And also because my lovely friend Jodi of tickleandhide fame asked me to do some illustrations for her adorable shop. While we were nutting out the details (in between cups of tea and cooing over fabric) she explained her whole philosophy of clothing, how it exists in this weird intersection between creativity and necessity, self-expression and consumerism. She said that now clothes are so cheap and essentially disposable, we've got wardrobes full of bargains that we never want to wear, and the real cost of that $7 pair of Guatemalan-made Kmart jeans is hidden from us. So I've been drawing little pink ballet flats and painting stripy little watercolour hats and reading a lot of menswear blogs.
It seems like with menswear the focus is on utility and versatility more than creativity and trendiness. In the forums and blogs I've been reading, the emphasis is on well-made "pieces" that you can easily pair together, fit well, and that'll be in good nick and good style for years. While I'm a little amused by the preoccupation the male fashion lot have with hammering down "the rules" in tutorials and infographics, one thing menswear seems to grasp more than women's fashion is the actual value of clothing as a handmade object. Check out this guy who makes jeans:
Isn't that awesome?! And you know how much this guy's jeans cost? $340. But once you see the video it makes sense that they'd cost $340. There's a real human being doing real work behind a real machine in that $340. And even though Roy's Jeans are a niche product made by a one man operation, now that I have seen the video I have no idea how the big box stores cram all that into $10.
The other thing about menswear is that it's also really fucking cool. When done right it's all about subtle details and fit. Check these guys out:
Saville Row besties Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh. Never in my life will I ever look that sharp.
More here.
I like the structured, simple silhouettes, rough textures, and clean, muted palettes.
The further I went down this tweed rabbithole, the more interested I became in the actual construction and engineering of clothes. I guess it leads back to the invisibility of design - the fact that we take something like a t-shirt for granted without it ever dawning on us liminally that someone actually had to sit down and figure out how to put the pieces together. I found this absolutely incredible blog, The Cutting Class, that is apparently curated by a friggin' genius. They analyse fashion shows and pinpoint the construction details, explaining the craft and history behind each and every buttonhole and raglan shoulder, and relate it to the philosophy of that particular collection, designer, and brand. It is so easy to dismiss fashion as shallow, self-indulgent and wasteful but here it's plain to see that it's absolutely an artform. The whole blog is a celebration and affirmation of the skill and craftsmanship of creating clothes. If you need convincing check out the post on Alexander McQueen's last collection. Right there's some of the most beautiful pieces of anything I've ever seen in my entire life.
Ok ok, so we can't all wear Alexander McQueen. But it goes to show that clothes can be beautiful, clothes can be well crafted, clothes can express something other than the need to keep your skin warm. And maybe it isn't a waste of money to buy something nice that actually fits from someone who cares about what they're doing. I think this whole post might have been a longwinded self-justification for being able to buys some new pants...
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