Once you start dressing for a camera you risk losing sight of everything but the lens.
Key word: risk.
Your perspective may get skewed by the praise and criticisms of the loudest comments online (why else would you take pictures of yourself unless you were going to share em’ online, right?). You might even cease wearing what you want… what makes you feel good… and instead start assembling outfits that’ll pass a test on a message board or website.
You risk dressing for a virtual world instead of the world that actually surrounds you.
And then one day you might show up to a wedding, as a guest, all gussied up in your world-wide-web-style finest, and treat someone else’s big day like its your own personal runway.
There’s plenty to be learned from others on What I Wore Today message board threads. But if part of buying a new suit includes a full blown photo shoot… then you best not snicker the next time you see sci-fi “nerds” lining up for the latest convention decked out in their favorite costumes.
At least they know they’re playing let’s pretend.
Top Photo: Narcissus by Caravaggio
A site is (1) a place where something is located, or (2) a website. While site has few definitions, sight has many, including (1) the ability to see; (2) one’s field of vision; (3) something seen; (4) a place or thing worth seeing; and (5) the part of a firearm used to aim. It appears in the common phrases set one’s sights, out of sight, sight unseen, and sight for sore eyes.
/grammar nazi. 😉
Trees, meet forest. Forest, meet trees.
Good article. I will say that it did come off a little harsh at the end with the “At least they know they’re playing let’s pretend”, but I did find it rather comical (pun intended).
I think that line brought it all home rather nicely. I normally hate puns but yours was pretty clever, as well.
Ok- no offense, but you don’t get be the grammer police if you can’t make your point clear.
Wow, Joe, did somebody criticize an ensemble that you put up on WIWT and not realize it was you? Seems like this is a little out there from the proverbial “left field”… Nonetheless, it is a good article.
If you know anything about anything, it’s trees and forests.
Perhaps you’re not aware, but Joe is pretty accessible via email. I’m sure he would have appreciated a private note pointing out a mistake instead of a public dressing down and a poor attempt to be cute.
It would have saved you some downvotes at least.
If I can’t get internet points for it why am I even bothering with this!
Geeze Joe, we’re all just trying to be like you! 😉
Seriously though, I geek out on fashion for the same reason I geek out on any number of other things. I’m a geek. I’m fully aware of that fact, and embrace it. Message boards and blogs are where geeks come to talk about the stuff all our friends are sick of hearing about. 😉
I think there’s two important points in this article:
1) Dress for you. Dress your own personal style. The Internet is great for advice, but that’s all it should be. Not everyone looks great in the same stuff, so find out what works for you. Find out what looks natural.
2) Dress for your environment. The wedding example is a good one. You want to be well-dressed, but you don’t want to draw attention to you. Wearing a bold pocket square, ornate tie clip, lapel flower, loud patterned socks, bright suede bucks, and about 10 bracelets might work to win contests online, but they’ll make you look like an idiot at a wedding. Or even at an office.
Or even on the street in /most/ places. Forgetting environment is the A-#1 shortfall of most fashion-enthusiast threads I read.
No offense, but you truly misunderstood the only reason this post was likely put up. It was to remind us to have class–which is more important than anything ‘good’ clothing or style can provide. Don’t misconstrue it back into trite style tips–it was much more important than that.
“Class” is such a broad term, though. How you present yourself is a part of having class. I’m sorry you saw my post as “trite style tips.” Let me break down what I was really trying to say:
1) Be yourself.
2) Don’t be selfish.
Well said.
Joe, I already apologized for my criticism in the WIWT thread. I simply didn’t expect to see you in pink lace!
If my reply seemed rude, let me apologize. I used the word trite not because what you said was unimportant, but because with the availability of information and overwhelming amount of input/opinions via the internet, style (& manner) tips are thrown around and repeated without understanding why they’re important.
Agreed.
I like this way of thinking – geeking out is geeking out. Whether it’s for comic books, sci-fi, or clothing, we all embrace the dark side. Search your feelings, you know it to be true.
Of course weddings are my personal runway. Why else would I go to such a tragic event (besides the open bar)?
Gosh, it’s like you don’t even know me anymore, Joe.
How about a post reminding us to not buy the shoes Fred post, I struggle with it every day.
Finally! A very appropriate reminder for the Dappered crowd. Sorry fellas, but dress for yourself before you dress for your damn instagram/facebook/tumblr/or whatever the heck social media you use.
Given that Dappered is about style and not fashion, it’s hard for me to imagine a lot of long time readers posting pictures of their outfits online just to get feedback from strangers in the first place. Dappered is the reason I looked as good as I did at the outside wedding I was at this weekend, but all that entailed was wearing a suit that fit well (that was made of a material I wouldn’t be too hot in), a shined pair of walnut 5th Avenues, and a nice paisley tie with a subtle silk pocket square to compliment it (both from JCP). That’s all the effort it took, and I was the best dressed man there, save for the wedding party in black tie. I’d rather get a ton of compliments in the real world for coming in above what most men wear (which takes next to no effort to achieve), and leave it at that.
To be fair, that lace looked great with the lime green shoes…
Prepare to have your mind blown:
http://threads.dappered.com/showthread.php/3663-WIWT
Don’t misconstrue the reasoning, though. It’s not particularly flashy in there. There are a combination of dressy and casual looks, but most seem to focus on the casual side of things. There are probably 15 or 20 regular posters to the thread with a handful of passersby. It’s relaxed and has (generally) evolved from an “please tell me this is ok” thread into a “this is what i threw on today” thread. Thread participants go out of their way to find something they like about every picture rather than looking for ways to tear it to shreads.
It’s not a “hot or not” thread. Instead, it’s a knowledge base for ideas or particular pieces or looks. You have your casual guys, your dressy guys, and everything in between. I can’t say the same for equivalent threads on other boards, though.
Well said Joe. I think as a generation (roughly) it’s become ingrained to share everything on social media. You are putting everything out there and it has gotten crazy. Call it the “Validate Me!” generation. That being said, ss a poster in the WIWT thread, I think it’s unfair to categorize everyone as “dressing for others rather than themselves”.
As far as geeking out? I am going to have to disagree. Hey, I’m a clothes/shoes geek. GUILTY. Everyone is a geek about something, I say embrace it within the appropriate context. Don’t be ashamed about what you are passionate about! What’s wrong with geeking out? Not to take it too far, but I think already (this is changing a lot though) as men we have been preconditioned to accept the notion that caring about and being interested in clothing, style and fashion, is somehow not appropriate, not “manly”, or worse, “gay” (in a derogatory way). Has the rediculous Tumblr peacocking gone a bit far? Have some of us taken ourselves a bit too seriously? Perhaps. But being passionate about or geeking out about clothing and style isn’t something to admonish in my opinion. A dose of humility and “the big picture” though, should always be welcome.
And his pleated camo cargo khakis…
http://www.gifbin.com/982166
If we’re talking about the image of Joe I thought we were, there weren’t any khakis involved. It was more of a pink lace fit… “summer time exposure” style if you see what I mean.
I dress for myself. I post pictures of it on WIWT threads to solicit constructive feedback and to give others ideas on how they might put their own outfits together.
Getting involved in a WIWT-type community can also challenge you to look your best, even when you aren’t feeling particularly motivated to do so. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Can we get a picture of this for the next “Offered Without Comment”?
I’d say that it depends. In the Dappered community, most people here are constructive and stay classy. Other places, people can get real mean real fast.
I concur, BenR. I like WIWT to keep me grounded in what the perfectly-lit, perfect-fit clothes in advertisemens look like on real people. And as you said, it helps me raise my game. It also helps me keep the flash in the realm of taste.
I’d hardly call this blurb an article.
Article? Where’s the rest?
Same here. The way a man dresses is an extension of himself. Ergo (Latin) it deserves serious consideration. I think this is exactly what Joe’s getting at here.
Alright, Joe, you heard the man. We (and I speak for the entire Dappered community here.. I assume) expect to see our fearless leader in something that is pink lace, pleated camo cargo khakis, and lime green shoes.
It allows me to be myself after having to pose for all those J Crew modeling photo shoots. What a beating those things are!
Open bar dude!
http://i.imgur.com/sSPLZrQ.gif
I read a great article on Complex Style that’s germane to this topic. They argue that menswear blogging (especially photoblogging) is killing personal style because it removes too much context, and personal style is highly context- and lifestyle-dependent.
http://www.complex.com/style/2013/01/why-tumblr-is-killing-personal-style
I solve this problem by only posing naked.
I’ve personally learned a TON from our WIWT thread here at Dappered. I really don’t see much (really any) “posing” at all – in fact, it’s tough enough simply *attempting* to take your own photo. And I have yet to see a duck-face (although someone hinted about trying it for a closeup – was that you Alan? – LOL seems like it was – if not, my baaaaaaaad).
Still this is a valid thought process here in Joe’s post. Look, post (if ya wanna), learn, teach (if ya feel like it), share, and enjoy the close-knit community we have – we’re lucky, I’d say in that aspect. I too have seen some pretty twerp-filled, douchey forums in other parts of the intertron, and I really wouldn’t care to be a part of those. Ours rocks.
This is my favorite menswear (and menswear-related) site, featuring my favorite (similarly-themed) forums. Please keep up the fantastic work!
All that said… sure, in the end, be respectful and be yourself (hopefully those aren’t mutually exclusive). There’s nothing wrong with *borrowing* a certain part of your look from someone else, IMO. Take it, mix it in, and rock the end product your own way – the way *you* feel comfortable and confident doing. And just because others might not like something you chose to wear – or how you chose to wear it – it’s OK – it’s *yours* and you can wear anything you want, anyway you want (even pink lace teddies with lime green pumps – was it that detailed yet, or am I just making that up?).
>> it’s OK – it’s *yours* and you can wear anything you want, anyway you want
Haha, yea sure.