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#51 2013-01-06 04:23:16

Yuca
Member
Posts: 8543

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

They're ok, but none of them really appeals to me.

1. Nice jacket.  I'm not sure about the shirt.  The collar looks stiff to me; that may be just the shot, however as I know Chens doesn't do vintage then the collar probably really is stiff, which to me ruins the look.  Also, with that light coloured jacket, I feel a darker shirt may have been advisable.  Obviously we can't see footwear, trousers or even the tie properly, so I would need to see more before being impressed.  However I have worn worse combinations, and it's not a disaster.  Nor does it really appeal to me.

2. Again the collar looks stiff on the shirt - what is ivy without a roll?  Again, that may just be the shot, I suppose.  The rest is ok, but I don't actually like it - the jacket is very summery and informal, whilst black shoes and trousers are overly formal, particularly for ivy.  Together the 2 look ok, but nothing special.

3. The best of the bunch, however once again his shirt seems to have no roll, so I'm unimpressed overall.  I would need to see more of the jacket to like it, but what I can discern I like.  Shoes I don't like, although I suspect they are part of the ivy canon.  Overall he looks okish, but the details fail to inspire me, at all.

I'm not being overly critical due to personal animosity, just objectively honest.  Nothing offensive or disastrous, but nothing I actually like.  If those are him at his best, he needs to hit some thrift stores, O'Connell's, etc asap.


some sort of banal legitimacy

 

#52 2013-01-06 04:29:10

Drum Thunder !!!
Son of Odin
From: the Time that Land Forgot.
Posts: 3768

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

I think  his taste is generally good all round, on those pics. If Soggs was wearing them, he'd actually probably look cool. I'm not greatly bothered on the details because that is down to availability, than choice in a way. By that I mean, he put together bad ingredients well if you catch my drift?

Being a prisoner to the details is why I have really no decent Ivy tailoring, I just can't find my size in old stuff, So generally I avoid wearing modern attempts, and dress more casually.

Last edited by My Grandfather's Pants (2013-01-06 04:29:58)


Arrives unpressed and minimally packaged.

 

#53 2013-01-06 04:29:28

woofboxer
Devil's Ivy Advocate
From: The Lost County of Middlesex
Posts: 7959

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

Yep, all in all I think he puts together a good look. He makes a conscious effort to go for thin lapels and ties which is not to everyone's taste but nothing wrong with that IMO and it suits his body shape. He's very tall and thin so he's never going to look good in baggy stuff. There are bits I don't like in those pictures i.e. that belt buckle, but thats in the realms of nit picking really. He doesn't go for vintage stuff so what you see here is a moden take on ivy, which is fine if that's for you.


'I'm not that keen on the Average Look .......ever'. 
John Simons

Achievements: banned from the Ivy Style FB Group

 

#54 2013-01-06 04:43:00

Axelist
Talker of the talk, walker of the walk.
From: age
Posts: 1223

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -


Just to get a repp..

 

#55 2013-01-06 04:43:23

Yuca
Member
Posts: 8543

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

Put it this way: if those were the only photos I had ever seen of ivy, even disregarding the fact that Chens - like all of us - doesn't have the natural photogenic appeal of the likes of Steve McQueen, there's no way I would be interested.  He dresses well for work, but it's really nothing special.

Once you take away anything that might look overly retro, and all the details that can't be bought new any more (most obviously and essentially: collar roll), it's all a bit bland.  Infinitely better than what most people wear to the office, but nowhere near as good as what can be seen on literally 1000s of vintage photos, many of which are of people who were not remotely famous.

In other words: the average Brooks customer of several decades ago looked a lot better.

As Woof says, it's a take on ivy.  I prefer the real deal.


some sort of banal legitimacy

 

#56 2013-01-06 04:50:58

Drum Thunder !!!
Son of Odin
From: the Time that Land Forgot.
Posts: 3768

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

I think he looks good, I'm not going to wear it, I'm not going to say it is purist, but the outfits are put together well in terms of colour and pattern, and a lot better than what I see of igents and prep. For everything else you say I think you're probably right.

Last edited by My Grandfather's Pants (2013-01-06 04:51:29)


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#57 2013-01-06 05:01:12

Yuca
Member
Posts: 8543

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -


some sort of banal legitimacy

 

#58 2013-01-06 05:12:03

12BarBlues
Mr. Ivy
Posts: 2477

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -


"To be honest I do like FNB...I always feel one of the thunderbirds when I say it."

 

#59 2013-01-06 05:13:42

Drum Thunder !!!
Son of Odin
From: the Time that Land Forgot.
Posts: 3768

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

No I'm saying Soggs carries himself better, and would look cooler in the same outfits, as that was the premise of the thread, some people will never look cool. Myself included, and some people can make t-shirts look cool, That was my point.

I think calling Patrick unphotogenic is a terrible thing to say, he has leading man qualities, well B-movies at least!

I agree with your last bit which is why I quite like the 80's outdoor ivy/prep vibe it still had tradition and practicality around it. But also as you can tell from the 40's adverts, and many others, it wasn't always about subtly. I'm not sure that is a rule that truly exists, it has been fabricated to suit people's tastes. Ivy was of course conservative in conservative situations, and playful when not, it is a complete system to match moods, and circumstances. Brooks were dressing to some degree, the successful man from any standing, for any situation. I like that ethos.

Last edited by My Grandfather's Pants (2013-01-06 05:15:01)


Arrives unpressed and minimally packaged.

 

#60 2013-01-06 06:05:59

Taylor McIntyre
Son of Ivy...
Posts: 342

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

Another thought on Chens is that he's only been doing this for just four years. With the Ivy blog thrust upon him overnight came the need to look the part to represent his business.

Casting my mind back to when I was a newbie, trying to work all this out in the dark (not a problem that anybody has these days with the Net.), I wore a lot of Arrow & Hathaway with 'modified' English RTW to get an 'Ivy' look. Loafers were from Saxone and I had one 'Ivy' MTM suit from a tailor who was basically a theatrical costumier (Colin Wilde, 'the tallest tailor in London', whatever happened to him?). Pretty much I spent seven years like that untill my introduction to John Simons in '85 which transformed my game no end. Then that same year came the first NYC trip.

John Gall tells a similar story, with M&S blazers altered into 3 button jobs to go with his buttondowns and Weegians until he encountered JS.

Rites of passage stuff.

Chen's take is Chen's take. He's not a clothes nut, but then that's not his business. I'd say he keeps a 'capsule' Ivy wardrobe - Which could be a good idea for a thread...

 

#61 2013-01-06 06:12:30

Taylor McIntyre
Son of Ivy...
Posts: 342

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

Another thought is that his clothes are 'props', in the theatrical sense - Which brings me back to my first Ivy suit !  wink

 

#62 2013-01-06 09:38:21

Drum Thunder !!!
Son of Odin
From: the Time that Land Forgot.
Posts: 3768

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -


Arrives unpressed and minimally packaged.

 

#63 2013-01-06 09:55:41

Drum Thunder !!!
Son of Odin
From: the Time that Land Forgot.
Posts: 3768

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -


Arrives unpressed and minimally packaged.

 

#64 2013-01-06 09:59:20

Taylor McIntyre
Son of Ivy...
Posts: 342

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

/\  Yeah, that's the guy. That's the real Chens.

All his own work.

 

#65 2013-01-06 10:14:04

12BarBlues
Mr. Ivy
Posts: 2477

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

He looks better with a beard, the rest though ... Hmmm.


"To be honest I do like FNB...I always feel one of the thunderbirds when I say it."

 

#66 2013-01-06 10:15:44

12BarBlues
Mr. Ivy
Posts: 2477

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

He looks better with a beard, the rest though ... Hmmm.


"To be honest I do like FNB...I always feel one of the thunderbirds when I say it."

 

#67 2013-01-06 10:28:13

Chris_H
Ivy Original
From: Watford
Posts: 1654

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

Cool isn't the first thing that springs to mind in any description concerning him...


https://www.facebook.com/groups/hardyandjohnson/

 

#68 2013-01-06 10:51:07

Armchaired
Ivy I.V.
From: Old England
Posts: 7580

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

I think he would look better with a size 10 up his arse!


�Careful with that axe Eugene.�

 

#69 2013-01-06 12:44:54

Taylor McIntyre
Son of Ivy...
Posts: 342

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

 

#70 2013-01-06 12:49:41

Chris_H
Ivy Original
From: Watford
Posts: 1654

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

^ Ivy's own Agent Zig Zag!!


https://www.facebook.com/groups/hardyandjohnson/

 

#71 2013-01-06 13:19:34

Goodyear welt
Ivyist At Large
Posts: 3089

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -


Rocking traditional, current and classic Italian Ivy since 2011.

 

#72 2013-01-06 14:08:41

Taylor McIntyre
Son of Ivy...
Posts: 342

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

/\ Like that a lot.

 

#73 2013-01-06 14:09:28

Taylor McIntyre
Son of Ivy...
Posts: 342

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

 

#74 2013-01-06 14:31:57

12BarBlues
Mr. Ivy
Posts: 2477

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -


"To be honest I do like FNB...I always feel one of the thunderbirds when I say it."

 

#75 2013-01-07 03:47:30

4F Hepcat
THE Cat
Posts: 14333

Re: The Cool Pic Thread -

The bearded Chenners phase was particularly unflattering: looked like he dined on sherry for breakfast.


Vibe-Rations in Spectra-Sonic-Sound

 

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