger on it sooner, was because of the colour - I kept going back and forth between thinking it was a beautiful colour, but then thinking that it was too much colour for me to wear. Once again, it was that "insecurity black" way of thinking, and so I knew that I had to try it. The matte nylon plays with the light quite nicely, giving this piece an almost metallic sheen. In fact it almost reminds me of a 3M reflective material, without actually being properly reflective. And it might just be me, but I get a bit of a Haider Ackermann vibe from the colour, if not the garment itself. What I will be interested to see is how the colour changes when the jacket gets a little wet, because I can imagine the fabric getting darker as rain hits it, giving the colour an even greater depth.

I like the way that the material sounds in movement, because while there is a lot of rustling as you would expect from nylon, it is quite smooth rather than overly obtrusive. The Thermore lining makes it nice for cooler days, although with the weather here in London right now being so cold, I am waiting for milder weather before I break this out properly. The padding is lightweight and thin, as you would expect from Thermore, and given past experience with the material, I know how insulating it can be. I was pleasantly surprised with the fit, simply because I have tried on quite a few Arket pieces and found the cuts inconsistent. I went true to size with a 46 (Small), and was happy with the fit - it feels snug, but you could still rock a hoodie or slightly thicker jumper underneath without too much issue. The sleeves and waist have two button adjustment, so you can get a tighter cuff and waist accordingly, which is always nice.

I thought the notebook and pen pocket on the sleeve was an interesting touch, especially against a folded collar, rather than the elastic ribbing of a flight jacket where you would usually see this detail. I do actually carry a pen and notebook in my jacket or coat at all times, and while the sleeve pocket is a touch too narrow for my everyday pocket notebook (a Rhodia mini 75mm x 120 mm), I was not really expecting it to fit anyway. There are two internal pockets, along with the two waist pockets, so storage is not an issue. Overall I think it is a really nice piece, especially at the sale price.

Fred Perry Long Sleeve Polo Shirt

I have had a long sleeve polo shirt on my shopping list for about three years now, but kept putting it off after trying out some generic store versions and being disappointed with the fit and quality. I do not wear short sleeve polo shirts, because they remind me too much of a PE teacher, which is not really my style (then again fleece reminds of Geography teachers, and I wear that, so I am not against all teacher-inspired swag). The right polo shirt really can be a truly versatile piece, and given the smaller size of my wardrobe, I do prefer pieces that can pull double duty. What surprised me is that my father saw me wearing this and remarked on how smart it looked. He never usually compliments my clothing, so clearly this has dad certification too, which is not to be sniffed at.

Once again the price on this piece was really good, and so I thought that I might as well pull the trigger and see. I went true to size because I wanted to get a proper idea of the cut and fit of Fred Perry, not having really bought much from them before. I usually struggle with sleeve lengths, because I am narrow but tall, however these fit spot on. I like the cuffs because they hold their elasticity, allowing them to be pulled up and down frequently throughout the day without them bagging out. Personally I wish they had a split side seam, just for a bit of room around the waist when pulling it over a belt (I wear my trousers pretty high up), but the fit is fine overall. I like the pique fabric, which has a surprisingly smooth and soft feel on the interior side that touches the skin, and the collar has a nice shape to it. I went for the all black, because I do not particularly like obvious logos, and thus far the colour has held up well with two washes.

Hoke One One Hupana Slip Trainer

A Crohn's flare means inflammation, and for me that means grating knee pain on top of everything else. I have been on the hunt for some comfortably cushioned shoes that I can wear on bad knee days for a while now, and finally settled on these from Hoka One One (apparently pronounced "Oh-nay oh-nay") that I picked up for a good sale price. Hoka are known for their more extremely cushioned running shoes, to the point that some of them look like platform shoes to me, but these slip ons are relatively sleek and super lightweight. The midsole is made from a foam and rubber material by Hoka called RMAT, which provides a smooth ride with high-rebound. I have been wearing these for around three weeks now, for everyday walking rather than running (although hopefully within in a few months I can run!), and have to say that they have been an absolute delight on my feet and knees.

I find the soles cushioned and responsive, with none of the mushiness I experienced in the other cushioned shoes that I tried. I appreciate the fact that the cushioning is also not so much that I lose ground feel entirely, which actually helps me feel a little more stable on my feet. They have a good bounce to them, and feel great even after long walks and a full day on your feet. They provide a neutral ride, with a heel-to-toe drop of 5mm - apparently other people have had issue with it being far more than that, but I would say there is a noticeable difference to other shoes I tried with an advertised 10mm drop. I most certainly prefer this sole to the React cushioning by Nike (I tried the Epic Reacts and was not sold) for everyday wear, just because it does not feel as unsteady to me. I have found the wearing shoes that do not provide sufficient stability actually help to gradually increase my anxiety over the course of the day. Please do bear in mind that I am using these for walking thus far, and not running, so obviously your mileage will vary.

I went true to size with these (UK 10/US 11). The fit of the shoe is narrow, but given how narrow my feet are, I actually find them one of the better fitting shoes I actually own, which I was not expecting from a slip on. I would say people with a wider midfoot might not be too comfortable. But otherwise there is a decent amount of room in the toes, and generally slipping my feet in and out of these is easy, especially with the pull tabs. I was also surprised by how well locked down my heel felt, and have not experienced any slipping or rubbing when walking. The stretchy upper is breathable without making my feet feel particularly cold in the current Winter weather, and I assume once I switch from thicker socks to thinner socks that these will be equally comfortable as the weather warms up. Thus far these shoes have done nothing but impress me, and my knees are certainly thankful.

xxxx

Bliss On HBA

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 07:00:00 +0000

Hood By Air
Spring/Summer 2014 (Look 36)

Bliss has me wanting to deep dive into Shayne Oliver's work.

I absolutely love this Swiss Army knife of a garment - it seems to do everything at once in a way that is not taking itself too seriously. It really is a fun piece, so please do be sure to watch the videos above. I will admit that I have never paid all too much attention to Hood By Air, because my overriding image of it was the printed slogan tops that used to be the fuccboi uniform de rigueur (perhaps we can get into a few theories about what it is nowadays in a future post?). But seeing this garment made me appreciate just what work Oliver was actually doing, away from the Instagram- and streetstyle-friendly pieces. I always love going back and being able to explore a designer's work, and because Hood By Air is now essentially defunct, there is a neat body of work to be studied. This is exactly the type of content I want to consume more of this year. Check out the full channel here!

xxxx

New Year, New Wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Mon, 07 Jan 2019 07:00:00 +0000

Well, at the very least, a better wardrobe.

2018 was a difficult year for me, what with health issues and immense pain to contend with, and the year ending like I had the rug snatched out from under me. However, the magic of falling so far down that even rock bottom looks like an improvement, is that the only way is up (lateral movement notwithstanding, but I see that more like an attempt to find the right foot holes to head up). New Year's is a period of reflection for most of us, and indeed I used those few days to focus in on what work I want to do in order to tackle the goals that I have set myself for this year. In order to do the job correctly, you have to use the right tools, and for me, as ever, part of that is contained in how I dress myself and how I present myself. Our clothed self is our social skin, but it is also how we tend to perceive of our selves, and I could most certainly see the toll that a major depressive slump had taken on my wardrobe and general appearance. I do find it interesting to see how I can track the general state of my well-being according to the state of my wardrobe at the time, whether it be through compensating with super colourful clothes, or hiding away with oversize black sweats.

Several months ago my therapist asked me at the end of a session whether I was wearing "insecurity" black or "fashion" black. It was meant to be a throwaway comment as I was leaving. I remember replying instantly that they were the same thing, but it was a question that burned in my mind for weeks. I came to realise relatively recently that I was indeed draping myself in insecurity black, in depression black, in hide-away-from-the-world black, but when had I made that transition? Why had I not noticed until long after someone had pointed it out to me? My knee jerk reaction at the time was to look into colour, and so I bought a pink shirt a short while later as a way of experimenting. But as soon as I put it on, I knew that something was not quite right. I had bought a piece not because I liked the piece, but purely for the colour, which is to say, I wore it all of twice and resigned it to the back of my wardrobe. Having said that, I did enjoy seeing the millennial pink trend recently, because dusty pinks actually really suit my skin colour, and used to be my favourite colour to wear in my Crayola days (even though at the time I was using acid bright colours to distract people from seeing me - I thought if I could make them just see the clothes, they would never see the person beneath).

As you might expect, the worse my mental health got, the worse my wardrobe and general appearance seemed to get. Hardly surprising, but even so, it was a gradual change for me, and so I did not notice as it was happening. I have actually taken a photograph of myself daily for the past few years, and so it was only recently when I was going through the images for the past year that I could see so clearly that decline. At some point, I just stopped caring. And yet, I actually spent the past year getting back in touch with all the things that made me fall in love with fashion in the first place. It is something that I will hopefully cover in an upcoming podcast episode, but I think that this year I want to start acting on it. Here is this field that drives me, that fascinates me, and, when I talk about it, makes me feel more like me than anything else, and yet my daily reality was not reflective of that. But now I want to get back into the fold, organically, slowly, but in doing so I know that I can come to reflect the journey and growth that I am undergoing as a person. Lofty words for something so simple as the clothes on my back, but all the same, those clothes are how I choose to present myself to the world.

'Fashion' black is still what excites me, and so I do not think that I will be exploring colour to any great extent at anytime soon. But I now know that there is a world of difference between 'insecurity' black and 'fashion' black. Not in the colour, but in the use of that colour. And so to kickstart a positive reframing of that relationship once again, I decided to do what a lot of people seem to be doing right now, apparently because of Marie Kondo on Netflix, which is clear out my wardrobe. I have not actually read or seen any of Marie Kondo, but my sister got the book last year, cleared out her stuff, then regretted it a few months later. I can most certainly sympathise, but for me, clearing out my wardrobe and possessions is something that I try to do relatively frequently, and I am more than comfortable with letting go of my things. In fact for the longest time I have been toying with the idea of getting into the habit of giving my favourite piece of clothing to charity every year or so, just to see how that might change my relationship with my own personal clothing. If anyone has seen the Marie Kondo show and recommends it, please do let me know.

I think that I essentially did the equivalent of gorging myself on fast food. Not that I bought a ton of fast fashion, but rather I bought quite a number of cheaper items that I would never have otherwise bought and worn, simply because for a long while I just did not care anymore. I lost that confidence in myself, and so I thought that I was not worth nicer clothing. Again, one of those gradual declines, rather than an overnight decision, and so it crept up on me. But that is essentially what I plan on working on in order to correct this year. Obviously the issue is greater than clothing, but it is for me a good way to frame that experience. A clear outward manifestation of internal struggles I suppose. Indeed I think it is fascinating to observe the way that psychological trauma manifests itself in the body physically, and I would argue that this is carried across to how we choose to dress and adorn ourselves, especially as the majority of us do not spend our days in the nude (more power to you if you do though). I actually talk to my therapist about this from time to time, and he tells me that he is so well versed in how a person struggling with depression or anxiety carries themselves, that you can often tell when walking past people, not just in their posture, but even in the way that they are dressed. When pressed he was unable to give specifics, but he simply knew that there was something 'off' about the clothing, whether they were trying to hide themselves or distract from themselves, both of which I have experienced personally.

I feel lighter whenever I clear out my wardrobe - here is an opportunity for a fresh start, to become the person I know that I am. I am reminded of the mantra - "fail fast and fail often", because that is the best way to learn and grow, and I very much see the evidence of that in how my wardrobe has changed over the years. I have not been as dramatic as I once was, when several years ago I reduced my wardrobe down to two outfits, one that I could wear while the other was in the wash, but I did not need to this time around. I have a better understanding of my relationship with my clothing, even though this time around it took me a while to see what was right in front of me. And so I have cleared out the things that were not quite right, that were filling the gap, that allowed me to hide, that were me resisting (to quote Jung, "what we resist not only persists, but grows in size"). It seems simultaneously like a grand move and an utterly meaningless one to gut out my wardrobe, but I like that reminder from time to time. I want a wardrobe that I love and makes me feel comfortable as I am, not one that serves to deflect from what I wish I was not.

TL;DR - I donated a ton of clothes, and am working on getting back to having a fire wardrobe this year, because I am worth so much more than baggy black sweats. Learning to respect myself again.

xxxx

Episode 09 - "Thank U, Next Year"

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Talking To Myself

Episode 09

"Thank U, Next Year"

The podcast is back! Hope you all had a beautiful Christmas, and are currently snuggled up and feeling content. What a year it has been. I know people say that every year, but this year has been pretty darn hectic and unpredictable. In this episode I look at some of the bigger fashion stories of this year (...and just my luck, the Raf Simons departure from Calvin Klein was announced a few hours after I finished recording!). So curl up, or go for a run, or wash the dishes, or whatever it is you do while listening, and we'll talk about social media, Off White Nikes, that Zara jacket, and Kanye West being even more Kanye West than we knew Kanye West could be.

Hope you enjoy the episode!

xxxx

Review: Uniqlo Fluffy Fleece

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Tue, 06 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Uniqlo Fluffy Yarn Fleece - £19.90

(Click here for link to product page)

For reference I am wearing a Size Small, and am 184cm/68kg

Please note: this is not a sponsored post, the item was personally purchased

My wardrobe goal for this Autumn/Winter season is pretty simple - keep is cosy.

I have only recently started paying attention to Uniqlo again, thanks primarily to the Christophe Lemaire collaboration. The collaboration started off super promising, but has since descended into cheaper fabrics and construction than I had hoped (and probably also why the name of the collaboration dropped the 'Lemaire' and in favour of 'Uniqlo U'). I have been buying pieces each season to check it out, and for the past two, they have all gone straight back. However I have been curious to see what general Uniqlo quality was like, having stopped shopping there a number of years back. I still have fond memories of Uniqlo before their aggressive expansion here in the UK. The quality of the fabrics and general fit in those days was second-to-none on the High Street for that price (...well ok, Muji has always been better, but then there are only a handful of Mujis around). I can still remember going into a Uniqlo for the first time and seeing the wall of coloured socks, and for whatever reason, that was what sold me on them more than anything else they carried. Indeed there was actually a time when the vast majority of my wardrobe was from Uniqlo.

However with Uniqlo's expansion, around the same time as their push into the American market, a number of years ago came cheaper fabrics and shoddier construction. I remember seeing Uniqlo adverts in tube stations and in newspapers like never before, and knew that cost cutting was around the corner. And, lo and behold, things got cheaper and quality declined. I stopped shopping at Uniqlo shortly thereafter. I still reminisce over the quality of the first Jil Sander collaboration collection, but even that got worse over time. And yet, having said all that, I am happy that I gave them another chance recently because they really do appear to be slowly focusing on improving their quality, even if the Uniqlo U stuff has been something of a red herring. A man can't live on high fashion pieces alone (especially not a man with my bank balance), and so I have been slowly but surely trying out different Uniqlo pieces to familiarise myself again with their cuts, construction, and general quality. I saw this fluffy fleece zip up when it dropped and it seemed quite fitting for the cosier direction I want my wardrobe to take this season.

Plain fleece tops and jackets are easy enough to find, whether you want to drop the money on something more practical from an outdoors company, or something a little more casual to wear with pyjamas around the house from a department store. But I saw this fleece and was immediately taken, because it looked so fluffy and soft. My constitution as of late has been rather delicate (to say the least) thanks to the double gut punch of a Crohn's flare and chronic fatigue hitting hard. As such, cosy clothes have most certainly been at the top of my list when it comes to dressing each day. I already own a borg fleece hoodie, which I like to think of as my teddy bear hoodie, but it is a little too chunky for everyday wear. It is suited primarily for the worst of the Winter weather. I wore it last year in the snow, and it was super cosy, but wearing it in the current weather would be a little too much. That idea of a teddy bear has stuck with me though, and I want to try and find super snuggly clothes that will keep me cosy through the Winter.

I ordered this zip up fleece in two different sizes - a size small and a size medium, because I usually wear either depending on the type of fit I am looking for. I settled with the size small, although the size medium would have worked had I wanted to wear this fleece as a jacket, rather than as a cardigan as I have currently been using it. The fit is quite close to the body, although the sleeves have a decent amount of room so as not to feel too restrictive, and I like the wider shoulders. The body is perhaps an inch shorter than I would like, but at my height that is to be expected I suppose. It has two hard warmer pockets at the front, which are well placed, however they do tend to bag a little and make it look like you are carrying some extra weight around your midsection, so you may want to be careful with that. I was pleased to see that the stitching was all neat, and the construction overall appears to be solid. I have machine washed it twice on a standard 30 degree cycle now, and thankfully the fabric remains soft and the size is unchanged, with no wrinkly zipper. I like the fact that you can simply hang dry it and wear it without ironing, so it is quite practical in that respect.

The feel of the fleece is super soft, because those fluffy fibres feel so plush, and I do find myself stroking the fabric mindlessly when wearing it. Thankfully I have not had any shedding, but will report back if I do run into any issues. I would liken it to wearing a plush dressing gown, and it really does feel comfortable for everyday use. It is nice and warm, in fact more so than ordinary fleece I would say, because of that extra surface area and insulation. Being fleece there is however the dreaded static issue, and while throughout the day I do not tend to notice any static build up, I will say that taking it off at the end of the day most certainly reminds you that you are wearing polyester. That goes with the territory, but it is something to be aware of, because obviously depending on what you are doing throughout the day, a static charge building can be somewhat annoying. But overall, for the price, I think it beats any standard zip up fleece you might find. Not only is it super soft and tactile, but the texture also plays with the light and adds a nice element of visual depth (especially when you wear all black like I do!). I am actually tempted to double up, but knowing Uniqlo it will hit the sales or be discounted soon enough, so hopefully I can snag even more of a bargain.

xxxx

Autumn Shades

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Thu, 18 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

"Un'ombra"

Vogue Italia (October 2018)

Photographer: Sarah Moon

Stylist: Jacob K

Model: Rianne Van Rompaey

I tend to classify fashion photographers by season for some reason. It is difficult to describe the way in which I come to each conclusion, but something about the mood of their work usually makes me think primarily of one season. Sarah Moon's work feels like Autumn to me. Hard to put into words exactly why really, but in a similar vein - Deborah Turbeville is Winter, Tim Walker is Spring, and Erik Madigan Heck is Summer. That probably sounds completely nonsensical, but hopefully someone else does something similar! And if not, then I hope you find this editorial suitably Autumnal nonetheless - it's layering season and these are some pretty amazing coats. Also, I know I say it every year, but perhaps this is the Autumn that I finally try something pumpkin spiced to see what all the fuss is about.

xxxx

Cosy Gang: Y-3 AW18

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Thu, 27 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Y-3

"Nice to Meet You"

Autumn/Winter 2018

My wardrobe goal for this Winter is to be as cosy as possible.

My Crohn's disease has been flaring rather nastily since the middle of Summer, leaving me feeling rather tender as of late (to put it mildly). On most days I would like nothing more than to curl up in bed and hibernate through Winter, but then that would mean I do not get to layer up for the colder months. I am sure that you are tired of anyone and everyone who writes or talks about fashion waxing lyrical about the magic and joys of layering up as we head into Autumn, but I guess it is preferable to pumpkin-spiced Twitter that will soon be flooding your timeline. To be fair the back to school period is actually my favourite time of year, and the time of the year that I most enjoy dressing for, and while I have yet to check out pumpkin-spiced anything, I have a sneaking suspicion I might actually enjoy it, so what the heck. Right about now a nice warm drink and some cosy layers sound like heaven, and that has pretty much been my mindset this year for my Winter wardrobe - I want to keep things as cosy as I possibly can, without looking like I am walking around wrapped up in my duvet. Yes, I know Margiela literally made a duvet coat, but the resale price on an original one of those is five figures, and I would like to forget the H&M collaboration ever happened thanks.

As I have written before, for me this year has been about exploring childhood nostalgia and all the things that ignited my interest in fashion and dress, which I thought was rather fitting for my tenth year blogging. It seems to me that these few months towards the end of the year used to be far colder here in London than they are these days (climate change in action I suppose). I have memories of running around looking like the Michelin man, wrapped up head to toe in order to stave off the cold. Admittedly that could just be because I had cautious parents, but even so, there is something comforting in that thought and feeling for me. I have strong sensory memories of cosy clothing, from padded gloves to thick corduroy trousers and fleece jumpers. I know a lot of people can feel a little claustrophobic wearing snug layers, but I actually enjoy the sensation of a fitted vest and long johns under my clothing. The way it feels in movement is springy and supportive, and thanks to advancements in fabric technology, these base layers are thinner, stretchier, and more breathable than ever. Indeed wearing slightly baggier layers on top provides a nice sensory contrast, because your body feels snug with that base layer, but still gets breathing room under the outer layer of trousers and shirt. That dynamic space, where you are able to see the body ripple against the surface of the cloth when in movement, therefore thankfully still exists.

Few designers understand the dialectic between body and dress better than Yohji Yamamoto, and so perhaps it is unsurprising that I found the current Autumn/Winter 2018 collection by Yohji and Adidas so appealing. I am ordinarily drawn more to the side of Y-3 where Yohji plays around with tailoring and the formal aspects of dress, but I have to say that this season the actual sportswear looks were wonderfully cosy and inviting. Plus I am a sucker for any look with a blanket scarf (I'd happily rock the big scarf energy from the Lenny Kravitz meme). I actually have a few blanket sized shawls from Pakistan, which are worn in the mountains during the harsh Winters, but have yet to really play around with the styling and tying past a general wrap. Seeing the variations in scarf styling in this show has me thinking of a few different techniques I can try out to get comfortable. In general sportswear for me has always been about comfort. I was never a particularly sporty child, but I enjoyed the way that the clothing felt (rugby short shorts aside...if I never pick up a rugby ball again it will be too soon). Therein also lies the two extremes of my childhood - the formality and rigidity of school uniform, and the sportswear that surrounded me on the street and in life outside of school (wearing a matching tracksuit was seen as "dressing up"). I often feel like I am trying to find a way to bring both elements together in some fashion. My wardrobe has veered to both ends, but I usually find myself happiest where I can blend both in the way that Yohji seems to do so effortlessly. I know a lot of people only care about Y-3 for the sneakers, but I am actually the exact opposite - all I really care about are the clothes.

xxxx

The Roadman Favourite: Air Max 95

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Sun, 26 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Nike Air Max 95 (OG)

Solar Red

A shoe I have never been able to make my mind up about - the Air Max 95.

The Air Max 95 is a cult classic. For years it was the most worn shoe by criminals in the UK, as determined by footprints left at crime scenes (overtaken by the Reebok Classic in 2010, although I am not sure what the current crowd favourite is). It was the sneaker behind what police at the time called the first ever recorded case of targeted shoe robbery in Japan. And it is the first ever shoe that I remember knowing by sight the exact brand and model name. In fact when it comes to clothing in general, it was the first time I knew the name of a product, could identify it on the street, and knew exactly how much it cost. And that had nothing to do with advertising, or because certain celebrities wore it, but purely thanks to word on the street. To put it into perspective for international readers, Nike Air Max are as popular and culturally relevant in Europe as Jordan brand is in America, and arguably nowhere more so than in London. Although they initially released at a price of £99, the Air Max 95s were soon retailing for £110, which is why to this day many still refer to them as the "110s".

The design of the shoe was inspired by human anatomy. The lacing system and those long eyelet loops that start down at the midsole represent the rib cage. The breathable mesh panelling either side of the eyelets are supposed to represent the lungs, while the layered suede panels seek to evoke layers of muscular tissue. The heel of the shoe has a relatively rigid 3M panel that represents the neck or spine. The original design sketch did not actually feature the Swoosh at all, but rather was meant to be a totally clean sneaker. Even with the Jordan 2 in their roster, removing the Swoosh was just not done at Nike. The colour choice behind the original Neon colourway, which is the same as the shoe photographed, but with neon yellow instead of solar red, was also contentious. Many did not think that consumers would buy black and grey shoes, fearing they looked dirty. Even having visible air units towards the front of the sole was quite a departure from previous designs. You hear about it here and there, but I actually remember seeing someone get jumped on the street near my school once purely so that the attacker could stab and puncture the air units on the victims shoes. Needless to say, it provided us with a talking point for months to come.

Indeed as a child this is the shoe that I remember more than any other, and more than the shoe itself, I remember the reputation. To put it simply, they were the drug dealer's shoe, and if you had a pair - you were the man. The area I grew up in was not the most salubrious, and so the older relatives of a sizeable number of my classmates in school made their money on the road. The functional requirements for such endeavours are shoes that are comfortable to stand in all day, but that would also work when making a quick getaway on foot; while the social requirements boil down to something expensive and exclusive enough to mark you out from the crowd. The Air Max 95 checked every box, and thus they were both status symbol and a surprisingly practical choice. The colourway I most remember is actually the OG neon, but soon you could see any number of colourways on the street. I would have been five or six years old when I saw my first pair, but even at that age, I knew that they meant something. Everyone seemed to know that they meant something. If you were wearing them, people would treat you with respect, or at the very least, a wary politeness. Of course that was context specific, because within a few years I remember children at school owning pairs, but even then, those shoes put them at the top rung of the social ladder.

As large a part as the Air Max 95 plays in my memories of childhood, I have never actually been able to decided whether I like them or not. It is one of the only pieces that I can think of that I have gone back and forth between time and time again. And so when I found out that the OG Solar Red colourway would be coming out this year, I knew that I had to get a pair to satisfy my curiosity. The truth is that I until I got this pair, I had never actually tried a pair on before. Nostalgia is a tricky business, and so when they arrived from Nike, and I pulled them out for the first time, it took me right the way back to being a little kid in school. I had not held a pair in over twenty years, and sitting there with them in my hands gave rise to an interesting mix of emotions. If I think about my interest and love of fashion and dress, then that pair of shoes that I sat there holding was arguably the first step that would define the direction of my life. I had never really thought about it in those terms before, but sitting there I realised that they were literally my earliest memory of having an awareness of the social and cultural value of a piece of dress. I remember the design, I remember the value, I remember the reputation, I remember the meaning, I remember everything that can surround a piece of dress to make it more than simply something you wear.

But like I said, nostalgia is tricky business, and the moment I put them on and saw myself in the mirror, I knew they had to go back. I usually look for garments where the meaning outweighs the design (i.e. I want clothes that mean something more to me than simply looking cool), but in this case, that skew was so heavily in the corner of meaning over design, it felt as if they were simply not for me. They felt comfortable on my feet, they looked pretty cool in the mirror, but I felt like I was wearing someone else's shoes. I think that the social and cultural meaning they hold in my mind are so great, that I feel as if I am wearing a piece of costume when I put them on. It is a difficult feeling for me to explain, but they belong to a life that I saw played out in front me, but thankfully not a life that I have ever lived. It is the same reason that I do not think that I could ever wear a pair of the patent leather America's Cup Prada sneakers. Some things are better left to those who lived it, or those who have no knowledge of it. I still think that they are a fascinating shoe, but they are just not for me. Even so, it was pretty cool to try on a pair for the first time - somewhere in my mind a five year old version of me had his jaw on the floor.

xxxx

Fusion Dance: Don C x Jordan Legacy 312

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Thu, 02 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Don C x Jordan Legacy 312
These new colourways release on August 11th

(product images via Hypebeast)

Many call it a travesty, but I can't help but love this shoe.

This year has been one of dramatic change and self-discovery for me. My personal relationship with fashion and dress over the past few months has most certainly been influenced by this, and so I find that my year in dress thus far has been about nostalgia. I have been trying to reconnect with the things that made me fall in love with clothing in the first place, and just follow my interests in a more organic fashion to focus on the things that truly excite me and make me feel happy. It has been an interesting journey, and I plan on sharing some of it here on the blog in the near future. I have been revisiting pieces and ideas that hold a personal connection for me, ostensibly in a methodological manner (it started off that way), but to be honest, I have been having so much fun with it, that I have simply been following where my gut takes me. Indeed one of the areas that I have really been reconnecting with and enjoying is sneaker culture. Sneakers were the gateway to fashion for me as a youngster, and continue to be my weakness. However this year has been the first time in a number of years that I have been following release dates, watching and reading reviews, and just getting a general feel for where things are now and how the culture continues to shift and change. To be honest it has been interesting from a more academic viewpoint as well, and, as I have shared before, I think that there really is so much that needs to be written about and studied when it comes to sneaker culture. And I do believe that it is a perfect time for researchers, because of the massive availability of data thanks to social media.

But today is not about statistical data or sociological perspectives, it is about a childhood fascination with sneakers. The Legacy 312 is the latest collaboration by Don C with Jordan brand, celebrating his hometown of Chicago, and the history of the Jordan sneaker line. It is essentially a fusion shoe, with an Air Jordan 1 upper, Air Jordan 3 sole, and the strap detailing taken from the Alpha Force Low, which Michael Jordan did actually wear between the Air Jordan 2 and Air Jordan 3. The 312 name is a reference to the downtown Chicago telephone area code. Don C wanted to pay homage to Chicago and the history of Jordan brand, and so took two of the most important sneakers from the line. The Air Jordan 1 can essentially be credited with transforming sneaker culture from an underground subculture, into a commodified "upperground" (to use Yuniya Kawamura's term) cultural phenomenon. However it was not until the Air Jordan 3 that Jordans in and of themselves gained the beginnings of the cultural cachet the brand enjoys today. Indeed it was the first Jordan sneaker to be designed by Tinker Hatfield, at a time where Michael Jordan was considering leaving Nike. They are perhaps most memorable for the fact that they were worn in advertisements by Spike Lee's character from She's Gotta Have It - Mars Blackmon. Whereas the Air Jordan 1 started brand Jordan, the Air Jordan 3 made the line a household name. And so it makes sense that Don C would pay respect to these two styles, which I think resulted in a really nice shoe.

I find it odd how protective Jordan fans get over the line, as if ignoring the fact that hideous sneakers like the Jordan 15 and 17 exist. A brand cannot survive on retro re-releases alone, and so I like the fact that they are willing to take risks and try something different. I suppose it is a generational thing more than anything else, because no doubt those who grew up watching Michael Jordan play, and remember getting the original releases, feel protective over their childhood memories. But even so, I do not see this sneaker as disrespecting that memory, I see it as a celebration, and as something entirely new. I do find it interesting seeing the generational differences in sneaker culture though, because to read accounts by collectors from the pre-Jordan era, many of them saw the Jordan as heralding the end of the golden age. This was no doubt due to the shift from underground to upperground. I guess each generation of fans see themselves as the truest fan, and so when changes happen, perhaps intended to cater for a newer audience, they see it as a threat to their emotional attachment. You see this in culture everywhere, from original Star Wars fans to early Rick Owens fans, where they are resistant to a newer audience and any perceived changes to what they believe to be the core identity of the brand or product.

For me personally, because I did not grow up watching basketball, Jordans were never a concrete object for me, but an idea. I have written about this in a post before, but essentially the brand name and general style of the shoes held more meaning to me as a child than the specific design details of the shoe. Of course later on I would come to learn more about each design and appreciate them from that perspective, but even so, it is obviously not the same thing as seeing them and wearing them as they came out. It is for that reason that I guess I love this sneaker, because removing the fact that it has Jordan branding, I think it is a cool looking basketball shoe, that reminds me of my childhood. It seems like something I would have seen Will Smith wearing on Fresh Prince, or something you would have seen on Saved By The Bell. My gut reaction to the shoe is purely aesthetic, and on that level I really enjoy it. But then to see the design language and recognise the references, it actually makes me appreciate it more on a historical and cultural level. I think that the Air Jordan 1 is the most important sneaker in history, and that the Air Jordan 3 is perhaps the most important for the brand, and so that fusion really is a celebration that I enjoy seeing. If you had asked me as a child what a basketball shoe should look like, this is pretty much what I would have imagined.

As seems to be the case these days, people absolutely hated this shoe and went in on it online, but on release day they sold out. I hope the people who bought them were fans, but no doubt the majority were resellers (no judgement here, I have flipped the occasional piece too). I do find it odd to consider the sneaker market as of late though, because hype sells, but it no longer seems to matter whether that hype is positive or negative. Now we could go deep into it and say that social media has cultivated an audience that thrives on extremes, because that is the only way to stand out in the torrential deluge of information on social feeds, but I think that it has always been the case in fashion. And then there is the fact that I really do like this shoe, and I am sure that there are many others who do too. With all the popularity of "ugly" sneakers these days, I think it would be very hard to release a shoe with such extreme styling that would not sell well, provided you made it a limited release. Fusions seem to be the name of the game lately, whether it be adding Vapormax soles to 90s Nike models, or Boost soles to whichever Adidas model. I guess it is a way of bringing older styles back into the market and reorienting it towards newer consumers who are too young to really remember, or have been able to enjoy, the originals. If that sounds familiar, it is because it is the cycle of fashion in a nutshell, and that is what these sneakers are - a fashion shoe, not a basketball shoe.

xxxx

Buying New Glasses: Bloobloom

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Sat, 07 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

I hate glasses shopping, but thankfully Instagram came to my rescue.

I have never really enjoyed the glasses shopping experience. I have worn glasses since I was about eleven or twelve, and because I am short sighted, they are the first thing I put on when I get up in the morning, and the last thing I take off when I go to sleep at night. I make sure to go for my eye test every two years, and invariably the optician tells me that I should buy new frames each time because my prescription has changed just enough that it would make a noticeable difference. They walk me over reverentially to the glasses display like it was a jewellery vault and they are selling me a diamond tiara. Of course the reality is that they simply walk me back to the front of the shop to shelves packed, row after row, with glasses that manage to look at once identical and yet increasingly hideous as your eyes move along. They then encourage me to try a pair on, which means taking off my glasses, along with which goes my gift of sight. So I try on a random pair, and then have to squint at my face a few inches from a mirror, under what I must assume is lighting designed to make you look as ugly as possible. The false lenses in the display pair are ridiculously reflective, and because they do not contain my prescription, they make my eyes look weirdly proportioned, and way too close together. The optician hovers over my shoulder like a crazed salesman telling me how brilliant I look, despite the fact that the frames are clearly designed for any face shape but my own, and I have a sneaking suspicion the other shoppers are giving me the confused Nick Young meme face. And so, either I get too anxious to speak up and end up buying a pair of glasses I know I will never wear, or hastily make an excuse and get out of there as quickly as I possibly can.

Thankfully the Internet came along, and for the past few years I have been buying glasses online. It has made my life easier because I get to try on several pairs from the comfort of my own home, take a few photographs, and see what feels right without the pressure of a sales floor. You can get opinions from other people, look at your face under normal lighting conditions, and generally have a more relaxed experience. Then again, I usually get a box with a few pairs in them, and can dismiss most the second I put them on, which means you end up with a lot of back and forth with various home trials. That was my experience with my previous pair of glasses from Cubitts, where I went through about four home trials to find the pair that I liked, and in the colour that I liked. And so I immediately went to Cubitts this time around to try and find a new pair of glasses, but unfortunately it appears as if it is only the one style of theirs that suits my face and head shape (the Herbrand for those curious). While they do come in multiple colours, some of which I liked, I wanted a slightly different shape, and so decided that I would have to look elsewhere. I was not really sure where to look, and so ended up on Google trying to find any and every shop based in the UK that offered a free home trial. There are a ton of options out there for those buying glasses online, but obviously the quality and pricing varies wildly, so it can be rather hit and miss.

I spent a few weeks going through various home trials, but could not seem to find anything that worked for me. Then one day I was scrolling through Instagram and a targeted advert came up for a glasses brand I had never heard of - Bloobloom. Just to be clear, I am the type of person who runs an adblocker on their web browser, and tries to block just about every ad I come across in mobile settings as well, because they are usually entirely irrelevant. But whatever user profiling and character analysis Instagram happens to use, worked its magic, and I saw a sponsored post in my feed that I was happy to click on to learn more. I saw a company based in the UK, who donate a pair of glasses to charity for each pair they sell, and offered free home trials. So I selected a few pairs that caught my eye, and they arrived promptly the next day. I tried on the various pairs and actually found two different styles that I liked, as opposed to a box full of duds, like I had been getting up to that point, which took me by surprise. That evening I settled on the style above, took a photograph of my prescription, and bought them. I posted the home trail back for free the next day. I ordered the glasses on a Thursday evening, and they arrived with my prescription that Saturday morning. Never in my life have I seen that quick a turnaround for a pair of prescription glasses, and so for that alone I have to recommend them. I have been wearing them for some weeks now, and have to say that the quality is great for the price. Both the frame and the prescription were comfortable right out of the box, and thankfully they come with anti-scratch and anti-reflection lenses, which they will replace for free within a year if you do happen to scratch them somehow.

Full disclosure: I bought these with my own money, had never heard of Bloobloom before, have had no contact with them outside of email confirmation of my order, and they had no idea that I was going to write this. Overall I would have to say it was the quickest and easiest glasses buying experience I ever had, and the fact that they also list a full breakdown of their pricing, as well as donate a pair to charity for each pair sold, means that I would be happy to go back and buy another pair from them in the future. So yeah, if you are UK-based and looking for a new pair of glasses, I would definitely recommend giving them a look.

xxxx

Interviews by the River: Kiko Kostadinov SS19

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Kiko Kostadinov

Spring/Summer 2019

This collection was easily the best that I have seen from Kiko Kostadinov.

They say that a person's home has a distinct smell apparent to everyone else except for the people living there. I think that it extends to people as well, in that I can know a person by their smell, even if they change the perfume they are wearing. Perhaps the same can be said for different cultures. Indeed to truly understand the full complexity of our own culture, it requires looking with outside (objective) eyes. But of course this process requires a comparison to be made to alternatives, which is to say that we come to know ourselves and our culture in relation to others. Fashion is perfectly poised to explore this dynamic, because references are often diverse and varied, marrying cultures and subcultures to create a new narrative and suggest new ideas.

With such a connected world as we now find ourselves in, I think that this process is more interesting than ever. This is because the vast majority of us are Internet citizens, which allows us exposure to a greater array of diversity than we may otherwise be able to encounter in the physical world. And yet, at the same time, information overload is a reality, and it is not hard to find designers who simply treat the catwalk like a Tumblr feed. Access to knowledge and access to ideas is easier than ever, and so I think that we are at an exciting juncture in terms of fashion and design, where creators are able to discover and experience a wider array of references and inspirations than ever before. I think that this collection was one such example of that, because it was so varied in inspiration, yet came together in what I thought was a rather beautiful and harmonious way.

Kostadinov was inspired by the German artist Martin Kippenberger, whose work ‘The Happy End of Franz Kafka’s “Amerika”’ (which, as the name suggests was an interpretation of Kafka's work), led him to consider men in an imaginary Bengal town on the River Ganges in different stages of job hunting. This Bengal inspiration was taken primarily from filmmaker Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy of films, which are some of the most important and iconic films in Indian cinematic history. The narrative of the trilogy, which serves as a coming-of-age story for the character of Apu, was mirrored by Kostadinov's collection with looks displaying various points in the job interview and job interviewee process. What I particularly enjoyed was that, even with an ostensible clash of diverse references, the collection never seemed heavy-handed in its inspiration. Because of my own background I responded primarily to the South Asian references, and yet these played alongside other references and inspirations to create something uniquely suited to the Kostadinov customer, wherever in the world they may happen to be.

I really liked the styling of the trousers in many of the looks, with what seemed to be an interpretation of a kurta pyjama, alongside a version of what was essentially a dhoti worn over trousers. Look in particular at the first look I have posted, where you see that wrapped dhoti-style hem, with the white kurta pyjama-style trousers underneath, or else the check materials that reminded me of the fabric you would see used for a lungi. I enjoyed the fact that the clothes for me looked at once foreign and homely. There were references I responded to strongly, whereas others would no doubt respond to others, such as the use of a motif taken from traditional Bulgarian carpets, with neither overpowering the looks in either direction. I think that fashion these days almost has to cater to a global audience where possible to thrive, and I think that this collection did exactly that. And even though the inspirations were a long way from those of his Autumn/Winter 2018 collection, I thought that the consistency in explorations of cut and construction, allowed for a nice development. Last season was about getting back to hobbies, and in much the same way you see that here with the film references, but married to the idea of work uniforms that Kostadinov has also previously explored.

I was excited to see a continuation of the Asics collaboration, with a new model removing the signature stripes and becoming the first Asics sneaker with a full Gel sole. While I think the clothes were the strong point of the collection, I enjoy the way Kostadinov collaborates with brands such as Asics and Camper to create footwear that compliments each collection, showing a strength of design ability that is highly promising for future collections. Overall as I wrote in the opening of the post, this is my favourite collection from Kostadinov, and I am excited to see the pieces in person when they hit the stores.

xxxx

10 Years Later

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Sun, 27 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

I would like to think that I have earned the right to call myself an old school fashion blogger, even though I am another decade or two away from being an OG. I started this blog as a teenager with next to no knowledge of fashion and dress. What I did have was a burning curiosity to learn about anything and everything connected to what we wear and why we wear it. It has been ten long years, and in that time life has taken me down paths that I would never have expected, but I am grateful for every single moment. Throughout it all my love of fashion and dress has continued to grow to a point where I decided that it was an avenue that I wanted to pursue academically. And not just studying for a few years, but something that I could dedicate my life to. I have been in hospital beds, barely able to move, reading books on fashion theory. I have been snowed under with deadlines and family issues, and escaped into a book on fashion history. It is something that I have barely scratched the surface of, even if I have been rubbish at sharing that passion fully here on the blog.

To use Rosie Findlay’s classifications, I most certainly consider myself a First Wave fashion blogger. She places the transition between First and Second Wave in the period between late 2008 and mid-2010, which I agree with, having experienced it first hand. Indeed it was towards the end of that period that I found myself in talks with a few companies, who seemed at the time to be signing up bloggers left, right and centre, as the shift began for blogging to become more industry. In a way blogging became the exact thing it had originally intended to provide an alternative to, but that was inevitable I suppose. Thankfully there are bloggers who made the transition successfully, and continue to provide a voice worth listening to, as well as exciting new blogs and websites that are well worth the time. For me monetisation and advertising is not something I have ever been comfortable with, and so I have always considered this blog more of a side project I do purely for the enjoyment. I always said that I would continue blogging for as long as I found it fun, and thankfully it is still somewhere I like to escape to so that I can simply share what I find interesting.

To pick up where Findlay left off, I think that we are currently in the middle of a Third Wave. The shift has occurred from personal style blogging to lifestyle blogging, with platforms such as Instagram and YouTube becoming the main avenues for promotion. Fashion is a visual medium, so it is perhaps unsurprising that such platforms would come to the forefront. In these spaces it is often not the individual voice that is the focus, it is not even the clothing, but it is the brand that is the focus. The way the individual and their lifestyle is portrayed online becomes the product and the brand being sold. It is what has allowed us to enter a world where influencers play such a major role in shifting the culture. Now arguably this has always happened in blogging, but I find that the shift from being able to identify with a blogger and seeing them as an actual person, to a finished glossy product that we aspire to become or live like, is the inevitability of the commodification that has occurred over the past several years. It is a fascinating evolution to watch, and while it is not one that I have actively taken part in, I nevertheless feel the tug.

I do actually think that it is an exciting time to be a blogger, or a podcaster, or simply post things you find interesting on Instagram. There are so many platforms for us to share what we love that I think that we all have the ability to express our own ideas and creativity more easily than ever. And while I do think that there is now a huge space for more personal voices and informed opinions to re-emerge, there are thankfully always voices out there worth listening to. I am not sure what this blog will read like in another ten years, but I know that this past ten years would have never been possible without each and every one of you. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart, I really cannot express what it means to me for someone to take even a few seconds out of their day to scroll through what I share with the world. I am excited to see what the next ten years of blogging brings.

Syed

xxxx

Pokemon Trainer: Sunnei AW18

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Mon, 14 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Sunnei

Autumn/Winter 2018

What does a Pokemon trainer's wardrobe look like?

I know that is a weird question, but what can I say, I think about these things. I have a habit when watching a film or playing a game to try and guess what the rest of a character's wardrobe looks like. It is something I tend to do in real life as well. When I am watching people on the street I try to imagine what it would feel like to wear their clothes, but also what other clothes they might own. Can I guess a wardrobe based on one outfit? How did that person feel buying those clothes and how do they feel wearing them? I am fascinated by the choices we make on a daily basis when it comes to our style and dress. This extends to fictional characters too. I know that quite a few film actors say they start with a pair of shoes they think that their character would wear and take it from there. When you know how the character walks, then other things tend to fall into place I suppose. Even as a child I remember watching cartoons and imagining what the rest of each character's wardrobe would look like (pour one out for The Weekenders, one of the few cartoons in which characters actually changed their clothes).

Like most people my age I was absolutely obsessed with Pokemon when it first burst onto the scene here in the UK. I remember watching the cartoon, playing and collecting the cards, and clocking in a hefty amount of hours (as well as working my way through a ton of batteries) on my Gameboy Pocket playing Pokemon Red. As with many others I was filled with nostalgia when Pokemon Go came out, because it was all the original Pokemon. I never quite caught up with all the new generations of Pokemon, but I still remember lovingly levelling up the waste of space that was flailing Magikarp to get a Gyrados, and how much time I spent reading each and every sign, and talking to each and every NPC in the game. I miss that level dedication to games if I am honest, I have never really gotten into any game in my adult life the way I did as a child.

Anyhow, a Pokemon obsession also meant that I naturally thought about what Pokemon trainers would wear. We saw what Ash, Misty and Brock wore in the cartoons, but that was usually only ever one standard outfit. Things were however somewhat expanded with the artwork on Pokemon cards, and the artwork that came with the Gameboy games. Nowadays it would seem that they wear very sleek sportswear, looking like bike messengers more than anything else. Although given how expensive bikes were in the games, perhaps it is a status symbol akin to wearing head-to-toe Gucci or something. Trainers are competitive by nature, after all the opening line to the theme tune was "I wanna be the very best", so some manner of impression management through clothing would be hardly surprising. But if we take a sportswear uniform for granted when it comes to attending Pokemon gyms and battling it out, then what would the rest of their wardrobe look like?

I have always assumed that Pokemon trainers would hardly be the type to shy away from bold colours, but then, they also would not be able to get away with wearing a bright red tracksuit for all occasions. And if we assume that most trainers are relatively young, then how would their wardrobe evolve over time? Say they retire from being a trainer and want to settle down, or else they head up their own gym and are no longer roaming the wilds for new Pokemon. The wardrobe would no doubt mature along with those changes in life, and so I have always assumed that there would have to be a relatively formal section to their wardrobes. When looking at a character, or indeed a person on the street in real life, I often find myself imagining two extremes - what their most formal outfit looks like, and what their most relaxed outfit looks like.

Thus we come to this Autumn/Winter 2018 collection by Sunnei, which was one that made me think of the Pokemon trainer's wardrobe away from the gym or dark cave in search of Zubats. The hats made me think of Jamiroquai doing a music video about Dr Seuss, and so they were quite a fun stylistic element for me. I enjoyed the bold colours and laid back ease of the looks I have posted here, although there were other looks with fringing and other overworked details that I have left out because they did not convince me. It almost seemed at little gimmicky at times. My favourite look is actually the pyjama blue suit, which actually made me imagine the model walking down the catwalk holding a Pokeball (if for no other reason than I wanted to see a pop of red somewhere on that look). Overall I think that the jackets and outerwear were my personal highlight from the collection, and so I am looking forward to hopefully being able to check those out in stores next season.

xxxx

Feel First

noreply@blogger.com (Syed) — Sat, 21 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000

The Science of Feel - Dr Tom Waller
Business of Fashion

How do the clothes on your body feel right now? I am fascinated by the sensory experience of dress, and so hearing someone talk about designing from "feel" as a starting point definitely has me interested. Approaching the topic from the perspective of performance clothing, I think that Dr Waller raises ideas surrounding our everyday experience of dress that are worth thinking about. He uses the example of people having a pair of lucky socks, or an equivalent in their wardrobe, and how that feeling of confidence may actually stem from the physical sensations and sensory experience of that garment. Lately I have really been thinking about the balance between clothing that hugs the body and clothing that flows around the body, and how I can best combine both in an outfit in such a way that feels comfortable but functional. I like having a full range of movement while clothed, and while I do enjoy interior garments fitting closely and feeling soft against the body, I like when exterior garments flow around the body in movement. At the same time I have been wearing some more fitted garments in general lately, and it provides an interesting contrast to the baggier clothing I wore throughout the majority of Winter. There is a certain elegance to the sleekness that I enjoy. However I am always tempted to disrupt the silhouette with something wider for a contrast, not just because of how it looks, but also because of how the outfit feels in movement. There is something interesting in having a loose top and tighter trousers, or vice versa, because that dynamic from a sensory perspective provides an enjoyable contrast.

xxxx