“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.” - Oscar Wilde

  I became reacquainted with this quote the other day, thanks to a friend who mentioned it (you rock, Emily!), and decided it was a good subject for a post.  Oscar Wilde is not exactly the poster-child for manliness, what with his penchant for feathers and persistent man-diddling, but he certainly speaks the truth.  Fashion is a shallow, fickle notion that plagues civilization.  Well, maybe not that bad, but still, it has no place in a man’s life.  Style, on the other hand, is something every man should have.  How do you distinguish between the two?

  It occurred to me as I walked through the mall on my lunch break the other day.  I was looking for a pair of jeans with absolutely no luck (that’ll have to be the subject of another post) and noticed that the trend for men this winter is all about the sportsman/hunter/lumberjack look.  Everywhere I looked there was buffalo plaid, flannel, corduroy, work boots, etc.  On the one hand, this gave me some hope.  You see, fashion is the vehicle people use to exteriorize what they wish they were on the inside.  If fashion wants you to pretend to be something manly, like a hunter or a logger, that can only mean that for every guy that buys a flannel, somewhere a metro-sexual dies a slow, perfectly-tweazed death (when a metro-sexual dies, does he become a Cullen?).  It also means that, as a society, we’re moving towards the idea of a more masculine man being acceptable, which is commendable.  On the other hand, fashion has a way of taking elements of style (style being the outward complement of what you ARE on the inside) and twisting them to the extremes, until they’re so ridiculous and completely antithetical to their roots that they inevitably have to change, just like Mr. Irish-Pansy-Pants said they would.

 Of course, it’s impossible to completely ignore fashion.  We’re surrounded by it.  People from every facet of our lives will judge us based on what we wear, and that includes how closely we follow or don’t follow fashion trends.  You have to know how to walk the fine line between being stylish and being trendy.  First, you have to decide whether or not a certain fashion is something you want to approximate in your dress.  For the sake of this post, I’ve decided that it’s ok to dress outdoorsy. I was doing it before it was trendy and I’ll be doing it after it’s passe.  Second, identify the roots of the trend.  Where did a certain “look” come from?  Is it military-inspired?  Some 80’s redux?  Sub-culture specific?  Third, make it authentic.  Don’t buy the fashion-interpretation, buy the real thing.  Want a pea-coat?  Don’t buy the GAP version, go to the army navy store.  Want a pair of jeans?  Don’t buy the pre-washed, pre-whiskered, pre-stressed pair that’ll run you $90, buy a pair of raw Levi’s Shrink-To-Fits for $20 and break ‘em in yourself.  Let me illustrate further:
 

Photo courtesy of theimpossiblecool.

 Yup, that’s Brando.  Nope, this isn’t a black and white J. Crew catalog shot.  If you haven’t seen “On the Waterfront” please do, it’s one if his best.  On the Waterfront was filmed in nearby Hoboken, NJ in 1954, back when the East Coast had real winters, not this pansified, Londonesque stuff we’ve been having for the past decade (I blame Al Gore).  It was filmed on location to capture the realism of the dock workers struggles and his wardrobe had to represent what was common for the working class man in the 50’s, as well as keep the actor warm during long hours of shooting.

 This is a good example of what style looks like.  P.S. you will never look this cool, but you can get close.  Let’s break down what he’s wearing and show you how to find similar pieces that replicate the style without being fashiony.   

 What Brando’s wearing: Brando’s outer layer is a classic wool shirt jac in buffalo plaid.  Wool is naturally tough as nails, sheds water and keeps you toasty warm.  The unlined jacket is perfect for layering over less scratchy fabrics and allows you to remove layers when you’re more active.  Buffalo plaid is often referred to as the Redneck Tuxedo since it’s a classic hunting pattern.  The plaid helps to break up the hunter’s silhouette while the red makes him more visible to other hunters.  While I’ve never seen an actual tuxedo in buffalo plaid, I have seen some in Mossy Oak so maybe the label is a little misplaced. Remember, keep it authentic to avoid looking like these…ahem…guys.

 Modern counterpart: Woolrich lined stag jacket - red buffalo plaid:

 Woolrich is the oldest outdoor clothing company in America so, it’s not really a “modern” counterpart.  They were making this style way before Brando. 

See it here: http://www.woolrich.com/woolrich/browse/productDetail.jsp?icParent=subCategory&icProduct=16613&icCategory=cat110008&icSort=#

 What Brando’s wearing:  Under the wool shirt jac is what appears to be a classic chamois cloth work shirt.  Chamois cloth is a heavy cotton fabric that’s been fleeced on both sides.  By looking at it, you would think it feels like wearing a shirt made of chalkboard erasers, but it feels pretty flippin’ sweet and is very warm.

 Modern counterpart: L.L. Bean chamois cloth shirt - tan:

 Like Woolrich, L.L. Bean has been around for a long time.  Since 1912 actually.  Their pieces haven’t changed much.

See it here: http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=chamois-cloth-shirt&categoryId=22611&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1

 What Brando’s wearing:  Crepe sole, chukka work boots.  This style became popular in WWII thanks to the British soldiers’ military issue “brothel creepers” (not what you think…ok, it is what you think).

 Modern counterpart: Clarks Desert Boot - beeswax leather: 

 Clarks has been making shoes in the same basic styles since 1825.  These desert boots are pretty much identical to what they were in WWII.

See it here: http://www.zappos.com/clarks-desert-boot-beeswax-leather-2

 What Brando’s wearing:  Wide wale corduroy trousers.  Corduroy was a worker’s staple since it’s a relatively tough fabric, especially in the heavier 8-wale.  Constant friction will keep your thighs warm, too.

 Modern counterpart: L.L. Bean Country Corduroy Trousers - charcoal:

 You know all about L.L. Bean already.  The founder’s name was Leon Leonwood Bean; no lie.

See it here: http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?categoryId=60843&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=504251&feat=504251-tn&cat4=504250

 So, now that you know how to dress like you belong, without looking like you belong on Bravo, practice stuffing your cheeks full of mashed potatoes and saying “I coulda been a contender.”