I'm Starting A Brand!

This is very exciting news. I can finally be one of the many fashion kids who attempts to start a brand, printing unoriginal designs on Gildan tees and hoodies.

Just kidding, I'm not that jaded, though that's the reality of "Streetwear Start-ups".

A good friend and I have begun the process of creating a brand with a real identity and purpose. We're focusing on very interesting, unique designs and working on coming up with a brand message. It's in its infant (pretty much fetal) stage right now, but I'm hoping to get it up and running by next semester. We've already got sample tees being printed!

I won't reveal too much detail, you can see for yourself once things start rollin'.

The brand is called Yours, Ever. Look out for it in 2017.

Me in a sample tee (that rhymed!)

Recent Pickups: Supreme, Levis Vintage Clothing, Rick Owens

What's good! I hope everyone's holiday went well. I spent a lot of money on clothes during Black Friday, which probably comes as no surprise.

Levis Sherpa Trucker Jacket

Absolutely classic, vintage staple piece. Cozy AND stylish, what more can you ask for. I wear the jacket in the next few pictures.

Supreme "Just Say No" Tee

It says, "Why not get together with some friends soon and say NO! Say no to racists, to sexist pigs, to authority figures, to religion; say no to television, patriotism, political ideologies, any of the thousand and one ways in which this society keeps you from realizing your own needs and desires. You'll find that when you do it, you'll like it!
Just say 'FUCK OFF'
You'll get a lot of satisfaction."

Supreme released a politically charged t-shirt during their last drop, saying NO to racism, sexism, homophobia, and political ideologies, donating all proceeds from the shirt to the American Civil Liberties Union. You go, Supreme.

Rick Owens Ramones

Rick Owens created his iconic "Ramone" sneaker silhouette as an homage to the iconic Chuck Taylor design by Converse. The difference here being the premium materials, massive size increase, and the zippers on the side.

I've wanted these shoes for forever and a day. And of course, I size down a half size (as advised by the internet), and now have very expensive designer shoes that hurt my feet and are too small. Oh well, live and learn. I'll be trying to trade up for a bigger size. At least I got those cool fit pics.

Songs listened to while writing this post:

Just a whole bunch of Sinatra

Recent Pickups: Raf Simons, Supreme

Hey all, 

It's been a while since I bragged about the clothing that I've bought recently ;)

In all seriousness, my pickups have slowed down quite a bit. I've been focusing on purchasing quality pieces over quantity, which is a better practice (I'd rather not support these fast fashion retail giants, like Zara and H&M) but much more expensive. Here's the couple pieces I've picked up in the past few weeks. 

Supreme Child of Hell Sweater

As you can tell from these pictures, I love this sweater. While it might seem overly edgy, I love the design, and the red text on black looks amazing. Definitely an underrated Supreme piece. It's also hella warm. 

Raf Simons Shooter Tee

Shirt: Raf Simons
Pants: Undercover
Shoes: Raf Simons x Adidas

Fam, this shirt is intense. Probably the most expensive tee I've ever bought, but definitely worth it. Very high quality yet lightweight. Raf Simons filled his SS15 collection with personal references, as he has with many of his recent collections. This T-shirt features a multicoloured floral print, and a black and white vinyl print of a photo of his parents from over 50 years ago. A more recent Raf Simons tee, these outfit pictures got me featured on Grailed Fits of the Week. Shoutout my boy Adam for photo creds. 

Songs listened to while writing this post:

Foreign 2 - King Krule

Ceiling - King Krule

Baby Blue - King Krule

About Jackets

Since it's getting cold out, and I'm currently skipping all my classes today (because I'm sick) I wanted to talk about jackets. There are so many kinds of jackets out there and these are just a few of my recommendations if you wanna keep it #trendy and #stylish all while being warm. It really all comes down to personal preference though.

Bomber Jackets

Alpha Industries Iconic MA-1 Flight Jacket

Bomber Jackets have been around for almost 70 years. Originally introduced as standard issue Air Force and Navy pilot jackets, bombers are insulated, technical and can be used for many different purposes. The orange lining still present in most bombers was used as a way for grounded pilots to reverse their jackets and act as a rescue signal. Many bombers in the 50's featured straps and harnesses for parachutes and headset wiring. Now, bombers are simple and streamlined, and available to the general public. Fashion, especially streetwear, has always taken inspiration from military clothing, and bombers may be the most used silhouette in this regard.

Raf Simons SS03 Consumed Bomber (Archive piece, cheapest you'll find this is like ~8000 dollars)

Bombers have been adopted into high fashion (see Raf bomber above), they can be dressed up or down, and they go with most outfits. A good quality bomber is a wardrobe essential and it'll keep you warm all fall/winter long. 

My favorite bomber:

Alpha Industries

Parkas

Undercover 05 Gira Parka (this is really out of everybody's price range though)

You can find parkas anywhere. They're another military jacket that have found their way into fashion and have stayed relevant for years. They are another staple jacket and can be incorporated into any outfits. I personally like combining parkas with just some denim, a tee or hoodie/sweater and high tops. Super easy to wear, and can really be thrown over anything. I especially like fishtail parkas, with really long drawstrings :)

Long Wool Coats

Just some Camel wool coat

Do you wanna look super #stylish and #trendy forreal?? Just pick up a long, camel or grey colored wool coat from your local thrift and layer it like this guy is doing! In all seriousness, I really like these coats' silhouettes, and throw one on with a hoodie, sweater and some black denim and you've got a pretty slick outfit. These coats aren't very hard to find at all, and won't really ever go out of style.

You can buy a grey one from Topman here.

STAY COZY FAM

Rick Owens Makes Clothing For Goth Ninjas

You thought I was kidding.

I love Rick Owens. He is one of the greats when it comes to fashion designers of the 21st century. If you like dressing conservatively, you probably won't rock with Rick's designs so much. His dark, flowy, future-goth aesthetic is as insane(ly cool) as it is iconic. He is the godfather of "brutal chic". His last three collections were called: 

• SS17 WALRUS
• FW16 MASTODON
• SS16 CYCLOPS

Which is cool as hell. 

Walrus

Mastodon

Cyclops

The man himself, Tricky Ricky

I can keep lauding over Rick, but I'll give some background and real facts. Owens is a designer originally from Porterville, California, though he spends most of his time nowadays in Europe. He studied fashion design at Otis College of Art and Design in LA. He eventually dropped out and began his journey into the fashion world by making knock offs of designer clothing, not knowing he would eventually make designer clothing that gets knocked off. He designs both women and menswear. Owenscorp (his company) made about $120 million in revenue back in 2014. This just goes to show his impact on the industry, and the colossus that he has created.

Lenny Kravitz head to toe in Rick

In the streetwear scene (god I cringe just saying that sometimes) Rick is ever present in his sneakers. Geobaskets and Ramones specifically. His monstrous, powerful homages to Nike and Converse shoes are his most popular sneaker silhouettes. I also want both but I don't have $2000 to spend.

Geobaskets

Ramones

That's a little background on one of my favorite designers. 

About Jeans

Listen, if I can't see your sneakers because your jeans are too baggy, something is very wrong with your pants. I don't care if you don't rock with skinny jeans, Bootcut is dead, and unless you're actually wearing work boots and need to wear Bootcut jeans for their functionality then I don't want to hear it. Pants are an integral part of any outfit and their proportions should match the rest of your outfit, rather than throw the entire bottom half off. 

C'mon Mr. President!

A good taper to your pants will automatically make your whole outfit look better and you will look less like a dad who shops "exclusively at Macy's™".

If you don't fit into slim or skinny fit tapered denim, you can at least get your dad jeans tapered a little and hemmed to fit you. Tailors work magic everyday. 

See how these jeans sit right on top of this dude's shoes? Nice.

If you're into stacking, tailoring your pants can help you achieve that effect.

Here's a picture of my AF1 Flax Highs with some SICC tapered denim stacks.

Probably the best example of well tailored denim I can find is A$AP Rocky's perfectly fitted Dior denim flow (at least I think it's Dior denim).

This fit is so fire, and also these jeans probably cost more than my entire wardrobe.

This is pretty much just a rant about people who don't need to wear Bootcut jeans wearing Bootcut jeans. In all seriousness, keep your jeans above the top of your shoes. It will make you and your outfit look much better overall.

(Bootcut jeans are useful for those who work in places where workBOOTS are necessary, not students wearing running shoes)

RIT's Fashion Scene (Or Lack Thereof)

Let me tell you about the fashion scene at Rochester Institute of Technology, or the lack thereof.

You may see some students wearing bathrobes (the same one, almost everyday) and slippers, all while scootering down the Quarter Mile. Another may be wearing a “Minecraft” tee, cargo shorts and socks with Crocs while it’s snowing and there’s a windchill of -37°F. The latter demonstrates not only a lack of fashion sense, but a lack of common sense. However, on occasion, you may see someone who put effort into the way they look that day and that’s comforting to me, because I know I’m not alone.

The beauty of college is knowing that if you show up to class in a hoodie, sweatpants and yesterday’s hair product still in you will not be judged. That’s also comforting. However, RIT may be the only place you see students talking to prospective employers at the career fair wearing sneakers, jeans and an old sports coat over a graphic t-shirt. That’s just disrespectful to the employers, and especially onlookers. Tom Ford said it best.

“Dressing well is a form of good manners.”

It’s all about making a statement. A subtle statement. One that sets you apart and keeps you from getting lumped in with the many. However, when you decide to put effort into your appearance you walk a fine line. You can dress up too much, and come off as elitist or weird.

Dressing well is essentially a requirement in this day and age, as it helps strengthen your personal brand. A good fashion sense will positively change how you are perceived. "Dressing well" is also subjective. Different people have a different sense of what looks good and people tend to have different styles. That’s okay. Dressing well does not necessarily mean dressing up. Nobody should be wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks to class everyday. Save that for the workplace. Finding one’s own sense of style is the key to branding yourself, and presenting yourself in a different way from everyone else.

RIT students who want to improve their wardrobe a bit have many resources at their disposal. Here are a couple great online communities to start off with.

And always note: