WBaker
Distinguished Member
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2010
- Messages
- 1,741
- Reaction score
- 13,354
Previous year:
Best of 2021
Figured since I started running this last year I'd do it again! Apologies for the delay, hopefully by now the newness of Christmas kops has faded and we won't be victim to recency bias.
Favorite Brand: Atha
Hands down going to be Atha, a brand which scratches my itch for volume while only rarely making me look a fool.
Rewinding 8 or so years I was into Margielas size 74 collection. Just basic garments made on a size 74 dress form. And their Dolls Wardrobe collection where they took Ken and Barbie clothes and enlarged them to human scale. I found an early Ken shawl knit at a thrift store in San Fran. Even though it looked a bit silly I was obsessed with how it wore and the general sense of how substantial it was. Especially on blustery days theres something delightful about sitting in a pool of warm fabric.
Since then I've tried Jan Jan Van Essche (what am I a farmer?) and some of the more oversized Geller from recent seasons. The house fire really let me do a reset on my color palate and silhouette, so I've been avoiding black, wearing fuller trousers, focusing on the earth tones I like, and avoiding slim everything. I was pretty sick of my usually Geller slim denim fits.
Atha first crossed my radar in the Oversized Thread. I always enjoyed the look books but finding their clothes early on was nearly impossible. Now that they've been around a few seasons stuff makes its way to yahoo Japan or Mercari.
I've actually done some deep dives and cannot find anything about the designer Hideki Saito. They're based out of Osaka and everything they do is unisex one size fits all. The nice thing is everything they make fits me perfectly so I don't have to think about sizing. The pants can be deceiving no way to make them work if you aren't around a 30" or less waist. All of the outerwear and tops would work for a wide range of sizes. The materials are the real standout, always substantial and generally super lux. The scratchier materials are always thoughtfully lined. I guess only downside is good luck selling any of it down the road there's no stateside demand for the brand.
Favorite Jacket: Atha AW21 Velvet Field Jacket
My first pickup from Atha was a love at first sight experience similar to my first Cloak purchase (White 06 Safari Jacket). This jacket is stupid good, it's got a beautiful hand, relaxed cut, and tons of big pockets to boot. It looks like suede from a distance and people ask to touch it. On the hunt for the matching pants.
Favorite Shirt: Dries Van Noten AW18 Viscose Western
I bought the turtleneck version of this material around the time the season came out. Since I've always been on the lookout for the western shirt. This popped up for a very reasonable price, seeing it in person I'm surprised it went so cheap. This shirt is delicately piped and perfectly frames the the pattern on the substantial viscose.
Favorite Optical: Jacques Marie Mage Evans
These are the Hickory colorway with 20% moss green tints that transition to graphite green. I pre-ordered these and waited nearly 10 months, made it even more worthwhile. Strongly considering getting a pair in black too but I don't want to be that JMM guy.
Boots: Margiela Replica Argentinian Military Side Zips
I'm in a tough place with shoes, I don't think I've really found the right footwear for my newer clothes. These boots I nabbed from @troika are the only exciting footwear experience I've had all year 🧡. I'm still on the hunt. Maybe Lemaire Chinese slippers?
Favorite Coat: Atha AW21 Mohair Noragi
Another of those 'holy ****' package opening moments. This thing is ultra lux, shaggy, and big enough to swim in.
Favorite Omissions
I am now in the post watch and leather jacket phase of my life. I was a bit of a watch nerd and I had a moment of clarity where I was honest that watches are not necessarily comfortable on my wrist and I get next to zero utility from them. Same with leather jackets, they make my shoulders sore and aren't great for cold weather but are quickly too hot for warm weather. I now have so much more money to spend on big pants.
Best of 2021
Figured since I started running this last year I'd do it again! Apologies for the delay, hopefully by now the newness of Christmas kops has faded and we won't be victim to recency bias.
Favorite Brand: Atha
Hands down going to be Atha, a brand which scratches my itch for volume while only rarely making me look a fool.
Rewinding 8 or so years I was into Margielas size 74 collection. Just basic garments made on a size 74 dress form. And their Dolls Wardrobe collection where they took Ken and Barbie clothes and enlarged them to human scale. I found an early Ken shawl knit at a thrift store in San Fran. Even though it looked a bit silly I was obsessed with how it wore and the general sense of how substantial it was. Especially on blustery days theres something delightful about sitting in a pool of warm fabric.
Since then I've tried Jan Jan Van Essche (what am I a farmer?) and some of the more oversized Geller from recent seasons. The house fire really let me do a reset on my color palate and silhouette, so I've been avoiding black, wearing fuller trousers, focusing on the earth tones I like, and avoiding slim everything. I was pretty sick of my usually Geller slim denim fits.
Atha first crossed my radar in the Oversized Thread. I always enjoyed the look books but finding their clothes early on was nearly impossible. Now that they've been around a few seasons stuff makes its way to yahoo Japan or Mercari.
I've actually done some deep dives and cannot find anything about the designer Hideki Saito. They're based out of Osaka and everything they do is unisex one size fits all. The nice thing is everything they make fits me perfectly so I don't have to think about sizing. The pants can be deceiving no way to make them work if you aren't around a 30" or less waist. All of the outerwear and tops would work for a wide range of sizes. The materials are the real standout, always substantial and generally super lux. The scratchier materials are always thoughtfully lined. I guess only downside is good luck selling any of it down the road there's no stateside demand for the brand.
Favorite Jacket: Atha AW21 Velvet Field Jacket
My first pickup from Atha was a love at first sight experience similar to my first Cloak purchase (White 06 Safari Jacket). This jacket is stupid good, it's got a beautiful hand, relaxed cut, and tons of big pockets to boot. It looks like suede from a distance and people ask to touch it. On the hunt for the matching pants.
Favorite Shirt: Dries Van Noten AW18 Viscose Western
I bought the turtleneck version of this material around the time the season came out. Since I've always been on the lookout for the western shirt. This popped up for a very reasonable price, seeing it in person I'm surprised it went so cheap. This shirt is delicately piped and perfectly frames the the pattern on the substantial viscose.
Favorite Optical: Jacques Marie Mage Evans
These are the Hickory colorway with 20% moss green tints that transition to graphite green. I pre-ordered these and waited nearly 10 months, made it even more worthwhile. Strongly considering getting a pair in black too but I don't want to be that JMM guy.
Boots: Margiela Replica Argentinian Military Side Zips
I'm in a tough place with shoes, I don't think I've really found the right footwear for my newer clothes. These boots I nabbed from @troika are the only exciting footwear experience I've had all year 🧡. I'm still on the hunt. Maybe Lemaire Chinese slippers?
Favorite Coat: Atha AW21 Mohair Noragi
Another of those 'holy ****' package opening moments. This thing is ultra lux, shaggy, and big enough to swim in.
Favorite Omissions
I am now in the post watch and leather jacket phase of my life. I was a bit of a watch nerd and I had a moment of clarity where I was honest that watches are not necessarily comfortable on my wrist and I get next to zero utility from them. Same with leather jackets, they make my shoulders sore and aren't great for cold weather but are quickly too hot for warm weather. I now have so much more money to spend on big pants.
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