Help Wanted: Fashionista

[methodwriter85]

      The 80's pastel revival was more 2003-2007, peaking in 2005-2006. Then the late 80's neon revival happened in 2008-2009. (You're still seeing a lot of neon tank tops, especially on frat boys.) It was in pretty stark contrast to the late 90's/early '00s aesthetic, which had very subdued colors.

[methodwriter85]

    I can't believe I forgot these two:

 

    Pumas:

 

 

    Adidas Throwbacks:

 

[methodwriter85]

Someone told me that apparently Patogonia is really popular with the college kids these days, and have apparently usurped Northface:

 

[TetRefine]

Psfh, Pattagonia is for poor people. Canada Goose is where it's at.

 

 

Seriously, the amount of rich, snobby Penn kids and "young professionals" I see walking around this city wearing this jacket is truly obnoxious. Also, the huge logo reminds me of Abercrombie brand whoring. 

 

I'll stick to my Uniqlo jacket. Looks just as good and is just as warm....at 1/5 the price. 

Edited March 17, 2015 by TetRefine

[methodwriter85]

Yeah. Another thing- I don't think I've seen a young hot college guy wearing Abercrombie in a loooonnnnggg time. That look feels truly over.

Edited March 17, 2015 by methodwriter85

[TetRefine]

Yeah. Another thing- I don't think I've seen a young hot college guy wearing Abercrombie in a loooonnnnggg time. That look feels truly over.

 

Thank ever-loving god that brand is dying a quick and painful death. It represented all that was/is wrong with people. 

[methodwriter85]

Thank ever-loving god that brand is dying a quick and painful death. It represented all that was/is wrong with people. 

 

I think 2010's guys in more general are likely to buy cheap shirts and the like from places like Target or H&M so they can afford cool gadgets or higher quality jeans, shoes, etc etc. I think the guys who would have bought Abercrombie if they had been 19 in 2005 instead of in 2015 have either moved on to more of a classic Ralph Lauren preppy look, or they're doing the aforementioned cheap stuff/mixed with expensive stuff.

 

Guys don't seem to want to wear their brand names like splashed big accross their chest anymore.

 

However, girls seem to be very into Pink.

 

Anyway, check out these high fashion shows from 2003.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x49QFP8r1o

 

 

Contrasted with this more "accessible" fashion show:

 

DSquared Spring Summer 2003

 

 

Layers. Lots of layers. Sleeves rolled up. Also, again with military colors. Collar-less leather jackets (usually layered over a hoodie) became cool during this time period. This generally jibes with how I remember 2003-2006-ish. Kinda. If you were someone who was trying as opposed to just wearing polo shirts and cargo shorts. Although yeah, I don't remember ever seeing any guys in speedos. (That I would want to see in a speedo. Yay for Italty.)

 

As for the suits, this was the "deconstructured" era, right? Like that's why the suits seem to be flopping around. I don't think that's going to look good on a short, skinny guy like JJ but he's probably doing that look.  He'll be better served by the more tailored, slim-cut suits that come in style at the end of the decade.

 

Finally...it's almost 2003, which means the spiky haired look is going to start fading out for guys. I remember that was the year that I started seeing guys letting their hair get longer and kind of.,.feathering it. I called it the early 80's winged hair revival, as seen here by a young Dave Franco:

 

 

The idea is that their hair is kind of fluffed up and curled up, with minimal product. They didn't call it feathering but it totally was. The 80's revival was in full swing. Guys were rocking hair from 1982.

 

Girls, strangely enough, didn't feather their hair. It was either soft curls, or long, straight, and parted in the middle:

 

Edited March 19, 2015 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

A Canada Goose coat is 700 dollars. What the fuck?

 

I guess JJ will be rocking this when he's 30.

[Ashi]

Anyways, just barging in to take a peek of this thread. 

 

Are we still on the 2003-ish era?  I just remembered one thing.  Since the setting is in Bay Area (SF Bay Area?), remember it's the center of dot.com boom/bust, so it's all nouveau rich look.  Not your traditional establishment East Coast members-only look.  You might be caught dead dressed in a designer suit.  But if you were trying to be a tech executive, you might wear some brand name suit (Hugo Boss, Burberry, Gucci, maybe Paul Smith?) but don't be surprised if the guy matches it with a pair of sneakers. 

 

And I am pretty sure he might even have a Palm V in his hand.  I had one (don't know why I needed it).  If you didn't have the money, you might have a Palm III.  That'll surely gives some of us older readers some squeechy giggles.  People bought those handhelds devices like smart phones are nowadays (and it couldn't even do nearly as much as a smart phone could).

 

And speaking of sneakers.  Did you get to see my new Superstar? 

 

 

Though I'd imagine myself seeing JJ wearing all black Gucci suit with a pair of traditional white Superstar with red or green three stripes, like these:

 

http://www.adidas.com/us/superstar-80s-vintage-deluxe-shoes/B35982.html

 

Though those are Superstar 80s in the link....  I think back in the early 2000s era, Superstar II was more like it.  But probably not the more street cred black Superstar... (which the wearers of them often have them very worn and dirty). Though JJ probably would get a pair of limited release Fabrique en France Superstar rather than your ordinary Made in China ones.  Though I am not sure if the made in France ones were available around 2003.

 

I just remembered I wore a Kenneth Cole turtleneck back in that era.  You could probably top it with a four-button suit (I didn't, but some people would).  Most of us college kids at that time wore very street stuff.  Could be expensive, but still street looking stuff.  Rich people in Bay Area liked Bohemian look (the well-off hippies look).  Though I am not sure if that's more of a mid 2000s thing or not.  You know the Urban Outfitters look....  There was this girl (who sort had a crush on me) digged the Anthropology (and possibly Free People), so I got her this vintage looking necklace for her birthday from that store.  You know, the semi-precious stones and turquoise mounted on the oxidized silver settings type.  As for guys, I remember someone told me, "shell necklace..., you think everyone is Californian or what?"    But that was the look at that early 2000s era.  T-shirt with shell necklace/bracelet (sometimes the bracelet worn on the ankles paired with flip flops).  Possibly with a can opener as a decorative item on the necklace/bracelet. 

 

And yes..., later on the decade, we got into the more frugal, recession era trend.  Though well-off people would wear expensive stuff that looked like they were from thrift stores just to mix in.  Of course that later turned into more of a hipster trend.  Think Hayes Street of San Francisco.

 

EDIT:  Just some addition of Bay Area culture.  San Francisco culture is very organic and grass root.  I am pretty sure most of you guys won't able to figure us out.  We like our stuff non-mass commercial type, organic certified and sustainable.  SF people carry Timbuk2 bags, drink Blue Bottle Coffee, and eat Super Duper Burgers.  We like our San Francisco brands.

 

As for food, that's the era where everyone would brag about their latest find of cheap sushi restaurants.  LOL

Edited March 24, 2015 by Ashi

[methodwriter85]

JJ's not really a San Francisco Boy. He's more L.A./Boston, but in general he's kind of this Continental worldly traveler type.

 

We're ABOUT to enter 2003, which means we're about to see the big fashion shift that occured then, when guys started wearing brighter colors and started letting go of spiky hair.

 

The Bo-ho look started in the early 2000's, but it really took off circa 2004. Suddenly every girl I knew was wearing peasant skrits with tank tops.

 

And yeah, there should be lots of puka shell necklaces and hemp anklets on guys. I didn't quit the puka shell look until 2006 or so. LOL.

 

I thought this fashion show from 2003 evoked a lot of memories for me:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXROdmBmQFA

 

I don't think EVERYTHING was in common place (I really don't ever remember seeing guys wearing white pants or leather vests), but in generally this is a good summary of what was hip during the time period. A lot of military and 80's influences.

Edited March 25, 2015 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

I really do wonder how Mark is going to handle having these characters exist in the mid-2010's, because he can't seem to stand beards or excessive tattoos, and young guys who are both clean-shaven and without any visible tattoos seem to be becoming a rare unicorn. And it's not just the alternative people who are like that- frat boys are getting like that now, too.

 

Then again, Mark also ignored grunge when we were in 1995, and he also completely ignored the circa 1998-2001 skater boy aesthetic even though I think Will would have had A LOT of friends who rocked that look.

 

I do think it's going to be hard for Mark to ignore the hipster look, because they're based in San Francisco, and these characters often mix with the creative class.

Edited June 5, 2015 by methodwriter85

[B1ue]

CAP is only a mostly accurate reflection of the world. If the hipster look didn't happen, then it didn't happen.

[methodwriter85]

CAP is only a mostly accurate reflection of the world. If the hipster look didn't happen, then it didn't happen.

 

No, it did. Sergio mentioned the hipster look, and Marie likes wearing boho clothing. Boho is getting pretty big circa 2003, but the hipster look was still kind of fringe...it doesn't really explode until about 2007 or thereabouts.

 

Apparently a book called The Hipster Handbook was released in 2003 and it was tied into Williamsburg. The phase itself was from the 1940's, but it's morphing into the way we think about it happened around 1999-2003, at least according to Wikipedia. It was accurate and forward-thinking for Sergio to know the term in 2001-2002.

 

It's kind of a shame that no one seems to be thinking about buying up properties in Brooklyn. I mean, TriBeCa is nice, but they already bought at a high price point because it was already a hot neighborhood in 2001. I mean, I'm sure they're still making a killing on it, but imagine the profit margins on getting properties in Willamsburg or Fort Greene or even Bushwick circa 2002-2003.

Edited June 8, 2015 by methodwriter85

[TetRefine]

It's kind of a shame that no one seems to be thinking about buying up properties in Brooklyn. I mean, TriBeCa is nice, but they already bought at a high price point because it was already a hot neighborhood in 2001. I mean, I'm sure they're still making a killing on it, but imagine the profit margins on getting properties in Willamsburg or Fort Greene or even Bushwick circa 2002-2003.

 

Williamsburg was already a hot neighborhood in the early 2000s. You would have had to buy in the 80s or early 90s to cash in significantly on the gentrification of near Brooklyn. I read a story of one couple who bought a couple of brownstones in Williamsburg for $75,000 a piece in 1986, fixed them up and rented them out for a while, and sold the three for well over $5M in the mid 2000s.

[methodwriter85]

Williamsburg was already a hot neighborhood in the early 2000s. You would have had to buy in the 80s or early 90s to cash in significantly on the gentrification of near Brooklyn. I read a story of one couple who bought a couple of brownstones in Williamsburg for $75,000 a piece in 1986, fixed them up and rented them out for a while, and sold the three for well over $5M in the mid 2000s.

 

Hmm, duly corrected. I guess it would have to be Bushwick or somewhere in Queens. (Isn't that the next hot borough after Brooklyn?)

 

Anyway, it's 2003. Candy colored polos with popped collars should be coming in at this point. I started doing it in 2004, but I'm always late on stuff so I'm sure it started in 2003. The look remained popular until 2007-2008.

 

 

 

God, I LOVED that look. I miss doing it. It will probably come back in circa 2023, but by then I'll be pushing forty and it would look ridiculous on me as a 38-year old as opposed to how cute it looked when I was 18.

 

That look is just SCREAMING John Hobart. I can just see him walking around in a light pink polo shirt, layered over a dark pink polo shirt, both collars popped.

[methodwriter85]

So...Fall '03/Winter '04 Burberry:

 

 

I absolutely loved the outfits with the plaid at the beginning...not so sure about the rain slickers, though.

 

It's kind of funny to look at this haute couture stuff, and pick out the stuff that eventually made its way over to the mainstream...the hoodies over coat look was HUGE by about 2005.

 

The main thing I've noticed, while studying this stuff, is that there was a strong emphasis on deconstruction...clothes were often very loose-fitting, especially the pants and blazers/coats.

Edited July 2, 2015 by methodwriter85

[impunity]

I think I may have posted about the UK pub Burberry ban before, but I really want this to happen to JJ. Sadly, about we're about a year or two too early.

 

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2003/11/12/burberry-banned

 

 

More background:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/aug/21/clothes.politics

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4381140.stm

Edited July 2, 2015 by impunity

[impunity]

Thought y'all might like this.  And not just because the cute model spends about half the time in his underwear.

 

http://time.com/3951291/100-years-mens-fashion/

Edited July 11, 2015 by impunity

[methodwriter85]

He's cute but I kind of wish they had gotten a more lithe model, instead of a bulky muscle guy. Some of that stuff looked really awkward on him, like 60's mod. Also, I'll say it again- if you do not have skinny legs, skinny jeans just look awkward as hell on you.

 

I thought his most flattering outfit was 1995. He would have fit in well with that time period of bulky jeans, goatees, bowling shirts, and spiky hair.

Edited July 11, 2015 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

Chris Evans is and always has been hot, but he was especially hot in this 2004 Flaunt Magazine shoot:

 

 

 

 

While I was gawking at these photos on a throwback post on Reddit, I also realized that these jeans are a REALLY good example of the aesthetic during the time period- distressed, low-riding on the hips, and a look like they're been run over by sand paper.  I'm pretty sure that these are Diesel Jeans and probably cost 200 dollars or something.

 

He's also wearing what looks to be a trucker hat, pretty popular circa 2003-2005-ish.

 

The only thing that's not really endemic to the time period is that his chest isn't shaved. We're in the Metrosexual Era right now. I gotta admit it, I kind of miss the days before guys were walking around with their arms completely covered in tattoos and big, bushy beards covering their faces. (God, I feel like an old fogie.)

Edited December 27, 2015 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

If Mark wants to start researching the mid-2000's (which we're getting close to), I found this photo on Reddit that is pretty DEAD-ON for how college-aged guys dressed  circa 2004-2006:

 

 

It's perfect. Right down to the knock-off Livestrong bracelet and the vertical-striped button down. You can't see their feet, but I'm betting they're wearing flip-flops. And you can see with the hairstyles that we were getting away from the short and spiky look that was so popular at the start of the decade- guys were going for a more natural look with their hair, mostly. And they were growing their hair out longer in a look that was reminiscent of the early 1980's.

 

UNLESS they were emo. But we didn't really hit peak emo until circa 2006.

Edited March 25, 2016 by methodwriter85