From as far back as I can remember in the epic halls of Lacrossedom it was never considered cool to look like you cared. Growing up going to Summer lax camps, I always will remember that kid with the squirrely mullet and a few zits proudly describing the best player from his high school with lines like "Oh yeah and Jimmy, he doesn't give a fuuuck". Whether the hypothetical Jimmys of the world made it big time or not it was still admirable to see their confident yet effortless grace they used to school the other team with. It was also great to see them occasionally get the shit knocked out of them by a good hard working defenseman.
Stylistically the Jimmys of the world seem to have had an effect on lacrosse culture, which brings me to some looks in this edition that will suit the 'laxer' quite well. Unfortunately in the 90's at some point on the East Coast, a lot of lacrosse kids were wearing things like Birkenstocks and Phish t-shirts; in which they might go to get drunk at Dave Matthews concerts and the like and possibly toke some reefer. But I guess those past trends are much easier to stomach than the current Wall Street meets aggressive Jersey Shore/MMA mashup that is now becoming too commonplace. So let your hairs downstairs grow a little bit and let's take a little trip on the wild side while we check out some ways to mediate your style selections.
Look 1:
I wish I had been buying Burkman Brothers garb for years, but that would be next to impossible since they only launched their inaugural line in '09. The Spring 2010 look book has some real gems that perfectly fit the wanderlust preppie laxer's lifestyle. For inspiration these brothers traveled to the Far East and beyond and as a result they successfully fused classic American prep staples with exotic threads and colors from the Indian Sub Continent and Southeast Asia. The bros. appropriately pieced together this gentleman's outfit to near 'unintentional' perfection.
It's the type of stuff that caters to the young disillusioned college graduate who is not sure what he is going to do but still wants to have a good time getting there. I know Meatheads, you probably are going to want to beat this kid up when you see him at your party, but you have to admit he does have on an impressive color palette. This guy was probably cruising around the globe until things got a little too weird in Thailand and now he might not want to talk about it. If Burkman Bros. clothes and Barney's shopping are out of your budget, never fear. You can probably pull off this whole look with some similar stuff on the sale hangers of Nordstrom's Rack.
A vital ingredient of this style to pay attention to are the scuffed up chukka boots. You may already have some and don't even know it, but if not try and grab some ¾ length boots or sneakers. Attractive rugged brown leather boots are good and so are strong military canvas shoes. It will give you a big one up on the guy that hastily pairs everything with the same Asics running shoe or the nice outdoorsy dork who just wears expensive and tacky hiking boots. Generic Surplus. Military Hi-top or some trusty leather Timbos should do the trick.
Hopefully this travel worn look will keep you out of trouble and help the rest of the world hate you a little less, but I can't make any guarantees if you act like an asshole.
Look 2:
There is nothing that screams “My dad hates me” more than this totally righteous get-up put together by the clothing brand Insight's ingenious stylist in the image below.
The cool baggy white tank top, saggin' low rise Lazyboy jeans, and some hippie shit around your neck is bound to get this guy laid by somebody. Insight is a company that I had heard of but never really took much notice of until recently when I spotted them at American Rag. They have an excellent assortment of cool denim styles for both guys and girls and some don't-mind-if-I-do "dope" boardshorts.
It's not quite full-on beach season yet but “Who needs a reason?” are what these superbly screen printed board 'jorts tell me. Whether you are the right or wrong person to be wearing them makes them bound to be a conversation starter, which is all most people ever really ask for in a social setting. So if you are an updated Wooderson from Dazed and Confused or a raging trustafarian, don't worry. School will be out for summer very soon and there will be plenty of festivals to go to. And yes. with this look you are better off if you don't shower. Well, at least that worked for me in Costa Rica . Hacky sack optional.
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Danny McCormick is a featured blogger for Lacrosse Playground covering style and fashion. Born in Maryland and raised in Virginia, Danny lived an East Coast laxer lifestyle while attending the Landon School, and the University of Maryland before eventually heading out to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams in entertainment and fashion. While working his way up the LA food chain he has served as an assistant to some top stylists, decorated sets for commercials, films, and photo shoots, and works as Adrenaline Apparels Art Director and Eco consultant. After injuring his knee on Halloween doing a complex yet unrehearsed dance sequence, he has ruled out the chance of a lacrosse come back. But if asked if he would do it again the answer is hell yes.