Best of Threads – The Rules of Classic, Seasonal while Minimal, & Flip Flops

What’s Dappered Threads? It’s our forum. Launched in 2011, Threads is 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.

 

What I Wore Today

Want to showcase an outfit you’re particularly proud of? Need advice on a certain piece? Looking for some sartorial inspiration? Head on over to the What I Wore Today Thread. Summer is in full force across the country, so we’ve seen get-ups shift to cope with the heat. Danny kept it casual in all blue for a weekend BBQ. JDI‘s style is consistently solid, particularly this textured blue number. thecharlesg showed off a bold, peak-lapel, 3-roll-2 suit. Leanderthal displayed that brown and blue, particularly in multiple shades & textures, are a perfect pair. LesserBlackDog  took advantage of some unseasonably cool weather to showcase a smooth leather jacket. Whether you’re new to Dappered or a seasoned vet, WIWT is the perfect place to show off your favorite outfits or get sage advice.

 

Can You Ever Have Enough?

Useknifeonly posed quite the philosophical question: when it comes to your wardrobe, when is enough enough? At what point does building your wardrobe turn from necessity to collection, from utilitarian to a hobby? Long-time Threads members like hornsup84 and LosRockets agree that for them, now that they have plenty of foundation pieces, it’s turned into a hobby. It’s just plain fun to get nice new things! Others noted that now that they really have a sense of their personal style and fit, they have more freedom to spend big on pieces they love instead of feeling pressured to buy something just because it’s on sale. For some, it’s a matter of physical space. If your closet’s full, there’s no sense in buying more stuff to fill it with. The consensus was clearly this: once you have the basics, take it slow and only buy quality pieces that will get a lot of wear.

 

Flip-flops: Yay, Nay, or Meh?

The flip-flop: loved by some, despised by others. For some, they’re the perfect summer footwear: casual, cool, and easy to slip on or off. Many guys can’t stand them: they represent the devolution of classical men’s style and decorum in the modern age. DocDave brought the debate to the Threads. They were quickly found to be a regional thing: if you live somewhere hot or near the beach, flip-flops are in. Me27 and Meories swap out flip-flops for boat shoes to keep things classy. LosRockets, among others, finds it a bit too unhygienic to expose his feet on the crowded city streets. According to the poll, most are happy to eschew the “rules” and let guys wear what they please.

 

Dressing to the Season

Many guys strive to dress for the season. Tweed, lambswool, and flannel in the winter. Linen, lightweight cotton, and madras in the summer. Some guys dress for the season out of necessity. When it’s as hot as the pit of hell outside in Texas, you need short sleeves and shorts. Those of us who’ve been blessed with a California climate get to wear seasonal items just for fun. zerostyle brought up an interesting dilemma: how do you dress for the season with a minimalist approach to your wardrobe? Winter tends to be easier, since you can just throw on another layer. Summer can be challenging. Perhaps the best way to approach a minimalist-yet-seasonal wardrobe is to find the styles you find yourself wearing the most and get them in a material that’s as close to four-season as you can find.

 

Classic & Timeless

You’ll often hear the words “classic” and “timeless” thrown around in reference to menswear online. Sellers tout their apparel to be classic. Forums and blogs regularly eschew fast fashion and encourage their readers to strive to be timeless in their style, but do we even know what those words mean? JohnG posed this very question to the Threads, and took it one step further: when does a trend stop being a trend and become part of “classic” style? Take skinny lapels, for example. They first rose to popularly in the 50’s and 60’s (a la Mad Men), resurged in the 80’s, and have remained en vogue since the mid 2000’s. Many still consider them a trend, but they’ve proven to be a cyclical part of menswear for many years. The reality is that style is so subjective that there could never be a single end-all-be-all definition for “classic” and “timeless.” Many consider the styles of JFK and Steve McQueen to be timeless, but there’s no guarantee that will be the case in 20, 30, or 50 years. Go weigh in! How do you define classic style?

Head on over to Threads and take a spin around. Many thanks to moderator BJ Mcgeever for assembling this month’s Best of Threads.