I enjoy clothing inasmuch as I think it improves my appearance and gives me a bit of confidence, but I think too many of the forumites get too much pleasure from clothing, verging on a fetish (which may in part explain why so many like tight collars and tight pointy shoos). Or it's just a pose to imply they appreciate things the ordinary person can't, hence they are better than the ordinary person. Whatever.
I enjoy clothes. I like the materials, colours and comfort. I like things to fit well etc but I do enjoy putting clothes on in the morning, appropriately for whatever I am doing and the weather, and then essentially forgetting about them.
If I have to think about them at all during the day it lessens my enjoyment - I then work out what is wrong and get it fixed by tossing the offending item or altering it.
I think a lot on the forums (oh no not this one I hasten to add etc etc ) are really trying things on. Trying on roles and trying on their presentation to the world. Hence they look stiff and unrelaxed. They look rehearsed - because they are. They haven't found their inner persona, their self, so they can't project it in outerwear.
Another problem on the forum is I see young dudes around 20 or so who should be making the most of their bodies and youth trying to dress like old men. Why?
shooey - get to bed its 3am
Last edited by Gilgamesh2003 (2011-01-07 09:21:03)
mmh I think I can add a volume on How to Buy a Belt to my How to Buy Shoes for Lawyers series of books.
Don't tell NJS - I want to beat him to it.
Last edited by The_Shooman (2011-01-07 09:31:04)
This one's a hoot.
Guy buys Carmina shoes online, they're the wrong size so he tries to sell them. You'd think the thread couldn't get this derailed, but it just did. WHy? In comes FStyles to say the shoes (the OP bought at a crazy markup from a SF affiliate) wouldn't be worth 400. Why? Because Spain doesn't "have the legacy to warrant top echelon" because they also produce Paraboot (a French company with factories in France). And by top echelon, FStyles means SF B&S prices, of course. The thread devolves in every conceivable way with even the posts including legitimate points ending up a complete mess. Turns out the people bashing Carmina had "seen a pair in a shop", yet chose to proclaim themselves experts on the matter. I'd venture a guess that the "shop" was internet-based and experts will be experts, following SF groupthink and only acknowledging SF-approved brands bought secondhand through SF. Too bad that the guy pointing this out was also apparently frothing at the mouth.
http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.php?p=3976100&postcount=13
I'm actually rather interested in Carmina shoes, btw, which is how I happened upon this. I could buy them very inexpensively in Europe, but I have no real idea of their merits. They look nice enough in the pictures, that much I do know.
Last edited by The_Shooman (2011-01-07 10:24:54)
I think the forums were particularly influential with the American Traditional discussions. Russsell will no doubt have much to say, but in fact in the early goings the discussions were good and many people who posted brought their experiences rather than their prescriptions. But it was quickly dominated by the dreamers rather than the do-ers and now we have the Tripe Forum.
I think Buffy's point about EG sales is important: the real-world danger of the forums has been to connect manufacturers with the worst sort of customers. That might be a prob stemming from the general internet though, not just the style forums, esp when you factor in online retailers & discounters. That's another topic.