while he’s become known as the menswear guy on twitter Derek Guy’s blog dieworkwear is full of long form dives into whatever he’s into at the moment . his writing for put this on is great as well , though the site’s largely dead now , the archive is still informative & interesting (i’d recommend looking through the knowledge base & advice tabs) .
i always look forward to his excited to wear seasonal series , it’s a joy to read his work & see what’s moving him in the upcoming season . he’s obviously got a strong base of knowledge in menswear , both casual & formal , but he emphasizes style that’s personal to a specific life , the delights of wearing clothes , & what they mean in the world . what’s great about his blog as well is that he always includes a wide variety of photos that illustrate the various pieces & styles he’s highlighting , both throughout his articles as well as a string of them at the bottom . they’re perfect for seeing how many different (often real) people are wearing these pieces and how you could work them into your own life .
all that said nothing beats trying a lot of stuff on , seeing what feels good for you & what sticks . it’s about the physical & emotional feeling of your clothes as they stand between you & the world .
a side rec for checking out more curated stores , whether that’s smaller boutique menswear shops or higher end vintage/consignment places . even if you don’t buy anything there it’s useful just to see what’s good & what you can look for at other places , without having to do so much sorting & searching through a thrift store or mall (which i find exhausting & often frustrating)
Apr 13, 2025
Related Recs
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go places & try things on !
i came up in the fashion blog wave & will [somewhat embarrassingly] always be kinda menswear pilled due to heavy exposure to putthison & four pins at an impressionable age . so i definitely love developing taste by just consuming a million images of things you’ll never wear or even likely see in person in combination with articles about clothes that are equally removed from your life ... but truly nothing beats just going to stores & trying things on . there’s no better way to see what actually works for you & feels good on your body than the tactile experience of wearing different clothes , often trying something on can put you on to a shape/style/fabric/brand you might not have otherwise considered .
i love shopping designer consignment for this because you can try a really wide range of brands/eras/styles all in one place & they usually have some sort of curation so you don’t have to dig forever to find beautiful things . but also the experience of going to try on things you couldn’t necessarily afford at fancy possibly overpriced shops [‘boutiques’] is also great because honestly part of dressing up & shopping is the fantasy of a person you might be if you had the right clothes .
obligatory shoutout to jon moy , arabelle sicardi , derek guy & tumblr fashion blogs/archives for influencing the way i shop & look at clothes forever
Sep 13, 2024
Men‘s formal wear is all about fit. Learning how to shop off the rack with the intention of doing alteration is a skill worth developing especially as you may come to find that mens ready to wear is not necessarily cut for your frame. For example, a trouser can be hemmed or taken in but it’s really hard to change the seat. A shirt can be cropped or the sleeves shortened, but it needs to fit you through the chest.
I recommend shopping in person and moving in clothes while you try them on. (How do your clothes look when you bend down? When you sit? Can you raise your arms? Can you hug a friend?) You need to be really honest with yourself about how things fit in this process and shopping for the body you have rather than the body you want can be really difficult while working through changes in presentation and self-conception. But like any skill you will only get better at it over time!
My girlfriend put me on to Put This On a few years back. It’s full of intel about the codes and rules of men’s dress that I never really learned but having more of a language for these things has improved my eye and vocabulary for menswear many times over. Fwiw I am coming at this as a historically masculine of centre woman who still mostly shops menswear—so while I am very serious about clothing and have been collecting for many years, I am not particularly concerned with passing but am rather pursuing comfort and ease with my body and in my life. All this to say this rec is for the long game!
Godspeed and good luck!
Apr 13, 2025
Perhaps it is because of grotesque inflation which thus leads to the limited financial resources that the working class has, or because of sterile celebrity, but high-end fashion is not hitting for me. Every time there is a big event --- the Oscars, the Emmys, the met Gala, Paris or NY Fashion Week itself --- I am underwhelmed by what the big whale brands are selling to us. I am the son of a fashion executive, and a mom who will judge the outfits that I put together, so it is imperative that I look good as a Black man in New York. Ralph had some chic fits during his runway show, and you always salute when the goat makes his sounds, but every other big name should step it up. The best part of the Tommy Hilfiger show was Raekwon and Ghostface performing old Wu-Tang songs. It wasn't the clothes. A lot of fashion is dressing like someone who wants to be a character in Zoolander. Even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who I profiled and do admire, feels like he is doing a bit too much right now. Everyone needs to relax, and remember, to look good is to be stylish and practical; to be whimsical but grounded in reality; to be able to be at the Odeon and the chicken spot. Part of me thinks that young people no longer want to look hot or exude charisma, they want to exact retribution against the previous generation and their sins by dressing depressingly and being dull by way of faux style. (You heard me. You kids do not look cool. You look distressed).
Fashion is also to figure things out for yourself, to see what you can buy that looks good but is affordable and can inspire others to do the same. I used to like cardigans, but now I do not like them, and I go with the sweater vest instead. I used to dislike turtlenecks, now I adore them. When I was teenager in Harlem, going to Catholic school during the week for high school, I had to wear uniforms, so I was constantly looking for pants and ties that could make me stand out in a place that wanted you to look like everybody else looked.
The best way to make a dent, and look cool, is eBay. eBay is the best, and it is where I do all of my shopping. It is better than the mass consumption of fast fashion, and it has a DIY sensation because everyone is buying and sending clothes once worn by other people. Lately, I have been buying jeans. I bought a Wrangler jean, medium wash, nice little straight leg fit, that I linked at the top. (Wrangler is not only for Brett Favre and Josh Allen, it is also for me. I love how thick and crisp the jean is, making it perfect for the winter time, and for strenuous activity. I am *the* big man, and Wrangler is a great denim jean for me). Then, I bought a carpenter pants, a very underrated article of clothing in my eyes.
Sometimes, I spend hours just looking at coats that I can possibly buy. I'm eyeing some NorthFace puffers with some coal colors on the body of the jacket, and black on the top half of the jacket. A Ralph Lauren Herrington jacket --- that I won't link to anyone because I am not feeling generous enough --- is my greatest inspiration right now.
Oh, ebay! Your simple interface, your DIY feeling, your non-stop flush of clothing will always make you important to the world. I do believe in shopping in person, if only because it is human interaction, and it helps with knowing what will fit best, and what won't fit best, but when it comes to online shopping, eBay is like listening to rapper Future throughout the day: simultaneously comfortable and an act of greatness.
Dec 2, 2024
Top Recs from @seiji
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there’s that little jolt of joy when you discover that you’re having the same experience as another person
Mar 8, 2025
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it’s the perfect length for me to watch after work , i can start a movie at 11 or even 12 & get to bed at the (mostly) reasonable hour of 1:30 at the latest . sometimes i will extend this to 100 or 110 min if i‘m feeling indulgent or ambitious .
i could watch an hour of tv but this gives me a whole story in only a little bit more time .
Sep 11, 2024
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morning
go to george st diner for breakfast if you’re in the east end , the people are the best there & i’ve never had a bad meal , they also turn tables at a truly impressive rate while never making you feel rushed .. real professionals at work 🫡 [irish breakfast is fantastic in all 3 sizes it’s offered in] -> {afterwards go across the street to window shop at haven if you’re into beautiful but expensive clothing}
in the west end go to the federal it’s quick & reliable & cute , small menu but nothings bad [cubano & eggs federal are standouts for me]
if you want a coffee i think hamers is the best in the city , they really care about what they’re doing & the prices are surprisingly reasonable in a world where a coffee can easily scrape $10 if you’re not careful ... rooms coffee also has a couple locations across the city & the spaces are thoughtful & beautiful & filled w/ the city's creative directoriest types
afternoon
ossington is a ridiculous street but there’s a couple great stores there if you like shopping , lost & found is great for high end basics & i miss you is one of the best designer consignment stores in the city . sonic boom probably has the biggest vinyl selection in the city but it’s also home to toronto‘a only genuine film photobooth , it’s so cute & fun to squeeze into the booth & get a little strip of photos to take home
while around there you can walk around bellwoods & watch the dogs or get some great fruit & oysters from the farmers market if you’re there on a tuesday & head down the street to get a glass of wine at grape witches gorgeous back patio [they’re open from noon]
you could also head west to high park which is huge & a great place for a picnic or a stroll
museum wise the textile museum is small but always has something that takes my breath away , truly special exhibitions if you’re into textile arts
for a snack stop by le’s sandwich [cash only] for a stunningly cheap & surprisingly good banh mi from the owner’s living room or make the trip up to st clair to go to futura granita + gelato exceptional vibrant flavours & unmatched textures .. best in the city & so worth the trek
evening
if you’re west you can go roncesvalles & catch a movie at the revue [the citys best theatre] , just go see whatever is playing the editorial team there is fantastic & the crowd is always fun ! pre movie you can browse vinegar syndrome if you’re into under seen/under distributed movies of all varieties , lots of beautiful re editions here by the house label as well as others
for a nice dinner go to stop or mhel my two favourite restaurants in the city , seasonal & chef driven , both have small but passionate & kind teams who really care about the food & experience , definitely worth the admittedly high price to portion ratio , beautifully considered dishes & drinks but no fussy pretension behind them .
more mid priced options are le swan or bar vendetta [both from jen agg the city’s most publicly opinionated restauranteur who is also one of the best] , dotty’s or cafeteria [one of the new dinner/dance club hybrid spots that are mysteriously becoming a thing here now] cafeteria in particular is headed by eric mcdonald who has been my favourite chef since she blew my mind with what she was doing at sakai bar a few years ago
for drinks go to archive or little jerry for beautiful & interesting wine [little jerry in particular has fantastic warm sound & atmosphere & great vinyl dj’s setting the tone] or black dice for a fun japanese rockabilly cash bar
this is so long sorry … but i love my city & i especially love the food & drink scene/community here i think it’s really something special 🥲
Sep 17, 2024