2022 Vibes

[foxtail_grass]

WWYW this year...

I periodically try to map out my style progression and ultimately end up with the same list of interests every time.

*Emphasis on fabric
SilkCottonDenimLinenWoolCashmereTechwearMetal etcetcetc
*Emphasis on texture
Ruching, draping, fabric feel [waffling, ribbing, netting], signs of wear, knits
*Tailoring/custo thrift finds
Forever and always
*Usual color palette
Neutrals + Greens of any kind + a small spectrum of pinks [from purply to orange-y; no blush!!]

An additional interest that has once again cycled through to the forefront is playing with *form fitting or form baring silhouettes. This may be correlated with my daily triggering of the LUNK ALARM at planet fitness as I HURL a 3,000 lb barbell across the gym (i.e. I've been lifting again). It's also an attempt at exposure therapy (literally) to alleviate my body dysmorphia.

Curious to hear if other people do a new year style check-in with themselves.

[Trench Witch]

I think slim fit pants will come back for men.

[bels]

I think I might start dressing like a project manager again. I would like to dress like

A project manager on Mars base

Or

A project manager in the back ground of a scene in Sex and the city

But I might just end up wearing black stretchy jeans and vans slip ons again all year.

[Julio]

i want to wear black denims often again

specifically black (warp and weft) selvedge denims
i suspect last season's +j ones will be a good choice, but i'm in no hurry

[titkitten]

still on my wool/cashmere/leather bs

[olympiaitsthewater]

i feel like slim fit denim technology has regressed rapidly since the Golden Age of Slim Fit (the early 10s). The golden ratio used to be 99% cotton 1% elastane because the denim still looked and felt like denim at that ratio but now everything seems to be some weird "flex" blend with large amounts of rayon and spandex and they dont even look/feel like jeans. ive only really looked at levis offerings tho because the "mid range" brands of old are now trying to sell slim jeans for $300 lol

[iral]

same vintage/thrift core I've been on for years but maybe more color and texture

polo shirts in the summer definitely

[edmund]

i'm caught between pushing my style either in one direction, which i consider the apollonian (more refined, tailored, chic, black tailoring/knits/sweaters/boots) vs. the dionysian (oversized/baggy, hypebeast, more graphics and patterns, hoodies/milsurp/workwear/sneakers)

[brücke]

developed a visceral hatred of navy blue over the past year think I'll start taking it to a pathological level

[redacted] shorts and giant t shirt summer rd. 2

The Return of Grey

might get a big sun hat, up in the air

Spoiler:

vibe

[foxtail_grass]

I've decided I'm going to be someone who wears Tall Boots
like, really tall
above the knee

[foxtail_grass]

bout to sell/donate the majority of my clothes
i find myself bored with 'standard' clothing beyond essentials
standard clothing: button downs. jeans. etc
essentials: hiking pants. mens undershirts. [redacted] shorts. bf's tees.

i really just want to dress like an alien or an ai yazawa character
but also i want to garden and ride dirt [redacted] and detail cars
so i'm really at a loss between form 'n' function



((( still wearing tall boots sometimes )))

[Trench Witch]

yeah pretty much did the same thing and got rid of all my more expensive clothes I don't wear. Still want to look nice but find myself enjoying clothes more if I don't feel precious about them.

[olympiaitsthewater]

if i cant use a garment as a napkin im not gonna wear it

i

[foxtail_grass]

Funny to read the entries from almost a year ago, to notice what has remained and what has changed.

While I still like essentially the same color palette, I still like customizing secondhand goods, the 'character' I visualize when getting dressed in the morning is a bit different.

Looking back at different 'phases' of wardrobes I've had in my adulthood, the core of each has really been about survival. Surviving an environment, whether that be through assimilation (camouflage) or differentiation (armor). It makes me think of visual language in biology- typically animals are either trying to go unnoticed, or project a more powerful sense of themselves. Both can guarantee that you are not f*cked with.

There seems to be a connection, then, between this sense of survival and adaptability and the influences I look to when thinking about my style. I've drawn a lot of inspiration from female leads in action movies: Sarah Connor; Ripley; Furiosa; Aisha in the Losers; Domino; Goldie in Foxfire. Masculine, tough. While I've long admired these characters I had never thought about dressing like them.

Recently as my other interests have arisen, namely in permaculture and self-sufficiency, I've looked at characters who leave behind their old lives as mercenaries to pursue quieter ones. Thinking of the "here we go again" tropes in many ensemble action movies, where the main character has to recruit back their old crew mates, who are often now ranchers, farmers, oil riggers, ship-hands, mechanics, etc. This very niche aesthetic: post-militaristic, but still utilitarian. The post-merc life is assimilation at its most dream-like.

Now for the hard left turn. Another big influence on me are the video games of my youth- particularly SSX and Jet Set Radio. When I was younger I loved the ski/snowboard/skate culture and its style. In a sea of Hollister, it was fun to differentiate with Etnies and neon beanies.

So how does this gap between retired mercenary and 00s-era skate punk get bridged? Well, this is where I'm hanging out, trying to find the right balance. There are a few similarities if you look hard enough. (Especially when it's all washed over in a glaze of Midwestern thrift-ery.) The best fits hang in the liminal spaces: between utilitarian and surreal; urban and rural; assimilation and differentiation.
Hope this makes sense.

[_Organism]

it's bridged by lara croft