Sometimes expensive clothes are not worth it
Reviewing a few of my recent pickups that spark joy, and some that do not...
I acquired a bunch of clothes all in one go recently so I figured it be a fun moment to go through some of the pickups and share my thoughts. I usually spread out my purchases because quality is expensive and you need time to grab pieces that are worth it. Overall, I’m hyped about everything I got except one item that just fell short of my expectations — it hurts even more when you end up learning how much I paid for it, but we’ll talk about that in a minute.
THE SHOE ADDICTION CONTINUES
It’s one of those items that you truly can’t get enough of. I’m still very much in the depths of my all black shoe phase, but there are still plenty of moments in my everyday life to throw in some color — for me, sports is the perfect opportunity to dive head first into some loud clours. It’s the perfect opportunity to step out and have fun, especially if you rock dark colored shoes on the regular.
Anyway, first up we have the Dingyun Zhang + Adidas Samba. Most likely the only Samba you will catch me wearing. The finish on these is great, the patent leather mixed with the suede creates this chicness that allows you to wear these sneakers to dinner with ease if you need to.
Even though they’re still technically there, hiding the three stripes was the best move to make this shoe insanely lowkey. I think that’s why I’m so into it. Comfort is great out of the box, and keeping the classic tongue was critical to the execution of this shoe.
The craziest part of this collab is that it came with Dingyun’s signature Helmet Tote — a leather bag that doubles as a wearable helmet with a detachable front cover. The ultimate headpiece for winter. Such a cool piece to see in person.
ZIP HOODIE SUPREMACY
I don’t really need a new hoodie for the summer, but recently the weather has been colder than expected so I’ve already had a chance to take it out this latest pickup for a spin before fall. The hoodie I grabbed is from a brand called p4k. No international shipping so I had a friend proxy it for me, but damn the initial shipping took way too long… It might have been months but I can’t even remember at this point.
The logo layering is fun. There’s also a graphic on the back as well which could have been skipped but not the end of the world. The biggest critique is the shape of the hood, which is just slightly too large for my enjoyment. I find that most hoodies have hoods that are either too big or have a weird shape. I’m sort of picky on that. What I do find funny is that hoodies on the lower end of the quality chart tend to have nicer fitting hoods than those of higher quality. Not sure why that is, but that’s just something I’ve noticed. Regardless, it’s been fun to wear this piece so far.
A POTENTIALLY REGRETFUL PURCHASE
Let’s just get this over with. I don’t often regret my purchases but sometimes during the journey of research, you end up learning something that might save you more money down the line. I’ve been on the hunt for some lightweight, more technical-style pants that were olive in color specifically. Then I found the Dart Trousers bt J.L - A.L on sale at SSENSE and just had to lock it in.
The fit looked great, it’s made out of polyamide which tends to be light, breathable, and easy to wear during the summer. The bungee at the bottom cuff allows for easy style adjustment, it just seemed exactly what I’d been looking for. Until it wasn’t.
So what’s the issue? This material is prone to getting the easiest water stains of all time. One drop and you have a stain you can’t get out — it’s so insanely annoying. The only option is to soak the whole thing, but I can’t be bothered doing that every time I get a splash of water on them. Then on top of that, and this is mostly my fault, I wore a leather belt that had a bit of a rough finish on the inside, and that ended up creating small rips along the waistline after 2 wears. UGH.
Just not having good luck with these pants and it’s annoying because I do like them, but this is causing me to be extra careful every time I put them on which takes away from my enjoyment of wearing clothes. It also doesn’t help that even though I got them on sale I still paid over $300 for them. Not sure what the move is here, but I’ll try my best to enjoy them as much as I can.
BACK TO THE HITS
I got more shoes to discuss with y’all. The first one I’m really excited about because I’ve been dying to get a pair of these to see in person for a while, and after finally having them in hand I can say that they’ve exceeded my expectations. The shoes I’m talking about are from Deviation, a South Korean footwear brand. Drawing inspiration from classic styles we are all familiar with, Deviation is giving its spin at a price that you can easily enjoy — worldwide shipping is also available, so get ready.
The Hiker is equipped with a mesh and cow leather combination for the upper, a suede tongue that is then paired with a Vibram sole. Extremely comfortable the moment I put my feet in them. The sole is stiffer due to its hiking aspect, but can definitely take a good beating. I ended up getting my true size I usually get in all other shoes and the fit was perfect.
They are made to order which will take about 2 weeks from the moment you make your payment. Honestly, not too bad. The shipping was fast too which was nice.
Highly recommend visiting their site as they have some other styles worth checking out.
This next pair of the Atmos + Adidas AdiStar is completely left field for me in terms of color, but you know what? I’m kind of into it. Sure, I wear a lot of black shoes, but sometimes you need to hit the gym right and I think adding a splash of color in that context works well — don’t get me wrong, these are going to be a lot of fun to wear anywhere as long as you can pull it off.
I can’t lie, I was getting some ASICS vibrations from these at the start, but the AdiStar originally came about in 2005, so the running influence is there. Execution on these is great, I mean I actually had a blast putting these on and stepping out of my comfort zone. The release was exclusive to Asia, but if you’re interested these are available over at StockX for around $250.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
Forgot to add this one to the group photo originally but we’re here now so let’s get it. I know what you’re about to say — another black leather mesh sneaker? Really? — I know, I know, but I just can’t help it, plus Prada is known for their version of the leather mesh sneaker, which I had no choice but to try at some point. I like the America’s Cup but never wanted a pair for myself, and then I ended up finding a pair of these Luna Rossa which left me no choice but to instantly hit purchase.
A perfect combination of sport that can also be dressed up. A good leather/mesh combo can be versatile in the right context, and this shoe is exactly that. Easy to wear with shorts in a more casual fit, but then throw a nice pair of trousers and a button up and all of a sudden you’re all dressed up and ready to go.
That’s it for the pickups this week. I’d love to hear of any pickups you were hyped on recently, so make sure you drop that in the comments… or even better… a pickup that you ended up regretting because we’ve all been there before.
for the first time in my life i am in a place where i don’t really want anything and the things i do want i can probably either make myself or will wait until i know how to make it because it doesn’t yet exist
honestly my only want is some chocolate suede horsebit loafers to wear with some really baggy indigo jeans
i've been there w/ the online expensive pants purchase that I just don't love... solidarity brotha