brand synergy

[jake431]

I have two sugarcanes (sc40400 and the mixed-indigo okinawas) and those are both very nice. The S5000VX cut is also a nice flattering cut on me.

Did you size the S5000VX's down or rock your normal size? (sorry for the thread digression!)

-Jake

[Spastic_Koala]

This somewhat makes me think of the hypebeast thread in supertrash.

[n0torious]

This is really interesting how the cultural difference from Japan to America is so wide. I know I feel like a doofus if I'm wearing more than one piece from the same label with visible logos.

[iamstarwars]

As much as I would love to be able to only wear Kapital or 45rpm, I'm more interested in picking pieces here and there and try to make something personal combining various influences. I love Sugar Cane jeans but find their shirts ugly, so I wear an Omnigod or Kato' shirt instead with my 47.

[Ahlvahroe]

when i was a bit younger i wouldnt mind going out wearing head to toe polo, but now that my styles have changed im willing to try other stuff. right now im digging all of this japanese stuff but being a large means that you cant find alot of japanese stuff in my size so that kinda makes it hard to be stuck on one brand.

[Waxcomb]

I think going single brand is pretty difficult. I mean, surely there must be a period/collection where you just don't like any of it enough to fork out. However, I reckon dedicating yourself to a store is more feasible. You wind up getting direct benifits for loyalty, you get invited to their special loyalty customer nights, parties, you can get jobs there if they're hiring. With a brand, unless you're hot shit and you worship a start-up smaller brand, it seems you're unlikely to gain any real benifits, except not having to think about what you wear.

[broneck]

I plug my iPod into my IBM.

[Carl]

if i could afford it i would dress head to toe in RRL. or evisu.

wait wait wait...what happened to our 45RPM dreams?

[unklesteve]

I have fallen completely for Flat Head. Two pair of jeans, a belt, and a s/s shirt so far. Planning a trip to SF in April/May and intend to get another pair of jeans, and at least two or three more shirts.

Partly, it was the first pair of raws I ever got. But the more digging I did, the more I just fell in love with the brand. Their stuff is consistently the most appealing to me (although I will own a pair of Iron Heart jeans at some point) and everything they do just fits me perfectly.

The last straw was seeing Kiya's pictures of their home base in Japan. The vintage cars, the old-school EVERYTHING....for me, Flat Head just wins.

No aspersions on other brands implied or intended. Just like what I like.

[tweeds]

wait wait wait...what happened to our 45RPM dreams?

different steez, i think. i would do 45rpm's indigo-tinted world if i could afford it...

[Mr. Potato]

I'm decked with Hanes under.

[OMG]

Nice little discussion going on...

When I started this topic I wasn't thinking of the Supreme, Bape crowd but more towards those of us that look like we're going out to the lake house to shoot some pheasants. The kind of look found in Lightning , Free & Easy. The "Denim Otaku." If you look into any denim otaku's closet, you're likely to find these items: Jeans, flanel shirt, chambray shirt, military jacket, down vest, work boots, thick leather belt, long wallet...

Most of the Japanese brands produce these items so why not get it all from one source. Stop testing the waters and choose a brand that is calling out to you and best represents you. To be proud of what you wear and of the company that completes your look. What Kiya said was close to what I was thinking. Mixing items from different brands of the same genre just reminds me of the clueless jocks and posers back in high school that were wearing a Nike windbreaker with Adidas track pants and Reebok shoes.

SDA , The Flathead, Samurai, Warehouse... may seem similar to some but each has its own subtle flavor and nuances. I'm not into the motor/garage vibe so I've completely stayed away from Samurai.

[blm14]

I find it kind of ironic that people who are into brands because of their authentiticy as repros and their general quality would shun particular ones because of their marketing. This seems especially so for the type of brands we're talking about who most people (outside japan at least) wouldn't have heard of them and would possibly even not be able to tell them apart.

I'll take the prior poster's comments about iron heart. These jeans are really amazing quality (I own a pair). They're extremely unique in the type of material they use and I have an older pair with arcuates which I also appreciate a lot. When I look at those jeans I think "Wow these are great jeans" and (I hope) when other people see them they think "nice jeans." But the last thing I think about is the "motor/garage vibe" and almost anyone who sees me wearing my ironhearts will be unaware of that vibe to begin with...

I realize that Japan is a land of super-obsessive niche-ness, but honestly how well known are these brands even in japan? I mean I'm not talking about amongst the denim-otaku but rather the average japanese dude-on-the-street. I suspect that even most Japanese would look at a pair of iron hearts and be unable to associate them with their marketing image.

[OMG]

Japanese denim otaku don't care if another person, denim head or not, is aware of the vibe being projected. It's not about what others think, but how you ( the wearer) feel.

[fre-co]

so, you go to a denim otaku store and see a really nice flannel shirt, with just the colours you've always dreamed of...... flannel nirvana..... and oh whoops it's made by Warehouse. You can't buy it you're a Sugarcane guy....?

seriously? sounds pretty stoops to me.

I understand what Kiya was saying about mixing different brands, ironheart and somet I think was one of his examples. Yeah some brands don't match, that is the same in any fashion genre. But only buying your shit from one brand and shunning all others? nah.

I can also understand how people feel loyalty to a particular brand. Like if you had a pair of S0500xx from Samurai and loved them, you may be more inclined to head to Samurai for your next denim or more purchases.

[OMG]

I guess its just the japanese way of thinking. Group mentality/ simplicity/ feeling of belonging.

[fre-co]

Are you Japanese?

I think it's not just the Japanese mentality, but the Japanese otaku mentality.

[OMG]

Yes I be.

All japanese are have some form of otaku in them.

I myself am not the type of person that I described at the start of this thread, but am pretty close. Not dedicated to just brand at the moment, but 3. I only allow myself to step into these 3 stores if I feel like spending. Window shopping never hurts though, so I do alot of that, and it just makes me appreciate the stuff I have even more. For some strange reason...

[Double D]

Word up to that.

I remember when I was in high school (shut up), it was suicide to wear more than one sportswear brand at a time. Nike shoes and adidas pants...oh no! :eek:

That still applies, and should do until the end of time.

Seeing as the only sportwear I own is footwear I'm pretty safe, however.

[cheep]

wait wait wait...what happened to our 45RPM dreams?

i dont kid myself thinking i could ever afford 45rpm.

today i am wearing all rrl but my vintage usn flight jacket and vintage nikes.

[MilSpex]

I respect purists like OMG.

I see very few styles on the street I like in Tokyo anymore. Theres too much diffusion.

What OMG says isn`t true of Japanese, just Japanese who are into clothes.

The styles I like are the ones that are complete. I saw a dude with Gucci loafers, suit, scarf and bag and the guy was dope. He was a tall dude also and he had the complete style going which I respected even tho I would never rock that shit.

I stick to Jordans, WTAPS & Supreme same as I have for years but I`m trying to build up a second parrallel style (never to be mixed with the first) made up of stuff like GoodEnough and Visvim which I think go together in style and background. Theres generics and classics like Levi`s and Nike that I`ll mix with both but other than that I`ll keep it pure.

OMG is right. Sticking to a close family of brands or even one brand will save you time and money. I like to take the best from WTAPS (subtle tech Jackets and BDUs) and the best from Supreme (long tees and sweats) and still know that each brand is part of the same culture and look good together in context.

word to OMG.

[OMG]

Domo

I'm glad there are some that feel the same way. I'm not saying it's the best way, It's just a way.

[fre-co]

Yes I agree that all Japanese have a bit of otaku in them. Just buying clothes within a genre or culture is a good thing, I think limiting yourself to one brand is going very far, three is better though. Even the purist himself Milspex wears a few different brands. Personally I like flathead and redmoon wallets, really like the warehouse flannels, boots from White's, Alden and trickers and have jeans from Samurai, warehouse, sugarcane and LVC. I guess I am all over the place by Japanese denim otaku standards.

[plongin]

I gotta agree with milspex and OMG, but not to the whole extent. I agree that outfits can and should be as pure as can be in terms of background/culture, but that doesn't mean that a person's whole wardrobe must be made up of stuff from a single culture. Brands from the same culture ultimately make similar products, a range which doesn't span all spectrums of occasions. You can't rag a person who wears supreme all the time for having an armani suit or sperry loafers cause skateboarding culture doesn't make those products at all.

then again mils, going by your definition, its completely the opposite from what the purist dudes told kiya isn't it? doing supreme and jordans and wtaps would be somewhat similar to an americana wearing a flathead shirt, samurai belt and canes; which the purists didn't seem to like?

its not possible to do the one brand thing. firstly choices are limited; if everyone was like that you'd get tonnes of same people wearing the same exact outfit as you on any given day...

its prob best to be knowledgeable of these different cultures and backgrounds, buy whatever you want, but rock em right. with the knowledge of knowing what youre buying and what it stands for, you'll naturally feel that its not right when you mix and match.

[MilSpex]

then again mils, going by your definition, its completely the opposite from what the purist dudes told kiya isn't it? doing supreme and jordans and wtaps would be somewhat similar to an americana wearing a flathead shirt, samurai belt and canes; which the purists didn't seem to like?

nope. WTAPS has been sold at Japan Supreme stores since forever, the brands have done collabos since the late `90s and TET has been a Supreme fan since his skater days. The brands couldn`t be closer. Supreme has flipped Jordan logos and homaged the shoes on decks and dunks in the past and pre Blackflag Neighborhood staffers used to always rock full WTAPS getups with a pair of jordans. Makes sense since TET is a skater and OG skaters adopted Jordan Is as skate shoes.

[drapygo]

I've recently devoted myself to only wear my friend's denim only, which saves a ton of money. Though I do get the temptation to buy other jeans, the more unique ones, I do stop myself though, haha.

[JackPhotography]

This is actually a thread i'd been meaning to start for a while..

Many of the brands that i deal closely with in Japan are always getting a kick out of seeing photos of our customers wearing a pair of Iron Heart jeans, Flat Head shirt, SDA belt, and a Skull wallet. They always tell us that in Japan, most people that are really into this style of dress are extremely loyal to ONE brand. That you'll never see somebody wearing multiple brands from the same genre.

But on the flip side, they always try and tell me that wearing Iron Heart with Somet or wearing Flat Head with Sugar Cane doesn't work, that it's two totally different styles and that they find it strange that people would wear them together.

When the president of Iron Heart came out a few weeks ago he kept saying "hip hop style" with a giggle as people walked into the store, because he was overjoyed to see customers wearing his products with such a wide range of other styles, saying that in Japan it's rare to see somebody outside of a certain mold being a big Iron Heart fan.

Great and insightful post.

Being loyal to brand is very similar to being loyal to an aesthetic but also different.

With an aesthetic such as milspex you are attempting to recreate a look that involves many different brands, but only very specific looks from the brands.

With brand loyalists anything goes as long as it's made by their brand of choice.

[BlueOctoberFan]

I can understand having a particular affinity for a brand, but not completely devoting yourself to only wearing that brand. This may come from my having a very different body-type from most dry denim enthusiasts. I'm 5'11" and about 192 lbs., but I carry much of my weight in my legs. So, any brand that I can find making a 35 waist (possibly 36) with a 14" theigh (and around a 10" knee and hem), then they'll likely get some money from me. This is why I have every cut of ALD Royal produced. I have a pair of Samurai, but even those are a tad slim in the theigh. Oni will be the next purchase at this point, and possibly even Takumi, just because they may actually fit me well.

When it comes to combining this with shirts, I've often found that my favorite tops are all shirts that I've owned for at least 5 years, in some cases as much as 12 years or so. I do like the prints and such on Levi's T-shirts, but can't see spending around $40 on a t-shirt because it is "designer".

I suppose the gist of all of this is: if a company makes a style that fits me, I'll likely buy it at some point.

[plongin]

nope. WTAPS has been sold at Japan Supreme stores since forever, the brands have done collabos since the late `90s and TET has been a Supreme fan since his skater days. The brands couldn`t be closer. Supreme has flipped Jordan logos and homaged the shoes on decks and dunks in the past and pre Blackflag Neighborhood staffers used to always rock full WTAPS getups with a pair of jordans. Makes sense since TET is a skater and OG skaters adopted Jordan Is as skate shoes.

yeah I get your point...my analogy wasn't on point.

But I believe its about perception, I wouldn't count adoption as a 360 degree valid form of adding a brand/product to a "culture", because skaters adopting jordan for example doesn't mean that ballers would agree that the product belongs in skate culture. For instance if skinny jeans emo kids with eyeliner suddenly started adopting wtaps tees now and they continue to adopt it when its 2020, you would probably still refuse to believe that wtaps belongs in emo culture.

I get where you're coming from though, brand synergy = background similarity, but I refuse to believe that there are very clear fine lines between what goes together and what doesn't.

ultimately, personal style should be yours based on adoptions of influence and culture, and not an exact adoption of 10000 other people's style that was validated by a culture.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from my perception, im quite sure skaters didn't wear rolexes. and I'm quite sure they still don't. But I fucking love the submariner on you, and I'm sure you do too. and thats exactly what I mean by perception.

[MilSpex]

yeah I get your point...my analogy wasn't on point.

But I believe its about perception, I wouldn't count adoption as a 360 degree valid form of adding a brand/product to a "culture", because skaters adopting jordan for example doesn't mean that ballers would agree that the product belongs in skate culture. For instance if skinny jeans emo kids with eyeliner suddenly started adopting wtaps tees now and they continue to adopt it when its 2020, you would probably still refuse to believe that wtaps belongs in emo culture.

I get where you're coming from though, brand synergy = background similarity, but I refuse to believe that there are very clear fine lines between what goes together and what doesn't.

ultimately, personal style should be yours based on adoptions of influence and culture, and not an exact adoption of 10000 other people's style that was validated by a culture.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from my perception, im quite sure skaters didn't wear rolexes. and I'm quite sure they still don't. But I fucking love the submariner on you, and I'm sure you do too. and thats exactly what I mean by perception.

Good points but I dont see myself as part of any real culture except otaku culture. Obsessing over "cool" shit and recreating it.

Yeah if emo kids started wearing WTAPS in 2020 or whatever I wouldn`t care I guess coz it means something different to me. You`re right that different shit means different shit to different people.

To me Supreme and WTAPS are skate culture brands that are part of `90s and the NY/Tokyo/London cool elite of the time. Also an extension of the Stussy and Jordans that we used to rock in High School when I was in it. early `90s..Aussie kids stopped caring about style and brands after around `95, the Japanese took it to the next level..

I guess the Rolex is copying the Japanese kids I used to see hanging around Harajuku circa `98 in vintage jeans, Goro`s and Airmax `95s and sometimes some wtaps. I also think the sub has a utilitarian/military (some versions were made for RN submarine captains) look to it that I`ve always liked.