Image via Complex Original
The Internet has done wonders for men's style. It's never been easier to get your hands on so many looks at so many price points. Whether you want a proper suit or a good pair of jeans, the online market has it out there for the taking. What's more, it's inspired a bunch of guys to start dressing better, and hold their wardrobes to a higher standard. This new culture of #menswear heads took clothing fandom to a different level. They really nerd about men's style and aren't ashamed to talk about it, even if it makes them look like a geek. Maybe you're one of them. The only way to be sure is to take heed of these 10 Signs You're A #Menswear Nerd.
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10. You named your pet after a fashion designer.
If you named your dog Filson or your Shiba Inu has an iller wardrobe than you do, it's clear that clothing is your bag, and it informs more than just how you dress. Dressing pets up is already a sign of someone with well... issues, and this tells people that "damn... this guy is like really into clothes."
9. You have a great wardrobe but live with your parents.
Chazz Reinhold is living the dream life in Wedding Crashers: a sweet robe, hooking up with random chicks, and the best meatloaf mom can make. But he's also clearly stuck in arrested development. The saying goes "clothes make the man," but that's only part of the process of actually growing up. Looking responsible isn't the same as being responsible. So if you can afford to buy a couple of dope pieces here and there and slowly build up a cool closet, that's fine... just make sure you keep your priorities straight.
8. You don't buy often, but when you do, you usually spend a lot.
"Buy less, but buy better" is your mantra. And "better" means well-made, super-exclusive, or both. You have certain pieces that cost half as much as some lame's entire wardrobe. You're a very discerning shopper who wouldn't be caught dead at the mall, so when you do drop dough, it's serious business.
7. You care a lot about where something is made.
The whole "made in America" was cool for a time, but now it's "made in Italy" and "made in Japan" that really hype you up. Your favorite ice cream and style of tailoring is Neapolitan. And both things actually bring you great joy.
6. You get sticker shock at everything that isn't clothing.
You don't have any qualms about spending $300 on a sport coat, but $10 milk is highway robbery. And while your $200 jeans were considered a fine investment, $7 toothpaste won't fly. It's understandable, you'd rather put your money towards stuff you really like, but as a result, your perception of what a "necessity" is has been totally messed up.
5. Your friends dream of owning cars and houses; you dream of owning a bespoke suit.
It's nice to have aspirations, yours just happens to be owning a $5,000 suit. Not that there's anything wrong with channeling Scott Disick's style (well, pre-Kanye influence anyway), it's just that when other guys are thinking of shit like mortgages and car payments, you're saving up scrilla to head to Savile Row.
4. You have a million ties and a job with no dress code.
The true sign of a #menswear nerd? He dresses up because he wants to, not because he has to. Clyde Frazier, Russell Westbrook, and LeBron James are all #menswear nerds. They go the extra mile because they simply like dressing up, it's their thing. Same goes for the IT guys who like wearing suits and the desk jockeys who dream of stunting on everyone in the office. Your 9-5 rebellion might have your co-workers calling you "the really dressed-up guy" behind your back, but they actually say it with admiration.
3. You treat your tailor like your doctor.
You call up your tailor fifteen minutes before he closes because you have an emergency—you just copped some Brunello Cucinelli pants at a sample sale and need them hemmed before you go out for drinks tonight. Good thing you guys are on a first-name basis. Your tailor probably knows more about you than your actual family, like your measurements. And while you're hesitant about going to the doctor for a simple check-up, you won't hesitate to see your tailor about fixing a jacket sleeve that's a quarter-inch too long.
2. You met your best friends through the Internet, geeking out over clothes.
Since the majority of your friends in real life don't have the same passion for menswear, you took to the Internet to find like minds—and encountered them in droves. You started taking trips to cities like New York to visit the shops you all talk about online and see the brands you fawn over on Tumblr in real life, and maybe actually even try on gear. But when you go back home, back to your "real" life, it's a mixed feeling of sadness and resignation. Oh well, you'll always have the Internet to escape to.
1. You take vacation days to go to clothing tradeshows.
You save all your vacation days for market weeks. If you're balling, you go to Florence for Pitti Uomo, where you eat a shitload of gelato, sit on the famed "Pitti wall" with your boys and try to get street styled, and gawk at a bunch of finely-crafted menswear you'll never afford. Or you just book a ticket for New York to go to Capsule, where you try to talk to guys like Mark McNairy but never actually work up the courage because you're way too starstruck.
