Every man of any age with little to no sense of style needs only one brand to follow, and that is Band of Outsiders. If a man needed to follow ONE brand rather than ONE trend, there's no other better than BoO to learn from.
Men's adaptation to changing fashion is like a glacier: way too slow for its own good. We need a lot of balls and time to try something new. I mean, I still see people cling onto their baggy pants.
That is why Band of Outsiders is so important. Their brand is all about SLOWLY encouraging gentlemen into new trends all while NEVER abandoning the basics we find so much comfort in. "Plain collared shirt? Cool. Put a simple vest over it. Think it's too 'gay'? Shit, Charles Hamilton is wearing it. Gay now?"
They understand the fear we have in wearing ankle-length pants and bow ties. So what do they do? Cut their pants slightly higher, but not too high, with an ever so hint of a "different" pattern. It's important they don't charge too much for it. If you experimented on a piece and hated it- better to waste it on a $25 tie than its $525 Marc Jacobs equivalent. Essentially, they're slowly lowering you into deeper waters. "Keep your solid shirt, but put away those sneakers and try a pair of boat shoes. Easy, right?"
Their pricepoint (slightly above Zara, but by no means near MJ status) isn't too high, and it allows guys to ease into fashion-forward elements without risking too much. "OK, now that you like that, how about try on some cool shorts. You still get to keep your plain black jacket, but just try these shorts and black socks."
That takes care of the straight bachelors. What about you artsy folks with boyfriends and girlfriends?
Sympathy/artistic authenticity check via Mad Men: even Pete Campbell wore that shit, and he's an advertising playboy.
Gay vote, via Beckham. For the record, no cardio is to be done in the BoO cashmere vest.
Female concurrence, via Christian Bale. Yes, that's a BoO shirt. Not the best picture, but you get it.
Scott Sternberg, a former Hollywood agent, founded the brand in 2004 by beginning to cut cheap fabric from his L.A. apartment. His women's line, Boy, and infamous men's lines are available across the world at boutique shops and larger stores like Barneys and Jeffrey. You can't read an issue of Details without seeing at least 3 spreads with this brand. My favorite quote from him that tells you everything about him (which is a bit ironic considering the subject of this entry):
"Talking about what brand you're wearing is gay in the bad way. Just keep quiet and play dumb if someone asks. talking about what a great deal you got on the aforementioned item is worse. If you must, tell your mom, because she has sale empathy and will take your victory as her own. It's sick."
MOST IMPORTANTLY: great fuckin' photography. Jason Schwartzman, Charles Hamilton, and Penn Badgley have the best get-ups. See, their line is a full homage to vintage styles (especially the formal wear)... and polaroid is the perfect delivery method. Check out their blog HERE.
