Few points: Yes, Chris Blacks brand is ass and Chris generally has basic/preppy taste. I think he looks up to WASPs or something.
People like Jake will generally do better than POCs because in the western world most people who have access (financially and geographically) to clothing on this level look more like him. You might have more depth in this but its less likely that those folks see themselves in you as much. Here's to expanding accessibility.
On brands getting "overexposure", at the end of the day, if youre not the creator of the brand - you don't own it. I'm sure these brands are happy to expand their reach. As individuals we need find ways to build or identities outside of brands that we don't own. Either way, the way each individual puts together these clothes is their own. We can own that.
You nailed it. We need to be expanding accessibility in this space, and expanding our identities beyond the brands we consume. When style becomes overly tethered to a handful of labels, it stops being expressive and starts feeling exclusionary — especially when access is already uneven to begin with.
That’s partly why engaging with archive communities can feel off-putting at times — when enthusiasm turns into exclusivity, it risks alienating people rather than inviting them in.
We should be celebrating the amount of freedom people have now to engage with fashion in different ways, from different backgrounds, and pushing each other forward instead of gatekeeping and making passive aggressive comments.
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!
Yes, they’re just clothes — but they can, and do, mean a lot to those who’ve spent a considerable amount of time perfecting their craft and expressing themselves in the most genuine way they know how. On the other side of that coin, they really are just clothes, and shouldn’t be taken too seriously (aside from waste, environmental impact, etc) — which is what frustrates me. You see a guy wearing Comoli? That's great. Maybe spark a conversation about it, ask for their take, and celebrate the diversity in fits, discussions, etc. Why immediately resort to hating a guy, you know?
I’m glad some of this resonated with you, and I wholeheartedly agree. Menswear became another form of content, and in doing so, it attracted the wrong people. Fashion has always been tied to status — and once social media became a money-printing machine, this corner of it was inevitably going to draw in people looking to turn a specific brand or store into their entire personality or façade, monetize it, and pump out content without any real interest in the craft itself.
Here’s hoping this post can stir the pot — and maybe be the start of something new, and something better, in the menswear space.
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.
First, I want to thank you for taking the time to respond and for sharing your perspective. My piece was never meant to be an attack — it was simply a way to air out my thoughts, while also inviting dialogue and hearing yours, so I appreciate you getting back to me.
As I mentioned in the piece, I do believe your intentions are genuine, and that passion clearly comes through in your work. Unfortunately, fashion has become an increasingly sensitive space, where people can feel protective or disgruntled when someone outside of their immediate circle starts engaging with brands they love.
Ideally, we should be celebrating diversity in fashion — because without it, the space risks becoming a hollow, stagnant version of itself. The same people wearing the same things, saying the same things, offering little in the way of growth, evolution, or genuine creativity.
In that sense, I actually think it’s healthy that feathers are being ruffled. Menswear discourse, in particular, has become diluted, and people seem increasingly hesitant to offer honest critique — a problem that extends well beyond menswear, honestly.
At the end of the day, I respect what you’re doing and the work you’re putting out. Keep pushing forward — you and I are both just trying to move the conversation, and the culture, ahead!
Few points: Yes, Chris Blacks brand is ass and Chris generally has basic/preppy taste. I think he looks up to WASPs or something.
People like Jake will generally do better than POCs because in the western world most people who have access (financially and geographically) to clothing on this level look more like him. You might have more depth in this but its less likely that those folks see themselves in you as much. Here's to expanding accessibility.
On brands getting "overexposure", at the end of the day, if youre not the creator of the brand - you don't own it. I'm sure these brands are happy to expand their reach. As individuals we need find ways to build or identities outside of brands that we don't own. Either way, the way each individual puts together these clothes is their own. We can own that.
You nailed it. We need to be expanding accessibility in this space, and expanding our identities beyond the brands we consume. When style becomes overly tethered to a handful of labels, it stops being expressive and starts feeling exclusionary — especially when access is already uneven to begin with.
That’s partly why engaging with archive communities can feel off-putting at times — when enthusiasm turns into exclusivity, it risks alienating people rather than inviting them in.
We should be celebrating the amount of freedom people have now to engage with fashion in different ways, from different backgrounds, and pushing each other forward instead of gatekeeping and making passive aggressive comments.
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!
Yes, they’re just clothes — but they can, and do, mean a lot to those who’ve spent a considerable amount of time perfecting their craft and expressing themselves in the most genuine way they know how. On the other side of that coin, they really are just clothes, and shouldn’t be taken too seriously (aside from waste, environmental impact, etc) — which is what frustrates me. You see a guy wearing Comoli? That's great. Maybe spark a conversation about it, ask for their take, and celebrate the diversity in fits, discussions, etc. Why immediately resort to hating a guy, you know?
I’m glad some of this resonated with you, and I wholeheartedly agree. Menswear became another form of content, and in doing so, it attracted the wrong people. Fashion has always been tied to status — and once social media became a money-printing machine, this corner of it was inevitably going to draw in people looking to turn a specific brand or store into their entire personality or façade, monetize it, and pump out content without any real interest in the craft itself.
Here’s hoping this post can stir the pot — and maybe be the start of something new, and something better, in the menswear space.
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.
First, I want to thank you for taking the time to respond and for sharing your perspective. My piece was never meant to be an attack — it was simply a way to air out my thoughts, while also inviting dialogue and hearing yours, so I appreciate you getting back to me.
As I mentioned in the piece, I do believe your intentions are genuine, and that passion clearly comes through in your work. Unfortunately, fashion has become an increasingly sensitive space, where people can feel protective or disgruntled when someone outside of their immediate circle starts engaging with brands they love.
Ideally, we should be celebrating diversity in fashion — because without it, the space risks becoming a hollow, stagnant version of itself. The same people wearing the same things, saying the same things, offering little in the way of growth, evolution, or genuine creativity.
In that sense, I actually think it’s healthy that feathers are being ruffled. Menswear discourse, in particular, has become diluted, and people seem increasingly hesitant to offer honest critique — a problem that extends well beyond menswear, honestly.
At the end of the day, I respect what you’re doing and the work you’re putting out. Keep pushing forward — you and I are both just trying to move the conversation, and the culture, ahead!
🤝🤝
😇
This was a quality hot take and I’m here for it.
hot takes only on here
Tell us what you really think! 🙏🏼
Always!
He said what he said 👏🏼
I said what I said 🤷🏽♂️