Yes! Once you have a personal identity it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing cowboy clothes, cottagecore, 90s minimalism, your identity bleeds through (in research, styling, etc). It’s intentional self expression, it’s not purchasable
Fashion started becoming fun when I realized I could wear my ugly Nikes in a Prada sport way and my $20 army navy bomber in a Yeezy way 🤟 people potentially not getting it is part of the fun
"they capitalize on the fact that people want the status associated with expensive things that are identifiable" i'm so glad you're shedding light on this topic in an age where we confine ourselves to the "aesthetic" we identify with
i’m not sure if this even remotely touches on what you mean, but this sorta reminded me of how when i was young i’d find fashion inspiration from diff media i consumed. i’d watch a movie and ten seconds later i’d be taking all of my clothes from my closet to figure out how to recreate that feeling/vibe. i’m sure if i had any photographs of that time i’d prob cringe, but i can’t forget how fun and rewarding it was even though i’m sure i looked like a fool to the rest of my family lol. it was like i was creating that world for myself through reimagining the clothes i already had :)
Omg ur comments about the in group thing opened something up for me cos I’ve seen multiple tik toks where it’s like “when u walk past the cool alt kids on campus but u dressed boring today” and it was like being upset that u hadn’t worn ur cool “alt” outfit which is kinda interesting cos it’s both this person trying to signal they are part of a cool in group safety in numbers thing but also they’re trying to be “alt” which is interesting because “alternative” subculture has usually been meant to be a way of separating yourself from like the mainstream and being like more authentically urself but to see a kind of trend based on dressing “alternative” in order to signal that ur “one of them” is just interesting that it’s less about being urself and more about being part of a group.
I feel kind of called out by this. I usually dress in a way that would be considered very queer (hard to describe what it is exactly, but on any given day I might dress like a part-Edwardian woman part-Disney villain, that or a gay Italian businessman on his day off), but last night I walked into a bakery after work in a hoodie and jeans because I'd been too tired that day to put thought into what I was wearing, and there were a bunch of very openly queer people in there when I walked in and I was like "oh shit I missed my opportunity to communicate to people who'd pick up on it that I'm not straight or cis." I guess as a nonbinary person part of me really craves to have people see me as what I am without having to verbally explain it, and a sense of loss is felt when I fail to step up to that kind of opportunity
@@lifeontheledgerlines8394 that’s fair lol but that seems like u just felt like u missed an opportunity to make a friend and being queer signalling to a community feels more important and is inherently more alternative than just trying to be part of a “cool” group cos queer groups are inherently subversive
@@tf6026 I think you're right, I did feel like there was some kind of difference but I couldn't pin down exactly what (probably bc idk all that much abt alt style tbh) but that articulates it pretty well!
YES EXACTLY!! esp the marni example omgggg i try to explain this complex quasi-nuance relationship major society has to physical clothes re: clothing signaling (status, community, culture, etc) and (the step further) personal significance ideology driven consumption of fashion!! i always meet these “fashion lovers” where their rship to fashion starts and stops at what is and isn’t current only to go on and sneer at others who they consider tasteless/basic so to be revered and praised as cool online or w/e lol but what grinds my gears is when i try to hold convos w them re the wonderful world of fashion that we both clearly share, and 9 times out of 10 they have zerrrrro theoretic/conceptual understanding of fashion let’s say from even a socio-anthropological perspective overall. ironically it feels as though they may only truly adore trends and labels almost as if the clothes just exist in a vacuum w no worldly influence at all?! which just isn’t true😭 like i too feel like a pretentious prick when i ask “what does ___ mean to you?” bc the thing is i’m not trying to gatekeep i’m just genuinely interested in their own personal connection/philosophies to it besides seeing it being recently referenced by/worn on a celeb and regardless of whether i myself share alignment w their viewpoints. Even more ironically, i feel the ppl who proclaim to NOT be interested in fashion at all perform your entire (sustainability/personal value) thesis the best or more consistently w/o even realizing their positive impact on the fashion industry as a whole and they more times than not have some semblance of having a real connection to their clothing (and it’s significance to them) beyond simply wanting to look Cool™️ and identifiable to others. i personally love it bc whether it’s “outdated” or simply not the normal trendy/conventional style you cannot deny that there’s personhood in their choice attire and they can almost always critically explain to you why they got what they got on w no mention of algorithms helping to shape their style! anyways as always, great vid rian! i always loveeee keeping up w your input on fashion from a critically thought lens and how you challenge others to do the same and break the algorithmic echo chambers!
I can relate to the feeling of purchasing for signaling and FOMO, it's such an addicting feeling but ultimately results in a loss of identity and mindless consumption. The most I've ever felt connected and content with my wardrobe was when I was in high school before I had money to spend and most of my clothes consisted of thrift pieces and hand-me-downs that I cherished and fashioned in ways that were actually meaningful to me.
watching this while modding a thrifted jacket I love . i don't have the budget for designer but punking out old workwear with patches and dental floss and camp transmasculinism (bandolier of testosterone vials , MEN sign pulled off an outhouse) feels good and authentic and is as much of a signal to the people I want to see me as I can make
A few days ago I told someone I wanted an aesthetic, and was told I don't have one. The aesthetic is ME. And it easily registered as a TOP TIER compliment.
you're an absolute breath of fresh air. I've been following you loosely across various platforms for a decade + and I think you're one of the most important, eloquent, poignant voices on fashion & style. You're a force and I hope you continue opening up these conversations, sharing your thoughts, making the art you feel moved to make. big big love
Many many synapses connected here. I watched your videos many years ago bc I just felt like I related to you a lot, and now in my late 20’s, I’m getting more into fashion, art, technology and your channel is hitting so much harder
also getting into the creativity of fashion like you said !! stretch the bounds of what is already known !! be obnoxiously you!!! let it be a catalyst for your wild dreams !!! feed me escapism !!!!!! tell a story !! yes
I’m currently binging your videos and they are SO good. Really feel like you are speaking right to me…. Sorting low to high on designer websites… wow that hit me (I’ve done it on yoox which I think is even worse lol) 😅 I’m on a shopping ban and I really needed to hear all this. I need to interrupt this need to constantly signal! So true!
yessss less shame and feeling frumpy bc i cant buy any ole designer's expensive items // more playfulness and embodiment of those specific, ideologically aligned designers' ideals!! thank u for ur videos and ur mind, happy belated!
truly appreciate your videos and the way you stand your ground no matter how much ppl on “that website” try to eat you up for your views. you’re basically telling people to move with intention and think thoroughly about what and why they do the things they do but on that platform it’s all about “discourse” that never comes to a solution. pls keep posting, your point of view is so necessary.
I usually love playing your videos before I go to bed, but my brain starts working so much that I realise you've given me an ecstatic revelation then I cannot sleep. Unfortunately I will not be watching these before I go to bed starting January 2023. love ur essays rian, your discussions really bring up the importance of personhood and bouchardian relational aesthetics and historicism extending to our communication to others and ourselves through fabric. there's a rlly good textiles book that reminds me a muchly about these threads you're weaving combining philosophy and reflection.
Really loving these long videos you've been putting out lately! I've been following you for years and you're one of the very few creators that always makes me think about things in a new light esp in a world where it increasingly feels like people are just regurgitating the same few ideas over and over your perspective on things is so refreshing. Happy belated birthday! (Sidenote the part where you talked about fun food made me laugh because I've become slightly obsessed with finding obscure pasta shapes lol I bought halloween shaped pasta today)
even away from brands this is such a good way to just further know and learn about your most authentic expression. How to tap into your individuality, ethics, morals, philosophy and honour that through clothing/art recognising and accepting how possibly unconventional/abstract the result may be.
!!!! im finally at a place where i feel very rooted in my style and then finding a brand that fits it then researching/following their work brings me so many endorphins!! i've recently been obsessed with shiny by nature and was so impressed by its sizing & colour choices (vibrant and made to fit fat folks more comfortably) esp after buying a couple pieces (and tailoring them to fit me best) and learning abt it has been so fun like i just learned that the girl in charge of it doesnt even make a profit? she's simply making it sustainably to pay workers & give fat bright colours loving bitches like me the clothes ive dreamed of like!! it's just so exciting to see brands who genuinely care abt the ppl who wear/buy their clothes that makes me so happy
also this video is inspiring me to dig deeper into other brands & designers!! i was obsessed with ashish a few years back & now i'll def look more into him now
This resonated w me so much. It just reminded me that you don’t necessarily have to have an artist/designers logo plastered on your clothes in order to show you appreciate their work. It goes the same way w artists you enjoy and not necessarily having to wear their merch to show you really like their music.
I really appreciated the message of this video and it was very unique. I feel like my brain gained something from this and it had substance. You articulated what being thoughtful and expressive in your fashion actually means as opposed to just being "Sustainable" and picking things you like but picking things because of the message it sends about yourself or how you feel about the world -and I think that's beautiful. Thank you for sharing~
thank you for affirming what ive been realising lately - I was on the hunt for a leather jacket for months because I thought I needed one cause everyone says its a 'fall staple' but every single one I tried on I hated lol, definitely just for the hype and I feel so much happier letting go of that supposed need! always love your videos, literally you could talk about sliced bread for an hour and I would listen :)))
I think about this often as well, I wasted so much money on stupid clothes/accessories years ago which could have been saved or better utilized 😐 I’m more selective going forward but I still love to learn and get inspiration from brands, history, etc
omg first off happy belated bday!!!!! i hope you had (or are having) fun! also ty for recommending fashion-ology, it was a such a good read!! you worded this so well! i’ve had this realization moe and more through the years and like. i thought i was pretentious when i was younger; id get into these brands like undercover and yohji and just do hours upon hours of research (ty adhd) but have so little money that i would only be able to get maybe one or two things from them per year if i saved up. however the love of it went beyond aesthetics, each season would bring very interesting narratives and stories and would inspire me even more! yet being on fashion communities online id see these people drop thousands of dollars on designers that they barely liked! like i talked to this one guy that would buy new season runway yohji, to which i got excited over, but when i talked to him, he barely knew anything about yohji, and he even admitted that buying the clothes was more to signal to others that he was into yohji (and signal that he was deeper into the levels of fashion obscurity). i think that seeing the rise of “archive fashion” on social media further connected conspicuous consumption to the realm of niche designers that I didn’t really notice before. because i’d notice people clamoring over specific, recognizable items that would easily signal connection to the niche designer than like… more obscure stuff that, with a trained eye, can also be recognized to the same designer + their message. a few days ago i got this sense of dissonance after seeing a bunch of the ramone rick bros being like “omg cringe why is rick owens putting urinal on a tank top thats so weird and gross” but to anyone that watched buttmuscle or has seen ricks constant theme of homoeroticism it makes so much sense! i used to attribute my anger/confusion over like. people being only minimally into these designers as something of pretentiousness (something that i worked on ever since ur conspic. consumption vid!) but now that i think about it, why does it make sense for people to drop racks on new runway yohji and raf to only signal coolness to a bunch of losers on discord servers! ive been thinking about this since you brought this up and ive been recontextualizing peoples attitudes towards clothing and like… wow it’s even more bizarre to me
sorry for the word vomit but this video phrased these passing thoughts ive had perfectly and im so glad that like. i can easily just share this video to people instead of talking incomprehensibly about this so thank you for this!!! also i finally downloaded tiktok after avoiding it for years cuz you linked one of ur tiktoks on twitter and i was like wow theres a treasure trove of great rian-alyses on here and ive been missing out.
I commented too early, I have more to say. I totally agree with what you said about not having to actually buy the brands that you love. Learning abuot the brand, the technology, the advancement, the play, the ethos, the fun etc is the thing about fashion that I personally love. Lord knows I cant afford the brands that I love, but when they come up on ebay or wherever, I grab them that way IF AT ALL. Supporting a brand is far more than just buying from them. Conspicuous consumption hasd value, but so does inconspicuous or just buying off season to keep the life to clothes from brands you love. Esp I often try to find clothes from brands that have closed or reduced their size because I dont want them to go unloved by someone that doesnt want them anymore. ALSO, I ADORE making several garments into one just like you, love the deconstruction aesthetic, all of it. I feel like we share so many opinions tbh
I just discovered your channel through this video and I couldn’t be more thankful to come across you. You really taught me so much in this video and I can’t express how much I appreciate this. Thank you so much and I look forward to checking out your other content :)
thank you again for another thought-provoking video, really happy with how much depth you've added to the way I view and live through fashion, appreciate you
Beautifully articulated! Understanding our clothing, and the many motivating factors (i.e. personal circumstances leading to you wearing the garment, designer's intent, environment, history) that brought them into our wardrobes and onto our bodies can provide us with a fortified sense of personal security, mental enrichment and comfort. I believe this base level of curiosity is really important and can be applied to anything (living creatures, rocks, other material items or technologies) that is a part of our daily life. Also similarly connect with Issey's work bc of how fun it feels! In another life I would've loved to have found a way to work as a part of his design team :,)))))
hi rian- just for reference, i drew a simple portrait of you (that said 'multiplicity') and posted it to instagram or tumblr in like 2017. i still appreciate your content. love what you're saying- this makes me think about things like minimalism and utilitarianism. and what are philosophies that challenges us to see the abundance and dynamism in our daily lives, rather than succumbing to- or essentializing- our lives to just the material. keep it up.
The way you’re able to put words into my momentaneous thoughts I have is so sincere and well-put 🔥 You have helped me understand why I love Rick Owens when I’m consistently engaging in bodybuilding. IMO Rick as a designer focuses on playfully showing some skin and masculine aspects in elegant ways. Haven’t been in the gym in a month, so my outfits are mostly roomy vibes with clothes from Supreme, Raf and some Kapital pieces. But soon as my work chills out, I’m back in the gym and showing off my gains via Rick 💪🏼
There is a general lack of identity in American society. This might come from the fast-paced life of being American. There are lots of distraction , information overload. We live in a society that is lacking values. The values we do have are about getting head , capitalizing, the "american dream". That's why people just buy hot brands, its a rat race, its a trend cycle. The thing is there is no shortcut in developing a value system, maybe religion. What's the saying when in Roman do as the Roman's do, when in a society that capitalizes off people , you should be a Capitalist.
i love that you made these. two videos!!! these are things i been thinking about a lot and i'm grateful for you contextualizing these ideas and methods. i ben struggling so much with clothes bc i dont relate to what i have and also don't have the money to buy what i want so i've been trying to thrift things that align with the ethos that i'm interested in. i didn't necessarily put that practice into words until you said it out loud!!! so ty ily
thank you for making such insightful and thoughtful content, your videos have really been making me think more abt the ways i choose to express myself thru clothes. also thanks for talking about d'heygere, this was how i found out about them and i am so enamored with what they're doing
This was very insightful! I dont spend mch on clothes bc i sort of just ruffle theough what i already have, and what i feel like wearing at the time (if ita cold, sweater, if its hot, tshirt). You've made me want to consider incorporating fun and personality into my style.
libra parent ily !!!! where I live , in the early-mid 2010s, north face puffers, Cartier buffs, Jordans-- even nyx butter glosses-- were such a status of symbol it didn't even feel like bullying just scorn. and as a neurodivergent lower middle class kid, If I even went to the mall and came back with some socks from pacsun it would be a big thing because oh my friends also shop there. *cringe* but now that I am in my very early 20s and free from a lot of influence and pressure that I faced, I feel free to find sacredness in things I like because I like them. I can indulge in my curiosities in a way I was not able to.
Because of your tiktok, I’ve been reflecting a lot about my personal style and I’ve come to the conclusion that the three words that best embody it are “androgynous, structured & playful.” When I think of designers I admire, I’ve always been partial to Thom Browne because my sense of style is very much aligned with his own design philosophy of perfectly constructed, maximal tailoring, shrunken proportions, humorous and whimsical yet utilitarian design, while blurring the lines of men’s and women’s wear. I don’t own a single Thom Browne piece (yet!) but I technically don’t need to because it’s easily achievable to interpret the codes of his house with my thrifted wardrobe.
I really love your videos fr , I’m from the Bronx and actually moving back , I’m a peaceful individual but I know that in certain parts of the Bronx its alil dicey, being from the Bronx I know this. So I’ve decided to wear all black just to blend in to be seen and not seen and really just to avoid ppl unless I want to interact with them. I read in an interview that yohji yamamoto said wearing black implies I don’t bother you & and you don’t bother me . I almost need that aura because it so powerful and attractive but not necessarily inviting. I also like the ethos of awake NY and how they help the communities that their from and that they give back But I won’t be buying anything awake Ny unless it’s black at the moment & and I won’t necessarily be buying yohji due to price rite now and that’s ok , like you said it can still be appreciated and honestly give you an opportunity to pace your learning because money is the exchange of energy and when you think deeply about it all of our purchases play a tremendous role in our future , I wish all consumers in every industry would look beyond the surface including myself , there would be so many audits and people would have to speak their naked truth about how they feel about unfettered capitalism . Everyone trully dose have the power to look beyond the veil of the fashion industry Peace , love & tranquility 🙌🏿🤙🏿
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I just came from the trend video and I saw the fashion dedicated videos are newer for your channel, but I absolutely loved this one as much as the last, I like to think that people buy into clothes that express their personal values, as you explain with Yohji, but also, I feel like there are a lot of very wealthy people that have no idea who they are wearing, but their stylist puts them in it to make them look cool. Like, for example, Solange Knowles is heavy in on fashion, she knew Marine Serre and Telfar very very early on and THEN Beyonce wore it. She follows her sister's good taste, but I don't think she would know those brands if she wasnt introduced to them, probably just because she is so busy (obvs no shade to Beyonce), so I think there are equally busy people that want that information, they want to know the cool brands, but just dont have the time or whatever to do the stupid amount of research it needs to know them. Anyway, I hope you continue to make more like this
I have been looking for your channels for yearsssssssssssssssss, me and my sister used to call you rain back in the day so I could never find you! Here you are, and such a great video to come back too!!!!!
very thoughtful. you're so passionate, and well spoken. this was a pleasure to watch, and, to be honest, reassured me about being a little "basic". thanks. :)
im into these french girl/bella swan/effortless chic vibes clothing wise and style wise, and in my head these minimal looks are suuuuch a slay but im not sure it reads across that way to everyone lol
omg d'heygere... i think about the pocket belt on their site all the time like yes... it's a pocket... me when i carry a bag: it's my pocket my bag is pants.
What about what comes with the figures? John Gallicanism has been the creAtive director of margiela for a while but has his own history of controversy, does this affect how we feel about brands?