Mens Clothing... I want to know what you love and why.

[BirdAndVine]

Market is upon me, and I have stopped working for musicians, and started dressing them. (And anyone else in Nashville who wants one of a kind, or cutting edge designs) My store is about to open by appointment only, and my mens lines consist od Stronghold denim, Mogg Jeans, and some Iconic Tees (I love skulls) Crazy Pig Designs, London, for silver, and Jerry Van Amburg for custom wallets and exotic leather/skin items.

I have researched zillions of designers who will be at Magic, Project, D&A NY, and The Coterie..... I have chosen lines to buy that have a unique backstory, are music related, are well made (and usually English) and most importantly, are not currently available in Nashville. But I don't pretend to know it all, and it never seems to ship like the samples.

I dress Rock Stars, Country Stars, and the dudes trying to be the next big thing. From the Red Carpet to everyday life.

I would love to know who your favorite lines are and why. What fits the best, and what might just be hype.

What do you love? from Tees to Ties...... I want to know!

You will be doing a great service for me, as I am not a dude...... and I am finding this the most daunting aspect of this buying trip because I have to round it out in 3 weeks of market starting Tuesday the 7th.

I desperately want at least one more denim line..... shirts of all kinds excluding those vintage reproduction Tees, shoes, boots, even underwear.

I need casual attire and suiting, cufflinks, braces, hats, and even socks!

I am NOT however looking for huge baggy urban attire. Hoodies are good, but here there is already a steady supply of streetwear, and surfwear (like there is an ocean nearby!)

Cool sneakers (converse and vans are already covered) but what about something obscure.

And of course anything country or cowboy.

I am so interested in what might come back to me here!

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.

[lullfoolz]

Hi there, here's my favourite shirt lines:

Comme des Garçons

http://www.doverstreetmarket.com/

Permanent Vacation

http://beyes.jp/recommend/20/

m!m!cry

http://www.mymimicry.com/

and for denim:

http://www.rogannyc.com/

[r_mutt]

Hi I don't mean to seem rude but all of the answers that you are looking for literally are all over this message board. Maybe spend some time going through other threads for your "market research".

[BirdAndVine]

You dont seem rude at all...... I have actually been pouring over these pages for about a month now, and I have learned a TON!

I'm the kind of person who wants to share the things I feel passionately about, and for 25 years (even still) I gave free advice to most of the people who ever contacted me wanting to know how to get into the Music Industry..... I know (because I have been told) that I spent alot of time and energy giving advice, listening to demos, helping people who I would never make a dime off of, because I knew nobody else probably would.

Hence my query on this board. The responses I have gotten have been great, so many lines I have never heard of! And people are giving me the why.... which is what I want. I want to know WHY a DUDE likes shopping, WHY a DUDE spends a fortune on selvedge...... I can look at all the posts in the world, but very few are telling me what I need to know to dress my client, above and beyond what is available to him even in New York or LA.

People seem to really want to share the things they truly like the best, and tell me why that is.....

I guess anyone can have an answer to a question about fashion, but to take the time to answer me specifically means that the information is something they care enough about to share.....

Take Care!

Kiera

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.

[minya]

I'm not entirely sure what information you're looking for, especially as r_mutt said, that this message board focuses on mens fashion (especially 'streetwear').

that said:

I like shopping because I like buying clothes because of the way I think they look, not because I care about how other people think I look. I'm guessing if you're dressing "Rock Stars" and "Country Stars" (does such a thing exist?) they're going to be more concerned with the latter.

My first and foremost concern is construction. Sloppy or poorly made goods are anathema to me, *especially* if they're ridiculously expensive. If I'm going to be paying a lot of money for an article of clothing, I want it to be very well-made.

This leads into why I prefer selvage denim: it's tough to find a poorly made pair of shuttle loom denim jeans (although I'm sure it's possible). If a denim manufacturer is going to use shuttle loom denim, I can be reasonably assured that they're going to go the extra mile to make sure their jeans are very well-built. I also appreciate the tradition and history associated with shuttle loom denim.

oh, and as far as t-shirts goes: fit is 10000000000% my number one concern. T-shirts can have amazing graphics but fit like shit, and that's awful. I like my shirts to be tight but not skintight, so they show off my silhouette but don't make me look like a sausage. I hate text prints and I *hate* distressing of fabric (although I love distressed prints... very different!) I think Loopwheeler tees from Japan are my new favorite in terms of fit and construction.

The other advice I can give you is: if I were a rockstar, I'd be dressed head-to-toe in Number Nine, Undercover, and other crazy skinny-goth-Japanese fashion like that.

not sure how big the market for this kind of stuff is in Nashville, though..

Edited by minya on Feb 2, 2006 at 10:19 AM

[darkanimal]

I think the best dressed rock stars are the ones who pick the clothes themselves and not some help from the stylists. They know what they want. I mean like Hendrix.

[englandmj7]

Superfuture's most "discussed" denim brands:

APC

Julian Red

Nudie

Sugarcane

Honestly, most of the people on here are going to make, in my opinion, ridiculous suggestions like CDG, Dior Homme, Undercover, etc. But no one in Nashville, let alone 99% of America knows or cares about that shit........I am not saying I don't like the stuff, or that it wouldn't look good on rockstars, but it is very expensive to be buying loads of it as a stylist, plus, it would be very difficult to get an account with them.

My favorites =

some native-american style shoes, etc.: Visvim (amazing shit)

http://www.chapterworld.com/visvim/index.html

Expensive but nice Japanese/Native American accessories:

http://www.redmoon.co.jp/

Others:

http://www.adidas.com/y-3/

Jewelry:

http://www.royalorder.com/

Edited by englandmj7 on Feb 2, 2006 at 06:40 PM

[BirdAndVine]

Thank You SO much!

I am as I said looking for menswear, and though I have noticed alot of streetwear in this forum, I seem to be able to find something I like in most well made lines.

I have a limit of $ per item that I allow myself to spend on clothing. On anything really. I will not spend more on a wallet than I will ever have in it, for example. And I believe in tailoring and attention to detail ESPECIALLY in mens clothing. I find joy in a print that matches up at the seams, a tag that is invisibly sewn into a shirt. I love a good collar and am constantly amazed at some of the Manuel creations when he is truly inspired.

I went to University in London, and think waistcoats and cufflinks are so classy. I tend to love most British fashion, even the stuff I wouldnt be caught dead in. My main jewelry line is Crazy Pig Designs in London. I have been best friends with the owners since the 80s and they have come such a long way. Everyone here is so into the Japanese denim and other things...... well the Japanese cant get enough of Crazy Pig. Not as popular as Chrome Hearts, but crap always seems to sell so well..... So charging so much for silver is hard, but there is a huge difference in Sterling form England and silver from Mexico (aka Chrome Hearts, Lloree Rodkin, King Baby etc.) In London, the unfinished casts go to the Government Assay office where they are tested for purity. If a batch comes back .924, the whole lot is destroyed. In the US a bunch of fru fru designers get an idea, scribble it, and then the whole shebang goes to Mexico for carving and casting, and you have your own .925 stamp, so purity does not matter.

See I know about jewelry........ I just started learning about selvage when I got the Stronghold, and I am hooked! Most of this is totally new. I know what I like...... I like classic cool....... but I have never had to try and decide what a whole bunch of other people might like. When I was in the Music Industry I was a production manager/ guitar tech....... not involved in the clothes back then either.

Anyhoo, I suppose in an incredibly long winded way I am agreeing with you completely, and thanking you for your input. I am not trying to sound better than by saying the people I have been dressing, I was trying to give a feel for what I am looking for. And of course you know that there are Country Stars..... there are several music networks devoted to them exclusively. What is really cool lately is the re emergence of Americana, Lucinda Williams and Dwight Yoakum, bringing back that Gram Parsons feel that so inspired EmmyLou Harris and even the Stones. Outlaw Country is back with Wilie Nelson and Shooter Jennings leading the way. I think Walk The Line has had alot to do with it.

Regardless, I cant wait to check out the lines you mentioned, can you explain distressed prints to me.... I am aware of the distressed Tees, and carry one line, but realize it is goofy to spend a fortune on a shirt that almost looks ready to throw out...... but the prints...... I am not into the re issue vintage tees, but I am hoping this is something different. Please enlighten me!

Kiera

ps Heck Nashville rocks...... Gunnar Nelson lives here! (joke) but so does Kid Rock, and I guess he rocks, or he did anyway:)

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.

[Rockn]

Distress prints mean that a graphic artist makes the image look vintage through various methods, that way when it is printed it looks like the image on the shirt is aged. It is all done pre printing.

Parker

[BirdAndVine]

I think I have some stuff in my own closet like this, but to be clear, could it be the equivalent of a Hatch Print Poster? I mean if it were on paper? and is it a centered graphic? or are you talking about a print applied to yards of fabric.......

Just please tell me it is NOTHING like Ed Hardly... I mean Hardy.

Kiera

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.

[alex_844]

"I have a limit of $ per item that I allow myself to spend on clothing."

i find artificial limits tend to lead to buying things of infereior quality/design. obviously you have to be smart about it, but there are so many cases where if you spend even $50 more you could get a a much superior product.

"I will not spend more on a wallet than I will ever have in it, for example."

in the lifetime of your wallet you'll probably have many thousands in it... it'd be nice if it lasted. a wallet is something you should spend as much as warranted for extreme quality and good design. it can last a lifetime.

if you can find something GOOD and cheap then more power to you. but don't make sacrifices to be cheap.

[englandmj7]

Quote: I think I have some stuff in my own closet like this, but to be clear, could it be the equivalent of a Hatch Print Poster? I mean if it were on paper? and is it a centered graphic? or are you talking about a print applied to yards of fabric.......

Eh, pretty sure that you are overanalyzing it..........distressed graphic, regular fabric, can be anywhere on the item......as opposed to distressed graphic on distressed fabric..............

[keska]

hey i read u liked skulls and i thought of something u might be interested in, its an upcoming brand here in holland by a dutch tattoo artist. ive got a longsleeve and the shirt below;

if you want i can like purchase some stuff and send it over for a fair price.

I'm ninja(you can't see me)

[darkanimal]

^^reminds me of a Lance Mountain deck graphic. hahahha

[Handlethevibe]

I don't know how many people here want their favorite brands to start being worn by celebrities then get hyped up so everyone buys it.

[BirdAndVine]

So I am either choosing my words poorly, or just being picked apart...... regardless this is what I meant....

Crazy Pig Designs London is my main heavy silver line, though everything they do can be done in gold and platinum.... the website is new for them, but here is a sampling of Armand's creations.

http://www.crazypigdesigns.com/CPDonline/Others.html

Jerry Van Amburg made my wallet, until November when I was robbed. He is making another, but the one that was nicked was a stunning red aligator, kangaroo lining, elephant pouch. All whipstitched with no machine sewing. Sterling snaps.... I loved that thing. His work is in the "Bible" (the main silver catalog for Japan) along with Armand's, but then again so is Chrome hearts and Mitchell Binder, the King of all Babies.

http://www.vanamburgleathers.com/

http://vanamburgleathers.com/gallery/

I carry Stronghold denim, as well as a cool unisex line called Mogg. Because I wear them.

I have beautiful jewelry from Ricardo Martin

http://www.domspirospero.com

I get exotic cowboy boots from Bootstar in LA, Made by Liberty and Old Gringo, the designs are edgy and limited.......

I am currently working toward aquiring FilippaK, Rag n Bones, Marc Vaschon, Mark Nason, Luke 1977 and Scott Langton for example.

I personally collect Nudie, but not the Nudie you are all raving about. Nudie Cohn was a famous "Rodeo Tailor" in North Hollywood. He and his lead designer Manuel Cuevas dressed the Rolling Stones, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix (sorry), and Elvis (short list) Manuel made The Lone Ranger's Mask, and he literally "put" Johnny Cash in black.

Nudie is long passed, but Manuel has kept dressing Hollywood, Nashville and everywhere in between since he began in 1956. He made Robert Redford's suit for the Electric Horseman, John Travolta in Urban Cowboy, and my favorite... Xanadu! Manuel regularly does fittings withBob Dylan, Joe Perry, Billy Gibbons, Kid Rock, Marty Stuart, Hank Williams Junior......... the list goes on. If you have ever seen a suit on Gene Autry, or Roy Rodgers, brilliant embriodery and excellent craftmanship on Dale Evans or John Wayne, you have seen Manuel's work. Every rhinestone on the Grand Old Opry you can bet either Nudie or Manuel put it there.

I suppose I could spend the same amount of money on a Prada bag, and I guess what I previously left unclear is that when I say there is a limit, I mean that I am not going to pay 300 for a D Squared tee shirt, but I will happily spend 3000 on a Manuel Chimayo coat made from an antique blanket. I have an issue with shelling out hundreds of dollars on True Religion, Antik Denim, or SO jeans....... when they all come from the same factory, and are not made very well. But back in the day in Hollywood, when I could go into Duarte and buy a pair that kicked serious ass and were one of a kind, 400 for a pair of jeans was nothing. (Duarte jeans are now mass produced in the same factory as the others I mentioned)

I listened to people GUSH about Great Wall Of China till I wanted to HURL, WHY spend THOUSANDS of dollars on an item of clothing, thinking it is so unique..... How unique can it be when the line is owned by Lucky Brand Denim, which is owned by Liz Claibourne for Gods sake.

I will personally go to a thrift store, buy a leather coat from the 70s, for about $70, take the tag out and spraypaint LIBERTINE on it for you and I will only charge ONE GRAND for it. (Thats over 1/2 off retail)

In closing, and as my last defense, by setting limits, I am certainly not limiting myself. I want VALUE for my dollar, and I am tired of watching people go broke trying to keep up with a trend that seems so far from timeless. My first big buyers ma

[Corbin Law]

if you want to learn somehting about denim. search for all of ring ring's posts. wild whisky's posts adn serge d'nimes's posts

chwa?

[MilSpex]

OP if you like Crazy Pig check out Goro`s from Japan. Similar price range, heavily native American influenced and rocked by the creator of Visvim, Hiroshi Fujiwara.

Be Advised: Morgan Nixon AKA Moman631 AKA Moman6040 is a fraud.

[youwish]

For sneakers I'd suggest Diesel Stylelab. Good designs, very sleek, very modern.

For Jeans I like apc and gstar.

For tops I like whatever.. No preference.

It takes strength to be gentle and kind.

[englandmj7]

^^ Yeah, Goro's is good shit......I can never seem to find any pics or info. online though, maybe because I can't read or write Japanese. Know any sites with pics?

Oh, and Milspex my good man, Visvim was created by Hiroki Nakamura, not Fujiwara......

[Handlethevibe]

Youwish, do you work at a diesel store?

[complice]

Interesting that you mentioned Henry Duarte, because that's immediately came to mind when you mentioned dressing rock stars. It's a shame that the quality of his denim has declined so drastically. I think a lot of his shit would look dated at this point, but the cuts, and craftsmanship were so unique. Does he still have the spot in Melrose he took over from that women's designer, Liza Bruce? He popped up in Paper magazine this month, so he must be around still.

[verb]

I realize you're on a budget but since you're looking for inspiration as well as actual items, I cannot help but stress CLOAK! Talk about amazing attention to detail in menswear with the perfect combination of modern and old-school (and i don't mean the 70s-80's) flair.

You can view almost all of their collections at: <a href="" target="_blank">http://www.firstview.com/alldesigners/Cloak.html</a> and I'd especially recommend the Spring 06, and Fall/Spring 04 lines for rock/country stars. The pieces are pricey and in line with most high fashion lines, but in general the look is on a whole other level.

Edited by verb on Feb 2, 2006 at 10:57 PM

[youwish]

Yes.

It takes strength to be gentle and kind.

[MilSpex]

Quote:

^^ Yeah, Goro's is good shit......I can never seem to find any pics or info. online though, maybe because I can't read or write Japanese. Know any sites with pics?

Oh, and Milspex my good man, Visvim was created by Hiroki Nakamura, not Fujiwara......

--- Original message by englandmj7 on Feb 2, 2006 06:36 PM

Thankyou for enlightening me.

Be Advised: Morgan Nixon AKA Moman631 AKA Moman6040 is a fraud.

[djrajio]

I usually don't post on topics like this but BirdAndVine seems pretty legit so I'll put my 2 cents. Yes to Cloak. The spring line is definitely hot. And judging by the trends from the latest fall lines, its definitely Victorian/Edwardian for A/W 2006. I'm feeling tailored vests would look nice in the coming months, but I dunno how it'll transfer to the country music scene. I mainly deal with Japanese labels and buyers who want Japanese clothing. Lemme recommend Gianni Barbato, an Italian boots/shoe wear label. What I like is that its got a little country/cowboy, but also a little Italian sexiness plus a little crazy Japanese funk (crazy designs and colors). I guarantee no one in Nashville will have these suckers.

[BirdAndVine]

I just looked at Cloak and was very impressed. I am going to try to attend the show in NYC next week as a matter of fact! (just because some brave soul dared to tell me good things) And as for Barbatos.... Like it, Love it, lived in LA for 10 years so I am quite familiar with the shoes, VERY similar to the Gianni Bravos that exist in only one store I know of, and every time I go to LA I check to see what is new. I LOVE them... the snakeskin especially....... I am limited with the Bravos because he does so much high heel stuff, and that is really not me. As for men, I think it might be too slick for the common man, but the Barbatos are a great balance. The last time I was in the mall in LA, Poliwhatever had SO many kickass styles...... I also really like Mark Nason? Did I get that right? I saw a Japanese shoe dude at Magic, and I wanted the shoes so bad, but he really didnt want to speak English to me, and I can only say white airplane in Japanese. I have the linesheet somewhere... 1/2 hour of searching later...... it was Juno, there were gems in the midst of the cheese, and I loved the mens exotic skin flip flops from J Shoes. They even had ostrich sneakers..... cool but tacky........but still kinda cool.

AND I want to take this time to tell you you ARE right, I have never seen Barbatos in Nashville. Although with the opening of Bloke (Melody, the owner used to buy for Lisa Klein Men) one can never tell:0

I really appreciate your feedback!!

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.

[djrajio]

BirdAndVine, PM me your info. I received an invitation to the fall fashion show but because I'm in Tokyo, can't go.

*edit: Didn't read your post carefully. I suppose you already have an invitation. Anyways, if anyone wants a invitation to the Cloak fashion show PM me.

Edited by djrajio on Feb 3, 2006 at 12:23 AM

[greentalks43]

Simplicity.

"Patience, both we and our words are overproduced by influence"

[kid commando]

Hi. I've been reading this forum for some time now and I have to say: Much of the shit you guys recommend suck. Sorry

The key to dressing good as a guy is to look as if you don't care about your looks. This means NOT buying ugly overdesigned, limited sneakers for example. The best looking shoes are white, simple, converse allstars!

The brands that make cool jeans are LVC, Lee Originals, Wrangler Blue Bell, and of course, some of the swedish brands like Julian Red and Acne jeans. Nudie suck. In Sweden, where I live, only loser-nerds wear Nudie. Flare jeans are so uglyyy and nerdie.

Remember, the cool looking guys are the ones that look as if they're not trying! (this means, avoid ugly sneakers, G-star, and anything that looks like that shit)