Style Highlight: MFA House Style - Topic of the day 2/4/24

In the old days of MFA there were "MFA Uniforms" that involved slim fit OCBDs, slim fit chinos, and minimal white sneakers - these outfits made top of WAYWT constantly. These days, MFA has drifted away from having basic uniforms, and there's much more variety in our highlights. Does the MFA of today truly have a house style? If so, how would you define it? Do you take any cues from the style (if it even exists)? Why do you think that MFA no longer celebrates MFA uniforms?
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358 Replies
Confuzzler
Confuzzlerā€¢4mo ago
broadly paraboot and wide pants, but even then i feel like theres more variety now. back then it really was a uniform also feel like both are on their way out so who knows whats next!
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
Words are hard, but I'll give it a try. Upscale workwear in muted colors with a touch of milsurp and ivy But, yes, MFA definitely has a "house style", IMO.
Carson šŸŒž
Carson šŸŒžā€¢4mo ago
I think the MFA uniform, while I like it personally for myself, is quite basic and doesn't really allow for self expression really It worked well in the 2010's when slim fit was all the rage but fashion has changed a lot since then
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
Definitely a ton more variety these days than in the old days (discord top of waywt has a huge range of styles compared to the old subreddit top of waywts), and I don't think there's an MFA uniform these days. But I think there are definitely "house style" items like fatigues, paraboots, and big coats, and other commonalities like raw hems and wide pants. It's definitely more nebulous than before but can loosely be defined as some combination of ivy, prep, workwear, and milsurp
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Theres definetly still a MFA uniform, even if theres still more variety. Art/Chuck (rip)/BBShams/Digs/Narwhal I think exemplify it in different ways, but that core intersection of ivy/prep/workwear/milsurp is the constant.
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
These recent fits from #waywt-highlights seem to represent "house style", in my opinion.
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Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Fatigues/Paraboots are super overrepresented here in general compared to other fashion I see.
artvandelayimporting
I think Iā€™ve changed my mind a bit from when I came up with this question lol
sinbad
sinbadā€¢4mo ago
i think itā€™s kind of the same just with straighter fits now
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
At a minimum some things are absolutely more rewarded by the users than others. Plenty of absolutely fire fits outside of the classic MFA style that don't hit highlights
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
These are house-style-adjacent, but not house style.
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Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
I disagree, uniqlo OCBDs and raw indigo denim are way less prevalent these days They're still around here and there but they were all you saw before
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Now its J. Press OCBDs and Orslow Fatigues /s
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
you're not wrong lol Don't see many tan chinos in waywt these days either
adaptation
adaptationā€¢4mo ago
When I think ā€˜exemplifies the mfa styleā€™ art shrimp and digs are the first people coming to mind for me
artvandelayimporting
I originally thought that we'd evolved past there being one style/outfit/poster you can point too and be like 'yep that's mfa core,' but thinking about it now I don't think that's necessarily true. I think the biggest difference between ye olde mfa and modern day mfa is that you're seeing more people put their own spin on the 'formula' which results in a lot more variety than just ocbd/fatigues/paraboots over and over again.
Weeg
Weegā€¢4mo ago
I think the real difference is that the chino ocbd chukka crowd arent like ā€œin to clothesā€ they just want decent clothes to supplement their life. When you move to discord you lose the people who are on reddit and also happen to check mfa. This is a place where the only people who stick around or care to post a fit are in to clothes as basically their primary hobby.
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
Yes, but I think they stand out precisely because they DON'T represent the consensus style. They are close, but their personality really comes through in their outfits.
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
There's tons of truth to this but I also noticed the drift happening on the subreddit before the move to discord
adaptation
adaptationā€¢4mo ago
I agree They all have distinct styles
artvandelayimporting
I think the waywts that get rewarded the most are 'house style + personality'
adaptation
adaptationā€¢4mo ago
But somewhere in the middle of them is where I feel like the platonic ideal of mfacore is
artvandelayimporting
mfa core is ivy/milsurp/workwear + vibes there's a lot more room for interpretation than there was in 2015 imo
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
I agree, and I'm very happy that we acknowledge personality.
artvandelayimporting
BUT there's also people like Meat, Bill, Joel, Sal, etc that don't really fit into that mold at all
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
Good avant garde fits are also likely to make highlights here whereas they'd be hanging at like +15 in the waywt threads
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
to an extent. avantguardism and damb are consistently underrated even here
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
Definitely exceptions to that Name recognition helps a ton
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
And I know charli has talked about how his "work" fits get better responses than his personal favorites
adaptation
adaptationā€¢4mo ago
I think thereā€™s some truth in this but I donā€™t think anyone gets ā€˜inflatedā€™ from name recognition- I do feel that stuff thatā€™s outside of mfacore sometimes doesnā€™t get the second look it needs if thereā€™s no name recognition
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
People def get inflated by name recognition
artvandelayimporting
tell that to the artheads
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
But I 100% agree with the 2nd part of your statement
Carson šŸŒž
Carson šŸŒžā€¢4mo ago
This is very true For a lot of us on here fashion is one of our hobbies and interests
Weeg
Weegā€¢4mo ago
The secret to ascending the ranks is kongposting is what im really getting out of this
adaptation
adaptationā€¢4mo ago
I donā€™t like doing the ā€˜inflatedā€™ framing- I feel like a lot of the biggest names have that from having consistently good fits, and having a rep of consistently good fits makes us be more attentive/take a closer look at their fits, but itā€™s not like theyā€™re just posting garbage and going to highlights
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
which brand most encapsulates MFA? Engineered Garments?
adaptation
adaptationā€¢4mo ago
Imo everyone deserves the credit that they get and some people deserve more on top of that, itā€™s not like anyone gets credit they donā€™t deserve
artvandelayimporting
the department of defense
zeometer
zeometerā€¢4mo ago
i think there's less of a house style because MFA is less prescriptive now that in the days of OCBD + selvedge denim + chukkah boots
artvandelayimporting
ALD maybe but more based around ALD looks and not necessarily ALD products
zeometer
zeometerā€¢4mo ago
people used to just copy the basic bastard and go about their day but now it's more interpretive
Weeg
Weegā€¢4mo ago
Mfa house style brand is still drakes tbh
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
J. Crew
Weeg
Weegā€¢4mo ago
Even if people own less and less of it J crew is just affordable drakes now
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
This feels most right to me
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
MFA house style can't be defined by just one brand because it's a combination of prep/ivy, milsurp, and workwear
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
MFA house style is "thing, japan"
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
I dunno...I think benji is pretty on the money with EG.
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
nah absolutely not some of you have only seen the EG basics lmao and its showing go look up an EG lookbook
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
But, like, the boring EG stuff. It's got workwear, it's got "thing, japan", and it's got a bit of pretense, you pretentious MFs.
sinbad
sinbadā€¢4mo ago
Just copped some :gigachad:
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
I'm not saying that regulars are making highlights with bad fits, just that they tend to get more reactions than lesser known users for similarly good fits
sinbad
sinbadā€¢4mo ago
the lesson is to be a yapper to get reacts
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
I personally have posted mid fits before that get more reactions than they deserve
artvandelayimporting
MFA core is talkin shit and postin fit
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
I seem to get the best reactions when I don't really try and it works by accident. šŸ™‚
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
that's kinda dismissive idk
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
im joking, theres just a lot of Americana elements to the house style i think
zeometer
zeometerā€¢4mo ago
if it were the case that regulars were only getting reactions from regulars and no one else i'd agree; most of what makes highlights are imo universally appreciated fits could there be a bandwagon effect maybe but that was true in old mfa
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
Yeah it definitely takes more than just being a regular to make highlights Definitely not implying that
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
yeah, but the Japanese have really adopted Americana as a thing. Like, isn't Orslow basically "Americana, Japan"?
zeometer
zeometerā€¢4mo ago
i also think that the people who did the more esoteric or more niche fits went elsewhere since 2016 (r/malefashion, r/navyblazer, etc) so the distribution of fits becomes more normalized to that americana/ivy/milsurp hybrid
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
i was referencing Ametora yes
priok
priokā€¢4mo ago
paraboot michael šŸ¤ 
setfiretoflames
setfiretoflamesā€¢4mo ago
A bunch also came back wearing that stuff in MFA WAYWT which made for my favorite arguments when the losers would comment that they didnā€™t fit in And everyone else was like ā€œoh cool to see the evolution of your stuffā€
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Wait are you kidding? šŸ˜‚
sinbad
sinbadā€¢4mo ago
No
artvandelayimporting
Sinbad coming through in the games cord suit for spring fit battle
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Sinbad buying drakes is unexpected but cool
sinbad
sinbadā€¢4mo ago
lfg ye just a sweater though black v neck
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
As an occasional user, I do miss the uniform. It was a great way to engage with fashion without having to be a fashion person It feels like nowadays it's more acceptable to try new things, but there's a certain pressure to stay ahead of the curve, so to speak
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
at the risk of being cliche, just wear what you like
artvandelayimporting
Ehhhhhh I wouldnā€™t say mfa is ahead of the curve outside of a few users Compared to people that arenā€™t terminally online fashion dorks sure
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
I think most of mfa is just right behind or on the curve of larger fashionable cities I see a lot of fits in New York that are right in the middle of the fashionable range and are very mfa coded Menā€™s fashion is typically behind womenā€™s by a good clip though, so itā€™s not bad for that to be the case
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
It's funny when I recognize brands people are wearing in NYC based off of what I learned from MFA lol
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
I think this is excellent advice for people who don't need advice, if that makes sense. If someone has no idea where to start, it doesn't really help much
artvandelayimporting
Thatā€™s why we have the old reliable basic bastard guide
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
like this guy I met a few months ago was wearing EG pants šŸ”„
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
If you don't know where to start I would argue there isn't pressure to stay ahead of the curve
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
It definitely seems like there's more than there used to be
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
The pressure comes from being into fashion and wanting to stay current with trends. I would say the vast majority of people don't need to engage with microtrends.
artvandelayimporting
I think the only pressure is that posting fit is scary at first (bein serious)
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
If youre wondering if your sambas are played out your in too deep
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
Just casually browsing various fashion forums lately (not necessarily this one), I see a lot of beginners asking for feedback and getting made fun of for being basic or dressing like an old person
artvandelayimporting
Yeah the key words here being ā€˜not this oneā€™ I donā€™t think people being shitty to other people on the internet is a new development tho
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
Online fashion spaces (and any online hobbyist spaces) can be pretty volatile for beginners
artvandelayimporting
Youā€™re gonna run into that regardless of what hobby youā€™re into
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
I donā€™t think it accurately reflects the outside world though
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
I'm not disputing fashion is elitist
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
I've definitely seen elements of it here, I just don't want to come off as singling this place out
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
Yeah I think that pressure, where it exists, is purely online Still ā€œwear what you likeā€ can be really empty advice if you have no where to start from itā€™s true
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
People in Vancouver are impressed when me, the grey-haired usher, recognizes their Bottega bag, or if I'm lucky, a pair of Y/Project jeans
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
Probably, I haven't really engaged with fashion communities outside the internet so I couldn't say
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
You engage with fashion outside the internet by putting that shit on
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
To me, the first step for people who want to care about their clothing is to start paying attention to clothing Once you start looking and apply focus you actually start to have an opinion, then you can get to the point of ā€œwear what you likeā€
zeometer
zeometerā€¢4mo ago
there's no rule to suggest you have to buy new clothes to stay ahead of the curve
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
Not necessarily a rule, but an attitude
zeometer
zeometerā€¢4mo ago
i do recognize that, but i argue that's borne to some extent by social pressure and that applies to every form of art or media
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
To bring it back to the topic, I personally do feel the need to differentiate myself from mfa house style but itā€™s personally motivated not from an outside force
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
I agree, and I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, what I mean is that having a uniform was a nice way to get away from that
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
Actually I think the mfa uniform thing was more a way of separating yourself into one of the two camps that Weeg referenced earlier Or as a stepping stone into finding how you wanted to differentiate yourself which is maybe more what you mean
zeometer
zeometerā€¢4mo ago
i do think the curated inspo albums on the discord are more varied in style than in OG mfa which has helped in terms of finding alternative styles
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
To give an analogy, I worked as a personal trainer for a while. If someone is a beginner in the gym, the absolute optimal way to start out is for people to work out their goals, find out what works for them and tailor a program to their needs But we don't do that, because it's far more important to just get them in the gym regularly and just doing something If you're learning an instrument, it's optimal to start with music theory, but it's more important to get the instrument in their hands
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
The basic bastard exists This feels like a strawman 90% of the "I want to start thinking about clothes" are redirected to the BB guide Like honestly, I don't even understand these analogys The most important thing about getting into fashion is caring about what you're wearing we can't help you with that, we can give basic guidance (which is what the BB is in #fashion-guides ), you can look at what people here are wearing in #waywt , you can see what people here value #waywt-highlights , you can ask for feedback on what you are wearing in #styling-suggestions What more do you want us to do?
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
They don't want fashion, they want something functional based on what was outlined in the first post
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
which is what the BB is
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
Did he know of its existence? In its current form?
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
I read through most of the guides a few weeks ago, yeah I think the BB guide is like 80% of what I'm talking about
jibba
jibbaā€¢4mo ago
Super late, but the first thing I noticed in WAYWTs is how many people have fatigues
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
I donā€™t even play anymore but this is wrong lol
jibba
jibbaā€¢4mo ago
One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned is how the population of "terminally online nerds" in general (not just in MFA) has changed a lot today vs from 2012, which is necessarily going to be reflected in community/online preferences.
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
What's the 20% missing?
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
I donā€™t get these analogies. Bishop is right. The first thing to do if youā€™re interested in caring about clothes is to pay attention to what people are wearing and what you like and donā€™t like. Itā€™s way cheaper to do that than even read the BB guide and then buy clothes that youā€™re almost certainly not going to like in 6 months
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Ur cooler than them!
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
What I guess is missing is that it seems harder to just wear what's in the guide and jump in. If you just followed the guide and started posting fits you'd get a lot more "it could be more interesting" than you would with the old uniform From what I remember of the guide, it seems like it's constantly trying to caveat itself as it's being written, i.e. "here's the basic x, but you should probably try y to be more interesting"
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
I think thatā€™s the community evolving to give better advice personally
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
Again, not that that's a wholely bad thing But it does make things a bit less accessible
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
You can copy basically any guide you want and get something. But the real stuff imo comes from doing the personal work to find what you like Itā€™s more accessible than ever imo
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
People are here to discuss clothing because it's their hobby If you wanna post your outfit among enthusiasts without the context of "I'm new"
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Tons of discords, instagram accounts, pics on Pinterest. There is no gatekeeping fashion pictures really
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
Then we're expecting that
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
I mean getting criticism on an outfit you love sucks but how else are you going to improve?
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
It was never true that you could follow a guide and actually be fashionable
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
And this place is pretty tame and generally constructive Plenty of times I've gotten critism, its hurt in the moment, i look at the outfit like a month later and go "man what the fuck was I thinking"
jibba
jibbaā€¢4mo ago
Last night, I was researching a coat I was interested in, and google sent me to a WAYWT from 2012, and people were so mean!
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Reddit in general is a shitty platform
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Old MFA if you dressed outside of the uniform was very harsh at times I think
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Ik it was a metric assload of work for mods towards the end to really curtail the onslaught of negative comments
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
I do think something that's interesting about the discord is that you have a lot of people coming in to q&a who seem like they are just trying to build a passable wardrobe while the discord's active members are all enthusiasts obviously
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
thats always going to be the case
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
It is of course possible that I just have rose-tinted glasses, I only used MFA for like a few weeks a few years ago
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Reddit always had the bullshit mentality of ā€œthis is for advice and so anything too weird will get people to dress too weird and we have to fight thatā€
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
The only people qualified to give advice are those actively into fashion, its always created tension between the group of people actually into fashion and those seeking advice
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
The idea that fashion advice can be ā€œdangerousā€ That divide was even more pronounced on Reddit
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Anthrax isn't active on the discord but they were one of the weirder dressers on the sub and gave amazing advice that was beginner friendly If half those posters saw his fits they woulda been scared
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Also dressing well and giving advice are different skills
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
Some people just don't know how to talk but dress good and vice versa
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
I dress poorly and give bad advice šŸ’€
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Yeah itā€™s not restricted to fashion tho I think itā€™s easier to close that gap than it is in other pursuits
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
I'm trying to think: does basic bastard work well enough for people in their teens-college years?
jibba
jibbaā€¢4mo ago
Ah, here it is. This was for the most part a perfectly anodyne set of photos lol
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Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
I feel like we have quite a number of people come into q&a in that age range who just seem like they're trying to build a basic wardrobe to look presentable among their peers
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
lmao
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
lmao jfc
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Canā€™t believe youā€™re gonna post this and not the fit
algoresky
algoreskyā€¢4mo ago
ahh shujin and kappuru
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
ya i gotta see the fit
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
This has always the case But it's the same demographic of people bickering about shit advice from the very same people they're trying to get advice from lmao
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
It's kinda tricky to begin towing that line because we're not teenagers or people that seek to interface with teenagers too often (unless we're teachers, and then we shouldn't be too focussed on that imo)
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Reddit
ridiculousdb's comment on "WAYWT ā€” Feb. 2nd"
Explore this conversation and more from the malefashionadvice community
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Its important to remember theres a decent amount of complaining about the advice because people want validation not advice and when they don't get that they get upset like thats perhaps a cynical cold hearted view on it but I think its part of the "wow you enthusiasts just don't understand normal people" complaints
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
I don't mind the Birks fit at all personally haha
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Very true
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
Tbh if I was around and able to slim fit during that time, I'd probably put that in my inspo folder
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Is this why I'm so bad at giving advice :sheeesh:
SquillyFerrell
SquillyFerrellā€¢4mo ago
The fits are fine just very slim, but it was 12 years ago also
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Trashpile ahead of his time lol
jibba
jibbaā€¢4mo ago
Ha, I don't want to repost the user, and there were a few goofy things: I think one had a weird pocket square. But the leather jacket that they're complaining about in particular seemed fine.
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Dude has some good ideas actually, I think some are dumb and I forgot the visible undershirt was a thing like this, but its not as bad as the comments acted I'm not a huge fan personally but I see the vision
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
Such conservative recommendations in the thread hahaha People saying this guy is peacocking
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Itā€™s all very #menswear coded with the affectations. Thereā€™s flashes of what they want tho. I kinda disagree with trashpile the birks fit was easily 2nd best lol but that leather jacket fit is just bad bad bad
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
the shit crammed into the pocket also looks bad
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
I also think in general the Internet has come a long way in 12 years. We are better at talking now Some of us
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
ngl that level of flame in response was super normalized
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Was just part of the times
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
you can even see hes apologizing in the thread for getting mad at getting flamed
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
In fairness. Trashpile picked like the worst way to say ā€œyour clothes are too small and pullingā€ by calling him the puff marshmallow guy from ghostbusters
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
im not denying people were assholes to him, I'm saying that was normalized at the time
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Trashpile isnā€™t really wrong, heā€™s just being a dick about it
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Yeah that's just the dunk economy of reddit from 12 years ago. Im not defending it or anything but everything was a raging asshole online
sinbad
sinbadā€¢4mo ago
the bostons and the nbs?? for the time he was absolutely putting that shit on
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Yeah the whole interaction is dated for sure. Thatā€™s justā€¦how Reddit was
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Thanks for the gold kind stranger
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
2012 was unironic rage comics and the narwhal bacons at midnight type shit
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Fucking triggered
sinbad
sinbadā€¢4mo ago
Dattebayo!!! Reddit on!!
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
To bring it back to the prompt. I think discord allows things to be way more free flowing and makes it easier for people to post outfits and ask questions and get personal advice. Thatā€™s a good thing and deemphasizes a specific MFAD uniform Reddit was p good for centralizing knowledge, but made it difficult to ā€œupdate the hive mindā€ as it were Discord makes it easier for folks to post pics and get feedback in #styling-suggestions which is way way way better than posting a product link or looking at some guide written by one person 3 years ago More participation and personalized advice has rid us from the uniform and Iā€™m really happy about it
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
I also think in general the 20 year old dudes who want to dress better are more open to the idea of fashion as a vessel for expression vs not wanting to look sloppy Younger people are just better dressed and more open minded now Toxic masculinity really had a stranglehold on places like MFA in 2012
algoresky
algoreskyā€¢4mo ago
that was the era of The Red Pill. Awful times
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
So much of the desire for a uniform and even the way that uniform looked stemmed from men wanting fashion to be utilitarian. If it was utilitarian, then it wasnā€™t feminine. Using fashion as a way to express yourself, especially if it was for aesthetic and not ā€œfunctionalā€ purposes didnā€™t mesh with the min/max, gearification culture that dominated most hobby spaces which were predominantly inhabited by men.
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Way better said than I could lol As if thinking about something too much would be percieved as non masculine
jplicks
jplicksā€¢4mo ago
ā€œGearificationā€ is such a good way to put it haha
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
IMO its why raw denim and GOOD YEAR WELTED BOOTS had such a damn impact YEAH THESE IRON RANGERS WILL LAST ME 20 YEARS Now no one is wearing them
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
Zoomer gang unite I went to get rid of my red wings my 18yo self was not cooking
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
You hit the nail on the head though about younger people. In many ways, they have a relationship to gender expression and performance that is much more nuanced than millennials and I think it clearly shows in how they dress. Lot of the younger folks here dress so damn good and I love to see it.
Piejamas
Piejamasā€¢4mo ago
I actually still wear my red wings from like 6 years ago
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
This is getting away from house style though, but I think this is where the idea of MFA having a house style came from. In reality it was the same style that conservative dressers outside MFA were wearing. We just put it into fancy picture guides for people
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Shout out to my buddy who bought a pair of mule skinner irs in like 2014 and is still wearing them
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
I don't hate my boots but my style has like dramatically changed Less uniform-y and just more oversized/relaxed And it just doesnt fit into the image i have of myself There's probably a monologuebij my head somewhere around my associations with boots and hegemonic masculinity I want to get away from
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
I would caution against painting with too wide a brush
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Fair
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Ngl a fashion server is partially going to self select but theres a lot of really shitty zoomer tatebros
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Yeah thatā€™s totally true definitely a lot of self-selection going on in a fashion discord
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
This server bullies them out tho šŸ¤“ā˜ļø
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
which is good
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
Finally using my skills flaming my league teammates for good
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Idk if I am zoomer (26) but the clothing I have purchased in the last 6 years has been all over the place as far as how I want to present myself. These years are meant for expression and figuring shit out IMO. I too regret buying red wing boots
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
Real shit
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
I'm just saying its not like all zoomers have good views or anything and theres still plenty of toxic masculinity to go around
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
sure but now they are mewing and shit thats funny
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
looksmaxing is so funny like god forbid you take it seriously but its so hilarious
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
We need to psyops personalitymaxing
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
i was trying to explain it to my less terminally online friends
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Weā€™re dunking on looksmaxing but thatā€™s what the predominant view on MFAR kinda was Unless Iā€™m too millennial and donā€™t actually know what that means
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
I bought boots recently and they feel fresh to me tho boots were never a part of my identity in the past
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
time and trends are a circle
sharloy
sharloyā€¢4mo ago
whatā€™s the BEST outfit is the 2012 mindset Millennial dude who spends 10 hours researching the BEST speakers tries to apply that to clothing
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
I liked lurking OT threads bc the discourse with clothing felt more humanizing and realistic
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Well you want to make sure your stats are well rounded. Dont want to put it all in STR
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
People try to completely divorce clothing from their selves as individuals
sharloy
sharloyā€¢4mo ago
TRUE ALL IN DEX
priok
priokā€¢4mo ago
tob 10 white t shirts
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
I love integrating my boots into wider fits than like the way 2012 MFA wore them
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
Mf so aware they'll literally say "it's time for another tee shirt thread" šŸ¤“šŸ¤“
sharloy
sharloyā€¢4mo ago
Anyways back to the topic at hand I would say mfa house style is instantly recognizable
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
it was mostly just inside jokes fwiw
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
I hadnā€™t been in a questions thread on MFA is years
sharloy
sharloyā€¢4mo ago
And itā€™s like second tier fashion city on trend Slightly lagging NYC/LA
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
But it was also inaccessible to participate in OT imo
sharloy
sharloyā€¢4mo ago
Yall really like your cuffed jeans
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
Which is the biggest strength of discord i
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Listen charli
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
It's less commitial and more natural
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Sometimes I need a lil cuff and I dont trust my tailor to hem my shit
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
millenials just scared of talking to someone
eggtart!
eggtart!ā€¢4mo ago
I was lurking for like a good 3-4 years
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
have to talk to a tailor šŸ¤®
artvandelayimporting
Cuffing pants is good actually
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
art thinning out the competition
artvandelayimporting
Dawg look at my fits my shit is always cuffed
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
true
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Most cuffs are bad bc people should take pants to their tailor and so itā€™s not intentional but lazy
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Listen I may not be wearing raw denim to emphasize my masculinity because I went to therapy and now I just wear it because itā€™s pretty, but I will die before I give that shit up
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
shut up!!!11
artvandelayimporting
Mine is intentionally lazy so itā€™s good
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Itā€™s also why raw hemming is popular
algoresky
algoreskyā€¢4mo ago
we need to embrace the artful pooling!!
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
(Self report)
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
MFA house style is when you walk by the clothing aisle in target and think "Damn when did they start selling heat"
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
RIP Goodfellow & Co
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
:rip:
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Unironically yes
artvandelayimporting
rej ahead of the curve fr
No description
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
we gotta bring stacked jeans back tho
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Isn't stacking in rn among gen z
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
whatever the hell this is
No description
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Oh I meant it in the context of baggy jeans lol
stmn
stmnā€¢4mo ago
Bring back dior 19cm
ischguet
ischguetā€¢4mo ago
No description
ischguet
ischguetā€¢4mo ago
Ideal fit tbh Somehow we lost this over the Years
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
we will find our way back
ischguet
ischguetā€¢4mo ago
Iā€™m not sure who this is tbh I found the img the other day off google for ccp tornadoes
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Pls no
adaptation
adaptationā€¢4mo ago
I minmax and gearify for looking cute and sitting down
AndrewA
AndrewAā€¢4mo ago
I cuff my pants because I have 10 month old twins and no time to go to a tailor I wore my Hawthorne mule skinner IRs a couple days ago. And the cherry beckmanā€™s are a regular part of the rotation for a decade.
ischguet
ischguetā€¢4mo ago
Has anyone thought of chewing off pants to hem them Maybe a fun family activity when ur kids are teethā€™d
MobileSuitGrundrisse
I think it's funny that IRs catch so much heat as an effigy of 2010s mfa, that big ass toe looks miles better with current house style than it did with APCs three sizes too small
sharloy
sharloyā€¢4mo ago
I think itā€™s just an association thing I associate iron rangers and other imo ugly work boots with QuaLiTy culture Boots in those style werenā€™t designed to look good imo either And why not just buy docs Or even solovairs There was a weird aversion to docs back then that I still see today
MobileSuitGrundrisse
Oh no it totally is an association thing you're right like I know why its a line that's drawn I just think it's funny considering they'd look totally normal and proportionate in like 80% of paraboot fits you see here What I'm saying is big toe+big pants=normal, big toe+little pants=kingdom hearts (and not in a way that goes hard) (also docs aversion is 100% quality roseanvil mindset)
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
I remember IRs and some other boots like Red Wing Beckmans getting called clown shoes by some folks on mfa
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
ew aversion to docs i aim to be both a service boot and docs enjoyer šŸ”„
Bigelow
Bigelowā€¢4mo ago
But I think you're right that that has more to do with wearing them with slim tapered pants as opposed to the shoes themselves looking bad
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
With the Carhartt revival I am surprised people didn't start wearing moc toe boots again But maybe that's taking the cosplay too far
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
I associate Docs with 3 week situationships so I am averse to them
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
The loafers tho :hard:
MobileSuitGrundrisse
I feel like it's cosplaying for different reasons, or from a different angle at least Kind of guy decked out in someone else's carhartt is a different guy than the one decked out in naked and famous selvedge boxers
artvandelayimporting
Gotta cop the carhartt 1ā€™s
No description
SteezeTrain
SteezeTrainā€¢4mo ago
Ye I am just surprised there wasn't any cross over between eras Maybe we gotta bring moc toe back
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
that's like somewhat what i've been using my indy boots for actually but what i'm doing is basically just wider fit workwear but like yeah vintage carhartt jackets are being worn in more streetwear than workwear fits and maybe timberlands usurped any chance of moc toes becoming part of streetwear fits
MobileSuitGrundrisse
I think the reason I am neutral to positive on moc toes is specifically because I've very rarely seen someone besides my father wear them irl
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
I had the Carhartt AF1 lows and I kinda regret selling them ngl
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
you shouldn't regret it whatsoever they are hideous
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
I feel like I actually prefer the vintage Carhartt jackets and carpenter jeans/double knees with docs actually vs sneakers in terms of streetwear
priok
priokā€¢4mo ago
me2
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Nah I think they would work in some of my fits. I just had this whole ā€œoh my god I hit 29, I need to dress like an adult now Iā€™m almost 30ā€ panic. Which in hindsight was silly
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Feels more coherent but depends on the specific fit too
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
we are talking about these?
No description
artvandelayimporting
I think carhartt pants can look just as good with loafers as they can with workboots tbh
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Yup those are the ones
artvandelayimporting
I donā€™t think thereā€™s a ā€˜bestā€™ shoe to pair them with itā€™s all vibes
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Ya no those are hideous
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
carhartt suit > carhartt airforces
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Idk buy the hender schemes wait Hender Scheme makes a leather croc copy now šŸ˜­
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Standard & Strange
AE McAteer Horse Bit Loafer - Color 8 Shell Cordovan
From his quiet workshop in Queens, New York, Andrew McAteer produces exceptional leather goods by hand, the old way. A 5th-generation New Yorker, Andrew has always had an appreciate for traditional craftsmanship, having worked as a carpenter and furniture maker before turning to leatherwork. Everything is made slowly,
artvandelayimporting
šŸ˜Ž
No description
MobileSuitGrundrisse
Is carhartt pants plus loafs not basically the answer to what this whole thread is abt
artvandelayimporting
In the sense that house style is milsurp+workwear+ivy yes
MobileSuitGrundrisse
What this thread is actually about is reminding me I should have stopped lurking and started putting that shit on before we moved to a platform without chuck and anthrax I liked reading what they both had to say abt shit
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
We had Chuck for a bit but heā€™s off and on now
narwhal
narwhalā€¢4mo ago
I'm going to do that thing where I post something and leave on a dog walk To me, It seems really apparent that the house style here is based around ivy/trad/prep I havenā€™t scrolled through highlights in awhile, and I know people react to waywt pics for a lot of different reasons, but if you consider the members/outfits that most consistently show up (Iā€™m thinking Shrimp, art, spaghetti, Teenage gentleman, Weeg), the common elements among them are are ivy/trad/prep-centric (blazers, loafers, shetlands, ocbds, etc.). There are variants (ALD, vintage), but with a common thread This all makes perfect sense, because it's also trending outside of mfad And maybe I'm thinking of house style all wrong, and it's not what's most popular here, but something' that's unique to here
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
i think your observation is accurate lol
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
lol wtf that sent
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
tho there are a number of big posters here who i don't think fit into those categories (ler, smiles, charli off the top of my head) thecomebackkid sinbad
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
i never make highlights art has promised to ban me the day i do anyway
narwhal
narwhalā€¢4mo ago
there are certainly outliers, but those are outside of house style, I'd say
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
I made highlights and it was for sure a brick
narwhal
narwhalā€¢4mo ago
Meat who has a distinct personal style Digs with vintage milsurp/workwear Charlie whoā€™s a creative genius and canā€™t be defined
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Someone posted that fit again in this thread I think
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
theres definetly a house style even if charlie, meat, and mew all have too much swag
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
Iā€™ve seen what we send to highlights
narwhal
narwhalā€¢4mo ago
I know you're partly joking, but you also are more adventurous with your style that's not going to appeal to the larger audience personally, i try not to think too much about how many reacts I get with an outfit, but who it is that reacts
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
I'm not pressed about it honestly, I've pretty accepted my style isn't going to be super popular here, and there's still a lot of users who can give me really good feedback I don't ignore reacts entirely but I don't fixate on making highlights Like I said earlier, avantguardism, damb, Sinbad for example all dress better than me and are criminally underrated In general I think streetwear remains underrated on MFAD
awburkey
awburkeyā€¢4mo ago
House style != highlights Especially on discord imo. Reddit you definitely saw the hive mind come out
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
I was going to say this. I've been trying to assemble good streetwear fits to avoid being too tied to the MFA house style :xd:
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
I don't think it's worth adding fits in a style you aren't interested in Like I'm never gonna wear ivy Doesn't mean I don't appreciate it but
MobileSuitGrundrisse
Not something I can prove empirically but I suppose I'd argue "house style" is whatever the majority of people new to giving a shit about fashion end up doing when the only variable in their life that changes is that they're on MFAD now (i.e. you're not gonna see it in highlights, more from a gestalt of the fits in WAYWT and stuff that never even gets posted there)
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Ive been trying to refocus my wardrobe a bit
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Nah I'm interested in it even tho it doesn't align at all with my most trad fashion interests
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
I wanna look like I put Wayne onto Bape
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Not to derail the thread but I would be careful about that, one of my personal regrets is trying to have too broad a style
narwhal
narwhalā€¢4mo ago
Iā€™m glad to hear that, because I feel like youā€™re too hard on yourself sometimes
Smiles
Smilesā€¢4mo ago
Thank you, I definitely am sometimes don't get me wrong, tryna be better about it
zeometer
zeometerā€¢4mo ago
i think it's still going to lean towards ivy/milsurp/workwear tbh, people are mostly going to access the discord via the substack or reddit where stuff like that is commonplace
AndrewA
AndrewAā€¢4mo ago
I keep dipping in and out of this conversation but IMO Red Wing Moc Toes were the original post sneaker footwear before everyone got into sneakers and then starting talking about a post sneaker world. And I think moc toes fit the chunky footwear that people were into the past few years but the negative 2010s Americana connotation prevented them from coming back
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
I'm going to pay more attention to your fits, then. Scrolling highlights is lazy mode, TBH
AndrewA
AndrewAā€¢4mo ago
That said I would wear my 875s more but I sized them a half size too small. I need to sell them and buy a bigger pair Or 877s Or the new alpine portage moc toes. Iā€™m a slut for a moc toe
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Photo resolution is def something I'm lacking in :xd: That reminds me, time to post fit to styling suggestions or wawyt
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
it's ok brother you and i both
OceanicEternity
OceanicEternityā€¢4mo ago
If I could say the house style is anything, it would be straight jeans with a tshirt and an overshirt/trucker jacket. Also loafers there seems to be a lot of loafers. And a lot of interest in texture on texture
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Moc toes are sick and we need to encourage more Moc toes
zeometer
zeometerā€¢4mo ago
the secret is having a fit that makes the bad photo resolution look intentional :rollsafe:
AndrewA
AndrewAā€¢4mo ago
2024 we are bringing back the moc toe
setfiretoflames
setfiretoflamesā€¢4mo ago
I was at a party last night and the collection of boots at the door read like the MFA of yesteryear iron rangers trumans thursdays
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Did you feel like you stepped through a time warp
setfiretoflames
setfiretoflamesā€¢4mo ago
yes
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
What music was playing though
setfiretoflames
setfiretoflamesā€¢4mo ago
mostly songs to sing karaoke to so yes it was mostly year-appropriate
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Queue the Akon
jibba
jibbaā€¢4mo ago
Mfad needs house music to go with house style.
werkinprogress
werkinprogressā€¢4mo ago
I really want moc toes again
AndrewA
AndrewAā€¢4mo ago
Do it
No description
De La Joel
De La Joelā€¢4mo ago
Damn I had those too. I loved them
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Ayyyy
De La Joel
De La Joelā€¢4mo ago
Itā€™s you and me šŸ¤ against the haters (smiles)
Harpua
Harpuaā€¢4mo ago
Recently Iā€™d say so. It feels like the Japanese stuff has some staying power.
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Mfers will get new glasses but still canā€™t see the vision
Spuck
Spuckā€¢4mo ago
MFA house style is generally american centric with a lot of Ivy. I have seen more loafers here than ive ever seen in my life.
AndrewA
AndrewAā€¢4mo ago
Loafers so hot right now. But definitely more versatile than Allen Edmonds Walnut Strands
Spuck
Spuckā€¢4mo ago
I'm sure they are in some places, NYC is probably overrun with them, but I have never seen a pair on someone under 60
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
Old people are wearing hokas now
adaptation
adaptationā€¢4mo ago
Anytime I am going to be talking to a bunch of old people I wear my hokas as a conversation piece and itā€™s never failed me
bishopcorrigan
bishopcorriganā€¢4mo ago
All people young and old can agree that hokas are actually super comfortable
AndrewA
AndrewAā€¢4mo ago
Iā€™ve never seen loafers on a person older than 50
AndrewA
AndrewAā€¢4mo ago
My 85 year old grandpa has been wearing black rockport sneakers with jeans for decades
No description
jibba
jibbaā€¢4mo ago
My dad and grandfather loved tasseled loafers especially I have some brooks ghosts that I got for running, and they may be the most comfortable shoe I've ever worn.
AndrewA
AndrewAā€¢4mo ago
Combine the jeans and rockports with an unbuttoned faded frayed denim shirt. I realized recently that grandfather unironically might be stylish now
jibba
jibbaā€¢4mo ago
My dad's lawnmowing outfit is absolutely in fashion: oversized knit polo, cargo pants, crew socks and authentic grass-stained New Balance. IDK if we've reached the point where Oakleys and those fishing/sun hats are cool, but I'm sure we'll get there.
adaptation
adaptationā€¢4mo ago
Both of my grandparents on my moms side are absolutely throwing fits
Benji
Benjiā€¢4mo ago
Lol my dad wears rockports to work but not sneakers They're like a derby shoe ig. I don't know if they sell them anymore cuz I don't see them on the website now that I look
Spuck
Spuckā€¢4mo ago
Oakleys are back, baby
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
My dad wears mocs, and I refuse to wear them as a result.
Spuck
Spuckā€¢4mo ago
My Dad was wearing reebok pumps last time I saw him. He's so far ahead of the curve
jawntanamo_bae
jawntanamo_baeā€¢4mo ago
Oakleys and fishing hats are so in
eggchongo
eggchongoā€¢4mo ago
Iā€™m still rocking them iron rangers
jfarrell468
jfarrell468ā€¢4mo ago
Timeless!