As the name of this blog suggest, I am a Menswear Nerd ! Often I am being told by family and friends that I am obsessed with clothes. Although I wouldn’t say I am obsessed, I do however admit, I am indeed very enthusiastic, or you could say very passionate about clothes! Clothes certainly occupies a big part of my mind space.
I have always cared about what I wear since a very young age. At the age of 5 , I was already picking my own clothes to wear for kindergarten. Throughout my school years I stayed within the dressing rules, but pushed the boundaries as far as I could : tapering the uniform trousers slightly, ordering the uniform a size smaller so they would fit me better etc, all the effort to try to stand out from the crowed, from my peers. I did not want to be swallowed in a sea of uniforms, and looking the same as everyone else.
When I came to the UK to study in 2002, my eyes were opened, I never knew that there were so many different brands in the world! Puzzled by all the choices in front of me , I was recommended GAP, H&M, Topman and Zara by fellow classmates, as soon as I put those clothes on, I felt I was in the ‘cool kids’ club, Not anymore this ‘ Country Bumpkin’ from a small city in the Far East.
As my social circles broadened, I no longer felt I was the “Gap” boy anyone, I began wearing Dolce and Gabanna, Burberry, Polo RL. I felt alomost compelled to wear clothes with logos shown, to exhibit some kind of self perceived status. I became a blind follower of fashion, worn anything deemed fashionable at the time.
Armoured myself with big brands from top to toe, I felt insecure and powerless deep down underneath that confident exterior, I knew I was not in control of my own style, instead my style was controlled, by fashion.I was not wearing those clothes, but those clothes were wearing me.
I grew to understand that “fashion fades but style endures”, that’s when I discovered classic menswear. The classic menswear world offered me a safe haven, in this chaotic, ever changing mainstream fashion world. For once, I began to feel a sense of settlement, belonging, and felt in peace and content with my own style and my wardrobe.
I started deep diving in it, read books, blogs, forums, you name it, this helped me to accumulate the knowledge about this new haven I had found. I began to understand craftsmanship, fit, balance and fabric, I learned who the best suit makers are in the world, how clothes should fit, what constitute a good shirt and suit, the difference between Bespoke and MTM, what the Super numbers mean, vintage styles of different eras, how to recognize handworks, etc and etc. I even learned how to wash, iron ,brush and sew my clothes! ‘complete nerdy things’ my wife would say.
To put theory I had learnt into practice, I knew that I needed first-hand experience. I could not afford to spend £300 on a shirt, 2000 pounds on a suit, so I began thrifting, I must say I have probably done more ‘charity works ‘ in the past 3 years than anyone around me ! Thanks to London Charity shops, I was able to get my hands on garments from top menswear specialists worldwide:Suits from Savile Row, shirts from Turnbull Asser, Emma Willis, shoes from Edward Green, Crockett Johns, Italian tailoring house such as Kiton, Brioni, Canali, Zegna, Pal Zileri, Borrelli and Barba just to name a few, American iconic names such as Alden, Allen Edmonds, Oxxford, Brooks Brothers etc. The “tuition fee” I paid to experience all these amazing garments was so low in comparison to most people who pays full price for them. I once paid 2 pounds for a Kition blazer, and 3 pounds for a Cad and Dandy Savile Row Bespoke suit,which together would have costed me 5 to 6 thousand pounds! It is fair to say that My second hand thrifts enriched my first hand experience.
As I am gradually maturing in the Classic menswear world, I am coming into realization that I have in fact merely jumped from one fashion world to another, with the only difference in fashion cycles. That is to say the Classic Menswear’ fashion cycle is usually on a decade basis(Think 60s skinny lapel, 70s bell bottom trousers and oversized lapel, 80s low button stance and broad shoulders) wheres the mainstream fashion cycle is on a seasonal basis(Think highstreet fashion giant Zara and H&M, how regularly their stocks are rotated). In recent years Classic Menswear’s cycle seem to be even shorter, almost on an annual basis, due to social media influences. Followers will see the come and go of Gurkha Waistbands,Milanese lapel buttonhole, Spalla Camicia, super wide lapels, deep trousers cuffs, wide trousers etc. These “Fashions” set by Sartorial industry leaders and influencers get followed really quickly by Sartorial enthusiasts and peers, and as a result, the Mainstream fashion world that most of us look down upon, is manifested in its own way in the sartorial world too, again , we have become the puppets of fashion!
Once again I am at a crossroad, a little confused about fashion, about style. Does one really fades and the other endures? Can they really be completely independent of each other? If everyone in the world begin to take interests in classic menswear, and it becomes common mainstream, will I still love it as much as I do now? The answers I believe need each individual to discover for themselves, ultimately you will find your own style as you find these answers.
Looking back and reflect my style journey, I realized, at the age of 5, the starting point of this journey, I worn clothes to please myself, I worn them simply because I liked them. Through my school years, I worn clothes to be different from my peers, and to set apart from the crowed. As a young adult, I worn clothes to show status, to fit it, to please my peers.
If life was a circle, At the age of 35 , I feel that my journey has come back to the starting point. I no longer think it is important to look different from others, to dress to fit in and to please others. I cant help to feel that I need to start again, from the very beginning of this story, be true to myself, one step at a time,let my feeling about clothes manifest organically.
This blog marks the begining of my “New” style journey, I am excited to know which direction it will take me, and excited to share this journey with like minded souls. I intend to use it to express myself, my thoughts on style, showcase my wardrobe, my favoirte thrift pieces, review and share experience about different makes, communicate and learn from others.
It is not a blog to tell or to educate you on how to dress, there are plenty of good blogs and books on that subject already, and I am not an expert. I do hope you will be inspired, and incoperate the inspirations from this blog into your own style. It is not a blog to advocate style rules on classic menswear, although I believe knowing the rules are important, however if everyone follows the rules, our style will become uniform like, and where’s the fun in that? I am an advocater of knowing the rules first before you break them. but break them gently, otherwise you might as well play a different game!
I do hope you will enjoy this blog
SIncerely,
Harvey Li