Fashion Talk at the Dinner Table

Chatting up my husband about finding personal style, Ebay finds, and getting that perfectly worn in piece of clothing.

Taylor: Hey jack

Jack: Hey Taylor

Taylor: Um sooo (laughs) this is so funny interviewing you!

Jack: I know (chuckles)

Taylor: On my newsletter I usually cover different style and fashion topics, but I have never covered menswear. You are the most “in the know” menswear-guy, close to me, that I know!

Jack: Lucky me

Taylor: Well yea, lucky me to be married to such a savant of fashion. I’d like to start with- what are ay wearing?

Jack: I’m wearing a vintage Fred Perry navy polo. It's got a nice bit of sun dye to it! I found it at goodwill. A pair of Patagonia stand up shorts that I’ve had since college. Then I was wearing pair of Morjas pebbled leather boat shoes earlier today.

Taylor: Morjas is a new brand for you, right?

Jack: Yea yea

Taylor: You’re pretty into finding new brands.. I feel like specifically around shoes. How do you go about finding new menswear brands? How do they come across your desk?

Jack: Good question! With footwear it’s really different because typically, when it comes to mens shoes, the established players are still the best. Alden, crockett and jones, etc. But occasionally there will be some good footwear companies that pop-up out of the blue, like Morjas. Um I think I discovered Morjas by seeing another brand use their shoes in the modeling photos. But other than that i usually [hear about brands] from friends- surround yourself with people who know more than you about things.

Taylor: (chuckles) a community of like-minded fashion folks

Jack: And it’s not always “finding new brands”, but finding new clothes that i like from the movies I watch and books I read.

Taylor: When you do hear about new brand or clothing item, is your first instinct to find it on the second hand market or go straight to the brand’s website?

Jack: My first instinct is to be critical of it. It’s like “OH, another one!” (laughs) “nice!”

Taylor: *laughing*

Jack: But if it passes the sniff test and it’s at the right price point and I think the price point is justified and the country of origin is good, it has a history of making [clothing] then, yea, it’s good!

Taylor: When you say country of origin do you mean like heritage “makers”? Like leather goods are great from Italy-we know that.

Jack: Yea and also like if I’m going to be a shirt from somebody, I want it to be a from a company that has established itself as a shirt company! Right? Like I wouldn't buy a pair of jeans or a pair of shoes from someone that’s known for cashmere. I would buy cashmere from the cashmere company.

Taylor: One of my favorite fashion-related quotes of yours is “ You’ve gotta buy jeans from the jean store”

Jack: Yea don’t buy your hoody from the jeans store, buy your hoody from the hoody store. Find the right companies and find the best thing that they make or what they’re best at and then I choose to try and purchase that.

Taylor: Speaking of jeans, what’s your jean store right now?

Jack: Oh my jean store?! My jean store is Ebay, specifically a fuller fit and higher rise. Levi’s 550. The newer ones are fine, but the ones I’m looking for are the Made in the USA, orange tab, 550 Levi’s.

Taylor: Explain orange tab to us

Jack: For most of Levi’s early years they were a workwear company. Then during the 60’s during the youth revolution, they wanted to supply jeans to the youth and make them more fashionable and not just about workwear. That’s when they launched orange tab, in 1969, and I think they ran it until the 90’s, when it was dis-continued. The only way you can tell it’s orange tab is because the tab on the back pocket of the jeans is orange instead of red.

Taylor: Hm! So it’s a little bit more special because it comes from a specific era of Levi’s.

Jack: Most of the orange tab ones are made in the U.S. and if you buy a pair from the 80’s and 90’s that are still in good condition, the chances are that they will continue to stay in good condition. Plus they are veryyy affordable. You can find tons of them on Ebay for under $50.

Taylor: Going back to you describing the cut of jeans that you are into right now, it’s actually, funny enough, very reminiscent of the silhouette that is most popular among jeans in womenswear right now. Theres a lot of cross-over happening, more than ever. You know me (your wife!), I’ve always been a fan of borrowing your clothes. But I feel like more than ever, I want what some of the menswear companies are making. How do you feel about that sort of cross-over? Do you think that ones ahead of the other? Women’s vs. men’s? I think in womenswear has been doing that fuller cut of denim for a little bit longer now, but it seems a little newer among men.

Jack: Okay well for one, women look better in menswear than men- I’ve always believed that! Then also, men are very rigid in their comfort level and what they’re comfortable wearing. Like even if its as simples as going from an 8inch leg opening to a 10inch- that sounds insignificant, but in a mans wardrobe these tiny little differences can make them uncomfortable with a cut and it makes it more difficult to adopt change. I think for women the pendulum swings a bit more- like they’ll wear slim cut one day and wide the next. But for men, they have one cut of pants they like to wear across all categories. I think women’s clothing is more fluid because it’s been acceptable for them to be “in to” clothes and for men it’s a newer phenomenon, at a mass level.

Taylor: To be in to, what we jokingly call, “#menswear” (laughs)

Taylor: It’s interesting, and we’ve talked about this before, it’s interesting you have less freedom in menswear to play around because the options are put into more of a box. Especially in the personal style you lean towards. Then with womenswear we almost have too many options, actually not almost, we definitely have too many options. I think it’s interesting in that ya know “the grass is always greener” - we [women] feel that we have too many and you don’t have enough. I admire the restraint of menswear. I think that is something we could aspire to more in womenswear. [In womenswear] you feel like you need a piece of everything, but really you just need to find what you like. But in menswear it’s all about finding the one cut for the next 5 years fo your life. I think there is something we could learn from menswear, in this sense. I do of course love that men are really starting to take note of womenswear in a different way though.

Jack: I think of it in the opposite! I think menswear is too rules obsessed. I’m not saying go crazy, but every guy has a vision in his head of what he thinks his tailoring “should be” - how wide are your lapels, how big or small the collar should be. Remember that article we read about how timeless style isn’t really timeless?

Taylor: Yes!

Jack: Well there were all of these guys who got really into slim fit because that is how it was cut during the 60’s and they thought “this is timeless!” so therefore baggy is not timeless. Well, if you go back just a decade before the 60’s you have these big officer’s chinos.

Taylor: Ohhh yea like old Hollywood, 30’s and 40’s

Jack: It’s always gone back and forth like this. So yea my thing is lean into and have fun with the pendulum swinging back and forth OR just find something that feels steady and consistent for you. Like I will never wear anything too baggy- I feel that, that just looks ridiculous and same with the other end of the spectrum with something being too slim.

Taylor: What helped you find what you like and identify your own personal style?

Jack: Ya know as I got older I find that I dress more and more like my dad (chuckles). Some of my favorite outfits are ones inspired from my dad.

Taylor: (laughs) well yea as we get older we all just become our parents, right

Jack: Yea theres some familiarity to the way he dressed. Especially in the summer I think about what my dad would wear on his late night grocery runs. He would just throw on a beat up LL Bean shirt, a tee underneath, some whatever shorts and a pair of Sebago boat shoes. You could tell he just felt really comfortable in it. When I was a kid I probably didn't think much of it, but as an adult I’ve realized it’s cool. He’s had those clothes forever and it’s what he feels the most comfortable in. So in the summer you will usually find me in an old oxford shirt, or poplin, some shorts- I’m not afraid to wear shorts!

Taylor: What’s your inseam on them?

Jack: For casual shorts, like a canvas, chino , or twill- it’s usually 7 inch

Taylor: I was curious because men’s short inseams seem to be such a hot button issue these days.

Jack: I haven’t worn anything past my knees since I was a kid in the early 2000’s

Taylor: I wanted to go back to your need to describe the polo you’re wearing as “perfectly” sun dyed.

Jack: I don’t like anything that looks too new- I can’t stand it.

Taylor: The more worn in the better?

Jack: mhm mhm- my new favorite Ebay search is finding perfectly sun dyed navy polos.

Taylor: That really goes back to very traditional Ivy style. We both listened to that podcast that elaborates on old Ivy style, and original prep, really leaned to your things looking like they were hand-me-downs, that you were born with this item in hand.

Jack: Yea and you even had people who were trying to fit into that style culture, go as far as taking sandpaper to collars and sleeves on new clothesto make it look more worn in and used.

Taylor: Have you ever done that?

Jack: (laughs) I have never done that, no I would never do that

Taylor: You’re just letting someone else break it in and buying it used.

Jack: yes, OR if I can’t find it used I make a point of wearing my new clothing item and really braking it in. Just wearing it constantly. I love to do that with baseball hats, have you had that hat when it gets that perfect fade that you achieved all on your own?

Taylor: Yea and I really love to do that with my jeans. I love when my jeans just get that perfect softness and fade to them. It totally crosses in to women’s wear too.

Taylor: If you could talk to 15 year old Jack about his style, now that you’re approaching 30 in 2 months, what would you tell him?

Jack: Don’t change anything!

*both laugh*

Taylor: I know you have had quite the style revolution, as anyone would from 15 to 30.

Jack: Yea 15 year old me was kinda cool, I could’ve tweaked a few things. It was all about things that I was into. I liked skateboarding and I played lacrosse. It was also around the time that I got into Ralph Lauren because in Charleston, WV that was the highest level of clothing you could buy because they sold it at Macy’s.

Taylor: Yea and too, what your hometown has to offer kind of sets the parameters of how you’ll define your personal style anyway.

Jack: In Charleston, WV you couldn't go too preppy or dandy because it didn't mesh with the environment naturally.

Taylor: Same with the environment where I grew up too.

Jack: Yea just keep it simple. But also, go crazy in those environments! I had a pair of Nantucket red pants in high school and I didn’t live anywhere close to an ocean

Taylor: What kind of takes do you have on womenswear right now? Obviously most people reading his will be women haha, so I’m curious what you’re enjoying seeing happen in women’s style right now?

Jack: Ohh- well I really like how women are wearing more men’s wear right now. Also with workwear, it’s really hard for me to do. I’m talking raw denim and heavy stiff fabrics. That type of menswear can get really wrapped up in masculine identity and so when I wear that I feel self-conscious that I look like I’m trying to make a statement. BUT when you put those same pieces on a woman, it removes all of the context. So to this day I think when women wear raw denim it looks so good. Women’s embrace of menswear, right now, is really good. I like that a lot-its very chic and still very feminine. It creates a nice friction.

Taylor: Yea ya know if I wear to borrow one of your big shirts and wear it with a mini skirt and dark leather sandals it would have that perfect touch of femininity with the bit of menswear.

Taylor: Well I wanted to a few straightforward questions for you!

(T) Favorite clothing brand right now?

(J) Ughhh oh god

(T) Pick one! Go!

(J) Another Aspect out of Copenhagen

(T) Favorite shoe brand?

(J) Alden- because they’re the best.

(T) Style icon currently? I’ll give you two, you can pick two people because I’m nice.

(J) I mean John Jr. - of course-great summer inspiration. Oh and Hugh Grant! Long time style icon. He is someone who I think “ah I want to dress like that”

(T) 90’s rom-com Hugh Grant?

(J) Yes exactly! Notting Hill Hugh Grant.

(T) Describe your current perfect outfit silhouette!

(J) Okay, I’m going to make it summer specific: A roomier poplin, or broadcloth ice blue shirt, I’m really into finding old Ralph Lauren double pleated shorts on Ebay right now, and then for footwear either boat shoes or Belgians

(T) No socks? no socks- period.

(J) No socks- period. If I’m throwing pants in there, white jeans, I love white jeans.

(T) Favorite movie to watch purely for the visual and the fashion?

(J) Ya know what- Heat! Al Pacino in that movie , the way he wears it and the lifestyle his character has in the movie, it’s just perfect.

(T) Most stylish city in your opinion?

(J) Atlanta.

(T) Alright- very loyal.

I would like to thank Jack for allowing me to interview him! While I may be biased, since he is my husband, I think that Jack has such well-defined and confident personal style and it inspires me to be even more considerate with what I have in my wardrobe.

I hope you enjoyed our banter and took away a gem or too from my conversation with jack (probably that we need to be searching “sun dyed” on Ebay!)

Cheers xx,

Taylor