Menswear Diary: A curated box of clothing or a curated line of thinking?
Stitch Fix vs Permanent Style, Curated clothing in a box or Curated information about clothing so you can create your own box. Is this about buyer personas, or simply a business trend with a time limit? via www.savileroh.com
Menswear has joined this notion of a curated package per month. An idea that is brilliant when applied to my razor blades for shaving or my deodorant and cologne.
I believe it was Dollar Shave Club that really blew the door open for this. They were addressing a very real problem regarding men and shaving. Why are razors $20 bucks, tucked away with lock and key in stores, ranging from Walgreens to Safeway to your local drugstore?
Going every month to get my razors, deodorant, and general commodities that reside in my bathroom is a chore for me, and I can confidently say it is for other men (and women) as well. My girlfriend uses my razors because I never have a dull razor thanks to Dollar Shave Club.
But when are we crossing the line?
I think the line is crossed with these curated boxes, with ensembles picked by someone else. Some person, unknown to you, digitally dubbed your “personal shopper”. Some lad or gal that picks ensembles that he or she likes and then pushes it onto some poor chap that believes he has no time to buy his own clothes. All the while, credit card on file, billed monthly.
Dear reader, I’m here to tell you that you do have time to spend buying clothes. Your significant other goes shopping, and I’d encourage you to join her, rather than looking at the ESPN app or having a smoke outside. She will enjoy you more, and you will (start to)understand how to dress by yourself. You will start to get over the fear of picking out a piece that you like. This will help you in life, when you are discerning what to buy, and will, in time, evolve and create your own, unique style, that is out of the box, as opposed to in one.
The biggest culprit is hands down Stitch Fix. They’ve gone public, and I’ll be watching closely to see how they do. And until they make some kind of change, I will not change my stance. Look at the complaints on Glassdoors. Even these ‘personal shoppers’ are limited to just a few selections.
Fundamentally, it is disheartening that some people are this lazy regarding their wardrobe.
You might as well have your ‘mum’ go shopping for you. Tell her you are going on a date, and if she is anything like my mom, she will find loads of clothes that she knows will look good on her son, all the while finding discounts and sale racks. I’m willing to bet that this ensemble will beat these subscriptions boxes, in both price and style.
Instead of having to admit to your fellas and girlfriend that your mom still buys your clothes, you can say or not say, that you are a subscriber of StitchFix.
As an aside, the name is just two words smooshed together. What stitch needs to be fixed? I’m teasing, a little. And maybe going to say, Suit Supply or your local tailor and buying pieces of an ensemble to eventually build your custom wardrobe isn’t for everyone. Or perhaps, this box can be a starting line for men who don’t know where to begin their own sartorial ambience. Maybe they subscribe for 3 months and then unsubscribe. That would be a fair middle ground if I’m being generous.
Still, I will always try and steer you towards learning it on your own. You will love your clothes more because you chose them. Because you know the story and the fabric and the pattern. Or because you bought a particular jacket or pocket square on a memorable evening downtown with the love of your life or your old college friends. You will love it more because fundamentally, through and through, it is YOURS.
As much as I try to understand this ‘new’ way of buying clothes, I am still struggling. I very much equate it to a fast-food joint and scarfing a burger down your gullet. “Just eat it”, with the wrappers fluttering around in your car, coffee spilling on the leather.
Or how about going to a pristine cocktail bar and ordering a bud light. In my humble opinion, this is no way to live life. In elegance anyway. If you don’t care about elegance, then you are likely not reading this article, trying to find elegance, or I’ve picked at a nerve of someone who actually subscribes to Stitchfix.
Try thinking of it this way. You can read a few books and formulate your own opinion. A deeper opinion because it is real and yours. Or you can just grab the opinion of someone else, and quote them. They effectively serve the purpose, to some degree. But then I guess there are two types of people. One who is curious, and the other who wants to sound smart.
One thing is certain. This trend shows that people are trying to dress well, and that is a good thing no matter how you spin it.
I like to read the sartorial guide books by Simon Crompton, Tom Ford, and luminaries in menswear that talk about clothes and wear them, the same way the cook of a 5-star restaurant thinks and makes his cuisine. I like to formulate ideas of an ensemble, using information, and then go out and find that piece at an affordable dollar point.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was my wardrobe. It will take time, and don’t the best things in life take thought, time and inquiry?
You cannot outsource every piece of your life, can you?
You can, however, go to the Permanent Style website, my website, or listen to the HandCut Radio podcast on your daily commute and start to derive insights and understanding into clothing, which will prepare you to make an informed decision to buy a blazer that will last you a generation or two. Knowing what Harris Tweed is. Knowing what merino wool feels like on your skin. Knowing what colours go well with others. Or having the guts to just put something together and wear it because your gut instinct is telling you something you cannot express with words alone.
“Cashmere feels good. Fur feels good. Sex feels good Drinking feels good. Having fun feels good. Fashion is a luxury just like steak or caviar or champagne. It sounds frivolous, but within our world, enjoying life and feeling good about yourself, looking down at your feet and getting a little rush of excitement because your shoes look fabulous, on some level becomes important. It adds something to your life. That is the power of fashion”
Tom Ford
I remember when I would see StitchFix ads on my Instagram feed. I no longer see them because they seem to have pivoted to a predominantly female audience. Maybe the answer lies there.
I expect this one to be a debate starter, whether it is a sartorial one or a fundamentally business one.
Please share your thoughts or send me an email at roh@savileroh.com with your thoughts. I will be touching upon this subject in my upcoming podcast so stay tuned!
Till then, stay classy friends.
