What’s Dappered Threads? It’s our forum. Launched in 2011, Threads has become a not too big, not too small, just-right-sized forum that doesn’t put up with snobbery. All thanks to the users and hardworking mods. Once a month, one of the mods from Threads provides us with a highlight package of the last few weeks.
Best Sunday Challenge – No Shoelaces
Threads member theskillets proposed a “No Shoelaces” Sunday challenge. The idea was to wear any outfit, but accompanying shoes had to be sans laces. This left participants plenty of options and room for interpretation and they rose to the challenge. For example, JBarwick finished off a black, gray, and white outfit with some sharp Chelsea boots; theskillets responded to his own Challenge with a getting-through-the-TSA-gauntlet outfit including some penny loafers; and LesserBlackDog submitted a weekend chillin’ outfit including some boat shoes with purely decorative “laces.” In the end, JDI took the crown on this one with his own relaxed look including some laceless Chucks.
Best “Where Do I Start?” Thread
Dappered and Threads are full of useful information for fellers who are looking to present themselves well, but there’s a hell of a lot of information available, and that can be a little bit overwhelming. User jmreg put out a call for assistance in tracking down some good basic starting-point information, such as “when to wear or not to wear certain types of outfits” and “a snapshot of basic style building blocks.” User suggestions ranged from the “Style Scenarios” on the Dappered main page to the classic tome “Dressing the Man” by Alan Flusser. Users also provided their own broadly-applicable advice, such as “context is absolutely everything” as well as the short & sweet “just wear what everybody wears but pay more attention to the fit.“
Best “How Not to Stink This Summer” Thread
Summer has arrived, which has many of us looking to ditch the socks in order to relieve our sweltering ankles. However for a lot of us “sockless” just means much smaller socks rather than no socks at all. User Shade sought advice on no-show socks that truly do not show when worn, and the conversation turned to many no-show socks’ irritating tendency to slip off of wearers’ heels. Several posters offered suggestions for brands they have liked (that don’t show, and don’t slip) and the places to find them. Suggestions included Sheec socks, various varieties sold at Journeys, Ninjasox, Sperry Skimmers, and just ditching the socks altogether and using terry cloth insoles. There was even a solicitation to invent better no-show socks, kickstart their manufacture and sale, and get rich.
Best Advice for the Hulk-Like Gentleman
With his 50 inch chest and 38 inch waist, user edmondantes (probably) has the whole “tearing phone books in half” thing pretty well nailed. But as fun as that is, Bruce-Bannering out of one’s suits on a regular basis isn’t fun, and not all guys with pro athlete builds have pro athlete cash, so he posted a request for advice finding an off-the-rack model of suit that will look good with the least amount of tailoring possible. JBarwick offered general advice to find a retailer that offers suits as separates. Espressocycle suggested checking eBay, and groomt suggested checking out the Crosby suit from J Crew. The real takeaway here, however, is for the skinny gents: if you ever see one of your heavily-muscled compatriots doing things like bending steel rebar by hand and lifting cars with ease and feel a little twinge of jealousy, just remember the burden they bear when it comes to ease of suit shopping.
Best Broad Theoretical Discussion – “Your Rules to Break (or Bend)”
There are ideas about how to dress that many people hold sacrosanct – and for each of those “iron-clad” laws, there is someone who hates it and revels in breaking it. Ronrob kicked off a discussion about what rules people break, stretch, ignore, bend, mutilate, reinterpret, or otherwise refuse to observe. Infractions included facelessghost keeping his “too long” shirts untucked, Rocco wearing closed-laced oxford shoes with casual pants (you monster!), hockeysc23 allowing his undershirt to show on casual Friday, and Celimos wearing lighter sports coats over darker pants and loafers with suits. There are plenty more examples of sartorial outlawry in the thread.
Head on over to Threads and take a spin around. Many thanks to moderator Shomas for assembling this month’s Best of Threads. Top Photo: Ethan K.