Formative Items of Clothing - Topic of the day 6/27/25
Hal Jordan went from a test pilot favoring workwear to intergalactic superhero who enjoys spandex by putting on a green ring (ed: and other stuff I know work with me), changing his life and closet forever. Have you encountered any clothing items in your life that marked a similar change in your personal style? What led to the shift, and has it manifested in other ways since (brands, hobbies, etc)?
This topic will run for 2 days.
43 Replies
I think my usn dungarees reprogrammed my mind and gave me a much more coherent ideo of how I want to dress.
I don't think they fundamentally changed something though, it was more like the pieces that had been present finally falling into place and revealing the full picture.
this pair of pants
its always pants, isn't it?
yeah, you made quite the shift since joining the server. its fun to see!
I got this early 80s shirt when I was 16 at a fashion antique store and it started my collection of vintage pieces (those flare jeans in the photo were really formative as well, they sadly broke last year after 10 years of wear)
:nooooo: rip the jeans
I‘m still on the lookout for a replacement but try finding random H&M Jeans from 2015 second hand😭
doc marten adrian tassel loafers quite literally changed my life LOL
that makes two of us
My first non sneaker pair of shoes I got
Was only a year ago 😭
:uniqlo: wide chinos broke me free from the skinny fit life
I’ve had mine for about 3 now and started wearing them full time about 6 months ago
Got rid of every single pair of pants I had before that. Cant wear em anymore but they were the first step
there's one pair of flowy zara pants that werent even that big that I got like 2 years ago that were pretty formative as well
It was by far the widest thing i'd ever worn it felt provocative and extravagant to me at the time
Before I even joined MFAD I think? so like early 2023 idk
Recently it's been my diesel flared jeans, I'm really loving flares lately even when they're not huge palazzos
2021 Buck Mason Shawl jacket. No idea where i even saw it the first time but it was like a small opening at the time. But looking back that is where I started to appreciate even different manufacturers and cuts. I wear it all the time to this day
Probs these two for me.
EK 2 pleats. I don’t think it was my first pair of WIDE but it was the first I felt comfortable and confident wearing
this thing set me down a path
First time handling Red Wings in a store in Dublin. I'd read about them on MFA. I'd never spent that kind of money on footwear before. Sent me down a slow burning rabbit hole to where I am now. The second is my EG khaki cord suit. I thought the EG fatigues were clown pants at first and now honestly they could be a bit wider. It's the first fit I posted here and honestly still the most comfortable, second skin, identity reinforcing fit I own.
I put Chrome Hearts glasses on and decided to go darkwear
Yes
This OL lace shirt and Homme Plisse pants were probably what eased me into wearing more of the alt stuff though
The sillage hakama is my Oman dries pant
First air force paycheck a decade ago went to raf velcros, its all been downhill since
1: raf sweater i never wear anymore but was my first weird fashion purchase back in like 2018 or so
2: sweater i unraveled myself that set me down the path of off white distressed drapey stuff
3: ann demeulemeester tank that's been with me for ages, was a large influence on my style leaning more towards distressing and punk stuff
1. first vintage blazer: the start of how I appreciated wearing tailoring without the stigma of formality
2. new balance 1906L snofers: my first experience operating within the contemporary fashion zeitgeist (having played catchup beforehand) and a clear signifier of how I subvert traditional menswear
raf sweater so sick hahaha
These pair of wide pleated jeans, first piece I owned that let me explore silhouettes more.
Also found them in the women’s section so that felt super rewarding because it felt like I really pushed out of my comfort zone when looking at clothes.
i think accessories honestly built out the look more for me than clothing, looking back
gorjus
(pants)oman121
whajt one pair of chrome haearts shades does to a mf
fr though you accessory game is crazy i love it
flare jeans and pants
I really can’t think of one piece that changed me intrinsically, but more as a symbol of my, uhh, fashun growth. I think it was the Converse Chuck 70s that make a demarcation in my style. I feel like in 2019 I started to take clothes more seriously (also bc I had more disposable income), but it was also a return to my younger self, who loved clothes and dressing, that got bullied out of me in my teenage years.
(I’m high)
I think it might be EK for me too. The elastic pants and a not overly big Big shirt. I really like slightly cropped pants.
the first pair of straight/relaxed fit jeans -> first pair of wide shorts -> increasing number of wide pants -> lace and oversized tops -> jewelry
Buying a pair of 501s because Chuck and Rej told me to
For me it was a pair of Converse high tops. Prior to that pair of shoes I had only bought running shoes that were on sale at JC Penny. Intentional purchases for everything followed soon behind
My first cropped (and boxy) jacket got me way more into higher rise and wider pants
First day I put on a tie not for an event or anything, revolutionary:letemcook:
The first time I took a bit of a bold swing on a something fashion wise. Was lowkey obsessed since I first saw Aliens.
First pair of trainers I could afford for myself that weren't 'whats on sale'
Having people literally stop me in the street and ask what the hell they were was a very new experience
Close second was starting to wear jewelery after getting over the initial weirdness of wearing my wedding ring