2014 retrospective

[ramdomthought]

Tell me about how you did in 2014

did you buy more than you had hoped/planned or less

what did you buy that you really love (post fit pics)

what did you buy that was a huge mistake

and to focus less on buying -- look back on your styling in 2014.

what did you like wearing?

what did you expect to wear more often than you did?


what does 2015 look like from your head?

[frogosaurus]

2014 was the first year I started getting into and buying (albeit slowly) higher-end pieces and moving out of basics / J. Crew-tier. I finally got used to the idea of paying full price for nicer shit, which was aided significantly by getting a job with reliable income. I also got over the insecurity of buying clothes that are "flattering" and more traditionally attractive, b/c it's all just become so uninteresting to me.

Favorite purchases:

Birkenstock Arizonas -- I wore these all the damn time during the summer. Such a comfortable shoe that makes me want to sit in a pool chair all day and drink fruity cocktails. Want some Bostons in the future.



Taylor Stich Blazer -- Not the ideal blazer, but it's served me well thus far. It's casual/unstructured enough that I can wear it to class and not look like a T.A., but with just enough structure to wear with a tie & nice shoes if I like. I see it as a stepping stone to something like an EG Baker.



Carhartt Clash Parka (Christmas) -- Only had this for a couple weeks, but so far I'm loving it. The fit is really nice, the quality is fantastic, and it's warm as hell. I fortunately live somewhere where not everyone has a fishtail so that's kinda nice.



Dana Lee Tonal Shirt -- Bought this much later than I should have, but has quickly become one of my favorite shirts to wear. Who doesn't love Dana? Now I want everything.



LL Bean Flannels -- No fit pics, but can't beat these at 40 bucks each. Feels like a blanket and the fit is so nice.

All my Vans have been solid purchases too. Mostly a p boring shoe but I wear them to death every time.

Worst purchases: Up to about September I was still in the buying slim when I shouldn't be rut, which I'm slowly getting out of by phasing that stuff out and buying looser. An ongoing project, as a lot of shirts I used to wear all the time I realize now don't suit at all. Still trying to figure out what works for me. See:



For 2015, I want to spend more ($$) but on less, which everyone says, but it's true. Buying cheap, slim-fit shit from J. Crew that doesn't really suit me gets very tiresome, so I want to exclusively buy things I really love or will get tons of use out of (chinos, basic shirts, etc). Also need to seriously upgrade all my shoes, and let go of some things that I'll never wear (looking at you, New Balance 710s).

Edit: Also need to post fits more often, and really think about why I like them, mainly more for my own constructiveness than b/c I think I have cool things to share.

[vgtbls]

did you buy more than you had hoped/planned or less
Probably more than I had planned, but I don't think it was a bad move. I had (and still have) little overall sense of my wardrobe but I thrift a lot so it's more freedom than bankruptcy.

what did you buy that you really love (post fit pics)
EG Baker (thanks xoxo), LL Bean Flannels, Story 0 Jean, Orange Woolrich Parka, Cons, "Whatever" hat

what did you buy that was a huge mistake
Just like... three suits??? Why? Why the fuck did I do that? Also these Issey Miyake weird sweat/suitpants. I never had a plan for these and I don't think I want them anymore. I was blinded by brand hype.

and to focus less on buying -- look back on your styling in 2014.
A lot of times I aimed too high and didn't have "the perfect" item so it just ended up looking wack. My 2014 mantra was "it almost fits". Some outfits I posted were just "hey, look what I found in Goodwill 15 minutes ago." I don't know if what I post represents my daily wear at all.

I think I tried to cater to outside tastes too often rather than find my own thing. My styling ended up diverging rather than converging. I've made a lot of progress I think, and I'm really glad that I feel comfortable taking big leaps. Dressing with caution is a real shame when you're young and nobody expects better.

what did you like wearing?
More than anything? Comfortable stuff. I spent a lot of time wearing this soft red crewneck, Story jeans, and LL Bean slippers. The less I can be conscious of what I'm wearing, the more I can focus on what I'm doing.

what did you expect to wear more often than you did?
The velcro Stan Smiths. They used to be kind of squeaky, which is pretty irritating. Now I just don't know. Velcro is neat, but I don't think I lean enough towards sleek futurism to wear them much. Laces are nice. I don't need to dazzle with shoes, and that's something I've only recently realized.

Also, this denim jacket I got through the foreign exchange program thread. I like it, I just... don't wear it much. I don't really do double-denim, and that's why I never wear this vintage Perry Ellis denim shirt either.

what does 2015 look like from your head?
I think a lot more "ugly as cool" stuff will pop up. Conscious style is pretty popular, and I think that a lot of people are getting caught in clothes fetishism. To have your grail be a piece of cloth? That's weird to me. I expect more people to quit the rat race of "fashion" and subvert it instead.

For me, personally? 2015 is terrifying. I'm unemployed with the rest of my life as a block of marble in front of me. Where do I start to chisel?

[JonjoShelvey]

i bought a pair of wallabees and that was a good idea

2015 will be a lil more swaggy than 2014(if possible)

[hooplah]

the overriding theme of my 2014 closet was: 12 year old boy extra in the sandlot movie

did you buy more than you had hoped/planned or less
less. didn't really find much of anything that i liked and could afford this year.
didn't really buy anything of note. think i realized this year clothes aren't the #1 financial priority in my life. i'm not really the type of person to shuffle around finances to afford something over $200.

what did you buy that you really love (post fit pics)
common projects, finally found a dirt cheap pair on ebay after years of monitoring.
this is tangentially related but i also bought a lot of makeup this year that i'm really happy with.
and on black friday i got some moto jeans for 90% off. i love them.

what did you buy that was a huge mistake
i bought a shit ton of clothes from gap on black friday, none of which worked out. had the box of clothes in my car, ready to return, and someone stole it. guess that's my biggest clothing mistake of 2014.
also bought a pair of boots that i was iffy about but wore anyway. wish i would've returned. the toe is super bulbous and bothers me every (rare) time that i wear them.

oh god also during football season fervor i bought this vintage 49ers windbreaker off of ebay. i haven't even opened it yet, i have no idea why the fuck i bought it. especially since our season was a sack of shit.

and to focus less on buying -- look back on your styling in 2014.
what did you like wearing?
i wore a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers pretty much every day this year. switched off between slip ons, comm projs, and sk8 his. t-shirts were mostly solid except for one blue (!) striped shirt. all of them looked straight out of the wardrobe department of the sandlot, like i said.

what did you expect to wear more often than you did?
sneakers, i guess. i love sneakers but i also love boots, and barely wore boots this year. i've also worn an ma-1 probably 360/365 days in 2014.

what does 2015 look like from your head?
want to get back to black and more put-together style. always need more sneakers. want to get a pair of blacked out jordan iv's. need some good black boots and a new purse.

[une_impasse]

started a full time job around clothes all day for 2014!!

did you buy more than you had hoped/planned or less:
MORE MORE MORE, being around clothes and having to keep myself looking current and interesting/interested in what i do made me just grab things i love and i've found some of my all time holy grails. i definitely learned but am still learning how to buy less but buy better, it's much more satisfying.

what did you buy that you really love (post fit pics)
my tigran shirt, it's in my post history and i'm buying the trousers from OC today now that they're on sale! it's not something i ever saw as "me" but it is so gorgeous that i just put it on to admire it sometimes.

what did you buy that was a huge mistake
clothes that i thought had humor but turned out to look like jokes on me or super formal menswear that just isn't me:
BB Black Fleece, Lacoste, Uniqlo SPRZ (so much…), a skirt i tried to make cool. things that weren't true to who i am and how i want people to see me

and to focus less on buying -- look back on your styling in 2014.

what did you like wearing?
Non-skinny jeans! Having ankle room and not feeling like my circulatory system was going to burst was a revelation, i'll never go back to 511's
actual winter and fall coats that keep me warm AND look good, i owe this to care tags

what did you expect to wear more often than you did?
thick socks, short shorts, and a smile (smiling)))))

what does 2015 look like from your head?
i think i'm dressing more masculine and rugged than i ever have(?) but still maintaining some *pizzaz*. i want to look like james bond's gay younger brother. i fully expect that not to happen and to be caught off guard and end somewhere completely different because that happens every year.

[BobbyZamora]

2014 was dumb

[Vaeltaja]

Tell me about how you did in 2014
Did well. Classes went fine. Fashion went fine.

did you buy more than you had hoped/planned or less
More

what did you buy that you really love (post fit pics)
Alice Auaa leather pants


what did you buy that was a huge mistake
Number (N)ine down-quilted leather double rider in size 3... still trying to sell it. Big in the chest and way too big in the sleeves. Measurements sounded OK on paper but didn't translate well in real life.

and to focus less on buying -- look back on your styling in 2014.
I went around doing random stuff. Embraced the loose-life in spring/summer, which I really enjoy. Went for the strange-ish rocker look recently, which I also enjoy.

what did you like wearing?
Leather pants that were mentioned above. Leather jackets, as usual. Boots are always welcome.

what did you expect to wear more often than you did?
Devoa jersey pants. Some on IRC might remember them as the "100% noodles" pants. Sent them to the tailor, though they're still loose in the top block, but whatever.

what does 2015 look like from your head?
Fall-winter: Re-embracing military and metalhead-looking stuff. Devoa. Spring-summer: loose things. Maybe some Jan-Jan Van Essche in my future? Hopefully InAisce Shalwars... More leather in some form and more Devoa.

[mahi-mahi]

I wanna buy more printed shirts and preppy stuff

[austo]

did you buy more than you had hoped/planned or less
I dunno I never thought about planning purchases but I think I definitely bought more. There was a period in the beginning to middle of 2014 where I was constantly buying and selling and cycling through stuff figuring out what I liked to wear

what did you buy that you really love (post fit pics)
have posted fits of most of this stuff here but here's the list of stuff that was a great purchase and earned a long lasting stay in my wardrobe:
Kapital century denim
Niche western shirt
Santa Rosa dixons
OSB camp boots
Kapital suki-yaki flannel

honorable mention to the RgT supply jacket that I bought secondhand and sized wrong on but still wore slightly too small for like 5 months because it was so cool

what did you buy that was a huge mistake
So many bad choices, thankfully all of them sold and gone now
DRKSHDW ramones, long tongue ones in brown waxed canvas. I think i could wear them now but at the time i bought them i had absolutely nothing to wear them with i just love the shoes. would probably cop brown suede short tongue ones now.
a couple White Mountaineering jackets that were a bit too military for my style and fit poorly
a WTAPS logo tee (lol impulse purchases)
CP derbies, way too formal for me


and to focus less on buying -- look back on your styling in 2014.

what did you like wearing?
i discovered i am a huge fan of western shirts, anything with snap buttons really. also looser pants and more whimsical type clothing

what did you expect to wear more often than you did?
I thought I was gonna be way more into wearing more formal clothing than i am, tried to do that for a while but never felt comfortable or enjoyed it. CP derbies, a blazer and some slim fit chinos i bought, they all never get worn or were sold.


what does 2015 look like from your head?
2015 and beyond, as far as fashion, is where i fully embrace dressing how i want to, now that i know what i like.
p much my work wardrobe (which has to be slightly dressed up, no jeans/sneakers/tees) is gonna be all kapital stuff. i love all the pieces i have by them and really dig their style.
then when im not at work im gonna be wearing more comfy casual stuff, lots of cool sneakers that i dont get to wear while im there. really want some silly rafxadidas in a cool color this year and maybe just some colorful/fun jackets and sweats and stuff.

[nick]

Unfortunately, "modern" styled stuff (Raf simons, patrik ervell, acne, kva, awang, etc etc...) is not for me. My body type is a bit peculiar and when I wear stuff that doesn't work with it, it shows. Sorry thecorner, ssense, Mr Porter - your 70% off sales are amazing but not for me.

I was thinking way too hard on this one so I'll just mostly say - I've learned to embrace the shirt tuck 3/4 through the year. Has helped a lot of my outfits look much cleaner.

Engineered Garments is a brand that works for me. I'll just stick with that - plenty of choice on rak/each season any way. More brands = more options = more unnecessary thinking.

My initial plan was "Only wear blues greys and blacks" which was nice to a degree but I'd like to wear different colors because you get sick of the same shit. I believe if you don't have great personal taste (I don't) you need something to glue your wardrobe together. For me that'll be brand.

Blazers AND bombers are nice. I got a bit too caught up on being a "Blazer guy". Despite having like 5 winter blazers I find myself wearing the 1 bomber I have very often.

Chunky soled lace ups are great and I see no reason to diverge from this. I alternated between two pairs of Grensons - smart purchase. Lets see if I can get a couple more really wacky pairs in 2015.

I really underestimated pants and that dragged down a lot of my choice in outfits.

I regret pretty much all of my Uniqlo purchases - but its weird to think if you total them all together it's probably as much as I spent on this EG huge knit cardigan which I've worn maybe once. Feel really shameful just typing that up because I spent so much on it but it's just not for me.

I think I know what I like, and I can fool around a bit in 2015, just with nothing excessively priced. I have a lot of shirts for Spring Summer but have only one outer layer I like and one pair of pants. Hoping to get a couple to a few pairs of pants along with a light parka, a bomber, and a blazer. I sold almost all of my lightweight midlayers!

My most surprisingly worn garment is that EG hawaiian popover shirt a few members here have - like everyone else has said, garments that are comfortable and look good on you get disproportionately high wear.

[hamburgerlady]

to be honest, i feel as though near the end of 2014 is when i felt like i had been fully content with what i wore.
also with my full interest switching from clothing purchases to guitar purchases, it put me on a halt for a little while.
i ended up rotation between my favorite things, and it made me happy. it was simple, and i felt comfortable.
i hope to keep that up for 2015, maybe add a little bit more but otherwise keep doing what i've been doing.

did you buy more than you had hoped/planned or less
way more than i had planned.
going to japan in july really blew me away, and came away with so many great pieces.

what did you buy that you really love (post fit pics)
undercoverism s/s'14 black trousers (basic, wear them almost everyday)
lad musician s/s'14 couches jacket, f/w'14 dot stand collar shirt.
ganryu s/s'14 front pocket shirt + drop crotch trousers + grey long sleeve.

what did you buy that was a huge mistake
none that i can think of.

and to focus less on buying -- look back on your styling in 2014.
dirty musician.

what did you like wearing?
my rotation between 2 lad shirts, success rockers/band t-shirts, undercover trousers, doc martens/vans.
that was my uniform for a majority of 2014.

what did you expect to wear more often than you did?
full-length pants that aren't cuffed/cropped.

what does 2015 look like from your head?
dirtier musician.

[pips]

2014 was the year of shoes. When I posted the first month-long challenge I did for FFA back in 2013 I only had one pair to wear with everything and now I have about 10.

did you buy more than you had hoped/planned or less

I bought a LOT more, which isnt difficult coming from 2013, my year of paranoid tightfistedness where it came to a point I felt guilty buying everyday necessities, let alone clothes. In 2014 I realized it was such a toxic mindset and was a lot more relaxed about spending money, so much so that I definitely overspent a bit.

what did you buy that you really love (post fit pics)

This was an unplanned purchase but the Ann D wedge boots I got from Syrrup. Not the most practical nor does it fill a hole in my wardrobe but they sure are beautiful.



Best buys of the year:

- plain black tshirt dress that I got on a buy 2 for 1 deal on some local shopping site. I wear this all the time because it's so easy to throw on or pair with skirts and everyone seems to think I'm so dressed up when I wear it. The truth is the complete opposite—it's my lazy day outfit.



- tokyo bopper shoes. feels great to finally have them after years of wanting.



what did you buy that was a huge mistake

There's nothing that sticks out to me so I think that's good?

and to focus less on buying -- look back on your styling in 2014.

Definitely less gray tshirts, or really just tshirts in general. Whenever I go to a store I always head straight for the gray shirts and I already have more than enough of them to go around. I guess the reason for this is that I'm looking for the perfect tshirt which we all know does not exist.

what did you like wearing?

White button up shirts.

what did you expect to wear more often than you did?

White button up shirts.

what does 2015 look like from your head?

Less drape, more severity. I want to tone down the casualness while still chasing that "perfect imperfectness" if that makes sense.

[AmericanPie]

did you buy more than you had hoped/planned or less
Oh so much more. Actually looking at my wardrobe now, I think it's entirely things I bought in 2014, with a couple exceptions. 2015 will hopefully involve less spending on clothing.

what did you buy that you really love (post fit pics)

This Folk band collar shirt:

I'd wanted a band collar shirt ever since I saw Her (just like everyone else), but when I actually got this, it just felt right, and it's easily one of my favorite pieces to wear.
Tricker's x Superdenim derbies:

what did you buy that was a huge mistake
Oh God why did I buy this denim jacket what was I thinking:

Also this Saturdays parka is pretty shitty and surprisingly not-waterproof

and to focus less on buying -- look back on your styling in 2014.
I went from wearing a lot of button down shirts to mostly wearing t-shirts. I stripped most of the color out of my wardrobe, and found that I felt much more comfortable that way.
what did you like wearing?
This is probably my favorite simple fit from this whole year:

But I think, most often, I slouched into wearing stuff like this:

and this:

because it was more convenient and stood out less.
what did you expect to wear more often than you did?
This Four Horsemen coat:

It's a gorgeous piece and I love it, but it just doesn't fit as well into my wardrobe as I'd like.
what does 2015 look like from your head?
First thing is probably to sell all the things I own but don't wear, and then just stick with what I have for as long as I can, since I need to invest in a new computer and new camera for work. Only things on my mind clothing-wise right now are finding a wider cut pair of trousers, and trying to find the right black derbies.