July 10, 2017: "Untuckit Strikes a Chord With Self-Explanatory Men’s Wear."
Untuckit, it seems, was an idea so ludicrously obvious that no high-paid marketing genius had bothered to think of it. And fashion insiders sneered when [Chris] Riccobono and [Aaron] Sanandres conceived the company in 2010.July 12, 2017: "A ‘Dad’ Look Is Suddenly Stylish: The Tucked-In T-Shirt."
“They said, ‘No, you can’t use that name, it’s not sophisticated,’” Mr. Riccobono said....
The guys who were tuning in, however, did not need to see the shirts... to get the concept. Before long, Untuckit was popping up in GQ....
It has recently been a common style at runway shows staged by Gucci, Lemaire and Fendi. Demna Gvasalia’s most recent show for Balenciaga, built around the idea of bad taste and so-called “dad style,” also featured the look....I like the way there are 2 trends, completely opposed and both premised on bad taste. The main difference is that the tucked-in look is working on the old idea that if you're cool, bad is good. The untucked look seems to be more about ordinary guys wanting to look and feel reasonably okay.
[Andrew Luecke, a co-author of the recent book “Cool: Style, Sound, and Subversion,"] noted that it is... in line with the ’90s nostalgia sweeping through fashion of late. Kurt Cobain and the guys on “Beverly Hills 90210” favored the look, and it was part of the uniform adopted by their 1950s precursors, like James Dean and Marlon Brando.
“It’s such an easy way to tweak your look,” he said. “It makes your outfit look cleaner. It can be a little formal, a little nerdy. You can take it in all sorts of directions.”
But it's the untucked look that is selling product. There's something specific to buy (a closer cut shirt with a just-long-enough tail). The tucked look is just something to do with an ordinary product you already have. Why would the fashion industry bother to do that — show you a way to update without buying anything? Maybe these people are just irked as hell by the money Messrs. Riccobono and Sanandres are making with their too-obvious product.
By the way, I did not remember Kurt Cobain for his tucked-in t-shirt. I remembered his huge, very bulky sweater. So I looked for some photographs and found this, which you might want to emulate, seeing as how there's ’90s nostalgia sweeping through fashion of late:
Marlon Brando photograph added for comparison purposes. Yeah, he looks a lot better, but tucking in your t-shirt, which one will you more closely resemble? Keep your objectivity is all I'm saying.
Posts
62 comments:
I'm overweight. Have a belly. Draped is the way to go. If I'm dressing for the 10% that means keeping the sport jacket on. I do that in winter over a tucked-in shirt - even a t-shirt - even if I'm not forced to mingle with the 10%. In the summer, I wear guayaberas, jeans, and cowboy boots (and try to associate with people for whom that counts as "dressed up"). I've been looking at Untuckit, and may give them a try when fall hits.
If you are young, thin, and fit, then tucked, close-fitting clothes look great. Thin Brando looks like a "dad" only in the sense that he's probably fathered children by several different women. Old, fat Brando always appeared draped or untucked.
The idea that a shirt has a tail that you stuff into your pants is kind of weird on its face.
Well, in my case, I'm much closer to Brando, even today with rather less hair than formerly.
I have always been fortunate, nature was kind.
As for tucked and untucked shirts, this was officially addressed by Governor General Claveria in the 1840's and the matter has been settled ever since, as a matter of law, for all natives of the country, Filipinos (Spaniards born in the colony), mestizos or indios alike. Fashion does not come into it.
We are, by decree, permitted to wear our shirts untucked.
I like banded bottom knit shirts. I think they look better than other untucked shirts. They're good for those of us who are not yet or not currently at our ideal weight.
oK.
Another one of Rusty rules. you don't tuck in you Tommy Bahama ever. Nothing says "I'm an anal retentive democrat like a tucked in Hawaiin shirt.
Come to think of it, this is an area where the law has some utility. There are foolish and futile laws on all sorts of things, going where laws have not gone before, in defiance of custom, but laws on the matter of appearance and grooming are customary.
Also, it possibly could divert the interests and energies devoted to making laws into directions and controversies where they can do less damage. Let them argue over tucked shirts, cuffs on pants, forms of collars. The requirement for pulled-up pants alone will become the vital civil rights struggle of the era.
Untucked? If I'm going to the beach or doing yardwork, perhaps. Otherwise, proud to dress like the uptight northwestern European descendant that I am.
I never realized Mom jeans were part of the grunge look.
Dammit, out of style again.
The tucked in t-shirt works well with a flat belly. Only with a flat belly.
You rarely see anyone wearing shorts with a tucked shirt, especially t-shirts. The ideal accessory for shorts and an untucked t-shirt is a fanny belt. It adds panache and a splash of retro to the outfit.
The way you determine whether a person is dressing cool or merely has bad taste is that you ask them who they voted for in the latest election.
proud to dress like the uptight northwestern European descendant that I am.
While using a Spanish name on the internet.
Belt or no belt with that tucked in shirt?
I do both
I'm tall (6'4") and economy-conscious. One can find extra tall shirts pretty much only at a premium, and a no-extra-tall is either tucked in or looks very odd. Un-tucked shirts are a luxury, and if I can I un-tuck because it's luxurious.
Tucking sucks when you wear an insulin pump.
"Another one of Rusty rules. you don't tuck in you Tommy Bahama ever. Nothing says "I'm an anal retentive democrat like a tucked in Hawaiin shirt."
Ha! If I saw someone with a tucked-in Hawaiian shirt, I would assume they were Republican!
I see nothing instrinsically wrong with tucking in one's t-shirt. It depends on the shirt and on one's physique. A tucked-in t-shirt can look bad or good, depending on one or both of these factors.
Never mind tucking in one's socks. It is beyond the pale to be a sock-tucker.
There once was a shirt from Untuckit
If you watch 'The Twilight Zone', men always had their shirts tucked in. Heck even I tucked in my shirt until around 5 years ago.
Sometimes tucked, sometimes untucked, depending on conditions on the ground.
If you got the the abs, tuck it.
Am I misunderstanding, or is Untuckit just selling slim fit, straight hem shirts? Is . . . was this not a standard option? I mean, I always tuck in, so I've never ordered straight hem, but I'm pretty sure it's long been an option on collared shirts.
Now that I think about it, though, a loose-fitting collared shirt would be good for the depths of summer. I have some shirts in open-weave summer fabrics, but they're all fairly tailored, so you don't get quite the same circulation.
Re: Sebastian:
If you got the the abs, tuck it.
And if you don't have the abs, that's what sportcoats are for.
Clean blue jeans, and a tucked shirt with no belt. And yes it does force me to be more focused on my appearance, it makes me less likely to skip my morning run, or trip to the gym.
Untucked obviously, makes concealed carry so much easier.
And I really like Sig Sauer's newish P320.
If you want to look really cool, tuck in your Hawaiian shirt.
What timing for this post! I'm about to head out for jury duty (called in on the last day of the week) and I'm debating whether to wear casual slacks with a shirt tucked in or one of my shirts that's designed to be worn untucked. For the record, I like to wear my polo shirts tucked in, to the eternal dismay of my three daughters, but I like that look better.
@exhelodrv1
Funny!
I also always wear my golf shirt tucked in when I play, but sorry Althouse, I wear shorts most of time. Except in the winter.
Simple rule to follow.
Belt? Tuck it in.
No belt? Don't tuck it in.
Photo of Nirvana reminds me very much of Monty Python quasimodo look
First the New York Times tells me my flab gives me a dead-sexy “dad bod” look, and now they tell me to display that flab in a tucked-in white t-shirt. Thanks, New York Times, that’s late-middle-age news I can truly use. And it has the added value of horrifying my daughters.
Kurt Cobain pic reminds me of the Diane Arbus photo of the boy with a hand grenade.
The rule is there aren't any rules. That has not always been the case. The general rule was that a straight hemmed bottom was worn untucked, tails were tucked in. There were exceptions to the rule depending on what was appropriate for the occasion.
This un-tucked look has been a boon for even high end shirt makers, they almost all have shorter tails than ten years ago. Think of the money on fabric they save. Think of all the poor bastards trying to keep their shirt tails tucked when the occasions require tucking. It's become even more comical with these lower rise pants being passed off as regular rise.
There was a time when well made dress shirts' tails would damn near reach the bottom of one's boxers, cheap shirts didn't. You could wear the better shirts tucked even with 501s and never have to re-tuck.
Untucked tailed shirt with a sport coat, WTF! The untucked look seems to correspond to the rise in obesity in America, even Ralph Lauren is catering to it.
Ann Althouse said...
"Kurt Cobain pic reminds me of the Diane Arbus photo of the boy with a hand grenade."
The Diane Arbus photo of the boy with a hand grenade reminds me of Anderson Cooper.
It is time for a revival of this -
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Officiers_of_the_Six_Companies_b.jpg
China is the next big thing, get in on it early.
The Chinese shirt is out btw.
And they have no patience for this -
http://rollingout.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Saggy-1.jpg
Which is a far worse problem, and eyesore, than tucked or untucked shirts.
No belt? Don't tuck it in.
But I like to brag that I don't need a belt with most pants.
Untucked also works for Concealed Carry. I'm just saying.
The Diane Arbus photo of the boy with a hand grenade reminds me of Anderson Cooper.
Diane Arbus indeed photographed Anderson Cooper, sans hand grenade.
Good bod, tuck it.
Bad bod, untuck it (or even better, wear a sport coat).
Tails, tuck it.
No tails, see above.
After decades of having slim, "I look awesome in anything" physique, I'm starting to gravitate to jeans that let my spare tire hang over while giving the illusion that I have no tire. Bummer - my metabolism downshifted at 40 and then again at 45, which sucks. Rumor has it that it might up shift again in my 50's (fingers crossed) .
Isn't the really cool way to half-tuck your shirt? Tuck one side of your front tail and leave the other untucked.
I think it started with guitar players who tuck the guitar body side of the shirt and leave the neck side untucked.
"While using a Spanish name on the internet."
I'll let you in on a secret... it's not my real name.
One of these guys has $30+ billion dollars.
@Althouse, you still look for verisimilitude in the Times? Triumph of hope over experience.
We tucked t-shirts in the 90s because we were something over it. A shirt or sweater it looked bad if you had your t shirt AND your flannel untucked. Don't know why. It just did.
The Untuckit thing is moronic. http://markdaniels.blogspot.com/2017/06/is-this-bid-for-nobel-peace-prize.html
And, if you want to be ridiculously tucked, get shirt garters. They come in set of four, and attach the shirt tails to the top of your socks (two in the front, two in the back. Sounds crazy, and they complicate the logistics of taking a crap a little, but you will be neat and wrinkle free. (Needless to say, they're mostly used in the military and by the po-po.)
I have always tucked in my shirt on every occasion until recently. I stopped for two reasons. First I'm getting old and my belly has grown enough that it feels ugly to accentuate that bulge. Secondly, it's much easier to conceal my pistol when the shirt is untucked.
Blogger Ralph L said...
"No belt? Don't tuck it in.
"But I like to brag that I don't need a belt with most pants."
I never used to wear a belt with jeans, either, because it wasn't necessary to hold up my pants. Then a girl from Spain I was chasing chastised me for being uncouth. I wore a belt ever since. Women. They wield so much power!
Blogger southcentralpa said...
"And, if you want to be ridiculously tucked, get shirt garters."
Marine Corps Officers are practically required to wear those. I didn't. My shirts stayed tucked in. And then I got to be older and I didn't care as much. Besides the shirt stays (as we call them) just make me feel like a trussed up pig, or like I'm a woman or something. Real men just don't do shirt stays, damn those pedants in the USMC.
Ann Althouse is constantly fashion-shaming Men. It borders on Misandry. In an act of protest this weekend I will wear a T-Shirt tucked into cargo shorts, along with feet in both sandals and dress socks all weekend long.
"After decades of having slim, "I look awesome in anything" physique, I'm starting to gravitate to jeans that let my spare tire hang over while giving the illusion that I have no tire. Bummer - my metabolism downshifted at 40 and then again at 45, which sucks. Rumor has it that it might up shift again in my 50's (fingers crossed) ."
Yeah, don't count on it.
The Untuckit article sounds like a barely reworded press release. How did it ever make the NYT?
This is a real critique of the NYT, by the way. They have good writers, but sometimes it feels like every single article is a favor to someone.
@ Bob Ellison "Tucking sucks when you wear an insulin pump."
Or carrying.
>snore<
As former active duty USAF, EVERYTHING pretty much had to be tucked in tightly, particularly when I was at the USAF Academy. Even t shirts for PT.
I wear loose, untucked patterned shirts because I carry and prefer an inside the waistband holster. The looseness and pattern is better for concealment and wearing them untucked means I can get at my weapon quickly, should I need to.
An untucked shirt with a tail always looks sloppy or unfinished to me. I like untucked shirts put prefer them with a straight line and side vents , which shows that they were made to be untucked.
Is my handgun concealed? That's the major determinant for me whether I go tucked or not.
Old Radio Cat: "Is my handgun concealed? That's the major determinant for me whether I go tucked or not."
To me, this is a gray area. I'll sacrifice a little conceal-ability for accessibility. But conceal-ability is a close second.
Doubt Marlon B wore a tucked in tee after 1980. At least I hope not. I'm 70. Never wore a shirt untucked until my Kiwi girlfriend (now ex-girlfriend) told me I needed to go untucked to be "with it." She was kinda right. But she didn't stop there, which is why she's my ex.
Post a Comment