π₯βDarc Sport + Ralph Lauren Fusion
i'm in the process of picking pieces for my new wardrobe and exploring how to blend two styles:
Darc Sport's grounded, dangerous aesthetic, intricate illustrations/fonts, and occasional stark colors - with Ralph Lauren's classic silhouettes, time-tested materials, and its aura of prestige and refinement.
this is new territory for me so I'm not sure how to do this. can someone help?
β’ what are some layering strategies for this fusion? should i decide staples from each brand?
i appreciate you giving some time to consider this.
any tips, personal experiences, or visual examples would be helpful.
58 Replies
Do you intend to wear darc for the gym or just as casual wear? That makes a big difference to the answers you will get.
hm thanks for that.
Casual wear.
I also wanna learn how to do this. Like there seems to be systems or an understanding people have with layering and analyzing all the different pieces and bridging, etc.
Do you have examples of how you imagine this could look?
Im gonna be real, I think this will be a very difficult mashup since these brands have almost polar opposite vibes to them. Why these 2 brands, and why do you want to mash them up? Answering that could give you a direction towards a style that could work
I can post pics of some pieces I like from both.
There are some pieces from Darc that have 1 color that's really vibrant which I like - like a bright orange that's bright enough it looks like a light or something
I think to ^ top raisin's point, it sounds like the end result you want from combining these two brands is something "dark", "dangerous ", but with "refinement", right?
Maybe instead of a mix and match to try to get that outcome, there are brands that will more harmoniously get you to that same end without being an odd mishmash. Would you be open to that or are you hooked on these two brands specifically?
I am open to other brands but I wanna explore mixing these.
I know I feel like a new guy with some crazy ideas that are far out there, and I'm picking some things that would never go together so it probably seems pretty silly.
My sense is that each brand has its own type of groundedness, edge, and refinement but in different ways.
But... it may feel undoable. Idk.
They are inherently very very different brands with wildly different looks, so its going to be hard to blend them smoothly, if its really what you want its possible and will make you happy go for it. but its not common so its hard to help with it
The things you like about Darc are done much better by established streetwear brands. I think Darc takes their ethos and slogans to the point of cringe and then some
To me, it really sounds like you're after cool logos and graphic design, is that right?
@oman121 @top raisin @rawbert-oh if you have brands you'd recommend similar to these I'd love to take a look.
Not exactly. Ill post some pics to explain
i mean anything from the new supreme drop
supreme, undercover, offwhite
stussy
I like these wispy, intricate typography - almost like what you're reading is on fire - I especially like the gold type here
This is helpful
there are definitely a lot of cool brands doing this if you're willing to dig
palm angels for $$$
vintage or current metal band merch
the patches here
Rugby Ralph Lauren?
Yeah
Only the red jacket here - i dont like the other stuff - I like the mixture of corduroy with the other material - and I like the patch - it's ok not great.
if u have time on your hands a lot of ann demeulemeester prints fit in the first category
what about actual rugby merch
- And see, I'm not tied to Dark Sport but I imagine I could wear that black shirt from earlier with the gold, wispy typography, and it would go great with that red Ralph Lauren jacket. That's kinda what I want. Like a dangerous killer Ralph Lauren guyπ€©π
I feel like this is a little too closer to like Joker or horror territory. The Darc Sport has intricate illustration/typography that's like a blend of athletic agression and notes from Japanese art
the language you're using to describe your ideal style is very offputting
aggression, dangerous, killer?
Can you post a photo of a person wearing anything close to the image you have in your head of this?
Not a single item, a whole outfit.
i think you're reading into the vibes a bit too muchβi'd just describe ann as a bit edgy and darc sport as simultaneously trying to riff off varsity, metal, and japanese typography (poorly imo)
That's great, yeah
No I just saw these brands and wanted to see if I can mix them. I know some people use layering systems or frameworks for identifying staples and stuff so I came here to see what I might learn about how to mix brands.
Think of mixing styles
not brands
Yeah not just the brands
The styles too.\
thinking of it as just brands is very limiting
I like the brands though so that's where I started.
sure yeah
i agree
kind of odd you put it that way but ok
that's what I'm looking for. If anyone has a better way of describing it I'm happy to collaborate.
Can you see that these brands exist in completely differing aesthetic realms? Or, on the contrary, can you describe what you think they share?
there are brands that make varsity stuff fun and edgy that u could benefit from looking throughβstuff like raf simon's huge sweaters, demna's stuff from balenciaga and vetements really pushing the proportions of typical clothing, vaquera's super loose varsity knits
neither you nor i can afford their clothing but i pull from them a lot
If you're genuinely asking I can answer. Are you just pointing out that they're super different?
Hm ok Ill check them out. Thanks!
I am genuinely asking. I'm trying to identify what you're actually trying to achieve.
do you have any ispo pics of a end goal type fit, we have seen stuff from both brands/styles but is there any examples of what you want this to end up like
Maybe I don't know the typical way people describe clothing aesthetics. I'm a brand strategist, so how I described what I like about the clothing styles in the original post at the top is how I'd describe them when I work with people on a project. But I'm sure clothing descriptions could be different.
No
:boi:
I think you should look for some, it will give you a better idea of what you are actualy aiming for here
If you don't see why it's problematic to describe your ideal style as "dangerous killer", then I got nothing for ya. Best of luck on your fashion journey.
it feels right now like you like these 2 brands, but have no idea what you want to acutely do with the pieces from them
or idk send it and buy stuff from both and try it out... thats kinda the only 2 ways to see if it can be done
Do the pictures need to have the clothing together? I sent pics of clothing from companies, and I also sent other images talking about how I could layer them together.
a picture of 4 items has very little to do with a outfit
thats like me sending a picture of a basket of fruits and veg and asking what meal i should cook
If I wanted to be an actual killer I could agree with you, but we're talking through text so you feel like I really wanna look like an actual killer. And sure, it's judgmental of you to misunderstand me and call my words "off-putting"... but don't you mind it! I nevertheless appreciate your gumption to stand up to a tentative actual killer.π€² π
I'll be blunt, because we're essentially dancing around this. The two brands you describe have such contrasting design language and intent that I can't see a way you can blend them well.
If you mean, can I wear darc tshirts with ralph's jackets and trousers? Sure, it might look passable. It's unlikely to look good or fashionable.
If you're trying to do something different to that then without seeing actual examples I really can't comprehend what is in your mind without better images.
So you do need images of all the clothing in one picture
no i need an outfit
that you like
and see as something you would wear in this style
That's a legit answer. If that's the truth I'm good with that, I'll just go do it.
Can the outfit be in different images or the same image
same image
Got itπ
on a person
i know inspiration is hard to find but it's the first step and it's fine if u don't nail ur vibe right away
Hm ok I appreciate it.
Iβll get a photo of multiple pieces of clothing lying out together in one photo! Maybe not on a person - but in one image - absolutely!!!
Thereβs a long and interesting history of people mixing Polo Ralph Lauren with streetwear. Iβm honestly surprised that nobody has mentioned the Lo Lifes, a group in Brooklyn that is now infamous for their adoption of the Polo brand. Hereβs a book you could look into to learn more about them and their history: https://burymewiththeloon.com/.
BURY ME WITH 'LO ON Book - Tom Gould & Thirstin Howl the 3rd
The first-ever book documenting the history of the Brooklyn Lo Lifes and the worldwide subculture inspired by the garments of Ralph Lauren.
It looks like the pieces from Ralph Lauren that you like are Polo pieces anyways.
Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan talking about Polo
Suffice to say I donβt think mixing Ralph Lauren and streetwear is a crazy concept. And perhaps you can draw some inspiration from the Lo Lifes and Lo Heads. But Iβd keep in mind that every aesthetic has a history, and be more mindful of your language.