This is a recap-ish of the latest podcast episode. You can listen to the episode below before or after you read. That’s because I tend to expand on topics from the pod as well as straight-up write about things that we did not discuss. The choice is yours in how you want to proceed!

• Intro – 5:44 
• Is it More Casual? – 9:32
• Ren Faire/Movies – 18:37
• Bangers only – 30:39
• Wrap up – 1:12:00

Which One Is More Formal? (Round Two)

I was having a beer with Serhan, when we were discussing our attire for the Festival of Books that we were going to that weekend. He’s been enamored with his latest Suit Supply commission (a khaki cotton SB) but when I suggested that he wear it again, Serhan said that he didn’t want to be “too formal” for a largely casual affair (he didn’t care that I was likely going to be in a suit also).  I countered by saying that he could wear one of his graphic tee with the suit and make for a casual look. He was a little intrigued but corrected me in saying that it would still be too formal.

I was taken aback at this take. I explained that the introduction of a tee shirt, let alone a graphic one, is enough to make anything casual— even a suit. Serhan disagreed saying that for most people, the formal vibes of a suit will always come through especially to regular people, citing the fact that he isn’t a menswear guy and has more sensitivity to colloquialisms. I was starting to have flashbacks to the last time this type of debate came up within my friend group. 

We kept going until we ended up with the crux of the debate. Which one is more formal?

• Business casual using jeans with leather shoes or a suit with a graphic tee and sneakers?
  • Or perhaps more specifically: trousers and sneakers or jeans with leather shoes?
  • And when we say sneaker, we mean a New Balance or Samba and not anything intentionally sleek like a Common Project. 

Serhan and I continued this discussion the next day when we met up with our pals for a drink. The menswear guys obviously sided with me, saying that the bizcaz look (or anything with dress shoes) is more formal than tee shirts with a suit simply because shoes anchor the intended vibes of the outfit. Serhan and his non-menswear friends did maintain their position, though Alice started to side with me when I framed it as “jeans and heels versus trousers with dad sneaker”.  

It was a fun debate that ended when Breton finally said “They’re the same thing; they’re both casual”.  And that’s actually true! Both are intentionally subverting the ideas of “formality” just in different ways: the sneakers dress down the suit/trouser and dress shoes play up the bizcaz/jeans. 

I know the whole conversation is incredibly absurd but the whole thing shows that people will always have their own view on clothes and what it expresses.

Eventually, Serhan did wear a tee shirt and suit (and sneakers) the next time I saw him. I should have asked him if he felt formal! 

Renaissance Faire 2025

This past Ren Faire was the best one I went to. And a lot of that was because I was incredibly hammered on our tailgate pregame: Buzzballs, rum and coffee, and beer. This is what happens when you have two to kill in the parking lot because your friends are late due to the traffic resulting from a popular EDM DJ’s surprise appearance and when the event officials close the entrance you took last year. I haven’t been that sloshed in a long time. It was fantastic. 

What made it even better was the fact that my outfit was decidedly more Ren than previous editions: in 2023 I did a bit of Safincore and in 2024 I had a pseudo-Pirate type of thing. This time, I went a bit more cosplay, taking inspiration from Qimir from Star Wars Acolyte with a general fantasy vibe. I wore my kimono style DB cardigan without any shirt underneath, which made it a bit more “tunic-y”, which I then combined with black chinos tucked into riding boots (more on those later) and a poncho-cape I made with fabric from Remainders, a second-hand craft store. I also wore my elf ears for good measure. I think it looked pretty cool! 

James, as expected, was the best dressed out of the friend group not just because he has decidedly Ren Faire-friendly items (he has a poet shirt, vest, riding boots, and a hooded cape just for this), but because he decided to introduce a bit of narrative to his look. If you look closely at his hand, you’ll see that it’s slowly becoming blackened and twisted, presumably due to the magical book he keeps at his side. It doesn’t look like he’s going to get rid of it any time soon, because the powers afforded by the book are just too great not to lose!

In general, I felt like this Ren Faire had even more people dressed up than before, showing that this fun shindig is indeed getting bigger…and that regular people are embracing dressing up, cosplay, and LARP which I’m always going to get behind. My group for Ren Faire was also the biggest it had ever been (shout out to Joseph for inviting his gym friends) which made it a lot more fun. 

Now I just need to think about how I’ll improve my outfit for next year. I did just get my jodhpurs in…

Should Every Outfit Be A Banger?

Let’s get into the main topic of the day, one that I’m sure many of you will have words about when I’m done (because I’m just crazy). 

I suggest you guys listen to full podcast episode before reading because my article will focus more on the mindset and emotional response we have to Bangers instead of trying to define what a Banger is (a moot point).

While I can’t recall exactly how I formed this topic, the thing that sticks with me was my friend (and Patron) Kiyoshi stating that he has a “no benchwarmers” policy in his wardrobe. There is nothing mid or filler in his wardrobe. And while he may not have said it exactly, there was definitely a theme of “Bangers Only” in his approach. 

This is best exemplified in the Parks and Rec clip above, where Tom Haverford (played by Aziz Ansari) shares that he is totally fine with using the shuffle function on his playlist. That’s because every song he downloads must pass a rigorous test to ensure that it is indeed a Banger. I find kinship with this idea, simply because of my own “strict” (or cautious?) approach to buying clothes. I truly believe that everything you own should be exciting and interesting, otherwise, there isn’t a point in owning it to begin with. Why waste space? Your closet should be full of Bangers!

Now, this isn’t new to regular followers of mine. But this time, I decided to take it a step further and engage in a fun, faux-philosophical inquiry: Does every outfit need to be a Banger? 

My initial answer is no, especially if we look at the conventional way to describe a Banger. 

The term “Banger” comes from music slang, where it refers to a catchy and energetic song, usually because of a good beat and/or hook/melody.   It’s a song that “pops off” and “goes hard”.  It can have a POV or style but it’s not necessarily about a specific genre, though pop music comes to mind. Bangers can be comprised of the tried-and-true Four Chords but they also don’t have to be. You just know it when you hear it and feel it. It hits different. A banger is a song that you can instinctively groove to in a big way.  It makes people bang their head. 

These qualities make Bangers such an interesting concept, as its “good-making quality” is more about the effect it produces in the listener than its technical prowess or even its ability to express the artist’s intent.  And while there is no real standard for a Banger, there are certainly optimized actions you can take to produce the effect. Like with Haverord’s rubric (BPM, dope-ness, lack of acoustic instruments), some would argue that there is a phenotype for a Banger outfit: edge, personality, and a groove-able vibe that hits with its audience.

In regards to that last point, you could argue that Bangers are Bangers because of their universal, or at least their easily understood, appeal. It’s not that Bangers are danceable, but that everyone else can feel it too. This is bolstered by the fact that Bangers often receive accolades, kudos, and various forms of engagement (shares, likes, streams). It almost makes popularity and appeal become an equal metric to the “headbanging-ness” quality of a song. 

When we apply this to fashion, it makes it seem that a Banger outfit tends to be one that not only goes hard but hits hard, meaning the algorithm. A Banger is something that you know will “hit” with others, leading you down the dangerous hole of optimization and chasing the zeitgeist in order to truly achieve Banger status.  Ugh. that sounds exhausting. The whole thing reminds me of the discussion we had on “Cool”, Trends, and of course, the Death of the Fit Pic where it seems people are very concerned about the reception and engagement they get on their outfits.

In that way, no, I don’t think that every outfit has to be a Banger. But that’s the easy answer…and it’s a statement that doesn’t actually align with my actual approach to dressing. 

That’s because I actually only wear Bangers. Or rather, outfits that make my head Bang, with emphasis on the “my” part of it.

Keep in mind that my whole approach comes from a modified approach to the concept of “Bangers”, one that is much more subjective as it prioritizes personal taste and individual emotional response. More of a “Personal Banger”, but a Banger nonetheless. This is an outfit/song that makes your head bang…even if it may not produce the same response in other people.

I am of course mainly referring to my tailored attire, which is what I wear most often:: a checked jacket or full suit, striped shirt, and a tie featuring an abstract geometric or stripe pattern. It’s not that people don’t like them or that these outfits aren’t interesting or bold, but I know that most people wouldn’t consider them “Bangers”. That would be especially true when compared to my minimal outfits or ones that are stereotypically sexy or sleek (like with black flared or heeled boots). But here’s the thing— I consider my Apparel Arts, trad, and vintage outfits Bangers just the same. 

Such outfits, as silly and contextually dressy as they are, are indeed Bangers because they make my head bang. They’re groovy, easy, slouchy, and bring me confidence in the way that these outfits express who I am and what I like. You could say that executing a vision makes my Head Bang. It just brings me so much joy and excitement to pair these items together and wear them wherever I am, be it at home, at a coffee shop, or at drinks with my friends. And it doesn’t matter if they don’t get a lot of likes on social media; I’m proud to post them. I’m proud to share my Bangers. 

In that way, Bangers (for me) aren’t necessarily about Social Effect or invoking Cultural Coolness of the Items/Combinations thereof.  Bangers can also be rooted in subjectivity, with their Banger-status coming from an exuberant expression of Personal Taste. Or at least, that’s how it is for me. 

My approach to Bangers is much more about what prompts the visceral reaction in myself, with less stock put into how others may respond to it. In other words, it’s less about the social effect and more about how it makes me feel. I’m concerned with what makes my head bang, both in the inspo I see and the outfits I create myself. It’s not that conventional or popular stuff doesn’t get my head banging but that I want to honor the stuff that hits differently to me.

While I don’t have a specific rubric (this is an emotional and physical response after all), I can at least say that the outfits that I consider to be a Banger (to me) is both exciting and impressive. It’s an outfit that knocks my socks off and gets me to nod (bang?) and exuberantly “damn, that’s good”. This can happen when I happen upon a certain combination online or when I make something myself; clocking this reaction is how I know I’m onto something that I know I’ll be excited to wear.

As you have probably surmised, this typically manifests when I wear big suits, checked jackets, patterned ties, and striped shirts, with occasional deviances toward decidedly ivy (solid knits and OCBDs). Again, it’s not like this doesn’t happen when I am more minimal or sleek (think tonal Armani/Frasier looks, which are more of a conventional Banger), but it’s the “unconventional” stuff (in regards to the zeitgeist) that also happens to get my head banging. It’s all personal. 

This is best reflected in my taste in music. I like a enjoy listening to a lot of music. The stuff that really gets me going is mid-century jazz and 20th-century orchestral music: two genres where complexity in instrumentation and composition feels incredibly easy. I just love the dynamics, not just in volume in the “physical” structure of the composition. It may sound random at times, with a few crazy chord stabs and runs, but it’s all intentional and natural, as disparate as that sounds. That’s the beauty of my favorite forms of music. And that’s why certain orchestral pieces (I tend to prefer fast rhythms over slow, legato pieces) are also considered Bangers in my library.

This is obviously echoed (in a way) in my approach to menswear, especially in the outfits that I really connect with. I clearly have a predilection for the interactions of multiple geometries be it in design (patterns) or in composition (proportions, negative space), all of which are found throughout my attire There’s also a bit of grace involved in an arguably convoluted outfit, usually because of the drape and footwear (I like loafers over lace-ups) as well as the physical posture and attitude afforded by all of the elements working together.  I also wouldn’t downplay my intermittent use of subversion or “edge”, though it’s usually accomplished by harmonic juxtaposition (beret and jungle jacket over a suit) instead of random combinations (converse with a jacket and tie).

My approach to casual attire also uses a similar mindset, even if it’s executed slightly differently.  There is still an emphasis on geometries and proportion, which thematically connects my “dressed-down” attire to my tailoring-focused attire. My big pleated shorts are quite related to my big pleated pants; my overshirts and casual jackets tend to echo the fit of my sportcoats.  Even my more rugged outfits utilize the convoluted approach that lends itself to my Headbanging. And as these fits are casual and not formal, there is more fun with “subversion”, such as the use of dressy tassel loafers with shorts and jeans/fatigues or perhaps the combination of a sportcoat and a tee shirt.  

To clarify, the decision on which lane or POV I go with is predicated on the Occasion. This is where a bit of social communication and context come into play, like when I wear a sleek outfit when I dance at a bar, when I read alone at a coffee shop wearing a plaid jacket and a foulard, or when I’m in fatigues and a vintage tee as I peruse the flea.  Most people might argue that one of these outfits would be considered more of a Banger. But that’s not the right way to look at these things.

I do not deny that I reserve certain POVs for certain activities or that I have a few “tried and true” uniforms that I rely on (striped shirts + patterned ties, yuppie, suit-adjacent casual). But I see it more as a prompt for a theme instead of saying that certain Occasions or contexts deserve a Banger over the other. To me, this implies that other outfits are mid which isn’t the case at all.  Everything I wear, be it casual or formal, ivy or Apparel Arts, sleek or maximalist, are all Bangers in their own way. They are all interesting and are a result of me full sending my POV in the theme that I chose for that day. I always feel exuberant when I get dressed. And if I reflect a bit more, it’s clear that this is due to the fact that the pieces themselves are Bangers in their own right.

This brings me back to what started this discussion in the first place.  Everything in my closet is something that I would consider a Certifed Banger. Nothing is mid or just a filler. If they were, I obviously wouldn’t have bought it! I’m sure that having items that actively excite you and are filled with personality contributes strongly to the Banger status of your outfit. 

That being said, I do think that there are menswear items that are inherently Bangers due to their cultural connotations (coolness) or their unique/interesting design. I can recognize that I own a quite few of such items: leather jackets (especially double riders), white suits, side zip boots, cowboy boots, chalkstripe,  flared jeans, a beret, and rayon sportshirts. There is something about these things that are inherently bit extra and certainly go hard— and everyone can see it. This makes wearing such items create a shortcut to a Banger fit. But fashion is more than just buying things that are zeitgeist-certified! It’s about wearing the things that you emotionally connect with, the garments that make you Bang Your Head. 

This made me realize that a discussion about Bangers is really about Personal Taste and curation.  It’s not about what we like but about what sets things apart from the rest. Bangers are Bangers because they “hit different”— with an emphasis on different.  

It’s definitely all about details. I could buy any tassel loafer out there (within reason) but I settled on my Alden ones because they “hit different” from the ones I saw. 1930’s geometric ties are Bangers to me compared to the patterns done by Drake’s, Vanda, or even Brooks Brothers. To be clear, it’s not about different for different’s sake, but that the garments I want simply have the details that I’m looking for. Those Details make my Head Bang.

Not many people would consider these things Banger pieces….but I do. I love them so much. They make me excited and make me Bang My Head (wag my tail?), even if I’m not the one wearing them (aka when I see them out and about). These aren’t just formal items or pieces of vintage, but they are also aesthetic objects with design details that I enjoy and find kinship with. Like I said, there is a reason why I bought it over something else. 

My foulards and broades are bangers. My countless pleated trousers and suits (all in various shades of grey, brown, and blue). My jeans. My shorts. My OCBDs. My fedoras. My straw hats.  My Star Wars tees. My striped tees. My tassel loafers. My chukka boots. My longwings. My reverse stripe shirts. It just makes sense that Banger Items make Banger Outfits when they’re worn together.

In a similar vein, the same can be said for “consuming” outfits. There are certainly a lot of great outfits and stylish people out there. If I wanted to, I could dress like any of my compatriots and mutuals. But in the end, I only dress after the inspo that really grabs me. It’s all about that Compulsion, where an outfit on the internet or an old photo just makes my Head Bang enough for me to do it. Sometimes it’s a straightforward Banger and sometimes it’s something that personally hits me. I view them both equally, even if others may not see it that way.

=

All of that to say, no I don’t think that every outfit needs to be a Banger. But the thing is, they can happen to be because of how much emotion we pour into acquiring and wearing our clothes.

Looking back, I think I’m just weird. I have a bit of a warped view of Bangers or hell, what I emotionally (or even physically) respond to in general. But when you consider my approach to everything, as well as all of the stuff that I like, it just makes sense. 

To be clear, my enjoyment is not purely intellectual or from an art appreciation standpoint. I still feel the music.  Going deeper, I think it’s obvious that my favorite compositions, as complex as they are, are unified by a driving rhythm. It’s not exactly danceable, but I can feel the pulse, the groove, the energy. Perhaps that is the one element of conventional bangers that remains relevant in my approach. 

One thing is clear. I have a bit of that composer approach, where everything I wear (compose) is considered an “art-object”. I never aim to make mid-outfits. It’s true that some of my outfits are more edgy-coded than others or are more zeitgeist friendly, but I am never pride-less in my approach. It doesn’t matter if it’s something I wear at home or out with friends. Everything I wear is something that makes me excited and feels personal. Everything is a Banger.  It’s not solely about making something that others can jive to but primarily about making something that impresses and excites you.  Maybe that’s just because I just like to go hard at all times (and it doesn’t even take that much effort).

Maybe reveals something about the contrast between what we consume and what we produce. I enjoy my indie bands, but when I compose my own music, it comes out in a pseudo-20th-century sound. When I sing karaoke, it comes out as Broadway (in a bad impression of Aaron Tveit and Ramin Karimloo).  It’s not that I don’t like dancing or singing along to pop music. I have plenty of songs in alt/indie-rock and pop playlists, and they’re full of Bangers!  It’s that jazz and modern orchestral music also make my Head Bang. Though I guess in the latter, it comes out as furious conducting. You might think it’s different, but if Bangers are about producing visceral reactions, then that’s just how it manifests in me. 

And so with menswear, it’s not that I don’t think that sleek outfits with flares and heels aren’t Bangers, but it’s that I think that my other outfits are Bangers too. They all hit me in that way!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ethan M. Wong (@ethanmwong)

I know that Bangers will always be tied to a colloquial definition, where it’s largely about the agreed-upon effect a song has on everyone. I don’t deny that. Clothing is about communication and it’s fun to wear something cool that others will understand and feel. But I still think that’s quite narrow. It’s entirely possible that I’ve just missed the point as to what a Banger actually is…or that I’m incredibly arrogant to consider my outfits all Bangers.

Maybe I’m just a fan of the niche (or at least the stuff that isn’t algorithm-friendly), but I do think that there should be room for subjectivity when it comes to Bangers. I’m sure many of you bop to many things that others may not necessarily bop to! Music, art, and fashion are all subjective and we all react to things in different ways.  We need to celebrate that, especially if this relates to the action of creating something in response to what we take in from the world.

The more you get into expression, the more nuanced your threshold for Headbanging becomes. You may find that what you like deviates from the norm…or you might find that you’ve expanded your palette and now appreciate unorthodox things. With enough experience and exposure, your POV becomes simultaneously varied and honed in. This is entirely the point, to be a mix of “high” and “low”. We should take pride in nuance (as pretentious as it is) and embrace the fact that we can Headbang to a variety of different things. Lots of things can go hard!

In the end, Bangers are simply the things that “hit differently” especially to you. This ability to ascertain what is “different” comes down to Personal Taste, which is why I think it’s good to dive deeper into subjectivity because, at the end of the day, you are the one who will be wearing the clothes. You have the agency, the power to decide what you put together and how it makes you feel.  Invoking a Banger fit is not about playing into the zeitgeist or what will perform well in the algorithm. Instead, a Banger is about embracing the emotional connection and response we have when we interact with clothing.

Not everything needs to be a Banger, but we should strive to have every outfit be a Banger to ourselves. And that could just be a fit that when you see it in the mirror, makes you nod (bang) your head and make you say “Damn!”.

-end of blog post-

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ethan M. Wong (@ethanmwong)

Thanks for listening and reading along! Don’t forget to support us on Patreon to get some extra content and access to our exclusive Discord. 

The Podcast is produced by MJ.

Always a pleasure,

Ethan M. Wong (follow me on IG)

Big thank you to our top-tier Patrons (the SaDCast Fanatics), Philip, Shane, Henrik, Alexander, and Mason.