I'm Not A Hater, But I Am A Hater: The Current State of Menswear Discourse & Fashion Bros
From Throwing Fits to Jake Woolf to Comoli — an honest look at menswear’s drama, gatekeeping. And yes, unfortunately, Chris Black’s line too.
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The Current State of Menswear Discourse
First things first — there’s nothing wrong with being a hater, as long as you have the cojones to say it with your chest. We’ve grown a little too kind in fashion, offering fewer and fewer critiques around a collection, a trend, or — in this case — the state of menswear discourse.
You can’t deny it: we’ve all had a sip of the Haterade at some point in our lives. Whether it’s someone in your office getting a promotion over you, or seeing someone you’re into get with a friend of yours — the examples are endless. It’s only natural. You just need to know your limits, and when it’s actually appropriate to be a hater.
Lately, I’ve had a lot of people reach out asking for my thoughts on the ever-evolving state of fashion-bro culture, taste-making, and what happens when A-tier Duchumpian brands like Comoli, Auralee, and Graphpaper start circulating in spaces like Throwing Fits, Jake Woolf’s orbit, and the wider menswear internet.
Am I a hater? Oh, absolutely — but hear me out.
Throwing Fits
I first got into Throwing Fits right before the pandemic, and became a supporter during it. For the most part, it was a way to pass the time, since Larry and James’ conversational style felt refreshing — especially after being an avid Four Pins fan, and even trying to recreate it at some point way back when.
As time progressed, and after being reunited with the rest of the world post-lockdowns, I became less interested in what they — so obnoxiously — had to say. It almost felt like your high-school bullies adopted your major personal interest, claimed it as theirs, and then made you feel like an outsider if you didn’t match the frat-bro energy.
As for their community — it felt very inauthentic at the time, with guys simply joining in because of how outlandish the podcast was. I remember going to a friend’s barbecue, and her partner came out in the classic TF pod shorts. Of course, I asked if he was a fan, and he said yes — but what threw me off was what he said after.
“I’m not into fashion, I just like how ridiculous the podcast is,” he said, while making perhaps the most bland seafood boil I’ve ever tried in my life. They’re no longer dating, so I’m happy to toss strays.
Anyway — this is what continued to throw me off about Throwing Fits. Your podcast is about fashion, and you’re making it more accessible, yet the people you’re bringing in aren’t necessarily interested in what you’re saying; they’re just in it for the vibes and abrasive nature. Whenever I asked people why they liked the podcast, their answers came across less like genuine interest in clothes and more like wanting to fit in.
Do I like their work now? Not really, and it’s been a while since I’ve listened to any of their episodes, despite the notable guests they’ve featured — several of whom I’ve mentioned in past articles, such as Carter Young and Literary Sport. What I do appreciate is that they’ve carved out their own corner in fashion — and built a sturdy fanbase consisting of all different levels of fashion enthusiasts — through their interview style, and it clearly resonates with many considering how well they’re doing. I mean, did you see James’ Auralee haul the other day? Or the countless features, press, and collaborations they’ve landed?
If they’re being their authentic selves, I can respect that — it’s better to be yourself than anything else, cliché as that sounds. However, the whole thing does remind me of a drunk Man U fan who listens to Oasis and throws the weakest punches imaginable after one pint. There’s a bit of Peter Pan syndrome in the way they speak and act, and unfortunately, it gives me the ick. They seem like the type of guys who would stomp on my Yugioh cards at lunch, then ask me for test answers after school so they don’t fail the class.
Who knows — maybe they’re completely normal, regular people outside the podcast and this is all just a bit.
Before we conclude this piece, onto the next bit.
When Your Opp Wears Your Favourite Brand
The number of people who’ve messaged me about Comoli and the new attention it’s been getting from influencers has been wild. Most of my DMs live somewhere between disbelief and full-blown outrage — people watching their prized baby get styled, posted, and folded into the feeds of major menswear figures like Jake Woolf.
“Jake Woolf getting into Comoli is devastating.”
“Jake Woolf talking about Comoli genuinely upset me.”
Yes, I know Comoli is a sacred brand here — one that brought me to the brink of insanity. They’ve always had this level of exclusivity that intrigued me, while their collections have become more and more scarce at literally any of their stockists. It’s a brand with an aura that continues to grow, and since starting this newsletter, I’ve met many, many people who will live and die by the Comoli sword.
Similar to Comme des Garçons, Keijiro Komori has built his own murder* of crows (most of their garments are black), who treat the brand with a level of sensitivity that can come across as gatekeepy. There’s nothing wrong with that — we’re all guilty of gatekeeping — but with Comoli, I completely understand where the loyalists are coming from. Again, the scarcity in product, the overall ethos and misterioso vibes by the brand, and how ridiculously good (almost) everything is.
*I really wanted to say this in bold and italics.
Let’s be real. If you’ve been rocking with something for years and then it suddenly reaches a broader audience, you can’t deny that you’ll feel threatened by the possibility of it becoming “mainstream” as they say.
I’ll be honest — I do get hesitant when influencers are put onto brands I like, especially ones I’ve dedicated time and energy to researching. However, niche brands becoming visible isn’t the issue (at least to me) — it’s what happens when the wrong people pick them up for the wrong reasons, which is what seems to be the leading case behind The People vs. Jake Woolf discourse online.
One of the things I’ve always pushed for with Duchump is doing your own research and taking the time to develop your style. It’s better to let things unfold organically than to jump from Point A to Point B without any of the character development needed to figure out what resonates, what doesn’t, and why.
Right now, the direction in menswear — or fashion in general, kinda — is doing your DD (due diligence) and opting for quality over quantity. That second part is tricky, though, because some brands will sell you a kind of luxury cosplay — writing these soul-searching product descriptions when it’s all made of plastic. Influencer culture only amplifies this, with people begging for an ID on a pair of pants because they need it to fit in with a certain crowd or achieve a specific online aesthetic. A type of personality-adoption that is rampant and exhausting in social media right now.
With Jake Woolf — I am wary of what his influence can do to brands that are already so tough to come by, or have this sentimental value to me. The last thing I want is to battle some pimple-popper kid listening to Vultures for a Leather Collared Work Jacket by Comoli next year — all because he was influenced by Jake’s fits, or whoever else with 100K+ followers that picks up the brand and adds it into their rotation.
This — whether you like it or not — was inevitable, however, with publications like Highsnobiety posting their Good Clothes Index and promoting the same brands I’ve mentioned in the past, and that we all love, such as Gabriela Coll, Cottle, ssstein, and Yoko Sakamoto. Additionally, buyers are now more willing to spend a bit more on something by, say, Evan Kinori — investing in pieces that are actually well-made — than something from COS or one of the cheaper alternatives that rip designs from these smaller labels. This is also why publications like Blackbird Spyplane continue to grow. Jonah releases work of such insane quality because he puts in the time, gets into the nitty-gritty, and consistently delivers something fresh and inspiring.
Eventually, with the number of posts and people pushing this new-ish segment of menswear, influencers like Jake were bound to pick it up. Is that a bad thing? No, not necessarily — one of my pet peeves, however, is when influencers pick up a brand, insists no one has talked about it, and claim it as theirs. Almost in a Neil Armstrong kind of way: planting the American flag on the moon. Except in this case, the moon is Comoli.
For people like you and I, we can get hostile seeing this — a particular style or brand we love being turned into content for the masses.
When I visited Paris and spoke to brands about who’d come in and who they were excited to see, most designers weren’t exactly thrilled about influencers pulling up to their showrooms. Imagine dedicating months — sometimes years — to a collection, only to have your work watered down into a carousel post for Joe Blow’s followers on Instagram, TikTok, or whatever platform they’re big on.
My question is:
Are we actually seeing a genuine love for the craft here — or just filler content cosplaying as passion? Another Throwing Fits situation where people say yes to anything just to fit in?
My second pet peeve is seeing people go from preaching slow fashion and “quality over quantity” to suddenly pivoting toward promoting H&M’s attempt at relevance with their Atelier collection. Buying high/low isn’t new — but it is disappointing to see people stoop to working with one of the biggest contributors to fast fashion for the sake of securing the bag. It’s why some just feel like everything’s a show with these characters, and whatever is being promoted is for the sake of likes and engagement.
With an audience this big, is supporting a company that is the antithesis of sustainability — a company that breaks laws to underpay workers and actively contributes to environmental collapse — really worth it? The rise of social media has amplified the power tastemakers hold, and unfortunately, there’s a lot of people who don’t have the best of intentions and are far too susceptible to whatever someone with a platform says. Think this emoji 🧢, but red. And with white obnoxious text over top.
But on the other side of that coin, in this economy — how can you say no to such a fat bag? There’s no denying — I don’t care what you say — that some of you would happily accept a $40K cheque to attend H&M’s runway show. Apparently that’s how much they shelled out to bring in a few of the heavy-hitter influencers — the same ones who love the same brands you do, and say the same things you say.
Now, onto my next point.
At first, a part of me did believe this was another case of someone creating a personality around a brand or a store — and then profiting off that community to further their own agenda. And honestly, can you blame me? Look at what’s been happening with Zara and Soshiotsuki, or Colbo. In their [Zara] own way, they’re shoving a foot into the door of smaller markets and designers, trying to become relevant in these more intentional corners of fashion while siphoning off as much money as possible — whether it’s through an “aesthetically pleasing” kids line or Armani-lite suiting at a fraction of the price.
However, on Jake’s part, I do wholeheartedly believe he’s interested in expanding his palette, and he’s introduced Comoli into the mix. He gave A.PRESSE a nod in a recent post (he’s not wrong — I think this is the Type A-2 Leather Jacket and it’s insane), and it’s only a matter of time before he finds other gems from Japan that are starting to make waves in North America through places like Ven Space, Neighbour, and so on. Is this bad? No — but I do hope there’s more consideration in how he talks about these brands, who he’s working with, and whether he’s doing his DD.
The amount of backlash he gets — I’ll admit — is ridiculous, and the simplest solution for anyone who’s irked by his content is to mute the guy. If you’re chapped that he likes your new favourite brand and posts stories about it, then I must ask you this — why aren’t you chapped at me? We’ve done virtually the same thing when chatting about brands and taking fit photos, just to a lesser extent recently since it gets dark at 4PM here and I’m working my regular job during the day. Someone’s gotta pay the bills around here, mama.
If you are chapped with me, hell yeah. If you’re not, then I’d recommend giving him the same grace you’ve given me. And this circles back to the Throwing Fits guys as well. Larry and James seem like nice dudes, and their love for fashion is absolutely there — in their own max-volume, headphones-blown-out kind of way. Do I like their content? Not necessarily, but I can still appreciate their affinity for something I love just as much. As for their Discords and Subreddits — don’t join them. Find somewhere you feel welcomed and wanted.
At the end of the day, we share an insane amount of love for the same thing — we just have different ways of expressing it, and that’s totally fine. Truthfully, I think some of the hate they get stems from a small amount of jealousy: they’re picking up the pieces we want, with money we don’t have, and with connects we don’t have — and then sharing it with an audience some of us wish we had. That kind of visibility opens more doors — gifts, exposure, opportunities.
In a time where fashion critiques have become more and more muted, Throwing Fits stepped in to offer a more brash, unfiltered perspective on the industry, the brands, the designers. It was a much-needed change of pace for an ever-so-pleasing industry where everyone gets a gold star and goes home crowned as the best designer according to Vogue or whatever legacy publication. You can’t knock that — but you can absolutely knock Larry and James’ fits.
I will say, however, that these fashion bros — as people call them — need to realize how much power they truly have, and be more conscious of their actions. From a content perspective and their style — I couldn’t care less. Do your thing, build your audience, have fun with it. From an accountability standpoint, though — I do think there’s work to be done. Be authentic with it. Be smarter about who you’re working with. Don’t add to the problem.
We will always see less fuss from the public when the love and passion seen in their work is authentic. But if — and I don’t think this is the case here — it turns out to be another façade with some lingering ulterior motive behind it, that’s where you lose me. It’s hard not to see right through that these days. After years of TikTok and Instagram algorithms pushing the same recycled content — telling us to buy, buy, buy — you get tired of it. Eventually, you reach a point where you can’t help but get a little snippy about someone which, unfortunately, seems to be the case for Jake Woolf.
I don’t even know if they’ll see this, but come on y’all — we can do better. Think of this as the Kendrick Lamar Control verse that’s needed to spice things up in the fashion-creator space right now.
On a more personal level, though, it is difficult to feel ecstatic for figures like this when there are very, very few POC writers in this niche corner of ours. If you look at Substack’s Best Sellers list, you’ll see that on any given day, sixty to seventy of the writers shown are white. And it doesn’t matter what platform you’re on — POC writers and creators struggle to build an audience without having to put in twice the work of their white colleagues. Unfortunately, that’s true across the board — not just in this niche.
My qualm is that creators like myself will do the DD, post the right photos, and try their best to be informative, concise, and engaging — yet we’re still seen as small potatoes compared to others covering the same content, but with far less depth in their work. I’m not saying Jake Wolf’s work is lesser — I’m not super familiar with it — but for many others in this space, it is a tough pill to swallow.
This is the reality for creators like myself, and I cannot wait for the day when I see more representation covering the brands I love and creating their own pockets of readers and communities.
Until then, to my POC creators — all I can say is: know your worth, don’t give out your knowledge for free, and trust that your day will come.
Conclusion
Verdict: No, I do not dislike Jake Woolf. In fact, I’m excited to see how his style evolves as he introduces more of these lesser-known names. At the end of the day — none of us have a trademark on these labels, whether we like it or not. One thing I always look for in people is passion and drive, and after seeing some of his content, I do believe he ticks both boxes.
Nor do I hate Larry and James. They’ve done a great job giving smaller brands a platform to speak openly about their work, and to an audience that may never have discovered them otherwise — but now might become genuine fans. Will I use alternative methods to find smaller brands? Most likely. I’m 31 now, and I get overstimulated pretty easily these days, so listening to a full episode of the podcast would absolutely put me in cardiac arrest.
They’ve got passion, they’ve got opinions, and it becomes obvious once you take off those rose-tinted hater glasses. At the end of the day, they’re saying the same thing you are about, let’s say, Auralee. They love Ryota Iwai, we love Ryota Iwai — so where’s the issue? If you break it down, the “problem” is almost always their delivery out of all things, and that’s something that really shouldn’t ruffle anyone’s feathers. At least not to this extent.
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again — if you’re not feeling their content, just hit that mute button and live your life without all this unnecessary drama. Ignorance is bliss, at least when it comes to this.
As for the “fashion bro” — the one orbiting outlets like Throwing Fits and Uniform Display — I cannot, and will never, be able to stand them. It’s a fragile archetype layered with insecurity, trend-obsession, and an almost hive-mind devotion to whatever the algorithm blesses that week. The type who will post something like, “If only I lived somewhere that would appreciate my fit,” while wearing a white oxford, light-wash jeans, and a pair of Adrian loafers by Dr. Martens. Yes, you’re absolutely right — let’s just wheel you into the nearest institution where your fit will be appreciated. Oop, don’t forget to strap into your straightjacket. Here are your pills for the day.
And then there’s the other subtype — the real-life Patrick Bateman cosplayers. You know the ones: make-shifting this cocky, better-than-you persona, posting infographics about supporting basic human rights while secretly ticking Republican candidates on their ballot. A walking contradiction disguised as “taste.”
Speaking of taste.
I’m here to openly say that Chris Black’s line — if you want to call it that — Hanover, is a goddamn disaster, and I’m not afraid to admit it. How can you run a piece titled Chris Black Is Known For His Taste, Now You Can Buy It and then release a bunch of meaningless, hollow garments I could find at a thrift store for less? The level of arrogance you must have to talk so much game and then fall so incredibly flat by releasing what is practically merch for yourself is something.
This whole thing gives “I saw How To Make It In America once and decided I should start my own brand.” Simple polos, oxford shirts, jeans, tees with quirky text — how incredibly riveting and game-changing. If you’re looking to dress like an NYU student who listens to Miles Davis to impress the ladies, this is the collection for you.
If this is what “good taste” looks like, then we’ve truly hit rock bottom in fashion. We can do so much better than dressing like a trust-fund kid cosplaying culture. And if anything screams privilege in this space, it’s launching a line this hollow and still expecting applause.
Okay, bye!
Thanks for making it to the end — I genuinely appreciate it.
If you’d like to chat about anything covered here, or swap thoughts on past pieces, I’m always open. And if this resonated with you, consider sharing Duchump with someone who might enjoy it too.
- Chris
Hi Chris, just wanted to say I appreciate your words, critiques and ultimate conclusions. First and foremost nothing you said about me felt unnecessarily mean or ill-intended, so I appreciate just the general civility.
Now, I totally get when people get upset when someone like me comes in and starts hyping up something they love like Comoli. Hell, I can get annoyed by this too when influencers bigger than me start rocking shit I love and it seems like they’re just doing it for clout! I also wanna say I regret saying “no one” is talking about Comoli which isn’t true but felt true enough among, like, the GQs of the world.
But ultimately I do really love this stuff like you said and I hope that genuine love shines through my content. I love Comoli, have read everything I can about the brand, and am grateful a store like Ven Space exists so that I can experience and ultimately spend my money on quality products like it right here in NYC. My main goals really are these days rooted in putting on small independent brands and retailers, and to encourage other people to do the same. If other people are annoyed by me because of that then that’s really none of my business. Anyway, peace and thanks again.
The preview for this piece compelled me to subscribe. I just needed to know where you were taking this. I'm really glad I did, because you articulated some of the very complex feelings I have about the current menswear bro epidemic.
I'm also in my 30s now, and I find it challenging to not be so cynical and adultist (for lack of a better word) about the new wave of fashion enthusiasts. "These kids would be neg repped to hell on sufu" I tell myself, entirely convinced I'm not the old man yelling at the cloud. Somewhere along the line, menswear morphed into something for those partying, instead of for those studying the blade, as the meme goes - perhaps my bitterness about this shift originates from the same projection and insecurity which birthed my interest in this hobby in the first place.
At the end of the day, its just clothes, and I'm sure Ryota Iwai and Keijiro Komori appreciate the $$ more than anything else. I saw a Tiktok (ugh..) that said "straight bros have turned fashion into sports betting" - and while that resonated, nobody can deny there is a lot of money in sports betting!