The New York Times style section today tackles a big, hard, throbbing sartorial debate:
If Thom Browne has come to represent sartorial arrested development, the proponent of a kind of masculinity that suggests one is never sexier than when being carded, Tom Ford is a throwback to a different manliness. In one of those funny confluences that retailers like Bergdorf Goodman are seemingly built to showcase, the two designers and their variant ideas of how men should dress now find themselves cheek by jowl.
We suggest Browne and Ford settle this the old fashioned way: naked oil wrestling.
Itâs only fairâŠ
[PS: For those of you not in the fashion know, Fordâs design is on the left, while Browneâs short-legged suit can be seen on the right.]
Darth Paul
Ford all the way. That Browne ensemble is an abomination.
urban bohemian
“one is never sexier than when being carded”
Don’t care for Browne’s taste, however the phrase ‘age-appropriate clothing’ is being bandied about among my friends and I think the reviewer’s phrase above seems to be sinking in when it comes to where older gays choose to shop.
Between those photos, however, Ford hands down. Between the photos of the designers? BROWNE. đ
ILOVEZ
I picked FORD! He is HOT too!
http://www.ilovezeren.com
Dom
They both look like dorks, especially the one on the right. He looks like Pee Wee Herman. Now, I love Pee Wee, but I’ll be damned if I’ll dress like him. But the idea of Ford and Browne oil wrestling: FUCK YEAH! Both are a lot hotter than their designs.
ggreen
What a pair of choices, the ĂąâŹĆEmma PeelĂąâŹÂ look with a cinched waist pinstripe gangster suit or Pee Wee Herman goes to Good Humor college. I love men that look like men, not metro sexuals, Emos, girly Sex in the City looks, et. al.
Matt
Thom Browne clothing is hideous. If you want a laugh – look at the video on style.com of Thom jogging in central park wearing a sweater and shoes. What a dip shit.
abelincoln
I always hated when I had to wear my little brother’s “hand me ups” coz the pants always fit like the Pee Wee pants. I’d rather wear clamdiggers.
Casper Odschild
Well I think this is a pretty easy debate since they tackle completely different target markets really. Browne plays with proportion and Ford goes for the classic look, and both pull their thing of very well with their brands.
I do however think that Tom Fords perfume ads compared to his sartorial take is something we should discuss, I can’t see how that makes sense from a brand value standpoint.
pickles
I’ll give it to Thom Browne.. in the oil wrestling championship. He’s real, creative, and HOT. His legs are incredible.
Tom Ford is just kind of cheezy. He’s great for the types that want to get married shirtless on a yacht in loafers. Not sexy. Just camp. The only point goes to TF for running ads in BUTT magazine. I’d toss the stanky perfume.. but I’d eat his oily arse for sure!
gordon
I have the body and face for Mr Browne’s work but I wish I could pull off/afford Mr. Ford’s work.