Part IV: Where is the Cool?

Don Draper (Mad Men) once stated: “The most important idea in advertising in ‘new.’” While I agree with the fictional genius, I also tend to think that way about menswear. On the surface, it’s safe to assume that the general population would not assume that your average red-blooded, vagina-preferring dude cares about what any given designer, fashion house or luxury manufacturer is doing at any given moment. However, contrary to the belief of those who fall in this category, menswear nerds (an term of endearment, usually said in a tone of “we,” rather than “they,”) hawk the news wires for information on the next Michael Bastian or A.P.C. or whatever-lucky-so-and-so-having-his-15-minutes-of-internet-fame’s collection like a football fanatic would obsess over his fantasy team. Cool Hunters, exactly like those in Gladwell’s article, flock to these hot-off-the-press as soon as they possibly can in order to rip-off trends and perpetuate the “trickle down effect” of fashion in general. His mention of Tommy Hilfiger and the change in consumer base that his business (along with Nautica, Ralph Lauren, among other “preppy” designers) underwent in the late-80’s/early 90’s is the yin to the yang of today’s fashion landscape: high-fashion, streetwear and sportswear are at an intersection unlike anything we have ever seen, but the original influence is fading into the proverbial black with more and more alternatives becoming available to the masses. H&M, Zara, Urban Outfitters, etc. all employ teams that are in charge of knowing/finding out what is “cool” at that exact moment in time. This is exactly why you can drive to Castleton right now and see an H&M rack full of knock-offs of a French-designed/manufactured garment that would originally cost a semester’s tuition, but now retails for less than it costs to feed me for a day.