If you have to reduce your wardrobe to only 5 items...

[Seb Lucas]

Einstein was the first person I'm aware of to whom this idea is attributed. I'm not convinced of its effectiveness myself. I tend to the view that a goodly chunk of people who do this are simply either enormously pretentious, or just not interested in clothes. Both are especially common in the tech industry, a field so square and conformist that they think it's still an act of rebellion not to wear a tie.

I think there are more than two explanations, Edward. From experience it certainly does save time and effort. I would have thought wearing a tie is the act of rebellion these days since I can't think of many jobs where a tie is still required. Maybe that's just Australia.

My favorite watch maker (long gone to God), a specialist in servicing Brietling, Omega and Rolex knew everything about watches and could fix anything. What did he wear? A black Swatch. He didn't care to wear anything special, he was happy to understand them and appreciate other people's watches.

For me, ditto for clothes. I have established my preferred look and never need to think about outfits or matching items but this doesn't mean I don't appreciate other people's clothing.

 

[Seb Lucas]

I might get an earfull, but I think I could get away with:

Olive bucket hat
Navy T shirt
Olive shorts
Black hoodie
Black flip-flops
View attachment 114441
It's been up in the 90s this week already, and this outfit is what I usually wear 80% of the time. My kids ask why I'm always wearing the same clothes. Truth is, I've got 5 pairs of shorts- all olive/ 8 navy T shirts. I should have bought two of the hats

What style of hat, a Filson?

 

[Big J]

This thread has changed akemi an interesting turn.
I've often wondered how true the story about Einstein having multiple sets of identical clothes was. I've suspected that it was a myth. It's more likely that (like Jim Morrison) he wore the same clothes repeatedly because he liked them/lacked sartorial awareness/was lazy about his appearance. After all, everywhere he turned up people just lavished him with respect for being himself, so I guess the need to 'make a good first impression' was never a consideration for him.

It just seems hugely impractical to wear an identical outfit everyday.

I agree with Edward that it's a hugely pretentious endeavor to engage in, and even Jobs and Zuckerburg seem to be affecting this kind of 'hey, look how casual I am, and I'm, like, a really powerful CEO! Aren't I rebellious and 'out of the box'?' Kind of thing. All of the 'rich' people I know spend a fortune on clothes, even if they have no sense of style and dress badly. It's interesting that Zuckerburg can manage to stuff a suit on for his appearance in front of congress. Where's the rebel now? It's all a knowing affectation.

Bow ties are awesome! I often wear one with slacks and a blazer when I have to go somewhere more 'formal', and all the other men are wearing work suits and long neckties, looking like they are in the office. Sad. Bow ties are kind of playful and distinguished, and tell people that 'this isn't my work clothes'.

My regular everyday clothes are relatively limited; slacks or jeans, boots or converse, white T-shirt or blue oxford shirt or check flannel shirt, plus a flight jacket. I buy all of these things in multiples- four or five identical jeans or slacks, three or four pairs of boots and sneakers, but I don't wear the same 'look' every day.

 

[zebedee]

I started to thin down my wardrobe because I had so much stuff I started getting annoyed about it. I'd rather just have one or two examples of really well-made things (at least at the overcoat and jacket end) and 6 work-ok shirts and three pairs of trousers. Living in a really humid climate doesn't really help though...

 

[Big J]

Oh! I forgot, Ronda Rousey is welcome to come try on my clothes any day! She's great!

 

[Monitor]

Oh! I forgot, Ronda Rousey is welcome to come try on my clothes any day! She's great!

She sure has taste! Langlitz?

 

[handymike]

What style of hat, a Filson?

sorry, Seb- I got it for $10 at a NYC street fair.
Now, bow ties...those seem pretentious to me. It could be all those Wall Street and uptight guys who wear them back East.

 

[Edward]

I hope the same thing happens with bow ties.

Why? I hate short trousers, but if other people want to ear them, why should I have a say in that?

I think there are more than two explanations, Edward. From experience it certainly does save time and effort. I would have thought wearing a tie is the act of rebellion these days since I can't think of many jobs where a tie is still required. Maybe that's just Australia.

That's my point. These folks make a show of how casual they are all the time. It happens even in academia: I was at a graduation ceremony last year where a senior academic from another faculty (who clearly hadn't attended graduation in some time) openly boasted that this was the first time he'd worn a tie in three years. My point is that in today's casualised world, those who think they are being rebellious by being so casual are mere conformists, and it very much is an act of rebellion to wear a tie by choice. In such circumstances it's hardly a surprise hat wearing a bow tie is seen as dandified; some people think I'm a hipster because I war them regularly. They couldn't be more wrong, but I suppose if their imagination is so limited as to not comprehend that I enjoy them, then it must be tempting for them to assume it must be an ironic statement.

My favorite watch maker (long gone to God), a specialist in servicing Brietling, Omega and Rolex knew everything about watches and could fix anything. What did he wear? A black Swatch. He didn't care to wear anything special, he was happy to understand them and appreciate other people's watches.

My jeweller always told me that there's nothing mechanical as accurate as a cheap quartz... I've known several people in the trade wouldn't spend the money on a Rolex. (I wear a Submariner homage myself, simply because I like the style but I could never justify the cost of a Rolex!)

For me, ditto for clothes. I have established my preferred look and never need to think about outfits or matching items but this doesn't mean I don't appreciate other people's clothing.

I think most people settle into a generic look that fits them over time, though there's a difference between that and a conscious choice to only ever be seen in a single outfit, owning multiples thereof.

This thread has changed akemi an interesting turn.
I've often wondered how true the story about Einstein having multiple sets of identical clothes was. I've suspected that it was a myth. It's more likely that (like Jim Morrison) he wore the same clothes repeatedly because he liked them/lacked sartorial awareness/was lazy about his appearance. After all, everywhere he turned up people just lavished him with respect for being himself, so I guess the need to 'make a good first impression' was never a consideration for him.

It just seems hugely impractical to wear an identical outfit everyday.

I often suspect that some slebs like to create the impression that's what they do so that when they are off-duty they are rendered invisible - "Hey, that guy looks like Clooney, but he'd never be seen dead in a hoody...."

I agree with Edward that it's a hugely pretentious endeavor to engage in, and even Jobs and Zuckerburg seem to be affecting this kind of 'hey, look how casual I am, and I'm, like, a really powerful CEO! Aren't I rebellious and 'out of the box'?' Kind of thing. All of the 'rich' people I know spend a fortune on clothes, even if they have no sense of style and dress badly. It's interesting that Zuckerburg can manage to stuff a suit on for his appearance in front of congress. Where's the rebel now? It's all a knowing affectation.

Indeed - orginally, the casual dress of the IT world was considered outre; then it was seen as a mark of success - "I've made it, now nobody tells me to wear a tie!" - now it's just become sad conformism. My brother is a programmer, and tells a story of the guy who came to work in a suit and tie for his first week before peer-pressure and ridicule forced him into the same t-shirt and jeans as everyone else.

Bow ties are awesome! I often wear one with slacks and a blazer when I have to go somewhere more 'formal', and all the other men are wearing work suits and long neckties, looking like they are in the office. Sad. Bow ties are kind of playful and distinguished, and tell people that 'this isn't my work clothes'.

Yes, I'm a fan too. Also wonderful for graduation ceremonies - much easier to work the hood around than a four in hand!

My regular everyday clothes are relatively limited; slacks or jeans, boots or converse, white T-shirt or blue oxford shirt or check flannel shirt, plus a flight jacket. I buy all of these things in multiples- four or five identical jeans or slacks, three or four pairs of boots and sneakers, but I don't wear the same 'look' every day.

This is also a thing - there's a difference between adopting a generic look - the rockabilly denims guy, the suit guit, the guy who wears kilts, or whatever, and only wearing one of multiples of an identical outfit. Just as there's a difference between being indifferent to change and happy in the identical outfit, and making a show of it, a la Zuckerberg or Jobs.

 

[Edward]

That’s what I tell myself as well. And here I sit, with 11 leather jackets, 4 denim jackets and a couple other jackets as well, maybe 20 in total [emoji6]

I joke, but really it is one of the attractions for me as well. I attribute the inordinate amount of jackets to trial and error in searching for those few keepers.


Skickat från min iPad med Tapatalk

Ha, well...... yes, it doesn't always work as intended. I took up DE shaving in part to cut the cost; I now have a modest collection of DE razor handles....

 

[dubpynchon]

She sure has taste! Langlitz?

That jacket is way oversized. Not that I'd say that in her hearing, in case she overheard me and beat the bejeezus out of me.

 

[Seb Lucas]

That's my point. These folks make a show of how casual they are all the time. It happens even in academia: I was at a graduation ceremony last year where a senior academic from another faculty (who clearly hadn't attended graduation in some time) openly boasted that this was the first time he'd worn a tie in three years. My point is that in today's casualised world, those who think they are being rebellious by being so casual are mere conformists, and it very much is an act of rebellion to wear a tie by choice. In such circumstances it's hardly a surprise hat wearing a bow tie is seen as dandified; some people think I'm a hipster because I war them regularly. They couldn't be more wrong, but I suppose if their imagination is so limited as to not comprehend that I enjoy them, then it must be tempting for them to assume it must be an ironic statement.

I'm not sure what it is about tie wear that provokes people's judgment so readily. I would be surprised if anyone wears casual clothing in order to be rebellious. I would have thought it was more the fact that few people see the point of dressing like their grandpa - it seems so fussy and uncomfortable. But who knows? There are so many subcultures on the planet, no doubt there are many reasons for casual wear. IT folk sometimes make choices for odd reasons.

I do wear identical black shirts (around 2 dozen) and and about 10 pairs of identical jeans so I belong to the pretentious Job and Zuck school. Although I'm not in IT so I might stop short of being a total, self-important write off.

The bow tie look is something I can't connect with at all - and I remember when they were fashionable in the 1970's. To my eye very few men can pull them off. In Australia bow ties seem to be donned by middle aged me who want to strongly suggest they are more interesting than other middle aged me. (Dr Who of course opened the look up to younger folk, for similar reasons and hispters, ditto) I'm used to seeing bow ties mainly on certain lawyers, architects and gynecologists.

 

[navetsea]

I like plain grey t-shirt since they don't easily get to look faded, old, stained or dirty, however I hate elasticized collar since that part usually ages must faster than the rest of the t-shirt, so last time I bought 2 kilos of cotton t-shirt fabrics, and have it made into short sleeve t-shirt I would wear at home without elasticized collar, now I have 6 identical t-shirts to wear at home, I didn't expect the material would be enough to make that many pieces otherwise I would have asked for long sleeved turtlenecks to wear with jackets.

 

[Big J]

@Seb Lucas, you got me there! I only wear a bow tie to suggest I am more interesting than other middle aged men!

 

[HadleyH1]

Jeans

Sweatshirt/hoodie

leather long boots/sandals

cotton t-shirt

 

[Kuro]

Boots: Viberg derby
Jeans: meh. First pair I could grab. Perhaps my Taylor Stitch Kuroki Mills Black Selvage, they seem a little sturdier then my norm.
Belt: Galco CSB7
Shirt: Kitsbow Icon
Jacket/Coat: I suppose it would be my Schott P613S in burgundy... But I don't have my Aero BR to compare yet!

 

[JanW]

Footwear: Alden Barrie Last Color 8 Shell Cordovan Wing Tip Boots
Legwear: Samurai Jeans S5000MOG18OZ "Four Heavenly Kings"
Belt: Saddleback Leather Chestnut tow belt
Outerwear: Aero Highwayman FQHH Cordovan
Shirt: Navy v-neck hemp/cotton shirt

 

[Kuro]

Well, I posted taking the request literally, not considering the philosophical meaning behind my post. It was fun to consider!

 

[zebedee]

Reducing a wardrobe and clothing longevity would be mutually exclusive, I'd think- with laundering things regularly, the lifespan of individual items would definitely shorten.

The thing about minimalism is that you generally have to have had money and/or a surplus of items in the past. With expensive clothing, you could have one really expensive item and use it to extinction whereas five cheaper ones may all end up outlasting it if you circulated them. This might or might not apply to footwear, but wearing one pair every day is likely to give you, if nothing else, damp and rank footwear. I had a buddy who really did only seem to have two sets of clothes for work and one tie. He always looked quite well turned-out and saved a small fortune when we worked in Shanghai, but he did this with what appeared to be cheap items in the first place.

 

[Seb Lucas]

@Seb Lucas, you got me there! I only wear a bow tie to suggest I am more interesting than other middle aged men!

But you are more interesting, J, I've read your stuff on this site. Very good on the importance of history!

 

[Seb Lucas]

I like plain grey t-shirt since they don't easily get to look faded, old, stained or dirty, however I hate elasticized collar since that part usually ages must faster than the rest of the t-shirt, so last time I bought 2 kilos of cotton t-shirt fabrics, and have it made into short sleeve t-shirt I would wear at home without elasticized collar, now I have 6 identical t-shirts to wear at home, I didn't expect the material would be enough to make that many pieces otherwise I would have asked for long sleeved turtlenecks to wear with jackets.

Thats cool.