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derek guy Profile picture
derek guy
@dieworkwear
Menswear writer. Editor at @putthison. Creator of @RLGoesHard. Bylines at The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, Esquire, and Mr. Porter
183 subscribers
Jan 18 • 20 tweets • 9 min read
I often get some version of this question: "You often show outfits with a lot of layers, but what can I wear if I run warm?" Here is my answer to this question. 🧵 Image First, why is layering useful, aside from potentially protecting you from the elements (e.g., rain, snow, cold, etc)? The main reason is because a lot of outfits look pretty plain without some finishing layer. Most people nowadays wear jeans, chinos, button-ups, and t-shirts. Image
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Jan 17 • 25 tweets • 11 min read
I think a lot of people lack a sense of aesthetics when it comes to dress. Their sense of aesthetics is limited to fitness, so they get offended when you say that a fit body doesn't automatically make for a good outfit. Let's unpack this. 🧵 Why doesn't a fit body automatically make for a good outfit? Well, the first reason is that most people shop ready-to-wear, which means they rely on designers to provide them clothes. These designers create clothes for a target demographic.
Jan 17 • 16 tweets • 9 min read
I disagree. This outfit is terrible and I will show you better ways to wear a polo. 🧵 Image It's hard to look good in a polo for all of the same reasons it's hard to look good in just a button-up dress shirt or a t-shirt. The garment typically has no silhouette. Polos are relatively simple garments with straight seams and a short placket. Image
Jan 11 • 19 tweets • 13 min read
Two terrible takes. The second somehow worse than the first. 🧵 Image Wool and down are just materials, like linen or cotton. They can be used to make anything. Down doesn't have to be a Canada Goose parka. It can be something like a Rocky Mountain Featherbed vest or a Nigel Cabourn Everest parka. Image
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Jan 7 • 18 tweets • 8 min read
It's a lot easier to understand fashion/ clothing if you think of it in terms of social language, not purely in terms of function or artistic expression. I will give you some examples. 🧵 Have you ever wondered why there's this buttonhole on a jacket's lapel? Or really, suit jackets and sport coats have lapels at all? The lapels seemingly serve no practical function and yet take a bit of fabric and skill to make.

The answer is in the garment's history. Image
Jan 6 • 16 tweets • 8 min read
Some quick reactions to the menswear outfits seen tonight at the Golden Globes show. Please note that none of these comments are personal. I'm just reacting to the outfits. 🧵 Image IMO, Daniel Craig's outfit has too much velvet. Compare him to Hiroyuki Senada, who wears a similar outfit but ditches the vest. I think this improves the look, as black velvet can suck up a lot of light. The white shirt here provides some needed contrast. Image
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Jan 5 • 20 tweets • 13 min read
I said "one of the most," not "the most." But I'm happy to explain why Kapital has been *one of the most* creative, fun, and interesting menswear brands in the last twenty years. Hopefully this thread inspires you to explore the world of offbeat Japanese workwear. 🧵 In 1985, Toshikiyo Hirata built a clothing factory in Kojima District, Okayama, an area known as Japan's denim capital (hence the brand's name). He had just spent time in the US, where he fell in love with vintage jeans, so he wanted to make American workwear using Japanese craft Image
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Jan 2 • 16 tweets • 8 min read
There are a few reasons for this. 🧵 The first and most obvious is that taste is a social construct shaped by forces such as cultural and financial capital. As Pierre Bourdieu pointed out in his book Distinction, our notions of "Good Taste" is often nothing more than the preferences and habits of the ruling class. Image
Dec 31, 2024 • 19 tweets • 8 min read
Like a lot of stuff in classic men's dress, the rule of "no white after Labor Day" is rooted in class dynamics during the early 20th century. Many questions can be answered by "what is the aesthetic?" and "who set the rules?" 🧵 During the early 20th century, men's dress was governed by TPO (time, place, and occasion). In England, where we get many of our rules, men did business in London while wearing navy suits and black oxfords. But when in the country, they wore brown tweeds and grained derbies. Image
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Dec 29, 2024 • 25 tweets • 17 min read
When people think of menswear crafted with a high-degree of workmanship, they think of places such as France, Italy, and the UK. Some may think of Japan. But few will think of India, even though some of the most incredible workmanship is happening there now. Let me show you. 🧵 Image This thread starts with a premise: quality workmanship speaks for itself regardless of where it's done. Often, people's view of "quality" is colored by where a garment was made. Robert Schooler showed this in a 1965 paper published in Journal of Marketing Research. Image
Dec 27, 2024 • 23 tweets • 14 min read
I would be happy to.

Here are some well-dressed Indians. 🧵 The first person who comes to mind is Yashwant Rao Holkar II (full name Maharajadhiraj Raj Rajeshwar Sawai Shri Sir Yeshwant Rao II Holkar XIV Bahadur), who was the Maharaja of Indore. He occasionally wore beautiful garb that I can only assume is traditional to Indian culture. Image
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Dec 27, 2024 • 21 tweets • 15 min read
I understand the sentiment, but respectfully disagree. I don't think dress codes do much to improve aesthetics, largely because they don't change what has caused a decline in aesthetics. It is not about lack of personal pride but rather shifts in our commercial system. 🧵 First, I should say at the outset that I don't think dress reflects someone's deeper, more important qualities. Coaches will not coach better if they wear a suit. So for me, this is fundamentally just about aesthetics.

Let's review some coach outfits through the years.
Dec 23, 2024 • 21 tweets • 10 min read
Have you ever felt a film scene was particularly memorable or beautiful? To be sure, much of this is about cinematography and acting, but I want to show how outfits also contribute to this impression. Hopefully, this thread will give you some ideas on how to dress better. 🧵 Fit and silhouette are the two most important qualities of any outfit. Even when Vittorio De Sica portrayed this poor family searching for a stolen bike in post-war Italy, the dad looked great bc the coat broadened his shoulders and flowed over his hips. The son also wore layers.
Dec 19, 2024 • 25 tweets • 14 min read
The New York Times, a publication I've worked for and love, recently published a guide on the best men's jeans. Included are $300 APCs and $50 stretch jeans from two different brands. I have a different view on how to find the perfect pair of jeans. So here's a thread. 🧵 Image
Image I should start by saying that while I use the Wirecutter for all sorts of things, I don't think their format works very well for clothes. That's bc clothes are not like appliances or gadgets; they don't make for easy comparison. Matters of fit, silhouette, and taste are critical. Image
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Dec 19, 2024 • 11 tweets • 6 min read
IMO, single breasted peak lapel is often a bad idea. I'll show you why. 🧵 A peak lapel looks totally natural on a double breasted jacket because you get these long, sweeping lines that cross over the body in an armorial way. In fact, if you get a double-breasted, the lapel should only ever be peak or shawl—never notch. Image
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Dec 18, 2024 • 19 tweets • 9 min read
This is not true. The average person today has access to much higher-quality goods. I will show this with your first example: shoes. 🧵 It's true that prior to the industrial revolution, everyone wore "handmade shoes." This is true by definition because shoes were not yet put through an industrial production process. But you mistake quality with "handmade." In fact, there were two types of shoemakers. Image
Dec 17, 2024 • 18 tweets • 9 min read
I don't know if fragrances can smell gay. But just as certain shapes and colors can be coded in terms of gender, so can certain smells. And some of the best scents are non-binary. Let's explore some together. 🧵 By "gendered," I don't mean these scents are inherently gendered. Anyone can wear anything and our gender codes can change depending on context. For instance, Knize 10 comes from one of the best bespoke tailoring shops in Vienna. It's a very "masculine" leather scent. Image
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Dec 16, 2024 • 13 tweets • 5 min read
Many people have a very narrow view of fragrances, while not recognizing that scents are used in nearly everything—soap, lotions, shampoos, toothpaste, etc. They assume that fragrances have to smell powerful and heavy. This is not true. 🧵 Take, for instance, ISO E Super, which is synthetic aroma-chemical common in soap and detergents. It's a warm, slightly woody scent. By itself, it's almost undetectable unless you literally press your nose up to the object.
Dec 14, 2024 • 17 tweets • 9 min read
Happy to explain what are those. 🧵 As with all of my suggestions, my recommendations only apply if we agree on a premise. For tailoring, my premise is that men looked better in tailored clothing sometime between the 1930s and 80s than they do today. For instance, which do you think looks better? Image
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Dec 13, 2024 • 17 tweets • 9 min read
It's very easy to dress in black tie and the holiday season is the perfect time to do so. You can wear black tie to the opera (e.g., opening night for Nutcracker) or a New Year's Eve party. All you need to do is avoid a few simple mistakes. 🧵 Fortunately, this photo shows every single common mistake today in black tie. So we can move through the image in order. Image
Dec 12, 2024 • 18 tweets • 8 min read
Contrary to popular belief, a tailor isn't someone that can make you whatever you want. The best way to treat a tailor is to "let them cook." I will show you some examples. 🧵 Every tailor has their own way of making things, which they've perfected through many years of doing the same thing over and over again. They'll have a certain way of drafting the pattern, creating shoulder pads, and stitching the chest.