In a recent issue of Esquire magazine (click here), J.Crew's Frank Muytjens (Vice-President of men's design at J.Crew) offered a tip on how to rumple a shirt for that casual-cool look. His advice is to "Put your shirt on a hanger straight out of the dryer with the top button closed. Don't let it linger in the dryer — you'll create creases that will force you to iron the shirt. Just straighten out the collar a bit and let it hang."
You have to also admire the advice provided by Zeke Warren-Welgmann (a 9 year-old student): "Ball up your shirt into as round a ball as you can, put rubber bands around it, and throw it into a backpack overnight. Release and shake out."
I use to love the "rumple shirt" look for a guy and I even rocked the look myself several years ago. But now, I find the look to be "too unprofessional" to wear for work or even casually (for me anyways). (Is this a sign that I am growing up?) ;)What are your thoughts on the rumple shirt look? Is this a trend that is past its prime or is this trend still being rocked today? ;)
Er, for work, no. But for a almost anything else, sure, it'll fly . . . I think.
ReplyDeleteWork? Rumpled shirt? What? ....
ReplyDeleteAll I see is Clive, yum :)
Call me old fashioned (I don't care) but I simply don't like the rumpled shirt look. Put it this way, I wouldn't even look at a guy twice out and about sporting the look...it says sloppy and lazy in my book.
ReplyDeletesigned
Learn how to use an iron
Mmmmmm, Clive Owen
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat??? I personally do not like this look at all. I like clothing to be ironed or steamed...no shirt *rumpling* will be happening at my house...not even for my boys.
ReplyDeleteI find it hilarious people need directions on how to do this. What next - how to pour milk over your cereal? How to put your pants on one leg at a time? lol
ReplyDeleteI agree, if I saw a guy wearing a shirt like this I wouldn't look at him twice! Self grooming is very important!
ReplyDeletekathleen02, KBear,
ReplyDeleteSeriously! YUM.
I don't iron....ever.....so I have a few dry clean/skirts starched for that clean, crisp, uber-work look but I think the rumpled look is eternal.
Deni
OT: Does anyone own the Jacquard treasure jacket? I love it but wondered what thoughts were??? How does it look IRL?
ReplyDelete( ) <-Mark...
ReplyDeleteX <-J. Crew... again they missed. Not even close to acceptable for work in this market.
yeah, it's called not ironing your shirts. *eyeroll*
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend takes his button down shirts out of the dryer immediately, buttons and hangs them up, because he thinks this means they won't wrinkle and he can avoid ironing. :P
At least this isn't in a jcrew catalog, like when there was a tutorial on how to freakin' peg jeans. Seriously?
ReplyDeleteI find it amusing that people need a guide on how to rumple a shirt.. I wasn't aware this was an art form, lol
ReplyDeleteI'll take Clive Owen in a rumpled shirt...
ReplyDeleteI like the "unironed" look straight out of the dryer for casual wear, but I do NOT like the look of a shirt that has been balled up and has crazy creases in it.
ReplyDeleteClive. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteBut no on rumpled shirts.
Rumpled = casual; right? Funny how people need a lesson on rumpling shirts. I'd wear an unironed shirt with jeans or shorts, but only for a casual weekend look; out for coffee, hanging out, but work, never.
ReplyDeleteWell it's not okay for work, that's ridiculous! But picture this: Hot guy walking on the beach, JCrew madras shorts, white linen shirt partially unbuttoned and rumpled...you can't tell me that's not a good thing!
ReplyDeleteAll right Clive, take your shirt off and let me iron it for you.
ReplyDelete;-)
I don't think this look was ever intended for work.
ReplyDeleteMan, these readers are very outspoken. We should start pointing no-no's for women.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone else remember this? Back in 2004 or 2005, I would receive certain items from J. Crew (shorts, usually) that would have a tag attached to it that said something like, "rumpled by us for the perfect worn-in look." I was always like, "yeah, whatever," but this seems to be one of J. Crew's favorite things to push on their customers.
ReplyDeleteHow to rumple a shirt? WTF? What's next? How to get VPL's (visible panty lines)?
ReplyDeleteThat is too much effort for such a sloppy look!
ReplyDeleteMakes me sad that J.Crew is endorsing this look...that is why my DH won't buy there!
dina I remember that! I have a thin summer blouse that came with a tag like that.
ReplyDeleteDina, I remember that too. I had a few items that were intentionally rumpled and I washed them to get all the wrinkles out. They were all casual items so no need to iron but they did not suit me with all the wrinkles from being rolled up.
ReplyDeleteBefore bashing the rumpled shirt, I would consider the source: Esquire magazine. They've got to do something to fill the mag since all the advertisers scrambled.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I'm splitting hairs here, but I think there's a difference between rumpled and non-ironed. Non-ironed is casual and laid-back. Rumpled is messy. It's kinda like the metamorphoses my wardrobe took between college and the "real world". College = rumpled (because I didn't care). "Real world" = non-ironed (because I still don't care, but I don't wanna be fired).
I agree with anon@9:16 - rumpled shirt as in not ironed for casual wear is fine (sure beats the usual "big t-shirt and jeans" guy uniform), but I'm not so keen on going as far as balling it up to get maximum rumple-age. That's way too much. And of course, no rumpled shirts for work! Unless your man happens to work for Esquire, in which case I'd think they'd allow it since they printed the tutorial. ;)
ReplyDeleteryan,
ReplyDeleteI like your distinction between non-ironed and rumpled. While both could be considered casual, the latter goes beyond and into the sloppy category.
Also, I prefer looking at my sleek black + silver Rowenta to using it! It's so pretty. :)
Jeff - Men can be surprisingly outspoken about women's fashion too. I read an article in Marie Claire or something (I forgot which mag exactly) where a woman let her husband dress her for a week to see what he liked on her. The idea supposedly got sparked when the woman had overheard a male friend cursing his wife's "sleeping bag" coat, and she wondered if men got to dress women, how would they dress them?
ReplyDeleteSo another topic could be, if we got to dress men, how would we dress them?
I don't appreciate a rumpled shirt. My theory has always been that the stores that really pushed this look (I'm looking at you A&F - everything in there is wrinkled) used it as an excuse to have wrinkled clothing/not have to iron their merchandise out of the box.
ReplyDeletei think directions on 'how to rumple a shirt' is just too much effort to be considered fashionable :)
ReplyDeleteBeware of the men's broken in khakis as well (Do they have these for women??). Too much fraying going on and they look way too worn out for the hefty price tag. If you are buying for guys, go with the essential chinos. Much better.
ReplyDeletewho the fart would want to rumple a farting shirt
ReplyDeletetoast - I do dress my husband. Ever since we were dating and I bought him a J.Crew outfit he relies on me to define his style. I like to think I do a good job because he's hot and attracts a lot of attention. :P
ReplyDeleteThe rumpled look personally reminds me of something from Abercrombie & Fitch (read: college frat boy attire) and does not really seem to fit with J.Crew's style. However, the look might (and I do mean might) be acceptable for a weekend look, but definitely skip it for the office!
ReplyDeletexoxo GingerSnap
anon @ 8:50 - congrats!! ;) I hope he gives you due credit for his hot-ness!
ReplyDeleteWho has time to iron a shirt? The same people who have time to rumple one, I suppose.
ReplyDelete