Breaking the Law: A Dressy Suit Goes Casual

I love to wear suits, but my lifestyle simply doesn't "require" them that often. And when it does, there's invariably a wedding or a death involved. I buy a lot of sports jackets and nice trousers, because they fit my game better...but being an avid thrifter, it's sometimes hard to say no to a good looking suit.

Back in January, I picked up this double-breasted chalk stripe suit, courtesy of Polo Ralphie. Today, I wore it for the first time. Funny, in my original post on the day I bought the suit, I talked about how the only way to wear it was to break numerous sartorial laws, and match it with a button down collar, v-neck sweater, and brown suede shoes, all of which I did today.

No tie, to boot. I've been itching to wear this number. The problem is that a double breasted striped suit is a pretty dressy rig, so I had to tone it down. I have to say, I like it as a casual kit. The weather was ripe for it, too. Cold enough for flannel and a sweater, but not quite cold enough for a coat.

Which means I had to consider how the whole thing would look sans jacket. I'm officially convinced, every man needs a bright red wool v-neck sweater, it's a staple.

Just to keep the "rule breaker" aesthetic complete, I opted for cream colored socks with my best brown suede shoes.

Accessorized to death with a Brooks Brothers merino wool scarf, an old grey herringbone driving cap, vintage tortoise shell wayfarers (thanks again, Egadfly), and wool lined brown leather gloves ($2.99, thrift).

The moral of the story is: rethink your dressiest items. Try wearing them like they weren't even dressy. Ralphie has built an empire on this rationale.

In other news...

I don't know how many of you read the comments around here, but I've recently been accused of hypocrisy.(see comments here). That really stings, since hypocrisy is something I simply do not abide.

Apparently, since I don't divulge the specific name and location of the sources of my "scores", I'm some kind of self indulgent hypocrite. Have I ever been anything but honest in my intentions in writing this blog?

Anyone will tell you, the first "rule" of successful thrift shopping is keep your mouth shut. No one ever told me where the hot spots were...I found them myself through perseverance and hard work. Back in the old days, when I didn't have a computer or a cell phone.

Is it so hard to Google "Thrift store Boston"?

Hypocrite indeed.

p.s. "The Tyrant" wrote me an email suggesting I work on my overall photo/lighting skills. And he's right. So today, I used the tri-pod, found a new location in the house, and shot during the day, in natural light. Better?