This is a recap blog of the latest episode of Style & Direction! I suggest you listen to the full episode below and then read this article for additional commentary and photos.
- 3:12 – Fit Pics are Dead??
- 31:07 – Nerf Attire
- 48:58 – Vinyl Night
- 55:13 – Ethan’s Canada Trip
The Death Of The Fit Pic
“Fit Pics are dead, honestly”.
I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard that. I almost scrolled past but I decided to watch the whole thing. I’m glad I did because that little video (well it’s six minutes long) encapsulates my problem with influencers and social media. It was only natural that our discussion of it on the pod took up half the episode!
[If you want to see his entire video, you can visit it through my response TikTok above. I made it before we recorded the podcast, so it may be a bit redundant.]
In his TikTok, the creator posits that Fit Pics, arguably the primary form of internet fashion content, are dead because “they just don’t ‘hit’ anymore”. By this, he means two things: fit pics don’t get the same engagement anymore and fit pics aren’t inspirational or exciting because everyone looks the same. As a result, Fit Pics aren’t worth posting on the internet or even to look at, which plays into his fatigued relationship with fashion and the internet overall. He finishes his video by saying that he’s looking forward to seeing what may be the “next thing” in fashion content; he even says that perhaps Fit Pics will feel special again once people take a break from it. In the meantime, he’ll still continue to post fit pics and maintains that he still enjoys seeing other people do it from time to time.
To be fair, he isn’t the only one who feels this way. Across TikTok, IG, and even from some of my mutuals I’ve seen many other influencers/content creators and hobbyists/enthusiasts share similar sentiments. The points raised also seemed quite similar to the rhetoric people have been saying regarding the “death” of Personal Style. Because this topic is important to me (as someone who is pro “internet is for fun”), it felt right to engage with the video and discuss it with Spencer and MJ. There’s also the fact that our relationship with fashion and the internet couldn’t be more different from this guy. That difference is always interesting to us.
I’d like to think that I have a pretty positive relationship with menswear. I don’t think I would’ve kept up the blog (which turned ten this year by the way) if I didn’t love this hobby.
And while I’m not on the edge of my seat and drooling over every outfit I see on my IG, I still enjoy it whenever I see a mutual (or even a brand/store) post a photo of their fit. It’s like seeing a friend share a little art piece they made because I believe that outfits are a way to execute on inspiration or to express what you were feeling on a particular day.
When it comes to sharing my own FPs, I definitely the activity is still worth it. This is because I don’t really derive much from engagement; at the very least, it doesn’t affect how I feel about my outfits or my account. All of my outfits are awesome and they deserve to be seen publically. My whole approach to this hobby is to have fun executing the look or vibe that I want with the clothes in my wardrobe. That’s where it begins and ends with me, Spencer, and MJ. There is no desire to monetize or to build some sort of following/resume to help turn this thing into a job or even a side hustle. As a result, whether or not our engagement numbers are high or small has no material effect on our lives or how we view menswear. Thank God!
I share this because it was interesting when this creator mentioned that one of the reasons he even posted Fit Pics was for the chance to be featured on big repost accounts. The “game” would then be to try and make outfits that would help you get posted next time. Being featured is indeed a great way to get even more followers and get noticed by big brands and agencies! I’ll admit that when this happens to me, it is a nice feeling. But again, it’s simply not my prerogative to make outfits that would be considered share or algorithm-friendly. That’s too much of an External factor in my taste.
Granted, I know that people generally enjoy how I dress. It’s not that I get zero likes or negative comments. That being said, I know for a fact that some of my outfits “hit” a bit more than others. This is evident by the posts that make it into WAYWT highlight albums (a compilation of the outfits with the most reactions), the few Tiktoks that get more than a hundred views, or when Die Workwear deigns to post me on his Twitter. These aren’t random shares. I am self-aware and critical enough to recognize that there are distinct commonalities between these reposted outfits. More often than not, it’s an outfit that is decidedly more casual (compared to ivy-trad or Apparel Arts) and incorporates something fun (senior pants, gauchos) or sexy (flared jeans, unbuttoned shirt).
I could easily realign my attire to be more like the ones people seem to like sharing; at the very least, I could be more consistent in how often I wear (and post) those high-engagement outfits. But no, that would be dressing for External reasons rather than internal ones. As much as I enjoy being quirky and sexy, I also love wearing fedoras, collar bars, and foulard ties. Those things are as much a part of me as my merch tees and cowboy boots— I like them all. Shifting my outfits to being one way would be a disservice to the other facets of my taste. It would also be exhausting to constantly keep up with what is in the zeitgeist in order to maintain my social position and/or general relevancy. I’d rather focus on what I actually like to wear.
As I’ve said before, posting an outfit is primarily me sharing my “work” with the public rather than the for the pursuit of accolades. However, I am always very grateful when it does happen. 
Overall, this “discourse” about the Death of the Fit Pic is a classic case study that shows the ires of Capitalistic Pragmatism when it’s applied to a creative hobby. But that’s the thing— fashion is not a hobby for certain people.
Posting outfits is a job or at the very least, a side hustle. This “career” requires a dogged pursuit of likes, shares, and followers since it is the only way to guarantee an income as well as your status within the fashion world (which honestly is just the internet at large at this point). Your Instagram and TikTok are your resume and portfolio all in one. It’s no surprise that Social Media, to them, has become a Sissyphussian pursuit of Money and Status. I believe their fatigue is just them finally realizing that they’ve fallen into the hamster wheel.
Fit Pics aren’t dead because they’re overplayed. Fit Pics are “dead” because Capitalism made them not seem worth doing anymore. But for those who are separated from that pragmatic paradigm, Fit Pics (as well as Fit Checks) are alive and well, still serving as the primary way to document and share your outfit. And let’s be real— I could just save our Fits privately on our phone.. but I won’t do that. I’m still too obsessed with myself and can’t stop posting to save my life. I definitely deserve to go to Hell, but it will be for a different sin.
One last point I’ll say is how constant consumption and “same-ness” his malaise. In regards to the former, I think my experience is different because I don’t actually consume or engage with fashion content all that often. I’m much more concerned with posting than scrolling. Most of what I see on the internet isn’t fashion-related: my explore page on IG is primarily ferrets and my TikTok tends to serve me comedy skits or music content.
On that note, when I do consume fashion content, it’s almost always from people that I know or have met before which makes the content feel a bit more wholesome. I also refrain from following too many brands or Influencers. I choose when to dive into menswear, saving my lookbook/editorial perusals or even Apparel Arts archiving for when I actually have the head space to do it. As a result, I’ve never really felt that my feed has been inundated with fashion content which keeps my relationship relatively healthy.
And while I agree that menswear has become same-y in the Post-Pandemic era, I haven’t felt that its a been a problem for me. I like consistency, but there’s also the fact that I’m incredibly nuanced with a splitting-hairs definition of what constitutes a “Repeat“, so maybe things aren’t actually that same-y. I also think I may be built differently because I am someone who enjoys looking at the same images over and over: Apparel Arts illustrations, Golden Era stars, and stills of 60s and 70s films. Hell, I still look at the old Drake’s and B&Tailor stuff that I had saved back in 2017! Everything still hits and fills me with so much Inspiration, Maybe it’s just an air of nostalgia after being into this for so long.
Perhaps that’s the reason why I’ve been doing quite a bit of Outfit Repeating over the past year. More on that later!
You should listen to the full discussion in the podcast above! We get deeper with our distaste for TikTok influencers and related content. To be clear, our critiques are not because they’re chronically online (so am I tbh) or because they are of a younger generation (as influencers can be any age after all), but simply because of their pragmatic approach to something that we approach purely as a hobby.
Speaking of which, its now time to talk about some fun things to dress for!
Dressing For A Nerf War
Nerf Wars have become one of my favorite things to dress for. Granted I’ve only done two of them, but they’re still a Fun Occasion to help spur on an outfit— and quite an External one at that!
The Battles are functionally similar to airsoft but obviously feel a few degrees less serious. For one, you don’t have to drive a few scores of miles out to the desert to play it. And while dart blasters have come a long way since I was a kid, they still sting a hell of a lot less than a high-powered BB. Playing in a Nerf War feels like a cross between laser tag and intramural dodgeball/flag football in the best way possible. It’s also an interesting place to see Personal Style!
Competitive Nerf has always had a DIY vibe, most likely due to its history of modifications. As a result, you’ll see countless blasters that not only have changed in internals, but externals: 3D printed parts, paint jobs, and stickers can be found all over the armory. The benefit of Nerf being less than mil-sim is that the gear can be vibrant and dare I say camp, making the whole activity feel fun and accessible. It can feel a bit odd not to have some sort of customized blaster or rig!
The actual attire leaves a bit more to be desired, but that makes sense when you consider the topic. Since a Nerf Battle feels more like a pickup sport compared to airsoft, participants dress in athletic attire. Performance fabric shirts and shorts as well as lightweight running shows can be seen across the board, with some simply wearing a tee shirt and jeans. This makes for a fun juxtaposition against practical gear like mag vests, pads, and eye protection, all of which are encouraged (and mandatory in the case of eye pro). I say that because mil-spec gear is actually practical for holding Nerf accouterments. I can guarantee that you won’t have a good time playing a game with loose darts in your pocket.
Of course, there are a few guys who “dress up” in “mil-sim”-lite or what I “Shooting Range Core”: the combo of performance polos, cargo pants, boots, and some sort of ballcap. The funny thing is that the caps and polos are decidedly Nerf-themed instead of the typical firearm fare.
With the general vibe of customization, the mix of styles, and the inherent levity, I felt emboldened to wear fun outfits to play some Nerf.
To be fair, I did dress up when I played airsoft. However, I was never into the full mil-sim look and I hate desert and digital camo). On our excursions, I typically wore my M-43 pants (HBT is practical!) wiith some kind of workwear pullover or my jungle jacket, all buttoned to the top to protect my neck against BBs. Of course, I also wore hiking boots, knee pads, and my mag vest. The result was a look that gave a bit of a midcentury PMC vibe that fit the Occasion and was perfectly practical. Spencer had a great time dressing for airsoft on the few times he attended. But Nerf was something else.
As Nerf Wars are a bit “softer” (foam darts don’t tear clothes as much as high FPS BBs and desert brush), I had a bit more freedom to make a fun outfit that didn’t have to be entirely mil-spec. The first time I did it, I wore a chambray shirt, a Fair Isle sweater vest (it was a little cold), and M-43 pants. It’s certainly a “preppier” look that made me lean into a WWII Resistance-inspired look than a hobbled together PMC, but that’s exactly what I wanted: to look “Ethan” while covering corners in a church and tagging my enemy team. Being able to dress like myself made the event much more fun and helped me get into the spirit of Nerf, even if it was a bit “sillier”.
My second outfit was decidedly more “Ethan”. I went full Safincore by wearing my big kimono coat over a fastened jungle jacket (still protecting my neck), brown chinos, and my new riding boots. I know that Safincore is technically supposed to be more elegant and flowy, but if you recall No Time To Die, the real Safin actually wore his kimono over wool pants and military boots; one outfit variant even had him in an olive military-style kimono. I think that my Nerf Fit was a good send-up of that, though the earth tones and use of actual mil-spec gear (including the mag vest) make me look a bit more Galactic Rebellion than conniving Bond Villain. I’m not complaining— I think I looked badass.
Naturally, my friends also took the opportunity to dress up. James is a fan of soft cosplay, so his outfits a bit Star Wars-esque as well, with his first outfit consisting of a utility vest, Jedi-inspired boots, and a poncho-cape. His second outfit was a bit more dressed down as he wore olive chinos and sneakers (but kept the vest). MJ has only been to one Nerf event so far but he had his fit ready. He wore a flannel shirt and black military pants under his chest rig, making him look a bit like an 80s/90s PMC. I know MJ enjoyed dressing a bit “down” for this, considering that he typically opts for a full mis-sim rig when he does airsoft.
The ability to mix in our regular, everyday attire with functional garments is what makes this a more interesting activity for me to play than airsoft (or a real sport for that matter). The more my friends come to join, the more crazy menswear-esque fits there’s gonna be at these Nerf Wars. Sorry, Jason!
Joseph’s Vinyl Night
Another Occasion I’ve been excited to dress for has been the Vinyl Nights organized by my friend Joseph.
Now I’m used to being labeled as the guy who likes to bring people together and mix friend groups; I guess with all of the Friendsgivings and Friendsmas-es, Jay would count too. But my new pal Joseph blows us both out of the water. He’s a true free spirit who literally talks to strangers everywhere he goes, asking them to write on-the-spot sentiments or even lines of poetry in one of his notebooks. I love Joseph.
I actually met him at my favorite bar when I was walking to use the restroom. He stopped me for a photo (he liked my outfit) and then immediately invited me to a gathering he was hosting that weekend. I asked if I could bring Spencer and Isabella (they were with me at the bar) and he said certainly. We were obviously apprehensive about going to a stranger’s hang but it ended up being such a lovely time!
Joseph’s Vinyl Nights are always such a wholesome affair. On each invite, he asks the invitees to wear an outfit or article of clothing that they truly love, in addition to bringing their favorite vinyl (if they own them). This makes each shindig into a bit of a show and tell, making it quite easy to strike up a conversation and make more friends.
I was honestly more scared about showing off my music taste, considering that vinyl is a new hobby for me (and I usually listen to music in teh car). Much like my clothing chives, I enjoy my own taste but I am plenty aware that others may not be into it, especially when you have to subject people to it in an enclosed setting. Thankfully my fears were put to rest once the music started playing. It was literally everything: vintage reggae, Y2K electronic music, 60s jazz, Michael Jackson, 70s dad rock. I’d even say that the attire of the attendees echoes the sonorous activity, making the party turn into the perfect stage for Personal Taste & Style.
Funnily enough, I haven’t been to one in a jacket and tie yet (though Joseph has seen me in that before). Most of what I’ve worn has been a bit dark and Going Out adjacent, with a bit of quirkiness involved. The first night I wore my Bryceland’s frogged shirt and senior pants whereas the other nights I wore a turtleneck and flared jeans. Maybe that’s because these listening parties inherently have a 60s/70s vibe. It’s also because I wear a tie almost every day of the week; I like having a reason to dress a bit sleek that doesn’t involve me going out to the bar (though I usually go out after lol).
A Brief Trip To Vancouver
I finish off the pod with a recount of my extremely short trip to Vancouver to celebrate my Ngin Ngin’s (paternal grandma) 90th birthday!
Those of you familiar with Ethan Lore will remember that I am actually half Canadian through my dad’s side. Unfortunately, I actually haven’t been to the Great White North in quite a while; the last time I was there was when I was in college to see my Yeh-yeh (my paternal grandfather) before he passed away. I do have quite a bit of family there but even in the past they always came down to hang with us in LA. It was nice to turn the tables a little bit and catch up with everyone now that I’m firmly an adult (and turning 30 quite soon).
The other reason why I was excited to go was because it was actually going to be cold. At the time of my trip, LA was going through a warm spell, with temps in the mid to high 70s; LA is going through this again as I write this. I was ecstatic to see that temps were in the low 60s/high 50s, which meant that I could actually wear my sweaters and flannels again! I still kept things fairly simple (and casual, since I wasn’t going to wear a tie on this trip), so I didn’t fully take advantage of my free check-in luggage. This proved helpful as I ended up buying a few vintage books when I was traipsing around the Canuck City; it wouldn’t have fit in my tote bag (as I brought my camera, laptop, and books I already owned).
My Vancouver attire was decidedly preppy and trad; perhaps this was my Trumpian way of being “proudly” American when in a foreign country (this is a joke). The only External requirement we had was to wear red for Ngin Ngin’s dinner. So after we landed, I had my navy blazer, charcoal grey flannels (yes!), and a Chinese-inspired combo of my yellow Bengal stripe button-down and a red cable knit sweater. I felt like I did the theme quite well! This type of casual-ivy/trad/prep attire isn’t something I wear on vacation or even back in LA simply because I prefer to wear a tie! It was nice to just do a blazer, crewneck, and open shirt.
Our second (and last) day didn’t have any dress code requirements, but my outfit was still in the same theme: a gun check flannel jacket, open camp collar, a sweater vest, and flannel trousers. The runaway collar over a sweater vest felt more typical of my everyday attire, so it was fun to wear it in my half-country. I also feel like the trad earth tones were a fun juxtaposition for both the coffee shop and the scenic Stanely Park; I felt like a mid-century American on vacation (which is what I guess I am anyway). Maybe this just means that I need to do more casual vacations like this more often!
Overall, it was a very wholesome and easy trip, apart from the fact that we were at the airport at 5AM each time since this was “international”. I haven’t actually traveled with my dad in a while (I’m mainly with my mom), so it was very nice to have a different trio this time around. He and his sisters regaled us with stories of their youth, sharing which of their hangout spots were still around and what streets my dad would race down when the cops weren’t looking. They lamented the fact that I didn’t end up as athletic and active as they were, but they’re still proud of who I am today. Oh, Asian families!
I share these stories with you today to show that fashion, menswear, and making outfits can simply be done just for fun! Maybe I just approach it differently from those who have their career in content creation, but I really am into this hobby for the love of clothes themselves and to see how they interact with my everyday life. The internet is just an avenue for me to share my experience with the world.
Of course, this virtue signaling doesn’t absolve me of narcissism; in fact, it probably just emphasizes that fact. Oh well! I enjoy doing it all and you’ll have to just deal with seeing it
And listening to it. Listen to the pod.
– end of writing –
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget that you can support me (or the podcast) on Patreon to get some extra content and access to our exclusive Discord.
Always a pleasure,
Ethan M. Wong (follow me on IG)
Big thank you to our top-tier Patrons (the SaDCast Fanatics), Philip, Shane, Henrik, Alexander, Mason, and Alec.