Dress Code: LIFUL, and a Discussion of Varsity Jackets

-I recently learned about Korean brand LIFUL through Hypebeast and was very impressed by their collection. Their varsity jacket variations, two of which are seen in the bottom image, are stripped of the typical letterman adornments—leaving just the essential wool, leather and color. I always see varsity jackets and think that I'd like to buy one, and the LIFUL versions are probably the cleanest that I've seen, but I started to wonder why they appeal to me. Varsity jackets, and their appeal, seem to be more a product of the idealism of high school in America than a product of well-thought style. Let's examine further after the jump.




-I've got two secondhand lettermans that I purchased at vintage/resale stores. Both have goofy names, interesting patches and great color combos — but I don't wear them ever. I think I want to avoid looking like these jackets are actually my lettermans from high school and I'm still wearing them, refusing to let go to past glory. So why then, would I choose to rock a new varsity jacket? Well, nobody's really likely to confuse a Supreme varsity with some high school, but I think it's just the idea. My group of friends in high school, though most of us lettered in something and some of us actually bought the jacket, would never actually wear ours. We didn't want to be those douches with letterman jackets. We didn't like those douches. I'm not saying that every athlete who wore a letterman is a douche, but in American cliche movie culture, that's pretty much the idea. We had an image to protect: Even if we we lettered, peopled needed to know that we cared a lot more about skating, rock and roll, and drinking and partying then we did about our athletic/academic achievements. I don't know if all those things are at play when I see a dope piece like the LIFUL or the Supreme, but it's interesting to consider.

-On a more concrete level, there's the issue of actually working a varsity into an adult wardrobe. We see almost every streetwear brand with a varsity this year, and your stock streetwear kid can easily pull one off. But how does a responsible, but still young and risk-taking, sartorialist pull one off? I'm thinking I could do the red/white LIFUL with a white BD and black tie, maybe even a bow tie. I think scarves and varsities are always a good combo, especially if you can play the scarf color off one of the minor colors in the jacket. As far as adornments go, I can see the appeal of both. The Supreme piece is more traditional, it harkens more to the high-school ideal. The minimalist LIFUL reduces the jacket to the essentials – but does removing the patches and names also remove the context of why people in America (and Korea and Japan) are so intrigued by the aesthetic of a varsity jacket? Share your thoughts.
more

School Supplies: A.P.C.

-While my co-editor spurned A.P.C. denim a little while back, I felt slightly inspired by his post and decided it was time for me to ditch my dad's old 501s and make my own first-ever raw denim purchase. I am neither rich nor ridiculously skinny, so I figured it would be quite a challenge. Luckily, I found a deal on a pair of A.P.C. New Standards, and am excited to see how they turn out.
-Hypebeast recently interviewed A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou regarding the brand's future as well as the growing number of A.P.C. retail stores throughout the world. Touitou discusses an upcoming collaboration with Supreme and shares some kind words regarding fashion in Scandinavia, stating that "even small Scandinavian cities have a strong sense of inventive fashion." As I will be living in Aalborg, Denmark for the next four months, I will be capturing instances of said "inventive fashion" and sharing them in our new 'Study Abroad' section. Until then, check out the A.P.C. website. more

School Supplies: Summer School Wants

1-Supreme camera bag, because all pro camera gear is ugly (until I graduate from design school, that is.) $68 from Supreme.

2-A.P.C. Petite Standard, because the New Standard is too full for us skinny dudes. $155 from Context.

3-Salmon bow tie by COTO, because I'm renewing my obsession with bow ties. $75 from COTO.

4- Zoom Stefan Janoski SB pro model, because my Dunks are worn through and I share Stef's belief in a simpler, lower skate shoe. $70-80 at a skateshop near you. 

more

School Supplies: Supreme x North Face

-Supreme is absolutely killing it this week. First came their long-awaited collaboration with The North Face, which produced a set of three colorful Denali jackets. I loved the idea behind the Trans-Antarctic series Denali, but I wasn't impressed by most of the color choices. The Supreme collaboration is a little more subtle, but the jackets are original enough to break the standard North Face monotony. As for the Trans-Antarctic series, yet another edition (below) was released last week to commemorate the company's 40th anniversary.
-Always a step ahead, Supreme was also one of the first companies to release the down flap New Eras that gained popularity during this year's World Series. We have been waiting for these for months, and it is no surprise that Supreme is one of the first companies to make them available.
more

School Supplies: Supreme Goods

-Hypebeast tipped us off to the re-launch of Supreme's web store earlier today. While I was fairly disappointed with my own visit to Supreme, in part due to their lack of original gear, they really pulled out all of stops with their new collection. The new emphasis on throwback gear and cut and sew items has me trying to go back as soon as possible. Here are a few of our favorites...
-Despite their upscale SoHo roots, Supreme based several of their new items on blue-collar classics. Overpriced boutique flannel has become much too prevalent as of late, but Supreme's renderings are distinctive enough to warrant a second look.

-As for throwback gear, Supreme has gone back to the year of their inception, 1994, to resurrect the two items that defined 1st grade. If you can pull off the fannypack nowadays, then more power to you, but that is one relic that even a Supreme logo can't salvage.

-Lastly, Supreme decided to jump on the Obama-tee bandwagon with the following shirt, which is certainly more subtle than the others.
more

Field Trip: Supreme

-On Tuesday, I returned home from New York City, the site of the first ever Class Act Field Trip. One of the first stops was Supreme in SoHo, which is one of the nation's best skate shops and the former stomping grounds of the late Class Act All Star Harold Hunter, the legendary skateboarder/Kids star who passed away back in 2006.
-Supreme's limited-edition merchandise, exclusive kicks, and notoriously smug staff make it seem more like a clubhouse than a skate shop, with the number of customers rarely equaling the pack of regulars skating outside. Of course, this only adds to the store's reputation. Supreme has been a skate mecca for years, and the hype surrounding it is as prevalent as ever. In this month's GQ, Style Guy Glenn O'Brien claims that, when the weather gets nasty, "you'll find me in my chocolate brown Supreme hoodie six times out of ten." The shop also has porn star Tera Patrick hyping their goods, and has released some exclusive shit bearing her likeness.

-Supreme's reputation alone makes it worth a look, so stop by if you have some money to blow or you want to pay your respects to one of New York's illest. Still, I'd take Laced over Supreme any day.

more

School Supplies: Laced Up

-Last week I was talking to a friend about FTC, San Francisco's fabled skate shop/boutique, and he claimed that Seattle's Laced Up was just as good, if not better. He's from Cali, and I knew there was no bias at work, so I stole my dad's camera and stopped in last weekend to see what all the fuss was about. As you know, we at Class Act try to be as Northwest-centric as possible, and thus could hype Laced Up on principle alone. However, I can honestly say that Laced is truly one of a kind. The Seattle love is just a bonus.
























-I'm off to NYC tomorrow, and I plan on swinging by Supreme, the famed stomping grounds of the late Harold Hunter, to see how it measures up to Seattle's finest. In the meantime, school is creeping up on all of us so head up Pike Street to Laced Up while you still can... more