workwear styles?

[superBobo]

What are the current supergay opinion on "workwear"? The general superstyle is pretty far removed from it with the emphasis on slim looks, but can it work?

for example, this: http://item.rakuten.co.jp/standa/bigbill-1993sus/ looks super cool to me, but is it just the context that makes it so? I guess most westerners would´t look as stylish in super wide dungarees and flannel unfortunatly. Or, at worst, just like some remain from 90s hiphop/urban styles.

How big is this style in Japan? Meaning actual american/western work wear (carhartt and such) as opposed to the repros of old levis/lee. I´ve seen Post Overalls mentioned as an example, and I think Tenderloin got some similar styles.

well well, don´t really know the point of this, other than getting some input on super-unsual styles...

opinions, pics, flames?

[meader]

I like the outfit in the link, except for the shoes. A pair of decent brown leather boots would make it awesome.

[seenmy]

I really like the workwear look,I think woolrich is making some nice gear they did this amazing massive backpack i mean its like a small house big my friend shot it for a magazine said it was beautiful,it was also shot on a guy for tokyo style thing on showstudio.

[Brienneoftarth]

one of the interesting things bobo, you'll see is how american workwear companies position themselves completely different as far as identity and image in other countries. The biggest example I see is Carharrt. I mean, this is a company that is still sold in workwear stores in the US and besides some popularity in the nineties is basically a strictly workwear company worn on jobsites.......Go over to Europe and they have actual Carharrt shops that show it as a trendier streetwear/workwear type brand located in trendy shopping districts. I like the workwear look but I think you have to be careful in developing it. I don't think it's functional or stylish to look exactly like some one who's working as a lumberjack or longshoreman etc. what i do like to do is imagine that person coming from work and going out, pick some basic workwear items that they would not change (nice boots or classis carpenters) and match it up with a more refined piece like a sweater or something. then there's also the option of pieceing classic workwear with very modern/tech styling. I regularly wear my lee jelt denim striped coveralls with black idiom 2.5 layer and redwings.....I think it works nice. while seenmy doesnt exactly wear workwear, i think he pulls off this look very well.

[superBobo]

Yea, I completly agree with not doing a complete workwear-ish look, going overboard in full costume, but I think that it got a lot to do with how you wear it, attitude-wise. A difficult thing to change though..

You are completly on point in combining workwear with other stuff, as knits or sweaters (though my father that actually work in flannels and dungarees just wears ancient washed out levis, fleece jackets and Henri Loyd jackets on his spare-time. Really not that inspirational...haha)

I mean, carhartt in europe is mainly worn by "skater" kids, baggy cargo style and thats not really what im after, just another "street" look here. Imo much of the things thats cool with carhartt is on the US market (Im european myself)

Im more interested in the re-contextualizing the japanese are doing. But I guess in their case its got a lot to do with american work wear being "exotic", since the same stuff isnt traditionally worn in Japan/asia, hence not coming off as a costume.

I´d love to see pics of your striped coveralls with redwings!

[seenmy]

its quite a interesting topic to bring up for sure,im writing a section of my disertation on this,well in regards to denim but how it forms i dentity etc,so like carhartt etc levis wrangler are all essentially work wear and especially in america in id guess my parents generation or even bit older that those brands represent just that still,where as in the uk i wouldnt think levis would ever have been viewed as workwear,same with charhartt.

like i think in uk the look superbobo describes is really doable as the brands and even items arent so stemmed in as working uniform,

i think as said above its about mixing workwear labels with odd piece of high end just to give it that edge,like visvims for instance instead of a workboot.

another label id like to check out is danner they did beautiful boot with sophnet seen some nice boots from them on ebay think they work really well and as another different piece to team in with designer items

sorry im rambling

[Loop]

Definately an interesting topic.

I can't really add much to the discussion but I'd just like to chime in and voice my support for workwear.

I'm not exactly superfuture material (hence no picture) but I swear by Dickies workpants, I wear them everyday. I wear them in my own time and I wore them everyday whilst I was working (just been made redundant). Admitedly I'd prefer them if the thigh was a little less baggy but in terms of function I can't fault them. I was looking into getting some 'Reaper' trousers, also by Dickies for the Winter since their flannel lined but if the cut's any baggier than the workpant I probably wouldn't wear them. I guess that might seem a bit much but it's nothing compared to the way some of you demin-addicts go on... (no offence).

I think the interesting part is that brands like Carhartt Europe/Dickies have built upon their skate/bmx image but the instigators of this were skaters/bmxers themselves. They were buying workwear because it stood up to the wear and tear their clothes would be subjected to and eventually the brands evolved with their customers rather than directing styles to them (does that make sense?).

In a sense this parallels the way some skaters adopted flat soled basketball shoes in the early nineties (when skate shoe companies were far smaller in size and number) or started to put Nike Air 'Zoom' insoles into thier skate shoes for extra foot support/cushioning. You can probably see where I going with this, the enevitable happens with the launch of the Nike SB and 6.0 ranges.

Might have strayed off topic a bit there, sorry.

[superBobo]

Seenmy

you don´t think you´d get weird looks in denim dungarees and plaid flannel in the Uk? its a pretty cartoonish lumberjack look, great though

I agree about the visvim combination, would work great. A concern for me is to avoid "hip hop" style when wearing wider/baggyer denim, especially carpenter- like ones...

[Brienneoftarth]

something i've been trying to do is move away from the japanese street wear labels that produce workwear "inspired" items like carpenters etc and opt for the real deal as in wrangler/lee etc. I then go for the japanese labels that really create original modern looking pieces IE visvim headp[orter....nothing looks better than some rugged vintage workwear paired with a sleek ultramodern HP pack or piece.......I'm working on a camera to get pics up of my striped jelts.....

[Dick Danger]

What are the current supergay opinion on "workwear"?

not gay, not super, and I only work when it's easy and I won't get dirty, but to me

That looks fake as fuck.

[LA Guy]

I really like the workwear look,I think woolrich is making some nice gear they did this amazing massive backpack i mean its like a small house big my friend shot it for a magazine said it was beautiful,it was also shot on a guy for tokyo style thing on showstudio.

Woolrich Europe is actually being designed by Daiki Suzuki, the man behind Engineered Garments. The line is due to be launched in the States after the label rebrands (i.e. gets licenses in order) in 2008, iirc.

I think that workwear, like westernwear and military gear, will always be popular inspirations for designers. But just like you don't want to actually look like a cowboy unless you actually are one, you probably don't want to go head to toe in workwear and look like you should actually be hauling coal into a furnace either.

[Loop]

I think that workwear, like westernwear and military gear, will always be popular inspirations for designers. But just like you don't want to actually look like a cowboy unless you actually are one, you probably don't want to go head to toe in workwear and look like you should actually be hauling coal into a furnace either.

I've been thinking about something Keri said a while back about only wearing clothing that serves a purpose (it was in response to seeing a belt worn as an accessory rather than throught the loop and therefore to hold up the trousers I think).

Like LA Guy says, it's not about wearing workwear to look like a lumberjack, it's a case of buying a Carhartt jacket over a fashion-based brand because you know it's practical, that it'll keep you warm and dry (don't you live in Sweden Superbobo?).

The problems arise when workwear brands realise that people are buying their products for non work-related wear, cater to the market in terms of styles and cuts etc. but they cut back on the quality of construction. So the reason the brand because popular in the first place is lost, the jacket may look good and be terribly fashionable, but it no longer keeps you as warm or as dry.

[artificialsky]

the workwear look has been over in japan for at least a few years now, from what i remember raijo saying.

[superBobo]

I do live in Sweden, and the fuctionality and quality is a big part of what Im after, not really being a fan of modern tech-wear.

Thats a reason I´m more interested in american carhartt than the european line. Its not designed to fit a certain style or market, just be durable/warm.

The question is making it look stylish enough not to come a cross as an imposter (which you all gave some good ideas for) And the thing is, I still think that japanes guy in all out american (or maybe canadian) workwear on the link in the first post looks cool as hell, but its quite possible it won´t work on anyone else. Oldschool suspenders anyone?

I've been thinking about something Keri said a while back about only wearing clothing that serves a purpose (it was in response to seeing a belt worn as an accessory rather than throught the loop and therefore to hold up the trousers I think).

Like LA Guy says, it's not about wearing workwear to look like a lumberjack, it's a case of buying a Carhartt jacket over a fashion-based brand because you know it's practical, that it'll keep you warm and dry (don't you live in Sweden Superbobo?).

The problems arise when workwear brands realise that people are buying their products for non work-related wear, cater to the market in terms of styles and cuts etc. but they cut back on the quality of construction. So the reason the brand because popular in the first place is lost, the jacket may look good and be terribly fashionable, but it no longer keeps you as warm or as dry.

[seenmy]

Seenmy

you don´t think you´d get weird looks in denim dungarees and plaid flannel in the Uk? its a pretty cartoonish lumberjack look, great though

I agree about the visvim combination, would work great. A concern for me is to avoid "hip hop" style when wearing wider/baggyer denim, especially carpenter- like ones...

personally i couldnt see myself in dungarees particulary worn over the top of the top half just not really a look ive ever been attratcted to as to looser denim carpenter pant i think the hip hop reference would not be associated to quickly to a white guy particulary if worn with other work wear styles,but obviously if worn with a oversized white tee and beige timbs you could get that association.

same with baggy cut on jean if its a fuller cut but still fits it looks good if its too big in waist it instantly dosent hang well,for instance a cut has to be suited to body shape i guess.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

The problems arise when workwear brands realise that people are buying their products for non work-related wear, cater to the market in terms of styles and cuts etc. but they cut back on the quality of construction. So the reason the brand because popular in the first place is lost, the jacket may look good and be terribly fashionable, but it no longer keeps you as warm or as dry.

what is even worse, IMO, is when a workwear brand moves upmarket and becomes out of the price range of their original base----regular working folk. even if the quality is BETTER, it is no good to the blue collar man if he cannot afford it.

[Loop]

what is even worse, IMO, is when a workwear brand moves upmarket and becomes out of the price range of their original base----regular working folk. even if the quality is BETTER, it is no good to the blue collar man if he cannot afford it.

Yeah definately, half my work stuff is encrusted with concrete anyway.

[RAISED BY WOLVES]

I just wrote a fucking essay length contribution to this thread but the Goddamned computer auto logged off and now it's lost in the abyss...

[superBobo]

damn! deep breath ..and another try!

[superBobo]

what is even worse, IMO, is when a workwear brand moves upmarket and becomes out of the price range of their original base----regular working folk. even if the quality is BETTER, it is no good to the blue collar man if he cannot afford it.

Got any examples of brands that have taken that route?

[Fuuma]

Woolrich Europe is actually being designed by Daiki Suzuki, the man behind Engineered Garments. The line is due to be launched in the States after the label rebrands (i.e. gets licenses in order) in 2008, iirc.

I think that workwear, like westernwear and military gear, will always be popular inspirations for designers. But just like you don't want to actually look like a cowboy unless you actually are one, you probably don't want to go head to toe in workwear and look like you should actually be hauling coal into a furnace either.

Seconded, I'm into workwear-inspired clothing not "real" workwear. You could say I like the idea of getting my hands dirty and what it entails in terms of manliness, tradition, values, etc a lot more than I like really getting dirty.

[damnIam]

I scored a pair of the ALD Royal pants (selvage) off ebay last month for 125 bucks or so. They look very similar in fit to that pair in the original post (without the suspenders of course). I definately like the style. You take the same outfit ( minus the fruity sneakers) and put them on me with some redwings and it would look just like what it is, workwear. It really depends on the person trying to wear it. You put me in a tight pair of skinny jeans and short t shirt and I would look absolutely ridiculous by the same token.