A quick look back at a clever GTH pant from almost a decade ago, which should get you looking forward to summer. Oh, and these need to be brought back into production.
* * *
The Gant show yesterday was my lone fashion week event. Twenty minutes every six months is just about right for me.
The collection, for next spring and summer, was featured a vintage Hawaiian/tiki vibe, and included this fun twist on critter-emblazoned go-to-hell pants. Pictured are three carved coconut monkeys who admonish “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Text No Evil.”
Monkey Three hovers over a smart phone.
OK, not exactly ROTFL, but still a clever plea for civilized discourse. — CC
He’s wearing Kholapuri Chappals (if I’m not mistaken). Kohlapuri (from the city of Kholapur in central India) and chappals = slippers are tremendously popular among Indians and have been making a huge comeback with the youth in Mumbai. Traditionally worn with formal Indian wear, I’ve noticed tons of people pairing it with jeans or loose cotton pants.
@Ishaan – Cool observation; thanks for the info.
Does anybody have recommendations for a good source for critter pants? Particularly somewhere that does them on corduroys too, since Fall is here already in Chicago…
Someone has to be the first to ask…….do these trousers have a buckle on back or flaps on the rear pockets?
@Gabe if you click on the image on this site for The Fine Swine they are having a sale on Castaway’s
embroidered items, those items not on sale there is the 20% discount. The Castaway site might still be having a sale. If you want to go hyper traditional O’ Connell’s have some new old stock.
As a denizen of the West Coast, I’ve never seen anyone actually wearing “emblematic,” aka critter, pants (with the exception of my daughter, who outgrew her size 3T pink pants with white flamingoes a while ago).
Here on teh Intarwebs, I’ve only seen people like Giuseppe of An Affordable Wardrobe and ADG of Maximinimus wearing them (I don’t check in at WASP 101, but I’m pretty sure he’s a fan, too).
Ennyhoo, it seems to me that emblematic pants, like the rest of the PITA oeuvre, is strictly a white phenomenon (except in Japan, of course–but they know they’re imitating and interpreting).
So why is a black model wearing these pants? Why is the model wearing Indian sandals? I have never taken a marketing class, so maybe someone can tell me what the marketers were thinking when they used a model who is not representative of the (presumed) target demographic, and had him wear shoes that the (presumed) target demographic does not wear.
(Apologies in advance for the unhinged posts from a certain reader that are bound to follow.)
@Henry I am sure Mr. Banks could answer your question http://www.wwd.com/media-news/publishing/privilege-and-plaid-the-progression-of-preppy-style-5072760
On the subject of the monkey theme for wardrobe items it appears to be an old one. I have seen an unlined SakUniversityty store tie and J.Press did a four monkeys tie for many years.
Correction Saks University
@ C. Sharp – Thanks for the helpful info.
@ Henry – Preppy clothing manufacturers who aspire to achieve mainstream success have been using black models for years and years. I imagine they do it to signal that they are appealing to a broad consumer base–and that they are aspiring to sell clothes to African Americans among others, as many of these manufacturers ultimately did. I imagine that the Indian sandals are in the photo because they are an up-and-coming style, they suit the tropical theme of the shoot, and they look cool.
I think the confusion might be here: you are presuming that Gant’s target demographic is the very WASP contingent (or pick your own word for it) that inspired the styling of these clothes. But these manufacturers are also trying to sell these clothes to people outside that group who, nevertheless, like to dress like the insiders. You know, like most of the people who read this blog.
C. Sharp,
Thank you for the link. (Still no “critter” pants on the black guys, though.)
Gabe,
Thank you for the answer. I get the shoes now: they’re trendy. However, I still wonder: how many black guys wear emblematic pants? Maybe it’s just odd to market such a niche item to a broad base.
Around where I live, I see a lot of gangsta “style” on younger black (and Hispanic) men, and mainly generic neutral American “style” on older men of all races. Sadly, there just aren’t a lot of guys wearing classic clothes of any level of formality in my area.
In any case, thank you both.
There are millions of black people in this country. Why is it always an issue if a person of color is wearing clothes in a picture? So are you not going to buy them because you see two black feet? It’s just a photo, grow up. Months ago on this site, a black man was in a tweed Polo suit in an ad and people had a heart attack in the comments section. Some had the nerve to act like no black man could even know about a tweed suit. Why do people of color, specifically black men, have to all wear the same clothing? It reminds me of the “they all look alike” saying that makes me cringe. It’s 2011 and the same simple-minded, ignorant comments still exist. And people wonder why the fashion industry is so one-sided.
@Mark
It’s just Henry. He seems to ALWAYS find a way to bring up his obsessions with race.
Did you guys see this latest gem from Laguna Beach Fogey?
http://admiralcod.blogspot.com/2011/09/on-charity.html
@Christian
Clod spewed:
“On a purely biological level, it is an arrant violation of our genetic interests…””Charity, after all, begins at home, as the Bible affirms in 1 Tim 5:8: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Let me be clear: for ourselves and ourselves alone.”
Typical rightwing Ayn Rand/Libertarian/”Lord of the Flies” BS.
Even more typical, he even manages to try to use a bible quote to justify himself!
However, Ayn Rand showed herself to be the usual rightwing hypocrite when she used her husband’s name to collect Social Security and Medicare in her geriatric time of need.
Let’s hope LBF never needs any help. Charity might indeed begin at home, but for his sake let’s hope it doesn’t end there…..Jesus might just kick him in the balls.
@Laguna spewed:
“Let’s hope you pussies don’t meet me in real life, as I don’t subscribe to the Christian virtues.”
Of course you don’t. Like any true hard-rightwinger, you merely quote the bible to try to justify your blatantly anti-christian beliefs. Goes with the turf.
BTW…”poseur”? Seriously? I think the last time I heard someone use that term was in the early 80s. And the kid was 15.
(snicker)
@LBF
NEWSFLASH: Laguna Beach Fogey is actually a 12 year old boy.
What trend I’m going to attach myself to, or what trend I’m going to drive?
@Laguna
Well you certainly put the maturity question to bed with that.
@Button-Down Mind
Ha! Seriously…..
@Laguna ……..you’re flailing like a spastic!
Embarrassing how everyone just rolls their eyes and feels sorry for you. How can you sleep with that much bottled-up misdirected rage gnawing at your gut?
eh…nevermind…who cares…
Christian’s background doesn’t seem to be very “preppy” at all
@Reid
The same could be said of the vast majority wearing those styles. Does it matter?
It definitely doesn’t matter, it was just an observation I made after reading his bio…I do enjoy his blog very much, it just seems as if it is more a style than a lifestyle he grew up with to represent.
Reid,
He’s a journalist. Journalists are supposed to cover things that they don’t necessarily “represent” by virtue of birth or background.
Almost everyone else (including Reid, actually),
Looks like there were unhinged posts from more than one reader. Sorry again about being the catalyst for them. Some people, having only a hammer for a tool, will start to see everything as nails. How sad that so many people are unable to disagree without being disagreeable!
Well, according to you I’m definitely a real businessman.
And I’ve only ever “attacked” you for your bigotry.
@Admiral Cod – Troll much?
I appreciate the irony of Admiral Cod AKA Laguna Beach Fogey trolling on the post about civil discussion on the Internet. But the next time he calls anyone a fake, he better be ready to offer up pdf scans of an Exeter diploma.
@Admiral Clod
Jealous much?
I’m curious what exactly Christian is supposed to be “faking”.
He says in his bio that he went to Cal State Fullerton. I suppose he secretly doesn’t like any of the clothes he writes about, and he is just “faking” that?
To be fair, Admiral Cod has now put us on notice that Christian is “making money off of” us. We have been given fair warning that a professional writer whose work we find useful and enjoyable gets paid for his writing. I shall now do my best to “[b]eware” that Christian expects remuneration for his services, like every other professional in the history of civilization.