ALIFE Fall/Winter 2010 Collection

Those of you who've been following Dear Whoever for a while now might notice that I've all but curbed most fashion and sneaker posts, save a few exceptional ones. That's not because I've given up on it. It's just that most brands are melding into the same category, and, as I find myself getting a bit older, hanging on to traditional streetwear brands is a bit lame. Some however continue to surprise me, if not by the designs themselves then by the way they're presented. ALIFE is always going to be on the scene. They've got way too much pull and a lot of creative minds rocking with them at this point. I guess it's no surprise that the lookbook for this year's fall/winter collection is so dope. A series of stop-motion photography with a white backdrop is all the NYC brand needed to show off their new collection of traditional graphic tees, flannel button downs, sweaters, hoodies and of course, their sneakers. The music does the video justice too. Check the lookbook out in slower motion here...

'The Mixtape Was Better' T-Shirt

Sometimes, I wish these new 'blog' rappers wouldn't even put out albums. The title of 'album', to them, is indicative of a work that has to be mixed and mashed and cut into perfect squares and packaged for God knows what reason. It's as if once an artist says they're putting out an album, they become unnatural in their process. The music isn't as raw, soulful, insightful or.. good. That's right, I'm saying it. These days, artists in hip-hop and R&B put out better mixtapes than albums. Trey Songz, Wale, KiD CuDi, Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y.. the list goes on forever! If Drake and J. Cole flop (Drake's album is looking extra regular from the leaks), then I might just give up hope for hip-hop (hyperbole). But I suppose it's good that such a vibe is rearing its head. More people bump with mixtapes than albums these days anyway. It's just the record labels and radio stations still on the other side. I guess this was much more of a rant than a post about a t-shirt. Even so, the t-shirt brings up something we've all thought about music today. Props to the fellows at Academy Printwear for getting the word out in wearable form...

At $14 a pop, this might be a better buy than a lot of albums...