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CONSIDER THE CRAVATS CREAMED. | TSY FANS ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD

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We are slowly but surely closing in on world domination, TSY fans.  First DETAILS, now The Cravats. Next on our agenda– the masculinization of the metrosexual menswear media at large.  Line ’em up, we’ll knock ’em down.  We are going to grow hair where it’s never been thought possible.  We are going to get dirt under the nails of buttery soft hands up and down Spring Street.  We are going to infiltrate the ranks and take over from the inside out.

Think I’m joking?  Of course I am.  Put first things first, is all I’m sayin’– like your life over your stuff, for starters.  You want to fetishize over red chambray, Red Wings and other red hipster shit?  Go right ahead. Nothin’ wrong with that.  As for TSY—  We are going anti-brand / pro-balls, baby.  That’s right– live it. You are the brand.

Did McQueen make the Persols, or did the Persols make McQueen?  Think anyone is drawing a parallel between you and McQueen because you’re wearing Persols?  Just you.  Promise– you’re the only one thinking it.  Do you see what I’m sayin’?  Take back your life.  Make it about more worthwhile endeavors, and the style will follow.  Style is a great complement to substance– but it sure the hell ain’t a substitute for it.  There is no shortcut.  Just a long line of wannabes.  How you live your life is your brand.

Let the world feel the weight of who you are– they can worry about what you wore when you’re dead.

Thank y’all for your votes and support.  Thank you EveryGuyed for the honor.

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Here’s the ironic part– This is the 2nd time this year that TSY has won top honor in the “Best Menswear Blog” category.  And always the response from fans is– “I didn’t know this was a ‘menswear’ blog?” And I’m twenty years in the menswear business.

That doesn’t bother me at all.  In fact, I dig it.  Life is about balance, and creativity is about pulling inspiration from different areas– not the same ol’ same ol’ all the time.  What inspires me? Relentless human spirit and heart, the stitching on a motorcycle seat, the smell of gasoline, the patina of an old baseball glove, improvising with what you have, the fact that we’ll never have all the answers to life, watching my kids marvel at something I’ve come to take for granted– which causes me to rediscover and marvel at it all over again too.  That’s a pretty good start.

Nowhere in there does it say Ralph Lauren or Tom Ford.  It shouldn’t.  You don’t stare at the sun to find it, you feel it around you.  You experience it.  You watch how it causes the grass to grow, and the paint to fade.  You soak it in, live with it, and then let it seep out of you in ways that are natural, uncontrived, all your own.  If you want to learn about menswear, start by living it.  Not through a blog, but through your dreams and aspirations.  Learn about art, and history, and mechanics, and music, and mankind.  Learn it all– and then forget it.

Menswear at its best is when necessity, inspiration, and quality come together creatively in a way that’s all at once– a nod to the past, with an eye towards the future.  Give me something I can use– that feels familiar, and shines like brand new, with a lil’ something unexpected.  That’s what I say.

Honestly there are a lot of “menswear” blogs out there– many better than TSY for pure menswear-driven content.  I could rattle off a list and you’d agree.  But reading them bores me to tears.  I don’t mean that as a putdown.  See– nothing kills something faster than beating it to death.  (Yes, that makes total sense– and yes I just made that up.  Totally poured out, feels good.  Carry on.) And the last thing I want to ever do here at TSY is beat anything to death.  That’s why it feels like we’re flying by the seat of our pants sometimes– because we are.  I like that feeling.  Hope you do to.  And you might learn a thing or two about menswear along the way.  It’s all relevant.  It’s all interconnected.  It’s all good.

Thanks for coming along on the ride.  If you’re reading this, maybe you’re a kindred spirit.

Cheers,

JP

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31 thoughts on “CONSIDER THE CRAVATS CREAMED. | TSY FANS ARE THE BEST IN THE WORLD”

  1. congrats – well deserved! Without question my favorite site. However, the anti brand dialogue is easier said then done. We design, produce and sell products that could potentially appeal to your readership as well as many others. Tell me how to get the mesage out without falling into the brand trap. Our products are our own, it is our spirit, our culture what we like but people keep telling us they like our “Brand”?!?! We are motorbikers (35 yrs), several long long trips under our belt eg: (Italy to Tasmania: 8months/40,000k’s), its real but its a “Brand”.

    • I don’t see any conflict. Be genuine and true to yourself, in what you produce, and respect those around you.

      Of course it’s a brand. We are all a brand.

  5. I’ve been following this blog for over a year now. The thing I love most about it is that when I come here I’m not normally searching for anything in particular but most of all, I come because I know that I’ll certainly find something I’ll love. Somedays I found myself browsing the blog’s archives in frenzy style. Those days are over now, because I’ve sucked it all already, there’s nothing left but the weekly new posts to explore.

    I still find missing though, and this is an old reinvindication, some archives about italian vintage scooters, and the style associated with it. Now that you already have beaten to death Steeve Mcqueen and american bikers, it might be a good fresh new gold mine to explore.
    Keep up the excelent work, my support will always be here.

    Stay cool J.P.

  7. Congrats!

    Really diggin’ the blog. Lately the Kustom Kulture posts have totally piqued my interest. The look into Kenny Howard(Von Dutch)’s life is incredible.

    and btw, best photo spreads on the internet, right here. Quality, resolution and content are through the roof.

    Best of Luck in the New Year!
    Peter

  8. TSY is about menwear, because men wear our entire being on ourselves. It’s more than what we pick from our closet, our accessories are our actions, our travels and our choice of transportation. Our fragrance is sometimes a mix of race gas, a BBQ joint and pool cue chalk with a hint of gunpowder. Other times it can be a cigar, a peaty scotch or the bubbles from champagne mingled with the Chanel #5 of our date. TSY reports on all these things and the sum of it is menswear. Keep up the great work.

  9. Congrats on winning. I’ve only been following this blog for about 5 weeks now, but it is most definitely more than just a “menswear” blog.
    And thanks for the brilliant post about being your own brand. That line of thinking is in serious danger of disappearing under an avalanche of marketing.

    • Thanks, man.

      In regard to – “That line of thinking is in serious danger of disappearing under an avalanche of marketing.”

      Kick against the (marketing) pricks!

      If we don’t stand for somethin’ – we’ll fall for anything.

  10. Amen. And congratulations!

    I have to say, the thing I like most about this blog is that it truly is about the people, and not the things.

    So again, I say congratulations. It is very well deserved.

    MB

  15. Hell, Bob Evans started life as half of Evan-Picone Menswear. He seemed to move seamlessly (no pun intended) into quite the Mover/Shaker of Our Time. As Producer of “The Godfather”, “Chinatown”, and “Marathon Man” (among many Classics ) he eloquently captured a vision of American masculinity I see reflected on these pages daily. No, I never tried the slacks, but we shall bask in his (and your) unique take on what it means to be Male, American, and Unbowed for years to come.
    Congrats, J.P. , and keep it coming…

  16. Congrats from a woman who is as comfortable in my roller derby gear as I am in my little black dress, and love men who get as much out of life as I do. I love this blog and can’t get enough. Keep it comin’!

  17. Congrats ! ! !

    TSY is to me, more than anything, very very inspiring, it is a constant reminder of what is worth in life.

    I totally agree, I’m my brand, I try at least, maybe that’s part of the brand too.

    Thanks for been there.

    Greetings from Argentina.

  20. Man, I am so late for this…CONGRATULATIONS!!

    The Selvedge Yard is, *without question*, the best blog out there. I find your point of view to be more suitable to my tastes; there’s *substance* here. Thought-provoking, entertaining and informative–>Good sh*t!! You get my vote any time. You should be proud.

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