Aero Style Magazine

Such a ludicrous charade to think that one can express their individuality through by adorning themselves with a particular item of clothing or even through behavioral trait but more importantly, what Bieber wears was the last thing I was hoping to learn today, especially on TFL. Thanks, @Big J.
Does anyone even listen to that stuff in Japan? Or has the hell known as Hatsune Miku taken over completely?

I am thinking of getting a copy.I like to knit.

Big J said:

'I'm gonna get a jacket just like yours, and pledge my false allegiance to your cause'.

Click to expand...

I've met the guy that refers to. He turned up in mutual company one night back in 77 wearing a leather jacket that Mick Jones claimed was half-inched from him - the line is a reference to that. (The things you learn when you go drinking with Chappists after doing a protest demo on Savile Row....).

@Peter Bowden, I'm impressed! I can't knit. Most people can't even make fire these days.

@Edward, great story!

@Monitor, my deepest apologies. I didn't intend to burden you with such knowledge. I feel obliged to inform you however, that Hatsune Miku is one of Japan's top international acts. Check out Kyary Pamyu Pamyu if you fancy the challenge.

I was trying to say something about the commodification of individuality and rebellion, but I'm not sure it matters...

Big J said:

@Seb Lucas, great post, and I think you're striking at the heart of where I'm coming from on this issue.
I was hoping it wasn't true, but it seems that this is 'brand positioning hype', and as much as people like to think that they are into 'artisanal' brands because malls are so 'cookie-cutter', at the end of the day, they are still trapped by the same psychological marketing tricks that have people liining up for the latest apple product launch, wearing Supreme because Beiber does, or wearing crocs because they are 'in'.
They've just substituted one consumerism for another, and are purchasing their rebellion and individualism, and as such are easily led with by whatever brand is in question.
The clash wrote a song about this;
'I'm gonna get a jacket just like yours, and pledge my false allegiance to your cause'.

Click to expand...

I don’t have a problem with this, as I’ve never framed my leather jacket interest as a rebellion. Yes, this is just another kind of consumerism. Yes, we are still operating within the confines of modern-day capitalism. Yes, we are all cosplaying to one degree or another, by dressing up in leather jackets designed to look like they were made for working class men in the 30’s. Yes, companies that are operating in this market niche designs marketing strategies that play to and exploit our nostalgia about the lost qualities of the past.

I fail to see the problem with this. I’m enjoying the fantasy. I’m having fun. It’s just jackets, nothing more nothing less. They’re not going to save us.

So what is the problem you seem to have with Aero sending for FREE a printed catalogue that evokes to a bygone era? Do you find that disturbing? Does it bother you that Aero customers want a printed catalogue of the knitwear they carry?

The people who are asking for them are old time clients and some might be new possible ones who are looking forward to receiving a printed booklet with pictures that we don't have online of the other stuff that Aero offers that isn't much talked around. Of course it might trigger some orders but is that even a bad thing? I don't see how it can be seen as something negative.

People also collect and like to have Eastman Leather calendars or catalogues, some people collect The Real Mccoy's catalogues (Which you have to pay a lot of money for, by the way).

I don't really think it is that difficult to understand. It is a free catalogue Aero releases as a promotion, some people want it. There's nothing else there.

@Big J @Edward Mick Jones leads me to Strummer, naturally. One of his Perfectos lives and it's story is kind of insane if it ever sees the light of day again it will be beyond expensive based on who’s owned it. At some point it was passed on to Chrissie Hynde, yes that one of the Pretenders fame. After wearing it a bit she passed it onto a friend in the record business. Who then ended up becoming friends with and working with Carl Barat of The Libertines fame. After noticing his love of leather jackets and the first two Libertines albums being produced by none other than Mick Jones, they gave it to Mr. Barat. He says he’s tossed it on once or twice but living the rock n roll life it’s quite beat up and ragged now and more a museum piece than a wearable jacket. But based on this jackets life imagine the stories it would tell?!

dannyk said:

@Big J @Edward Mick Jones leads me to Strummer, naturally. One of his Perfectos lives and it's story is kind of insane if it ever sees the light of day again it will be beyond expensive based on who’s owned it. At some point it was passed on to Chrissie Hynde, yes that one of the Pretenders fame. After wearing it a bit she passed it onto a friend in the record business. Who then ended up becoming friends with and working with Carl Barat of The Libertines fame. After noticing his love of leather jackets and the first two Libertines albums being produced by none other than Mick Jones, they gave it to Mr. Barat. He says he’s tossed it on once or twice but living the rock n roll life it’s quite beat up and ragged now and more a museum piece than a wearable jacket. But based on this jackets life imagine the stories it would tell?!

Click to expand...

That would be an interesting one to see.... Are you sure it's a Perfecto? Joe was more commonly seen in Lewis Leathers (as were the Libertines once they ditched the Guards tunics), though if it was from the early days it could well be a Perfecto or a cheaper copy thereof. As memory serves, Joe nearly married Chrissie Hynde - not for affection, but because they were pals and at one point her visa status was in question. I think either it got sorted or somebody else stepped in.

Edward said:

That would be an interesting one to see.... Are you sure it's a Perfecto? Joe was more commonly seen in Lewis Leathers (as were the Libertines once they ditched the Guards tunics), though if it was from the early days it could well be a Perfecto or a cheaper copy thereof. As memory serves, Joe nearly married Chrissie Hynde - not for affection, but because they were pals and at one point her visa status was in question. I think either it got sorted or somebody else stepped in.

Click to expand...

Not 100% sure I saw it quoted in one place as a perfecto and another just as Joes jacket. He was known to be in both and then Lewis for a long time. Because the only place I saw it listed as anything I said Perfecto but it’s more than likely a Lewis in reality. Besides wherever it was I saw Perfecto they could have been using it loosely to mean Perfecto style.

I’ll have to watch it tomorrow when I’m not laying in bed next to the sleeping gf without ear buds. But I know there’s also an interview Carl did with Mr. Porter about leather jackets in which he references the jacket. I’ll have to see if he says anything about make or simply “Joes Jacket. “

dannyk said:

I’ll have to watch it tomorrow when I’m not laying in bed next to the sleeping gf without ear buds. But I know there’s also an interview Carl did with Mr. Porter about leather jackets in which he references the jacket. I’ll have to see if he says anything about make or simply “Joes Jacket. “

Click to expand...

Does he refer to it as "my pension plan"? Not that I'd ever want to part with something like that (Joe Strummer is probably the only man I can conceive of having followed into battle), but all the same if forced by circumstance, it's better to have to part with something that has real money value than not!

@willyto, there's no need to shout.
I've explained my position in my previous posts, but I'll spell it out just for you again;
1. It's ecologically unsound.
2. It's pushing knitwear for the Spring/Summer season.
3. It's not 'free'. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Somewhere along the line Aero customers have or will pay for it.
4. It represents the commodification of individuality.

In fact, I'd say it represents the 'end' of whatever hipster led resurgence of artisanal clothing trend has been taking place for the last few years. The 'true' hipsters are way out there cool-hunting and wouldn't be seen dead in anything from a catalog, leaving the scene behind now that it's gone mainstream and is all nicely packaged up so that people can easily buy into it.

And that may not be a bad thing. There will be people who move on to the next trend, and the artisanal retro work-wear/repro industry will have to adjust to new economic realities as that demographic leaves them. Eventually the mainstream will leave for something else instead too.

Edward said:

Does he refer to it as "my pension plan"? Not that I'd ever want to part with something like that (Joe Strummer is probably the only man I can conceive of having followed into battle), but all the same if forced by circumstance, it's better to have to part with something that has real money value than not!

Click to expand...

Haha! Just watched the clip. Unfortunately it was referred to in the 15 seconds of the 2min 30 second interview clip as a “biker jacket” “Chrissie Hyndes” and “Joes Jacket” “Joe Strummers Jacket” no brand identification. Oh well whether it’s a Schott, a Lewis, or some unnamed 1950s thrift store find. It’s provenance having gone through those hands makes it a piece of immense consideration as far as I myself am concerned.

Commodification of individuality? Nah, that was a done deal with the industrial revolution.

Big J said:

@willyto, there's no need to shout.
I've explained my position in my previous posts, but I'll spell it out just for you again;
1. It's ecologically unsound.
2. It's pushing knitwear for the Spring/Summer season.
3. It's not 'free'. There's no such thing as a free lunch. Somewhere along the line Aero customers have or will pay for it.
4. It represents the commodification of individuality.

In fact, I'd say it represents the 'end' of whatever hipster led resurgence of artisanal clothing trend has been taking place for the last few years. The 'true' hipsters are way out there cool-hunting and wouldn't be seen dead in anything from a catalog, leaving the scene behind now that it's gone mainstream and is all nicely packaged up so that people can easily buy into it.

And that may not be a bad thing. There will be people who move on to the next trend, and the artisanal retro work-wear/repro industry will have to adjust to new economic realities as that demographic leaves them. Eventually the mainstream will leave for something else instead too.

Click to expand...

Lol well... Anything could be argued about in this manner. But the fact remains that it is, for all intents and purposes, a free catalog. Just like the one you get in the mail. It may or may not interest you and you may or may not immediately toss it into the garbage bin. As you would with the one from Ikea.

As for it being ecologically unsound... It is, as a matter of fact, no more ecologically unsound than if it was in .pdf.

As for pushing knitwear... Well, it's all up to you, whether you want it or not.

As for the commodification of individuality... That's the law of consumerism. Individuality is an illusion. It's a lie we all agree upon and accept as truth. But we all know it's a lie. We're just playing pretend. No point in pointing out the obvious.

As for the hipsters... Agreed. And thank heavens they did so.

But the way I see it, true hipsters - now, here's an oxymoron if there ever was one as there's literally nothing true about hipsters - never truly cared about artisan clothing. They led the resurgence of being hollow morons but they never did care about the craftsmanship or the aesthetics of vintage clothing. Unlike any other subculture before them (if they can even be refereed to as a subculture), having zero brain to come up with an actual style by themselves and without an ounce of passion or anything from this world, they would adorn themselves in whatever old clothes they least noticed in the street, that they believed would best express their (lack of) individuality. Of course, without individuality that simply doesn't work but while most of what they came up with is a joke, we still have to... sigh... thank them (and the internet) for accidentally exposing some of the good stuff to the general public.

But I don't think that people who appreciate quality - or rather people who got burned one too many times buying clothes in a shopping mall - won't ever stop doing so. I know I won't. That's why I buy whatever boots we talk about here. Because I know they won't fall apart on me. Like Converse does. And I don't intend on "move on" on something else because I kinda want my shoes not to fall apart.

we're all hipsters, just embrace it.....this is the Fedora Lounge after all!

Just received my Aero catalogue. Honestly- some nice rollneck sweaters I had no idea where to purchase.......

I'd like to apologize publicly for saying that Aero 'buys in' its knitwear. That is factually incorrect. Aero designs knitwear which is manufactured by out of house specialists.
My ignorance, my mistake.