Clothes you don't "get."

[eat me]

As I said, I am not denying CDiems aesthetic.

To me it's just getting way too much credit, being regarded as a pinnacle of men's fashion, as I remember someone said here once.

I mean, come on. Out of about 25 pieces I've handled (I don't own any, and whilst some might argue that's why I don't "get it", I will disagree) and examined, I found about 4 of real interest and about 1 or 2 where I could say, "yeah, you know what, there really is some serious time and thought spent here".

Somehow it's standard to go through numerous CDiem pieces and look for some examples of ingenuity and then go "oh look! Genius!", but no one goes through a collection of big name/more mainstream designers looking for this and saying the same. You know, the construction behind some Chalayans (structure) pieces, or Dior Couture (hand work), or Jil Sander womenswear (simplicity), or Savile Row tailors (artisan) is going to run circles around best of CDiems pieces. But somehow quite a few CDiem aficionados seem to sneer at them at every given opportunity and confuse their love for aesthetic (masterfully executed as it is) for their understanding of garment construction or pattern cutting.

And this is where I have the issue with it. I respect and tend not to argue with people who have an open mind to love CD but also appreciate that it's not be all and end all of fashion, and that if you look as hard at some other designers work as you look at CD, you might surprise yourself by how much thought and construction know-how went into "just one of the pieces on the catwalk".

[eat me]

but thats personal preference. many other designers have created equally impressive, beautiful, luxurious garments and have been productive over longer periods of time. but for me, nothing looks as cool....

Fair enough, it's the open mind that I respect.

[Chinorlz]

Good points Eat Me. CDiem is certainly not the end all be all but it was the launchpad for a relatively specific aesthetic and design approach leading to many "offshoots".

Many other designers and design houses do create work that requires incredible effort and creativity along with experimentation/technology that is quite groundbreaking. I don't think too many folks on here dismiss that. It'd be hard to downplay a lot of the haute couture pieces from the big houses or mastery over cut that other designers have.

Ultimately what I appreciate is attention to detail and minimal compromise in quality. Details such as thinking through what direction the fabric likes to roll on its cut edge, object dyeing instead of using predyed fabric, doing different treatments, processing leather etc. are what makes items special to me. It shows that thought has been put into all aspects of the garment.

[christianef]

Not even marketing - a company has to exist in order to market. but since christianef literally doesn't get it, I can only presume she means that she has no luck on ebay or in classifieds. just don't go off on another banana rant.

aha lol @ banana rant. but yes, you are right. men like to hunt and while inherent to fashion/high end stuff in general i understand that is the added appeal to c-diem - how tricky a lot of the good stuff is to actually obtain i personally just find it a big turn off mostly, spent too much time chasing amy, bored of holy grails, anyone can pass the bar eventually but at a certain point who cares what does it really prove. not that maurizio is entirely responsible i know the ropes.

love carpe though, some people wont get nirvana. as overrated as carpe may be, maybe people should re-evalute how they measure things. construction, over dying blah blah blah are over rated. as cjbreed mentioned and eat me respected nothing looks as cool.

[michael_kard]

I don't get Ann's trouser sizes. The waist size is so big. How do people wear those things? So far I've only gotten my hands on drawstring pieces, but I'd like to explore that territory a bit more. Do you wear them (or, are they supposed to be worn) oversized, or do you just get them in small sizes?

[christianef]

^ lol u are right. ann tends to fit large. ive said it before but ann usually makes the same things in womens and mens so if the mens pants are too large theres probably a similar version that will fit it you dont mind shopping in the womens boutique.

[theetruscan]

Ann's trouser sizing can be inconsistent. I own one pair of Ann trousers in a large that I had to get taken in significantly in the waist, most of my pairs fit correctly without alteration in large or XL, and I've had size XL trousers that were 2-4" too small in the waist. I am a true 52.

Most Ann trousers have a fairly voluminous top block regardless of how the legs fit.

[Catfood]

The drawstring ones tend to be larger in the waist though. Probably because they are meant to be worn with the waist scrunched up. For her drawsting trousers you can easily size down one size compared to what you usually wear in her trousers. At lease that's my experience.

[messenoire]

can fits be included?
+when people sag their pants/jeans.
+flat brimmed ball caps/ball caps in general.
+rick owens penchant for creating high end "gym wear", yes i've seen people make this look presentable but i just dont "get it".
+the aesthetic of laziness in the guise of "comfort" in a public forum. i can understand wearing sweatpants and a tee around the house but once you step foot outside you should be dressed to face the day. that old famous quote "if you look like you just rolled out of bed, you should have stayed in bed."
+99% of what teenagers are currently wearing
+clothing/t shirts with extreme branding/ be it a band, label, designer, product, whatever. clothes should not function as a billboard and i think it messies up the overall aesthetic.


i think i got off topic. i am a gigantic fan of leather all over. there's something so mad max/post-apocalyptic darkness about such a heavy material. i am a lifelong fan. tyvek will never not look like a trashbag.

[eat me]

as cjbreed mentioned and eat me respected nothing looks as cool.

I respected an open mind to appreciate fashion outside art-povera aesthetic, not the notion that CD looks the coolest. To me, lots of things look cooler .

[MoFiya]

The key to wearing Chucks is to add proper extra insoles (like Junya did with his collaboration). You'd be suprised how comfortable they'll get.

Sorry for the noob question but how to remove the insole the shoes come with? Just using force? I am asking because they seem to be glued to the show.

[jumpoff]

^You don't have to remove the original insole to add an extra insole.

I guess you would have to size up though.

[cjbreed]

I respected an open mind to appreciate fashion outside art-povera aesthetic, not the notion that CD looks the coolest. To me, lots of things look cooler .

take it back eat me

hahaha

i think that appreciating fashion achievements in more mainstream fashion comes with exposure. my nature is to resist it outright but thru my wife i have been forcibly exposed to so many outstanding pieces that it can't really be denied. there are some brilliant artists out there that get dismissed based on aesthetic reasons and because of their membership in the evil club of big time fashion houses. and it is done in way that is not really respectful of their work. still, that being said, enough of what so many of these same designers slap their name on qualifies as crap that they deserve a bit of derision, don't they?

again, not all. just some. well, most.

[eat me]

still, that being said, enough of what so many of these same designers slap their name on qualifies as crap that they deserve a bit of derision, don't they?

Perhaps, when it seems like it's all they do (see LV), bu tno matter how many sock Ricky is going to label, my for him is unequivocal. If only he would stop using fur.

[syed]

^ I take it the cricket socks don't take your fancy then