One Thing At A Time with Eugene Park

Transcript

Conor Fowler: Welcome again to Apocalypse Duds. I am Connor Flower.

matt: And I am Matt Smith.

Conor Fowler: And here we are and Apocalypse Duds again. ah We're in the studio with Eugene Park, who ah hello, hello, hello, ah who we're very excited to be interviewing about clothing. ah He comes from sort of a different avenue clothing.

Conor Fowler: usual, I guess, like powerlifting is not necessarily the, ah traditional clothing path, I guess. I mean, I think it's awesome. And it's funny because I'll talk about this guy who I know who was a power lifter, who like, he was a skinhead.

Conor Fowler: He was an Asian skinhead. He was sharp, a skinhead against racial prejudice.

matt: Hell yeah.

Conor Fowler: Right. So he was like, he had a shaved head. He was like bomber jacketed. he was like ripped his like, Denim was so perfect. ah And this was in like middle school.

Conor Fowler: This.

Eugene: Is this a person? Like, who is this person? i don't even know.

Conor Fowler: His name is Andrew and I'm friends with him on Facebook still.

Eugene: Okay.

Conor Fowler: We went to high school together. ah

Eugene: Very cool.

Conor Fowler: He went to Brown. He works in politics. But the point is he was a power lifter and he had this interesting ah aspect of clothing.

Eugene: Hmm.

Conor Fowler: And so I think you probably do too. And in fact, from what I have seen you do. So welcome.

Eugene: Awesome. Thanks for having me. I don't know if i consider myself a full on powerlifter, but I do like lifting weights and I did used to train in like a powerlifting facility, but yeah.

Conor Fowler: More of a power lifter than me and Matt.

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Conor Fowler: I won't speak for Matt, but more of a power lifter than Matt as well.

Eugene: It's

Conor Fowler: So one of us on this program today is a power lifter and two of us are not.

matt: Right, right, yeah. Thanks for...

Eugene: kind of like fashion, you know, because like people will say, Hey, I'm a menswear guy. And then they get really technical about what, kind you know, it's like, it's like, I don't know if I fully consider myself a powerlifter, but I do like,

Conor Fowler: Sure. Well, and I think that those like the labeling is so like, ah it's so like, well, is this Ivy or is this Trad?

Eugene: to ah Yeah, yeah.

Conor Fowler: Like, I don't care.

Eugene: Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

Conor Fowler: i don't give a shit. It's like, you're either with it or you're not.

Eugene: Yeah, Matt, I'm sorry.

matt: Right.

Eugene: don't know if I caught you off there.

matt: Yeah. Oh, no, you're good. You're good. um Yeah, I am not a weightlifter in any respect. Outside of lifting my Ben's Vintage Inventory, that's my weightlifter.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

matt: But

Eugene: Vintage, that sounds awesome.

Conor Fowler: Heavy riffs? Hello?

matt: yeah yeah, and riding heavy riffs. But yeah, man, thanks for coming on. um Just to get started, where are you from and where are you now?

Eugene: I'm originally from the Chicagoland suburbs, kind of grew up there Midwest for most of my life.

matt: Oh, sick.

Eugene: Yeah. And then um with my career and my job, I kind of moved around a lot.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: I used to live in Minneapolis, NorCal, like like Bay Area for a while. And now we reside in Southern California.

Conor Fowler: Hmm.

Eugene: This is home. My wife and I and our puppy Penny were first home out here recently.

matt: Oh.

Eugene: three a half years ago.

Conor Fowler: Nice.

Eugene: So we're in Costa Mesa, California.

matt: cool cool

Conor Fowler: That's not a bad tour. That's not like from like Birmingham, Alabama to like, I don't want to shit on anyone, but you know what I mean?

Eugene: Yeah, kind of. Yeah. Yeah.

Conor Fowler: There are places that are very, very, very, way worse than that.

matt: Right, right. Yeah, it sounds like you've, you've experienced a lot of different like climates too. right,

Conor Fowler: oh yeah.

Eugene: For sure. ah Brutal cold, you know, Tundra, Minneapolis was the coldest place i've ever lived.

Conor Fowler: Okay.

Eugene: But Chicago was you know pretty cold too.

matt: right.

Eugene: now Now I get to you know enjoy December and 80, 70 degrees.

matt: that Nice. Yeah. Yeah. ah So when when you were a kid, what kind of clothing were you wearing? Did you kind of get what you wanted or were your parents you know more influential in how you dress?

Eugene: Yeah. um You know, it's funny, like this whole clothing thing for me is very new. Literally the past few years, I wrote a post about that not too long ago, but like, you know, three years ago, didn't care about clothes at all.

Eugene: And that had a lot to do with how you grew up. um You know, my parents worked really hard and we didn't have a lot growing up. So clothes was just like a, it felt like a luxury that I never really like explored.

Eugene: I never got to like experiment with that piece, but my mom loved Goodwill. So we used to go to Goodwill all the time. we Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Ah, here it is

matt: Ah-ha!

Eugene: Yeah. Uh, you know, our whole like hangout was like me and my mom would go to like a Goodwill. Actually, know she used to go to this place called Spiegel in Chicago. It was like a woman's boutique. Like I, for me.

Conor Fowler: Mm-hmm.

matt: yeah, yeah.

Eugene: So I just like sat in a corner, or played with my toys or whatever. And then afterwards she'd be like, we'll go to a store for you too. So we'd always go to Goodwill and she taught me the whole like sticker days and stuff. so we would just go pick stuff out.

Eugene: And then, um, I kind of just wore whatever was there or like that kind of fit me. um And I never cared about clothes. I felt like it was something that didn't grow up much around except my mom.

Eugene: My mom was definitely the one who kept me open to the idea of like buying secondhand and like, what do you look for? And like, how do you know things are quality? Like if you should kind of nerd out about like material tech and stuff. I didn't care about it. that I didn't like truly didn't understand it

matt: Right.

Eugene: But yeah, my mom has a huge closet and she's always like, well, it was, you know, $2 from Goodwill or whatever. And so like, that was always her excuse around closet.

matt: ah

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: Yeah, well, it's cool that, you know, seeing how, like, where you've come back to or come around to the past few years, like, that was in, that ingrained something in you. Like, you internalized it and are now able to put that knowledge to use.

Eugene: I think so. I mean, my clothing journey started because, um, Yeah, so I guess five years ago, 2020, we got out of debt. My wife and I got out of debt. And before that, I seriously, like, I mean, I work for cereal companies and like, I would just wear like cereal t-shirts, like just like whatever was free for my office.

Conor Fowler: and

Eugene: um Like no joke, but you know what i'm saying? Like I, you know, just no no hate to like anywhere like Target, Goodwill. I just wore stuff that was just like there. I never cared about clothes. By 2020, we got out of debt and that was the first time i you know, we had a little bit of extra income.

Eugene: i was like, what do I do with that? And so I bought my,

Conor Fowler: That's an interesting time too.

Eugene: Yeah, right.

Conor Fowler: Right?

Eugene: And we were all we were indoors. We didn't get to go out much.

Conor Fowler: Right, right, right.

Eugene: So

Conor Fowler: So you can blow money on good stuff.

Eugene: um yeah, well, I was a little scared of that because I never really spent money on clothes in general. And so you'll see a bunch of sneakers behind me. Like people would assume I've had all my life.

Conor Fowler: Mm-hmm.

Eugene: Like as a kid growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I love sneakers. I love basketball. i love Michael Jordan, but I never got to buy any sneakers. So my very first purchase, I still remember was I went on eBay.

Eugene: I found a pair of bread jordan fours and that was like always a shoe that i really loved as a kid never got to buy it but i bought this like super crumbly like the soldier crumbling it was like i don't remember like 60 bucks and at the time i thought that was like oh my god it's so expensive these are like so cooked i bought them and you know i wore them all crumbled you know so it's kind of like that the first purchase ever and then um i started getting into like taking care of myself like you know in covid it just felt like

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: I let my body go. i was really stressed out work, my day job. I gained a lot of weight and I started working out and then, um, that led me like sneakers led me to like athleisure wear. Um, so I wore a lot of, like, I don't know, Lululemon, whatever.

Conor Fowler: Sure. Well, because the at that time, too, is that style, right?

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Like, that was a big...

Eugene: I think so. Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Because everyone was working out. Everyone was going ah on walks and stuff.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Like, it was COVID time.

Eugene: Yeah, our step game went up or, you know, just something that me and my wife and my dog, we just walk around and that became a thing where we were trying to be more active.

Conor Fowler: Exactly, yeah.

Eugene: And then like with sneakers, I thought that was a natural thing to match with like athleisure clothes, you know. So pretty much my experimentation came from the gym.

Conor Fowler: Mm-hmm.

Eugene: i would just like wear outfits, like, you know, just like T-shirt, shorts and sneakers to the gym. And that kind of became my thing for a while. Um, and then eventually over time I, you know, lost a pretty good amount of weight and I started paying attention more to clothes.

Eugene: mean, like I never liked going into stores because they just make you feel like shit, you know, like, I don't know whether it's like somebody, they kind of look you up and down and be like, okay, like this guy's not a serious buyer or, okay.

matt: Right, right.

Conor Fowler: He's not going to buy Yeah. Get the fuck out of Yeah.

Eugene: back you know or like oh hey we're running a sale off today you'll like the sales right you know just like kind of like weird comments um so i didn't really care about clothes until a few years ago after i kind of lost weight and it just got me curious and realizing like oh okay i feel like i one thing i learned was like clothing companies don't care about people like they kind of make it mass production because they're a business they got to make money right and so they're not thinking about a guy who like

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: yeah

Eugene: either it's pretty big or, you know, whatever, like whatever hobbies I get, it's just hard to find clothes that fit. And that was a whole thing that got me trying to figure out like, how do I get clothes to like fit me? And that was just like a fun experiment that led me to now, I guess.

Eugene: But that's how I kind of got started in all this. I would say like three years ago. Yeah.

matt: Hell yeah. and

Conor Fowler: Three, three, three. That's like, that's like, well, so I feel like since you got a later start, like you had your adult brain.

Eugene: yeah Something like that.

Conor Fowler: So you were more successful than like, I don't know. I mean, I feel like if you're doing experiments with clothes when you were a kid, like when I was a kid, I remember I put on some jeans and a jacket like I saw in GQ.

Conor Fowler: and I was trying to go out with my friends in downtown Annapolis. My mom was like, you can't go there looking like that.

matt: Thank you.

Conor Fowler: Like, what are you doing? Where did you, did i mean, what, what, what, but and I was like, didn't even say like, I saw it in GQ mom. ah But I was like 16, you know? And so that kind of, that kind of experiment, I feel like is not happening when you're like 29, right? You're like, you're like checking yourself in the mirror and then you're like going out outside and not being ridiculed by your mother. Hmm.

Eugene: I don't know. Like my mom, even though we made, we went thrifting a lot, like as a kid, like she would kind of pick like funky stuff for me. But I, again, I didn't care. Like to give context, my mom was a hairdresser.

Eugene: And so she did all sorts of experiments with my hair as a kid.

Conor Fowler: yeah

Eugene: Like I had perms, she would like like braid my hair. I had really long hair.

Conor Fowler: Damn, dude, that's fascinating.

Eugene: bought it. like I think that actually led to, like I just didn't care.

Conor Fowler: Did you have any, style did you have like a non-traditional style, like braiding, for example, that you liked? That you liked, I mean?

Eugene: I love basketball. So the braiding thing was, like one, whoever braids their hair, I have much respect to them because it it hurts a lot.

Conor Fowler: It hurts. Yeah, it hurts a lot.

Eugene: yeah But my hair is like super straight naturally. So it like stayed for like two days. Like it just didn't work for me.

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: But like, you know, at the time I was into basketball, was on the team. Like, I don't know. I just like was down to do whatever. She shaved my head, like all this stuff. And i think because of that, though, like she kind of just like also kind of dressed me, like like kind of just bought me random things. I remember one time I was like going out with my friends. I was like to the movies or something. And I just kind of pulled out a sweater from my closet. But it was this like...

Eugene: like a yellow, like a cannery yellow quarter zip, like knitted quarter zip type thing.

Conor Fowler: Thank you.

Eugene: And I'm like 15 at the time. So my friend picked me up, he's older. He's like, dude, what are you wearing? I was like, I don't know. Like like just what I had. Like, I didn't really care about like how I looked. I think it was more just like, I just wore it cause I had it. I didn't put much thought into it. So to your point, like, I don't know if that has to do with like, as I got older and like kind of started paying attention to what I like and don't like, and then, you know, buying more intentionally.

Eugene: I don't know if that has to do with like, um, how I dress today. Like, I feel like people are sometimes like, Oh, you know, like those don't go together. well That's kind of a untraditional way to do it. It's not that I'm like trying to break the rules. One is like, I don't know the rules. I don't know a lot of these men's wear rules, honestly.

Eugene: Um, and then two is just like, I don't know. I just, I like it and I think it looks good. So going to try it. Um, and sometimes they work like the ideas in my head. Sometimes they work and sometimes they're just bad outfits, but i'll learn from it, you know?

Eugene: And, um,

Conor Fowler: Right.

matt: Yeah, I think partly too, you know, you'd you'd kind of like learning the rules or quote quote unquote rules on the fly.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: Like, i don't know. I feel like people that that aren't How do I put this? People that aren't trying to like hold steadfast to shit like that. like somehow i feel like it comes off more authentic a lot of times.

matt: Like, oh, i just you know like I just had these jeans and this you know cool jacket. And like this I thought it looked sick. And you know that that seems a lot more a lot less contrived to me.

Eugene: m Yeah, I don't know. I just kind of wear stuff that I like and I'm not afraid to experiment. I wear some funky things sometimes and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I don't i don't really have like a, but I think that's what's fun about it.

Eugene: You know, like just like trying stuff and if it, you know, I like it and, you know, if it's something that I feel like I consistently go back to, then it becomes kind of like part of my like, so like ah process, I guess, you know?

matt: Yeah, totally. Totally.

matt: Totally. 100%. I can attest to this.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Like my my process sometimes, most of the times is ask Matt.

matt: accurate like can attest to this

Conor Fowler: Because I had this camo, I had this camo blouson and I had this tweed jacket.

Eugene: Okay. nothing

Conor Fowler: I thought it was gonna work. I thought it was gonna work. It didn't work. i'll ship I'll post the picture finally. I mean, i did this yesterday, but but it is like you're throwing shit at the wall to see what is going to work, which is fun.

Eugene: I think most of all, just like enjoying it. Like, I mean, I don't know, like, if there's all these rules, I do find that really intimidating being in the space. And I just started posting just simply because my wife was tired of me talking about clothes.

Eugene: And I just, like, really, I mean, that's what it was.

Conor Fowler: yeah

Eugene: It was just like, I don't know. Like, I like this. going to just try it. yeah And

Conor Fowler: She seems cool. I mean, you guys have a good relationship. Because i was talking i was talking to people I was talking to people about this in advance of the show, right? Like this guy, Eugene, we're going interview. And he talks positively about his wife all the time, which is a huge red which is a huge green flag, right?

Eugene: and not no i Dude, all of this is really weird to me because like, um yeah, man, like social media, I never even used it.

Conor Fowler: it's like

Eugene: Like I use it to like figure out where to go eat.

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: But like if you look back, I never posted and I started posting little over a year ago now, like November of 2024.

Conor Fowler: and

Eugene: And so it just kind of like, I don't know. I think it was like my lack of awareness. it Like, I don't even know how social media works. I didn't know that the blue check thing, I just kind of followed the process that Instagram makes you do. I didn't know that was like, you know, my friends are commenting when I like 200 followers or, oh, look at this guy, like blue check verify. I didn't even know. I just followed the steps. You know what i mean?

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: I don't, I think so much of it is like how I approach clothes. Like I don't know the rules. I just kind of know that I guess I have an opinion and I figure out what I like and then i stick to the things I like.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: And I think ultimately like what I hate about this like menswear fashion thing is like, it shouldn't be so intimidating. Like I think it's just kind of like, I don't know, like try it.

Eugene: Clothes are meant to be enjoyed. If you like it, you know, you fuck with it, like stick with it. Right. Like there's no like rule. Like no one's going to come to you and be like, Hey man, like don't wear that. Or i mean, actually people do.

Conor Fowler: Well, was gonna say that depends who your friends are.

Eugene: Yeah, but my friends have just kind of been used to me just wearing whatever I want.

Conor Fowler: but

Eugene: like I don't know. I used to rock like cereal t-shirt, like for real. Like that's like what I wore all the time and it would just be like shredded, you know? like

Conor Fowler: But it's not like the infamous Hot Topic serial killer t-shirt.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: No, I'm talking like, you know, like it would be like, it's for General Mills.

Conor Fowler: Cheerios.

Eugene: Yes, had like a Cheerios t-shirt. They had all these other brands. There was like a beef jerky one called Epic. There was like this red Epic shirt I used to wear all the time. In fact, when I moved from Minneapolis to California, like we packed all ah like it was me, my wife, two of our friends and my dog. so in our car. And like, we obviously sent a truck to send all our stuff, but it was just us. So I limited everybody to one bag. And for me, I just wore all my cereal t-shirts, like five of them to Every day I'll just peel a layer. Like, I'm not even joking. That's like literally what I did because these are shirts i just had, that were free.

Eugene: You know what I'm saying? So I didn't care. And I wear t-shirts.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: I don't know. Like, I don't want to pack it in my bag. buts Sometimes it's just it's just random like that, you know?

matt: Totally, totally. the So I'm assuming that your wife is not really into clothes that much.

Eugene: I think she is, but she's definitely surprised that I'm really into it. I think it is.

Conor Fowler: I think that women and men are different about their, you know, it's like a different, it's like a different methodology or something.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah. I think for her, it's sort of like, oh, I need to go to an event.

Conor Fowler: is

Eugene: What do I wear? Or like, oh, like I saw someone wear a red sweater. So, you know, it's kind of like that. But like when I'm when I talk to her, like I like to kind of like learn facts and history sometimes just for fun.

Eugene: And I'll be like, oh, I learned that denim was made because blah, blah, blah. And she'd be like, just her eyes are glazed over. You know, like she's supportive.

Conor Fowler: Yeah, yeah, it's too much it's too much info, but it's like, that's the good stuff.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: Right,

Eugene: yeah shes Yeah, she's supportive, but she's kind of like, hey, let's you know go watch a movie or whatever, like something else. you know So it's like – Yeah, –

matt: right.

Conor Fowler: Sounds like very normal. he Sounds eminently normal.

Eugene: though because we'll go shopping and um she likes checking me with her and just kind of giving her my opinion and I could be dead wrong I don't know anything about like women's wear and she's asked me to like put together outfits sometimes like if she has to go to an event or something and initially she was like kind of cool with it and then eventually she's of like you just keep making me look like a guy like I'm just like i don't know that's what I know like I don't know what else

matt: Right, right.

Conor Fowler: Dude, that's so funny. That's so funny because people sometimes, women ask me like, well, will you help me with my outfit? And I'm like, probably not.

Conor Fowler: I mean, it is unlikely that my input is going to be helpful on this matter, but it is.

Eugene: Yeah. Yeah.

Conor Fowler: But it's like you can know things, right? Like about color and about shape and about form.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: um But I still feel like it doesn't it doesn't translate super well across across the aisle, as it were.

Eugene: I'm with you.

Conor Fowler: So why did you why did you start posting? I mean, to to like was there was there a specific

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: catalyst

Eugene: Um, so about a year before I started posting. So I, every day I would just like, so I mentioned i started in 22. I didn't start posting until 2024. So in that period, I just got really experimental and I just like started wearing different outfits every day. you know, it didn't matter if I'm walking my dog, going to work. I just, I just try things, you know And um I would say for about a year, my wife was just like, hey, let's just like take pictures of these outfits every day.

Eugene: And I was like super against it. I don't know why. I just like, I don't know. I felt so uncomfortable on camera, honestly. um And so I just used to do these like fit pics with my dog, ah not Penny, but my dog before.

Conor Fowler: Hmm.

Eugene: and um you know i don't know we just she kind of just collected like a year's worth of photos and over the years i'm just kind of looking back and die as i she kind of documented for me of like oh i kind of still like that or i don't like that or this kind of what i would try differently and it just kind of became like a thing um but i started posting in 2024 because well really two things one was because um so my day job i'm a marketer i've been doing like corporate marketing work for the

Conor Fowler: Mm-hmm.

Eugene: you know, over a decade now at different companies. And there was a project that I had to do where I had basically like hire, you know, big companies, they hire agencies. They don't really like, like the people there don't do the actual work a lot of times.

Eugene: So it's like an agency, like they i had to like make this video.

Conor Fowler: yeah

Eugene: And I realized how little I knew about video, even though I've been a marketer for like a decade. So I was kind of embarrassed.

Conor Fowler: and

Eugene: I was kind of oh, like, I wonder like how this works. So like, I just thought,

Conor Fowler: See, I was wondering how it was that your that your production value was so high. Well, I would say that it's the production value is high and I would say that it it also is like amazingly consistent.

Eugene: Is it? I

Conor Fowler: Like if you look at your feed, it's very like, ah

Eugene: know.

Conor Fowler: It looks very intentional, which is good, right?

Eugene: Yeah, I would say the look and feel, the branding stuff. Yeah, that's like from my corporate work.

matt: Thanks.

Conor Fowler: ah well, let's see. It makes so much sense then that you're a marketer because your brand is very strong.

Eugene: Yeah,

Eugene: I do care about things like that, like brand building.

Conor Fowler: Yeah, dude. Well, and it's good.

Eugene: The technical aspect of making a video, I mean, I i knew like literally zero. So I just started like YouTube being like, how do you use, how do you edit videos? What are the platforms or like software people use?

Eugene: And then i'm I'm not joking. My very first post was literally me. I like thrifted this like double RL turquoise shirt. My wife hated it. She thought it was so ugly. So I'm going to take this because I liked it.

Conor Fowler: Interesting.

Eugene: And I was like, I'm going to try to style it five ways and then like make a video out of it. My first video, I remember my wife came home from work. I was in the dark because I'm like in the zone like editing. said, what are you doing? And it was like six hours. I go over six hours to make my first little video. I posted it And like that's how I started. I think I was just kind of like, okay, I really like clothes.

Eugene: I have all this like... I don't know, like I just wanna learn how to make videos, I guess. It became like ah like a side thing, just like challenge for me. And then i know my wife is like, loves me again, but like she doesn't wanna hear me talk about it all the time. So I was just gotta post somewhere. I just wanna like document. Cause her documenting my fit my fits for like a year made me kind of realize how much I learned during that time. So I was like, i I'm just gonna like put it out there, see what happens. Like, I don't know, like there's no harm, there's no risk. I mean, maybe my friends will say it looks stupid, but i don't know, it's for me. So I just kind of started documenting it. And then as I was doing it, I kind of realized, oh like there's this like um thing that people relate to of like, hey, like I call like untraditional body type.

Eugene: And some people, someone kind of gave me some shit for that, but basically not in a bad way, but they're challenging me in a good way of like, hey, it's not that we're untraditional. It's that brands like aren't making clothes for mass majority of people. They make it for models, you know, 180, 5, you know, 5, 11, 6, 2, whatever, like these like perfect model body types.

Conor Fowler: Mm-hmm.

Eugene: and realize like well but there's so many people out there who need clothes and like i think for me it was like the the better part of experimenting was like trying to figure out what works for me and then um figuring things out like fit silhouette colors and textures and like all these things that i just like so it became a platform for me to talk about what i like documenting like my journey, I guess. And then we're here today. So that's really what got me started. It was just like curiosity, I guess, of like, how do i learn how to make videos? And how do I have like an outlet to talk where my wife doesn't want to?

Conor Fowler: Right. it like

matt: Right. Yeah. Well, and we talked with David Lane at Big Fitz, you know, a couple of couple weeks ago.

Eugene: I love him. Yeah.

matt: Yeah. Great dude. It was a really fun conversation. But, you know, like he's also a bigger guy, obviously.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: um And, you know, but you have like. you have the brands that that are readily available, you know, that that make things for the model type figure, like you said.

matt: And then you have, like, the big and tall stores, which are not, you know, like, even if you're big and tall, ah they're not a great fit overall, you know.

Eugene: yeah

Conor Fowler: It's not for you.

matt: so So it's like, that's the option if you're quote-unquote non-traditional body type, you know.

Conor Fowler: it's not that big either. It's like, I'm a 46 inch chest and that is the beginning of big and tall, which I'm not tall.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: I'm five, seven.

matt: Right.

Conor Fowler: It's like the whole, it's the whole thing. It's the whole like a BMI, which is like fucked up and weird.

Eugene: Yeah. what

Conor Fowler: But I was just going to say to your ah thing just now, like, it's it's preposterous because everyone has problems with finding clothes that fit, right?

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Like every single person on earth can't find clothes that fit them the way that they want. And we have not been able to figure out this problem for like thousands of years.

Eugene: Yeah, 100%. I think that's one of the most frustrating things about clothes. And it's like, you know, I think a learning for me, a realization was like, you know, i walk in into stores, I love getting inspiration and stuff, looking at the fits and the mannequins or whatever.

Eugene: But you look back at a mannequin, they pin everything. They like, they like, yeah right.

Conor Fowler: Right. It's fake.

Eugene: So it's like, and it's like a perfect image, like they don't move. Right. So that's not real.

matt: Right.

Eugene: Like we're going to wear our clothes. We're gonna move and live our life. Right. So it's like the idea that like clothes looks perfect on someone or some photo is like, that's not reality. Like you have to know your measurements. You have to know, like when you go to a tailor, like what do you ask for?

Eugene: Which is also an intimidating process. I started talking about that too. So it's like,

Conor Fowler: do you ever Do you ever get pushback from your tailor?

Eugene: uh, no, I mean, I go in all the time. So this dude's kind of like, he like loves me, you know, like we're like,

Conor Fowler: Well, that's what I'm saying. me too. She was like, I was trying to get the sleeves on these jackets short, and she was like, no. like This is a waste of time. Yeah.

Eugene: Why? She's saying it's going to a lot.

Conor Fowler: Well, it's like it was like it was like maybe ah half an inch or something like that, which is nitpicky, but I'm going to pay you for it.

Eugene: Sure. Yeah. That's crazy. I mean, I've never had them say no to me, but they will recommend stuff. Like, for example, like when I first got like pants hemmed, you know, it's like the easiest thing you can do, but I didn't know what to ask for.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: Like, I didn't know like quarter break, half break, full break. I didn't know all that stuff. So the guy kind of taught me over time. He's like, here's kind of what this is, how I look for. And I'll kind of like start showing him pictures. Like, how come this guy's pants, like they kind of crease, but it's not a little, like, what is that called?

Eugene: Or what if they don't crease at all? Like, what is that called? So I just kind of learned over time by like going and asking questions and being

Conor Fowler: Well, Taylor is a good person to learn from, certainly.

matt: Yeah, I was going to say that is the mark of a good alterations tailor. if like If they can show you you know things that you don't know or like you know not not everyone is is going to be you know immediately just like, oh, i want to you know I want no break, blah, blah, blah, whatever.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: like You eventually figure out, oh, this is my this is the NC I like.

Eugene: yeah

matt: you know, this is the fit that I like.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: And, and you can, you know, you can talk about that, but if you don't know anything about it, you know, the alteration tailor should be like, okay, this is the difference.

Eugene: Exactly.

matt: This is what I think you're good for. And we'll, we'll go from there.

Eugene: Yeah. And it's intimidating to know, even start to ask it. Right. Like, know, I feel like that was kind of my thing when i first went in, I was like, I don't even know what to ask for by no, my pants are long. like i know You know?

matt: Right. Right.

Conor Fowler: See?

Eugene: And so like, like just by being a human and asking questions and being curious, sometimes people are just like, no, I need you out of my door. I need to make money. And sometimes you'll find tailors who are like, they're passionate about what they do.

Eugene: So they want to talk about it. Right. So like you got to kind of shop around like you would anything else.

matt: Totally.

Eugene: Like you kind of see like, who's the right fit for what you're looking for. But yeah, I would say the tailors are like my best friend. I mean, I see them at least twice a week. Like just, I get shit all the time.

matt: Hell yeah.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: Yeah, I have learned a lot just working in the industry from the tailors that I've worked with. And, you know, like I'm I'm a very particular person.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: I think that anyone that knows me would be like, that's the understatement of the year. um But, you know, like like just watching how, you know, how they they interact with people, like how they measure, you know, how to like, oh, these are little tips and tricks like it's it's invaluable.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah, totally.

Conor Fowler: And it's because it's a sort of sun setting industry, right? Like they, in my experience anyway, do you want to talk to to younger people? Because like, we're not we are not typically interested.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: Right.

Conor Fowler: So it's kind of a it's kind of a symbiotic relationship.

Eugene: I'm with you.

matt: Yeah. I also got to say, as someone of this dress, Minnie a mannequin, those motherfuckers are not easy to deal with.

Eugene: I'm sure they're not.

matt: Ever.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: None of them.

Conor Fowler: No.

matt: Like, you can have, you know, you can have the best, like, dress form in, you know, this particular size, and you know, you know, you know it's consistent, what the sizing's gonna be, and you're still like, I wanna fucking burn this thing, because I cannot get these pants on right.

Eugene: that's good to know. i mean I'm assuming that's hard to like do on something that's like so still and stiff. But I think that was like a learning because I would like look at you know some Some brands will do these like um like putting an outfit together, but it's just like just the clothes on the ground or something.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: It's like it's like still. And it looks so good.

Conor Fowler: like a flat way.

matt: Right.

Eugene: It's all

Conor Fowler: Yeah. I can never get that.

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Conor Fowler: I can never, ever, ever get that right.

Eugene: Uh-huh.

matt: that's that That's my personal preference if I'm like styling a photo shoot or like a product shoot is is the flat lay because you can kind of like, it's a lot easier to manipulate that than it is to like dress a dress for

Eugene: Uh-huh.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: I think what's cool about it is like, it gives me an idea of like, oh, I've never tried that combo. want to try that. But then i put it on and I'm kind of like, that looks nothing like what was in my head or that image. And I think that's kind of that what I'm saying is like the reality. I think people need to understand like, yo, it's not like the, it's not, it's um it's not like you. It's like, it's just like, that's how they've modeled it. It's an idea. You don't have to like copy to the teeth. don't look exactly like it is, but then you can still take that idea and figure out like what works for you based on your body type, based on what you like, like,

Eugene: and that becomes then like sort of like your own style. Like, I think that's something that, um, I found really like, it was like a realization for me. I didn't know, like, you know what I'm saying?

Eugene: I always thought it was me and I think I was, you know, whatever.

matt: Right.

Conor Fowler: Yeah. Yeah.

Eugene: Oh, I gotta like lose weight to wear that or whatever. It was just like, no, you just go, you figure it out. There are brands that all have different things, but yeah, it was critical for me to figure out like my measurements, what I like and just trying things.

Eugene: So, um,

Conor Fowler: And even that is such like a, I don't know if you don't feel great about your body, you don't want someone you don't know to be wrapping a small ribbon around you, you know? um so it's just this kind of, it's like intimate.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: It's, um, i was going to say so I was going to say something. They say in a a take what you need and leave the rest.

Eugene: m

Conor Fowler: I feel that about this and about almost everything, right? Like you don't have to, like if something doesn't work for you, you don't have to fuck with it. Like ah John Leisure Loafing is always giving me shit about not having black loafers. I don't give a fuck.

Conor Fowler: I've never had black loafers. I never had black loafers and I'm not going to have them. You know, they're not needed in my life. They don't fit in my oeuvre. uvra

Eugene: I like that,

matt: I know John's going to listen to this, and I have heard this saga since since the dawn of it. so

Conor Fowler: It's on and on. On the Discord, they're talking about black versus brown. Which one is better? Which one is better? But it's but it's from my personal thing. It's like my taste, which you could say is bad.

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Conor Fowler: That would be fine for you to say that. I also don't care. Right.

matt: It's it's unique. It's unique.

Conor Fowler: I'm eccentric.

matt: Yes, yes.

Eugene: like that okay.

matt: Very much so.

Eugene: I don't know who that is, but I got to check them out. John? john

matt: Yeah, he runs a ah Discord called WeeJones, like J-A-W-N-Z.

Eugene: ah Oh, okay.

matt: Yeah, yeah. And he's just a friend of the show. He interviewed us for the...

Conor Fowler: He's a good, yeah, he's a good run of the show.

matt: Yeah, yeah. He's a good dude. Good dude.

Conor Fowler: Definitely follow, definitely follow him. I mean, not like he needs any more. um

Eugene: Is that a playoff for the Weegins, like the GH Bass Weegins?

matt: Yes.

Conor Fowler: is, yeah. Which I'll be very happy that you got that joke.

matt: Yes.

Conor Fowler: um

Eugene: And you spelled it really different. I was like, wait, do win I not know how it's spelled?

Conor Fowler: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Eugene: Oh.

Conor Fowler: So it is. So that's what it is. It's a Discord. And there's like, i don't know, probably like 30 people in there. and ah

Eugene: Oh,

Conor Fowler: to I mean, to to remain on topic, like take what you need and leave the rest. Like there's stuff in there that like I don't care about. There's stuff in there that is great, you know, so it's so it's very much about what you.

Eugene: my.

Conor Fowler: um This question I thought was interesting because I didn't write it. Jamal, our producer, wrote wrote most of these questions. ah Some of us get shit or attention based on the change of style from family slash friends.

Conor Fowler: Quote, here comes Mr. Stylish. End quote. How do you deal with this if it happens to you?

Eugene: ah I will say most of my like friends in my adult life.

Eugene: Actually, sorry. I moved here three years ago. None of my friends here say any of that. Like my immediate everyday friends who like live here with me, but anybody who lived like knew me from another city, Bay area, whatever, like Chicagoland, it's always like, whoa, like,

Eugene: Who, like, what happened? Who, like, so it's funny because a lot of them, this is how, like, opposite of clothing i would say. I think, again, they they always quote, like, you wore, like, those weird cereal t-shirts. Like, they don't...

Eugene: don't know where this came from. um I've had some, some of my like college friends be like, yo, is like Jenny dressing you now? i was like, no, I just, I kind of got into it. Like there's nothing about it. So there's that. My mom is the most ruthless of them all though. Like I i remember I was in Atlanta Thanksgiving couple of years ago and I was like wearing a beanie cause was cold.

Eugene: And she literally told like looked at me and was like in Korean. She was like, you look like a sweet potato farmer in Korea. Like she just straight up, you know saying? Like,

Conor Fowler: Wow, dude, eviscerated.

matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Eugene: You can always have an Asian mom to tell you like what they think. Like, no.

Conor Fowler: yeah yeah, yeah.

matt: Can we, can we,

Conor Fowler: Well, that's my tailor, dude. My tailor is like matronly towards me and it's like, no, no, no, you cannot have that.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah. I don't know. But like, I know. i It's just like kind of my mom was always kind of been like that. And then I eventually like this past year, I told her like, oh, like I'm doing this thing on the side. Because it's kind of hard to explain to them what my day job is.

Eugene: They don't really get my my day job is. And they don't understand social media like at all.

Conor Fowler: Of course.

Eugene: They're like, wait, what?

matt: Right, right, yeah. Also, like if they're not kind like if you're not connected to the online menswear and clothing community, like it sounds so outlandish to try to explain that shit.

Eugene: You?

Eugene: ah

Eugene: Like I was wearing an overcoat, like was wearing an overcoat for the trip and she was like, you are way too short for that. Like just makes you look so... like They have these rules. She has these rules in her head. if you're like this height, this has to go up to your thigh or whatever.

Eugene: And then she was like you like like, she was like, she understood eventually that I made videos.

Conor Fowler: Dude, yes.

Eugene: And she's like, who's watching that? Like, why why would anybody listen to you? And I'm kind of like, mom, like, I just like it. Or can you like be happy for me? So there's a little bit of that.

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Eugene: It's not like... I would say for the most part, people are just surprised because of my lack of like care about clothes before.

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: most part, I think it's all love. You know, like people are supportive if you like find something you like and are passionate about it. I think that's kind of what my friends, once I kind of explain like like my interest around it, they're kind of oh, that's cool.

Eugene: You what mean? Like, it's kind of like a new hobby or something.

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Eugene: And um if anything, I think my parents are just like, or my dad doesn't say anything really, but my my dad just kind of laughs actually. But my mom is kind of more just like, that's kind of always been a relationship.

Eugene: We kind of just like shit on each other a little bit, but it's...

Conor Fowler: what is he What is he like? I mean, is he like a clothing...

Eugene: No.

Conor Fowler: ah he doesn't give a shit?

Eugene: My mom dressed him a lot. and so Oh, that was actually something i I had a lot of fun looking at. Like, you know, those like old photo albums? It was just like...

Conor Fowler: a

matt: Oh, hell yeah.

Eugene: Yeah, so I was just like, Mom, I want to know like what you and Daddy used to dress like. They're like, why?

Conor Fowler: Oh, man.

Eugene: and Yeah, so I was just looking through old photos.

Conor Fowler: Yeah, we've got to post that.

Eugene: I mean, really shitty quality, but I was kind of like, wait, why did you wear these? He's like, I don't know. Your mom picked She just kind of always kind of knew the trends. I guess in the 90s, he had these high top, white Reeboks, kind of like looking for chunky.

matt: Oh yeah. Oh yeah.

Conor Fowler: I can picture it.

Eugene: Big glass white tee, light denim.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: You know what I'm saying? So it's like...

Conor Fowler: Oh yeah.

Eugene: She was kind of with the trends always, I guess, and like dressing my dad. And I guess she to dress me as a kid because I'm like, I don't remember these outfits when i'm like three, you know, but like she's kind of always kind of been into that, I guess.

matt: Right. youre

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: Your mom out here making your dad look like one of the Beastie Boys. Like, respect it.

Conor Fowler: hang in Well, I don't know.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Have you seen that picture of the, ah like the Korean shop owners at the, at the, la riots like they're decked out in like street wear and they have like rifles and shotguns like it's very um i think well i think that there's like uh there's a closeness kind of between um the black community and the korean community that is like um well well documented i guess but i feel like

matt: Yeah.

matt: Also, I assume if you're you know if you're growing up in the, let's say the ninety s around Chicago or m LA a or like any any actual city. like I grew up in the middle of fucking nowhere.

matt: Like, you know, which has its own kind of appeal and like, like style to it.

Conor Fowler: and Right.

matt: Like I can, I can see an old dude wearing overalls and, you know, a camo jacket and be like, okay, dude, you're kind of killing it. You don't know you're killing it because that's just what you wear. But like, you know, it's a lot different than being in a proper city where like shit's happening.

Eugene: Yeah, I think um that's what I have to have to always kind of clarify to people because like Chicago is huge. And so like I didn't grow up in the inner city. I grew up in a suburb. So like if you kind of say Chicago, but yo, what part, you know, like.

matt: Right, right. Well, it's kind of like Atlanta, you know, the metro area for most people is quote unquote Atlanta.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah. What's interesting to me about Chicago in general, though, is like, I felt like it was just like, there was no good in between. It was kind of like, if I look back on the times now, or like, it was just like bunch of people who don't care about how they dress, right?

Eugene: Like, it just, it doesn't matter. Like, just me, was basketball shorts and a t-shirt every day. Like, just Adam Sandler outfits, you know?

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: And then there's like, who have like real jobs, who like kind wear like, you know, long clothes and ties and shit.

matt: Right.

Eugene: So like, didn't really have like, I think that was another reason I wasn't in fashion. And it was like, I don't think I knew about, well, I mean, I didn't know so many brands and looks and feels that I just didn't have access to.

Eugene: It just like department stores or Goodwill. Like that's kind of like what I had.

matt: Right.

Eugene: um and I just, I never walked in and felt inspired by a store, you know, like it just, yeah, it wasn't, it wasn't for me back then.

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Eugene: And I definitely didn't really care for but I think that's what I'm discovering now. I feel like a kid sometimes just like walking to a new city and like discovering all these boutiques or men's wear brands I have no idea about and, going to feel fabrics and like, wow, this is like really nice.

Eugene: Like it's kind of like I'm discovering it for the first time, which is what I love about it.

Conor Fowler: Yeah. Right. Yeah.

Eugene: You know? i

Conor Fowler: That's what I was going to say. Like, cause I say to some people sometimes, like if I recommend them an album or something, like I would love to hear this for the first time again.

Eugene: Yeah. I think that's, I relate to that. I think that's real. Like, it's just sort of like, I think it's so much of my passion right now is because I didn't know any of it. I didn't grow up around it.

Conor Fowler: Cause you come with like a curious mind.

Eugene: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

matt: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Speaking of what,

matt: You had to have... Hold on. You had to have had some bomb bullshit, though. Like a t-shirt or something.

Eugene: Wait, say one more time.

matt: I said you should have... You definitely had some, like, bomb Chicago Bulls gear, right?

Eugene: Oh, bomb as in like good, right? um

matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Eugene: I mean, like, I like the Bulls. My dad and I used to watch Bulls games together. I played basketball. But again, like, I never got to, like, buy stuff I wanted. It's whatever my mom picked up at Goodwill.

matt: Gotcha. Okay, man.

Conor Fowler: Mm-hmm.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: You know what I'm saying? Like, so no, I do have – growing up, though, I did look for Bulls shirts. I did look for dresses. I do have a couple of Bulls shirts today that I really like from – that bought secondhand whatever. But, like, I didn't have it growing up, you

matt: ru ah Damn, that was in that was like the golden age of sports merch.

Eugene: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Conor Fowler: Well, if you didn't care, then you didn't care, you know, like, uh, what I'm going to compliment you again.

Eugene: Startup.

Eugene: I

Conor Fowler: ah or at least like I'm envious. You took a sewing class.

Eugene: i did. Yeah.

Conor Fowler: What, what initiative? Like that's fucking impressive. Cause I would say like how many people who are into clothing have taken a sewing, have taken a sewing class when like it would benefit them.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Not me. Definitely not me. I have a sewing machine I've never used.

matt: my My brain and sewing do not work at all the same way and no matter how hard I've tried over the years. So yeah, my hat is off.

Eugene: Um, I did it truly because I'm just curious about learning all of it. I think one day you know, it's sort of like, I want to be able to be self-sufficient. So like when I go to my tailor, I spend, i love my tailors. i I support them a lot financially with all my, basically everything I wear, I get tailored. Right. So i was just like, how do I just like hem pants? That seems pretty simple. So I wanted to go to like, look up a class. I just look up classes locally. And that was kind of weird for me. Cause I realized like,

Eugene: i would eat There were like these class options near me that were like basically a bunch of like young like girls, like like middle school girls. And would be like me. So they're like, hey, it's for ages. like fifty I reached out like, oh, sorry, it's so for this age.

Eugene: And then it's like, there's other, like like I don't know, Joanne Fabrics had a class. So I was just working for a long time and where to go simply because I want to learn how to hem my pants.

Conor Fowler: Mm-hmm. RIP.

Eugene: And luckily, there's this woman who hosts one nearby and she's like really passionate about sewing. and i I discovered her page. And she's just like hosts these class once a month. Like, thank God for her.

Eugene: Right. And she only has like a few students at a time. And she said she brings everything to like you just show up like she has sewing machines ready, like all this stuff. And you start off like making a little like tote bag.

Conor Fowler: Wow. Wow. Wow.

Eugene: She's like teaching you step by step.

Conor Fowler: That's like the number one project, right? Is like to make a tote bag, I think, because...

Eugene: Incredible. Yeah. like and I was like so grateful for that because I just as an adult male, like where you go to learn this, like i I wish I learned it in school. Like, I don't know.

Conor Fowler: Yeah,

Eugene: um

Conor Fowler: yeah.

Eugene: so that's how I ended up doing it. And I will say I suck at it, though. I'm i'm really trying. it's

Conor Fowler: Man, you don't... so You just started!

Eugene: But it's like it's like there's something about like just trying it on your own, you know, like I think I'm just inspired by things like that.

Conor Fowler: It's so hard.

Eugene: Yeah, it takes me forever.

Conor Fowler: It's so fucking hard. Yeah. Like there was this saga last year. i tried to sew this leather loop into this denim barn jacket I have.

Eugene: Oh, okay. Like the loop in the back?

Conor Fowler: I used... Yeah, I used the wrong type of thread.

Eugene: Yeah,

Conor Fowler: I had the wrong kind of needle. It took me five hours. Like, yeah, it was just terrible. And my hands are really shaky. So, like, it just is not a good – just is not a good recipe.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: And my grandmother was a seamstress. And she I just, like, never said, like, hey, why don't you teach me how to do something?

Eugene: learned man we should have learned like i think that's just like the thing like one day if i ever decide i want to like do my own thing which i don't know what i want to do long term it's just like i want to be proficient enough to talk to like technical people

Conor Fowler: Yeah, hell yeah. i think that's so I think that's so admirable and refreshing, frankly.

Eugene: i just i don't know um but yeah i've i' successfully only sold one one panham it was like this pair of like corduroys that i found um

Conor Fowler: a

Eugene: And i like totally fucked up these two like chambray shirts. I thought I i got a little cocky and thought i could like patchwork it together.

Conor Fowler: Oh, dude, but there's so much.

Eugene: It makes

Conor Fowler: There's so much you have to know. There's so much, and I feel like it's like almost ancestral knowledge, you know, like the sewing stuff has been passed down again and again and again.

Eugene: me...

Conor Fowler: So it's like kind of our collective knowledge of humanity.

Eugene: and fool

Eugene: Yeah, it makes me really appreciate my tailors more, small, independent designers more.

Conor Fowler: Hell yeah.

Eugene: There's a guy I follow who like <unk> learned how to sew, started his own brand. like He makes all his stuff. Incredible. You know what I mean? like i just I think that kind of stuff is so cool just to learn.

Conor Fowler: John Robinson, who has been sort of on this show, we'll have him soon. But like, yeah, he just was like, he was like an extreme skier.

Eugene: Cool.

Conor Fowler: And one day was like, I want to make like tailoring.

Eugene: Amazing.

Conor Fowler: He's like 22. He's like doing it. He's really doing it. It's ah so awesome.

Eugene: Yeah, I love that.

Conor Fowler: Yeah, it's wonderful to see.

matt: Yeah. So Eugene, you recently went to London, right?

Eugene: Yeah, ah we traveled a lot recently for work. We were gone for about a month, my wife and I.

matt: Oh, shit.

Eugene: It was like, we did London, Atlanta for my parents for Thanksgiving, went to New York, Chicago, now finally home. So it was kind of a lot of travel.

Conor Fowler: Wow.

matt: Right.

Eugene: Some work, some play.

matt: And you're trying to visit, if I'm remembering correctly, every double RL location?

Eugene: Yeah. Okay. So, um,

Conor Fowler: Where it just, do you know, off the top of your head where they are domestically.

Eugene: no, I had to look it up. There's only nine stores. I believe like I, I literally, okay. so this is what happened. So i I was in London. I heard there was a double RL store. I like use Google maps to find it. I go there and it's the flagship Polaroff Lauren store.

Eugene: Beautiful.

matt: Ah, yes.

Eugene: But it wasn't the standalone double RL store that I thought it was. So then I like was really confused. So then I i ended up going to like the Ralph Lauren site. I went to their store locator. And I literally looked up every single letter to figure out where what are the like the standalone double RL stores.

Eugene: And I found that London does have one. But it was i was like really close to the flagship.

matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Eugene: But I didn't know. So the next day, I like went to the actual store and did it. And it's been... Double RL for me has been my probably one of my favorite, if not my favorite brand. Because... When I think of like Polo Ralph Lauren in general, I just kind of think of like very preppy.

Eugene: I kind of think of like outlet malls. I didn't really love the brand growing up and it felt a little bit not exactly like my taste and preference. But what I love about Double L'Oreal is like, it well, one, it fit me.

Eugene: Like I felt a lot of the stuff, like the more preppy stuff is just like just too tight or doesn't like fit me well. But I feel like the cuts sometimes are pretty generous. And think,

Conor Fowler: The cowboy cut type.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: picture of some old dude working in a mine or something i'm kind of like i'm not a minorer i don't i don't want trying to be like a costume that's like i just love like

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: romantic in like a story behind it and how him

Conor Fowler: Well,

Eugene: why started a

matt: I mean, that's that's Ralph.

Eugene: together

matt: Like...

Conor Fowler: Yeah. And don't you think too, that it's, that it's because it's unisex where it's not explicitly gendered for for a better, for a better explanation than it is the way that it is, right?

Eugene: that

Conor Fowler: It's unisex kind of broad cuts, which it's just as good.

Eugene: it's like super yeah inspiring I love the story behind it it just kind of like I I love the story well i don't know if it's like real but it's like 93 he opened the ranch with him and his wife and it was like off of that whole thing and I just kind of love the idea that me and my wife were very like we've been working for a long time and sometimes I just kind of dream about going somewhere quieter and just like having that kind of a lifestyle where you could just explore your hobbies and so I think I'm drawn to the brand because of that story and like the way they style stuff I just think it looks so cool so um yeah it is a

matt: Totally, totally.

Conor Fowler: It is the cream of the cream, right?

Eugene: Yeah, I mean, it's hella expensive, which is why I feel kind of conflicted sometimes posting about it.

Conor Fowler: Like, yeah.

Conor Fowler: yeah

Eugene: But I do love the brand. I do own a lot of it. um But yeah, that's a goal of mine. Go to like all, I think there's nine, but I kind of.

matt: Yeah, did did you go to the Atlanta one?

Eugene: Yeah, dude, Atlanta was actually low-key my favorite one.

matt: Nice.

Eugene: i don't know I'm setting that.

matt: So fun fact, ah the the it's not the in the original location anymore, um but the the Polo flagship store in Atlanta was one of the first.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: Oh.

matt: I think it opened in like 81 or two or something.

Eugene: Really?

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: Oh.

matt: And the original location of the Polo store in Lenox Mall had one of the first RRL boutiques in it in the brand's history.

Eugene: Oh.

matt: And it was in the back of the Polo store.

Eugene: Wow, I didn't know that. The dog was sort of out.

matt: Yeah, it it closed years ago. My buddy Taylor, who still works for them, I think he manages the West Village one? I can't remember. um But like I would go hang out with him, my me and all my dumbass friends that like just shoot the shit.

Eugene: That's awesome.

matt: And now now, yeah, I think the Atlanta one, the new location on the west side, opened, I don't know five or six years ago?

Conor Fowler: That would be definitely a good place to hang out.

matt: No, maybe maybe not even.

Eugene: Oh, cool.

matt: Maybe like four. Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah, dude.

matt: I haven't been yet, but I have some friends that have done like chain stitch events there, which is cool.

Eugene: all cool

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: that's a

matt: Yeah. And that is low key, a very stylish city.

Eugene: yeah du

matt: A lot of great shops. Next time you're down here, you should check out my buddy champ store, Guilty Party.

Eugene: Okay. I would love to.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: it's it

Eugene: I don't know where to go, but I remember I realized there was one there, so I made sure to stop by. And this one was like really nice. like It was like a bigger store, a much bigger selection. London actually didn't let me film, which is fine, so I want to respect that.

matt: Oh, interesting.

Eugene: They were just straight up like no no photography. I was like, okay, sorry. like you know But it's like super, super small. It's really small London. The Atlanta one was like so big, and the woman working there was like, oh, welcome. Yeah, film everything.

Eugene: This is like our new line for this. This is there our other line. It's like big thing.

matt: Sick, hell yeah.

Conor Fowler: Because I figure in the London one, that's like IP, right? That's like their shit that they don't want leaving.

Eugene: you I guess. I don't know. But they're basically saying like, yeah, we're the only store in the UK, but we don't know a lot of photography. But i don't I don't know what. But I just like I didn't.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: I don't know if it was like they thought people would copy it but it's all online. You know what I mean? Like.

matt: Right, right. That's kind of strange because I've been to a lot of double RL stores and I've definitely taken many photos.

Eugene: I don't know.

Conor Fowler: But it isn't like well isn't the isn't the sum of it the decor, like the interior design?

Eugene: Me too.

Conor Fowler: And I feel like that is like they are kind of a groundbreaker in that.

matt: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: So they might just not want people to...

Eugene: I mean, that's what I love about all the stores, but they kind of feel like the same vibe. You know what I'm saying? Like all the different cities I've been to to try.

Eugene: And i've all the other cities were fine. they They let me do it. And they're kind of like, actually like, oh, you might want to check out that section. They're kind of like more encouraging about it. But London was straight up like, no, and and i don't want to argue.

Eugene: I don't know if it has to do with like whoever the store owner is or the manager.

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: You know, got to respect my opinion, so.

matt: Yeah. and i

Conor Fowler: The Brits are...

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: I've heard that um basically all of the like old vintage decor and shit is the personal from the personal collection of their creative director.

Eugene: Uh-huh.

matt: I don't know if that's totally true, but like if so...

Eugene: The Doug guy? Doug Billmore? That guy?

matt: Not Doug. He's the vintage fire, but like all of the like you know old you know like an old military bag. and The shit that's not for sale. It's just for decoration.

Eugene: I see. I see.

matt: But like, If that's one person's collection, holy me shit.

Eugene: Yeah, I mean, incredible.

Conor Fowler: Well, you know, I mean, i think I talked about on this when when I went to the Warhol Museum because the Warhol Museum has all of his stuff.

matt: Right.

Conor Fowler: It's like six or seven floors of his stuff. I mean, there's like a Rolls Royce. There's like a stuffed tiger. You know, you can if you're rich and mass, like if you're rich and famous, like you could get all kinds of military bags.

matt: Oh, totally, totally.

Eugene: That's crazy.

matt: um So are you you, know, we've established that you kind of like grew up thrifting. Are you still, I mean, thrifting, buying secondhand a good portion?

Eugene: Yeah. um I would say, honestly, the majority of my clothes are like secondhand or thrifted. And just being in Southern California, we're spoiled with like the vintage scene here. So every Sunday I go to like different flea markets.

matt: Totally. Totally.

Eugene: There's so many here.

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: there It's like the mecca for vintage clothing.

Eugene: yeah It's, it's made me really appreciate like all the thought and curation that goes into like all these, you know, small businesses who are like make a living doing this and like,

matt: Yeah. Oh, i think I think I remember you tagged my buddy Tom Paint a Pony Vintage in something.

Eugene: Oh yeah. Great guy. I met him, got to meet him.

matt: Yeah, yeah. I love Tom.

Eugene: Bought from his booth, met him at Rose Bowl. I saw him at um Infatuation. So like, yeah, there's just like all these like flea markets happen all the time. And so many of them are so knowledgeable. And honestly, and initially I kind of walked in and kind of like really intimidated by the true vintage guys.

Eugene: Cause I don't know, they all look really cool and they're like kind of scary. that Like, you know, they just know so much, but that I think that's what, at least for me, it was a common shared interest was like talking to them and realizing how much they know.

Eugene: Like I love

matt: I'm going to give you a little insight.

Eugene: yeah

matt: They're the nerdiest fucking people you'll ever meet in your life, and they're wonderful.

Eugene: It's incredible. Yeah. I love that. but It's intimidating, but I also love that about them because I'll look at something.

matt: Yeah, yeah. don't Don't be intimidated in the least, because they're going to fucking shout out knowledge as much as possible, because that's what...

Eugene: Yeah. Yeah.

matt: you know

Eugene: Because like,

Conor Fowler: Matt is not going to say this, but that is how Matt is.

Eugene: Oh, no, I actually love it because it's like I learned so much every time I go, you know, like what i what what I want be to get to one day is like they'll just look at something.

Conor Fowler: so

matt: Hell yeah.

Eugene: But, yo, that's like from 1925. I don't know how they know they you know. They just like know the craziest things and like the stories behind it.

matt: It's because our heads are filled with things that do not matter to like 99.9% human population.

Eugene: um

Eugene: Yeah, yeah, yeah. um So, but that's kind of a learning for me too because I thought like, I thought Goodwill was vintage. Like like i'm learning the word vintage is like really, it means a lot of different things. So like there's that true vintage side that I get spoiled with like SoCal.

Eugene: Like there's is so much, so many vendors with me.

Conor Fowler: Mm-hmm.

Eugene: things that I could shop at. I also do shop secondhand, like the different, more mainstream places, like Second Street or Crossroads or what I just like going in there. Like the other day i walked into a Crossroads actually, and found a pair of like canvas double RL sneakers, like really good condition.

Eugene: And it was like $40. I don't think they know what it was.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: You know, it's like, I just,

matt: No, I mean, that's the thing with, like, even, you know, even the, like, buy, sell, trade places. Like, it's impossible to know everything.

Eugene: yeah.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: And so you you never know what you're going to come across for, like, a really good deal.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah, for sure. um And I also, I show shop up online a lot um just because like the access and there's a lot of online spots that sell like secondhand stuff for really good men's wear brands. So there's this brand called Market, M-A-R-R-K-T.

matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Eugene: i I shop there drop every single day because they drop daily and they all have like all the brands that I like, like Double R, All Drakes and all this stuff. um It's been one of my favorite like ways to be able to learn about brands too because I don't obviously know them all, but they they drop all these like English stuff, Japanese stuff, like all this stuff. So um it's been fun to learn that way.

matt: Fuck yeah. Yeah. I've heard really good things about second street. We have one here. Um, and like, I've had friends that got really like a friend of mine's girlfriend bought a pair of like 40 side zips for, I think $25.

Eugene: Yeah, I'm sure it's

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: that's Yeah, I feel like sometimes they just don't know what it is. You know what I'm

matt: yeah Yeah. It's a, it's, it's honestly like a strange company. Like I don't, I don't really understand it.

Eugene: they're more Because they're in Japan, you know what i mean?

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: They're more like streetwear type stuff and higher-end...

matt: Yeah.

matt: Yeah. A lot high fashion.

Eugene: Yeah, which is cool. like I've gone there. I've saw i've seen, like I don't know, Ricks or Off-White or whatever. All these other brands which are cool. like It's like i kind of like just looking at like what's kind of new. But then also, like they're like little vintage.

Eugene: Though you have like a little tiny vintage rack. It was just says vintage. And it be stuff that's from the Y2K or stuff from like the 40s.

matt: Right.

Eugene: I don't think they really have like a good like vintage eye, I think when it comes to like the kind of stuff that I think a lot of people associate like true vintage is like really different, but that's what I'm kind of realizing, like all these brands and people kind of kind of use the word pretty loosely.

matt: Right, right. Yeah.

Eugene: It means different things in different groups.

matt: So how many followers are you at at this point?

Eugene: uh i i'm on instagram i'm like 35 000 and then tiktok um dude like i actually find tiktok really overwhelming but i have like 12 000 there i i just kind of started like posting old videos from there and i try to get out of that app like it's overwhelming to me it's like two things

Conor Fowler: Jamal is making us a TikTok or maybe has already made us a TikTok. So yeah, I can't, I can't fuck with it at all.

matt: I am never, um will never log into TikTok. As a as a one of my favorite podcasters said, the TikTok search bar is no place for a 40 fucking year old fan.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

matt: but

Eugene: I mean, it's like overwhelming because Instagram, I just learned how to use a year ago.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: And I don't know, I'm trying to get on because I'm like meeting other creator friends and just trying to see what they do. And a lot of them are, hey, you got to be multiple platforms, blah, blah, blah.

Eugene: And they're all on every other platform. But I'm like a one thing at a time kind of guy.

matt: Yeah, same, same.

Eugene: I'm trying to figure out TikTok, but it's it's kind of overwhelming personally. But anyway, that's I have like 35 on Instagram, all on TikTok, yeah.

matt: All right. How does that feel as someone that like kind of just started taking that seriously a year ago

Eugene: Um, honestly, dude, like, I think what's crazy about it is I yeah i don't know. Like, Whenever I hear like brands or people talk about their story, yeah sometimes I think of it as like, oh, it's bullshit. It's like revisionist history type thing.

Eugene: um i'm My story is real. like i I just started posting because i was curious and I wanted to kind of see where it went. I think what i love about it is my favorite thing is like when people DM me and it's like super vulnerable stuff.

Eugene: They'll be like, I weigh this much and I'm this size and I've always found clothes hard to fit. Where can I apply you know a pair of jeans? And I think those messages are like more meaningful to me because-

matt: Totally. Right,

Eugene: It's like, I, you know, I don't know exactly, I'm not the same exact size as this person, but I know what that's like, like to go to a store that just like, you feel like shit, you know, like they, they kind of make you look, feel bad, you know?

Eugene: And like,

matt: right.

Eugene: um I don't want that to be the case because I think clothes are just so fun to enjoy. So it it feels like really humbling, honestly, because like I'm just a guy who's like just talking about stuff that I like. And if brands want to look like that's the other thing. It's kind of been weird. Like I'm at this inflection point now where like brands are reaching out. They want to do deals with me and stuff. And I've debated a lot about like how do I approach this? And the one thing I know for sure is like this whole space of like fashion and clothes is something I think I want to do long term, like as my actual like job.

Eugene: But I haven't been able to like, I don't feel like comfortable to just like leave my day job. So honestly, like I do my day job nine to five nights and weekends. I'm doing these little videos and I want to figure out a way to make this kind of are um like my main thing.

Eugene: But

Conor Fowler: That's very relatable.

Eugene: like

matt: Yeah, yeah, yeah. we've We've been trying to figure this out for three almost three and a half years at this point.

Eugene: yeah.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: Yo, I don't know how people even get, I don't even know what the jobs are there in like the fashion industry. I've been just trying to network and meet people.

Conor Fowler: and far between.

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Conor Fowler: Easier if you have rich parents.

Eugene: Yeah. I don't even know how it works, dude. So I'd love to maybe pick yours, Brain. But like, I i just want to know, like, what's even out there? Like, can I just start a job? And like, I fantasize about like, do I just quit my day job and like go work at a shoe factory?

Eugene: Yucatan's out here. They had a job posting. was like, hey, we need people at the warehouse. It's like, cool. Like, can I learn how to make shoes? Like, I think I'm just like very curious.

Conor Fowler: Yeah, that would be so awesome.

matt: Right. Yeah, that would be sick. And Yucatan Meg Company, I think, is the parent.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: But, like, I've never met Yuki. I've heard really good things about him. And, like, I worked with them years ago just as ah as a buyer, like, for a store.

Eugene: Yeah.

Eugene: Oh, cool.

matt: And they were all...

Eugene: Wait, i have no idea what y'all do. This is so interesting. i don't You guys seem really connected into the world. like I'm trying to figure that out, man. I don't even know. But um I don't know. Brand deals has been kind of weird to me because like if brands will be willing to pay me and help me keep the lights on, I'll take it.

Eugene: And I'll love to kind of like – I've been very select about what I say yes to or not.

matt: Right.

Eugene: But for the most part, I feel like – I want to figure out how to do this long-term because I feel like I really love it. And I didn't, I don't think I had a passion like this before growing up or even in my adult life, like my job, you know, and I never.

matt: Yeah, I feel the same, honestly.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: like you know it was It was something that like I moved to New York 2011 with the intention of getting into the menswear industry somehow, um or going to FIT if I couldn't and just work in a you know whatever job.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: yeah jealous. I love New York.

Eugene: Dude.

matt: But like I've been very lucky to work with a lot of American manufacturers and my friend Ava. shout out shout out epaulette um yeah like she taught me a whole lot and uh yeah it's it's a fun thing and like when i when i did that move but you know people that i grew up with like my people at my parents church they'd be like oh how's matthew and they're like yeah he's in new york he works for you know for a clothing brand and they're like oh that makes sense and i'm like well i did no one ever tell me

Eugene: Very cool.

matt: like Like, I obviously had a had a, you know, love for it when I was a kid and growing up. And i'll since the dawn of time, or since I started, you know, not wearing onesies as a baby, like, it was it was my thing.

Conor Fowler: but

matt: no one in my life ever mentioned, like, oh, you're stylish. Like, oh.

Conor Fowler: Because Matt, they figured you knew.

matt: Yeah, yeah, well, it's neither it's neither here or there.

Conor Fowler: ah

matt: But I guess I'm saying I, like, identify with how you're, you know, that that kind of, like, a fire lights and you're just like, holy shit, I love this.

Conor Fowler: it's similar to me. Like i have been working in the Baltimore city school system for a decade. ah And now I'm going to grad school, but it's like the thing that I like is clothing really um clothing and culture and sort of the intersection of things.

matt: Yeah, which is which is why we do this podcast.

Conor Fowler: right

Eugene: That's pretty cool. I'm glad that you all have this like platform or like a way to be able to do that. Like I, frankly, don't know where this is going or what to do with it, but I'm just enjoying the ride, trying to straddle both things.

Eugene: And it's honestly a lot, like, like my full-time job is pretty demanding.

matt: Yeah, yeah, totally, totally.

Eugene: So just trying figure out like, man, I wish I could make like my passion, like my night job, my day job, you know, figure that out.

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: But

Conor Fowler: That's the life. That's the lifelong quest, right?

matt: and i And I gotta to say, like, you kind of have a leg up in a lot of ways because of, well, that, that you're doing great.

Conor Fowler: Yeah, it sounds like you're doing pretty good. Yeah.

matt: And it sounds like you have kind of a leg up because you are in, like, advertising and promotion kind of shit. I think it's it's probably the same for Zach.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

matt: you know, uh, Amy, uh, Amy Leon dad, like he's, yeah, he's a, he's a homie.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: yeah

Eugene: Oh, man.

matt: Like we've had him on a couple of times and like, you know, he's in advertising.

Eugene: Very cool.

matt: So he kind of like, yeah.

Eugene: Oh, didn't know

Conor Fowler: Yeah, because he was super he was super against video too. And then one day was like, fuck it, I have to make video. So,

matt: Right. Right. Yeah. Kudos to anybody that can get over that shit.

Conor Fowler: well, and that's Jamal.

matt: Cause yeah.

Conor Fowler: I mean, we we hired Jamal because Jamal knows how to make videos. So it's like, yeah, in air quotes.

matt: putting hired and in the, you know, in air quotes, but yes.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

matt: Yeah, we're,

Eugene: That's awesome.

Conor Fowler: oh

Conor Fowler: Go on.

Eugene: I was just saying that's awesome. I mean, I feel like as an adult, I think it's sort of like one of those things as a kid, I never got the freedom to explore and like figure out what I liked as a kid. It was all about survival.

Eugene: And I think that's why for me, the the biggest barrier for me, like leaving my day job is because I worked so hard to get to a place of stability and survival predictability.

Conor Fowler: Yeah. Yeah.

Eugene: Right. And like, now that I'm here, it's sort of like, I don't know, am I always going to be somebody who wants something else? And I know that if I make the jump to go full time and do this, like, it's just, there's no guarantee. Like,

Conor Fowler: Dude, no, you will be successful.

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: you know, see tomorrow I tomorrow.

matt: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: I am a positive person, whatever, but it's like you already have been successful and you weren't trying as hard as you can.

Eugene: Oh, so that's the other thing. I think for anybody who wants to do this, honestly, it's like, dude, like you just got to work with the parameters you got. Like sometimes like my videos like vary in effort. Like sometimes I have a lot more time. So I'm able to hold more time in it. Sometimes i literally have 15 minutes. That's it.

Eugene: i I have to film it, edit it, post it 15 minutes. That's what I have.

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: like, that's just the reality. I'll mess up and say things wrong, whatever.

Conor Fowler: But to somebody with no video, whatever, like I can't do shit in 15 minutes that would be postable.

Eugene: But that's what I'm saying. Like, I think, no, I'm saying sometimes i don't think, I think sometimes we over engineer in our head, like what's going to work or not.

Conor Fowler: It just takes practice. I know this.

Eugene: some Some of the videos I put the most effort in did absolutely terrible. And some of the videos that I literally just threw together, did really well.

matt: Right, right. Yeah, honestly,

Eugene: you know work I think the only like the whole consistency thing I think is real. like I don't know. like It's just like you kind of post it and see what happens. And if it doesn't work, just try again tomorrow.

Eugene: I think that's kind of been my mentality with it and not letting it get to my head too much because it's like – I think that's what I'm scared of. If i go full time, I feel like I might like really be in my head too much about like I tried this.

Eugene: It didn't work. It's just like – I think it will take the joy out of like what I love about this stuff, which is – Yeah.

Conor Fowler: I think that's a real concern, but it's like only you can judge that.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: I mean, and I don't want to philosophize too much with this, but like, you know, it one, no, none of us know what works and what doesn't because we're basically not, you know, we're, we're creators and we create content.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: Yeah. It's real.

matt: I hate that fucking term.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: Um, but you know, we have no idea how the inner workings of any of these apps actually function.

Eugene: Real.

matt: And so it's it's a lot of like just trying and seeing what happens.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: But also, too, I do feel like as we get more into the social media age of humanity, that like shit that comes off as real.

matt: A lot of times will will resonate more with people. So it's like, oh, you spent you only had 15 minutes to spend with this video.

Eugene: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Because you have a job.

matt: You Yeah, you think it's you think it sucks, and then like everyone else is like, oh, this is just like this feels off the cuff.

Conor Fowler: You know, like...

matt: like This feels natural.

Conor Fowler: is raw.

matt: Yeah, yeah. like I do think that there's some validity to that point. i you know i

Conor Fowler: Authenticity something.

matt: um Yeah, like actual authenticity, not this promotional branded authenticity.

Conor Fowler: Right. Because people can tell, like, weirdly, people can tell if you have a million dollar ad budget.

Eugene: Yeah, that's so true. um I think that is like the case actually in corporate America. I think that's why we struggle. Like i it's everything they want a deck for a deck or strategy that's selling for six months.

Eugene: Hey, I could have made, you know, 80 videos in the time that you guys aligned on this deck. Like just put it out there and see what happens. Like who cares?

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: Nothing.

matt: Yeah, like you're you're not hurting for money.

Conor Fowler: Me

Eugene: not

matt: You can afford to take whatever risk possible. Right.

Eugene: Sometimes I feel like it's not saying that, but like, yeah, I have worked very hard to get to a place where like, we're out of debt. We have stability. Like we both have good jobs. We love our careers actually. Like we love what we do, but it's sort of like, there's this aspect of me now, maybe it's cause I'm, I'm 35.

Eugene: I'm like, I'm in my thirties. I'm just thinking about like, what I do this forever.

Conor Fowler: too.

Eugene: Like, do I want to be making money?

matt: Right.

Conor Fowler: Kind of

Eugene: Cause I need to people forever. Like, no, like I think, I think I'm just like really realizing like, I want a job that like, I really love and I feel like I've never found what I love until this like I I didn't know I like clothes or i don't know what to call it honestly because people are like are you a creator or fashion creator I don't know I just like clothes I like shoes that's literally my bio because that's all I know how to say it's like I like clothes

Conor Fowler: Well, that's why I was struggling to come up with an introduction for you. Cause I feel like it's like, i don't want to call you like a clothes influencer. You know what I mean? That's not quite right.

Eugene: clothes I don't like

Conor Fowler: Content factory.

Eugene: I don't even know. like i don't't That's what's weird about it. like Really, Instagram is just like a it's a vehicle for me to like put myself out there, but it's not that like I don't see myself as like an influencer. I think that's really weird.

Conor Fowler: no

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: then content where, I mean, it's kind of like, yeah, I guess I make videos.

matt: Yeah. you

Eugene: But like creator just feels too artistic for who I am or like what I do. I'm just – I think I'm just like sharing things because I like it. That's really all it is. But like I don't know how – I want to take that and make it full time.

Eugene: That's what I really want.

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: My boss doesn't see this. But like, yeah, man, like I'm um just so –

Conor Fowler: If your boss sees this, then we're doing something right. ah Dude, we're rooting for you.

Eugene: yeah Like I, it just, I've been doing it for so long and I've never been excited. Like I'll wake up and be like, I want to make a video about t-shirts and I don't have to go to a VP for approval for six months.

Eugene: you It's a process.

matt: Yeah,

Eugene: Thanks man.

matt: yeah totally.

Conor Fowler: i mean, this is, going I think this has been a great chat.

matt: Totally.

Conor Fowler: I mean, ah we have been a little out of it recently, but

matt: It really has. and

matt: We also have you know we have friends and like LA is a great place to meet i like-minded people.

Eugene: Appreciate it.

matt: like I don't know if you know Ethan Wong or Nico Lazaro.

Conor Fowler: Right.

matt: Just solid dudes that are also just in it for the for the love.

Eugene: Is that Nicol, Nicol Bald? Nicol Bald?

matt: Yeah, Nico Cobalt.

Conor Fowler: Yep.

Eugene: Okay.

matt: Yep. Yeah, we have...

Eugene: Okay, so Ethan, I love his podcast. the felt

matt: Solid direction.

Conor Fowler: Style and direction. Yeah.

Eugene: I ran into him at one of these like flea markets, like the PCC Pasadena City College flea market.

Conor Fowler: Oh, I would love to meet him. i would love to meet him in real life.

Eugene: was like, dude, he dresses so well. And he dresses like that in real life.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: Incredible guy.

Conor Fowler: Yeah, dude. Yeah.

matt: Yeah, hint he's just...

Conor Fowler: He's unbelievable.

Eugene: Nick, I haven't written in person.

matt: He's a really... You know, ah ah a lot of those guys are...

Eugene: But yeah.

Conor Fowler: Well, he's so, and he's so kind and he's so humble.

matt: Yeah.

Conor Fowler: It's just bullshit. It's like, it's a cheat. It's like cheating.

Eugene: Yeah, I feel like um i so transparently I am trying to just make friends in this space because I like it so much. So hopefully we can.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: But like, dude, I don't know.

Conor Fowler: Oh, for sure, man. You'll regret that, but we'll be friends.

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: I don't know. Yeah, I actually really mean that. And I've been trying because my network has just kind of become like creator friends who we kind of follow each other and like kind of figure it out. And transparently, I've met some of them and some of them feel really different than who they are on camera.

Eugene: And some of them are like, oh like but it's kind of like...

Conor Fowler: Mm-hmm.

Eugene: I don't know. I just kind of put myself out there meet them. And um I'm trying to make more of that here though. I don't, I don't feel like I have a lot of like fashion-y friends here who like it. So I am trying to go to events. Like if, if I'm invited and like different stores will like host different things and I'll i'll try to go and just say hi. But sometimes it's like really weird. Cause there's this divide in my opinion of people who are like,

Eugene: I don't know, they've been doing it a long time or fashion-y or creator-y for a long time. They're kind of intimidating to talk to or they kind of have this air of like, hey, I'm like too cool for you kind of vibe.

Conor Fowler: Thank you.

Eugene: I feel like I get that a lot in LA, like at least the...

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Eugene: But the vintage folks have felt really real. and But they're like intimidating a different way because they're too knowledgeable. Like I kind of feel like i don't know what the fuck I'm talking about. Yeah.

matt: Right, right.

Eugene: risk

matt: Well, I don't want to...

Eugene: You know, it's weird in between. I don't know who just like just regular guys who like clothes and want to talk about it. And, you know, like that's what I want. I want like friends to go thrifting with, but I haven't really found that.

Conor Fowler: Well, you can go through our list of people who follow our ah podcast there and follow them all and they'll follow you back.

matt: Well, Yeah.

Conor Fowler: I guarantee it.

matt: Yeah, and I i was going to say, not to toot our own horn, but if you if you scroll through our list of interviews and episodes, ah anyone in the LA area that's been on this show is cool and co-signed and rad.

Eugene: Okay.

Eugene: I'll check it out.

matt: So...

Conor Fowler: We should be so much more successful with the caliber of guests we've had.

Eugene: I

Conor Fowler: I mean, it's like Matt and I are really dragging it down or something.

Eugene: i love that.

Eugene: sister How long have you guys been doing this, actually? i don't even know.

matt: ah

Eugene: You guys been doing this?

Conor Fowler: Three long years.

matt: Our first interview was what, July of 2022?

Eugene: You guys been doing

matt: Yeah.

Eugene: this? Okay.

Conor Fowler: I think that's correct.

matt: Yeah, yeah we're we're on we're on everything.

Eugene: Are you guys on Spotify? Like, how do... Is it only...

Conor Fowler: We're on Spotify.

Eugene: Dude, I feel bad.

Conor Fowler: We're on Apple Podcasts.

Eugene: I mean, I wish I knew about you guys, but I'm i'm definitely going to check out some episodes and and say hi. But yeah, I don't know. All this is new me.

Conor Fowler: Please do. Yeah.

Eugene: So thanks for having me, man. appreciate it.

matt: Yeah, yeah, it's been great. We got one final question for you.

Eugene: Oh, yeah. Sorry. i'm I'm good if you guys are. So just let me know. I kept my calendar off.

matt: Well, we got our we we have our thanks to John, Lesionary Loafers. What are you wearing in the apocalypse? Great,

Eugene: but like What am I wearing right now? um

matt: great retort.

Conor Fowler: yeah

matt: ah great great retort

Eugene: I'm wearing... um I stand up for it? or like I'm wearing... um some These are some Chino like ah corduroys from Polo Ralph Lauren. I think they're called the Big Chino.

Conor Fowler: I love those. Yeah, I have some of those too.

Eugene: I got that off of eBay for like $15. The Big

Conor Fowler: Because nobody wants the big boy sizes.

Eugene: Chino. That's also ah been like a benefit of like being a little bit bigger. like there

matt: Yeah, I'm gonna start talking about military shit.

Conor Fowler: Yeah.

Eugene: You know, a lot of the... Yeah.

Conor Fowler: Yeah, right. In then which case, you you're totally fucked.

Eugene: It's a hit or miss. This is like a LL Bean flannel I got at Rose Bowl for like five bucks. And it's just like an old Wrangler shirt. But I don't know. was kind of feeling like two shirts today.

Conor Fowler: I love the, I have two of those. The Wrangler denim shirts are great.

Eugene: Yeah. So um that's what I got on today. That's cool.

matt: Hell yeah. Well, ah dude, thank you for coming on.

Eugene: Yeah.

matt: It's been super fun. And yeah, we're we're happy to play, you know, Miss Connections with you and other people. So you can you can find some friends.

Eugene: Would love that

matt: um one ah One more thing. Shout out your, you know, your accounts.

Eugene: that.

matt: Shout out whatever you would like to.

Eugene: Oh, um on Instagram, I'm huge.park. So E-U-G-E e u g e dot p k just my name. um And then on TikTok, I think it's the same thing.

Conor Fowler: Lucky you.

matt: Sick.

Eugene: I think.

matt: Yeah. It's a, it's a great follow and yeah good, good, and like informational videos, which I very much enjoy.

Eugene: Thanks, guys. Wow, that feels so weird to say my handle. I don't think I've ever said my handle out loud. That's kind of really weird. Guys, thank

matt: ah Well, gay Hey man, if you want to do this, you know, as a career, you better get used to it.

Conor Fowler: You got to get used to it.

matt: So, you know,

Eugene: you for having me. i Honestly, I feel like more than the conference. It's just like fun to hang with people who have similar interests. so i

Conor Fowler: Oh, dude, this has been awesome. I had a shitty day. So this has been like a bright spot of my day. I'm very happy to have this interview instead of a I'm doing like I'm doing these fucking academic integrity tutorials for graduate school.

matt: Oh no.

matt: No.

Conor Fowler: And they are like each section has a quiz after it. And the questions are so nitpicky. Like if you just are scanning them like you are going to get them wrong. It just is terrible.

Eugene: very

matt: I thought that you were going to talk about trying to install a bidet, and I'm really glad that you...

Conor Fowler: Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no.

Eugene: and from

Conor Fowler: The bidet was ruinous in another capacity. i mean, they just shouldn't sell it. They shouldn't sell it if they say it's compatible, if it's not compatible. That's all I have to say about that.

Eugene: Oh, interesting.

matt: yeah

Eugene: It doesn't work with the current toilet. to like change your toilet for it to work.

Conor Fowler: ah Well, I'm not because it's a rental, but I would have to. Yeah, I believe so. And I sent them a picture of it and they were like, ah it looks like that's incompatible.

Eugene: That's amazing.

matt: yeah

Eugene: Well, I'm sorry about that.

Conor Fowler: This is the third one.

Eugene: That's great.

Conor Fowler: This is the third fucking bidet.

Eugene: The Tushy brand? Is that what you tried?

Conor Fowler: no I have one of the 2G ones at my house. This my girlfriend's house. ah It's just, i don't know what has happened. it just is like, we can't have a nice, ah a nice European innovation.

Eugene: Interesting.

matt: I am so i'm sorry that I opened this can of worms.

Eugene: I'm...

Conor Fowler: Yeah, right.

Eugene: Bidet.

Conor Fowler: yeah

matt: ah Anyone. One more time, Eugene, thank you for coming on. It's been a blast. Everyone, thank you for listening. a And thank you for rating over the past few weeks.

Conor Fowler: Which we got 30 ratings this month.

matt: Nice. And if you if you have not rated us on your platform of choice, please do social media.

Conor Fowler: So

Conor Fowler: I'm sorry, 30 Spotify ratings.

matt: Yeah, yeah.

Eugene: I'm going to check it out.

matt: But, uh...

Conor Fowler: So awesome.

matt: Yeah, yeah. And, uh, yeah. I am Matt Smith. Oh, sorry. Before that, we are Apocalypse Studs on Instagram. Apocalypse Studs at gmail.com. I am Matt Smith at Rebels Rogues.

Conor Fowler: And I am Connor Flower at Connor Flower.

matt: And we will see you next Wednesday.

Eugene: Thanks, guys.