The Most Annoying Place on the Internet
For a bunch of grown men, they're quite dramatic.
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Quick Thought on Anonymity
There are periods where I simply do not have the patience for anything related to fashion. It could just be me getting older and finding pleasure in other things. Right now, I’m obsessed with 98.12.28 Otokotachi no Wakare by Fishmans, Yu Su’s latest release, and Ambeesh by Sa Pa. The latter was mentioned in Opened Window’s latest post.
But it’s also due to the ridiculousness fashion attracts, especially from individuals like the one below, where “ranting” comes across more like some testosterone-heavy chest beating than an actual point being made.
Discussions in fashion are always welcomed, and I’m all for deep-diving into a specific brand or designer, but I feel like social media has completely gutted any form of decent conversation around clothes, though this can be said for almost anything now (politics, films, music, etc).
It’s all become rageslop.
I recently read a piece about how we’ve become obsessed with reclusiveness in fashion, and how brands like The Row became hot commodities partly because of their elusiveness and mystery. We rarely see the Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen in public (though that changed recently, and it lit the internet on fire), nor can you bring your phone to any of their shows. No photos from journalists, buyers, anyone.
You’ll see it when it hits Vogue, but until then, shhhhhhh.
We’ve all become so dialed in online that anything opposite to our chronically online behaviour suddenly becomes desirable. People wondering where the twins are, or back when Martin Margiela was helming his brand, and even now, people still want to see him, know what he’s up to, hear from him, anything.
We’re so tethered to the internet that disconnecting from it feels almost impossible at times. Yet instead of trying to untether ourselves, we become obsessed with those who already have.
As I get older, I realize anonymity is worth more than I ever gave it credit for. There’s a reason it takes me a minute to release posts, and it’s because I’m usually trying to spend my days outside, wandering around aimlessly, spending time with friends and family, just existing away from all of this. Yes, I’ll make frequent trips to Neighbour, but it’s because the staff have become people I genuinely like and want to chat with. Whether it’s about sports, people, food; conversations that aren’t just surface-level, you know?
(idk how they feel about me though, since I’m always there stirring shit up)
There’s a reason many people who work in fashion completely clock out once the workday ends, and spend their time in nature. Even if you look at Dries Van Noten in the documentary Dries (reminds me of the Carson Clay bit from Mr. Bean’s Holiday); he’s foraging, gardening, and doing regular human shit. He’s living the dream.
Being so deep in fashion is exhausting, and in an industry that takes and takes while rarely giving back, you have to separate yourself from it personally.
Anyway, these are my thoughts before diving into today’s piece. I’d love to know how you feel about fashion commentary today, online communities, and your own relationship with fashion.
Introduction
Throughout my life there have been spaces, physical and virtual, I’ve either willingly stepped into, or unintentionally, possibly during my half-asleep scrolling sessions, that have given me what they call the ick. A few examples of this: Brandy Melville, The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses, and for the past few years, though casually, r/ThrowingFits.
The ever-growing, or possibly now declining, subreddit — originally started as a way to discuss the popular podcast — has over 121K weekly visitors. Posts range from outfit advice, rating one’s fits, various posts on Our Legacy and mfpen, thoughts on a particular collection and, the topic of today’s post, an occasional thought-piece on a designer.