there has been a growing trend to wear dark worsteds suits (navy or grey suits made from a fine, smooth dressy wool) with a dress shirt and no tie. and it looks so bad. 🧵
everyone who does this thinks they look like george clooney or tom ford. or they're cool and relatable and just a casual sort of dude. they project neither of those things. they just look like every downtown schlub who hates wearing a suit but bitterly does so bc they have to.
the thing is that there are many types of suits. if you want to dress down the suit, make it look intentional. choose a casual suit in a non-business color (e.g., brown, olive) and material (e.g., cotton, linen).
or go with a sport coat, which is inherently more dressed down than a business suit
instead of choosing a bright white dress shirt with a semi-spread collar (very business-y), choose a more casual option, such as an oxford cloth button-down, long-sleeve polo, or some kind of sweater (e.g., turtleneck or crewneck)
in this way, you are making everything casual. you are not just wearing a business outfit but without a tie—the laziest way you can try to "dress down" a suit. a business suit without a tie is like the night sky without stars. the chest area looks empty. the outfit looks sad.
if you're wearing a business suit, put on a tie. if you are trying to communicate something a little more casual and relaxed, then make everything relaxed. do a casual suit. or ditch tailoring and dress casual. make the outfit coherent so it doesn't look like you hate ur suit job
going to be blunt: a good way to dress better is to ask yourself, "does this look like the sort of thing a finance MD would wear?" dress sneakers, dark suit without a tie, fleece vest with dress shirt, business casual, etc. all these things are bad
i know some people are going to be like, "i work in a casual office and can't wear a tie." very reasonable! then just don't wear a dark business suit. many ways to do business casual that's not fleece vest, slacks + dress shirt, or dark suit with no tie
Rumors are going around that Pete Hegseth might be on his way out. I don’t know if that’s true, but just in case, I want to do a thread on his style. To me, Hegseth’s wardrobe reflects a common pitfall guys fall into when they first start caring about clothes. 🧵
When men start dressing with more intention, they often fall into the trap of cranking every knob to 11—volume, gain, treble, bass. The thinking is: more = better. But like in music, maxing out every setting doesn’t lead to clarity—it leads to noise.
We see this in how Hegseth dresses. His belt buckle is USA. Pocket square is USA. Socks are USA. Open up his jacket and what do you see? USA.
Someone asked me why there aren't any high-end Chinese clothing brands. They are many! In this thread, I'll name a few, as well as answer the question why you may not have heard of them. 🧵
This thread will cover a wide range of aesthetics and business sizes, so that there's something for everyone. The first is Zhu Chongyun, a chic womenswear label that combines traditional Chinese aesthetics with contemporary design.
Their ad campaigns are highly stylized for marketing purposes, but when you look at their runway presentations, you can see how their clothes are very wearable. A bit minimalist in tone and sculptural in terms of silhouette. Very refined and chic.
I try to live by the rule that what may be obvious to one person may not be obvious to another, as people are getting into hobbies at different points. So for those who are just starting to build a better wardrobe, here's how to shop for clothes online. 🧵
Go to your closet and pull out your best fitting clothes—best button-up shirt, best sweater, best pair of tailored trousers, and best pair of jeans. Lay these flat on a hard surface and measure them with a flexible measuring tape (available online or local craft stores)
For button-up shirts and sweaters, you'll want to take four basic measurements:
— Chest: measure across the front from armpit to armpit. Make sure shirt is buttoned
— Shoulder: measure across the back from shoulder joint to shoulder joint. Use the shoulder seam to guide you.
Not true. There are skilled craftspeople of every ethnic background (also hucksters who pose as real craftsman, but are not). Here are some artisans of Vietnamese and Filipino heritage. 🧵
I'll start with one I named in an earlier thread. Bellanie Salcedo is a Vietnamese-American and one-half of Chester Mox, based in the US. She trained for years under a former Hermès artisan, learning the skill of saddle stitching. Everything she makes is completely handmade.
Over the last 15 years, I've gotten all sorts of things from her: folios, belts, coat wallets, and card cases. The stitching is fine and precise; the edge finishing is immaculate. She sources leather from Hermès-owned tanneries. I think her work is world-class.
The thing about the Chinese fashion manufacturing TikTok discourse is that people haven't seen what it takes to build a reputable business. Look at what independent craftspeople go through: years of training, selling to discerning buyers, building a reputation, and expansion. 🧵
This has nothing to do with French vs Asian hands. In my thread, I highlighted many Asian makers. But I've also seen fraudsters (of every ethnic background). People who start up companies, sell shoddy products to uneducated buyers, and then disappear.
What does it take to get someone to fork $1k over the internet for a bag? Hopefully more than a punchy TikTok video! Ideally you read about the craftsmanship from informed buyers, see close up images of the workmanship, and understand how something was made.
This video has made the rounds on nearly every social media platform—and like others in its genre, it's led people to reduce fashion production to overly simplistic narratives.
So let’s take a look at why this bag might not be quite the same as the one you’d find at Hermès. 🧵
Most people have a very functional relationship with their wardrobe. They choose garments for their utility—warmth, comfort, protection from the elements. In this context, quality is measured by durability and function: how long a piece lasts and how well it does its job.
Others dress with social aims in mind, such as climbing the corporate ladder, attracting a partner, gaining entry into certain circles. In these cases, luxury goods convey status, wealth, or cultural fluency. It’s still about utility—just of a more symbolic kind.