English Tailoring vs. Ivy Style Debate
00:00:02
matt
Okay, after a slight interruption, thank you, recording an all-remote podcast. Jack, you were talking about, we were talking about English tailoring versus Ivy Style and how, you know, for a tux, you might go with them.
00:00:16
matt
And yeah, I think that's where it cut out.
00:00:20
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah, i think I think it's hard though as well, right? So I think just because yeah you know Ivy style versus British, right, doesn't necessari necessarily mean it has to be USA or British made as well.
00:00:33
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Because if I had to go through the perfect, like I said, tuxedo, I'd go British all day.
00:00:39
Jack Lewis Whittaker
If I had the money, I'd loads of coin, I'd take myself down to the row, I'd get myself a lovely suit, lovely pair of shoes, yada, yada, yada. But I wouldn't necessarily get now again, sport coach is different, but if I had to build like an Ivy League inspired outfit reasonably, i actually don't think I would go American based tailors or clothing shops.
00:01:01
Jack Lewis Whittaker
So if I had to build it from scratch, I think, again, it's hard to go. If I had to from top to bottom, I think if I go from bottom first, yeah, Alden 990s, like the plain toes or a pair of Crockett and Jones.
00:01:14
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I love Crockett. I think Crockett and Jones for me is like,
00:01:15
matt
so ah crock Crockett is fantastic.
00:01:17
Jack Lewis Whittaker
It's like, I would actually say having got a few pairs of them and a few pairs of Aldins, again, this might be blasphemous on an American. so Actually, no, you're international. Fuck it.
Shoe Preferences: Crockett & Jones vs. Alden
00:01:27
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I think Crockett and Jones is better.
00:01:28
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I think ah free Crockett and Jones is better than Aldin.
00:01:29
matt
Yeah, same. while while ah While I love American manufacturing and American made shit, and I love Alden, their retail is so... And I know why it's so absurd at this point. That going Crockett or maybe Sargent is not even ah question for me.
00:01:50
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Well, you can get a pair of Crocket Cordovans forโฆ I'm not sure what the usd would be in this. It's probably the same, no, my luck, but like ยฃ800.
00:01:58
Jack Lewis Whittaker
So that's probably not far off, actually, what American is. But actually, you guys have the pay tax on things, which is
Vintage Clothing and Personal Style
00:02:03
matt
mean more... Right. I'm not talking more than like Quarterman stuff, but like the basic calfskin. You know, an indie boot an indie boot, for example, is not a $700 quality boot.
00:02:03
Jack Lewis Whittaker
annoying.
00:02:09
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah.
00:02:14
Jack Lewis Whittaker
No. But then, yeah, then the chinos, like I said, there's really a lot. I might go, you know, American repro, like pair of Buzz Rixon's gelato, American fatigues, American style fatigues that made in Japan.
00:02:28
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I feel like they're just, Japanese just make everything amazingly.
00:02:31
Jack Lewis Whittaker
And only a handful of brands go up to my big boy size, but go for that. um Saying that belts is quite niche. I really like the coach made in USA one inch belt.
00:02:42
Jack Lewis Whittaker
And I went through a rabbit hole quite a while ago. think it came out early 2000s to the late 90s where Coach did these men's belts. And pick them out for about ยฃ40, ยฃ50. Shirts, if I'd choose any shirt, it'd be Jake.
00:02:54
Jack Lewis Whittaker
And I recommend if you guys can ever get hold of a Jake shirt, like they are unbelievable. Oxford Cloth shirt. It makes them in Soho now, I believe. Really cool guy. He's been doing it for donkey years. And yeah, incredible shirts.
00:03:07
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Now jacket, I think, to be honest, the best jackets I have are all vintage. Like I haven't um' yet to find a brand new sport coat that has matched my vintage ones I've found on eBay.
00:03:19
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Like I've got know i've got an O'Connell's sport coat, it has the Lucas on it as well.
00:03:23
Jack Lewis Whittaker
So it's quite an old one. 100% cashmere, three roll to fits perfect $150 I paid for it on eBay.
00:03:32
Jack Lewis Whittaker
It's fucking you worth like $1,200 now, least. at least
00:03:35
matt
Also, also more like or more likely made by Southwick.
00:03:40
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah, and they and that's why, again, we haven't got time now, but was interested in the Made in Canada versus Made in USA debate. And I've had a few jackets Made in Canada, a few Made in USA, and they fit quite differently, even though they'll say the fit is the same.
00:03:52
Jack Lewis Whittaker
And then, yeah, tie, I think, again, the best, again, talk about my irrational fashion hill to die on. I really don't like it when a tie is put on and it stays, like, behind each other perfectly.
00:04:08
Jack Lewis Whittaker
it's that.
Fashion Opinions: British Ties and Brands
00:04:10
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I like it like that. This probably looks really weird on the call. But you know, i mean, I sort of like that. So it's a bit of bit drift. i mean, that's yeah, tie wise, I probably go for like a like a British tie, unless I find a really niche Ralph one. But I find that some of the old Ralph ones are too wide.
00:04:24
Jack Lewis Whittaker
But I really like sort of the Drake's ties that you can get second hand are awesome. And then yeah, just some crappy baseball cap. And that'd be my perfect uniform, i' would say.
00:04:36
matt
guys what ah Are you four-in-hand person?
00:04:39
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Am I a four-in-hand person? Yes. I think it's the best looking, it's the best single because I haven't got the dexterity to do double and haven't got the patience either.
00:04:41
matt
Okay, I was assuming, yeah. yeah do you Do you go single or double?
00:04:50
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Single, I just, it's funny though when you do, do you know when you're you've got ready, post-shower and you put your tie on and then, I'm not sure I announce it like this, but there's no sweat like a sweat when you can't get your tie right.
00:05:04
Jack Lewis Whittaker
You just get fuck get fucking soaking straight away.
00:05:07
Jack Lewis Whittaker
And it's like, it doesn't like, and you do it the first time and the fat blade is a lot shorter than the the long blade either the other way around. You're like, they're sighing like, oh, come on.
00:05:17
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I get that so much.
00:05:17
Conor Fowler
And if you have a bigger neck, it's impossible to do, you know, right.
00:05:20
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Oh, have to another a shower. have to just wash again because I've made myself
00:05:25
Conor Fowler
Just dreadful.
00:05:26
matt
mean, I feel like doing anything after a shower is the hottest activity that I do in a day. And that, well, I don't shower every day, but you know, Like, uh, uh, it's just like, I, I take a shower.
00:05:38
matt
i go out to have a cigarette, you know, a little bit after and I'm sweating like a fucking, just like sweating like a goddamn pig. And I'm like, I just cleaned myself.
00:05:51
Jack Lewis Whittaker
But that's the thing, it's hard. That's why like, you know, i think another thing, actually, I actually think another most irrational fashion hill you'll die on. i think t shirts.
00:06:02
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I think t shirts for me is a minefield trying to find good t shirts. And I think I, for example, I've just recently bought you guys are like this being in America, I actually bought some Haines t shirts.
00:06:12
matt
Okay. Like new new ones?
00:06:13
Jack Lewis Whittaker
And then the shirts. i am Yeah, hopefully. They didn't come pre-worn.
00:06:16
matt
Okay. Well, I mean, like modern.
00:06:19
Jack Lewis Whittaker
They're from Amazon. From ah from this shop called ah Amazon.
00:06:22
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I'm not sure if you've heard of it. it they're quite big over They're quite big over here. But um I just find that finding good undershirts for me is really hard. And like, they don't have to be...
00:06:33
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I just don't understand why people spend like so much money on a couple of t-shirts when you could just get fired.
00:06:38
Jack Lewis Whittaker
And white t-shirts look shit after like, for me, again, might be different. I might be washing them terribly, but I think they just don't last long. So I'd just rather just spend like hardly anything on t-shirts and then just get...
00:06:49
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Or just get vintage t-shirts. just check under a shirt as well.
00:06:52
matt
Yeah, yeah. I am team, no undershirt, so.
00:06:56
Conor Fowler
yeah i don't wear an under shirt anymore either it's just uh yeah well you gotta to try to be more sedentary that would be my uh yeah
00:06:58
Jack Lewis Whittaker
sweat too much.
00:07:04
Jack Lewis Whittaker
take that um um I'll take that, I'll write that down. think I'll take that to my physician as well and be like, look, I understand you want me to get these 10K steps a day in, but what you really need to understand is that I've got 70s Brooks Brothers shirts that I can't be sweating in.
00:07:21
Jack Lewis Whittaker
So you got to you've got to take a bit of, you know, give me a bit of room here.
00:07:28
matt
ah Okay, so I think I wanted to ask
Cultural Impact of Music in Manchester and Liverpool
00:07:32
matt
this question. Maybe maybe it was both of us. But ah we got to ask about the Oasis reunions as someone that lives in the UK.
00:07:41
Jack Lewis Whittaker
yeah
00:07:42
matt
Was that a huge fucking deal for like you or people you knew? Or was it just kind of like, is, you know, is our perception of it blown out of proportion.
00:07:52
matt
Cause I had a friend, i had a friend that went to, I think he went to like 15 of their shows that they did.
00:07:53
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I don't think...
00:08:00
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Fuck.
00:08:01
Jack Lewis Whittaker
15 mad. But i think i think...
00:08:05
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I don't think it was blown out of proportion. I think it was just crazy. Like, I had one of my best friends, he went and he said it's like the best concert he's been to. i think when you start seeing like clips of like...
00:08:19
Jack Lewis Whittaker
cigarettes and alcohol that opens up the entire gig.
00:08:23
Jack Lewis Whittaker
It's just fucking, that's how they started their set as well. But i am I worked in Manchester and lived in Manchester for a couple of years. And I think you don't really truly appreciate how important, obviously, Oasis, but music in general is there.
00:08:23
matt
Oh, that's a great opener.
00:08:39
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Obviously, music's music's huge in the UK, but i think two particular cities, like you have Liverpool and you have Manchester, and I'm probably butchering the statistics, but I think Manchester actually has the most like produced bands per like people or per mile or whatever it is.
00:08:54
Jack Lewis Whittaker
like And it's just a crazy thing.
00:08:56
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I think, obviously, seeing their holds that Oasis had on the... They had a hold on the world, didn't they? I think...
00:09:03
matt
Right. Yeah, totally. Totally.
00:09:04
Jack Lewis Whittaker
it's fuck it It was nuts here. like It was wild. like Everyone went crazy.
00:09:07
Jack Lewis Whittaker
The amount people wearing parkas, Adidas, fucking Sambas, it was just wild. it it it would be August and someone's wearing like a fishtail parka.
00:09:18
Jack Lewis Whittaker
it's like like But people who aren't even into clothes. That's the thing. like I'm not sure if you guys know, like Liam Gallagher has a brand called Pretty Green.
00:09:26
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I think he has that. i think What are the...
00:09:29
Jack Lewis Whittaker
one in the mouth And then one of them has this blank or pretty green makes these sort of clothes and like literally it'd be like middle of like summer and people are decked out in parkas, jeans, bucket hats.
00:09:41
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah,
00:09:42
matt
Liam is the clothes horse, I believe. no me Yeah, Noel may be like an undercover clothes horse, but I mean, he always looks cool.
00:09:44
Jack Lewis Whittaker
yeah he's got some mad stuff.
00:09:52
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah, I think Liam's got like just... I think Liam wears like really... I'm not sure if someone styles him or he actually likes this sort of stuff, but obviously he's massive fan of like Stone Island and those sort of things.
00:10:04
matt
Yeah, yeah, totally.
00:10:04
Jack Lewis Whittaker
But he he he did a really cool... smock with Nigel Caborn like not too long ago and I think Nigel Caborn think that's sort of a sign that like yeah he does like his stuff because Nigel Caborn is a sick brand but like you wouldn't think not the everyday Joe would know that he's doing this I think that side the thing is pretty cool
00:10:23
matt
Oh, totally. Totally. Yeah. It's a I know he's worn engineer garments and like some other, you know, some other really cool and like very niche brands over the years.
00:10:36
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah, I think I have one question for you guys, actually, then we can ah
UK vs. US 'Fuckboy' Fashion Trends
00:10:42
Jack Lewis Whittaker
happily safe happy we say goodbye.
00:10:44
Jack Lewis Whittaker
So, how would i say have you guys heard the ah the saying, fuck boy?
00:10:52
Jack Lewis Whittaker
How would you describe the American fuck boy and how would you draw comparisons to the UK fuck boy?
00:10:58
Jack Lewis Whittaker
let's just Let's discuss. Let's discuss.
00:11:08
Conor Fowler
It's hard to say.
00:11:08
Jack Lewis Whittaker
In terms of clothes, I'm saying now, not just generally.
00:11:11
matt
Oh, in terms of clothes?
00:11:12
Jack Lewis Whittaker
In terms of clothes, yes.
00:11:13
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I'm not going to get knock going get to the ends of outer fuckboyism.
00:11:17
matt
Right, right. Well, I was trying to describe, because and I know what a fuckboy is, but if I had to put it into words, I don't know if I could. You know, it's just kind of a person you see and you're like, oh, this this person sucks.
00:11:31
Jack Lewis Whittaker
In the UK, it's skin-tight jeans, elongated t-shirt that's way too tight, and a fuck-off massive pair of trainers. Could be like Blinciaga, all the way up to the top end of Blinciaga, sort of awful trainers, all the way down to like a pair of Air Force Ones that three sizes too big.
00:11:48
matt
I don't think it's that dissimilar, honestly.
00:11:50
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Really?
00:11:50
matt
um in it It depends on the age range, I think. So the kind of like the kind of classic, let's call them classic fuck boys.
00:12:01
matt
The ones that are of a certain age, you know, they're, they're like millennials, uh, still, but they, but they've been, they've been rocking this shit since like 2014.
00:12:10
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah.
00:12:14
matt
Those haven't changed at all. The younger ones, uh, then like, I guess, Gen Z fuck boys, uh, I think that they're way more into like late nineties, early two thousands, Y2K shit.
00:12:31
matt
Like, but in a, in a like hot topic way, if that makes sense, which is, which is not a ah statement I would ever think i would make, but like, you know, the, the, the like almost bondage pant style, like, you know, like new metal dress of the era,
00:12:31
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah.
00:12:36
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah, it's a great segue.
00:12:41
Jack Lewis Whittaker
He made it.
00:12:50
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah.
00:12:50
matt
like how how the corn dudes were dressing, that that I think is the younger fuckboy.
00:12:55
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah. That's actually, that's actually a great take.
00:12:59
matt
yeah I see a lot, I see ah you know a wide variety of people by doing markets and things, which is, from a sociological standpoint, which I love, is fantastic. But ah you know a lot of this comes from observation.
00:13:14
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Fuck it, it's class.
00:13:16
matt
Connor, do you have a fuckboy
00:13:16
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah, I like that.
00:13:19
Conor Fowler
Well, i've kind of got I kind of got down in the weeds with it. like I think that's a good answer.
00:13:24
Conor Fowler
Because when I think of it, like I think of it as the people who I dislike the most, who I don't want to get into. right like I don't want to get into the the MAGA shit.
00:13:35
Conor Fowler
I'll leave with this. like Like I said, I was in Pittsburgh this weekend, and we stopped at a rest stop. And I knew something was amiss because I could see as I walked in, there was a line across the door coming from the men's room, which I can't even remember seeing in my life, a line at a men's room.
00:14:02
matt
he text He texted me about this, by the way.
00:14:02
Conor Fowler
And then texted Matt about this. And so once I get into the line, see all 13 14 and many them have MAGA on.
00:14:12
Conor Fowler
and many of them have maga gear
00:14:19
Conor Fowler
And it's just like this kid is wearing a red bucket hat that says MAGA on it. Like ah this girl is wearing a shirt that has Trump on it says daddy's home. So like that.
00:14:32
Conor Fowler
That's what I think about.
00:14:32
Jack Lewis Whittaker
So, let me just... So, they're not making America great again. that not right? Or is it...
00:14:40
matt
Oh, no, no, it's the greatest we've ever been.
00:14:40
Jack Lewis Whittaker
That's
00:14:43
matt
Sending money to kill...
00:14:43
Jack Lewis Whittaker
what I thought.
00:14:44
Jack Lewis Whittaker
That's what I did.
00:14:46
matt
Just constantly sending money to bomb brown people. It's it's fantastic.
00:14:50
Jack Lewis Whittaker
It's just...
00:14:52
Jack Lewis Whittaker
it just some
00:14:52
matt
but Granted, Biden was also sending money to brown to bomb brown people and Obama before him. And yeah, it's...
00:14:59
Conor Fowler
Yeah, it's a it's a US it's a US pastime.
00:15:02
matt
Yeah, yeah. It's it's sick. ah Yeah.
00:15:05
Jack Lewis Whittaker
But the clothes are still there, though.
00:15:08
Jack Lewis Whittaker
That's the thing.
00:15:09
Jack Lewis Whittaker
and to Rock on. Yeah.
00:15:11
Conor Fowler
Whoa, what does have in light show?
Reviving American Manufacturing
00:15:17
matt
We could have an entire episode, and maybe we should, about just, like, how impossible it would be to bring American manufacturing back at the level that it once was, even, you know, even in the 80s at this point.
00:15:35
matt
It fucking sucks, as as people that appreciate, you know...
00:15:40
Jack Lewis Whittaker
There's so many small shops, isn't it? like The only brand I can think, on not including J Press into this, but the only brand I know that does OCBDs like from scratch to the level probably it was done before is probably Mercer.
00:15:54
Jack Lewis Whittaker
They're such a small outfit now, they probably couldn't even do it on the level. Again, they don't need to do it on the level, but you know that's probably a tiny shop, right?
00:16:00
matt
Yeah, but but like even, you it's expensive.
00:16:02
Jack Lewis Whittaker
and It's expensive as well.
00:16:04
matt
um You know, i think part of that is like people being conditioned to want the lowest price possible for everything. But that also ties in with like people not being paid enough to actually live.
00:16:17
matt
So it's a, yeah, it's ah it's a rabbit hole that I've gone down many, many times.
00:16:23
Jack Lewis Whittaker
by vintage.
00:16:26
Conor Fowler
Right, five inches.
00:16:27
matt
Buy second hand. like i don't you know It doesn't even have to be vintage.
00:16:31
matt
but like just you know You don't need to always have to buy and brand new shit.
00:16:39
Conor Fowler
Yeah, hell yeah.
00:16:39
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Preach it.
00:16:40
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Hell yeah.
00:16:41
matt
Jack, dude, this has been awesome. ah we We'll definitely have you you know back here and there and continue our really fun...
00:16:49
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Thank you.
00:16:50
matt
Also, I gotta say, i'm liked being asked questions. Because that's not...
00:16:55
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I was going to ask more, but I don't want to overstep my mark.
00:16:58
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I've got a look a long list, but I'll save it for another time.
00:17:03
matt
Yeah, dude, part two.
00:17:03
Conor Fowler
Hell yeah. Yeah.
00:17:05
matt
I mean, we did we we did have ah John interview us, so it might be might be a fun one to get another you know another one of those.
00:17:14
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I think it's time to go get some more of my country people on here as well.
00:17:17
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I can give you some, think, yeah, a guy called Josh Grury.
00:17:22
Jack Lewis Whittaker
I'm not sure if you follow him, but Cuff No Break. He is like a mecca of knowledge when it comes to this stuff.
00:17:27
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Like, he's a cool guy. Actually, DJ little bit as well.
00:17:31
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Like, I have one of the record he made, which is like really cool guy. But yeah, get some more of the Brits on.
00:17:35
matt
Oh, that's sick. Yeah.
00:17:38
matt
Yeah, well we well gets ah well
00:17:39
Jack Lewis Whittaker
but We're coming back, baby.
00:17:43
matt
we'll get some British comrades on. um But ah yeah, Jack, tell everybody where they can follow you and you know welcome to shout out and anything you you would like to.
Closing Remarks and Social Media Shout-outs
00:17:53
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Shout out Apocalypse Duds, I think. Just shout the guys. Thanks for having me on.
00:17:57
matt
Yeah, dude. Thank you.
00:17:57
Jack Lewis Whittaker
um Yeah, and then yeah, yeah, buy vintage, buy secondhand. Shout to the big boys out there as well. Summer's coming.
00:18:06
Conor Fowler
What's your handle?
00:18:08
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Jack Lewis Whittaker, but I don't want to give it too much of a shout out you know, you know.
00:18:12
Conor Fowler
You're allowed. that's your That's the whole point of you being here.
00:18:14
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Shout out to Jack Lewis Whittaker. That's me.
00:18:16
Conor Fowler
Yes, whoever that is.
00:18:17
Jack Lewis Whittaker
The Welsh, whoever that guy is,
00:18:20
Jack Lewis Whittaker
The Welshman living in, not in Wales, trying his best.
00:18:23
Conor Fowler
Who will speak for the Welsh?
00:18:26
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Yeah, Cymru and Baith. I can't speak the language, but that means something. Let's go with Wales. We love Wales. But yes, up the dragon.
00:18:33
Conor Fowler
Up the dragon.
00:18:36
Jack Lewis Whittaker
the Welsh. Take care, guys.
00:18:38
matt
Alright, everyone. Thank you for listening.
00:18:41
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Thank you.
00:18:42
matt
I am Matt Smith at Rebels Rogues.
00:18:46
Conor Fowler
And I'm Connor Flower at Connor Flower.
00:18:49
matt
You can find us at Apocalypse Studs on Instagram. Apocalypse Studs at gmail.com. And we're also on YouTube, which I never mention. ah We have an Apocalypse Studs channel on there. so ah Wherever you listen, thank you. And we will see you next Wednesday.
00:19:06
Jack Lewis Whittaker
Bye, guys.