Friday Mailbag - 1/1/2021
2021, will you think about me
This must be it, welcome to the new year.
This will be our year.
20 in 20 EPISODE ELEVEN is LIVE!
I apologize for not recording a new episode last week. It was Christmas; I took a week off. So sue me! I had a nice break, but now I’m back and simply pumping out the rapid-fire reviews. Find this week’s episode on Spotify, Buzzsprout, or Apple Podcasts.
AND NOW TO THE MAILBAG…
My mom Chris asks:
“What’s a favorite holiday memory from your youth?
The one that immediately comes to mind happened in 2001 or 2002. I can’t remember the exact year, and that bugs me. Anyway, I received a copy of Alkaline Trio’s Maybe I’ll Catch Fire for Christmas. I’d never heard the Alkaline Trio. Within a minute of pressing play, I knew they were my new favorite band. That was very cool.
Loyal N.E.H. reader andcontributor, Diego, asks:
Is there such a thing as “dressing your age?” I say yes, but also no.
I think about this question a lot. You’re right that there’s a gray area. Wear J. Crew every day and risk looking like a dweeb, or wear a bunch of Palace and risk looking like a stunted rich kid. What to do?
Here’s my answer. By the time you’re middle aged–and trust me, you’ll know when you’re middle aged–you should have a firm grasp of your personal style. You should have favorite brands/stores, silhouettes that work and don’t work, style heroes, and a wardrobe with some depth. By then, you should also know the rules of getting dressed. Don’t wear shorts in the winter, don’t buy fast fashion, don’t wear garish bow ties like some young Republican, etc.. Once you’ve learned these rules, you can start to break them.
Take Gramps, for example. Gramps (see above) is an Instagram celebrity because, A: he’s old, and B: he wears clothes made for 20 year olds. Should Gramps “dress his age?” My answer is yes… and no. I actually love that he’s rocking streetwear. He seems happy to do it. Would Gramps look better wearing just one Supreme piece? Sure, but he’s found his lane, he looks dope, and people get a kick out of it. Why fix what isn’t broken.
Dressing your age means striking a balance between young and old. Incorporate garments from your youth into your wardrobe, then elevate them with sophisticated essentials. Don’t be afraid to swerve. Age is arbitrary. People are born, but they have no say as to when they’re born. And people die. Might as well have fun with your time here on earth.
One last thing: I think Aime Leon Dore gets it.
Got a question? Feel free to comment on this post or e-mail me at newexperimentalhours@gmail.com. Thanks!
It is my sincere wish that you’re not too hungover, and I guess that you have a great 2021, too. Will this year be different? I hope so. We’ve been walloped, there’s no denying it. Keep your head up. It’s like Carole King (🐐) said, you’ve got a friend.