City Boy starter pack (Japanese Americana)

Summary

This video script delves into the 'city-boy' fashion trend, a Japanese reinterpretation of Americana styles. It highlights the key clothing items and accessories, emphasizing a color palette dominated by blues, greens, beiges, and denim. The speaker discusses specific pants, striped shirts, oversized button-downs, and footwear, suggesting brands and second-hand options. Also covered are the use of bandanas for pops of color, the prevalence of hats and glasses, and the importance of structured tote bags in completing the city-boy look.

Takeaways

• 👕 The city-boy style is a fusion of various Western influences such as Americana, collegiate, skate culture, and British and French workwear, reinterpreted through a Japanese lens.
• 🎨 The color palette of city-boy style typically includes blues, greens, whites, beiges, khakis, and denim, with brown, black, and gray being common for shoes.
• 👖 Green army fatigues and khakis are staple pants in city-boy fashion, often featuring elongated rectangular pockets and a straight silhouette.
• 🛍️ When shopping for city-boy style, consider second-hand options for both affordability and environmental benefits, and use online platforms like eBay and Grailed.
• 🔍 Brands like Stand Ray, Todd Snyder, and Engineered Garments offer a variety of pants that fit the city-boy aesthetic, including different cuts and styles.
• 👔 Striped shirts are a basic element of the style, with French brand Orcival being a classic choice, and options also available from Moogie and Norse Projects.
• 👕 Over-sized button-down shirts are a key component of the city-boy look, with a preference for wide shapes and untucked wear.
• 👞 Boat shoes and lace-up leather shoes are popular in the city-boy style, with Timberland, Sperry, and UKton being notable brands, though sneakers like New Balances are also prevalent.
• 👟 New Balance sneakers, especially the R.C. 30 model, are frequently seen in the Japanese menswear style, offering a modern take on classic sneakers.
• 🧥 Trench coats and chore coats in colors like beige, green, and blue are part of the city-boy wardrobe, with single-breasted styles and covered buttons being more common.
• 👜 Accessories such as bandanas, hats, glasses, and tote bags add personal touches to the city-boy look, with structured tote bags being both practical and stylish.

Q & A

What is the 'city-boy' style and where does its inspiration come from?

The 'city-boy' style is a term coined by Popeye magazine, a Japanese fashion and lifestyle publication. It is a reinterpretation of Americana through a Japanese lens, incorporating elements of Western prep, collegiate style, skate culture, and British and French workwear, all with a distinctly Japanese silhouette.

What is the typical color palette for the city-boy style?

The city-boy style often features a specific color palette with blues and greens being prominent, frequently paired together. Other common colors include white, beige, khaki, and denim jeans. For shoes, brown, black, and gray are popular choices, especially with New Balance sneakers.

Why does the speaker prefer to buy second-hand clothes?

The speaker prefers to buy second-hand clothes for environmental reasons and because it can often be more cost-effective. They suggest looking for specific items on platforms like eBay or Grailed to find used versions of desired pieces.

What are 'green army fatigues' and how are they typically distinguished in the city-boy style?

Green army fatigues are straight-up and down green pants often caught in an elongated rectangular pocket design. They are a staple in the city-boy style and can be found in vintage military stores or online platforms like eBay and Etsy.

Which brands are mentioned for green army fatigues and khakis?

Stand Ray is mentioned for its OG loose fatigue and khakis, offering different cuts. Todd Snyder is another brand that carries a variety of items in the city-boy style, including Japanese for last fit salvage chinos and garment-dyed cargo pants.

What is the significance of striped shirts in the city-boy style?

Striped shirts are considered a basic yet essential part of the city-boy style, contributing to a cohesive look when combined with other elements. They can be found in various cuts, such as the French cut from Ptibato or the boat neck style from Moogie.

What are some tips for choosing khakis in the city-boy style?

To avoid a uniform look, it's recommended to choose khakis that are wider, more balloon-shaped, or have interesting pleats. This adds a unique touch and distances the style from a traditional uniform appearance.

Why does the speaker suggest avoiding traditional skinny button-downs for the city-boy style?

Traditional skinny button-downs are not ideal for the city-boy style because they are meant to be tucked into pants. Instead, oversized button-downs with a wide shape, especially at the bottom, are preferred as they are meant to be worn out.

What are some shoe recommendations for the city-boy style?

The city-boy style often includes lace-up leather shoes, boat shoes like the Timberland pair, and sneakers such as New Balance. Brands like Carhoe and Diodora offer alternative chunky sneaker styles to New Balance.

What are some key outerwear pieces mentioned for the city-boy style?

Key outerwear pieces for the city-boy style include chore coats, often in bright cobalt blue or faded options, and trench coats, which are seen more in single-breasted styles with covered buttons.

What accessories are commonly used to add a pop of color in the city-boy style?

Bandanas are a popular accessory used to add a pop of color in the city-boy style. They can be found in vintage stores or from brands like Capitol and Stuff, which offer unique and hand-painted styles.

Outlines

00:00

👕 City-Boy Style Essentials and Color Palette

The video script introduces the concept of 'city-boy' fashion, a style influenced by Americana but reinterpreted through a Japanese lens. It includes elements of Western prep, collegiate style, skate culture, and workwear from Britain and France. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the color palette, highlighting blues, greens, beige, khaki, and denim. The video will focus on the foundational items of this style, suggesting second-hand shopping for sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Specific mentions of green army fatigues and khakis are made, with vintage options and brands like Stand Ray and Todd Snyder recommended for those seeking new pieces.

05:07

👖 Exploring City-Boy Pants, Striped Shirts, and Shoes

This paragraph delves deeper into the wardrobe essentials of city-boy style, discussing pants with unique features like elongated rectangular pockets and the prevalence of khakis. Brands such as Todd Snyder, Engineered Garments, and orSlow are suggested for those looking for new options. The speaker also touches on the importance of striped shirts, referencing personal anecdotes and brands like Orcival for classic French styles. Moving on to footwear, the paragraph mentions the preference for lace-up leather shoes and sneakers over loafers, with New Balance being a prominent choice in the Japanese menswear scene, alongside brands like Carhoe and Diodora.

10:15

🧢 Accessorizing City-Boy Style with Hats, Glasses, and Bags

The final paragraph of the script focuses on accessories that complement the city-boy style. It discusses the use of bandanas for a pop of color, with options ranging from vintage stores to brands like Capitol and Stuff. Hats are highlighted as an essential part of the look, with baseball caps, bucket hats, and more ornate styles like page boy caps being popular. The speaker also mentions the trend of round-framed glasses and sunglasses, recommending brands like UHE to Yamma. Lastly, tote bags are discussed, with a preference for structured bags with thick handles for comfort, citing the LL Bean Boughton tote and Shin + Nho as examples of stylish options.

Keywords

💡City-boy

The term 'city-boy' is coined by Popeye magazine, a Japanese fashion and lifestyle publication, and it represents a unique style that is a fusion of Americana reimagined through a Japanese perspective. It encompasses various Western influences such as collegiate, skate culture, and European workwear, all tailored with Japanese silhouettes. The video discusses the hallmarks of this style, making it a central theme.

💡Color Palette

The 'color palette' in the context of city-boy style is characterized by specific colors that are frequently paired together, such as blues and greens. The script mentions the prevalence of white, beige, and khaki pants, as well as denim jeans, indicating a preference for natural and earthy tones that are essential to achieving the city-boy aesthetic.

💡Denim

Denim is highlighted as a key fabric in the city-boy style, with jeans being a staple. The script emphasizes the Japanese love for denim, suggesting that it is a fundamental component of the wardrobe and is often seen in various forms, such as pants and jackets.

💡Green Army Fatigues

Green army fatigues are mentioned as a recurring element in the city-boy style. They are described as straight, green pants with elongated rectangular pockets, which set them apart from other pants. The video suggests that these vintage military-inspired pants are a distinctive feature of the style.

💡Khakis

Khakis are another type of pants frequently associated with the city-boy style. The script discusses both khaki-colored army fatigues and traditional khakis, noting that they are available in various styles from different brands, thus contributing to the versatility of the city-boy look.

💡Todd Snyder

Todd Snyder is a brand mentioned in the script as carrying items that fit the city-boy style. The video suggests that this brand offers high-quality and expensive options for those looking to invest in city-boy inspired clothing, including green army fatigues and khakis.

💡Engineered Garments

Engineered Garments is noted as a brand with a fan base among city-boy style enthusiasts. The script mentions that the brand offers pants in the desired style, although they are on the pricier side, indicating the brand's association with high-end, fashion-forward pieces.

💡Striped Shirts

Striped shirts are discussed as a basic yet essential component of the city-boy style. The script describes them as having a French cut, with boat necks and flared hems, and being a form of workwear due to their association with sailor uniforms. They contribute to the cohesive style when paired with other city-boy elements.

💡Oversized Button Downs

Oversized button downs are characterized by their wide shape, particularly at the bottom, and are meant to be worn untucked. The script suggests that these shirts are a simple yet important part of the city-boy style, adding a casual and relaxed vibe to the overall look.

💡New Balances

New Balances, a popular sneaker brand, are repeatedly mentioned in the script as a key footwear choice for the city-boy style. The video specifically calls out the R.C. 30 model as a modern and appealing option, indicating the brand's significance in achieving the desired look.

💡Chorcoats

Chorcoats, a variation of the traditional chore coat, are mentioned as a popular outerwear choice in the city-boy style. The script describes them in bright cobalt blue or faded options, and as being worn with a single-breasted and covered button design, reflecting a modern take on workwear.

💡Bandanas

Bandanas are highlighted as the number one accessory for adding a pop of color to the city-boy style. The script suggests that they are used to introduce vibrant hues and can be found in vintage stores or from brands offering a unique, hand-painted style, enhancing the individuality of the look.

Highlights

City-boy style is a Japanese reinterpretation of Americana, incorporating elements of Western prep, collegiate, skate culture, and British and French workwear.

The color palette for city-boy style typically features blues, greens, beige, khaki, and denim, with brown, black, and gray for shoes.

Sustainability is emphasized by recommending second-hand clothing and using eBay or Grailed to find specific items at a lower cost.

Green army fatigues and khakis are staple pants in city-boy style, often with distinctive rectangular pockets.

Vintage military pants can be found on platforms like eBay and Etsy, or at local military surplus stores.

Stand Ray offers OG loose fatigue pants and khakis in various cuts, including slim, taper, and wide.

Todd Snyder carries a wide range of city-boy style items and is known for high-quality products, though pricey.

Engineered Garments and Or Slow offer affordable alternatives to high-end brands for green army fatigues and khakis.

Striped shirts are a basic element of city-boy style, with French brand Orcival being a classic choice.

Oversized button-down shirts should be wide at the bottom and are meant to be worn untucked for a relaxed fit.

S.H. Shirt is a Japanese brand offering simple, high-quality shirt styles with a focus on fabric and sewing.

Loafers are common in city-boy style, but the speaker prefers sneakers for comfort and recommends New Balance for their popularity in Japanese menswear.

Boat shoes are less popular than loafers but can be found from brands like Timberland, Sperry, and UKton for a more luxurious option.

Chore coats and trench coats in cobalt blue, beige, green, and dark blue are popular outerwear choices in city-boy style.

Vintage or second-hand options are recommended for chore coats and trench coats, with brands like Burberry, Lule Lab, and Lule Mulsami Shell mentioned.

Bandanas are a key accessory for adding pops of color in city-boy style, with Capitol and Stuff offering unique designs.

Hats are an essential part of city-boy style, with baseball caps, bucket hats, page boy caps, and skull caps being popular choices.

Round-frame glasses and sunglasses are trending in city-boy style, with UHE to Yamma being a high-end option.

Structured tote bags with thick handles are preferred over unstructured ones for better comfort and functionality.

LL Bean's Boughton tote is a classic Americana option, while Shin Plus Nho specializes in tote bags with various styles.

Transcripts

Today I want to walk through my city-boy starter pack, so this is all the clothing and accessories that I consider to be real hallmarks of this style.

If you're new here, city-boy is a term coined by Popeye magazine, which is a Japanese fashion and lifestyle magazine, and it's essentially a reimagination of Americana through a Japanese lens.

So there are aspects of Western prep. There's a lot of collegiate style stuff, skate culture, British and French workware.

It's a whole bunch of Western influences, redone and very Japanese silhouettes.

I want to talk about the items that I think form the sort of bedrock of this style, the like city-boy capsule collection, if you will.

But I would actually start off with talking about colors, because I think there's a very specific color palette to this.

The things I'm in saying over and over again are blues and greens often together, so it'll be like a blue top and green pants.

I have also seen a lot of white pants and beige pants, khaki specifically, plus jeans, lots of jeans, obviously they have a real love for denim.

And in terms of shoe color, there's a lot of brown, a lot of black, and some gray, especially if they're wearing new balances.

Obviously this isn't to say that there's like no reds, no oranges, no yellows, no pinks. I'm just talking about broader trends.

Oh, I left purple out. Honestly, I haven't seen a lot of purple either.

I personally try to buy all my clothes second hand, but I'm going to talk about brands in this video.

So what I actually suggest you do is if you like something from a specific brand, you should take the name of the item and plug it into eBay, plug it into grail, see if there are any online options that are used because it'll probably be cheaper and you.

It's better for me environment.

Let's start off with pants. I'm not going to talk about the balloon shape silhouette because I feel like I've gone over that a lot and given a lot of options in my last video dress like you live in Tokyo.

So you can go back there and watch that if you need information about those.

What I do want to talk about is green army fatiques and khakis.

I see green army fatiques over and over and over again. They're the sort of like straight up and down green pants caught in usually.

And they have those like elongated rectangular pockets. I kind of feel like those pockets are the main thing that set them apart from like other pants.

The pair I have are vintage. So they are real military pants and you can find vintage military pants everywhere. I mean eBay and Etsy have a bunch, but you also probably have a military surplus store somewhere in your area that carries them as well.

But if you do want to buy a new pair, I have a couple of suggestions.

The sort of classic one is the stand ray OG loose fatigue.

And if you go on the stand ray website, they also have some other styles. So they have a slim cut. I think they have a taper and then they have an even wider cut as well. I think called the fatpan.

So if you do want a bunch of different styles, if you don't like the way one looks and you want a different one, stand ray does have some options.

Stand ray also sells khakis, but they also sell army fatiques in a khaki color and they sell khakis. So pretty much every brand that I showed out in the section sells both green army fatiques and khakis in different styles.

The next brand I want to talk about is Todd Snyder. They carry almost every item that I'm going to talk about in this video.

And if you have the money, they're an expensive brand. You could probably buy every single thing from there. And I think or I heard that they have really good quality stuff.

That's a good option if you're ever wondering where to buy any of these things. They probably carry it at Todd Snyder.

And that being I couldn't actually find an exact replica of green army fatiques at Todd Snyder, but they did have these Japanese for last fit, salvage, chino and olive, which are a pretty good comp and a little bit more updated look. I would say less vindigy.

And they also had this garment dyed cargo pant in faded surplus. So they have things in this area.

I know a lot of you guys are engineered garments fans. They have pants in this style. They are pretty pricey. So I think something a little bit more affordable is or slow.

They have a lot of different options, both pretty accurate like green army fatique replicas and a whole lot of different khaki and chino options.

khakis I've talked about before. I think it's a really tough thing to buy and wear in a way that doesn't feel like a uniform.

I just think that you want to go for something that has a little interest to it. Anything you can find that's a little bit wider, more balloon shaped, something that has interesting pleats.

Just so you're distancing yourself a little bit from that uniform look.

The next thing I want to talk about is striped shirts. I feel laughable to even talk about this. A lot of these items are so basic. It's like why are we even discussing this.

But I just think if you put them all together, you get a really cohesive style. And that's what's important.

I wore striped shirts for lichesley for most of my life, specifically because I think my mom really likes striped shirts.

And my godmother lives in Paris and every time we would visit her, my mom would be sure to stock up on striped shirts.

And we specifically would go to this store called Ptibato, which is a children store ostensibly. But they do have women's wear as well.

And you know, don't let that stop you guys. If there's a size that fits you and it's women's wear by it. So a lot of the striped shirts I have are Ptibato.

They are kind of a French cut. So usually a boat neck and then a little bit of a flare at the hem.

But my partner has a striped shirt that's just from unique glow. And it is the striped shirt a little thinner and it's you know bigger and longer.

I did some more research for you guys. If you are looking for striped shirts, one of the very classic I saw is called Orcival, which is a French brand.

And it seems like they've been around for a long time and they have a lot of different striped shirt options.

Now that I think about it, the striped shirt is also a form of workware because it's like a sailor's uniform, right?

Another one I saw was at Moogie that had a boat neck style. Come to Grustle also make striped shirts.

But I don't really like the play ones, you know, with the little insignia. They do have some other ones that I really liked that were a little funcier.

So it was like one sleeve had a different variety of stripes than the rest of the body, which I liked.

And then I saw also a bunch of Norse projects striped shirts on the second hand market.

So you can check out those two. We're talking about tops. We have to talk about oversized button downs.

Again, very simple idea. The only specific thing about this is that they are oversized. They're generally a sort of like wide shape, especially at the bottom.

They're not that traditional like skinny button down that are made to be tucked into pants. These are meant to be out.

I would highly suggest thrifting your button downs, especially in person thrifting because the fit of a button down is in a lot of ways the most important thing.

So you want to try these on. If you do want to buy a new button down, I did find this brand that I really liked called S.H. Shirt.

And they just sell shirts. So I think it's a Japanese company and I'm reading the little about page. It's very cute. They say,

It's theme is USA from French point of view. I am surely particular about fabric and sewing more over the most important part is my own style.

I'm a huge fan of shirt. I wear a shirt almost every day. It creates a new explanation of shirt.

They have a couple of different shirt styles. They come in a couple of different colors. It's very simple. If you need a shirt, that's where you can go.

Another brand to try is graph paper. I've been suggested them a couple of times. I think they are good because they have some t-shirt button downs.

And they also have ones with a band collar. So that's another style to try.

Moving down to shoes. There are a lot of loafers. And I personally don't want to talk about loafers.

One because I don't really wear loafers. I really don't believe that they are as comfortable or nearly as comfortable as sneakers are. And I prefer to be comfortable. So I wear a lot of sneakers.

The other thing is we've talked about loafers as a fashion community for years now. Very intensely. There are a lot of resources out there to help you guys find loafers.

Let me know if you already have a pair you like. I'm interested to hear about that. But it's not in my heart to tell you about them.

The thing I do want to talk about is both shoes. I think most people my age are not interested in wearing boat shoes. They have not made the comeback that loafers have.

I think the most classic one is the Timberland pair. And I think just having that heavy tread that heavy lug sole really helps it from looking too much like the classic sort of spary boat shoe.

But spary, funnily enough, has just done a collab. And those ones I really like.

They have two that are a little similar to the Timberland style. And then they have two that are a little similar to the Clark style and Clarks are also very big. But I do think I've been seeing Clarks in the general fashion world more so than boat shoes.

The last company I want to mention in terms of boat shoes is UKton. They have really nice stuff and it's really expensive.

But just in terms of inspiration or if you have the money, you can go on the website and look through their stuff.

It's just really the leather looks so good. But just in general in city boy style, there's a lot of lace-up leather shoes.

I think pair boots are probably a good company to look for some of those. I also really like this place Jack Solivier.

They have really interesting shapes, something a little bit different. And I think they're worth looking at. Okay, now we're talking sneakers.

I don't think this is going to be a surprise to anyone but new balances. New balances, new balances, new balances.

I think they sort of had their popular heyday like 2014 almost. I don't know, but it already happened. And I feel like as a community, we're not really wearing new balances.

So much anymore. I do think I am seeing them a lot in the Japanese menswear style. Still the one style of new balances that I want specifically shout out are the R. C. 30.

I haven't seen these like ubiquitously, but I just think they are a little bit more modern in a way that I really like. The other two companies I want to mention in terms of like big chunky sneaker styles are Carhoe and Diodora.

Carhoe is a Finnish company and Diodora is Italian. I believe. And I think they're good options because just like the over saturation of new balances sometimes makes me not want to get them.

I have seen a lot of chorecoats. I've seen a lot of trench coats, trench coats. I've seen an beige, green and blue, like sort of a dark blue.

Chorcoats. I've seen mostly in that bright like cobalt blue, I guess, and then also a more faded option. If you're like really wearing your Chorco everyday and you've gotten that really nice fading in or you can buy a vintage version obviously that sort of prefated, which is fine. I don't judge.

For both of these styles, I would highly suggest buying vintage or second hand in terms of trench coats obviously burberry is sort of your number one option. Those can get pretty expensive.

Crossover are a lot of vintage options, but two brands that I found that are still selling today are Lule Laberoy and Lule Mulsami Shell. So those are two French brands.

There are also more modern brands that sell Chorcoats, Alex Mill has one and Amico Studios has one as well. Amico Studios is interesting. I believe they make their clothes to order.

And their Chorcoat is a little bit of a different style. So if you're looking for something a little bit more unique, they have this Ico waterproof rackland jacket.

For trench coats, I wanted to specify that I've been seeing a lot more single, breasted than double breasted and with covered buttons too. So when they're buttoned up, they kind of just look like a big tent.

Amico is selling one, obviously they're a very expensive brand, but I've also seen some good ones at Studio Nicholson and an old version from TOTEM that they don't seem to be selling anymore, but there are again some on the second hand market.

I want to talk about Bandanas. This is probably the number one accessory that I've seen people use to add a little bit of color, so like a pop of red or a pop of yellow through a Bandana.

Bandanas you should be able to find again in any vintage store in your area. However, they are pretty cheap even from nicer brands.

I don't think I've seen anything above like $45, which still feels a lot for what is essentially a cloth. Capitol has a bunch of Bandanas, those are a little bit of a edgy or style.

I've never heard of them before I started doing research for this video, but I like their Bandanas a lot because they have this hand painted style, which is different from the classic.

The last one is a more expensive option for Bandanas for a formal event for whatever reason, I don't know like a Texas wedding, there's stuff is pretty nice.

In terms of hats, I would say cityboys really leave the house without a hat, a lot of baseball caps, bucket hats, but I've also seen like page boy caps, braise stuff that's a little bit more ornate and also the like little rolled beanies or almost like skull caps.

I'm not going to go crazy recommending hat brands. I think I got my bucket hats from Etsy and I do think there's like a real joy to buying baseball caps sort of situationally like when you're on a trip and you see a random baseball cap that looks cool and remind you of the trip.

I think that's a great way to find a baseball cap, but two companies that I can tell you about are standard and strange, they have this really cute one called the victory cap that I liked and the most classic is Ebitz Field, which has a little bit of like that vintage sports look.

Obviously a lot of people are in glasses and sunglasses, but I wanted to specifically shout out that I've been seeing a lot of round frames I wore mine today to be on theme. So for glasses and sunglasses, I do really like this brand UHE to Yamma, it's very expensive.

So you know go to Warby Parker, do you, these are from I buy direct, like you don't have to go all out, but these are very nice. The last thing I want to mention is tote bags and I think I've always been a little if you own tote bags because the ones you get kind of randomly are pretty cheap.

Unstructured, the strap is thin, so it gets rolled up and they're not very comfortable. However, I found recently that if you go out and really find a good structured tote bag with a nice thick handle, they are much better to carry.

Even though I don't love shoulder bags, I would always like a crossbody bag.

That's what I've been seeing a lot in terms of bags in this style are structured tote bags. The one I've seen probably most often is the LL Bean Boughton tote, very classic Americana. You can find these secondhand online everywhere you can find these in person secondhand everywhere.

I think LL Bean is probably made a million of these bags if not more, so they are available.

I have not bought an LL Bean Boughton tote because I couldn't decide on what color I wanted, they usually have either like the navy straps or the green ones or other colors.

Instead of what I got is a everybody dot world tote bag. The one I got is reversible, it has nice pockets inside or outside if you want.

I added patches to mine, just for a little bit more interest, a little bit of color. The other company I found is shin plus nha, they specialize in tote bags.

So a great company, I'm sure they know what they're doing. A lot of their styles are this sort of bucket bag, but they also have bigger ones, they have crossbody ones, there's a lot of good options on that website.

I'm thinking about buying one myself, but I haven't sprung for it yet. That is it, let me know if I missed anything that you consider to be a cornerstone of your personal cityboy style.

Maybe like plaid shirts, I don't really own any right now, but I haven't thinking about picking some up.

Anyway, thank you so much for watching and I'll see you next time.