(A Brooding) Band of Outsiders via PAPERMAG

I’m a Band of Outsiders fan (though it would be much cooler if their site were hosted on Tumblr and not Blogger). I found this interesting piece on their Spring/Summer ‘11 collection from Papermag and it got me thinking; why all the nostalgia? I enjoy it. My closets are filled with plaids, herringbones, tattersalls, distressed wingtips, oxfords, boat shoes, crested ties, conservative stripes, and yes, my several pairs of eyeglasses could all be found in wardrobe on the set of Mad Men. Maybe I’m a cliched mess. I also have an infatuation with Nikes and Adidas Stan Smith tennis shoes. I digress. Back to the question; why all the nostalgia? Here are some recent Band of Outsiders images (both from the Papermag piece):

I’m sure there are dozens of trend reports that could explain all this clearly, and would love to take a look if anyone has anything worth sharing, but I have a few questions?

Post financial crisis, everything went grey and black in response to the dour reality we confronted. Is the subsequent evolution of the return to preppy a comment on our desire to feel secure in unsure times? Do we feel better wearing the safe, smart clothing of our parent’s and grandparent’s generations?
Is it a return to the industrious responsibility of the “Greatest Generation?”
Is this trend the “suiting-up” of a generation of young people ready to address and take the reins of an increasingly complex global civilization?
Does it represent something fundamentally good that is taking shape socially?

Or maybe it’s just Mad Men and it is happening for all the same reasons Grunge did in the 90s. I’d like to think a little more about it, but thought the initial thought worth sharing.

JNOMICS