derek guy Profile picture
Menswear writer. Editor at @putthison. Creator of @RLGoesHard. Bylines at The New York Times, The Financial Times, Politico, Esquire, and Mr. Porter
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Mar 27 14 tweets 6 min read
I don't think this is exactly right. My guess is that a lot of AI art will be similar to what has happened in the clothing industry: technology speeds up production, benefitting consumers. Only enthusiasts will care if something is made by hand or not. Will give examples. 🧵 I should note this thread doesn't get into ethical issues about copying another person's work. I'm only talking about how I think it will impact the market.

As I've mentioned before, tailoring is about creating shape. For a jacket, a lot of this is done through pad stitching. Image
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Mar 26 17 tweets 7 min read
Spring has started and soon you'll see a bunch of posts like this, extolling the virtues of linen. Once people learn about linen through short, simple blurbs, they think it possess magical properties. But the truth is more complicated.

Let me tell you about linen. 🧵 Image Clothing production is often opaque, especially for consumers. If you're lucky, a brand might tell you that they use Irish or Italian linen, such these J. Crew shirts that hit shelves every summer, carrying the Baird McNutt label (also, "McNutt" is objectively funny). Image
Mar 24 14 tweets 6 min read
Do you know why luxury brands put logos all over their clothes? I'll tell you. 🧵 The most obvs reason is that luxury and streetwear have been merging for the last 20 years. Cristóbal Balenciaga was known for these incredible dresses (pic 1). But in more recent history, creative director Demna Gvasalia, who just left the company, borrows from streetwear. Image
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Mar 22 19 tweets 8 min read
People who have followed me for a while may already know the answer to this. But I will explain again why steam is ruinous for tailoring, and how you can pack a suit. 🧵 Image To understand why steam is ruinous for tailoring, you have to first understand that suits and sport coats are not like other things in your wardrobe. They are built from many layers of haircloth, canvas, and padding, and then shaped through pad stitching and ironwork. Image
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Mar 12 21 tweets 11 min read
Meghan McCain's husband blocked me, so I can't retweet (also my mom got really excited once when I told her that Meghan McCain's husband tweeted about me). But this sort of attitude is why some people will never be stylish. Let's talk about Bernie Sanders's style. 🧵 Image When most people think of Bernie Sanders, they think of images like this: a grumpy looking man with uncombed silver hair wearing a suit that looks like it might be a size too large. He looks like a fledgling that has somehow climbed into dark worsted suit. Image
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Mar 10 23 tweets 9 min read
I'm not a historian, but I don't think the United States is based on European values. I think it's about American values. I will give my view on this video through the lens of ... [drum roll] ... menswear. 🧵 In 1893, a newly minted John Hopkins graduate named Frederick Jackson Turner presented "The Frontier in American History" to an audience at the Chicago World's Fair. He argued against the Germ Theory, an idea that political habits are innate racial characteristics. Image
Mar 8 19 tweets 8 min read
Technically true, but this comment skates by a more complicated issue: how much does it cost to make something in the United States?

Let's run through a clothing example. 🧵 Image Thomas buys t-shirts from Grunt Style, a veteran-owned company that sources blanks from abroad (also, thank you for your service 🫡). These t-shirts cost $30 for a one-color print (front + two sleeves).

The t-shirt is from Honduras. Image
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Mar 4 25 tweets 17 min read
🇨🇦 CANADIAN SHOPPING GUIDE 🇨🇦

Want to support Canadian companies? Here are some Canadian businesses that sell high quality menswear. Some also carry womenswear. 🧵 Image First, some caveats. What does it mean to "buy Canadian?" Does it mean buying things made in Canada? Or just from Canadian stores, which may carry imported goods? Something made in Canada will be more expensive, so price is a consideration. You decide what level is right for you. Image
Mar 3 25 tweets 11 min read
Not true. However, to understand the difference between Scottish and Italian cashmere, you have to know a little about how sweaters are made. Image If you wanted a high-end cashmere sweater in the 1950s, you probably would have bought something made in Scotland. Dotted along the Scottish border were towns specializing in different parts of the textile and clothing trade—spinning, weaving, and, of course, knitting. Image
Mar 3 21 tweets 9 min read
It's hard to write an eBay guide because any serious coverage requires talking about the history of menswear. Which, of course, I can't adequately do on Twitter, let alone in a single thread. But I will give you some tips on how to shop for quality menswear on eBay. 🧵 As always, I *strongly* believe that you have to first develop a sense of taste. You can't just say "I want to dress nice." Nice like what? Classic tailoring? 1950s workwear? 1980s punk? 1990s streetwear? Avant-garde? Everything starts with knowing the look you want to create. Image
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Mar 2 11 tweets 4 min read
There's a very subtle difference in how these two jackets fit. Can you spot it? 🧵 When it comes to tailored jacket, 90% of how a jacket fits is about how it hangs from the shoulders. Harrison Butker's jacket (left) fits well; Josh Hawley's jacket (right) does not. It's easy to see the difference because both men are wearing patterned fabrics. Image
Feb 26 16 tweets 8 min read
Yes, I've seen this ad. It's full of bad information. The company didn't deliver good pants; they simply moved to stretch materials. This is common with a lot of tailoring nowadays. Will run through some of the points in this ad. 🧵 First, and again, I have no malice to the person in this ad or anyone in this thread. I don't know who is the person in this ad, but assume they were paid to be in this commercial. I am only addressing the information in this ad, as well as the company's work.
Feb 26 13 tweets 7 min read
After my tweet about athletes in suits, a few people asked for my opinion on various players. The opinion is always the same: the clothes are too small; the combos are often bad taste. I will show you a basic transformation in the next few tweets. 🧵 Image
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First, let's look at Lebron. Here he is in two different white double-breasted suits, both outfits worn similarly (with white sneakers).

Which outfit do you like better? Please choose before moving on. Image
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Feb 15 20 tweets 12 min read
Not true. I'll give you some examples of when styles crossed over from womenswear to menswear, and how men have worn straight-up womenswear or just feminine styles in cool ways. 🧵 We should first recognize that gender codes are socially constructed. Clothing is not inherently masculine or feminine—codes are contextual and can change over time. Aristocratic men once wore bright red heels. Then they became womenswear until that notion was challenged again. Image
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Feb 14 16 tweets 9 min read
Actually, the US government has been involved with clothing in a few ways. The results have been glorious. Let me show you. 🧵 During the early 20th century, when labor was more divided by gender, the US Dept. of Agriculture organized youth clubs orientated around developing certain skills. Chief among them were clothing clubs, which taught young girls how to cut, mend, and sew clothing. Image
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Feb 10 16 tweets 8 min read
I don't know anything about womenswear, but I've noticed that women's tailoring is typically free of the problems I commonly see on men. I had dinner with a bespoke tailor last night who explained why this may be so. A thread for those interested. 🧵 Image Disclosure: I don't know how the patterns were drafted for the clothes featured in this thread. That would make a big difference in how they should be judged. But for the purpose of this thread, I'll assume they're ready-to-wear or designer (i.e., adjusted off a block pattern). Image
Feb 8 20 tweets 12 min read
Here is a guide on how to dress like this. Image First, some basics. It's easier to dress like this if you involve some kind of activity. I suggest going out to a nice restaurant or bar. Or going to a party or an evening show. You can also dress like this just to have fun in the city (e.g., going to the museum). Image
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Feb 7 23 tweets 12 min read
It's interesting to see how gender in aesthetics is constantly a moving target. Will explain how four outfits from today's Todd Snyder FW25 show were once considered very masculine, but now may not because men perform disinterest in clothes. 🧵 The first is straightforward: single-breasted, notch lapel suit made from grey herringbone tweed. My guess is that this model is wearing a size up for styling purposes (gives him some swagger). The cut you'll try in-store will probably be a little slimmer. Image
Feb 4 18 tweets 11 min read
I can. In fact, the Canadian version is so great, I can't think of an American equivalent. 🧵 Before Europeans landed in North America, the Pacific Northwest was populated by the Coast Salish people, who had been here for thousands of years. During the 19th century, many made a living by selling woven blankets to traders. The blankets typically featured geometric designs. Image
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Feb 2 9 tweets 4 min read
If you're based in the US and shop a lot online, you may know that packages declared under $800 usually arrive without taxes. According to Reuters, in addition to the 25% Canada tariff, Trump is also canceling this de minimis tax exemption for Canadian imports. 🧵 Image This will be quite expensive for guys who are into menswear. For instance, Spier & Mackay is popular among guys who are budget-conscious but want quality tailoring. Their $400 suits will now arrive with $100 tax bill. Image
Feb 1 25 tweets 14 min read
I don't understand why this is a good tweet. It's neither true nor funny. It's just naked prejudice and ignorance.

I will tell you about the history of hoodies—and how knowing this history can help you style them. 🧵 I'm writing this thread partly bc ideas about respectability run rampant on this platform. Often see people saying things like, "Men shouldn't wear backpacks or hoodies; they're for children." When quarter zips came up, lots of people said, "Well, at least they're not hoodies." Image
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