Ralph Lauren And Dipset: A Love Affair

I've joked on both Twitter and Tumblr before about the sheer amount of Polo references in Dipset's lyrics, especially as of late.  For those unfamiliar The Diplomats, more commonly known as Dipset, are a Harlem based rap crew who recently reunited after dominating the east coast rap scene in the early 2000's.  Their infatuation with the brand seems to be a direct extension of the Lo-Head or Lo-Life movement popularized in 1990's New York.  Up until recently Dispet member Juelz Santana had been the most vocal about his love for Mr. Lifshitz's various wears, specifically Rugby.  I'll let him spell it out for you, "If it ain't the Gucci or the Louie then it's Polo or it's Rugby."   Things came to a head this weekend when Dipset affiliated rapper Vado (who has also rapped this gem: "I love Rugby to death. Made that my baby's name.") released his new single "Polo" from the upcoming album Slime Flu.  Yes, this is a major hip-hop radio single dedicated to all things Ralph.  Despite rap's unyielding connection with extremely high-end goods, Dipset seem drawn to the everyman luxury of Polo.  The love affair between Dipset and Ralph Lauren is interesting to me as it represents a perfect snapshot of Ralph's success here in America.  Regardless of what he set out to do, the man did not create a brand.  He created a lifestyle - a very specific lifestyle that an entire country aspired to.  Even African American kids from Harlem who had dreams of ruling hip-hop.  And that very lifestyle is still making it rain for RL to this day.

[Those jeans look familiar.]

-L.A.S

Sartorial Healing

Last week there was a nice discussion revolving around the fall of modern R&B on the Sart Inc Tumblr.  Readers were making the case for modern acts carrying on the strong tradition of rhythm and blues, while others lamented on the loss of arguably the genre's greatest artist - Marvin Gaye.  All the talk of Gaye had me revisiting not only his incredible catalog of tunes, but his equally impressive personal style.  Marvin's status as a style icon is too often overlooked and he frequently takes a backseat to various Jazz aficionados such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane.  Marvin's style was as smooth and genuine as his music.  From his traditional suiting during Motown's heyday to his work wear and blue collar inspired looks during the late 70's/early 80's, Marvin Gaye's style was a study in organic evolution on par with his musical career.  Masculine while at the same time elegant, from the studio to the stage to the red carpet, Marvin was one of the best until his untimely and senseless death in 1984.

-L.A.S

In The Lab Pt. II

The first installment deserved a sequel...

-L.A.S

In Rotation: Sart Inc x Inquiringmind Magazine

  

My friends over at Inquiringmind Magazine were nice enough to solicit an entry for their weekly "In Rotation" feature.  Basically they ask folks to list the current jams they are feeling at the moment and I happily obliged.  It's not often that I write about anything other then clothes and style so it was a nice change of pace.  You can check out the feature here to see what's currently pissing off my neighbors and acquiring me a healthy collection of noise violations courtesy of my apartment's management.

-L.A.S

The Eternal

I finally got around to watching Control this weekend and I can say without a doubt it is one of the top biopics I have ever seen.  The story (more of a myth at this point) of Joy Divison and Ian Curtis is enthralling, heartbreaking and stylish as hell.  In their short time on this earth Joy Division represented quintessential English style and mood - dark, brooding, cigarettes, trenches, military inspired everything.  Control, shot in black and white, does a marvelous job of capturing Joy Division's iconic image and is full of sartorial inspiration.  Whether or not you are a fan of the band the movie is a serious lesson in post-punk, early 1980's, Brit cool.  You can read more about Joy Division's style influence here.

-L.A.S

Notorious Sartorialist

Today marks the anniversary of the unfortunate passing of Mr. Christopher Wallace aka The Notorious B.I.G.  In honor of the G.O.A.T., some gear and some floetry...

"I like black Tims and black hoodies" - Suicidal Thoughts

"Take her Gucci bag and her Northface" - Dead Wrong

"Versace shade watchin' ya" - One More Chance

"Every cutie wit a bootie bought a Coogi" - Hypnotize

"I want that presidential Rollie" - The Points

"Man, she spilled a drink on my cream Wallows" - Nasty Boy

"You seen the Jesus, dipped in H-classes. Ice project off light, chick flashes. Blind your broke asses. Even got rocks in the beards and mustaches." - I Love The Dough

-L.A.S