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did you confuse his talk of net worth for his attempt to rationalize the slaughter of elephants for shoe leather?
Kirby Allison appreciation thread
- Thread starter Kingstonian
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in case any of you might think that the label 'sovereign grade' means anything other than marketing claptrap, i present to you the sovereign grade face mask
www.kirbyallison.com
Accessories/Face Masks
Discover the world of quality, craftsmanship and tradition with our luxury hangers, Saphir shoe polish and other luxury clothing accessories for the well-dressed. Touted by world-recognized brands!
www.kirbyallison.com
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did we know about kirby buying a sensible wardrobe?
www.styleforum.net
What is the deal with is Kirby Allison’s business model?
I think you bring up a fair and valid point on this. I don’t have experience necessarily with KA but usually such boutique retailers will offer products That have been specifically curated which allows for a certain level of confidence when buying from them. Also, they can offer expert opinion...
www.styleforum.net
The Shooman
A Pretty Face
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Just bookmarking this for later:
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I just watched 10 minutes of that ^^. What a boring selection of jackets, all being fawned over by their owner telling how great his clothes are. I must now go dust the lampshades. Fascinating task, given recent choices.
The Shooman
A Pretty Face
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Agreed; all boring shades, and drab. They are as interesting as watching grass grow.
I am about 10 minutes in. So far the coats are boring as it gets.
Kingstonian
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They are some really horrible check jackets if you are patient enough to wait until the end.
Pimpernel Smith
Tone Deaf Daddy
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He's got a weird double chin thing going on as well.
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I did not actuallydid we know about kirby buying a sensible wardrobe?
What is the deal with is Kirby Allison’s business model?
I think you bring up a fair and valid point on this. I don’t have experience necessarily with KA but usually such boutique retailers will offer products That have been specifically curated which allows for a certain level of confidence when buying from them. Also, they can offer expert opinion...
The Shooman
A Pretty Face
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It is interesting how much of his bespoke is sent off somewhere else to be made. It shows how lucky people are if their tailor can make an entire suit in their own workshop. Never knew Despos sent our his garments to be made too. I like that Kirby enjoys his clothes, because that is what it is really about.
Interesting how Kirby has more bespoke shoes than custom/bespoke suits.
Eric Jensen bespoke = collar gap
QWuite a decent amount of roping in that shouder.
Interesting how Kirby has more bespoke shoes than custom/bespoke suits.
Eric Jensen bespoke = collar gap
QWuite a decent amount of roping in that shouder.
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belinmad
Damn Tacky Big Collar Daddy
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I can't stop focusing on his collar gap. takes away whatever credibility he has.
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I'm always surprised by how much credibility people actually accord to him.
belinmad
Damn Tacky Big Collar Daddy
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thus the "whatever". Much like Crompters, he is in the right place at the right time, doesn't mean he should be the right guy.
"Heighth" (not a word)
"Very unique" (uniqueness can't be qualified; something is either unique or it's not)
"Kind of" (repeated four billion times)
I find this Kirby fellow kind of annoying to listen to at times, not that I haven't before, though there are far worse channels.
"Very unique" (uniqueness can't be qualified; something is either unique or it's not)
"Kind of" (repeated four billion times)
I find this Kirby fellow kind of annoying to listen to at times, not that I haven't before, though there are far worse channels.
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Sammy Ambrose
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He has.Especially for such a skinny and weedy guy.
Sammy Ambrose
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Yes. Perhaps he's demonstrating prole gape.
The Shooman
A Pretty Face
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I think they both want to be famous. It doesn't matter whether they are the right person or not, they are `the people' who are meant to play the role. It's not what you know, it was never really about that. These guys obviously have great virtue to be able to own the clothes they do and live the lifestyle they love. They are `the few'.
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Though I've heard the name, my introduction to him was via Shooman's link above. As mentioned, I sat tight for ten whole minutes of fawning over his own stuff before I clicked out, so no fan here, still some of the ensuing comments border on the bitchy, like...
Really? You are one severe clothing critic. I have a collar gap right now as I lean forward into my cell to type this. So my clothing credibility just flew out the window? Okay. I'll just slobber on. Maybe I should buy a mirror, like a compact one for collar checks throughout the day.
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belinmad
Damn Tacky Big Collar Daddy
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Don’t. If you look too much into it, you might realize how much of a trolling jackass you are.
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The Shooman
A Pretty Face
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Doggy:
1). you don't get to own a warehouse selling luxury products without virtue.
2). you don't get to make youtube videos, be a man of leisure and own a bespoke wardrobe without virtue.
3). you don't get to write menswear books and have the income to own a bespoke wardrobe without virtue.
You can be the greatest creep and dimwit, but you may have accumulated some of the greatest virtue and have the easiest life and have great things. Things are not what they seem on the surface Doggy. These things don't happen by accident. Simon does not get the freebies he does by accident...if people could con tailors they'd all be doing it, but only `the few' are able to get the freebies because they have great virtue, and the tailors are happy to give the freebies. Simon is the worst advertisement for bespoke, yet he gets the most stuff. Think about it. As we would say in the East, Simon has done many good things in his previous lives to earn the benefits that he has in this life. No-one gets anything for free Doggy....maybe Simon was once a monk and taught his followers the ancient laws of the universe, and now his followers are tailors who have come to pay back Simon the debt. All this would explain why Simon's life is the way it is.
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chesterfield
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The conversation has taken an interesting turn.
Unfortunately I would like to circle back.
The Shooman
, I have a great reverence for you.
After spending one year reading the menswear forums, your grace and connoisseurship has shined through all the mud. Thank you for everything.
What good fortune I have been granted for this opportunity to address you directly and post alongside you.
Can I ask you to elaborate extensively on your response to the first set of Kirby's suits?
I watched the Kirby video. The title is distasteful, Kirby's integration of flashy "youtube culture" is a stain on his project. A stain on "the hanger project." (A stained name to begin with, but I'm not really interested in discussing KA negatives, it's all there on the surface. There are positives, he's transparent about the +$100k he's spent on clothing and shoes, posting it all to youtube, there is value there. I also thought the shoes in his closet looked quite attractive; what did you think?)
I like the first set of coats he displays in the first section of the video, around the blackwatch dinner jacket he starts working with different tailors and the thread is lost, though I remember a few more tasteful garments afterwards. Perhaps that first set is boring, but is this so bad? I'm sure that's what he either wanted or needed. To really comment on it I should rewatch the video, but in my memory they were understated, looked well made; to be honest, I can't even really remember them, but that seems like a good thing, and what I aim for with some of my clothing. Fine fabrics, high workmanship, dark colors. The sort of thing that would make a man blend in while simultaneously building a rock of confidence that could not be moved. Is this so bad? It seems like it's not a bad place to start with your first couple of commissions while you're learning and taking in information, I'm not sure what his field was before he began his Project. I think this was a good vision for Kirby... left to his own devices you see stuff like the plaid jackets at the end. Were those boring? No, they're just shitty.
Outside of KA, I want to discuss this idea of boring tailoring; what are the best examples of the other side?
Unfortunately I would like to circle back.
The Shooman
, I have a great reverence for you. After spending one year reading the menswear forums, your grace and connoisseurship has shined through all the mud. Thank you for everything.
What good fortune I have been granted for this opportunity to address you directly and post alongside you.
Can I ask you to elaborate extensively on your response to the first set of Kirby's suits?
I watched the Kirby video. The title is distasteful, Kirby's integration of flashy "youtube culture" is a stain on his project. A stain on "the hanger project." (A stained name to begin with, but I'm not really interested in discussing KA negatives, it's all there on the surface. There are positives, he's transparent about the +$100k he's spent on clothing and shoes, posting it all to youtube, there is value there. I also thought the shoes in his closet looked quite attractive; what did you think?)
I like the first set of coats he displays in the first section of the video, around the blackwatch dinner jacket he starts working with different tailors and the thread is lost, though I remember a few more tasteful garments afterwards. Perhaps that first set is boring, but is this so bad? I'm sure that's what he either wanted or needed. To really comment on it I should rewatch the video, but in my memory they were understated, looked well made; to be honest, I can't even really remember them, but that seems like a good thing, and what I aim for with some of my clothing. Fine fabrics, high workmanship, dark colors. The sort of thing that would make a man blend in while simultaneously building a rock of confidence that could not be moved. Is this so bad? It seems like it's not a bad place to start with your first couple of commissions while you're learning and taking in information, I'm not sure what his field was before he began his Project. I think this was a good vision for Kirby... left to his own devices you see stuff like the plaid jackets at the end. Were those boring? No, they're just shitty.
Outside of KA, I want to discuss this idea of boring tailoring; what are the best examples of the other side?
The Shooman
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The conversation has taken an interesting turn.
Unfortunately I would like to circle back.
After spending one year reading the menswear forums, your grace and connoisseurship has shined through all the mud. Thank you for everything.
What good fortune I have been granted for this opportunity to address you directly and post alongside you.
We all resonate with different people and characters. It is good you like my posts. I try to make a quality post. I've never liked throwaway comments; if l am going to talk l want it to be meaningful, otherwise, why post at all.
The camera probably does not do justice to those suits Kirby showed. They are likely beautiful fabrics and wonderful suits, but on the camera they come across as dull and all similar shades. Then again, thinking like that is not too good because a nice conservative grey suit is not judged comparing it to the next similar suit on the hanger. A suit is judged according to fit, the way it is worn and what is paired with it, therefore each suit by itself is likely very good.
Kirby doesn't have natural style, but he has admitted this very openly, none-the-less he is still well dressed. I like his enthusiasm for quality clothes.
This is how it is these days. So many men have been drawn into the youtube culture. It is sad because it comes across as cheap and tasteless, but it is also good because so many men have now embraced classic style through the internet.
I remember the days before the internet when menswear and footwear was a real adventure and purist activity, but now every man and his dog are into it and the sacredness of the sartorial adventure has been cheapened (hard to explain in words). You see the distasteful internet culture on the clothing forums with the warped thinking and behaviours (rushing the process of the sartorial journey, buying and showing off online for appreciation of strangers etc, competition, unhealthy spending addictions), but all these things are part of the dharma ending period, so we can't be too down on people because we have all been drawn into it to some extent. Butler and all of them are doing it now, showing themselves off and becoming minor celebrities.
I remember the lonely days of my shoe adventures. My journey was earned the hard way, through old fashioned networking and finding my way by myself. They were the days when the mighty ones earned their way to the top. These days all of that is gone, it is all at one's fingertips now. The journey is too easy now, and the weak are also thrown into the mix....the weak know nothing about the adventure and accomplishment of pioneering the road. Same went with the health food road in Australia, l was a pioneer in this country and paved the road for future generations. It was the thrill of the chase and the accomplishment that was so rewarding, but it is not like that anymore. The old pioneers are not coming up through the ranks anymore. It all feels so cheap.
I am happy Kirby has done this. Why? Because he is celebrating his joy of clothes. It is not showing off, his video is in a different spirit all together. His shoes are very good, all of them!
I just hope he is not doing all these videos to become famous.
I like his later coats, but like l said, all of his coats and suits are likely very nice in person.
Yes. 5 grey suits might look boring when next to each other on camera, but when worn on the day they will always make a striking impression. Grey is classic, and when combined with great fit you can't go wrong.
Your comments are right on the mark imo. Kirby doesn't want anything too exciting, so what he has suits his mindset. That's all that matters.
Look at Hugo Jacomet. You can't say his suits are boring. Really stylish and interesting suits. Those would be the best examples of the other side.
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Shooey, once again you appear to confuse owning lots of clothes (or being a Big Daddy with shoos) with virtue.
Owning lots of expensive clothes and shoes doesn't require virtue, Shooey. It just requires money. Lots of money.
Interestingly, it's actually easier to acquire lots of money if you *don't* have virtue. Just look at Bernie Madoff - he defrauded people of billions of dollars, but he owned over 250 pairs of shoes, many of which were apparently made-to-order in exotic leathers. No virtue there - just greed and selfishness.
* * *
Edited to add:
Irony of ironies, I just did a quick Google search for "Bernie Madoff shoes" and it threw up some StyleForum results - including a post by one Kirby Allison, in which he expressed a desire to purchase 15 pairs of Madoff's shoes from JL Paris and Berluti:
https://www.styleforum.net/threads/bernie-madoff-had-some-nice-shoes.209152/#post-3802773
Sammy Ambrose
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I think we can perhaps sum this up by saying that we can view Kirby as being a man of virtue if the word has been redefined to mean a man who cons young igents who have just realised that a wire hanger and a suit are not the best of companions.
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The Shooman
A Pretty Face
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No confusing the ancient eastern philosophies for me, l know exactly what l am saying.
exactly...much easier to acquire a lot without virtue, ie scamming. People can acquire a lot through both ways.
* People who acquire a lot without effort = virtue
* People who inherit large sums = virtue.
* People who have easy lifestyle doing what they please = virtue.
* People who lie to get good jobs = no virtue
* People who win the lottery and then lose it all = no virtue, so they are not allowed to keep it.
* People who lose the inheritance = no virtue, so are not allowed to keep it.
People who lie and cheat who have a lot can have no virtue or can have a combination of virtue and cheating. Hard to say for sure.
Sammy Ambrose
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Shooey, how can anyone who doesn't have more bad karma than Chenners, be born looking like Kirbs?No confusing the ancient eastern philosophies for me, l know exactly what l am saying.
exactly...much easier to acquire a lot without virtue, ie scamming. People can acquire a lot through both ways.
* People who acquire a lot without effort = virtue
* People who inherit large sums = virtue.
* People who have easy lifestyle doing what they please = virtue.
* People who lie to get good jobs = no virtue
* People who win the lottery and then lose it all = no virtue, so they are not allowed to keep it.
* People who lose the inheritance = no virtue, so are not allowed to keep it.
People who lie and cheat who have a lot can have no virtue or can have a combination of virtue and cheating. Hard to say for sure.
belinmad
Damn Tacky Big Collar Daddy
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Inheriting large sums = virtue? wtf?
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Forget it, he's rolling.
Kingstonian
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Inherited karma
Noblesse oblige
The divine right of kings
Caste systems
Noblesse oblige
The divine right of kings
Caste systems
Sammy Ambrose
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Noblesse oblige requires the nobility to behave well.
I think just looking at Kirbs and Cromps makes it clear that their ancestors were more likely stone age cleaners than nobles.
Nothing wrong with such DNA though.But hang on! Perhaps their virtue arises from having the genes of carcass scrapers jigging about in their simian frames.
chesterfield
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Amen. This is a good forum philosophy.
This is interesting. Natural style is complex. I feel blessed to have it... but in the other direction, it has always consumed a lot of my time. Certainly one of the great loves of my life. Sometimes, I feel the stylish men of the past had steadier access to less "contaminated" material, so they perhaps didn't have to invest as much time in learning about the market and finding what's out there that's pure... that if they did what you did, old fashioned networking and lonely adventure, they could reliably end in a good, stylish place constructed from quality components. But I wonder. I would like to hear more about these days of yours. Maybe a thread to cover pre-web saturation clothing experiences is in order.
So many ropas are contaminated now, but paradoxically I feel that the world is generally tending towards more clothing obsession (passion?). This leads to negative results. But I could be completely wrong about all of this
At your recommendation, I will consider Jacomet more seriously. I have watched a few of his videos and am aware of him. I do think he navigates running a youtube channel in 2021 better than others. To be continued.
Thank you for your response.
Sauce
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Jacomet is not to be taken seriously. Anyone who has a bespoke denim suit made is retarded in his clothing choices. Its a suit or nothing. Anyone who uses phrases like, "I say, no sir, not I sir" in this day and age needs transporting back in time and dropping off in the middle of the Paris commune.
Am I being mean? Yeah, golden mean.
Am I being mean? Yeah, golden mean.
Kingstonian
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Jacomet sounds like the old advertisement for Cointreau.
But he could only feature in the radio version.
Kingstonian
Well-Known Member
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Yes it is the servicing requirement to maintain ancestral virtue in good working order.
The Shooman
A Pretty Face
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Oh wow.
florisgreen
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Kirby looks good with beard and moustaches.
By the way, do we have already a thread about shaving?
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Yes sir.
Shaving, Skin, and Body Care
ITT we get all Badger & Blade and yap about how we remove facial hair. Or body hair if you really must, whatever. I must state that shaving cream in a can is beneath contempt for me, as it is just a goopy joke. I vary all over on whether I use brushless stuff from a tube, a cake of soap with...
www.dressedwell.net
QuandoDio
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oh god that was so cringe inducing.