Newsweek: ‘Haute Americana’

andrewromano:

In which AMR dons the skimpy veil of “journalism” to self-analyze his own obsession interest in authentic—or authentic-ish—American attire and the recent revival thereof:

Until recently, men like Leung would’ve skipped the Woolrich for a skinny Dior suit. But in recent years a number of tastemakers, many foreign, have dedicated themselves to reviving iconic American clothing for a hip new audience. Some have collaborated with classic U.S. brands on revitalized products (see: Suzuki and Woolrich). Some have stocked hunting garb in their big-city boutiques. And some have actually begun to reproduce emblematic gear—Wayfarers, Penfield vests—to exacting standards of authenticity. The result—on ample display in places like Brooklyn, N.Y., and Portland, Ore., where certain streets now resemble catwalks crowded with bookish lumberjacks—is a subset of prosperous peacocks paying a premium for garments originally meant for mining or fishing, then wearing them to tapas bars and contemporary art installations.

Affected? Absolutely. Still, how we dress says a lot about who we want to be, and that ache for authenticity—or, at least, the aura of authenticity—is revealing. For the foreigners who instigated the fad, sturdy American gear has long evoked a distant, idealized culture. As a child, Suzuki would watch “The Graduate” and obsess over Dustin Hoffman’s parka and Jack Purcells. “Americana represented a new, almost utopian viewpoint for me,” he says. With the recent decline in our security, industry and standing, that nostalgia for a prelapsarian America (and the durable domestic goods that defined it) seems to have settled over the stylish set here at home. “Ironically, it’s largely because of overseas interest that Americans can now wear real American stuff,” says Michael Williams, a fashion publicist who covers Americana on his blog, A Continuous Lean. “They’re recognizing that heritage and quality are precious in our disposable Wal-Mart world.” It’s as if globalization has come full circle, creating both an appetite for cultural anchoring and a fashion to feed it.

Read the rest here.

If you’re going to read one piece of fashion writing published in a major news magazine, make it this one; it’s a really smart take.

Notes

  1. sarahfrank reblogged this from markcoatney and added:
    Note to self: Start dating men who dress like Grandpa.
  2. markcoatney reblogged this from andrewromano and added:
    If you’re going to read one piece of fashion writing published in a major news magazine, make it this one; it’s a really...
  3. andrewromano posted this