Creatively Unhinged: Fit Battle Round of 32
My way of narrowing down ideas to one final submission.
It was hard to narrow down to a single idea in both vote 1 and this round (round of 32), mainly because I wanted a fit that was both interesting while also somewhat authentic to me. I also knew on some level I wanted to use the vintage denim blazer that I crowdsourced advice for in real time:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2355bca7-ba61-4480-afa0-e31fec9aebb3_373x306.png)
That said it was hard to find the right combination, and there's plenty of shots in my camera roll of things that didn't quite work or were half-formed, like this triple denim tuxedo:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb9308542-68d6-4d73-b7c0-114364fc6321_367x283.png)
It was a good idea, but I thought it lacked punch, the clashing leathers felt unintentional in a bad way, and (at the time) the difference in denim washes was not appealing. I liked the wool plaid and figured focusing on it would be a suitable concept, which led to a second idea:
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3038527f-d652-48dd-a603-4ad76911fe12_1805x2477.png)
It’s another decent idea but the variations in browns felt like I was hunting for brown things to wear (I was), so I went back to the drawing board. (I would since hack up those cords and eventually get rid of them).
I talked to my partner one more about this and he basically said "quit overthinking and lighten up" in as many words. His Spotify shuffled to “How Soon is Now?” and inspiration hit by the end of the chorus - grungy ivy. It’s different compared to what I usually do but also would be easier to put together as it was adapting previous fits and to a degree my style pre-MFA. I also felt a lot more confident instinctively about this than the previous rejected ideas.
Even with an idea set I still struggled - at first I wore Doc 1461s and Levis 550s and experimented with various styles, some leaning more towards grunge and some more towards ivy. I asked for advice, and as a few kind souls saw, the lack of distinction between the jeans and derbies wasn't helpful. I didn’t want to switch jeans to Levis 501s despite their fuller cut because that felt too similar to the first double denim fit pictured above. I instead switched the shoes out for loafers for the final fit.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F238862fe-190e-4fa1-a0b0-587b9334e15d_961x368.png)
There are three things that really make this special for me; the first is the cutoff tank. I wrote about it previously on MFAD as a thing I wouldn’t get rid of - it was one of the first gifts received from my now spouse and I’m glad I found a place for it in fit battle. I cut off the sleeves prior to joining MFA to use as a shirt for home, but the raw edges helped signal my intended inspiration.
The second, and this was a happy coincidence, was a pair of Doc Marten Adrian loafers inspired by pc that I originally wanted to wear for the second vote in round. The delay in shipping meant I wore them for the first time taking these pictures, which made for an interesting breaking in period, but I do think the added height makes a difference and lends a bit authenticity to this being inspired by grunge. In hindsight I also think the choice to wear regular loafers made the fit for vote in 2 better, as the more traditional shoe didn’t pull focus from the top half of that fit.
The third is having someone else around to take pictures - LeisurelyLoafing and I ended up taking each others’ pictures for this round, which was easier than having to use my phone’s timer. It was also nice to have an extra set of eyes to be able to see the fit in real time, as too often I get fixated on an idea in my head and miss the bigger picture. For this, we went outside a local bar with several murals to take the photos; the backdrop had more visual interest than my apartment parking lot or his backyard and ‘fits’ the actual aesthetic more.
Submitted entry-
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc26ec5de-03e0-4a5d-a186-897824e105c7_535x255.png)
I think this was a better way to do "ivy mixed with something else" than in vote in round 1 - the denim blazer serving as a denim jacket, dark wash jeans, docs, "flannel", ratty tee - they all more strongly convey a particular type of dress even though it's also a sport coat, shirt, jeans, white socks and loafers. Initially I was worried about the branding of being a little sleazy, but my fits have been heading that direction in time for summer, so I figured I'd embrace it. The only thing I'm unsure about is if that'll be a trend, though given some of the comments in response I think me baring all would’ve been well-received.
Item Breakdown
Most items were purchased secondhand (eBay, Goodwill, and flea markets most often). Things bought intentionally for fit battle are denoted with asterisks (***) while things bought shortly before/during that were worn are denoted with carats (^^^).
Cap: Tuaca liqours cap (black) (^^^)
Jacket: denim Duluth Trading Co sport coat (blue); this is an actual blazer and not convertible to/from a chore coat
Shirt: vintage Pendleton wool shirt (purple/green/gold plaid)
‘Hanging’ tank top: Goodfellow 'pocket' tank, pocket was removed (gray)
Muscle shirt: t-shirt from Philadelphia Magic Gardens (white)
Jeans: Levi’s 550s (medium wash)
Shoes: Doc Martens Adrian kiltie loafers (black) (^^^)
Belt: old reversible leather belt (brown/black)
Socks: white Hanes crew socks
Sunglasses: old pair from thrift store in Maryland
Watch: Timex Weekender (black strap, white face)
Thank you for reading! You can click below for the Round of 16 entry-
You can also find me on MFA Discord or Instagram to see more of my fits, to ask any other questions about this essay, or to connect about clothes, art or life in general.