In recent years, American-inspired men's workwear has seen a resurgence in popularity that has taken the entire world by storm. The clothes - which used to reflect a period in time when hard work was the only way to prove one's worth - are now being idealized by today's trendsetters and tastemakers as a way to recapture the essence of the past in a day and age where it seems everything gets handed to us on a silver platter. The notion of embracing a past America has become especially prevelant ever since the stock market began its huge downward spiral because it is a reminder of how things used to be before materialism reared its ugly head. A lot of companies are taking note of that and are doing their best to appeal to a consumer base who are trying to find refuge in an era that took nothing for granted; an era that leaned heavily on true American values. How ironic is it then that at the forefront of this movement are the Japanese, who have paved the way in terms of being able to fabricate a sense of what a blue-collar worker embodied in his heyday. So, in an effort to keep pace with the Japanese or to take back what has always been rightfully theirs (open to debate), American heritage companies - like Red Wing and Woolrich, both heavily steeped in tradition - are once again beginning to make their presence felt by manufacturing quality items that have strong ties to the past. And people have responded well, as they understand it may not take more than a pair of boots, or a flannel shirt in order to convey the confidence of, what we perceive to be, the ideal working-class man.
images (not the kind of workwear I had in mind, but I couldn't resist - the pics are dope) via The Fashionisto
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