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derek guy

@dieworkwear.bsky.social

520K followers 220 following 2.3K posts

Menswear writer. Editor at Put This On. Words at The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, Esquire, and Mr. Porter. If you have a style question, search: https://dieworkwear.com/ | https://putthison.com/start-here/

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · Aug 31

my bluesky

A dedication page to a book. The page says "To my family. Please don't read this."

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 8h

🤷

Reuters headline: Exclusive: Trump considers big 'fine' over China intellectual property theft.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 8h

These watches appear to be ripoffs of famous designs. Likely from some factory that normally produces "homage" watches and they just swapped out the branding.

Comparison of Trump watches to similar looking models from Patek Philippe

Comparison of Trump watches to similar looking models from Rolex

Comparison of Trump watches to similar looking models from Rolex and Hublot

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 12h

Yes, I'm aware. The symbol is known as a whirling log in Diné (Navajo) culture, hence Neil's username being "whirlinglog_and_arrow." I personally wouldn't wear the symbol bc of how it can be interpreted, but I'm personally not going to tell a Native American artist how to use a symbol in his culture

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 14h

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 15h

antifa in portland just announced they will be hosting a counter halftime show to counter turning point's counter halftime show

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 15h

Some things I saw recently that I think are cool (Native American jewelry edition):

— Neil Zarama. New Ralph Lauren collab coming (IG whirlinglog_and_arrow)
— Troy Oviedo (IG troyoviedo) 😮‍💨
— Falcon Trading Company (IG ftcjewelry)
— Samuel Sumpter (IG nabaahii_bizhiil_creations)

Some Ralph Lauren models wearing a Native American belt buckle and pin. Also photos of Native American repoussé pin and handmade silver rings in different styles.

Native American silver cuff bracelet, rings, and belt buckles decorated with turquoise stones.

Native American cuff bracelets and pendants, many decorated with turquoise stones.

Native American squash blossom necklaces.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

bro what 😭

A quote from a Business of Fashion interview with Yohji Yamamoto: "I am a fashion designer, so if I am thinking about a new collection, I need to imagine the models. But when I see [Donald Trump's] face, I lose all my imagination."

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

a high armhole allows for freer and more comfortable movement

Joey Mannarino in a dark brown tailored jacket. The low armhole is causing his jacket to lift.

Someone in an inflatable frog costume. The high armhole allows them to raise their arm without disturbing the rest of the garment

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

“A second inflatable frog has now been spotted wiggling through Portland.”

Marco Rubio whispers into Donald Trump's ear.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

As you shop, consider how the material will age, not just how long it will last. Will it age beautifully over time? Can you easily repair it? Will the repairs add to the item's appeal? As always, buy less, buy better, and take care of what you own. True beyond clothes

IG carolinafurniturecollective

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

Alternatively, you can shop vintage. For online vintage shopping, I like Wooden Sleepers (NY), Raggedy Threads (NY), Moth Food (NY), Front General Store (NY), Grand Street Local Vintage (NY), Velour (OR), Buttersworth Vintage (UK), Jojo's General Store (UK), and Broadway & Sons (Sweden).

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

One way to get patina is to buy high-quality clothes and wear them for a long time. Consider the material, design, and construction. Will you love wearing this for ten years? Can it be easily repaired?

See these Ship John pieces, which are meant to show their age.

IG shipjohn

Marc Maron wearing a Ship John sashiko shirt. It looks new.

An old Ship John sashiko shirt. It is heavily faded.

Two Ship John denim Western shirts. One is faded and old; the other dark blue and new.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

To be sure, I don't have a problem with fake patina. Like anything, it can be done well or poorly (although I think the shoes above don't look particularly good). But the reason why we like patina is because it adds character to an outfit.

IG jabarisandifer

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

The thing is, we know patina looks better. The allure of patina is why Pete Hegseth was drawn to these shoes, which have artificially darkened toes to imitate the look that quality footwear confers over time. This is done with a dark polish at the factory.

A close-up of his shoes. The are tan with darkened toes.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

Vintage Rolex watches were made with radium or tritium lume that aged to a soft, creamy yellow, and aluminum bezels that faded beautifully over time. Modern versions use Super-LumiNova or Chromalight lume and scratch-proof ceramic bezels, which will always look the same.

An old Rolex GMT with a faded bezel and creamy yellow plots.

A new Rolex GMT with no signs of wear or age.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

We see this same principle everywhere. In the 1950s and 60s, the US military produced their fatigues from pure cotton before switching to a 50/50 cotton-poly blend in the 1980s. The blend is cheaper, but for vintage enthusiasts, you lose the beautiful fades that came with pure cotton.

A 1960s pair of vintage US military fatigues. The material is faded.

A 1980s or 90s pair of US military fatigues. The material shows no fading.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

Full grain leather shoes made with sewn-on soles develop a patina like an old mahogany desk and can be resoled many times, extending their useful life. Corrected grain shoes with glued on soles look kind of plasticky and get worse over time. They're designed to be thrown away.

An old pair of tassel loafers made from full grain leather. They show patina.

A pair of black wingtips made from corrected grain leather. The leather is peeling.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

Corrected grain leather is a lower quality hide that has been sanded down to remove imperfections, then given a chemical coating to produce a consistent finish. It's shinier and more stain resistant, but also less breathable and less able to develop a natural patina.

A tan pair of wingtips made from corrected grain leather.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

The same is true for other areas, such as leather shoes. Prior to World War 2, most shoes were made from full grain leather, which showed the natural grain of the hide. After the war, demand for cheaper footwear meant companies started to use "corrected grain" leather.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

One can liken it to the difference between a butcher’s cut of beef and a package of bologna. The second is so heavily processed, you've lost all the character.

Worse still if the jeans contain stretch, as this reduces your ability to repair them, thus shortening their lifespan.

Some naturally faded Naked & Famous jeans made from raw denim.

Trump wearing pre-washed, pre-faded jeans.

A guy on Twitter says he's going to buy American Eagle jeans because they're not woke.

A product page shows American Eagle jeans are made from a cotton-stretch blend.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

Consumers led by cost and comfort prefer the cheaper, softer models. But here's the catch: the new stuff doesn't age very well. The older method produces a stiffer, heavier fabric that's not very comfy at first, but it softens with time and develops fades

IG sonofastag

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

Over time, new technologies developed. The projectile loom was faster and made wider fabric, allowing the mill to cut cost. Sanforization minimized shrinkage; calendaring produced a smoother, more lustrous surface; and pre-washing softened the material to win over consumers.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

Since the fabric was relatively unprocessed, it was stiff, heavy, and prone to dramatic shrinkage. This is why people in the past often cuffed their jeans. As their jeans shrank, they could adjust the bottoms so they could avoid having to wear "high waters."

An old photo of people wearing jeans. They've cuffed the hem by rolling them up.

An old photo a man wearing jeans. He's cuffed the hem by rolling them up.

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derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

I'll give you some examples.

A hundred years ago, denim was mostly woven on slow shuttle looms, which produced a narrow-width fabric that was finished with a self-edge (selvedge). This fabric was taken straight off the loom and given to factories.

YouTube bluelabamsterdam8250

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