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This picture (and the flood of comments on The Sartorialist praising it) has been bugging me all week. Maybe it’s me. Could be that I’ve become old and irrelevant. Could be that the years in the ‘burbs have completely dulled my edge. I have to be completely honest here– when I look at this ensemble, I see a total train wreck. It doesn’t work on any level for me, or reflect sartorial style or skill– unless your intent is to overtly mock the fashionistas, then it totally works. Obviously The Sartorialist’s readers see something that I don’t with this gentleman’s get-up– something beyond me. They love it. Love the “subdued cool”, “discreet details”, “brilliant”, and so on. Huh, go figure.
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If it’s funky mixing of patterns we’re after, I can think of a much better example–
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Kirk Douglas displaying the subtle art of mixing patterns with a much more subtle and dapper effect by choosing patterns that complement, not compete– but you have to know the rules. The Glen plaid acting very much like a solid in terms of scale and color, adds interest and texture where it would have been just as easy to pair the bold plaid with a solid grey flannel trouser and call it a day.
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The Selvedge Yard 
What annoys me about it is that the plaid doesn’t match going over the sleeve. Doesn’t anybody know how to cut a pattern for a match stripe anymore?
As far as pattern matching subtleties, I’m not wild on the KD example and like the former better which is not to say I think it’s brilliant or anything.
I like the outfit that the Sartorialist put up. I don’t love it. The jacket fits well, at least. But overall, I prefer someone to have one or two “interesting” bits in an outfit, or else it looks like a costume. This outfit, while I think it does work, doesn’t really look like it was carefully thought out, it seems as though what he picked up just happens to work. Effortless can be a good look sometimes, but I like it more when someone looks put together, and you know it took thought to do so, but they wear it effortlessly.
Actually, the one thing I appreciate is the muted mixture which behaves as a camo.
Must say the fit of the jacket is what looks tired, and the Miami rolled sleeves look almost as unfortunate as the cruddy cliché of the flipped-up lapels.
And what about the trinket pinned to the jacket chest on the opposite side of the pocket in some misdirected attempt to balance; ack, ack… what a maroon!
I’ll give this guy the benefit of the doubt and pretend the plaid on plaid is a “statement about fashion”, but what bothers me the most is that pocket sqaure…take that badboy down a few notches…it just looks…well…bad.
“Get up” is right.
If I saw this dummy at a cocktail party I’d walk away but constantly keep tabs on his location. That way I could take cover or beat feet when he freaks out on everyone.
Kirk Douglas…
oh my… i looove you for that shot….
xoxo
The clothes might not be great, but clearly this guy could be rocking pajamas and he’d still look fly. I don’t think you can separate the man from the outfit.
I think the guy looks great! It’s not always about what you wear but how you wear it. I could not see kirk douglas pulling this off. To kirk’s benefit or detriment not sure but this looks like a pretty coordinated effort to me. Matching Cap/trousers, muted tones, individual style quirks. I mean are you not supposed to wear a glen plaid coat with glen plaid trousers? He’s obviously doing something right because he was there being photo’d and not sitting at home blogging about it.
I respectfully disagree–
It’s about what you wear and how you wear it, actually.
JP
Yeah, not feeling this too much but he seems like he has a fly personality. He’s wearing it like he has a ton of fun, and also owns the world, and that’s way more important than the clothes themselves.
90% of the pictures on that website are of train wrecks. It is definitely a “fashion” website.
I really hope this dude was mocking the crowd….who knows, thats why I called it class. Because I was hoping he was mocking the crowd. I’m sure he wasn’t though.
What’s with the popped collar? You can’t pop a collar on a vintage blazer – especially one with a felt backing!
I never see negative comments on the Sartorialist. I once left a comment the simply said, “he looks like an idiot” and it was never published. And, if you saw the fool in his little schoolboy outfit, those words would have been the first to come into your mind. I’m not saying he edits out all negatives, but there sure is a lack of them.
He edits as many as he can. I don’t know the guy, but going by his propensity to delete comments he dislikes and by interviews with him that I have read, Schuman seems like a complete asshole.
a couple of days ago i put up a comment about luca(a guy with a mess of colors on) about how he looked a mess and the poor fit of his jacket. his “fans” were appalled and started to question what i was currently wearing and labeled me a skinny jeans wearing hipster. i was amused. his photos are hit or miss at best. i enjoy his gf’s photos much more(garance dore)
PS for a while he would not post negative comments. i started noticing that he would post only my positive comments and not my negative ones. guess he like sunshine blown up his ass…
They’re a bunch of lemmings over there.
JP
I would pay no attention to his comments because he edits then. Scott “sartorialist” seams like a major Asshat.
Don’t much care for the outfit — definitely on costume/gimmicky side, but as someone said previously, this guy could be rocking pajamas and he’d still look fly.
it’s a classic case of either you get it or you don’t. you don’t get it and that’s OK.
The trick to spending any time on the Sart is to look at the photos, form your own opinion, and move on. Do not, under any circumstances, read the comments. They are a pseudo-intellectual/existentialist circle jerk.
Truer words have never been spoken.
JP
Zissou-
Thanks for your comment, and just want to set something straight for everyone–
I have nothing against the gent in the picture, but it did seem amusing to me in a larger sense.
The media (mags, TV, movies, blogs, etc.) have created this sick cycle of regurgitating fashion/trends/lifestyles/looks that are endlessly upchucked to the extent of becoming bad caricatures of the original… which is what I say in that picture. And I can think of endless other examples.
Your buddy Chronoaug over at Style Forum is not a fan I take it. No worries, I’m a big boy and can take criticism.
http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=131495&page=216
What bugs me is his statement about nostalgia being useless– to say that is profoundly ignorant. What a sad, empty perspective, in my humble opinion. I think he grossly overstated it.
If he really reflected on those words, I think he’d realize just how silly that sounds. If you don’t have an appreciation and understanding of the past, then how is the present put into proper perspective and weighed?
Seems to echo the values of today’s vapid society that has no regard for those who came before them…
Cheers,
JP
Well said, JP. While I wouldn’t be seen wearing what the man pictured above has on, I can definitely respect someone who ‘does their own thing’. I actually think the Sart photos can be interesting from a purely aesthetic standpoint, and several of the subjects clearly have style, at least in my opinion. It’s just the gushing of praise that comes from so many people (along with deletion of negative comments) that kills me. The comments (from both Schuman and the readers) on this post ruined it for me:
Not Giving Up at the top of the page
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html
Considering how difficult life/survival sometimes is these days, on a personal level or as a society, I often look to the past for comfort. Like I said over on SF, nostalgia is one of the few things that keeps me going these days…
p.s.- and I edited my words over there to convey my actual intent, which was not criticism of the discussion here.
JP:
Your last comment really gets at the core of my issue with a few of sart’s shots and almost all of the comments. Worse, most aren’t even aware that these things are being recycled. What to you and I seems a hideous parody seems to them “clever” and perhaps a bit “retro.”
Incidentally, I’m amused that the commentors found three unmatched glen plaids “discreet” or “subdued.” To me it’s a veritable sartorial shouting match. Also, as I think about it, I’m more and more troubled that the plaid on his pants doesn’t match across the fly. To have it be so blatant, one would have to do it intentionally or be extraordinarily careless.
I agree with you. And Sart doesn’t publish negative comments – at all. I’ve definitely left my share, and he only allows the ass-kissing ones to be seen.
Honestly, the worst I’ve seen on his blog were the trite ones like this: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/2009/08/on-streetsoho-bike-nyc.html
Basically mall style. I just wish he didn’t take credit for OTHER people’s style, and would remember that he just photographs these fashionable people, and doesn’t dress them in the morning.
Anyways, love your blog!