We’ve been looking at The Armoury for a long time now, with a majority of my outfits focusing on recreating ones by Dick Carroll. As a result, it has been ivy focused, with repp stripes and oxford shirts. For this article, I’m going to be recreating one of my favorite outfits of all time, worn by one of the first Armourers: Jake Grantham.
Now that we can agree that pleats are cool, it’s time to try them out. I noted in my previous article that it is difficult to obtain pleated pants with the necessary details (high rise, slim-straight). So when I was presented with an opportunity to try and tailor down some 1980’s baggy, double pleated pants, I took it. If it worked out, I may have found a way to get pleated pants at an affordable price! If not, I’ll be out a few bucks, but I know it can’t be done. Let’s find out!
Just look at those pleats, courtesy of Permanent Style. If you show this to any mainstream fashion guy, he’d recoil immediately. Flat-front pants have been the way to go for the past few years. Favoring the clean look, the mainstream #menswear community has renounced all ties to the dreadful 1990s business look. But classic enthusiasts in the community have always favored pleats and have still had them in their trousers without looking terrible! Here, we look at the brief history of pleats and how they have evolved through menswear. Hopefully you’ll agree that pleats are, and always have been, cool.
It’s not everyday that that you get an email inviting you to be a host of an event. Imagine my surprise when Justin Jorgensen, creator and mastermind behind Dapper Day at Disneyland, invited me to be one for their collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The event revolved around two things: “Jazz at LACMA” (their weekly summer concert) and their latest exhibit, “Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715-2015”. It was Dapper Day x LACMA.
Nothing is more classic than the colors of blue, grey, and brown. They are staples that every man should have in his closet, whether they take form as a suit, sportcoat, pants, or even ties! This article recreates an outfit from the Armoury (and Brycelands Co) utilizing these classic colors. The fact that my outfit costs $300 while the other costs $3,000 is an added bonus.
I’ll admit that sneakers weren’t always my thing. At first, I looked down upon sneakers as a plebian shoe, only meant for people who couldn’t handle suits and dressy clothes. Then I matured and learned through GQ and MFA that sneakers are actually very versatile and can work with a lot of different outfits. My first real foray into the sneaker world was the Nike killshot. For my second sneaker purchase, I went back to J. Crew and got their Onitsuka Tiger in navy blue suede. At $50 bucks, it’s my new favourite sneaker.
A short article, featuring my own version of a classic summer look by Aussie Armoury shop manager and illustrator, Richard Caroll.
A lot of people don’t like buying clothes from eBay. Sellers don’t often provide accurate measurements, they don’t accept returns, and sometimes the items are just not what you expected. However, I don’t believe that this should bar you from trying to buy on eBay. You might be able to find something awesome, like I did with my “new” 1960’s ivy suit.
Contrary to popular belief, there are times when I get inspiration from people other than tailors, designers, and other sartorial enthusiasts. When going casual, I often look to my friends for outfit ideas. Thanks to MFA on reddit, I’ve been able to become friends with Matt, who is one of the best and most creatively dressed people I’ve come to know. He is my inspiration for this post.
a little bit of rest 