Sunday, March 2, 2008

This one's for the boys

It should be obvious that the intended audience for this blog is males 18 to 25 years of age who like video games and drinking beer. The whole reason we started blogging is to help bring espadrilles and lockets to dudes all over America, and I think that, so far, it's all been an unqualified success. Every day when I'm walking down the street I get stopped by college guys who say, "Thank you for that post on wrap dresses. It saved my life." At this point I've heard it so often that I'm like, "Yeah, whatever, I know." But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop bringing pretty, dainty jewelry to our male readers, so don't despair!

Today's topic is coats and jackets. First off, don't just throw on a North Face fleece and think you're done. I don't care if they're warm and comfortable, because they are the laziest pieces of outerwear ever created. They're the Uggs of outerwear. You can do better than that.

Every guy needs a good peacoat, and it's even better if it's in navy blue or dark green instead of black. This one, from the Gap, is waxed cotton-- I like the winter-y style in the spring-y fabric. This is the jacket you should wear when the weather is in the 50's and you'd normally be wearing a hoodie but recently decided not to be a slub. Also, check out the lighter-blue striped shirt underneath, with the color poking out. That's good styling. The Waxed-Cotton peacoat is $88.

When I first started this post I looked at the Sartorialist for inspiration, to try and figure how men's fashion can ever be not boring. This is one of the first photos that caught my eye, and you should go see it full-size so you can check out the greenish-grey sweater poking out underneath, and the single pin on his chest.

That jacket is similar to the Military jacket, $88, also from the Gap. I think all guys will agree that it's good to have a jacket with lots of pockets so you never run out of places to put condoms. It only comes in "ginseng brown," though.

As I'm searching for more jackets, I'm having a hard time deciding whether I actually like that piece of clothing or I just think the model's cute. Like, how cute is this guy and how boring is his jacket? He looks like a model-y version of the guy in the T-Mobile commercial who keeps leaving messages for the girl he went on a date with last night, like "Hey, sorry I was sweating so much last night, it's a gland thing..." I love that guy! But I hope he would have more sense than to buy a $68 hoodie from Banana Republic in a color called "groundhog heather" (what a bunch of queerballs).

You guys, I've been working on this post all morning and I'm about to fall asleep from boredom. Men's fashion fucking blows. But I'm going to take some caffeine pills and keep going, all for Ariel.

This is a pretty nice coat, I guess. From Toscano, it's called the "Walking Coat," $298, so there's no running or jumping allowed. It's mostly wool (warm) with a hint of cashmere (soft).

I love jackets with toggles, even though I understand they can be kind of a pain to fasten and unfasten. But they have a very "tailgating at the big game" feel, which appeals to fun college girls. It's by Marc New York and it's $159 at Bluefly.

I can't say for sure, but I think I'd be really into a crisp white coat on a guy. It could be a little overly foppish, but it could also signal the kind of confidence that comes with high dry-cleaning bills. Especially if the coat was Burberry. This peacoat is $650, but once people catch a glimpse of the Burberry plaid under the collar, it'll be so worth it.

Men's jackets can be so boring, but then you find something with a really fun, surprising detail and everything is good again. The Manolo for the Men blog did a post on this Paul Smith jacket whose lining is a map of London. I couldn't find it anywhere online, but that's the sort of thing you should be on the look-out for if you want a distinctive coat.

I think that's enough men's fashion for today. I'll leave you off with some more coat inspiration, from the Sartorialist and elsewhere:

This kid is totally the douche in your film class who won't shut up about auteur theory and you hate but are secretly attracted to. You'll see him smoking outside of Cantor and hate his sunglasses and skinny jeans, but if he asked you to go see an unknown band in Williamsburg you would probably say yes.


Did you see on the Oscars Red Carpet when Ryan Seacrest told George Clooney, "People used to want to be Cary Grant, but now everyone wants to be you." And Clooney smoothly said, "Well, that's because he's dead and no one wants to be dead." WHY IS HE WASTING HIS LIFE WITH A WOMAN WHO ATE A SCORPION ON NATIONAL TELEVISION?

4 comments:

Ella Deneuve said...

I was reading an issue of Details while getting my hair cut last week, and there was a model in one of the fashion spreads wearing a cream coat, cream cardigan, and crisp white dress shirt. Perfection. Obviously it's a little too late with spring on the way, but next year I totally want to feminize that look.

The point of that story is to explain that I, too, would totally go for a white coat on a guy.

This post is great, but one important thing is missing: CHUCK BASS.

Also, I know I've told you this, but I'd like everyone else to know as well that I'm going to marry the film douche from The Sartorialist,

Ryan said...

I really liked the peacoat from the gap, the jacket in the second photo, and the on bu Marc New York (though the toggles would be a hassle. I don't think I could wear that white peacoat though, and that banana republic hoodie is just dumb. Also, I support cool linings.
Finally, those trendy film kids get on my nerves but if I wanted to avoid them I probably should have to school in like Minnesota.

REL said...

julia, unfortunately, I am not secretly attracted to the film douche in my class who never shuts up.

Amanda said...

This is my first time reading your blog... and I LOVE it!!! Keep it up! Finally, something I can lean over and say "See honey, THIS is how you're SUPPOSED to dress" lol. Now I really just want to go to Nordstrom on my lunch break.