A fashion reporter considers how trends are communicated

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On a chilly December day, New York Times men's fashion writer Jacob Gallagher is wearing a button-up shirt and black slacks, one of about a dozen he owns. It's casual but gives the impression of being put together casually.

Gallagher's love of style started with tailored suits and Italian shoes, he said in an interview that day. Gallagher said his father, a museum exhibit designer, had worn such a uniform to work “every day for decades.”

That influence, along with Gallagher's immersion in the skateboarding culture and hardcore punk scene he grew up in Maryland (a subculture in which image and the way you carry yourself are extremely important), led him to find his own beat. led to. The idea is to analyze fashion as follows. Expression of political, social and cultural identity.

Mr. Gallagher, 33, joined the Times in October after nearly a decade covering men's fashion at the Wall Street Journal. In recent months, he has written about the rise of the muscular male star he calls the Noodle Boy, the symbolism of the black sweatshirts and down jackets worn by Syrian rebels, and the capes on display in the papal drama Conclave. are.

In our interview, he reflected on how menswear has evolved, why he thinks it's important to scrutinize your style, and the fashion advice he would give his 20-year-old self today. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

Where do you find story ideas?

We often look at what's happening in the news or pop culture of the day and think, “What's the point in talking about being able to focus on style?” I also spend a lot of time talking to retailers and going into stores to understand what's selling and what's not.

Did you work in the fashion industry before becoming a journalist?

When I was in college at the New School, I worked at several mass retailers and men's clothing boutiques in New York City. It was a pivotal moment in my life. Because it instilled in me the importance of understanding how people actually shop and how trends flow. I still think about these truisms often. When men find pants that suit them, they will definitely buy them.

Some people think of fashion as something fluffy. Why is fashion reporting important?

Fashion is one of the world's largest industries. Bernard Arnault, one of the richest men on the planet, runs a luxury conglomerate. Beyond language, how we carry ourselves and what we wear are the first things people interpret about each other when they interact. Clothes reflect a lot of messages and self-identity.

Your beats span many cultural areas, including politics, sports, and movies. Is there anything that particularly fascinates you?

I love watching politics. Because the boundaries of what politicians can wear are very narrow. That's why small changes, different looks, different clothes always resonate and become very interesting to write about.

And I think the most important people in menswear right now are athletes. They are the most fun, universal, and most experimental. There are all kinds of micro-trends when it comes to tunnel walk attire.

They definitely take more risks than I would say, but of course not all actors do that. They often do their own shopping and are always ripe for interviews. I might sit at a show in Paris and think, “Oh, that's wild.” Who would wear it? ” Six months later, it's on a football or basketball player.

We seem to be entering a golden age of sorts for male athlete fashion.

There was a time when men who were interested in clothes had a very narrow view. In my experience, it has dried up.

In the fashion industry, many people keep their styles simple, such as wearing all black. What do you think about dressing?

Granted, I'm not going to wear everything I cover, and I certainly don't cover everything I wear. I'm very particular about the brands I wear. It's a form of expression for me. I understand why other fashion journalists are obsessed with uniforms, but I get excited about it.

What fashion advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

No more weird pants. I wore patterned pants for too long.

Is there anything you wish you had taken in college?

The ability to scrutinize documents and litigation is a great skill. That's something I'm still learning. It took me a while to learn how to read company financial statements. I think all reporters need to be skilled at this level of investigative work. Because our country is so litigious that almost every article has a fascinating legal wrinkle. I talk to more lawyers than I expected for reporting purposes.