Walkin' Tall

Posted: Monday, May 7, 2012 by Jack From The 80's in
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"Randall Flagg, the dark man, strode south on U.S. 51...the worn heels of his sharp-toed cowboy boots clocking on the pavement...He rocked along, his feet easy in the boots, which were comfortably sprung in all the right places. His feet and these boots were old lovers..."

The Stand - Stephen King

I can't remember exactly when I first saw it, but I found an article from Cracked called "Glam Metal"  a few years back. The article was intended (I think) to poke fun at the hedonistic and shallow image surrounding glam and sleaze rock but the article pointed out a lot of things that, while made in jest, were actually fairly accurate in regards to the styles & fashion of the time and the mindset behind them. I actually felt it made a lot of sense and I took away a lot of great info which substantially influenced my ideals (although admittedly I felt some pangs of guilt taking tips from a spoof website.) One of the quotes particularly stuck with me and I always seem to half-consciously refer to it while I'm on the fashion prowl:

There are three basic looks in glam metal "Glam Pirate" "Glam Cowboy" and to a lesser extent "Glam Biker"

Since reading this, I have personally leaned into the glam cowboy style, which the article went on to explain in further detail:

Glam dudes like cowboys because they're free roamin' badasses in a lawless wild desert, because they wear bandanas, because their boots have a heel and pointed toes, because spurs are shiny, and because much like pirates, women fucking love cowboys."

or is it the other way around on that last bit?... anyways, with partial basis on the above, I feel that one of the largest staples in any glam rock ensemble should be a good pair of cowboy boots, or in proper terms "western" boots.


There are of course, many styles of cowboy boots, for glam purposes I would recommend a traditional, all-leather, boot. These boots often have what is known as a "riding" heel, one that is a little taller than a normal boot heel, as an added bonus this adds anywhere from an inch to an inch and a half of height, a definite plus if you're vertically challenged like myself (5'5). Boots also have a variety of different toe shapes, although I would definitely recommend at least a slightly pointed toe. There are many reputable boot makers out there, some of the more well known, mid-range priced boots being Justin, Dan Post and Ariat. A good, solid boot from these manufacturers should run you between $120-$175 approximately. If you've got the dough, Luchesse boots are said to be some of the best, expect to spend over $300 though for a pair of these however. Check out Hot Boots! which has some more info on the styles of western boots.


Of course a pair of boots just isn't complete without the accessories that go with them. There are a wide variety of boot chains and straps that really make them pop! Personally I like a combination of chains and straps with large buckles, like those I have on my boots above, I picked up a little while back from Etsy.

 M.R. Boots has a great selection, I've also seen ones with conchos, stars, or hairpipe beads among many others so you're sure to find one that suits you! Also some folks like having toe tips and heel guards as well which add a little extra shine to your boots.

In addition there are some great videos on cowboy boots on youtube, a favorite of mine being the series from Cowboyboot. He's got some great custom boots and chains along with some fantastic Levi 501's:



New Jeans vs. Used Jeans & the quintesential Levi's 501's

Posted: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 by Jack From The 80's in Labels: , , , , , ,
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"Like a favorite pair of torn blue jeans
This skin I’m in it’s alright with me
 It’s not old - just older."

Just Older - Bon Jovi




Everyone needs a good pair of jeans. I have noticed that trace elements of 80's rock fashion and style are creeping back into closets and one of the most prominent areas of this resurgence is in apparel of the two-legged variety. Over the last 10 years or so, many clothing manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon of creating "vintage-style" jeans, most of which are pre-distressed and faded. While often times this seems like a quick and easy addition to the wardrobe, there are certain points you should consider before opting for a brand new pair of pantalones. First, you will be hard pressed to find jeans in the right CUT. Boot cut jeans and skinny jeans seem to be the most prevalent in most major retail stores like JC Penney's, Sears and Macy's. They also have similar styles at hot retailers such as American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch but if you are buying jeans from those places, you have no business being on my blog, let alone trying to recreate glam rock fashion. While skinny jeans are definitely 80's as a general rule, they don't often present themselves with the same vibe that we are after, and boot cut jeans are great, I love wearing them, but if anything they are a bit too 70's. The second problem with buying new jeans is that because of our economy and the principles of American consumerism they often quite poor quality in both materials and craftsmanship. Jeans that I bought 6 months ago won't usually last much more past that point without becoming completely destroyed, and not in a fashionable way. So where does that leave us?

Well it only stands to reason that you go true vintage! I'll mention that a lot throughout this blog because in my opinion if you want to dress from the 80's you have to wear from the 80's. Now there are a few drawbacks to doing this, mainly that of cost, condition and rarity, but I will outline these shortly. To me, the quintessential jeans of the 80's had to be the Levi's 501's.

Levi's 501's are button-fly, shrink-to-fit jeans, meaning that when brought brand new, after a few weeks of wear, the wearer washes the jeans which significantly shrink more or less to conform to the curves of the wearers body. It's important to remember that because of this, on these style of jeans, Levi's measures by the original size of the jeans BEFORE shrinking, so be sure when purchasing a pair of vintage "post-wash" 501's that you find out the "measured size" which is the size as measured by the seller, as opposed to the actual "tag size". Also note that since 1971 the 501's remained relatively unchanged until 2003 where it changed to a more modern (baggy) look. So often times I find its helpful that if you can see the way the legs are tapered to determine if they are at least pair made before the change. If you would like to know a little more about how to identify vintage Levis, check this out the Vintage Levi's Jeans Guide

As with most of the items I will mention throughout, second-hand stores, flea markets, goodwill, hold the perfect opportunities to find some really cool 80's gear, but so far It's not been my luck to run across any 501s in any of these types of stores especially in my size (30x32). In this case I turn to reliable old Ebay. It's pretty easy to find vintage 501's in the style we're after at a good price on there, some as low as $10/pair most no more than around $30/pair, Most of these jeans aren't rare enough or in pristine enough condition to attract serious collectors so rarity or scarcity shouldn't be a concern at this point, but  be prepared to pay a substantial amount more for a less worn out pair of vintage 501's, or at least $10 or so more for a pair with minimal holes/stains. As with everything, you may have to sacrifice a bit on one end to gain the other, specifically that of appearance/durability. I know I mentioned earlier that a major problem with new jeans is that they aren't made as well as older jeans. With that said, think about how many times these jeans have been worn, and have washed and rewashed hundreds of times over. With every wash a little bit of the material is rubbed away leaving some areas thin or faded. Because of this, most vintage jeans will have small discolorations, stains and rips, most of which are fine, but be aware of these larger pitfalls:

- Big, dark or multiple stains. 
 Unless you are just wearing them around home, I would avoid getting jeans with bad stains. Unorthodox dress is one thing, but looking like a bum who spilled his Old E is completely different.

-Large tears or potentially large tears.
 Having jeans with blown-out knees if fine and so is fraying around the waist, pockets and hem, in fact I advocate both. Unless your girlfriend is very good with a needle or you like oversized patches on jeans, I would definitely try to avoid big holes and rips, or areas that look like they may soon rip in the higher stressed areas of the jeans. The most common of these (and coincidentally most embarrassing) being the seat and the crotch. Some people will wear these spots out faster than others,  Personally I am prone to often tearing the rear portion of my jeans. Once this happens, even the best stitch can put too much strain on the fabric and it may just tear again at the most inconvenient time. Best to avoid these pairs altogether and find jeans that look mostly intact in these areas.



That's about all I can think of for Jeans, hope this helped in how to pick your new pair of 501's, or other if you choose. Drop me a comment if you have any questions :)

-J

*Liner Notes*

Posted: by Jack From The 80's in
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"Well I'm a west coast struttin'
One bad mother
Got a rattlesnake suitcase
Under my arm
Said I'm a mean machine
Been drinkin' gasoline
And honey you can make my motor hum
Well I got one chance left
In a nine live cat
I got a dog eat dog sly smile
I got a Molotov cocktail with a match to go
I smoke my cigarette with style
  An' I can tell you honey
You can make my money tonight".

Nightrain - Guns N' Roses



Don't ask me how I got here...I'm a little fuzzy on the details myself. All I can remember is that on a warm Friday night in 1986 I was cruising down the highway in my brand new Firebird. Aerosmith was blasting from the cassette deck as I made my way home from a killer Mötley Crüe show. Feeling good, I sang along and reached down by the floor for my cigarettes but what I saw when I looked back up froze me mid breath. The landscape had suddenly became distorted and the sky began to erupt in violent hues of neon green and fluorescent orange. As I looked skyward through the T-tops, a blinding tube of blue light parted the illuminated clouds and I felt myself falling, falling... I can't remember how long I was out but I instantly knew something was totally wrong, like I had traveled thousands of miles in no particular direction...I awoke half sprawled over some discarded couch on a sidewalk corner. My car was gone and something just didn't feel right. Lighting up a chesterfield, I wandered the nearby streets looking for some indication of where I was. As I looked around I saw kids with sideways hats, strange sleek cars with loud bass and folks stumbling around with their pants halfway down. "What a bizarre place this is." I mused aloud, slowly comprehending that this was no longer the 1986 I knew and loved. I realized then that I may never make it back. With deep sorrow I gave in to the fact that I would just have to make it on my own in this strange, new world....

Well that's how I like to think about it at least :)

I've been called Jack From The 80's and Jaxl Rose. It's been said I look like Bret Michaels and Vince Neil. Someone even paid me one of the highest compliments and told me he thought I look exactly like Duff McKagan! It all comes with the territory when you dress and act as a true 80's rock star.

I'll admit right now before we get any further that I was born in May of 1989, which makes me (almost) 23 years old. Although I'm pretty stoked that I got in at the very tail end of the decade, I hardly got to experience any of it. Despite this, I've grown up listening to the best bands of the 80's: Poison, Crue, GN'R, Whitesnake, Ratt, Bon Jovi, Scorpions, Billy Idol, Warrant, Winger, Def Leppard, Van Halen, the list goes on an on. It's taken me years to perfect the style I have now. From the boots to the earrings to the hairspray, I don't do it half-assed and I feel it shows in how I dress, to the cars I drive, and even the cigarettes I smoke; ask anyone who knows me. That's why I started this blog, so that I could share my countless hours of research and findings and opinions on true 80's rock star fashion for guys. Anyone can buy a wig at a Halloween store and throw on some type of cheap leather jacket, but to me it's not just a look, it's a lifestyle.  The heyday that made these bands great may be over, but I know I am not alone in carrying the torch to pay tribute to the last great Rock N' Roll decade.

-J