Describing the internet landscape of menswear to an outsider is hard. It’s something that came out of a genuine desire by men to look better, but simply took off too fast until it became, quite frankly, a circle jerk of friends who all dress really well and pat each other on the back for being so cool. That much is actually easy to describe, without getting into too much detail or history. What is difficult to describe is how hip-hop slang somehow worked its way into high-end men’s clothing and its fans, who, demographically speaking, are mostly white. Even today, and even by me, the menswear (or #menswear, which yes, is actually pronounced “hashtag menswear”) world is full of guys on the internet talking about “Been had double monk strap shoes” or “But really doe you should cop”. And to add another layer to this tale, it’s done ironically. No one is actually using the ebonics in their intended habitats, merely bastardizing them to sound funny — funny because it’s coming from the mouth (or fingers, more likely) of a guy who for all intents and purposes has no business liking rap music.
