"To wear “nice” clothes is, on a basic level, to attempt to transform the way you look and feel for the better — an intrinsically aspirational act. And any gesture of aspiration contains within it a component of vulnerability, if not outright insecurity and vanity. In this case, you’re using a jawn to span the gap between how you want to look and feel and how you actually look and feel. But when this attempt takes the form of rocking a “nice” jawn with a logo on it, the aspiration~vulnerability~vanity is too naked, too bald — you’ve chosen to rock a thirst badge."
i think the way you dress ideally is a reflection and complement of how you already feel, not necessarily an aspiration. like, you may already feel blessed and so you choose clothes that match your level of blessedness. a person must seek clothes that match their aura, because you may put on some ill jawns but if they don't match your aura then it's a lost enterprise. and don't get me wrong, there are ill jawns for all type of auras/moods. if you feel kinda down, i think it's better to put on whatever lowkey light clothes on than to pretend than an ellaborate fit will magically cheer you up or fix your problems (you may actually endd up feeling worse). it's okay to look like an NPC. the only thing that matters is that your jawns match your energy. but yes, most logo tees are pathetic because if your aura is branded energy then we're f*cked.
super late to the party on this comment but curious what spyfriends think about no-logo-but-highly-trademarked designs. thinking specifically of my vintage burberry trench (early 80s if i’ve dated it correctly)—i *actually wear it* so it has some stains and scuffs, no logos, but still has the trademark tartan flapping about inside. to me, it’s a piece of highly functional, beautiful, well-loved fashion history, but i can totally see someone interpreting it as corny or douchy. is there a point where designs themselves logos, and there’s no way to rock them without being corny? mind you, i’m fine being corny if i know MY intentions are pure and i get to wear a really nice coat!!
Love seeing that Japanese mama-cat-carrying-baby-cat logo here! I remember noticing that when I went to Japan and took a few photos. My friend from Tokyo told me it is a delivery company, iirc? Now that’s some merch I would love to rock
So filled with wisdom. I can never figure out why it's ok with so many to donate rental space on their bodies to clothing logos. My pet peeve is the logo on the side of sunglasses...Why, Miuccia, why?
My take - I love a blast over, nearly abstract level logo on 90s gear from a shit brand like Nautica. It's like how camo becomes a solid color from a distance, it loses all meaning and context.
was getting at a version of this dynamic with the carve-out about how "vintage designer logo jawns can, in some cases, take on an archival aspect that helps neutralize the 'thirst badge' quotient" -- but i like that camo metaphor, that's a cool way of putting it
Loved this post!! Also have always had innate logo-allergy but that’s because my culty boarding school in s india banned logos. I think that was part their counter-culture bent and also from some prudish impulse to not let adolescent eyes have cause to linger on adolescent chests :) but I do have a weakness for non-clothing brand merch, makes me feel grounded in time and place :)
"...‘90s skatewear company doing a cheeky logo flip." Always made me laugh when B. Kruger jokingly suggested that one day Supreme would sue her, after they sent C&D to anyone that makes a BOGO lookalike...AFTER THEY KNOCKED OFF THE GOAT. Talk about calling the kettle black. SMH
Lacoste was founded by a tennis player, and initially made actual tennis shirts. Polo seems like it's in a different 'fantasy sportswear' category. Maybe this is pedantic but it seems like there's a distinction. Lacoste also claims to be "the first example of a brand name appearing on the outside of an article of clothing". So maybe they're the O.G. villains here.
Stone Island considers itself sportswear ("Sportswear Company S.p.A") but that seems like a stretch.
I'm trying to justify getting the badge in but really I know this Spyplane Holy Decree to be true.
i mean yeah it's fascinating: ralph lauren's huge triumph as a marketer~designer~huckster~showman~world-builder was to totally explode any "gold standard" of authenticity that clothes "should" refer back to ... lacoste had the gold standard of his tennis history "backing" the crocodile; ralph found a way to cook without anything "backing" the pony
that can get into a whole other cultural conversation but broad strokes i could have included carhartt in the litany at the end, which instead of calling sports apparel I could have called like clothes with "purpose"-driven / "getting active" DNA
a debadged carhartt jacket can look pretty fire though
So low that no more high horses, so hard to wear Polo
When I do, I cut the pony off
Now there’s a hole where there once was a logo
How do we feel about “cutting the pony off” i.e. removing logos from clothes. I’ve became accustomed to using my seam ripper to remove logos from Carhartt pants and Patagonia jackets. I appreciate the utility of these brands and there accessibility on the secondhand marketplace. Yet, deeply feel the aversion to make advertising apart of my being in the world. I personally love the impression the removed logos leave suggesting a brand but making no claims to it.
love hearing about everyone’s dads not wanting them to be a walking billboard... makes me feel warm! my dad, a king who still buys all his clothing in packs from the center aisles at Costco, once bought me a Patagonia Snap-T for my birthday and painstakingly used nail scissors to unstitch the front label before wrapping it up for me. no disrespect to yvon chouinard but fuck a label!!
the BBSP effect, exactly one year later: https://www.wsj.com/style/fashion/the-new-status-move-designer-logos-so-subtle-theyre-barely-there-fa3a94b3
"To wear “nice” clothes is, on a basic level, to attempt to transform the way you look and feel for the better — an intrinsically aspirational act. And any gesture of aspiration contains within it a component of vulnerability, if not outright insecurity and vanity. In this case, you’re using a jawn to span the gap between how you want to look and feel and how you actually look and feel. But when this attempt takes the form of rocking a “nice” jawn with a logo on it, the aspiration~vulnerability~vanity is too naked, too bald — you’ve chosen to rock a thirst badge."
i think the way you dress ideally is a reflection and complement of how you already feel, not necessarily an aspiration. like, you may already feel blessed and so you choose clothes that match your level of blessedness. a person must seek clothes that match their aura, because you may put on some ill jawns but if they don't match your aura then it's a lost enterprise. and don't get me wrong, there are ill jawns for all type of auras/moods. if you feel kinda down, i think it's better to put on whatever lowkey light clothes on than to pretend than an ellaborate fit will magically cheer you up or fix your problems (you may actually endd up feeling worse). it's okay to look like an NPC. the only thing that matters is that your jawns match your energy. but yes, most logo tees are pathetic because if your aura is branded energy then we're f*cked.
super late to the party on this comment but curious what spyfriends think about no-logo-but-highly-trademarked designs. thinking specifically of my vintage burberry trench (early 80s if i’ve dated it correctly)—i *actually wear it* so it has some stains and scuffs, no logos, but still has the trademark tartan flapping about inside. to me, it’s a piece of highly functional, beautiful, well-loved fashion history, but i can totally see someone interpreting it as corny or douchy. is there a point where designs themselves logos, and there’s no way to rock them without being corny? mind you, i’m fine being corny if i know MY intentions are pure and i get to wear a really nice coat!!
Love seeing that Japanese mama-cat-carrying-baby-cat logo here! I remember noticing that when I went to Japan and took a few photos. My friend from Tokyo told me it is a delivery company, iirc? Now that’s some merch I would love to rock
So filled with wisdom. I can never figure out why it's ok with so many to donate rental space on their bodies to clothing logos. My pet peeve is the logo on the side of sunglasses...Why, Miuccia, why?
I’ve de-branded clothing since I was a kid and still do, but I somehow ended up becoming a graphic designer.
My take - I love a blast over, nearly abstract level logo on 90s gear from a shit brand like Nautica. It's like how camo becomes a solid color from a distance, it loses all meaning and context.
was getting at a version of this dynamic with the carve-out about how "vintage designer logo jawns can, in some cases, take on an archival aspect that helps neutralize the 'thirst badge' quotient" -- but i like that camo metaphor, that's a cool way of putting it
Loved this post!! Also have always had innate logo-allergy but that’s because my culty boarding school in s india banned logos. I think that was part their counter-culture bent and also from some prudish impulse to not let adolescent eyes have cause to linger on adolescent chests :) but I do have a weakness for non-clothing brand merch, makes me feel grounded in time and place :)
believe this is similarly articulated in architecture as the duck vs decorated shed discussion
"...‘90s skatewear company doing a cheeky logo flip." Always made me laugh when B. Kruger jokingly suggested that one day Supreme would sue her, after they sent C&D to anyone that makes a BOGO lookalike...AFTER THEY KNOCKED OFF THE GOAT. Talk about calling the kettle black. SMH
I will never miss an opportunity to mention that she referred to that whole mishegas as "a ridiculous clusterfuck of totally uncool jokers." (more here: https://www.thecut.com/2017/11/i-think-about-when-barbara-kruger-dragged-supreme-a-lot.html)
BK rules.
Totally agree!
Lacoste was founded by a tennis player, and initially made actual tennis shirts. Polo seems like it's in a different 'fantasy sportswear' category. Maybe this is pedantic but it seems like there's a distinction. Lacoste also claims to be "the first example of a brand name appearing on the outside of an article of clothing". So maybe they're the O.G. villains here.
Stone Island considers itself sportswear ("Sportswear Company S.p.A") but that seems like a stretch.
I'm trying to justify getting the badge in but really I know this Spyplane Holy Decree to be true.
ffs
i mean yeah it's fascinating: ralph lauren's huge triumph as a marketer~designer~huckster~showman~world-builder was to totally explode any "gold standard" of authenticity that clothes "should" refer back to ... lacoste had the gold standard of his tennis history "backing" the crocodile; ralph found a way to cook without anything "backing" the pony
What about wearing Carhartt??
that can get into a whole other cultural conversation but broad strokes i could have included carhartt in the litany at the end, which instead of calling sports apparel I could have called like clothes with "purpose"-driven / "getting active" DNA
a debadged carhartt jacket can look pretty fire though
Was just coming here to mention Cayce Pollard but I see that the Spyfam beat me to the punch :)
So low that no more high horses, so hard to wear Polo
When I do, I cut the pony off
Now there’s a hole where there once was a logo
How do we feel about “cutting the pony off” i.e. removing logos from clothes. I’ve became accustomed to using my seam ripper to remove logos from Carhartt pants and Patagonia jackets. I appreciate the utility of these brands and there accessibility on the secondhand marketplace. Yet, deeply feel the aversion to make advertising apart of my being in the world. I personally love the impression the removed logos leave suggesting a brand but making no claims to it.
Can be a very solid move
love hearing about everyone’s dads not wanting them to be a walking billboard... makes me feel warm! my dad, a king who still buys all his clothing in packs from the center aisles at Costco, once bought me a Patagonia Snap-T for my birthday and painstakingly used nail scissors to unstitch the front label before wrapping it up for me. no disrespect to yvon chouinard but fuck a label!!
shout out to seam rippers