When it comes to male fashion, it may seem like the best thing to wear could be jeans, a nice shirt, and maybe a cover-up jacket. Even though in certain circumstances some types of clothing options may not seem like the best, there’s a wide variety that exists, ones that don’t have to break the bank. However, the current fast fashion industry masks that possibility. Fashion enthusiasts Miles Jaffe, grade 12, and Diego Dominguez, grade 11, explain how fast fashion has hindered the creativity and ethics of the art, as well as how young men can utilize their closet to feel their best while looking their best despite this.
When asked about his current thoughts on the fashion industry in today’s society, Dominguez stated, “I feel like it’s a very interesting part of history because every single part of history today is fashionable.” However he also mentioned that, “Many fast fashion brands of today shouldn’t exist because of the waste that they produce.” Diego’s statement about major companies being more wasteful than others is very true. These fast fashion brands are detrimental to the environment and the industry as they produce cheap items made in sweatshops, which not only have poor working conditions and harm the planet and are cheaply made. Yet they keep their appeal because they’re easy to buy as they’re cheap and more readily available. As seen in brands like Shein, Zara, H&M, Gap, Old Navy, Primark, and Victoria’s Secret according to Sustainably-Chic. The list goes on and on as these companies all contribute to more carbon emissions and create overall wasteful products.
Going towards how the industry works and behaves, Diego said, “The only thing that I feel needs to be changed in the fashion industry is the way that fast fashion works.” The way that most of these companies work is they blow up online with some crazy new article of clothing or accessories for an insane price. It also starts with a person who has some high status, typically an influencer, who promotes said item. Specifically, the Big Red Boot created by MSCHF blew up as they were created by Gabriel Whaley and were being promoted more by the company MSCHF. At the time, the boot itself sold for $350.00 but now with reselling, they have dropped down heavily in price with some selling for as little as $60.00.
The fashion industry their moves too fast and makes designs that are not universally flattering and have a hefty price tag for their value. Even though people may have heard of name-brand icons like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Micheal Kors, and Prada. Most people buy these expensive items for other reasons. according to Adam Hölzl from Linkedin; “Consumers who buy luxury goods are not just purchasing a product; they are investing in a lifestyle, a social status, and a sense of belonging to an exclusive club of people who can afford to buy these brands.” It’s best to take a look at companies that both keep people in style and protect workers as well as the planet.
Dominguez mentioned that at the, “Beginning of a fashion career [fast fashion] could be pretty useful just to buy different essentials. As you get more into the fashion industry I feel buying from many of these big brands is harmful as a large part of the waste that comes from fast fashion brands contribute to a lot of the waste in the world. I have to call out specifically Shein because they are one of the most wasteful companies in the entire world.” As much as Shein can be useful as their items are inexpensive, it’s important to keep in mind that even though the items are cheap they could wear out more easily. The company is a multilevel corporation that only spits items out but doesn’t go back to original designs or make them long lasting. However, Dominguez also specifically mentions brands such as Liquid Lagoon, Two Patches, Dart.Dist, Wojo Wear, Far From Peace, Saturn Los Angeles, Metra Metra, Exeptstudios, and Jadentillou. Many of these brands are made specifically with ethical standards in mind so people can enjoy what they love wearing for reasonable prices.
So, how can young men learn how to assemble good-looking outfits tailored to their own personal style while boycotting these companies’ standards? Dominguez said, “When I first started getting into fashion, the thing that inspired me the most was different fashion creators. But as my tastes developed I managed to figure out how to make things on my own rather than relying on inspiration or anything else.” Finding inspiration for outfits takes time, but it helps you in gaining your own unique sense of style which can lead to creating the perfect look that represents you.
Take the Old-Money style for example. Over the past year, it has come back for both men and women. In males particularly, this includes white linen shirts with khakis in warmer seasons, and turtle necks with plaid pants, in cooler ones, with various ways to dress the outfit up or down based on the occasion. Using these trends as a guide while pairing certain clothing with things you already have in your closet can help you create your personal sense of style.
Layers and accessories are also small things to keep in mind when putting together an outfit. Temperatures vary no matter what the season, so incorporating layers in your outfit adds depth to your overall look, as well as various options based on your comfort. However, layers are especially key in cooler seasons. Dominguez says, “Winter [is the best] because you can layer an outfit more and give it much more depth, character, and personality.” Stylizing with accessories, whether that is jewelry, shoes, or bags, can add the final touch and tie the entire look together while highlighting your personality.
Outfits defining how your personality can look is a key to expressing oneself while also enhancing your overall look. Miles Jaffe is by far one of the more expressive students at Lake Highland with aspirations to pursue a career option in the fashion industry itself. When asked about his thoughts about the current state of the industry as of now Jaffe responded, “The fashion industry is thriving currently, maybe a little too much. New fashion trends will start and finish every week due to social media algorithms. The only real problem that has come out of this is younger designers will be brought to all the fame for a couple of weeks and then [become] completely irrelevant when the next new designer arises.” When talking about things like the Big Red Boot by MSCHF the fashion industry moves at too much of a fast pace, and if anything it needs to slow down.
Overall the fashion industry is going through a lot with it being accessible to everyone via social media or famous people promoting said article of clothing. Remembering to carry yourself and feel confident in what you wear will go far. Also, do not forget to avoid fast-fashion brands like Shein. This will be better for you, and you won’t be wasting money on cheap and poorly constructed clothing.
