Tiktok is a funny place. It’s the new site for all things social media, which means that fashion mfers (like myself) have found a new home to be obsessed with ourselves and post whatever we want.
The app is such a random thing, as its algorithm is fickle and quite rewarding to those who play the game. I’ve never been good at optimizing my posts on social media; I end up just posting whatever I want, the way I want, whenever I want. This is probably why almost all of my posts seldom get more than a thousand views (that’s quite small when compared to other “creators)”. With so many of my mutuals getting big on Tiktok (as well as IG) and becoming true influencers with regular brand deals, you’d think that I’d be destined to be all by my lonesome, sharing fits into the void. But thankfully that hasn’t happened!
As was the case with IG, It’s been nice to have made a few mutuals-turned-pals on the app. All of us are a bit the same: we don’t really have influencer aspirations and simply post fits, vlogs, and random fashion-related thoughts for whoever to see. The good thing about the random algorithm is that I didn’t have to “wait” for one of them to be reshared by another mutual; I get to see cool people come up on my For You Page at any time.
What is different is that Tiktok is its own place. Most new followers and mutuals from IG tend to come from MFA or the existing menswear world. Tiktok, at least in my experience, has been where I’ve found regular guys who have been honing their style, though it’s largely within the world of the app. But as you could expect, quite a few of them are bold, a bit slouchy, have nods to vintage menswear, and see this whole thing as a fun, creative challenge to do everyday.
And that brings us to Chad.
Chad, the All Time Darling (per his username) and I started following each other on Tiktok a bit ago. I noticed him come up a few times on my page, mainly due to his use of suits and ties, styled as a reference to 60s-70s musicians and celebs. If you look at his page, you’ll notice that posts fitchecks on a regular basis, each with a bit of a cheeky documentary-esque cinematography and a fun VO that delves into how he put the outfit together and what context it may (or may not) have been worn for.
As you most likely expected, he’s a bit of a creative! Chad went to art school and moonlights as a performing musician around different venues in NYC. What’s even more interesting is that he has a relatively corporate day job, which as he says in the podcast was what inspired him to start wearing suits…but without sacrificing his own personality. It’s proof that you can wear whatever you like (though I’m sure being in NYC helps).
By his own admission, Chad is a bit newer to tailoring (at least compared to Spencer, MJ, and me), but he’s clearly learned what he’s needed to get a fit off in his way. He has a penchant for 3PC suits, particularly in vibrant colors or in earthy patterns. Like me, Chad also likes long point collars, though he prefers to wear them with bold striped ties to further emphasize his love of the 60s and 70s. And as a final nod to his particular era, he likes to rock a messy hairstyle that helps tie everything together. The man gets it!
Overall, he particularly stood out to me. Firstly, elements of classic menswear and tailoring isn’t really found on Tiktok. If it’s suiting related, it tends to either be 20s (whether true or inspired) or the 2010s-core of #menswear/hustle attire we somehow keep seeing today. Chad’s attire also was quite different than the Americana, Gorp, and slightly avant garde looks that characterize the majority of what we call “Tiktok Fashion” as well as the current fashion zeitgeist. It was just nice to see a kindred spirit on Tiktok!
Chad and I realized our kinship quite early, as we became fast internet pals. In fact, he took it upon himself to hit me up while he made his annual LA trip! Chad and his friend Holly (who has also become a good friend) ended up coming out east to have what has become a stereotypical Ethan night: cocktails at Capri Club. He also invited me to attend his informal “Ribsgiving”, which I graciously accepted; who can say no to homecooked ribs?
It was through these two long hangs that I found out more about him, such has how he balances his corporate job with his hobby as a musician, his preference for estate sales (instead of curated vintage stores), and how he still mainly keeps to himself and his existing friends (though he has visited Alfargo’s from time to time). He really is just a regular guy outside of the main menswear world who enjoys wearing fun clothes! It was a no brainer to have him be our first podcast guest in 2024.
We had a great conversation where we get into it all! Highlights include how he’s been teaching himself alterations, which started as a way to save money and has slowly erupted into a bit of a side hustle, as he does some quick fixes for guys who buys his suits (oh yeah he buys vintage to sell too). I also make sure to dive a bit deeper into how he uses Tiktok, since as you guys know, social media is always a hot button topic for me and my anti-optimization/influencer culture stance. His take, as well as his background making memes, may surprise (and endear him to) you! Enjoy the episode as well as a selection of his favorite fits. He mainly posts on Tiktok rather than photos, so you may have to just follow him to get more!
Podcast Outline
- 3:52 – Guest Introduction
- 14:27 – Journey Into Menswear
- 22:55 – Experience with Different Fashion Communities
- 30:56 – How Does Chad Look For Clothes?
- 42:24 – Social Media Experience
- 1:00:47 – Alterations
- 1:08:23 – Wrap-up
Thanks for listening and reading along! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon to get some extra content and access to our exclusive Discord.
The Podcast is produced by MJ.
Always a pleasure,
Big thank you to our top tier Patrons (the SaDCast Fanatics), Philip, Shane, Henrik, and Alexander.