Perspectives
Opinions, views, and personal observations from the PTO crew.
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June 17, 2019
How Forecasters Predict Fashion Trends
The other week, I got an email from Suitsupply, hepping me to their new “mint” collection of blazers, sweaters, and…
June 14, 2019
Prep’s Perps: A Look At Prep’s Issues With Authenticity
Authenticity, the holy grail of today’s marketing departments, is a slippery concept in menswear. Sometimes it refers to a brand’s…
April 12, 2019
Ephemeral Beauty: Light Jacket Season
Ladies, if you’re cold, might I offer you a light jacket? Every year in Washington, DC, spring arrives with an…
April 2, 2019
Dress For A Role: Style Lessons From A Costume Designer
Most people need years to build a good wardrobe. Keri Langerman does it in a matter of hours. On a…
March 18, 2019
A Suggestion For Your First Good Pair Of Shoes
On the subreddit Male Fashion Advice, which is dedicated to helping men dress better, newer members will occasionally come up…
March 1, 2019
The Very Serious Business Of Fashion
According to Bojack Horseman, Netflix’s horse headed misanthropist, “Time’s arrow neither stands still nor reverses. It merely marches forward.” Whether…
February 27, 2019
Straight Copying: How Gay Fashion Goes Mainstream
When J. Crew debuted their Liquor Store ten years ago, they transformed an after-hours watering hole into a menswear-only boutique…
February 12, 2019
Everyone Dresses Like They’re In Portlandia Now
Portlandia is ostensibly just about Portland, Oregon, but it’s really about the kind of microcommuties that make-up (largely) white, liberal cities….
January 16, 2019
The Last Of Good Scottish Cashmere: William Lockie
For over a hundred years, workers in Hawick have traced their fortunes to the cashmere industry. This town, like others…
January 9, 2019
The Joy Of Old Clothes
At his sprawling Double RL ranch a couple of months ago, Ralph Lauren sat down with Jane Pauley of CBS…
October 31, 2018
Can Ralph Lauren Bring Back Prep?
Eighty years ago, it was possible for a man to buy the right wardrobe and be assured that he’d remain…
October 1, 2018
The Paradox Of Bigger Wardrobes
In his introduction to “The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less,” UC Berkeley professor Barry Schwartz recalls going to…
September 6, 2018
I Am Part Of The Resistance Inside The New York Times Style Section
Put This On today is taking the rare step of publishing a completely satirical and anonymous Op-Ed essay. We have…
July 25, 2018
Everything In Men’s Style Right Now Is About Seinfeld
Men’s style has come a long way in the last fifteen years. There was a time when almost everyone was…
June 28, 2018
What Happens When Your Style Fave Is Problematic?
It’s often hard to separate the artist from their art, and why should we? A lot of the art we…