How to Use the Styleforum Classified System

Posted on April 28, 2017 by Styleforum Editors

Using the Classified System in Styleforum’s New Buy & Sell Interface

Seller Dashboard
1. Overview
2. Terms & Conditions
How to Post a Classified in Styleforum’s New Buy & Sell Interface
1. Accessing Archived Listings
2. Creating a New Listing
  1. Categories
  2. Create & Edit
  3. Paypal
  4. Add Images
    1. Uploading Images
    2. Uploading a Cover Image
  5. Discussions / Updating your Listing

How to Use (and Buy from) Styleforum’s New Buy & Sell Interface
1. Searching Buy & Sell
2. Asking questions
3. Individual Sellers
4. Watching a Listing
5. Buying a Listing

Note that the new term for a Buy & Sell post is “Resource.”

Seller Dashboard

Navigate to your Seller Dashboard from the Buy & Sell dropdown menu as show below:

Inside your seller dashboard, you will be able to see your listings, your terms & conditions, and – in the future – see statistics on your sales.
Terms and Conditions
When you create a classified listing, you will be prompted to set Terms & Conditions for your sale. You can do this on an individual listing, or you can set Terms & Conditions that will apply to every listing you create from within your dashboard.

How to Post a Classified in Styleforum’s New Buy & Sell Interface

1. Accessing your archived posts

Classified posts from the old Styleforum platform were not imported into the new system. This is due not only to the limitations of the older system, but also because we wanted to build a more robust Buy & Sell system for our members.

To access your old classifieds listings, please visit the archive here:

http://www.styleforum.net/forums/#archives.20807

2. Creating a New Classified Listing

First, navigate to the Buy & Sell subforum (1.)from the Nav Bar. Then, click “Add Classified” (2.):
Next, from the dropdown menu that appears in the popup, select the category of garment or accessory you would like to add:

Please note that within the same dropdown menu, categories are separated into “Classic Menswear” (at the top) and “Streetwear and Denim” (towards the bottom). Be sure to select the most accurate category.
Once you’ve selected a category for your listing, you will be able to create and edit your listing:

Note that you are currently required to fill out all fields

3. Paypal

You now have the option to buy and sell directly through your Paypal account. Note: Styleforum does not store your account information aside from the address – all transactions are done through Paypal.

Linking your Paypal allows buyers to purchase from you directly, without having to deal with back-and-forth messages.

4. Uploading Images

There are 4 ways to upload an image: hotlink, direct upload, and drag-and-drop. Here’s how you do each:

To drag-and-drop an image, simply drag your image into the reply box.

To post an image from your library, click here:

To link to an image via URL, click here:
To upload an image to Styleforum directly, click here. (RECOMMENDED)

You can attach more than one image at once!

Which way should I do it?

If you want your picture to remain hosted on Styleforum (you do), option 4 is your best bet. This ensures that the picture remains on the Styleforum server, even if it has been deleted from its outside host. This is the equivalent of the “Attach Image” feature from the old platform.

2. Adding a Cover Image

To add a cover image to your listing, check the “Upload Resource Icon” box at the bottom of the classified creation page:

3. When you are finished, click the “Save” box at the bottom of the editor to post your listing.

5. Discussions / Updating Your Listing

Once you have saved your listing, you will see the option to view both “Overview” and “Discussion” tabs within the listing:

In the discussion tab, you can post updates on your item, offer further information, or chat with interested buyers.

How to Use (and Buy from) Styleforum’s New Buy & Sell Interface

Searching Buy & Sell
1. When browsing the Buy & Sell subforum, you have the option to see the full list of current classifieds or to search for exactly what you want.
  1. To see all classifieds, click the “Buy & Sell” tab on the nav bar.
  2. To search for a specific item, hover your mouse over the “Buy & Sell” tab on the nav bar, and then select “Search Classifieds.” You will then be able to search by category within either the Classic Menswear or Streetwear and Denim selling subfora.
Individual Sellers
1. To see all the items offered by an individual seller, click the author name. This can be accessed either from inside an individual listing, or from the main Buy & Sell page.
2. You can view seller feedback by clicking “View Trading Profile” within the Author tab.
Asking a Question
Once you have selected an item, you may wish to ask the seller a question. To do so, click the “Discuss this Resource” button on the right-hand side of the page.
Watching a Listing
You can now add listings to your “Watch List.” To do so, navigate to the item you wish to watch, and then click “Watch This Resource.”

To see all of your watched listings, select “Watched Resources” from the Buy & Sell dropdown menu.
Buying a Listing
1. Buy Now
  The simplest way to buy an item is through Paypal, by clicking the “Buy Now” button at the top right of the listing:
  
  This will prompt you to accept the user’s Terms & Conditions. Once you have accepted, you will be redirected to Paypal to complete the transaction.
2. Start or Contribute to a Public Discussion
  If you wish to start a discussion with the seller, whether to discuss the item or the price, you can do so buy clicking the blue “Discuss this Resource” box on the right hand side of the listing.
  
  Note that all Discussions are public. Also note that You can either browse individual discussions directly from an individual listing, or you can also browse the discussions for B&S separately by going here: https://www.styleforum.net/forums/#buying-and-selling.6654
3. Start a Private Conversation
  From within the listing, click the Author name from within the “Author Details” box on the right hand side of the listing. Then, select “Start a Conversation.” This will allow you to send an offer or a question privately.

Having technical problems? Please email us at [email protected]. Note that this is not the address to use for submitting opinions or requests.

The New Styleforum Interface Help: Basic FAQs (Part One)

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Styleforum Editors

New Styleforum Interface: Frequently Asked Questions

Thanks for reading! While we’re sure this won’t cover every question you may have about Xenforo, the new platform used to host Styleforum, it should help you with some basic questions. Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:

General questions
1. 1.1 Basic Changes
2. 1.2 Nomenclature changes
3. 1.3 Forum locations
Managing Notifications
1. 2.1 Alert Preferences
2. 2.2 Email Preferences
Replying to a post
1. 3.1 Quoting a post
2. 3.2 Uploading images
Account Privacy
1. 4.1 Managing your privacy
2. 4.2 Appearing “Offline”

1. General Questions

1.1 Basic Changes

Why did you change the site? The old one was perfect!

First and foremost, Huddler, the former platform, was being phased out by the developer. In other words, remaining on the same platform was not an option. We did a lot of research into other potential platforms, and ultimately Xenforo was the most appealing and gave us the most power, flexibility, and potential.

While we understand that change is always hard, after the initial hiccups that always accompany a move, we feel very confident that the new platform will be better for everyone – including you, dear reader – in both the short and long run.

If you are experiencing issues with site features, please email us at [email protected]. Note that this is not the address to use for submitting opinions on the change.

Also note that Styleforum has added a mouse-hover feature. When you’re looking at the nav-bar of Styleforum, you can hover your mouse over a topic to see a full list of subtopics. You can either click on a topic, click on a subtopic, or click on a blank space on the page to close the menu.

I don’t recognize anything! What does it all mean?

Good question! While the interface looks pretty close to what you remember, some things have changed. First of all, there are some differences in nomenclature.

Nomenclature Changes:

What it Was Called	What It’s Called Now	What it Means
1. Subscriptions	“Watched threads”	Threads you’ve decided you like and want to follow along with.
2. Notifications	“Alerts”	The notifications receive from various activities, such as activities in watched threads, and new conversations. These can be managed from within.
3. Private Messages	“Conversations”	Your private conversations with other users.
B&S Posts	“Resources”	Classified listings in Styleforum’s “Buy & Sell” subforum
Threads	“Discussions”	The content on which Styleforum runs!

Where is all this stuff?

You’ll notice that the “Front Page” of Styleforum no longer directs to your “Subscriptions” page. To find that list, click on the blue box labeled “watched threads” at the top of the forum.

To see your notifications, hover your mouse over (or click) the lightning bolt icon in the upper right corner.
To see your conversations hover your mouse over (or click) the envelope icon in the right corner.

In the image below, you can see where to find items 1-3 of the table (we’ll cover B&S in a later article!):

2. How do I manage my alerts?

2.1 Alert Preferences

If you would like to change when you receive alerts, open the “Alerts” menu and select “Alert Preferences”:

You will then be able to select when you would like to receive alerts.

2.2 Email Alerts

To edit your email alerts, navigate to your “Contact Details”:

There, you will be able to see your email preferences, which you can select and deselect as desired:

Note that “site mailings” include emails such as Styleforum’s weekly newsletters and other forum updates.

3. Replying to a post

3.1 How do I quote a post?

You can quote a post by clicking the “Reply” button at the bottom right corner of the post you wish to quote. This will quote the text and place it in Xenforo’s text editor.

To quote multiple posts in one reply, simply scroll up to the next post you would like to quote, and hit “Reply” once more.

How big an image can I import?

Currently, the size limit for all images uploaded to Styleforum is 10MB

3.2 How to I upload an image? I want to show off my sweet outfit.

There are 4 ways to upload an image: hotlink, direct upload, and drag-and-drop. Here’s how you do each:

To drag-and-drop an image, simply drag your image into the reply box.

To post an image from your library, click here:

To link to an image via URL, click here:

To upload an image to Styleforum directly, click here:

Once you’ve added your image to your post, click the box that says “Full Image”Keep in mind that you can attach more than one image at once!

Which way should I do it?

If you want your picture to remain hosted on Styleforum, option 4 (Attach file or images) is your best bet. This ensures that the picture remains on the Styleforum server, even if it has been deleted from its outside host. This is the equivalent of the “Attach Image” feature from the old platform.

4. Account Privacy

4.1 Managing Account Privacy

To manage your account privacy settings, navigate to “Privacy” here:

From within this menu, you can adjust your Privacy settings as desired.

4.2 Appearing Offline

To appear offline, deselect the “Appear Online” check-box from within your Privacy settings. Please note that you will always appear online to yourself, as well as to Styleforum administrators.

We will discuss posting in the Buy & Sell forums in a later article. For now, if you have specific questions, you can post them below, but we encourage you to also ask them in the “New SF User Interface Thread,” where they may have already been answered. We will continue to update this article as necessary.

Shopping Menswear Consciously

Posted on April 27, 2017 by e. v. Empey

When you dine at a hip restaurant, they love telling you about the plate and what went into it – the provenance of the meat, the endangered heirloom vegetables, and the hand-harvested produce fresh from the restaurants garden. But it doesn’t stop there. We often can’t help but learn about the goods we buy, especially when buying high quality products. Oftentimes, companies are putting faces to the makers, showering us with images of their workers, the designers, and their facilities. In response, we buy into it–we care that we receive quality food, or that we are having skilled workers make quality, sturdy products.

So is there any reason why we can’t know about our clothing as well? Sometimes we know about who made our clothes or the materials that went into them, but that oftentimes isn’t a factor for why we buy it. Much of the time, we choose clothes because they suit us, because they are a bargain, or because we need it for a certain circumstance. Sometimes we make a choice because of who makes it–but we oftentimes choose it because it’s a specific brand that makes it, not a person.

shopping menswear consciously fashion revolution week styleforum

Ask your favorite brands: “Who Made My Clothes?”

The Fashion Revolution week was born in the UK to commemorate the disaster of Rana Plaza, in which 3639 workers lost their life when the building they were working in collapsed. These people were working in extremely unsafe conditions to produce garments for brands like Primark, Walmart, JC Penney, and Benetton.

The founders of the movement want to raise awareness among consumers and invite them to ask “Who Made My Clothes?” to the brands that they support. You probably came across a few pictures of friends on social media who wore their clothes inside out to expose the label and tagged the brand to ask who made their clothes.

The aim of the Fashion Revolution is to address and raise awareness of consumers shopping at big box stores and “fast fashion” brands. For us clothing enthusiasts, these stores do not make up the bulk of our wardrobe, and rarely make it into our dressers. But sometimes we buy our disposables (underwear, t-shirts, lounge pants) from these stores or places like them. We want to feel like we made a good purchase and to know what we are buying.

With regards to consumption, two questions come to mind: First, how much of the information that we receive about a product is accurate? Second, should we really care about who is making our stuff?

To answer the first question: part of the problem is most of what we consume is the marketing that brands churn out, urging us to buy their products. And brands pick up on that fact, thereby developing more and more marketing campaigns around their producers. They sell to us that they have family providers or old factories. But it doesn’t mean that this information is not misleading; we see products made in Italy that are just “finished” in Italy. We see pictures of excellent working conditions when they are terrible. We hear that the product is “full grain” but in reality the marketing team picked up on the word and doesn’t know what that means. As consumers, we have to be more particular, more critically-minded, and more informed in order to pick apart these marketing campaigns and really determine just how accurate the PR is.

Whatever happened to “union made goods”? There are still plenty of these products, but we don’t seem to care as much anymore. That is in itself a shame. We should realize that economically it makes sense to compensate people accordingly for their time, so that they in turn can contribute to the economy.

This returns us to the second question; the answer to which is yes, we should care. We oftentimes look at small producers and decide that we want to buy from that small producer because we like the quality of their goods; we know that what we are going to get the person stands by their work. Similarly, when we choose to buy from larger brands, we have the power and the right to ask who makes the clothes. By asking this question, we show that we are invested in their product and perhaps these brands will invest more in their labor.

It is important that we become more conscientious consumers. Obviously we should buy goods if we like them, but perhaps we should change our criteria. Instead of buying something because it is the cheapest option, we should budget and buy what is the best option for within our budget. By doing so, we are likely to get better quality goods. Instead of buying something because it’s on sale, we should save and buy things that are more likely to be worn. Instead of buying from a giant chain store and disposing of our apparel when it wears out, we should buy more clothing (or anything at all) of high quality and treat it well. Instead of buying new shoddy crap that falls out of fashion quickly, we can (and many Styleforum members do) find stylish gently used garments that have a long lifespan both in durability and in aesthetic.

By doing this, we not only contribute to slowing down the pace of our apparel consumption, but we also avoid wastefulness. In return, we fill our lives with clothes that we are going to enjoy for a long time, and that will see a lot of use, providing us with satisfaction.

Bowties from Vanda Fine Clothing: each one is handmade in their workshop in Singapore.

Harkening back to days gone by, in which we had tailors make us this or that–we never really had to think about who made our clothes. And for some of us today, we don’t have to do that either, especially those of us buying suiting or classic menswear from smaller makers or tailors. We know that the work is happening on site, we can and oftentimes meet the cutters or the tailors. Even having a garment altered, we see who is working on our clothing. And just think, how much happier you are when you get that garment made just for you, when you see how well it fits. We should still be in awe, seeing a swatch of cloth and seeing the finished product. It’s like magic: that joy in the hearts of both the maker and the recipient should be enough to remind us that from where we choose to buy our clothes matters.

Privacy Policy

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Styleforum Editors

Who we are
Our website address is: https://journal.styleforum.net.

What personal data we collect and why we collect it
Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site we collect the data shown in the comments form, and also the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help spam detection.

An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public in the context of your comment.

Media
If you upload images to the website, you should avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS) included. Visitors to the website can download and extract any location data from images on the website.

Contact forms
Data collected from contact form submissions are stored for customer service purposes and we do not use this information for marketing purposes.

Newsletter Sign up
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If you have an account and you log in to this site, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.

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This website uses Google Analytics; you can read Google Analytics’ compliance here: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/compliance/#?modal_active=none

If you subscribe to the newsletter through the form on the website, the information you enter will be shared with Mailchimp (The Rocket Science Group LLC). You can read Mailchimp’s compliance here: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/?_ga=2.50855145.1776592715.1527033852-709658242.1499964470

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If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so we can recognize and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

For users that register on our website, we also store the personal information they provide in their user profile. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.

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Where we send your data
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.

Contact information
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Styleforum x Carmina Shoes GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Styleforum Editors

Styleforum x Carmina GIVEAWAY

To celebrate Styleforum’s new home on the Internet, we’ve partnered with Carmina to give away two (yes, two) pairs of shoes on Instagram for you and a friend! Here’s what you gotta do:

First, from your Instagram account, follow @styleforum and @carminashoemaker, if you are not a follower already. You can search for “@styleforum” and “@carminashoemaker” in the Instagram application or visit http://instagram.com/styleforum or https://www.instagram.com/carminashoemaker in an internet browser to locate and follow the accounts.
Next, tag one (1) friend in the comments under this picture.

That’s it!

Do that, and you’ll be entered to win one pair of shoes for yourself, and one pair for the friend you tagged in the comments. You’ll be able to pick from any of Carmina’s standard offerings (MTO, shell cordovan, special orders, limited editions, and exotic leather are excluded), which means that your feet are going to be looking fine this spring.

The contest closes on April 28, 2017, at 11:59 PM EST. So make sure to enter before then for your chance to win a fantastic pair of shoes for you and a friend!

Be sure to visit Carmina’s new store in New York City, opening this June.

The Fine Print

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
Open INTERNATIONALLY.
Entries must be received by April 28 2017 at 11:59PM EST

Sponsor: Carmina Shoemaker, Berenguer d’Anoia, 60 2º 07300 Inca, Mallorca Spain (“Carmina Shoemaker” or “Sponsor”).
Administrator: Styleforum, Styleforumnet LLC 205 N Monroe St. Moscow, Id 83843 (“Administrator”)

1. Eligibility: Styleforum X Carmina Giveaway (the “Giveaway”) is open only to natural persons who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited or restricted by law. Employees of Styleforum, Administrator, and their respective parent companies, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, and immediate family members (spouse, parents, children, siblings, and each of their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) or household members (whether or not related) of each are not eligible. All United States federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.

2. How to Enter: The Giveaway starts at 9 EST, April 20 and ends April 28, 2017 at 11:59PM EST (the “Giveaway Entry Period”). To enter the Giveaway, during the Giveaway Entry Period use your web-enabled mobile device with a camera, and launch the Instagram application for free at http://instagram.com. An Instagram account is required to enter this Giveaway. All terms and conditions of Instagram.com apply. From your Instagram account, follow @styleforum and @carminashoemaker, if you are not a follower already. You can search for “@styleforum” and “@carminashoemaker” in the Instagram application or visit http://instagram.com/styleforum or https://www.instagram.com/carminashoemaker in an internet browser to locate and follow the accounts. Accurately tag one (1) friend in the comments.

By entering this Giveaway, entrants accept these Official Rules and agree to be bound by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding. Entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Limit one (1) Entry per person during the Giveaway Entry Period. Multiple entrants are not permitted to share the same Instagram account. Any attempt by an entrant to obtain more than one (1) Entry by using multiple/different Instagram accounts/usernames, identities, registrations and logins, or any other methods, will void that entrant’s Entries and that entrant may be disqualified. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of an entrant, the authorized account holder of the Instagram account used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person assigned an Instagram account by Instagram. Entries made by bots or other automated devices are ineligible.

You must have a data service plan with your wireless service provider or wireless internet service for your web-enabled mobile device and a device that supports the Instagram application to enter. By entering this Giveaway, you understand that data rates may apply. See your wireless provider for pricing plan details and mobile device capabilities.

3. Prize(s)
-Two (2) pairs of shoes or boots by Carmina Shoemaker, one for the enterer, one for the friend tagged in the comments.
MTO, shell cordovan, and exotic leather are excluded from the Giveaway, as well as special orders and limited editions. Carmina Shoemaker reserves the right to inform the winner of the Giveaway whether his/her item of choice is eligible or not.
Approximate Retail Value (ARV) of the prize is $800 USD. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible Entries.

4. General Rules: An Entry into the Giveaway may not contain any content that is lewd, obscene, sexually explicit, pornographic or contains nudity, disparaging, defamatory, derogatory toward any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group, libelous, obscene, or that otherwise contains inappropriate content or objectionable material as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. An Entry must not promote alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons (or the use of any of the foregoing), promote any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous or promote any particular political agenda or message. An entry must not defame, misrepresent or contain disparaging remarks about Sponsor, other people or companies. Any content submission must be your original work, created solely by you, and must not infringe the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other intellectual rights of any person or entity, including, without limitation, trademarks and copyrighted materials owned by others (including photographs, sculptures, paintings, and other works of art or images published on or in websites, television, movies or other media). If Giveaway entry requires submission of a photo, you must have permission of the photographer. If individuals are included in your photo, you must provide all signed releases and consents necessary (if requested by Sponsor) to permit the exhibition and use of the entry by Sponsor as set forth in these Official Rules. If any person appearing in your entry is under the age of majority in his/her state, the signature of a parent or legal guardian is required on the release (if requested by Sponsor).

An Entry must not contain the name, likeness, voice or other indicia of any person, including celebrities, without the consent of that person. An Entry must not contain any personally identifiable information such as license plate numbers, personal names, e-mail addresses or street addresses. An Entry may not identify any commercial content, including, without limitation, any trademarks, logos, or trade dress (such as distinctive packaging or building exteriors/interiors) owned by others, which must be used in compliance with these Official Rules. An Entry must not communicate messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or goodwill of Sponsor. An Entry must not violate any law. An Entry may not have been previously published or submitted for any other promotion, and may not have won previous awards.

By submitting your Entry, you agree that your Entry conforms to these Official Rules and that Sponsor, in its sole discretion, may disqualify your Entry for any reason at any time if it determines, in its sole discretion, that your Entry fails to conform to these Official Rules or otherwise contains unacceptable content. You agree that you will not use the Entry for anything other than personal use after Entry submission, including no use of the Entry for commercial or professional purposes, sweepstakes or contest entry, without the express consent of Sponsor in each instance.

By submitting an Entry, each entrant grants, and represents and warrants that the entrant has the rights and authority necessary to grant Sponsor and the Released Parties (as defined below) an irrevocable, non-exclusive, fully sublicensable license and right to exploit, edit, modify, adapt, copyright, publish, transfer, use and distribute the Entry and all elements of such Entry, including, without limitation, the likenesses of any locations and individuals embodied therein, in any and all media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity without compensation, permission or notification to entrant or any third party. Although Sponsor is under no obligation to post or feature your Entry, you hereby grant permission for the Entry to be displayed or featured on Sponsor’s or Styleforum’s social media or digital sites, and by others promoting Sponsor’s or Styleforum’s sites, and in other promotions and/or advertisements at any time without your prior approval or consent, and without compensation to you or any third party. You agree that Released Parties are not responsible for any unauthorized use of Entries by third parties. Released Parties do not guarantee the posting or featuring of any Entry and reserve the right to remove any posted or featured Entry at any time and/or for any reason.

5. Administration: Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, garbled, inaccurate, incomplete, misdirected or stolen Entries, uploads, photos, hashtags or @mentions, or transmissions, or problems of any kind whether mechanical, human or electronic, including to your device. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend part or all of this Giveaway, including if virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play of the Giveaway. In such event, Sponsor may select Potential Winners in a random drawing from all eligible Entries received up to the date of cancellation or suspension. If for any reason your Entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or corrupted, your sole remedy is another Entry in the Giveaway during the Giveaway Entry Period.

Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Giveaway or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that such entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Giveaway by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair playing practices (including the use of automated quick entry programs) or intending to annoy, abuse, or threaten any other entrants or Sponsor representatives.

CAUTION — ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE GIVEAWAY MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK ANY AND ALL AVAILABLE REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY’S FEES) FROM ANY SUCH ENTRANT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. SPONSOR’S FAILURE TO ENFORCE ANY TERM OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE A WAIVER OF THAT PROVISION.

6. Release: Sponsor, Administrator, Instagram and each of their respective promotion and advertising agencies, and any other organizations affiliated with the sponsorship, fulfillment, administration, prize support and all respective officers, directors, employees, representatives and agents, as well as each of their respective successors, representatives and assigns (collectively, “Released Parties”) shall have no liability, are hereby completely released, and shall be held harmless by entrants for any damage, loss, rights, claims or liability to person or property, due in whole or part, directly or indirectly, by reason of participation in this Giveaway or the award, acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize (or portion thereof) , including without limitation personal injury, death, and/or property damage, as well as claims based on publicity rights, defamation, and/or invasion of privacy. Entrants will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Released Parties from any claims, liability, damage, loss, injury or death to persons or property caused or claimed to be caused, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in connection with participation in the Giveaway (or any activity related thereto); acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any prize; use of entrant’s name or city/state to announce the winners of the Giveaway; or use of winner’s name, city/state, voice, likeness, biographical information, entry, statements attributed to winner (if true) or city of residence, for publication, advertising and promotional purposes.
7. Disputes: Except where prohibited, you agree that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Giveaway or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering this Giveaway, but in no event attorneys’ fees; and (3) under no circumstances will you be permitted to obtain awards for, and you hereby waive all rights to claim, indirect, punitive, incidental and consequential damages and any other damages, other than for actual out-of-pocket expenses, and any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Giveaway, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Idaho without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Idaho or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Idaho.
8. Copy of Rules and Winners’ List: These Official Rules and the Winners’ List will be posted on the original Giveaway announcement post on instagram.com/styleforum.
9. This Giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram. By entering, you understand that you are providing your information to Sponsor and not to Instagram.

Big news: we’re moving!

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Styleforum Editors

How to Wear a Jacket with Shorts

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Styleforum Editors

In late spring and early summer (or really, most of summer), I often find myself wearing a light jacket with shorts as a nod to the vagaries of the weather. In spring, this has the obvious benefit of keeping you warm during the chilly morning and evening hours, and over the summer I find that a light jacket offers welcome relief from the sun – as long as I’m not moving around too much. I’ve mentioned the summer jacket in the recent past, but it’s worth repeating that the right cut and fabric can be very comfortable, even in the hotter months.

Some of you may remember that I spoke briefly about San Francisco’s Evan Kinori, and his are just the type of jackets that are perfect for this purpose. Based on traditional chore jackets, but in a more interesting cut and more interesting fabric. Currently, the 3-pocket jacket is available in a hemp canvas, which sounds just about right for warmer temperatures. Feel free to roll the sleeves if you get too warm.

I also recently mentioned gurkha trousers in passing, and these shorts from Beams+ are kind of like the less intense version of the repro model of gurkha shorts (you can find them at What Price Glory), which should make them a bit easier to wear. I like greens and tans (and blues and browns, of course) for spring, when everything has a bit of that earthy, soily smell to it.

You’ll want to layer, of course, and something like this linen camp-collar shirt is ideal for when the sun finally comes out, as well as a pleasantly charming alternative to your standard linen button down. Camp collars always make me think of vacations, since you’re obligated to wear them unbuttoned. Of course, if it’s cool in the morning you’ll want something to keep your neck warm, and these patchwork print scarves from Drake’s are really handsome and perfect for spring.

Finally, Dyptique’s “Tam Dao” has got to be one of the easiest-wearing and most accessible “good scents” (those are heavy scare quotes) available, and frankly, it smells fantastic. It’s warm and woodsy without being overpowering, and doesn’t veer into Too Manly territory.

Confessions of a Footwear Aficionado: Saint Crispin’s Shoes

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Peter Zottolo

I’ll admit it: I didn’t get what people saw in shoes.

Who looks at shoes? I thought. The first thing people see is your face, then what surrounds it. End of story. For me, it was all about the suit. Shoes were just an afterthought.

When I first joined Styleforum ten years ago and scrolled through page after page of inspiring photos of menswear, I was baffled at all the shoes. Closeups, lovingly framed with mystical bokeh, as if prepped for their senior portrait. My feelings were ambivalent; I couldn’t help but be impressed at the intricate craftsmanship apparent in the pictures, but at the same time I couldn’t fathom the amount of interest in something that covers such a small percentage of your body.

Hardy Aimes famously said, “It is totally impossible to be well-dressed in cheap shoes,” which may sound like class bullying but is, in fact, true. And finally, I bought my first new pair of shoes over $200, feeling somewhat ashamed at the expenditure. Regular, utilitarian, basic black captoes from the Allen Edmonds store on Sutter Street. Truth be told, I wasn’t incredibly enamored with them; they were nondescript and certainly heavier than the other two pairs of shoes I had in my closet. However, I was struck at how comfortable they were. Almost immediately I became a new convert and started preaching the gospel of shoes. I could wear these for hours, I remember saying a million times to anyone that would listen.

Gradually my perceptions changed and I began to see shoes differently. Was I misdirecting my attention? Out of curiosity I started looking down more. I was learning that shoes can say a lot about the wearer. Then it dawned on me one day, while looking at my wife’s closet, and realizing the obvious, that shoes are kind of a big deal. These pavement-hitters that envelop our foot in for practical protection can also be works of art unto themselves. If not careful, one can be easily entranced by a shoe’s sweeping curves, beveled waists, and intricate stitching.

Nowadays, my closet dwarfs my wife’s, and shoes make up a sizable part of it. My favorites are from Saint Crispin’s, a company based out of Romania, where shoes are made passionately following the time-honored way, using only their hands or hand-powered tools. I mean, just look at this video, and pretend to hide your awe of the craft. The amount of hours making one pair of shoes rival that of a bespoke suit. Leather is clicked (cut), then hand-stained, skived, glued, and sewn, before being put on the shoe last and hammered into submission. A distinguishing characteristic of Saint Crispin’s that is usually noticed first are the dozens of wooden pegs in the waist. These serve to provide lightweight sturdiness and a solid foundation to the shoe, unlike a heavier metal shank that may be used in other brands. Hard counters are present in the arches, something generally not seen with other makers. These, together with the pegs, make up the backbone of the shoes’ legendary foot support.

Zachary Jobe is currently in charge of how the brand is presented in the Western Hemisphere, and travels quarterly to various locations to offer their wares to shoe aficionados like myself. I wanted to repair a pair I purchased off of the Buy and Sell section of the forum, and got a chance to hear a little more about the company.

“The Americas are a bit different from Europe,” he explains. “There, due in part to simple geography and proximity, we have a larger network of stockists. While we are maintaining relationships with our stockists here in the Americas and judiciously seeking to expand that network, it also made sense to make ourselves available to private clients.”

And so he comes, several times a year, filled with appointments with people from a variety of backgrounds. Most of the lasts fit fine on me, but not everybody. While I was ogling and snapping pictures of different makeups Zach had on display in his hotel suite, Justin, who works in real estate, came in for a made-to-measure fitting. “The aesthetic is phenomenal, but because of fit issues, I’m limited in what shoes I can comfortably wear. Here I can pay a one-time charge for a personal last, and get all my shoes for the same price as ready-to-wear. That opened up a whole new set of options I never previously had.” Justin came in wearing a trial shoe, something that Saint Crispin’s does for every client that gets a personal last. Made a little less stiff, the trial shoe helps the customer get an idea of how the final shoe will fit, while allowing room to make minor adjustments if necessary.

: Justin’s trial shoes.

“I had been looking at other options,” he relates, “but the ability to have my own last made, and get all future purchases made in that last, prompted me to make an appointment the last time Zach was in town. And their style. There are so many options. It was really hard to order just one pair.” Justin had been to trunk shows from other makers in the past, but he was impressed with Zach’s attention to fit. “Others would just put me in a trial shoe, but Zach got out a tape measure and wrote down notes. This gave me the confidence that this first pair would fit perfectly. Even this trial pair is better than any other shoe I had ever owned before, and I’ve been walking in them all morning. I can’t imagine how the final shoe will look and feel.”

Those two words – look and feel – succinctly encapsulate what draws the shoe aficionado. Achieving perfection may cost dearly, but at the end of the day, your feet will thank you, and you can go to sleep knowing that your outfit was complete, feet shod admirably.

Below is a slideshow showcasing some of Saint Crispin’s offerings. If you’d like to read more about Saint Crispin’s, head over to the St. Crispin’s Appreciation Thread

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2 Heat-Beating Casual Spring Styles for 2017

Posted on March 25, 2017 by Jasper Lipton

If you watch the runways, spring fashion always looks like a treat: beautiful, lightweight overcoats, interesting layering, and all kinds of colors. Unfortunately, if you’re like me, the reality is that summer is a slog. Every spring, I struggle with the conflicting emotions of looking forward to warmer weather and dreading the inevitable heat. It’s made worse by my inability to wear anything but shorts when the temperature nears 80, and my ingrained fear that I look like an overgrown child when wearing said shorts.

Of course, if you work in an office building, you probably have the added complication of air conditioning, which often means that while indoors you need to wear a parka over your warm-weather clothing if you don’t want to succumb to exposure. I haven’t managed to entirely solve this problem, and I suspect that anyone who does is lying. Even so, there are a few things I’ve managed to work out for myself, style-wise, that make the heat tolerable. I’m not saying that they’ll convince you that a 100-degree day is “pleasant,” but they may at least offer a starting point for your non-suited style when you don’t want to wear running shorts and a gym tank top.

Light, slouchy cardigans and shirt-weight jackets

This one sounds counterintuitive, but if you live in a place with a lot of sun, a light outer layer (especially if it has a collar) can help both to block the sun and cool you down. It also solves the pocket-problem: with multiple sets of keys, EDC’s, vegetable-tanned leather wallets, phones the size of paperbacks, and whatever else, if you’re not carrying a bag you’re probably going to need pockets. I’ve amassed a small collection of pieces like this. My three most-worn items, however, are a linen shopcoat from Blue Blue Japan, a shirt-weight printed blazer from ts(s), and a denim noragi from Epaulet. All three offer the perfect compromise of warmth for the occasional chilly morning or air conditioning unit while being relaxed and light enough that being outdoors won’t melt you.

There are a few brands offering pieces like these, and it shouldn’t be surprising that many of my favorites hail from Japan. Visvim’s perennial noragi is an obvious example, but I really like what ts(s) is offering for this spring, including this great cardigan. Another good bet is Blue Blue Japan, which is showing off such beauties as this reversible jacket. Stephan Schneider also often has lightweight shirt-jackets for the spring season, which are quite nice but a bit more akin to actual outerwear than what I tend to favor.

ts(s) at No Man Walks Alone

Visvim’s “Lhamo”

The other perfect summer option is the Bill Cunningham special, the French chore jacket. If you’re not going to go the vintage route (try Etsy), look at brands such as Vetra and Carrier Company rather than fashion-forward names, as the relaxed cut will be more comfortable in the heat.
Loose, cropped (or rolled) trousers

I know that in an era when trousers and jeans are still skin-tight, “relaxed” sometimes means nothing more than “you can almost move in them.” But I’m specifically talking about loose pants, pants that mostly don’t touch you except at the waist, and which swish about when you walk. Admittedly, these are still rare, and are often found at brands who excel in wide-legged repro gear (think navy coveralls, and that sort of thing). However, there are plenty of options that won’t make you look like a deck hand.

The first of those is, nonetheless, naval-inspired. The 4-pocket “overpant” style (so called because its ancestor, the 4-pocket navy pant, was worn over your other pants for extra warmth) has been appearing in more and more stores. I’m currently wearing two different pairs, both of which have proven acceptable for the summer heat. The first is from Evan Kinori, and is a pattern he regularly releases. For this spring, there’s a linen-cotton denim model, which can be worn a size (or two) up for added breeziness. Kinori also makes a lightweight field shirt/jacket, which I don’t own but can recommend after seeing it in person.

The second is a pair of Shockoe Atelier’s 4-pocket trousers in their “Como” denim, which are much more jean-like, but look great when rolled or cuffed to the ankle. There are a couple of sizes left, so you may be in luck. Of course, to go along with your noragi, it only makes sense to try something like these Blue Blue Japan wide pants. I’m wearing a similar style in the photo below, and they really are ideal for summer.

With all of these styles, I like to wear either chunky, chukka-type shoes or low-profile sneakers. Think simple canvas Vans or other plimsolls, although I’d guess that a loafer or slip-on would look great as well. That said, if you’re after something less similar to the jeans you’ve been wearing all winter, I’d recommend one of two types of trouser:
1. Loose, lightweight navy trousers
  Either let them puddle atop your shoes or crop them at the ankle – or do both. Navy offers a nice respite from the current trend of black-trouser-white-Common-Projects look, and lends itself better to brown footwear. I don’t find this particularly exciting, but if you’re after simple, navy trousers are simple.
2. Gurkha trousers
  Forum member @TTO has often shown these off in our WAYWT thread, and without saying too much, I think they look great with both casual and tailored clothing. I’ve seen these styled really well when they’ve been hemmed to an ankle length, and the shape is, I think, easier to pull off than you may realized. Off the top of my head, you can find them at What Price Glory.
  
  @TTO in Gurkha trousers

Hopefully, this helps to alleviate at least some of the tedium of looking through your closet when summer hits and thinking “I can’t wear any of this, I guess I’ll wear hiking shorts again.” If you have other summertime favorites, feel free to share them below.

Submit your work to All Styles Considered!

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Styleforum Editors

Submit your work to All Styles Considered, Styleforum’s community-driven arts magazine!

What is it?

All Styles Considered is a printed magazine made up of submissions from the Styleforum community, which are then sequenced, edited, designed, and printed by our team. Our first issue was themed ‘place,’ and all copies sold out in a few days.

Who Are We?

We’re a weird mix of honest and upfront, sentimental, serious, tongue-in-cheek and playful. Hopefully there’s something for everyone.

What’s the theme?

The theme of Issue 2 is: “softness.” Think of cozy knits, think of gentle moments and kind things, think of lilting songs and misty mornings, think of spider webs and a kid giving you a thank you note they made themselves. Think of songs that feel like soundtracks to a dream, photos that almost have a texture you could sink into, that part of Stand By Me where the older protagonist erases the line ‘I’ve never had as good friends as the ones I had when I was 10’ (might have mangled that one), think of that episode of the Simpsons where Homer explains how his love for Maggie drove him back to the soul-crushing job at the Plant, think of how soft puppies are.

That’s what we’re getting at here – cool stuff that isn’t gritty or hardcore and brutal, but is gentle and important and essential.

What will we accept?

We accept every type of submission:

– Writing

– Photography

– Illustration

– Music

– Video

– Graphics

– Painting

– Food related content

Note: If you send us image submissions, please make sure that they are at least 2500px on the long edge (or around 8″ printed at 300dpi). If people want to be considered for two-page spreads, we need 4k+ images.

How do I submit?

To submit, please send an email with your submission to [email protected] – submissions close 1st of April, 2017, Australia time.

That means you have a little under two weeks to submit your content to All Styles Considered, Issue 2. ASC2 will be available for purchase via Styleforum.

Subscribe to the All Styles Considered thread to stay up-to-date!

Still not convinced? Check out issue #1 now!

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Styleforum x Carmina Shoes GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]

Big news: we’re moving!

How to Wear a Jacket with Shorts

Confessions of a Footwear Aficionado: Saint Crispin’s Shoes

2 Heat-Beating Casual Spring Styles for 2017

Submit your work to All Styles Considered!