F*ck Yeah Menswear Style Archtypes

“Hey. Do you remember when we used to hang out with ugly people?”

“No . . . cause that never happened.”

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STYLE ARCHETYPES

A

s hard as we all try to get steezed out, the reality of

the situation is that we’re still just playing a part. A part that falls in line with generations and generations of menswear fiends. A part that can be easily stereotyped and made fun of.

The following pages present a look at the definitive style archetypes and what sets each apart.

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Age: 40 and up

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Strengths: Double monks, doublebreasted suits, double four-in-hand knots, double anything to be quite honest, dad jeans

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Weaknesses: Carbs, mistresses, Ferraris, lung cancer, technology, English

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Favorite brands/designers: Whatever he and/or his family has a controlling stake in. Examples include, but are not limited to Isaia, Borrelli, Boglioli, Lardini, and any other brand that sounds like it easily could be a pasta dish you had that one time on “vacation.�

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style archetypes

Sprezz The smoking street-style unicorn, the Pitti Uomo peacock with panache, this is the sprezzed-out Italian gent. With facial hair worn without a single hint of irony, his sense of taste is off the charts and helps influence countless broke underclassman across the Atlantic. His greatest attribute, bequeathed at birth, is his innate understanding and execution of sprezzatura. Odds are his family has done this kind of thing long before the internet was invented, and he probably has no idea that the internet even exists. Aspiration need not apply in this case. Out of all the style heroes, he truly lives it.

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Heritage Nostalgia drunk deep from the waters that carved the Appalachians. This guy only concerns himself with clothing that was made for hardworking men in even harder times. Clothing that is built from the ground up. Prepared on the daily to cut cords of wood or build railroads, this guy feels at home in denim, waxed jackets, and thick, sturdy boots. A history of excellence is what this guy strives for. Ernest Hemingway, Steve McQueen, and other dead guys are the icons this dude shunned his father for. Each time he pulls on his heavy wool overcoat he becomes part of a long tradition of making this nation great, whether walking to the local bodega or debating if his favorite brunch place will be totally swamped.

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style archetypes

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Age: 25–45

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Strengths: Obscure beers, repelling water, beards, brand history, judging authenticity

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Weaknesses: Manual labor, overpriced notebooks, patina, compasses, outsourcing

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Favorite brands/designers: Barbour, Filson, Alden, Red Wings, Levi’s, L.L.Bean, Woolrich Woolen Mills, Engineered Garments, Pendleton

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