Igents (net-gents), what are they, who are they?

Sammy Ambrose

Well-Known Member
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Another Shooman thread from FNB, which still hasn't dusted off the cobwebs.

SHOOMAN

I think many get confused about igents, and given this period of time l think we should have this discussion and get it sorted out once and for all. As a long time forum member l have observed many igents. Some people think igents are cheap and lack taste, and that can certainly the be case for many, but an igent at it's core is:

IGENT - the real definition- a man who tries to dress like a gentleman, and seeks to impress other men on clothing forums with his clothing choices. and especially this below, - a man who was never into clothes or shoos suddenly gets into these things once he discovers men's clothing forums, and he tries to become an expert, but is usually a small timer out of his depth because he lacks the experience.

These people usually don't know what they want or what they like, but they buy better quality menswear trying to become somebody but without knowing what they want to become. They lack direction in their style but they know they want to be like men who post on the forums. Because they lack style they will often dress awkwardly in social situations because they don't know what they really want or how they want to project their image.

An igent is a novice who will likely never find his way in the clothing world. See, the clothing world is meant for certain men to excel in and enjoy, but there will always be men on the fringes who miss the whole point of it all, and what they can do in the clothing world is very limited, and these are the igents....the leftover men of the clothing world....the one's who aspire but will hopelessly never make it.

SAUCE

Remember Bop? You've nailed him. He floated from the Modculture site, to S.F and the dark side on here. Posting pictures of himself in clothing styles he thought would aplease each forums members. After 6 or 7 years doing that and buying mainly of ebay he ended up getting married in a Marks & Sparks suit after which he was never seen again. Seemed like a lot of time, money and overthinking invested for nothing to me. I hope he's happy in his lumberjack shit and retirement from clothing forums.

Without a doubt all of the mod blogs are ran by men who want to be style gurus, wether one can be in a polyestermix pair of pants I'm not so sure.

SHOOMAN

Really enjoy reading the posts of men who are really into clothes and know what they like. No motives or need to show off. Igents are too common, and they are boring.

FNB

Then there was that guy who used to buy endless pairs of ready to wear shoes just get people to admire and cheer him on on the forums. Man looked like he shouldve saved a few bucks for a good bar of soap.


DOGHOUSE

Bathroom or messy bedroom pics a must. Bathroom pics ftw.
 
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Another Shooman thread from FNB, which still hasn't dusted off the cobwebs.

SHOOMAN

I think many get confused about igents, and given this period of time l think we should have this discussion and get it sorted out once and for all. As a long time forum member l have observed many igents. Some people think igents are cheap and lack taste, and that can certainly the be case for many, but an igent at it's core is:

IGENT - the real definition- a man who tries to dress like a gentleman, and seeks to impress other men on clothing forums with his clothing choices. and especially this below, - a man who was never into clothes or shoos suddenly gets into these things once he discovers men's clothing forums, and he tries to become an expert, but is usually a small timer out of his depth because he lacks the experience.

These people usually don't know what they want or what they like, but they buy better quality menswear trying to become somebody but without knowing what they want to become. They lack direction in their style but they know they want to be like men who post on the forums. Because they lack style they will often dress awkwardly in social situations because they don't know what they really want or how they want to project their image.

An igent is a novice who will likely never find his way in the clothing world. See, the clothing world is meant for certain men to excel in and enjoy, but there will always be men on the fringes who miss the whole point of it all, and what they can do in the clothing world is very limited, and these are the igents....the leftover men of the clothing world....the one's who aspire but will hopelessly never make it.

SAUCE

Remember Bop? You've nailed him. He floated from the Modculture site, to S.F and the dark side on here. Posting pictures of himself in clothing styles he thought would aplease each forums members. After 6 or 7 years doing that and buying mainly of ebay he ended up getting married in a Marks & Sparks suit after which he was never seen again. Seemed like a lot of time, money and overthinking invested for nothing to me. I hope he's happy in his lumberjack shit and retirement from clothing forums.

Without a doubt all of the mod blogs are ran by men who want to be style gurus, wether one can be in a polyestermix pair of pants I'm not so sure. Shooman really enjoy reading the posts of men who are really into clothes and know what they like. No motives or need to show off. Igents are too common, and they are boring.

FNB

Then there was that guy who used to buy endless pairs of ready to wear shoes just get people to admire and cheer him on on the forums. Man looked like he shouldve saved a few bucks for a good bar of soap.


DOGHOUSE

Bathroom or messy bedroom pics a must. Bathroom pics ftw.
With the rise of Instagram the iGent no longer needs a clothing forum to display himself and what he is currently wearing so the reality has moved on since the term was coined by Big Tony V shortly after FNB's inception.

Do we really need to be so harsh with them as the posters are above?
Indeed as I think Florisgreen (If it was Fg) asked on another thread a while back are we not iGentry members too?

Did Shooey do his job properly in describing the net creature ?
 
What are they? Tackys
Who are they? A bunch of damn tackys with histronic personality disorder. Dr Levi Holzman. Tel Aviv
 
With the rise of Instagram the iGent no longer needs a clothing forum to display himself and what he is currently wearing so the reality has moved on since the term was coined by Big Tony V shortly after FNB's inception.

Do we really need to be so harsh with them as the posters are above?
Indeed as I think Florisgreen (If it was Fg) asked on another thread a while back are we not iGentry members too?

Did Shooey do his job properly in describing the net creature ?
Instagram has taken it to the next level. Urbancomposhit had a couple of pictures up yesterday of him walking in the med in shorts and a polo with all the buttons undone looking like a ball of sweat. I have a mate that runs his own clothing line and he posts just about everyday on Instragram or FB. Dress sense is terrible as well. But his mum loves it, always leaves a comment. I know its harmless and I like to see posers pose tbh. BUT, theres deffo a point where its overkill. When its everyone day or so its just to much, IMHO.
 
With the rise of Instagram the iGent no longer needs a clothing forum to display himself and what he is currently wearing so the reality has moved on since the term was coined by Big Tony V shortly after FNB's inception.

Do we really need to be so harsh with them as the posters are above?
Indeed as I think Florisgreen (If it was Fg) asked on another thread a while back are we not iGentry members too?

Did Shooey do his job properly in describing the net creature ?
I've done my part to keep the bathroom pics going.
 
Instagram has taken it to the next level. Urbancomposhit had a couple of pictures up yesterday of him walking in the med in shorts and a polo with all the buttons undone looking like a ball of sweat. I have a mate that runs his own clothing line and he posts just about everyday on Instragram or FB. Dress sense is terrible as well. But his mum loves it, always leaves a comment. I know its harmless and I like to see posers pose tbh. BUT, theres deffo a point where its overkill. When its everyone day or so its just to much, IMHO.
With Instagram, the whole game changed. The bathroom piccies now are a rareity. They began in pre-selfie days. In some ways, the bathroom pics were, and perhaps still are, preferable because the focus is on the outfit and not on the wearer.

But I don't think we are any closer to answering Shooey's question. In what way does the term iGent or netGent categorise behaviour and character? Or is it that Shooman's question was purely rhetorical and that there is no need for this to be discussed any further?
 
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Instagram has taken it to the next level. Urbancomposhit had a couple of pictures up yesterday of him walking in the med in shorts and a polo with all the buttons undone looking like a ball of sweat. I have a mate that runs his own clothing line and he posts just about everyday on Instragram or FB. Dress sense is terrible as well. But his mum loves it, always leaves a comment. I know its harmless and I like to see posers pose tbh. BUT, theres deffo a point where its overkill. When its everyone day or so its just to much, IMHO.
I'm getting a sense that many of the users here have rather narrow ideas of what constitutes good taste. Urban seems to post appropriate to the environment he's in, and as he's not fat or ugly, I fail to see what you have against him posting a pic of shorts and an unbuttoned polo shirt in what I can only imagine to be 40 degree weather in the Mediterranean. If anything, no shirt would be more appropriate.
 
I'm getting a sense that many of the users here have rather narrow ideas of what constitutes good taste. Urban seems to post appropriate to the environment he's in, and as he's not fat or ugly, I fail to see what you have against him posting a pic of shorts and an unbuttoned polo shirt in what I can only imagine to be 40 degree weather in the Mediterranean. If anything, no shirt would be more appropriate.
Could you perhaps post the piccie in dispute so other posters could form an opinion? Maybe we could then have a little more substance to explore the nature of iGentry in the age of Instagram.
 
I don't know, I think the iGent is alive and well Sammy. It's still a very distinctive species. Some here would fit, some wouldn't.
 
I see. Hats off to you guys who post pics here. Perhaps I'll build up to that someday.
I was going post a pic of myself that had been sent to me. It had been captured from a TV screen when I had been waiting for a jab. Problem is that in a blue suit and pink button down I look too much like Tom Cruise and his pics didn't go down well, Repeating.

But I bet you are braver than me. Post a pic now, so you can get some helpful advice.
 
I'm getting a sense that many of the users here have rather narrow ideas of what constitutes good taste. Urban seems to post appropriate to the environment he's in, and as he's not fat or ugly, I fail to see what you have against him posting a pic of shorts and an unbuttoned polo shirt in what I can only imagine to be 40 degree weather in the Mediterranean. If anything, no shirt would be more appropriate.
No, I don't have anything against it per say. Like I didn't the ones he posted the day before, or the day before that, or the day before that, or the day before that. Infact maybe I should just delete him. Its not like I know him. Yeah, that'd be the smart thing I guess.
 
With Instagram, the whole game changed. The bathroom piccies now are a rareity. They began in pre-selfie days. In some ways, the bathroom pics were, and perhaps still are, preferable because the focus is on the outfit and not on the wearer.

But I don't think we are any closer to answering Shooey's question. In what way does the term iGent or netGent categorise behaviour and character? Or is it that Shooman's question was purely rhetorical and that there is no need for this to be discussed any further?
I think that theres different reasons why people do it. Bop was clearly full of self doubt and was searching for a sense of "style". This was something he attemped to do by seeking the approval of others. Once he managed to find a place on the net where he'd done that he over thought everything. The colour wheel and musical note systems, the stupid slavish praise of "Ivy" that he'd only just found. But that doubt never really went away. Hence the melt downs if someone disagreed with. I think that New York Ranger guy was pretty much the same on SF, without the meltdowns.

Then theres the men that are addicted to post pictures of theirself on the net, the gay guy from NYC more often than not in front of his fireplace with a little story about the weather and his plans for the day. That Tim, another freak. OCBD was another. More or less the same gear in the same spot. Kai on the Mod forums, god awful clothes and fits but the other posters were just as bad. The back slapping between them only encouraged their egos and dreadful clothes. I once pointed out that a guys shirt pulled from under his pits because it was to small for him and he said "He hadn't noticed". Another guy I asked him if he thought his belt was the right size as it went through three loops after the buckle, his fellow pic posters dived in to defend their comrade with "I like the sloppyness of it" comments. Mod Sprezz perhaps? Some of the Mods posted the same outfit picture on M.C, M.G and Talk Ivy. Theres clearly a need for reassurance for massage of ego rather than talking clothes doing that?

Theres a few FB groups were men do this as well, often with three or four shots and one will be of their head. Terrible stuff, the clothes are the excuse these men need to post pictures of their self. Sometimes the same shots in more than one group. Really there is a more deeper disturbing reason they do it, again that may be different from person to person. The main reason, IMHO, is that these men feel over looked or under valued in life and have a desperate need to "liked".

YT has a number of channels offering advice on style and clothing. The hosts are either mundane or just plain odd in their appearence and know nothing beyond the obvious. Unless its a freak like Shooey posted up the other day into some geeky shit. Watch any of these and it becomes clear why Crapton is at the top of the tree in #menswear. From there its a short step to writing books on bespoke tailoring or becoming a "designer in collaboration" and being viewed as an expert when in truth it takes you 30 minutes to sew a shirt button on with a shank.

At the end of the day some men feel confident to do their own thing without the herd approval, some don't. Most of those that can dress well don't feel the need to post their outfit on social media or forums every other day. Some have egos that mean they do. And some have an eye to see what colours, textures ect work and some need to use a Deluxe colour chart.

These are I-gents, serial offenders, good, bad, indifferent or odd. Not the guys that post the odd picture of their dress to show their community of their forum.
 
I think that theres different reasons why people do it. Bop was clearly full of self doubt and was searching for a sense of "style". This was something he attemped to do by seeking the approval of others. Once he managed to find a place on the net where he'd done that he over thought everything. The colour wheel and musical note systems, the stupid slavish praise of "Ivy" that he'd only just found. But that doubt never really went away. Hence the melt downs if someone disagreed with. I think that New York Ranger guy was pretty much the same on SF, without the meltdowns.

Then theres the men that are addicted to post pictures of theirself on the net, the gay guy from NYC more often than not in front of his fireplace with a little story about the weather and his plans for the day. That Tim, another freak. OCBD was another. More or less the same gear in the same spot. Kai on the Mod forums, god awful clothes and fits but the other posters were just as bad. The back slapping between them only encouraged their egos and dreadful clothes. I once pointed out that a guys shirt pulled from under his pits because it was to small for him and he said "He hadn't noticed". Another guy I asked him if he thought his belt was the right size as it went through three loops after the buckle, his fellow pic posters dived in to defend their comrade with "I like the sloppyness of it" comments. Mod Sprezz perhaps? Some of the Mods posted the same outfit picture on M.C, M.G and Talk Ivy. Theres clearly a need for reassurance for massage of ego rather than talking clothes doing that?

Theres a few FB groups were men do this as well, often with three or four shots and one will be of their head. Terrible stuff, the clothes are the excuse these men need to post pictures of their self. Sometimes the same shots in more than one group. Really there is a more deeper disturbing reason they do it, again that may be different from person to person. The main reason, IMHO, is that these men feel over looked or under valued in life and have a desperate need to "liked".

YT has a number of channels offering advice on style and clothing. The hosts are either mundane or just plain odd in their appearence and know nothing beyond the obvious. Unless its a freak like Shooey posted up the other day into some geeky shit. Watch any of these and it becomes clear why Crapton is at the top of the tree in #menswear. From there its a short step to writing books on bespoke tailoring or becoming a "designer in collaboration" and being viewed as an expert when in truth it takes you 30 minutes to sew a shirt button on with a shank.

At the end of the day some men feel confident to do their own thing without the herd approval, some don't. Most of those that can dress well don't feel the need to post their outfit on social media or forums every other day. Some have egos that mean they do. And some have an eye to see what colours, textures ect work and some need to use a Deluxe colour chart.

These are I-gents, serial offenders, good, bad, indifferent or odd. Not the guys that post the odd picture of their dress to show their community of their forum.
Wow. Great post.
 
I think that sometimes Igents live in environments where people dress in jeans and t-shirts 99% of the time, with no real dress codes or different styles visible anywhere. It’s in these instances when creating a personal style has to start from a “vacuum” of sorts: as the environment gives no room for creating a distinctively personal style that would still fit in perfectly with the rest of society, one has to look broader for inspiration. Unfortunately this often leads to following what X Instagram influencer 8000 miles away is wearing, and aping that, just because “style, man”.

Things then turn tacky when it’s obvious the iGent is uncomfortable in his clothes - after all, the premise of the whole situation is pretending to be someone one is not. That’s when the thing turns into a form of very expensive cosplay, instead of a pursuit motivated by a sincere desire to try out different styles and finding the ones with which one feels like a rockstar. It’s the ancient tale of the nerds trying to act/be like the popular kids, dismissing their own self in the process.
 
I’ll just add that it’s no better in the SWD world. For every #menswear poser there’s #moctoemonday dude doing a cuffcheck ‘for the Gram’.
 
I’ll just add that it’s no better in the SWD world. For every #menswear poser there’s #moctoemonday dude doing a cuffcheck ‘for the Gram’.
Is SWD, street wear denim? Or dress maybe? Or what, Dropbear? I like to keep up with the kids, being a hip kinda grandpa.
 
Is SWD, street wear denim? Or dress maybe? Or what, Dropbear? I like to keep up with the kids, being a hip kinda grandpa.

That’s the old nomenclature from SF, dividing “Classic Meanswear” or CM (which is really about tailored clothing) and Streetwear and Denim or SWD, which covers everything from trad casual wear to high end Japanese miner cosplay costumes to gothninja stuff.

Always an artificial distinction, since CM types prefer to talk casual within their own mileu (sportscoat with jeans threads) and same with SWD (mod influenced brands like TaT remain firmly in SWD).
 
I fear that I have no idea what a "high end Japanese miner" is supposed to wear! It occurs to me that it might be fun to dress like a miner from the Outback who gets into fights about Metal.
 
High end Japanese brands doing repro’s of Americana western/miner/waterfront worker type clothes. This guy in Sweden always looks like he is off to build the railway to California:

IMG_8606.webp
IMG_8605.webp
 
Hillbilly culture is a thing, especially in the remote parts of Sweeden and Finland. Huge forests and large distances to everything (by euro standards).
 
High end Japanese brands doing repro’s of Americana western/miner/waterfront worker type clothes. This guy in Sweden always looks like he is off to build the railway to California:

View attachment 51258View attachment 51259
That first pic shows the extreme of what I was warning you against.
Short tight jacket and baggy pants makes for an unflattering silhouette.
When the hem of your jacket doesn’t come anywhere near the waistband of your pants you know you’ve taken this look too far.
 

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