How's everyone finding MFA discord compared to MFA reddit?
I find people or previous lurkers (such as myself) are a little more active now.
But I do kinda miss curated-"ish" inspo albums and top of WAYWT from MFA.
I used to just browse MFA every month, sort by upvotes and check out the top inspo album threads.
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i also like how discord is encouraging a lot more people to contribute! I agree it's not as good for bigger content like essays, guides and inspo albums. It also moves way faster than reddit. Discord is better for people starting out imo, because you learn faster trying stuff and bricking fits as opposed to reading a dozen slightly out of date guides.
We’re working on improving highlighting stuff like that, making a top of waywt and better ways to surface high effort content, if you all have thoughts on this feel free to let us know here
It’s easier for me to find stuff on Reddit so I’d usually just search and lurk but here it’s easier to just ask. Hopefully I’m not bothering people 😅
I find it difficult to keep track of threads without spending a long time reading from the very top. It can be a bit cumbersome dropping in on the middle of a topic then trying to trace back replies / the origins. (I understand the highlights is a potential solution that streamlines content and aides in this problem). Besides that very chill, haven't taken any fit pics recently so not participating in WAYWT/outfit-feedback, but I like how the replies are modulated.
True. I feel like good or high effort posts and fit pics get buried in the threads. But I find it easier here to actually get advice on my own fits
I didn't like the daily questions thread on reddit before
maybe we can have an inspiration-highlights thing as well. Not quite sure how to implement it because sometimes the number of reactions dont always correlate with the high-effortness
I used to love when a metcarfe inspo album comes out
This is my only gripe. Reddit’s message board/forum format of nested comment chains is so much more user friendly than a free flow of replies
Discord is far better, the upvote system in reddit is shit
The community in the discord is much more active, vibrant, and social. Q&A's and Feedback channels are much more active and more in depth. Conversations are varied and encourage people to jump in. Barrier to entry for posting feels much smaller overall
Inability to silently downvote posts is a major plus
I'm much less active in discord than Reddit because the convos here move so fast. (Not that I was a major participant on Reddit, but you know.) It's difficult for me to keep up without the nesting comments, and it feels less possible for me to join here with so many more people talking at once.
Also, fewer people here are asking "Where I can find this exact X" questions here, which were my main source of contribution. That probably says something positive about the group of question-askers and the overall quality of questions we've been getting here on discord! But even if I haven't felt able to participate, I've really been enjoying all the lively convos and the general atmosphere here.
One thing I don't really like about the discord is when browsing pics. There isn't like a global gallery
So when you browse waywt, you can't just keep swiping left. But need to exit each photo and move on to the next
Yeah, still better than viewing on Reddit though
yup definitely. Was using apollo which helped a lot. But overall happy with the move to discord
RIP actually good discord apps
probably my biggest dislike about discord is that it's essentialy a fully closed off system, whereas reddit is also open to non-members. especially with google having become somewhat unusuable to find non-sponsored posts, etc. for specifc questions. reddit serves as a kind of repository, which makes a better than discord imo.
@briquebrutale would recommend spending a little more time here before you come to this conclusion. A lot of information is contained in the substack and we've reached a milestone to qualify for discord discover which would make this community accessible via Google
We also have some channels automatically archived to answers overflow so they can be searched from google without joining, we understand it’s not as open as Reddit but we’re happy with the upsides and trying to address the trade offs
@rej I'm familiar with the substack, and I think it's a great decision to archive old reddit threads so as not to rely solely on one company's infrastructure; I also know the reasons for moving away from reddit, which I can understand. However, say you're interested in a balmacaan coat / or an ocbd, that discord channel won't show up in your google results; that's what I mean by accessibility. This is not a criticism of that channel, but of discord in general.
What I'm telling you is that we are working on exactly that functionality
Discord is way better for WAYWT and general chatting which is all I used MFA for. The format also makes way more sense for one-off questions.
That’s what the answer overflow is for, the SEO won’t be as good as Reddit but it’s searchable
Also I ain’t using the Reddit app and I basically only use my phone for social media so it’s this or nothing
I exclusively used the default Reddit app so I'm mostly here cause the community is here
Yeah, I don't disagree with that. Every social network has its positives and negatives.
Which third party app were you using before and how does it compare?
gotcha, had the official reddit app well before the whole debacle only because i hated how links from browsers kept directing me to the app store. Didn’t like it and deleted it shortly after downloading
starting anew here is nice because we dont get the bimonthly mass of 300 posters in one day who want to tell us all about how their hokas and vuori joggers are fashionable and objectively the best piece of clothing on the market
and yet
We are happy with discord as a platform broadly, we want to address some things like discoverability but largely I think discord serves the community quite well
I don’t think we want to recreate Reddit here
To be completely honest, we've created a better format here. the only people with any woes with what we have here are folks that come in and have <10 total messages here
To be on topic, I’ve never found myself to be engaged with any Reddit community the larger it gets. Lots of faceless individuals, little opportunity to interact with some of the posters in meaningful ways, and once I see “+42 more replies” I’m already moving on. It’s not a MFA problem, it’s really me using Reddit for over 10+ years and seeing comments that I’ve feel like I’ve seen 100x over had me consuming posts in a very shallow way. I still consider myself a rather newbie Discord user and I’ve found my experience here to be pleasant and engaging.
I have vastly preferred Discord as a WAYWT format to Reddit since long before this server was a thing
Im not a super user either but the user interface of apollo and ease of use and ad free was a big plus for me
have you scrolled the waywt channel? it's just a better experience
Less of a “contest” feel, it’s a more natural ui for browsing a series of images (Reddit didn’t even have the ability to post images natively until recently), having to join landrush of posts at WAYWT-o’clock or get buried was dumb, etc etc etc
There’s nothing at all that’s better about WAYWT threads on Reddit
thanks for informing me of your subjective opinion?
Sorting by Best/Hot was arguably an advantage, but even that is very minimally useful on WAYWT threads.
you've been here 6 days. scroll through the channels, form your opinion. i've given mine, which you seem to disagree with - great
all it really accomplished was springboarding the top 5-10 fits
In my case it was the main app being a fuss to use compared to apollo. I’ve been on apollo for ages and it was just a breeze. I can’t be arsed to go back to the original app
having a recognized name in a community lends itself to getting more attention, yes.
I like WAYWT on discord because lower barrier to entry and no downvotes
Reddit WAYWT is like the College Football playoff. It suddenly becomes only about the top ~5-10 fits instead of the rich variety of college football bowl games. Discord is objectively better in that regard
More eyes on more fits
Ive been lurking MFA since 2018-2019 and only posted on WAYWT once it went on discord
Sort by top was kinda useful on r/malefashion to catch up on the bangers you might have missed if you were away for a month or w/e, but there was never anything comparable to that experience in WAYWT threads
Top of the month posts I guess
I do miss the more focused discussions on longer-form content. I think #fashion-discussion threads just don't get much traffic
I also found it easier to ask for outfit feedback
I didn’t like the daily questions thread on the reddit layout
But I think it works better here
We've shown that without it the sub was not good either though lol
Yeah definitely. The page just gets loaded with posts
But it’s just inherent to the reddit layout
Like not sure we'll really get another "How to Breathe" type post here
This is the primary thing I’m interested in improving as well
Buddy I'm not even talking to you
😎
Effortposts as a rule didn’t get much engagement either as I recall but yeah, would be good to find a way to let the odd classic of long form float to the top
The big thing we’re trying to balance is visibility and clutter
I’m not saying it was a bad move for the mods but it just wasn’t as engaging for me compared to discord
More visibility for individual posts means more clutter, more siloed options means less clutter but less visibility
Long-form content is definitely something to improve upon. I think we need to make it more obvious that anyone is able to write for the substack if they want. And maybe find a better way of getting more eyes on new long-form content. Maybe a bot that alerts the general channels when there's a new post or something.
Still campaigning for a favourite x for £x thread tho
No totally, the format of q&a here gets more traffic than the old thread. Without that thread the subreddit is in rough shape
I have thoughts on that, I’ll post in mod chat
Yeah, there’s nothing that’s driving me to look at substack rn
re: the general topic here, I'm enjoying the discord a lot. I definitely feel more comfortable contributing here; it feels less intimidating
the ones on MFA are a bit outdated so redoing them on the discord server could be good
#fashion-discussion doesn't even really get much traffic imo
Same. But wondering if it could be because I’ve gone through the guides when I first started and have now moved on to fit specific questions
We also haven’t posted anything new to the substack in a bit
But I’m not sure how much traffic goes from discord to substack or how much we care about that rather than just getting eyes on effort posts in general
Wonder how we could do it because it used to be separated by budget categories and you would then comment under that heading
Substack is a useful way to format a post over discord, that’s it’s function for us
I have an idea for a new "best X for X" channel with threading. gotta think about it though
And i think up/downvotes might be useful in that end
I had just started paying attention to Reddit MFA when the move to discord happened. I feel like I've got a lot of very personalized advice on discord, and the community is good, but it sometimes feels like drinking from a firehose because it's so free flowing and fast moving.
its harder to lurk on discord i think and have a good experience, but its easier to contribute
I'd reckon thats about 90% of the complaints
I feel like it might be good to try to develop more substack content.
i mean theres the argument of like, whats the point of a guide when fashion is so individual and in constant flux. I think the basics are mostly covered which is partly why theres less interest in writing more guides
i think better inspiration and fashion discussion discussion would be better, but for whatever reason theres just less engagement in those channels
I'm less interested in guides and more interested in longer-form inspo posts. I always felt those were more helpful at developing style and taste anyway
I guess on reddit, you had one page for the sub where everyone will see and interact with
i think the loss of big inspo albums is the biggest downside of discord to me right now
But on discord lots of smaller rooms/channels where not everyone might go exploring
and i think thats a cultural problem tbf
I think fashion is in flux if you are really tuned in to it, but much less if you are a newcomer who wants to dress better
It's mostly cause the inspo albums were made by like 2 people who aren't here
well one of the problems the sub had for a while is that the BB was super outdated
and was actively giving rather bad advice
well
somewhat bad advice
also the other problem is this place skews older in a way that is a chicken and a egg problem
I'm actually impressed with how it has held up over time.
where it kinda needs more streetwear/younger posters but the lack means noone wants to join
Telling people to wear OCBD and casual blazer to high school type beat
cause just ignoring streetwear is like ignoring a solid 70%+
Well now I feel positively geriatric. 😀
given its what most people wear in school and young 20s, and is what has had the biggest influence on high fashion in the last decade
he was here, he felt he was a little too terminally online and took a break
we are hoping he returns
The biggest issue newbies have imo is simply exposure to different styles. I generally think the first step most people are missing is really having any idea what they actually like and dislike. Inspo albums help with that the most. Both viewing them and personally curating stuff you see into a collection of things that you personally like
Leaving the MFA pac 12 (LA) to join the MFA B1G (Boston)
Yeah, I really liked the inspo albums that covered different styles.
The substack as well is missing inspo posts imo. How to Breathe isn't on there afaics
https://www.reddit.com/r/malefashionadvice/comments/gjrd22/how_to_breathe_an_album/
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From the malefashionadvice community on Reddit: how to breathe — an...
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I also appreciate diversity. You can do prep or streetwear here, and that's fine.
yep, some of the best inspo albums, were called something like 'Gone fishin...' and then just a bunch of cool outerwear fits.
ok this gives me an idea for a thread where people should post their personal inspo in the same vein of "favorite fits" and "most bricked fits"
I liked the goth ninja ones, organized by d&d class
There was also a great series on "one look, two prices".
#inspiration already exists. But the format isn't quite the same really. This is probably something that will just have to be different from reddit
Maybe we should start taking some top fit pics and annotating them with what the pieces are and where to buy them
Yeah it would be nice to have curated inspo posts implemented somehow
I kinda hated this series on reddit personally lol
no i mean like your personal inspo more than general inspo
This place needs karma to give people incentive /s
this is something people more into fashion dislike because they are more sensative to things like drape and flow and details imo
I don't understand the distinction
I think exposing people to the nuance is important. Not all OCBDs are created equal. And the more important details for dressing better is not price
i mean common advice (espicially to newbies) is to curate an inspo album that represents your ideal style, id be curious to see various users personal curated albums
Yeah, it was helpful as a newcomer to realize dressing better isn't just about spending money
it feels like a lot of the stuff dumped into inspiration is like day to day "this looks cool and I wanna use this" but less of "I'm in a style rut, let me hit my album I have saved to find something to work off of for my outfit"
🤷
its more transient inspo
maybe im wrong
I guess I see your distinction. I feel like there's just "focused" inspo. Like trying to create content around a specific style and having a eye to pick that out. Or a specific item/vibe versus just "here's a bunch of stuff I like
How about a substack article dissecting two shirts at different price points?
agree, and i think both are valuable and i feel like it would be cool to see a users personal "this is stuff i like" if they post in #waywt a bunch
kinda see how it informs their style
if that makes sense
I tried collecting that, as you guys suggested. It didn't really go anywhere.
This is off-topic. But my general frustration is the desire for non-enthusiasts to want to speedrun a minmax fashion thing. "Oh I need an OCBD? What's the absolute least amount of money I can spend to get something that is made of oxford cloth and has a button-down collar?"
The lack of a possibility of like 300 people suddenly showing up from some place like r/redpillanimeboners is an underappreciated advantage of discord.
CPs are a great example. As soon as those became popular people immediately tried to find the cheapest "white sneaker CP alternatives" and all nuance and discussion about how Nike Blazers are not CPs are not GATs are not killshots got lost
Yeah, for me collecting an inspo album didn't really help, but taking and posting just a few WAYWT pics was massively helpful. But also terrifying
i think chuck pointed out that one of the problems with a lot of the "best" searches and stuff is if a "best" is found (like CPs for minimal sneakers or MM Replicas for gats) the discussion just shifts to "ok best but cheaper cause thats more money than i really want to spend"
Realistically, you have to make incremental changes when you are starting out, and start trying to build better outfits from what you already have
people say they want the best regardless of cost until confronted with the cost essentially
so its always a race to the bottom which is the anti-thesis of fashion
Actually posting fits is always going to be the best feedback loop. It's short. Direct. And you're working with the actual end product. I personally tend to do that a lot less tho bc personal style is personal and I already have groups of people I want feedback from rather than people I don't know. Posting here tho is great for folks without that same support system
This is why I'm anti-guide
Inspo is better
(they're the same thing tho)
It appealed to me in the past as a broke student because I was thinking “whats the least amount of money I can spend while looking good without the piece going in the trash in a years time”
Good "guides" are really just good inspo posts
its can be a bit of a trap cause I have some cheap J. Crew OCBDs and I don't want to wear them in fits where an OCBD would work because they have shit detailing (collar roll)
basically the lack of details means i don't end up using it, and I shoulda just spent more to get a nicer one
It can't just be pictures, though. Newcomers like me need to know specific options, where to buy, and also general knowledge like "types of leather shoes", "types of fabric", etc.
Yeah, this is a totally valid objective
I mean, I think tthe fit doctor thread I had is also a great way to kinda show where you want to go, not just a vaccum of "how can I make this fit better" but also "help me get to my goal style"
but both are valid ways to improve style
Right, the long-form inspo posts like How to breathe on reddit are the type of content I'm referring to.
Yeah. It's a classic case of a picture is worth a thousand words, because fashion is visual. But you need some words too
The BB "guide" is really just an inspo post: https://imgur.com/a/Hd69nWZ
Imgur
Untitled Album
But to a newcomer just having pics might lead to just them copping the pieces without knowing how or why it works
fashion is hard to get into
ngl
I just wanna look not mid tbh
Yeah, developing an understanding of how to assemble an outfit is HARD
like for that reason
That's what they're doing anyway
Same brother
Let alone a complete wardrobe.
I think this way around it works better than giving newbies a list of specific brands / items to buy.
even if there is a list we get questions that are essentially "hey I saw the brand list was written x time ago, is it still true?" so it doesn't even do a ton
where x ranges from 5 years (reasonable question in that case) to like, 1 month lol
Our list of recommended stores and brands has been massively useful to me starting out.
And the BB is really useful as a list of basic pieces you need for a wardrobe.
This. Im not making a fashion statement, I wouldn’t say I’m into fashion at all. Im happy with looking above average
This discord probably has a few different audiences
It absolutely does
I'd consider myself in this camp as well
no too different to the old reddit mfa; also had different audiences over time
Hobby subs have this problem a lot. The shaving sub is like people with collections of so many creams and lotions and tools. I just want to learn to do it right and then move on. I think that’s ok you can’t be an enthusiast of everything
These two statements are mutually exclusive imo
I've been afk and haven't kept up with the full conversation but most of the guides are a "start here" kind of thing. The only way to really learn is to try and fail and get feedback
I guess thats why in some ways I appreciate the discord more
Going strictly by our name, we are about advice, and the people who most want advice are going to be uninformed, maybe casual drop ins
Cause for some reason Im more likely to post
Im pretty sure this became an issue on the sub reddit at some point
But a lot of the regulars are very sophisticated and experienced.
Probably during the wide vs slim era
I think you're putting the regulars on too high of a pedestal
I read a primer on raw denim and it seemed like way too much work for the benefit. I didn’t understand why anyone would go through that. But some people see dressing as part of their personality or identity in a way that I don’t and that’s ok
Maybe we could have labels that say what we’re here for and maybe a self described interest level?
A shaving sub?
I probably shouldn’t be surprised at this point
raw denim is definitely going to be an enthusiast forum. Similar to GYW. There is really only marginal utility in knowing about construction methods or fabric details and such. The main benefit from buying Aldens (or any "known"/hobbyist brand) instead of something from Amazon is that that the details are going to be right. Unsure if a pair of casual penny loafers has the right shape and style? Well if they're Alden LHS and you're dressing similar to the MFA house style you've nailed it. No need to learn about construction, last shape, vamp height, and why LHS are GOAT'd and that knock off on Amazon looks like garbage.
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Average shaving enthusiast post
To be fair even that post was pretty rare for the sub. Feel like you could count on one hand the number of long form guides posted in a year
I miss the longer inspo albums on reddit. Not sure how you replicate that here... is imgur album still the best way or is there a way to upload an album natively in Discord?
Substack maybe?
the inspiration channel clumps pictures into one post. idk what the limit is though
Max is 9 or 10 images I believe
imgur is probably the easiest way. substack would probably be good
I think ideally everything going forward would be either natively on discord or formatted for substack for clarity’s sake
Imgur p bad but it works
If the substack grows it feeds the discord and vice versa
I actually like this a lot about large discord communities
Feels like with some servers the channels grow into their own little thing and there's space for everyone to hop in and out
I'm in a kpop server and I only ever speak in the fitness chat and I'm familiar with the regulars specifically in that channel and occasionally participate in the rest of the server
MFA the Reddit at the end of the day only really existed bc of the community of regulars and it is something lurkers repeatedly misunderstood and I'm sure things could be figured out where there isn't a good 1:1
l like them for when I want to explore a new type/style of garment. Let's me look at a range of brands and compare the construction/styles from the very cheapest fast fashion to pinnacle. A good snapshot of the offerings in one place yk?
I agree with all who've said its easier to find guides on reddit. Although those guides are mostly outdated. It's a lot easier to ask simple questions which is awesome though