Category Archives: Passion

Many of you are probably unaware but in the world of sneakers there are giant conventions which are held for shoeheads to buy, trade, sell, and interact with others who are just as involved in the sneaker culture as they are. With this past weekend being SneakerCon DC and Sneaker Social at Gillette Stadium in Boston, I will be writing about these events and talking about my personal experiences attending them.

I remember my first sneaker event like it was yesterday. It was back in 2011 at the end of the school year. I took the train into DC with two of my friends who also happened to be shoeheads at the time. We got off at Union Station and walked about 15 minutes to the Atlas, a medium sized performing arts center, in NorthWest DC. As we approached the venue there was a line around the block. You could tell what the line was for by looking down at everyone’s feet. There were Air Jordan’s, Nike SB’s, Yeezy’s, running shoes, the list goes on and on. Any type of shoe you could imagine, someone was wearing it. I specifically remember it starting to drizzle while we were waiting in line. Other shoeheads were not very happy about this as who likes to get their nice clean shoes wet with dirty rain water? Although I wasn’t wearing any suede or nubuck shoes that day and didn’t mind much. It took us about 45 minutes to get to the front of the line and once we did we payed our $15 fee and were in.

Walking in felt incredible. The lobby of the Atlas led us down a wide hallway and into a large set of double doors which revealed a large flat open space that was packed with people. It was like being a kid in a candy store, there were shoes everywhere. There was a giant Adidas sneaker in the center of the room for people to autograph since Adidas was sponsoring the event. Tables were set up all around the perimeter of the room for the big vendors to sell their shoes at. You have to pay extra for a table, about $100, to have the luxury of not standing the whole event and so you can better display your shoes for sale. The floor area was very crowded with people holding their shoes in the air to try and catch the eye of someone who would want to buy them. It was like a giant open air market. People were talking all around me, discussing new releases and bargaining for better prices on the shoes they were trying to buy. I opened my backpack and took out my camera and started taking photos of everything. I walked around looking for shoes I recognized and went up to people asking price, size, condition, etc. searching for a pair I might want to purchase. Usually at these sneaker events is where you find amazing deals. There are stories of kids walking in with $200 and leaving six hours later with $1000 worth of shoes just from playing their cards right by making good buys, trades, and sales with their original $200.

My friends and I stayed for about two and a half hours before our feet started to hurt from standing for so long. By the end of the event I had bought two pairs of shoes and sold one. I had more fun being there than actually purchasing the kicks. I have attended two other sneaker events since then and will hopefully to continue to go and support the sneaker culture, community, and economy. It is quite the experience and even if you are not as into shoes as I may be, I recommend anyone to attend and maybe learn a little more about a hobby that they could possibly be apart of.

This week’s topic will be on the subject of the hypebeast. Hypebeast is a made up word used to describe a person who buys something not for it’s aesthetic qualities and personal liking but for the hype that surrounds the item being purchased. As defined by urban dictionary a hypebeast is “a kid that collects clothing, shoes, and accessories for the sole purpose of impressing others. Although the individual may not have a dime to their name they like to front like they are making far more then everybody else. Equipped with mommies credit card the Hype Beast will try his hardest to make sure he has every pair of Nike’s he saw Jay-Z wearing on 106 & Park.” I will now begin to discuss this terminology and the concepts surrounding it.

On about any clothing or shoe forum I have ever been on this word pops up all over the place. It is used as an insult to anyone who is thought to have bought something only for the hype that surrounds it. Basically someone who follows a trend or style only to fit in or be cool, not because they actually believe in it.Like any other offensive word it is easy to throw around. If you see someone wearing the newest Jordan’s that were released last Friday and you’re upset you didn’t have time to camp out all night to buy them you may say something along the lines of, “Joe doesn’t deserve those, he’s just a hypebeast.”

I have always had trouble grasping this word because the whole sneaker movement is based upon getting and giving props to your fellow sneaker heads for their newest kicks. Who knows if someone really likes them? The fact is that we are all influenced by hype in some way or another. Being a psych major I have learned and studied a lot about social conformity and the truth is that it is hard to go against the norm. It is much easier to buy and like a piece of clothing or pair of shoes that everyone else likes as well. That being said, I do have a mental picture of the classic representation of a hypebeast in my head and maybe the pictures below will help you understand more of what I am talking about.

For those of you who have never heard this word before you probably think it is pretty ridiculous and I’ll admit it someone is. But for someone who is into fashion and collecting clothes, being called a hypebeast comes as the highest insult. Ironically enough the most popular fashion blog on the web is called hypebeast.com (it really is a great blog) and they are doing perfectly fine with that name as their website.

In honor of my roommate bringing back to school with him the most easter, multi-colored, seersucker, short shorts I have ever seen, this week I will be talking about spring wear. Although coming back to State College and having it be 20 degrees, this post seems a bit premature.

We are halfway through March and it still is not particularly warm. As spring creeps closer and closer it is time to put away those heavy coats and switch over to sweatshirts and light jackets. I still suggest to layer even in the springtime. It is ok to wear a cardigan or light jacket over a long sleeve t-shirt or sweater. It is spring but it is not so hot that one will overheat with a few layers.

With Spring comes Spring colors. Unfortunately it does not always fit with the environment to wear shades of black and gray year round. Spring is where the pastels come out. Light blues, greens, oranges, maybe even…. yellows. Play around with different colors, although it is ok to wear jeans year round a nicely colored pair of shorts can either make or break an outfit. For shoes I would go with some type of sneaker, again colors will work well with the brightly colored trees surrounding you.

With the coming of Spring also comes Spring collections. A few well noted brands  I check out every year include the much anticipated Surpreme Spring/Summer collection as well as Stussy’s spring collection.

Please do not forget that it is ok to mix and match brands and designers. Just because you have a vineyard vines shirt on does not mean you need to be wearing pastel shorts and boat shoes. Play around with different clothes you own to find your personal style. Remember to focus on your outfit as a whole and not just individual pieces, find a comfortable look that you are happy with.

In honor of Mr. West performing at the Bryce Jordan Center this past Thursday, this week’s topic is the fashion icon that is Kanye West. West’s style has come a very long way since he released his debut album ten short years ago. He now serves as a fashion god to both kids and adults around the world and has collaborated with many well established brands such as A.P.C., Nike, and Louis Vuitton. Kanye has come a long way in how he dresses and there has been an evolution to his style which involves many stages.

West’s first attempt to bring the rap industry closer to a look of sophistication involved a phase where he wore a lot of Ralph Lauren. West is known for wearing Polo before it was deemed cool. This involved many Ralph Lauren sweaters and classic solid color or block striped polos.

Although West was attempting to bring rap culture to clothes from more expensive, luxury lines he did not forget his streetwear roots. West was never fearful of throwing a pair of Jordan’s or a brand such as Billionare Boys Club or Bape into an outfit. Still to this day is he sometimes seen in a Supreme piece of some sort along with occasionally rocking a classic pair of sneakers to deviate from his normal Louis Vuitton footwear.

We finally arrive in West’s current obsession with high fashion. West has become very good friends with famous designers such as Ricardo Tisci and Mark Jacobs who actually designed personal clothing items for West’s new born baby. It seems as though his style has become more adult. He is using his clothes to say that he has matured and no longer wants to be recognized as anything less than a mundane thirty-six year old man. For his Yeezus tour Kanye wears the high end fashion brand Margiela from head to toe, topping it off with a customized Margiela mask which he wears throughout his performance.

It is in no question that West’s style has changed since he first struck stardom ten years ago. For better or for worse is one’s own opinion. With his recent shift towards high fashion has come judgement. West’s collaboration with A.P.C. was criticized as being overpriced for the simplistic designs. One of the pieces was a blank white t-shirt being sold for $120. However West says this is the dawn of a new day and he had nothing to do with the price and things like that won’t happen again. With his recent signing to Adidas, West has promised to try and put out items that are both reasonably priced and readily available to the masses. Much unlike his most recent sneaker with Nike (Air Yeezy II Red October) which released last Sunday at 1pm and sold out a short eleven minutes later. Hopefully West’s style continues to evolve as he learns to become a father and we continue to be amazed by his keen fashion sense.

This week’s topic is going to consist of clothes that you go out in. Go out as in to a party or on a date/formal event, something of that nature. However since we are all in college here most of us only need to dress up to go out to a party on Friday or Saturday night to try and look nice. Most of you probably know the average men’s outfit to go out in. It generally consists of a button-down shirt, jeans or khakis, and usually a boat shoe or boots if it is winter. This is perfectly fine but make sure to switch it up every once in a while. There are many many different types of button-ups made of different materials, different patterns, and that come from different companies. Try to not where a button-up every night that has a little man on a horse on it or a little whale because that is just no fun and will get boring. When choosing what to wear on a Friday or Saturday night I consider two things, the weather and the event that I am going to be attending. No need to overdress for a house party or wear a short sleeve button-up when it is less than thirty degrees outside. After you have chosen your shirt, go through your selection of jeans and pants. I usually try to choose bottoms that contrast well with the shirt I am wearing but not so much that it looks over the top and doesn’t match. Then down to the shoes. Sperry’s will work if you want but the fifty other guys around you will also be wearing them. The same goes for Timberland boots. I recommend a casual loafer or a pair of low top shoes to go out in, I wear my Nike SB Janoski’s out all the time and they do just fine. I would not recommend sneakers unless you can pull it off in the right situation with the right shirt on. That’s basically everything you need to know, shirt, pants, shoes. However in the winter time you need to layer to avoid being cold. There are many options for layering. One can go with a sweater over top a shirt or something like a vest or cardigan.

If you are planning to go out in the winter months I recommend that every man owns a nice simple wool coat. They look very good and keep you warm, do not be that kid who thinks they can tough it out in 10 degree weather and ends up passing out and dying of hypothermia. The coat below is by Carhartt from their work in progress collection. A.P.C. also makes very nice wool coats but they range from $400 and up.

As I said before always consider weather, some button ups are much thicker than others. A nice 100% cotton flannel (as the one below from L.L. Bean) will keep you much warmer than a thin Oxford shirt. Oxford shirts are very nice if you are going to a formal event like a fancy dinner but make sure they fit well and are not too long if you decide not to tuck it in your pants.

Below is an example of another warm button-up one can wear out. It is an al wool shirt with velvet sleeves from BWGH (Brooklyn We Go Hard) a French company that makes very nice simple shirts.

Final picture is off something one can wear in the summer or spring time when weather is a little warmer. Remember to experiment with all sorts of patterns and designs as long as you feel comfortable with what you’re wearing.

Remember, have fun with button-ups and enjoy what you wear!

As you can probably tell by the banner above, I have chosen my passion blog topic to be men’s fashion. That is a photo from a Saint Laurent runway show and lucky for you I will not be discussing high fashion like that in this blog. Instead I will focus on clothing that the average college student can wear and more importantly afford. I haven’t always liked clothing, back in middle school I did not care at all how I dressed, I would wear shorts and a t-shirt every single day. As I started to get into collecting sneakers I learned more and more about clothing and fashion from the blogs that I frequented every day. High school was when I really found my style. I have never really liked the word fashion, I feel that it is too feminine. When a guy says they’re into fashion I feel as though they get judged for it when in reality most men care about what they wear and are always trying to dress nicely. Style is what I believe fashion is all about, finding a look that fits you and one that you are perfectly comfortable with. In middle school there was this kid, his name was Brandon George, and he wore black every single day of school. And when I say every day I mean head to toe, black shoes, black socks, black jeans, black shirt, and black jacket. Every day. A lot of kids had a problem with this for some odd reason and always questioned and made fun of Brandon for wearing what he did. Even at the time when I knew nothing about clothing I had no problem with what he wore because it was his choice and as long as he liked what he was wearing that was fine with me. Never let anyone tell you that what you’re wearing doesn’t look good or isn’t the right thing to wear or whatever. If you decided to put certain clothes on you obviously did so for a reason and that was your choice. Clothes are a means of expression, they can say what we like and dislike or how we’re feeling on a certain day. Some people don’t care what they wear or how they dress and that’s perfectly fine, the only thing that matters is that they feel good about whatever they have on.