Help Wanted: Fashionista

[Mark Arbour]

I'm looking ahead, and seeing that the characters I'll be dealing with are probably going to be pretty fashion conscious.  My knowledge of 2000's + fashion trends is somewhat limited, so I'm wondering if there's someone out there who'd be willing to be a resource for me on uber-trendy clothing, starting in 2002-2003.  PM me and let me know. 

By the way, the pay sucks. 

[Ashi]

I am not quite sure what I wore around that time frame (2002-03).  It's been a while....  I think that's when the flip flops began to become popular.  I think cargo pants and cargo shorts also (for college students).  BTW, what are the ages of your characters, and where it is set?    Different age group would wear very different clothes and East Coast and West Coast are completely different nations (I only recently realized some people on East Coast think flip flops are weird..., when they're everyday stable here).  And it was the time of dot.com bust, so some people did get a little toned down.  Remember that was also when the war started, so camouflage pants and military jackets were the trend.  Some of us didn't wear them (I didn't wear camouflage pants, because all I wanted at the time was to "bring our troops home." But I already bought a military jacket, before the war broke out, so I did wear that one).

 

It's funny you're also writing a story in that period....  I've been working on that period (from 2001-2012 possibly) and the backtracking of the time has been problematic for me also....  It seemed like yesterday and yet I think I forgot most of the details....  I wonder if my brain decides to do a selective amnesia on me....  What's the sub culture you're writing?  Haute couture, hip-pop, emo, punk rock, or street chic? 

[Westie]

I'm looking ahead, and seeing that the characters I'll be dealing with are probably going to be pretty fashion conscious.  My knowledge of 2000's + fashion trends is somewhat limited, so I'm wondering if there's someone out there who'd be willing to be a resource for me on uber-trendy clothing, starting in 2002-2003.  PM me and let me know. 

By the way, the pay sucks. 

 

I never needed to get into fashion....

 

The clothes don't make me look good, rather I make the clothes look awesome.... Put me in a bin liner and I own it        

[PrivateTim]

I'm looking ahead, and seeing that the characters I'll be dealing with are probably going to be pretty fashion conscious.  My knowledge of 2000's + fashion trends is somewhat limited, so I'm wondering if there's someone out there who'd be willing to be a resource for me on uber-trendy clothing, starting in 2002-2003.  PM me and let me know. 

By the way, the pay sucks. 

 

For what age? Uber-trendy for Brad won't be the same as Darius and Bay Area will differ from Los Angeles.

[methodwriter85]

   Like I told Mark, if you want to know what upper middle class teenagers from the suburbs were wearing, I've got a good idea, but haute couture, I'm totally blank on.

 

    I do think JJ would wear a lot of Burberry, though.

 

    I also remember Birkenstocks being really popular with preppy kids who wore A&F/Hollister starting around 2003:

 

Guys and girls were wearing these, and they were popular up til about 2007.

[sat8997]

No one in their right mind would wear those shoes.

[B1ue]

It's sounding like you could make it up entirely, and none of us would know the difference.

 

I certainly wouldn't. For all that every member of my immediate family hails from Highland Park, we've all since gone country. I hadn't even noticed when flannel became ironically-in, I merely took advantage of being able to buy them.

[Mark Arbour]

I'm thinking of two people, primarily.  First there's Brad, who will have to have a good business wardrobe, which is easy for me to do.  He'll also need to have clothes for when he goes out and hits clubs.  Could use some help there.

 

Second is JJ, who would be into much younger, trendier things. 

[methodwriter85]

Second is JJ, who would be into much younger, trendier things. 

 

     I'm actually not sure about that. JJ strikes me as someone who'd be really into vintage, Mid-Century Mad Men Style, before it became trendy for young people. 

 

    I mean, John is easy- just think lots of candy-colored Abercrombie and Fitch polos, distressed jeans, and coordinating color flip-flops. But I do think JJ is going to be more challenging, because he's not really a normal teenager. I think he wants to look "older" to compensate for his lack of height, so he dresses more seriously than a 15/16-year old guy normally does.

 

 

I hadn't even noticed when flannel became ironically-in, I merely took advantage of being able to buy them.

 

    They came back in around 2008, after the 80's revival of the mid-2000's had ended. There was a fashion shift in 2002/2003, and then again in 2007/2008.

 

    The difference about Flannel being in now vs. back in the mid-90's was that flannel became much more fitted. I remember being really excited about wearing fllannel to my middle school in 1999, and then everyone ripped on me for it as Tommy Hilfiger was the way to dress by that time period.

 

 

No one in their right mind would wear those shoes.

 

      It might be one of those "localized" trends that I've seen, like how I've talked to people from other areas where people weren't wearing moccassins like they were at UD.

 

      But yeah, for some weird reason, upper-middle class kids kids in my neck of the woods started wearing Birkenstocks. That was something kind of incongrous about wearing Birks while dressing in preppy clothing, but the trend lasted for about maybe 3 years.

Edited September 24, 2013 by methodwriter85

[Ashi]

If JJ is a sentimental person, you should give him an emo style, and the clothes you should look for are the ones from Zumiez, Spencers, and Hot Topic, and somewhat odd ball and anti-establishments.  Weirder the better.  Zumiez would be more hop-pop and skaters style.  I remember I owned some oversized corduroy pants with some strange details at the shoes opening, just because corduroys weren't in vogue.  It'll be the exactly the opposite of prep-style of A&F and Hollister, or even American Eagle and Pac Sun.  Urban Outfitters got their second coming back in around 2004 I think, and they longer sell Hot Topic like clothes, but instead, sold recycled clothes aimed for suburban kids who want to look exactly not like a rich kid, except it really isn't how a poor kid wears their clothes.  Real trendy kids with money to burn wear Diesel.  And I believe back then Diesel Style Lab still existed.  Go do some eBay research on vintage Diesel Style Lab clothes which were very limited production and only a few major cities have them.  Sometimes they had invitation-only previews and only a few would get in.  Those who got in might get some unique demo clothes that you could not buy anywhere..., but some might end up on eBay.

 

Hi-top sneakers were beginning to resurface.  I think it maybe slightly too early for Chuck Taylor, but you get the idea.  My Diesel Senior came from that era, I think (low top version is called Junior).

 

Jeans opening at the time were boot cuts (not bell bottoms!  That term was forbidden to use), and usually low-rise was considered trendy (ultra low rise which the top of the crack might show when you crouch down was considered trendy worn by really skinny guys, and fashion-savvy skinny guys did buy ultra low rise jeans from women's department, since no one made skinny jeans for men at the time).  Not today's skinny jeans, unless JJ belonged to emo sub-culture.  There was NO spandex jeans back then.  Straight-acting guys wore cargo pants.  Reconstructed jeans came from mid 2000's not the time frame you specified.  Street chic guys might wear Banana Republic chinos.

 

Kenneth Cole supplied clothes for club-going crowds.  Usually black button-down shirt with very fitted cut (despite the typical street clothes were much looser in fit).  Shirt tails let out, not tucked.  Silver ties optional.  Ben Sherman came later, though I wouldn't be surprised if some really trendy crowd got Paul Smith.

 

Hip pop was popular among lower income crowds (rich kids caught up hip pop in mid 2000's).  Weird colored varsity jackets with personalized embroidery might exist (but I may have mixed the period).  Adidas Super Star sneakers might be worn, along with very wide jeans that hanged low (kinda like late 90's).  Old Navy was selling carpenter jeans with tons of utility pockets.

 

Shirts were usually very wrinkled.  A&F sold shirts with very light weight material.  The pattern was vertical stripes.  Sweaters usually were solid color (usually Merino wool or Cashmere wool, or thick, heavy weight cotton), and may or may not contain a couple contrasting color horizontal stripes across the chest, as well as around biceps area of the sleeves.

 

Summer clothes were consisted of baseball T's and ringer T's.  Worn with loose jeans with flip flops.  Some might wear cargo pants in place of loose jeans or boot cut jeans (this was west coast style).

 

Guys wore Bolle or Oakley sunglasses.  They usually wrapped around face like Green Hornet or something.  Though some of us were wearing aviator style already.  Gradient sunglasses lenses were popular (darker on the top than the bottom).

 

For haute couture, since high fashion houses publish their style books by seasons, you could go on eBay and buy them to get an idea what the trend was (but not necessary what people wore). 

 

If you want mid-2000's, I have dozens of magazines from that time as well as catalogs from some higher-end brands (they were free, just walk into the store and get one).

 

And what Method said is right.  There were two shifts within 2000-2010 period (instead the usual one).  80's revival didn't last long, so now we're back to the 90's with flannel and tighter Levis (though the popular Levis's back in 90's were 501, 505, not 513 or 508 of today).  Actually 2000-2002 period was sort of an extension of the late 90's.

 

I am not sure what Method meant by mid-century mad man style.  Doesn't he meant 50's hipster style?  (the real hipsters, like James Dean and Jack Kerouac).

[methodwriter85]

1. JJ's not an anti-establisment person at all. He's very much a preppy guy who wants to look perfect and GQ at all the time. I had tons of emo type friends, but I'm not sure Mark's going to have our characters meet anyone like that. He's already skipped over and completely ignored the late 90's skater boy trend.

 

2. God, I remember when cordoroy's were kind of the anti-establishment, "I'm being retro" look. I think I had a pair or two back around '03-'05. Honestly though, I don't think chords look good on people with short, stubby legs like mine. You need long legs to pull them off.

 

3. Yes! I called it on the Diesel. I coveted them so much because they seemed so damn cool.

 

4. It's not too early for Chuck Taylor making their resurgence...although the thing about them is that they never really seem to go totally away. It's why you often seen people wearing Chuck Taylors in period films. They tended to be something that punk/skater kids wore at this time period, though.

 

5. Ah, the reconstructed trend. I had a friend in 2005 who was from Europe and very much into that. In general early 2000's jeans were baggy...I had a friend who wore jeans that just *fit* to class and he got shit about them being too tight. Guys didn't start wearing tighter jeans again until the mid-part of the decade- it was considered sexy for a guy to wear baggy jeans that sagged down and showed off his boxer's designer label.

 

6. I remember the weirdly colored varsity jackets with embroidery, although from what I remembered, it was more of a girl thing. I think I saw Ciara rock that look a lot back in '04-'05, as did Beyonce. Track jackets were really popular with guys, but I feel like that's more 2004-2005, especially with the rise of New Balance.

 

7. I have this ratty old baseball "New York" shirt from 2002 that I treasure like anything. I really liked the ringer tee look as well.

 

 

Shirts were usually very wrinkled.  A&F sold shirts with very light weight material.  The pattern was vertical stripes.  Sweaters usually were solid color (usually Merino wool or Cashmere wool, or thick, heavy weight cotton), and may or may not contain a couple contrasting color horizontal stripes across the chest, as well as around biceps area of the sleeves.

 

8. You totally reminded me of how layering came back in circa 2003- lots of short-sleeved shirts over long-sleeved shirts. Or if you were really adventurous, putting on a long-sleeved button-up, then putting a t-shirt over it, and then rolling up the sleeves, as seen here:

 

 

Seriously Mark, if you want a good tutorial on circa 2003 collegiate fashion, watch the Social Network. Wardrobe just nailed it across the board.

 

9. I totally remember this bitchy queen type I knew rocking 70's style aviator sunglasses after shopping at Urban Outfitters in NYC in 2002.

 

10. I meant Mad Men style, like the T.V. show. Banana Republic is running a collection inspired by the show's early 60's look:

 

 

 

This is, of course, not a popular look at all during the time period, but my point is that JJ might have been kind of quirky and old-fashioned with his choices. Kind of like a male version of Zooey Deschanel and her affinity for 50's frocks.

Edited September 24, 2013 by methodwriter85

[Westie]

I'm thinking of two people, primarily.  First there's Brad, who will have to have a good business wardrobe, which is easy for me to do.  He'll also need to have clothes for when he goes out and hits clubs.  Could use some help there.

 

Second is JJ, who would be into much younger, trendier things. 

 

For Brad, there's only one option.  Suits are from Savile row.  Silk shirts are Versace or custom made in Paris or Rome.  Leather shoes would be by Ralph Lauren or at a push Edward Green.

 

A Savile row suit is something unique.  Made to measure and exceptional quality, a suit starts at £5000.  Sure, couture suits were made by big fashion houses, but understated class, with high quality tailoring designed uniquely for you there aren't many big names.  Something tells me this would suit Brad to the ground.

 

Regardless, the making of a suit is in its accessories.  The cufflinks, the watch, the tie pin and lapel pin.  

 

West

[Mark Arbour]

My visualization of JJ is of someone who is GQ trendy (like Jeremy said), but since he's only 16, it makes him look odd in a group of contemporaries.  I don't see him in flip flops or t-shirts. 

If JJ is a sentimental person, you should give him an emo style, and the clothes you should look for are the ones from Zumiez, Spencers, and Hot Topic, and somewhat odd ball and anti-establishments.  Weirder the better.  Zumiez would be more hop-pop and skaters style.  I remember I owned some oversized corduroy pants with some strange details at the shoes opening, just because corduroys weren't in vogue.  It'll be the exactly the opposite of prep-style of A&F and Hollister, or even American Eagle and Pac Sun.  Urban Outfitters got their second coming back in around 2004 I think, and they longer sell Hot Topic like clothes, but instead, sold recycled clothes aimed for suburban kids who want to look exactly not like a rich kid, except it really isn't how a poor kid wears their clothes.  Real trendy kids with money to burn wear Diesel.  And I believe back then Diesel Style Lab still existed.  Go do some eBay research on vintage Diesel Style Lab clothes which were very limited production and only a few major cities have them.  Sometimes they had invitation-only previews and only a few would get in.  Those who got in might get some unique demo clothes that you could not buy anywhere..., but some might end up on eBay.

 

Hi-top sneakers were beginning to resurface.  I think it maybe slightly too early for Chuck Taylor, but you get the idea.  My Diesel Senior came from that era, I think (low top version is called Junior).

 

Jeans opening at the time were boot cuts (not bell bottoms!  That term was forbidden to use), and usually low-rise was considered trendy (ultra low rise which the top of the crack might show when you crouch down was considered trendy worn by really skinny guys, and fashion-savvy skinny guys did buy ultra low rise jeans from women's department, since no one made skinny jeans for men at the time).  Not today's skinny jeans, unless JJ belonged to emo sub-culture.  There was NO spandex jeans back then.  Straight-acting guys wore cargo pants.  Reconstructed jeans came from mid 2000's not the time frame you specified.  Street chic guys might wear Banana Republic chinos.

 

Kenneth Cole supplied clothes for club-going crowds.  Usually black button-down shirt with very fitted cut (despite the typical street clothes were much looser in fit).  Shirt tails let out, not tucked.  Silver ties optional.  Ben Sherman came later, though I wouldn't be surprised if some really trendy crowd got Paul Smith.

 

Hip pop was popular among lower income crowds (rich kids caught up hip pop in mid 2000's).  Weird colored varsity jackets with personalized embroidery might exist (but I may have mixed the period).  Adidas Super Star sneakers might be worn, along with very wide jeans that hanged low (kinda like late 90's).  Old Navy was selling carpenter jeans with tons of utility pockets.

 

Shirts were usually very wrinkled.  A&F sold shirts with very light weight material.  The pattern was vertical stripes.  Sweaters usually were solid color (usually Merino wool or Cashmere wool, or thick, heavy weight cotton), and may or may not contain a couple contrasting color horizontal stripes across the chest, as well as around biceps area of the sleeves.

 

Summer clothes were consisted of baseball T's and ringer T's.  Worn with loose jeans with flip flops.  Some might wear cargo pants in place of loose jeans or boot cut jeans (this was west coast style).

 

Guys wore Bolle or Oakley sunglasses.  They usually wrapped around face like Green Hornet or something.  Though some of us were wearing aviator style already.  Gradient sunglasses lenses were popular (darker on the top than the bottom).

 

For haute couture, since high fashion houses publish their style books by seasons, you could go on eBay and buy them to get an idea what the trend was (but not necessary what people wore). 

 

If you want mid-2000's, I have dozens of magazines from that time as well as catalogs from some higher-end brands (they were free, just walk into the store and get one).

 

And what Method said is right.  There were two shifts within 2000-2010 period (instead the usual one).  80's revival didn't last long, so now we're back to the 90's with flannel and tighter Levis (though the popular Levis's back in 90's were 501, 505, not 513 or 508 of today).  Actually 2000-2002 period was sort of an extension of the late 90's.

 

I am not sure what Method meant by mid-century mad man style.  Doesn't he meant 50's hipster style?  (the real hipsters, like James Dean and Jack Kerouac).

 

Fantastic!  Thanks!

[Mark Arbour]

For Brad, there's only one option.  Suits are from Savile row.  Silk shirts are Versace or custom made in Paris or Rome.  Leather shoes would be by Ralph Lauren or at a push Edward Green.

 

A Savile row suit is something unique.  Made to measure and exceptional quality, a suit starts at £5000.  Sure, couture suits were made by big fashion houses, but understated class, with high quality tailoring designed uniquely for you there aren't many big names.  Something tells me this would suit Brad to the ground.

 

Regardless, the making of a suit is in its accessories.  The cufflinks, the watch, the tie pin and lapel pin.  

 

West

 

I actually think Brad would have both (Savile Row and fashion house suits).   He'd use them to make whatever statement he was trying to make.  If he was going to an east coast meeting and trying to fit in and impress, he'd don the Savile Row suit.  If he was going to accent the differences between coasts, he'd wear something more trendy. 

 

Ties could also be either conservative or flashy, depending on the effect he wants to generate.  Where do you all think he'd get them? 

[centexhairysub]

In the early 2000's both Prada and Dolce&Gabbana made some of the best neckties for men with style but you could never go wrong with neckties by John Varvatos or Burberry with Christopher Bailey as the designer either.  Both John Varvatos and Christopher Bailey were big names in men's fashion in the early 2000's...

 

 

Westie is right, for suites Savile Row but I think in paticular Weatherill, Huntsman, Kilgour, or Norton & Sons.  Those are the four best of the Savile Row shops...  Tradition does mean something in this family and I would suspect one of those four have probably been serving the Crampton/Schulter clans for generations...

[Westie]

I actually think Brad would have both (Savile Row and fashion house suits).   He'd use them to make whatever statement he was trying to make.  If he was going to an east coast meeting and trying to fit in and impress, he'd don the Savile Row suit.  If he was going to accent the differences between coasts, he'd wear something more trendy. 

 

Ties could also be either conservative or flashy, depending on the effect he wants to generate.  Where do you all think he'd get them? 

 

Nobody buys ties themselves.  They are bought for you as gifts generally...

 

If bought by Stefan, it would obviously be a charvet who are without comparison.

 

If bought by others (or indeed Brad himself) Turnbull & Asser or Kiton would be good options.  Kiton are slightly more cutting edge, but T&A have more class.

 

Edit to add.... someone might ask why I didn't recommend Hermes ties.  The fact is that while these have a lot of "snob value"... they are highly over rated, with poor styling and quality.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Westie

[methodwriter85]

My visualization of JJ is of someone who is GQ trendy (like Jeremy said), but since he's only 16, it makes him look odd in a group of contemporaries.  I don't see him in flip flops or t-shirts. 

 

     I think this is about as casual as I can see JJ getting:

 

 

    Or if JJ was really slumming it:

 

 

     The classic rich snob "frat boy" look, so to speak. I didn't see the first look around until about 2006-2007, but I'm assuming that's because I didn't go to a college that had a lot of money floating around until that time period. As a leg guy, I was thrilled when shorts started getting higher than the knees circa 2007. I'm not too sure yet how I feel about the bowties, though.

 

      I can see JJ being ahead of the curve and rocking this look in 2002-2003. He'd look kind of odd compared to the softball t-shirt and baggy cargo shorts of that time, but yeah. It's a classic look and he'd probably look like he was dressing like a forty-year old, but I can see him not caring.

 

    Oh, and color. Color comes back in a big way for guys after the very subdued tones of the mid/late 90's. Think a lot of pastels (pink is really popular), and candy-colored polos. But not neon- neon makes somewhat of a comeback in 2007/2008, but not in 2002/2003. I think Yang Bang has documented his love for the neon tank top look somewhere on this site.

 

 

 

And what Method said is right.  There were two shifts within 2000-2010 period (instead the usual one).  80's revival didn't last long, so now we're back to the 90's with flannel and tighter Levis (though the popular Levis's back in 90's were 501, 505, not 513 or 508 of today).  Actually 2000-2002 period was sort of an extension of the late 90's.

 

   I wonder if it's because the way the economy crashed by the late '00s that fashion had its second shift from that decade, or if it's simply that "early/mid-00s fashion was inspired by the Reagan Years", and "late '00s/early '10s fashion was inspired from the late 80's/early 90's." As for the last bit...I remember thinking in 2001/2002 how it felt like there wasn't really much of a shift yet in how people were dressing...we were all pretty much still dressing like 1998 then. If I had to see one more baggy Tommy Hilfiger sweatshirt...ugh.

 

   Anyway, here's a pretty funny list:

 

18 Horrible '00s Men's Fashion That Should Have Never Happened

 

    I'm guilty of Livestrong bracelets (2004), a soul patch, and the Fauxhawk. For some reason, I just never bought the camo cargo shorts even though I wanted to. I did pop my collar, but I never tried layering polos. And I totally remember those leather "dress" sneakers...they were like soccer boots, I thought. I did buy a trucker's hat in 2011 and wear it around, but that was more of an ironic thing- the trend was no longer in so I thought it would be fun to wear it. My 2011-2012 roommate was so obsessed and stuck on the trucker hat trend, though.

 

      Trends they missed:

- Skinny jeans for men that are somehow still baggy (mid/late '00s- they FINALLLY seem like they're fading out now)

- Emo hair (mid/late-00s) *The flat iron was to the emo look what the blow dryer was when you feathered your hair in the 80's, Mark

- Neon tank tops (late '00s; still in)

-Lacrosse pinnies (late '00s; still in) *For some reason, in the latter part of the decade, it became cool to wear a lacrosse pinnie even if you never actually played lacrosse. This could totally be more of an East Coast thing, though.

Edited September 24, 2013 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

I'm thinking of two people, primarily.  First there's Brad, who will have to have a good business wardrobe, which is easy for me to do.  He'll also need to have clothes for when he goes out and hits clubs.  Could use some help there.

 

Older guys in clubs in LA got major Shi-ite if they tried to dress like they were in a club in Paris, New York, or London. LA is still LA and a laid back scene, the guys wearing Versace were mocked. Assuming they were not into fetish scenes (daddy, leather, emo, goth, etc) the guys Brad age dressed pretty normal, Polo knit shits, t-shirts if they were built, nice jeans (CK, Armani, etc, maybe even Levi's in a really low key bar). But I don't think Brad would suddenly turn into a club type guy, house parties were more the norm and at Brad's level he'd be going to parties thrown by David Geffen, Garth Ancier, Barry Diller, Sandy Gallin, Bryan Singer and a few other agent/lawyer types less known to the public and in turn, Brad would host parties at Malibu, especially the Sunday afternoon ones that were such fun.

[Mark Arbour]

Older guys in clubs in LA got major Shi-ite if they tried to dress like they were in a club in Paris, New York, or London. LA is still LA and a laid back scene, the guys wearing Versace were mocked. Assuming they were not into fetish scenes (daddy, leather, emo, goth, etc) the guys Brad age dressed pretty normal, Polo knit shits, t-shirts if they were built, nice jeans (CK, Armani, etc, maybe even Levi's in a really low key bar). But I don't think Brad would suddenly turn into a club type guy, house parties were more the norm and at Brad's level he'd be going to parties thrown by David Geffen, Garth Ancier, Barry Diller, Sandy Gallin, Bryan Singer and a few other agent/lawyer types less known to the public and in turn, Brad would host parties at Malibu, especially the Sunday afternoon ones that were such fun.

 

Thanks.  That makes so much sense.  You really crystallized things for me.  It would have been similar in the Bay Area, I'm thinking. 

[Ashi]

Okay, I am going to suggest just one thing....  Watch Edge of Seventeen.  I know I am almost like spamming this movie once a while, but here is the reason why I said that: that movie shows Erik's coming out process through the progression of his fashion.  He was trying to find himself, and fashion was an outlet of that internal struggle.  I think the writer did a very good job with that.  It was 80's fashion, so it doesn't apply to this, but it's the symbolic meaning here I am suggesting. 

 

I remember when I was younger, back in the time you are writing, btw, in early 2000's, I was not only having sexual awakening issue, but also identity crisis and had several other things went on.  I remember back in high school, I was very conservative, wearing what other people were wearing (but being a dork at the time means I was always behind others in trend and I ended up looking just like a dork and a fashion victim).  But then when I went to college, I was like, f*ck it.  I want to be ME.  F*ck the establishment and whatever people's judgment if you don't go with the flow....  The result was, I ended up being the trend setter (though that wasn't my intention at all).

 

But it wasn't a simple from dork to fab story.  I started out mixing conservative clothes with one or two outrageous and personality-exhibiting accessories.  I remember I went to Sunglass Hut and asked the lady for a pair of "conservative, but trendy sunglasses" and she was like, "that's a little difficult."  But we did find a pair that fit my description (it was hell of expensive, but I didn't/don't buy a lot of clothes so it was fine).  And it was a success in my make over process and my fashion awakening actually paralleled with sexual awakening, so when I saw Edge of Seventeen, I was like... OMG, I was not alone in this after all.  My experience is actually more universal than I thought.

 

For JJ (is this story already written or not?), I think he could wear some matching clothes, par the trend of the time, but with one or two accessories that is the expression of his personality tour de force.  Like maybe he wore the layered outfit (solid button down shirt with solid color sweater, like the one shown in Jereme's photo in Social Network), BUT with a pair of red sneakers (which NOBODY at the time wore.  Colors were VERY subdued in that period.  Gray was the most popular color in early 2000's among men, even the streets were filled with gray Toyota Camry's...).  When you wear a suit of conventional outfit, but add one outrageous mismatching accessory like that, all the attention will go to it.  And it's all about the accessory that says a story of a man.  For a guy who wants to express himself so badly, but don't know what to say (or can't say), everything is in the detail....

[methodwriter85]

For JJ (is this story already written or not?), I think he could wear some matching clothes, par the trend of the time, but with one or two accessories that is the expression of his personality tour de force.  Like maybe he wore the layered outfit (solid button down shirt with solid color sweater, like the one shown in Jereme's photo in Social Network), BUT with a pair of red sneakers (which NOBODY at the time wore.  Colors were VERY subdued in that period.  Gray was the most popular color in early 2000's among men, even the streets were filled with gray Toyota Camry's...).  When you wear a suit of conventional outfit, but add one outrageous mismatching accessory like that, all the attention will go to it.  And it's all about the accessory that says a story of a man.  For a guy who wants to express himself so badly, but don't know what to say (or can't say), everything is in the detail....

 

    I actually kind of like the idea of JJ being GQ Junior guy as a 15-year old, and then getting experimental as he gets older. You also nailed it on the bit about how colors were subdued at the time period- colors come back in 2003-2004, but were pretty hard to find in 2000-2002, unless you were a punk kid with wild hair colors. To get an idea of how JJ dresses at this point, here's a passage describing him getting dressed:

 

 

I nodded and hurried over to grab the Diesel jeans I’d had on last night, put on one of the shirts I’d bought at Dior in Paris, and slipped on the Bally loafers I’d had made when I was in Switzerland.  I put my computer and stuff in my (Louis Vuitton) satchel bag, and decided to leave the rest of my clothes.

 

     JJ is very, very "Designer this" and "custom this"...he'd be the kind of guy who'd sneer at clothes from the Gap. Prolly even Abercrombie and Fitch. He might have been okay with Express and Bananna Republic. H&M would probably horrify him. I think the only mall department stores he'd frequent would be Nordstrom's and Neiman Marcus. Macy's would probably be too low-rent for him.

 

      My general belief has been that JJ would dress in a lot of Burberry, while having Luitton Vuitton accessories like sunglasses and man-bags.

Edited September 27, 2013 by methodwriter85

[centexhairysub]

I agree that JJ will be a major showcase for Burberry with some timeless accessories that give him the ability to make a statement about who he is and where he comes from without being showy or tacky.  JJ strikes me as the kind of person that would counter-balance the flamboyance of someone like Johnny Weir.

[methodwriter85]

    There's this cute gay short I found called L.T.R. It's from 2003, and watching it, I thought about the titular couple reminded me about how people dressed circa 2002-2003, after the late 90's Tommy Hilfiger era but before the 2003-2004 80's revival era. The picture's grainy, but you can make out the outfits:

 

 

      The subdued color tones, the ringer t-shirts, spiky hair, cartilage piercings, track jackets (which didn't hit Delaware until 2004 but I'm not shocked it was a look circa 2002-2003 in first-world states like California), cargo shorts, and my favorite look- the long-sleeved shirt layered with a short-sleeved shirt. (Which stayed popular throughout the entire decade, if I'm remembering correctly.) I'm also pretty sure I saw dark denim jackets, which were popular circa 2000-2002. The turtleneck sweaters were more of a 90's holdover, and tended to be worn with black leather jackets.

 

     Although this is probably more like how Will would dress. I definitely think it captures how teen/college-aged people dressed in this transition late 90's/early 00's era, though.

Edited October 14, 2013 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

   I'm posting this video here, because the guys are cute, and they're illustrating the current pattern-colored tank tops that are really popular with the college-aged/twentysomething crowd right now. (John would get into it; Will probably as well.)

 

 

   It's really hard to describe the look- they feel like throwbacks to the tank tops of the late 1970's, and again from the late 1980's, with the funky colors and patterns. Someone once posted they were the ugliest things she had ever seen, and she survived the 80's when guys wore ugly Hawaiian shirts. LOL.

[Kitt]

Didn't that time frame have a recurrence of the "Miami Vice" look?  pastel tees under suit jackets and no socks?  Or is that what someone referred to as an 80's revival?