derek guy Profile picture
Jul 13 24 tweets 12 min read Read on X
Tim is right and wrong here. I'll tell you where he's right and where he's wrong. 🧵 Image
It's perfectly fine to wear slip-on shoes without socks. Those who suggest otherwise are simply ignorant and unaware about the history of men's dress.

You don't have to take my word for it. We can go back to Apparel Arts. Image
Apparel Arts was an early 20th century trade publication that taught men how to dress well. It was sent to clothiers and tailors so they could smartly advise their clients, but it later became a public-facing publication under the title "Esquire." Image
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If you flip through old issues of Apparel Arts, you'll find many outfits without socks. Some even involve tailored jackets. However, one running theme: these were all casual outfits for their day, some even resort wear. Business clothes, such as dark suits, required socks. Image
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This theme continues throughout the history of men's dress. None of these outfits involve socks, which is perfectly fine because they are casual. Some even involve tailored jackets, but they are, again, the more casual variants of men's tailoring. Image
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However, Tim is wrong here for a few reasons: first, he does not have a tailor (misspelled here as "Taylor"). Second, this is not standard attire at "high class events."

IMO, no real tailor would approve of Andrew Tate's outfit. Image
First, what is a tailor? A simple definition is someone who makes or alters clothing. This includes your local alterations tailor (such as who would hem your pants). It also includes bespoke tailors, such as the people who work on Savile Row. Image
We can better understand the term through its etymology.

The modern English term tailor derives from the Anglo-Norman French term taillour (meaning "cutter"), which derives from the Late Latin or old Medieval Latin term taliare (meaning "to split").
From this, we understand the central role of a tailor: to cut cloth.

Before ready-to-wear, men had clothes made for them either in the home or, if they could afford one, by a tailor. Ready-made clothing was mostly limited to workwear, such as what was worn by sailors or miners. Image
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In the trade, the work of tailoring is typically done by two people:

1) the cutter, who drafts your pattern and cuts your cloth

2) the tailor, who sews loose pieces of fabric together to create jackets and trousers (hence why they're also called coat makers and trouser makers) Image
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Of course, there are other people in this process, such as finishers, pressers, and even pocket makers, but the cutter and tailor are the two main people on the team.

Hence the name of this influential 20th century trade publication: Tailor & Cutter. Image
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Sophisticated clients might make the distinction between their cutter and tailor. In fact, when a cutter leaves a tailoring house, it's not uncommon for clients to follow them to their new firm, as your cutter is as important to you as your barber. It's a close relationship. Image
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However, most men who buy bespoke clothes will simply refer to the person at the tailoring house as their tailor — even if the person is actually their cutter. This is fine.

Unfortunately, the term tailor has been bastardized in the last ~50 years, often by made-to-measure shops Image
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MTM is distinct from bespoke. In this system, someone measures you and sends those numbers to factory, often located overseas. The factory then adjusts a block pattern and makes the garment straight to finish. The garment is then sent to the retail partner for your fitting. Image
This system is typically mechanized and computerized to create efficiencies and lower cost. The person below is adjusting a block pattern using a computer aided design program (CAD). They are not a cutter or a tailor. They will also never see the client in-person. Image
The person at the clothing shop is also not a tailor or cutter, as they don't know how to sew fabric, draft patterns, or cut cloth. Doesn't matter if they take your measurements or fit you. They can be described as a fitter, sales person, or business person, but not tailor. Image
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I bring this up because I have a lot of respect for real tailors and would like to see this craft survive. If MTM shops start calling themselves bespoke or if salespeople start calling themselves tailors, it makes it harder for real tailors to distinguish themselves.
The market nowadays is full of hucksters who play up the idea of custom clothing ("You can get a contrast buttonhole or wacky lining! Oo la la, an expensive fabric sir!). But they are not tailors. There are many honest MTM operations that are good — but also many that are bad.
Tim doesn't have a tailor; he has a MTM clothier. We can judge this because the armhole here is too low, causing the lapel to buckle off his chest when he hugs his friend. The back of the top buttonhole is machine made. Pick stitching was done with an AMF machine, not by hand. Image
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It's very important to stress: there's nothing wrong with using a MTM clothier. In fact, you are better off with a good MTM clothier than a bad bespoke tailor. Do not confuse these terms with "quality." I only lay it out because it's important to know what is a tailor.
A real tailor is unlikely to say this is "proper attire at high class events." Tate uses MTM clothiers and ready-to-wear shops. His clothes are mostly derivative of early 2000 trends, once labeled as "metrosexual."

Carlson's jackets fit fairly well, but his pants are too small. Image
In such cases, whether they wear socks is irrelevant, as they should simply get new clothes. Compare these two outfits, which are relatively similar except for the cut of the pants. Carlson would look better with a higher rise and looser straight cut. Image
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Here is a real bespoke tailor: Gennaro Solito. I think he's one of the best tailors in Naples, Italy (although much of the work now is done by his son, Luigi). He wears a brown wool-silk-linen jacket with a white shirt, tan trousers, and brown shell cordovan loafers. No socks. Image
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The outfit works because it follows in that old tradition: a semi-casual outfit with semi-casual shoes. It's a look men have worn over a century — even the King of Spain agrees.

However, socks or no socks doesn't matter if the overall outfit is ugly. Tate should see a tailor. Image
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More from @dieworkwear

Jul 14
Some people are incredulous that you can wear certain shoes without socks, such as leather loafers. Much depends on your body and climate. But I'll tell you one reason why you find this difficult to believe: you buy low quality footwear. 🧵 Image
It's absolutely possible to wear certain shoes without socks. As mentioned in an earlier thread, men have been doing this for over a hundred years. Going sockless makes sense if the outfit is semi-casual (not business clothes). Image
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In fact, if you wear socks with certain footwear styles, such as espadrilles, you will look like you don't know what you're doing. Image
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Read 16 tweets
Jul 11
I get this sort of comment all the time, often about bespoke suits or mechanical watches. "These things are boring," "This is only for rich people," or "Who cares?"

Let me tell you a story. 🧵 Image
Before the age of ready-to-wear, men had clothes made for them, either in the home or, if they could afford one, by a tailor. Ready-made clothing was limited to simple workwear, such as what was worn by sailors or miners.

Tailoring shop, 1780: Image
In this older method, a tailor would measure you, sometimes using a string (before the invention of tailor's tape). Then they'd use those measurements to draft a pattern, cut the cloth, and produce a garment. This process is called bespoke. Image
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Read 20 tweets
Jul 11
As I've stated many times, suit jackets and sport coats are made from many layers of material, including haircloth, canvas, and padding. These layers give the garment its structure so it doesn't fall on you like a t-shirt or dress shirt. Image
For the chest and lapels, these layers can be attached to each other using a single-needle roll-padding machine, such as you see here. This is what you'll typically see on factory-made suits (this is a Strobel KA-ED machine). Happens both on the low- and high-end.
Read 7 tweets
Jul 8
I found this reply interesting ("Can those foreign companies open shop in the US?")

I don't think Japanese or South Korean menswear can be made in the US. At least, not without losing something. Let's explore why. 🧵 Image
I should state at the outset that no thread will do Japanese or South Korean fashion justice because these countries are fashion powerhouses. Japan alone covers everything from Yohji Yamamoto to And Wander to WTAPS.

It's Impossible to generalize, but we can discuss aspects. Image
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Let's set the stage: Trump announced that he wants to tax Japanese and South Korean goods 25% starting August 1st. That means if you're a menswear shop in the US importing $1,000 worth of clothes made in Japan or South Korea, you owe the US government $250. Image
Read 24 tweets
Jul 4
This ended up raising $5,000 for @feederofcats, so here's a thread on whether President Zelenskyy wore a suit. 🧵
Ahead of the NATO summit last month, President Zelenskyy arrived at the Paleis Huis ten Bosch wearing this outfit: a black jacket with matching black pants and a black shirt. Many debated whether this qualifies as a suit, as there's a $50M bet on it at Polymarket. Image
To understand the suit, we must place it in history.

During the Regency period (early 1800s), British men in high positions wore a long fitted garment known as the frock coat, which had a waist seam and full skirt. These garments were often quite colorful and expressive! Image
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Read 19 tweets
Jul 1
Any time I talk about a wealthy person's outfit, someone in the comments is quick to reply: "They're rich, you think they care?" No one has to care about my opinions or clothes, regardless of net worth.

But let's talk about the connection between wealth and aesthetics 🧵 Image
About a year ago, Tucker Carlson told Chris Cuomo that "postmodern architecture" is intentionally designed to deaden the spirit. The clip was widely circulated online by people such as Benny Johnson, who seemingly agreed.
Postmodern architecture was actually a very brief movement that emerged in the 1960s as a counter-reaction to modernism's austerity and uniformity. Examples of postmodernism include Michael Graves's Portland Building and Guild House. Also Phillip Johnson's PPG Place. Image
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Read 17 tweets

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