The Verge - Repurposed Retro Tech Retrospective
The Verge
There’s nothing wrong with a thong made out of a keyboard
These artists are immortalizing 2000s tech and internet culture through fashion.
23 Replies
This is styling that if you don’t do it right then you’ll end up looking like a low budget sci fi movie. There’s also no need to fully grab non functional tech items outside of looking interesting, grab an old walkman grab some music and slap it on a belt and walk around listening to it. Or grab an old camcorder to film things around you or any other number of things you can do with still functional tech. Walking around with a walkman clipped to you is a hell of a lot easier to pull off than a flip phone belt buckle.
idk I mean there's some truth to this being not trivial to style but I don't think the point here is to be easy. it's interesting and unique to integrate old tech into fashion in this way and it creates a look that is significantly more unique than just "I'm a nerd who likes to use retro tech" (I am loosely in this category to be clear, not a diss)
I think it's super cool to repurpose old tech like this in a way that goes completely contrary to the original intended use of it, even just not caring about the use at all. Doesn't need to be functional to be cool.
this pic in particular really influencing me tbh, really funw ay to integrate little bit of old tech as accessories
I read this article and immediately thought about the cool looking circuit board I have on a shelf somewhere for a little handheld console I like and thought about whether I could integrate that as an accessory somehow
I generally dislike the look of useless addons ons to your clothes... Same with techwear. I mean it might ve a bit stupid because something like a scarf is also not always usefull. But at least keeps you neck warm
I get the default perspective of "clothes should have utility" but I'd really encourage you to interrogate that. Easiest counter example are things like rings, necklaces. Very very common, absolutely useless on a practical level, but they add a significant amount to the look of an outfit.
Only pushing back because I had a similar perspective once upon a time, but I've found a significant amount of satisfaction once I bucked that utility perspective and just wore things if I think they look cool and work well in the outfit, regardless of how "useful" they may or may not be.
Yeah I mean I agree. I like rings and they are objectively useless. But I dont like random strings or like 500 pockets. Unless you beed to carry beer idk
i love 500 pockets
I love pockets on the legs because they are super convenient. But likw 2 big cargo pockets carry anything I will ever need. Why tf do I need a pocket on my ankle
because it looks cool as hell
yeah like if you want to be 100% functional and utilitarian then that's your business but it's soooo boring
live a little
At that point its not even techwear, i feel like a lot of ACTUAL techwear clothing gets conflated with shit you find on #techwear on ig and pinterest
If its not actual utility its cosplay
The way its designed should be functional and easy to use
Nothing wrong with that stuff but i feel that it gets grouped together poorly
I think the difference is like, the pockets are not necessarily specifically intended to be used for something (not to say they can't because they're pockets they definitely can), but their presence on the clothes changes how they look. lots of huge pockets gives the pants a kinda maximilist look, odd sized pockets at weird places makes it kinda quirky and fun. clothes are a visual medium and so intrinsically these things change the look of the fit.
hamcus i feel is a perfect example of that blend imo
this was a shirt that's kinda lived in my brain for a bit. look at that cute little pocket on the side. what on earth am I gonna put in there, fuckin quarters??? but it's cute!
Put a little gnome in there
Obviously not 100 percent then you would always wear the most basic shit. But wjen stuff gets annoying just to look cool I dont like it. Functionality over looks.obviously both prefetably
what is annoying about a lot of pockets
Its also not in the way so it can just live its cute existence lol. Could also put a not so cute knive in jt
They dangle around and idk. Also I just dkbt like the looks sometimes lol
sabrina carpet
yeah can't argue with your taste, I just like to encourage pushing your own boundaries sometimes because I had the same kinda wariness, and I realized that I was just holding onto some perception of the way things "should" look in order to not stick out that much, and that in fact I actually enjoy less conventional looks quite a bit if I let go of that. not saying this is how it is for you, but it might be!
I definitely enjoy less conventional lol. I personally find most conventional stuff rather boring
extremely redditbrained ass comments in this thread lmfao
The point is creativity, self expression, doing some shit that looks stupid and cute and campy.