that My buddy Sizzle's
entry into my Favorite Things Series seems to have created quite a stir in the comments for that
post on his blog. Mr. Anonymous #2 seems to think that
TAD Gear has sold-out and makes some assumptions as to nature of the company, and fashion blogs, where apparently true purpose-driven products go to die from the glares of fashionistas in over priced clothing. Below is my response to the hatred, and also a little bit on the nature of today's marketplace.
Dear Anonymous #2,
While Sizzle wrote a truly fantastic response to your
somewhat ignorant comment, I think I would like to go a little further and into
more detail, but I’ll keep it short. Anonymous, I would just like to point out
that you are not alone in feeling a bit upset over the apparent selling-out of
TAD Gear (I’m not an expert on the subject so I’m not going to judge whether or
not this has occurred). I am sure there is a select group of people who tend to
agree with you. But, unfortunately Anonymous, it happens with almost
everything. People frequently experience this with their favorite ‘back-pocket’
band that they saw perform at every grimy, dirty, and awkward smelling bar and
club in town. When the band gets a record contract people can’t help but feel
let down; the band isn’t small anymore, and their biggest fan suddenly has
competition. The best way around this is to try to feel happy for the people
who are finally living their dream of seeing a project they started get
recognition on a larger scale and start reaping the rewards of their hard work.
May I also remind you that TAD Gear is first and foremost a
business, and at the end of the day they have to gross. Without the money they
make they can’t offer new and better products for people to enjoy. So if they
hire a marketing team to help spread the word about their goods, or can’t let
someone into their store to use the bathroom at the risk of potential loss of
merch, please don’t blame them. They’re just trying to get by, and bring you
the next batch of excellent goods and services.
As far as fashion blogs go, I do not want to be a
representative of all the fashion blogs, but I will try to make a stand,
because after all, we’re not all talking about “$3000 sunglasses on $400
jeans.” Although there probably is a fair share of fashion blogs out there that
feature ludicrous items, the blog that featured TAD Gear, and the one I linked
to from my blog, is Selectism. They are a righteous bunch of contributors in
collaboration from all over the world that bring you the latest word on the
what’s new and exciting in men’s
fashion. The latest in men’s fashion just happens to be an amazing trend that
focuses on heritage goods, and above all, a return to honest-to-goodness
quality. So what may seem like fashionistas that are trend-hoping, is actually
a return to values like quality, simplicity, and timeless style that have
almost been forgotten in this fast-paced, instant-gratification driven world of
modernity in which we all reside. You will most likely find that quite a few of
the items featured on these blogs are not only very inspired by decades old
styles, but may even be straight reissues. Not a fickle fad at all.
While TAD Gear may sit next to (corrected based on facts)
$500 sunglasses and $300 jeans on these blogs, it is important to remember why.
Everything is made in factories, of top notch materials, that maintain a living
wage for their workers and do not exploit them for a huge profit margin. In
addition, a large majority of the products are made in the U.S.A., so no
complaints about outsourcing ‘Merican jobs. These are trends that are here, and
hopefully will stay for a very long time. TAD Gear is mainly a purpose driven
clothing and accessories manufacturer, but in addition to quality in their
items, they strive to offer you a great looking product. There’s nothing wrong
with a few people who find their look appealing spreading the word about a
great brand.
So Anonymous, please don’t be upset with TAD Gear’s
apparently new found (although they’ve been around for a while) success, but be
happy that the company you have loved and followed for so long has grown with
more and more people getting to enjoy their great functioning and great looking
products.
- R.R.
 |
| Shit's expensive! |
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