The Collaboration is Dead, Long Live the Collaboration!
'Cause you are the government / You are jurisprudence / You are the volition / You are jurisdiction /And I make a difference too
You’re tired of collaborations? We hear you, but it’s because the market’s been flooded with BullShit Fake Links that drown out the times Real Soldiers are coming together to make Real Shit that actually matters! We’re bringing you the Real Shit this week - three banging collabs that make sense (Important and often missing attribute of a good link) and pay respect to all involved. This week’s SOTW and EOTW are former collaborators that failed spectacularly together, but now they’re each free to do what they do best on their own.
TUESDAY MEANS WAR
TACTICAL UPDATES
UPPER UNIFORM
Denim Chore Jacket by Brain Dead and Self Edge
Our heart skipped a beat when we heard two of the undisputed Bosses of their respective lanes, Brain Dead and Self Edge, were linking up for a collaborative collection. Self Edge is known for subdued elegance, while Brain Dead is known for thoughtful maximalism. They brought us a banging collection of garms that’s true to both brands - exquisite Japanese denim used on Brain Dead pant and jacket silhouettes. Nothing too maximal for Self Edge, and jam-packed with detailing like Brain Dead is known for. The denim truly needs to be felt to be believed, as it’s a bespoke slub yarn cotton and linen blend worked up exclusively for this link up - a 14.01oz Japanese denim that feels and wears Different than anything you’ve put your grubby hands on before. The Chore Coat is our Star Garm, because it can’t ALWAYS be about the pants, and because the denim jacket is one of the most timeless garms that’s become pretty Boring in this era of Fashion. They freaked the classic chore coat in denim (underutilized textile/silhouette combination), accentuating the detailing with bright triple-needle stitching and brassy shank buttons, ensuring that the sometimes Anonymous vibe of a denim jacket is Anything But Average, just like Self Edge and Brain Dead (and their visionary founders). We rolled through the release party in Portland, the new center of the Fashion universe, where we hobnobbed with Soldiers from far and wide, rubbed elbows with Real Denim Heads and Real Street Heads alike, snapped some photos, and left with a bootleg hat from TWR favorite Tron 444. It was a lovely celebration for a cracking collection of garms made by a group of the Realest Soldiers you could find.
LOWER UNIFORM
Hardware Carpenter Pants by Ice Cream and Bronze 56k
Nostalgia is running wild these days and we’re all pretty sick of it. Brands are resurging that have no business still hanging around, and often it’s because they’re collaborating with actually Cool brands to grab headlines and relevance and keep hoodwinking people into buying Shitty clothes. Billionaire Boys Club has been hanging around all along and been one of the many beneficiaries of this wave of nostalgia, also benefitting from the continued presence of founder Pharrell at the forefront of Fashion (derogatory). When we started seeing the mood boards and nostalgia accounts posting Ice Cream Skate Team #content, we were dubious to say the least. Real Soldiers will remember that era of skateboarding for annoying-ass Skateboard P, but also some great skateboarding by the likes of Jimmy Gorecki and Outfits previously only seen on rappers and Streetwear Guys. It was a fun mashup of two worlds and a sign of the merging of Skateboarding and Fashion that would consume the world in the years to come. Ice Cream has been back in skating for a while, sponsoring riders and releasing capsules, so we’ve never questioned the bonafides. Then we heard Bronze was doing their take on Ice Cream and, well, Fuck Yeah to be honest. It’s unexpected given that so much of Bronze feels like a sarcastic reaction to so much of that specific era of skateboarding and music and Ostentatiousness, but at the same time nostalgic and reverent for the impact of New York skateboarding and music on the rest of the world. The pants are a perfect encapsulation of Bronze, taking the classic double knee pant ubiquitous among skaters and giving it an all-over print (Bolts, duh) ubiquitous of Team Ice Cream’s era and sparked by co-founder Nigo’s maximalist approach to Bape. Topped off with a tonal running dog across the crotch, it’s another example of two brands leaning fully into themselves to pull off a collaboration that cuts through in the sea of boring cash grabs.
FOOTWEAR
XT-Whisper by Salomon and BEAMS
We’re big fans of Salomon technical footwear for many reasons that are critically important to a Soldier. First and foremost, Salomons fit great with rugged but comfortable midsoles that can keep us In The Field longer than most other footwear manufacturers. They offer options for the trail, the track, and the street in colorways and designs that are at home in athletic settings or Fashion settings and everywhere in between. We’re especially fond of Salomon’s Quicklace system, allowing easy on-off with the pull of the strings while still maintaining security and snugness while on foot. Adults untie their shoes, unlike children who don’t mind keeping them laced and smashing their way into and out of them when getting dressed, and sometimes we just don’t feel like dealing with that. Improtantly, their Quicklace system still looks cool, unlike some Shit you might see on a pair of Foot Joy or North Face abominations. This version of the XT-Whisper features sneaky loudness from the folks at BEAMS - subdued colors accentuated by glossy finishes and barely-there but reflective Branding. These are a triumph of Subtle Stunting, and one that only Real Soldiers would recognize if they saw them on the street. Everyone else would just think they’re some running shoes or whatever, and that’s just the way we like it.
FIELD NOTES
SOLDIER OF THE WEEK
Devin Booker
The NBA season is upon us once more, and the reigning king of the tunnel has already been Stunting on Fools all preseason. No, we’re not talking about everyone’s favorite wannabe Fashion Bro, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. We’re talking about the best dressed athlete on the planet, Devin Booker. We already shouted out Book last season, but there’s still nobody even approaching his level of natural Swagger and Fittedness. Book has the Art of the Uniform completely dialed - generally rocking lots of workwear, very few logos, Phat Pants, Cool shades, a Detroit cap, and Chuck Taylors. You only notice if you’re a Real Ball Knower, unlike guys like Shai who are desperate for all the adoration they can find. Book might be Tasteful to a fault, overlooked in a profession full of “LOOK AT ME” motherfuckers that often need to be loud because their Game doesn’t measure up - he’s quietly the best dressed as well as one of the best players in the league. He was finally getting his due after a coming out party in the 2021 NBA Finals, but then Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal showed up and pulled him down into their respective Mental Problems that doomed the Suns to a couple of the most embarrassing seasons in franchise history. Thankfully he got those badly dressed Losers out of his locker room, and thankfully their Shitty Style never rubbed off on him. Of course it didn’t! Book came into himself very early in his NBA career, showing self-awareness and confidence rarely seen from teenage first-round picks who played for Coach Cal and immediately carried the expectations of an entire city from Game 1, and his style of Dressing and Balling have only gotten stronger through the many trials and tribulations of being a Phoenix Sun. He’ll no doubt shine brighter from here on out.
ENEMY OF THE WEEK
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is the worst dressed player in the league by a mile. The biggest issue is that he just doesn’t give a Shit, which is the Cardinal Sin of Dressing. Looking like you don’t give a Shit is Extremely Cool, but KD actually doesn’t give a Shit and that’s the opposite of Cool. The man doesn’t give a Shit about anything other than Getting Buckets, so it’s no surprise he favors a uniform of sweatsuits and Nike sneakers and rarely anything else. For some reason he spruces up the sweats, favoring the likes of Vetements of Balenciaga, as if he’s trying to fool you into thinking he cares about his appearance by dropping Stupid Bread on a hoodie. We see through you, bro! His attitude toward life is that of an angsty teenager, probably because he hit the spotlight when he was an angsty teenager and never grew up. Come to think of it, he’s fairly similar to another famous angsty Kevin - Home Alone’s lovable loudmouth, Kevin McCallister. We have more respect for the guys at the end of the bench that pull up in their team-issued sweatsuits and some slides, given that they’re not trying to front and they’re genuinely focused on Ball. KD is just focused on Getting Buckets and Talking Shit, which has led him to destroying two franchises after he famously celebrated a Warriors NBA Championship wearing a t-shirt by our beloved Alltimers. No doubt the Rockets are the next franchise he’ll lead into the Shitter and tarnish his “legacy” even more. Lil B has never missed.
You’re now up to speed on the latest from the battlefield. Use this intel wisely and pass it on to others who may need our guidance. We can’t win the war unless we’re in it together.
Beams Salomon’s are really good, glad to see them finally open their web shop to North America.
I might not wear any of this, but I will fight to the death for my fellow soldier's right to.