what’s your sprezz?

As part of my ‘general discussion’ series, I have previously talked about the longevity of menswear, as well as the details and ‘little secrets’ involved. What I hope to achieve through these high-level writings is to provide the right framework, perspective and vocabularies for our future discussions.

The topic of today’s discussion is also part of this series. It is arguably what makes Italian menswear stand out from others, and become the most exciting and intriguing interpretations of menswear among all.

It is something so Italian that, well, there isn’t really a non-Italian word for it but: sprezzatura

To set the stage and capture your attention, here’s a picture of Miranda Kerr, just being herself on a normal day:

And the reason for this is because sprezzatura is all about attaining a similar effortless perfection, a look so good but doesn’t look like you have invested much time in it.

According to Wikipedia, ‘Sprezzatura [sprettsaˈtura] is an Italian word originating from Baldassare Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier, where it is defined by the author as “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it“‘

Therefore, to achieve the sprezzatura look, one must have invested a certain amount of thoughts or efforts into the appearance that seems to be unintendedly goodlooking.

A lot of oxymorons going on eh? Here are a few examples of the most popular sprezzaturas:

#1. unbuckling the top buckle of double monk loafers:

-sprezz: intentionally leaving the top buckle undone when wearing the shoes

-desired effect: a nonchalant look that contrasts the otherwise impeccable ensemble created by the polished shoes and well-proportioned trousers

#2. Leaving the thinner end of the tie to be noticeably longer than the front; or rotating the knot such that both the front and the back ends become visible:

-sprezz: a measured clumsiness achieved through careful consideration of the tie length

-desired effect: a paradoxical interpretation of the traditional English necktie

#3. unbuttoning one or both collar buttons of an oxford shirt, especially when wearing a tie

-sprezz: leaving the collar button undone to create a nonchalant look

-desired effect: casual and subtle informality that is only noticeable to the careful eyes

#4. A unstructured and casual arrangement of pocket square

-sprezz: a deliberate casualness of the handkerchief to create a certain visual effect

-desired effect: less is more when it comes to arranging how the pocket square should look

To me, sprezzatura stems from the idea to stand out from the crowd and to be a little different. It is a combination of a carefree nonchalance and a tasteful pursuit of looking good: When menswear becomes too rigid and predictable and too put-together, it inevitably misses some edges and fun. Sometimes, having a bit of imperfection completes the look.

Another word of caution: when trying your own sprezz: usually just one would suffice – having one deliberate ‘mistouch’ can be considered tasteful, but it is a line so fine that once overused, it becomes trite and showy.

Because of sprezzatura, men can convey individualism, tastefulness and character through their clothes. And it is the reason why there is so much more to menswear than what it looks from the surface.

So, what’s your sprezz?

 

J

Swipe Right and Maybe Left

This week, I would like to introduce everyone to Tinder. I think a lot of us, guys and girls, have used it regardless we like to admit it or not. But for those who don’t know what Tinder is, it is a social/dating app that matches you and your ‘likers’ together with just a swipe to the right. Based on your Facebook account and complex algorithms, Tinder grinds out and present to you all of those friends’ of friends whom do share similar interests with you. All you have to do is swipe right if you would like to start a conversation and pray they do the same as well.

Personally, I think awesome aspect of Tinder is that it has created a new channel for busy individuals to meet new people. After plunging myself in to the workforce after graduation, I have been stuck between my day job and my comfy bed at home. One of my colleagues also points out that seeing the same people everyday is sometimes quite tiring. But now with Tinder, you can sneak in a few texts with this random cute girl while sitting in on some exciting company meetings. Meeting people now will not only be limited to Friday night drinks or Saturday clubbing.

Unlike Chatroulette and Omegle, where they pair you with completely random strangers, Tinder suggests people within similar social circles. Thus, some people feel more secured and open about meeting people on Tinder. But recently, I have been getting more responses from friends saying they only wish to talk to complete strangers. They feel more open-minded talking to strangers because they can say anything without inflicting any personal embarrassments among their friends. Anyhow, one suggestion for Tinder is that they should consider allowing users to choose from random pool of people or friends of friends.

This free app is truly awesome for its users. However, from a start up point of view, the potential for further growth is rather limited. Although Tinder does provide a very strong platform for matching strangers, it doesn’t do quite a good job in keeping its users on its app for long. Once the conversation starts to go well, people will start to exchange WhatsApp numbers, Facebook accounts, Snapchat usernames, Skype… etc. to continue with their conversations. Thus, monetizing Tinder’s services becomes very difficult as each conversation’s life span is rather short.

Nonetheless, rumors have been flying around saying that Tinder will soon be offering pay per ‘Opps’. The idea behind this new feature is to allow the user to undo an accidental left swipe (dislike). This feature will be a savior to those who have clumsy fingers or those who likes to swipe left most of the time (these people are usually quite full of themselves :S). As for myself, I haven’t been making many regretful left swipes lately so hopefully I will not be using it as much. But it will be nice to see how this feature will be fully implemented in the near future.

I would encourage you to try out the app and see if you get a better experience from other dating apps or web dating sites. Maybe that swipe to the right will one day get you the love of your life 😉

 

-Guel

God Save the Jean!

As I mentioned in my first introductory post, a key element of menswear is the longevity and timelessness. By longevity, I don’t mean that one should wear the same polyester suit, black turtleneck, or rubber-sole shoes every day 24/7:

What I mean is that through wearing (and regularly upkeeping) your clothes, they will gradually develop an aurora and an air of timelessness. Something about you. An item with its own character.

One of the most prominent examples to illustrate this is men’s shoes

As many traditional shoe manufacturers – think the likes of old British or French shoemakers like Church’s, John Lobb etc – often claim that their shoes are meant to be worn over years, if not decades. Construction like goodyear welting allows the sole to be replaced with relatively ease (I will talk more about shoe construction in later post so won’t elaborate much here), while some also suggest adding metal tab to the heel and the toe of the shoes to enhance durability.

In addition, by polishing your shoes over time, the shoes will also develop an unique patina (or shine, in a more layman term) that can only be achieved by waxing and coloring your shoes over time.

The picture below shows the difference in depth and texture of the same pair of shoes before and after polishing. On the left, it is a nice leather shoes that resembles many brand new leather shoes from a decent shop – as you can see, due to the leather dying process, the color of the shoes is uniform and one-dimensional.

After a few polish however, a sheen is developed from the wax applied, and one can see a gradual fading of the color from the side of the shoes to the upper, which adds more dimensions and texture to the shoes. Visually, it is not just a block of brown color, but more intricate and complex.

As a next step, one may even add a bit of black polish to toe cap of the shoes to create a burnish effect, like the beautiful wholecut below:

As you can tell, there are many variations one can add to their items. There are probably no right or wrong, but by the subtle changes you make, it reflects who you are.

Caring and maintaining your clothes and shoes increases their lifetime, and more importantly, it adds a bit of history and character to the look. At the end of the day, one should own his clothes and not owned by it.

To end, can you think of other pieces in menswear that, like shoes, richen over time?

J

Our Subtle Little Secret

 

What I find the most fascinating about menswear is the subtlety and the attention to details. Menswear tends to less colorful or flamboyant than women’s, and what truly differentiates a well-dressed man from a not-so-well-dressed man is the little secret touches that, at times, can be so inconspicuous that only the wearer is aware of.

Throughout history of menswear, there have been many times when men attempted to differentiate from others by showing a bit of character in their wardrobe. For example, a decade or two ago, as young and college-educated men entered the job market, many of them had to wear conservative-colored suits to work. Then gradually a small group of Englishmen decided to break out of the box a bit, and started wearing jacket with a bright lining, or socks that are of different color than their pants:

Then recently we have all seen the trend for men to not wear socks entirely in many fashion magazines, or have tiny shirt collar, or most recently, the popularity of the so-called midnight blue tuxedo (instead of the traditional and classic black tux) – all of which are details that make the wearer a little different, and stand out a bit from their peers.

To a greater extend, there are other more subtle details that are even harder for others to notice. For example, some men like to unbutton the first button of their jacket sleeve, to show that jacket is bespoke and made-to-order. Some ask their tailor to sew the buttonhole of the lapel with stitching of different color, such as a burgundy or gold buttonhole on the lapel of a navy jacket. To an extreme, recently Prince Harry was found to have put his initial “H” on the sole of his shoes (which, if you ask me, I might be hesitant to be stepping on my name every day :))

To end, I would like to share a video from MrPorter in which Sir Paul Smith shares his thoughts on the subtlety of menswear. As he puts very cleverly and appropriately, it should be a nudge rather than a push:

 

The first man who wears something different is the pioneer. The second is the endorser. The third is merely a follower. So to conclude this post, I would like to ask: what’s your dirty little secret?

 

A little bit of who I am…

(Sitting in Teakha with a cup of Masala Chai Chocolate in hand…)

Before I start rumbling into my love for start ups, I would like to share a bit about myself. I am an Industrial Engineer, graduated from University of Michigan (GO BLUE!!), currently working in the field of logistics to implement improvements throughout the organization. As you might have figured out from my first post, I am a firm believer in continuous positive changes. It was those Industrial Engineering classes that kept me looping and toying with the idea of LEAN and continuous improvement. These lessons then led me to think: What I can do to make changes to improve our community? With this existing technology available, surely we can do a great deal of awesome things, right? And so, I have been going to a few start up events, pitch nights, talks…etc. Those events were very rewarding because these interactions are prepping me well for my very own start up.

Anyway, this is my story so far. Hopefully something more exciting is happening around the corner. I will keep updating this space every week for any start up news I find exciting or ideas I wish to share.

Stay tuned.

-Guel

Why Startups?

I find startups to be the most intriguing sector the in the business world. Whenever I attend startup-related events, not only am I fascinated by discovering all the amazing projects, but more importantly, meeting the brains behind these prominent startups. From the past events I have attended, I have heard pitches that can save you from having headaches over buying presents to a revolutionizing the logistics system. And there weren’t such thing as big or small projects. They are judged based on how much additional benefit they will bring to the society. That’s why it has always been fun for me going to these events to check out the newest innovations around town.

But the sad truth is, not all startups will become the next Facebook, Microsoft or Apple. Even having this in the back of their minds, a lot of entrepreneurs quit their high-paying jobs to tackle inefficiencies that need to be addressed in our society. It is their passions and beliefs keep them committed and motivated to their projects. These people basically devote a large portion of their lives to these projects in hopes to bring a better quality of life to our society. That’s why I have massive respect for them!

Like them, I soon would like to start my own project. I will start sharing my ideas here as well as making my own opinions on these exciting startups. Please feel free to make comments on my blogs.

Stay tuned for more!

-Guel

Hello world

When Guel suggested starting a blog together with Alex and me, he proposed that we each contribute to a particular subject or two: he would write about technology and start-ups; Alex would be responsible for writing about grooming and food; and I was assigned to write about menswear.

As the very first post I think it is necessary to define the subject and the scope of my writing. Menswear, to me, can be looked at from at least two angles. The first is called fashion – essentially something that is about now, and the current trend.

When one talks about fashion, one tends to immediately associate flashy and flamboyant models walking down a runway, in a pink fur jacket and pants that are too tight. But more generally, to me fashion refers to something that generally comes and goes, and something that puts much focus on expression and beauty and trend.

For example, baseball jacket and sneakers have regained much popularity in menswear recently amid the focus on athleticism – if you take a look at fashion magazines (or style magazines, which is essentially the same thing but with a different word since people tend to associate the word “fashion” with femininity), you can easily spot male models with rolled up selvedge jeans and a pair of Nike or New Balance sneakers:

But wait a second. New Balance? A few years ago, it was the ugly shoes that no one wanted to wear! At school the cool kids never wore New Balance. Back then, wearing loafers with no socks was the way to go. I mean, hell, in the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love, Cal (played by Steve Carell) was wearing New Balance 407 on the night his wife decided to divorce him. The film later then went on with another rant on this brand, when Jacob (played by Ryan Gosling) asked Cal:

“Jacob: “What happened to your feet?”

Cal: “What do you mean? These are my 407s.”

Jacob: “Oh, they’re 407s.”

*Jacob threw away the shoes*

Jacob: “Are you Steve Jobs?”

Cal: “What?”

Jacob: “Hold on a second. Are you the billionaire owner of Apple Computers?”

Cal: “No.”

Jacob: “Oh. Okay. Well, in that case, you got no right to wear New Balance sneakers ever.”

Well, guess Ryan Gosling was wrong. New Balance did see a big resurgence – thanks to very successful marketing campaign – and now major menswear sites like Mr Porter are endorsing it.

***

And then, there is the second way of looking at menswear, which I call the academic way. For example, what is the difference between a full canvassed English jacket and a Neapolitan soft shoulder jacket? Why do people claim that goodyear welted shoes tend to last longer? And what is the difference between a split-yoke and single-yoke shirt?

The academic way is timeless. It is about terminology, construction and proportion. It can be practical too – if we think about how colors, textures and patterns work together, we could probably create a better ensemble out of our wardrobe. If we think about how our silhouette is affected by things like whether we tuck in or out our shirts (90% of the time, shirts are better tucked), or the armhold of a bespoke jacket (e.g. having a higher armhole and narrower sleeve actually makes you look slimmer), your look will enhance.

And by dressing better, well, you are making the world a better place.

***

If you know me in person, you probably don’t see me as a particular well-dressed guy. Sometimes I go out in hoodie and jeans, or an oversized shirt hidden underneath an old v-neck. But to me, one doesn’t need to look like a model from GQ to be interested in menswear. One can be wearing a super slim fitted shirt with small collar and skinny tie, and people could call him fasionable, or stylish. But to me, menswear is more so about the details, the subtlety.

Sometimes, it is about the wearer feeling good about himself by wearing something that is so subtle that only he is aware of it. This is why I think menswear could be fascinating.

Finally, I must say that I owe most of my knowledge from other sources, primarily the internet. I never learned anything about menswear from what I do for a living or from school (perhaps what not to wear from looking at old pictures of my school days, but that’s another story). Everything you read from my posts is from my research online. And of course, everything I write is just from my perspective, and there is no right or wrong for sure.

To end, I wanted to thank you for visiting this blog, and please stay tune for more writings on the details & subtlety of menswear. I promise the next blog will be more informative and with fewer texts 🙂

J