https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1763496406801928313
This outfit demonstrates a pretty common problem with a lot of casualwear outfits.
I was watching this CNN interview and noticed something: these oversized eyewear frames have an arrowhead pin at the temple and exposed metal hardware at the arms.
Those three elements oversized style with chunky acetate, arrowhead pin, and exposed hardware at the arms are signature details of Jacques Marie Mage, a hot designer line that charges anywhere from $800 to $1,500 for a pair of eyewear frames.
The line has become super popular in recent years because it bucks against the geek chic aesthetic that dominates a lot of eyewear designs (think: Warby Parker). JMM Is intentionally oversized and chunky. It draws from Native American design elements and some 70s sleaze.
What often happens with these very expensive lines is that some guy with a bit of money to spend will say he wants “the best.” So he buys the most expensive because he thinks it’s “THE BEST.” But fashion is about more than build quality it’s about aesthetics.
To put together not only a good outfit but a good wardrobe, you need to figure out how different design languages fit together like puzzle pieces. An oxford cloth button-down shirt (Ivy Style) worn with no jacket (90s business casual) does not go with oversized sleazy frames.
An oxford cloth button-down shirt needs to be worn with things like tweed sport coats and Ray Bans (or JMM’s more subdued frames, such as their Mollino, which is like Ray Ban Wayfarers with some sauce). This fits with a sort of 50s/ 60s Ivy Americana design language.
Anything more oversized needs something with a bit of oomph both in terms of visual weight and swagger. We’re talking paisley or leopard print shirts, giant lapels, and high-rise trousers. Very 70s vibe.
If you do casualwear, it can be something sleazy like Wrangler Wranchers with a leather sport coat (think Henry Hill in Goodfellas). Or something with similar oversized proportions, like an extra chunky beanie and giant round bomber. This brings everything into balance.
A real problem with a lot of casualwear nowadays is that you have to be conversant in so many different design languages: workwear, prep, avant-garde, etc. 1960s Mod styles, 70s sleaze, 80s Armani, 90s minimalism, etc.
Knowing this stuff can help you shop better, so you’re not buying $850 eyewear frames and wearing them with business casual. IMO, this outfit doesn’t make any sense and it looks out of place. The guest should have just worn a suit or sport coat.
Instead of buying random, expensive things that catch your eye, or reducing everything into some simplified idea about “quality,” think of design languages, cultural history, and how to put together outfits that signal what you’re trying to signal.
