09 January 2010

The Man From Maine

I live in a place that experiences an honest-to-God, snow and ice winter every year. On of the best garments I've ever owned to combat the attendant cold temperatures of January was a pair of flannel lined khakis from L.L.Bean. My old pair was a little to big for me, but they were so warm I wore them anyway. For shoveling or sledding with the wee ones, they can't be beat. Alas, I recently spilled a big whiff of olive oil on them, and the stain has proved impossible to remove.

These pants had been such a good thing to own, I was fully prepared to pay full retail for a new pair. I may be a self avowed cheapskate, but I think $50 is more than a fair price for nice looking warm pants. Then, just in the nick of time, what should find me but these:

A vintage pair, in my size, $4.89
The flannel is a nice shade of dusty orange, and at least twice as thick as the flannel in my first pair.

Serious vintage L.L. Bean. How long has it been since they switched from this old script logo? Maybe Heavy Tweed Jacket can come out of the woodwork and give us a short history lesson on these.

Best of all, they have a really trim cut, short in the legs with no break. The cut, plus the logo, plus the weight and quality of the cotton leads me to date these pants in the 60's or 70's.

They have a kind of funny, asymmetrical placement to the belt loops. Kind of reminds of the old the cut of the old thread-bare Dickie's my grandfather was so fond of. Note how well they go with the vintage buffalo plaid wool Chippewa pop-over I purchased a while back.

Red wool socks and Bean gum shoes are, of course, de riguer. Too bad I didn't have some lumber to split or something.

p.s. I know I've been known to rail against the current trend in work wear as fashion, and this outfit flies in the face of that. It's not the clothes I have a problem with, it's the millionaire price tags...the clothes are actually pretty cool, on occasion.




17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Giuseppe,

Many of us are waiting with bated breath for HTJ to come out of the woodwork.

NCJack said...

"Workwear" isn't faux if you're working; ditto "outdoor gear" if you're in real outdoors. I also get a little ill when I see work boots on someone who's never had a sore-feet-dirty-hands job

James said...

Mr G,
This is too wild I shoveled my drive this morning in the same type of Beanpants. Found them last summer for $5.99 , my buffalo plaid shirt was tan and black though ($2.99). My Bean boots are 8" ers I bought new many a moon ago.

The Enthusiast said...

Yea, seriously, screw olive oil stains. They've ruined many a pant.

Pitboss12 said...

No hat with earflaps?? A full body pic would be great.

Young Fogey said...

"No hat with earflaps??"

Who do you think writes this blog--Elmer Fudd?

On a more serious note, that's the kind of hat that can be worn only if there are others around you wear it, too. Otherwise, it's geeky costume.

Anonymous said...

Olive oil stains?

Fels-Naptha Heavy Duty Laundry Bar Soap.
Wet the stain. Wet the soap bar. Rub in lots of the soap. Let it sit for an hour. Don't rinse it out. Run trousers through regular cycle with any laundry detergent.

Anonymous said...

Please tell us you were sitting down when the "feet" picture was taken.

Giuseppe said...

I hiked my pants up intentionally to show the socks.

Anonymous said...

If not Elmer Fudd, perhaps Ron Weasley in "The Prisoner of Azbakan":

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_PsOG36Dd0Wo/SyctLiXeXYI/AAAAAAAABS0/HWPLfqQLA8I/s1600-h/Harry-Potter-Hermoine_l.jpg

Pitboss12 said...

YF - If G is going to shovel snow, I think a hat with earflaps wouldn't be out of place with this outfit. This item is all about function.
G doesn't seem like the kind of person that needs 20 other guys wearing the same hat because he's afraid of not blending in. That's for Williamsburg hipsters.

Anonymous said...

Someone in the NY Times a few weeks back said something to the effect of "never has it cost so much to look like a lumber jack," my point is I share the opinion express in your last statement. Also I must add those pants are a great find.

DAM said...

With all these days of sub-freezing temperatures in DC, I may break down and buy a pair myself...

Simon said...

I have a pair of flannel-lined Eddie Bauer jeans from years ago that see service every winter. I'm not even sure if they sell them anymore, but they're a great option for those of us that have to bear the brunt of winter.

Anonymous said...

L.L. Bean changed their label design in the early eighties.

Mateo said...

Organic grease stain huh? Olive oil, bacon grease, etc. Use dish soap (like Palmolive). It's worked for me.

The Stylish Philosopher said...

Someone gave me a pair of those flannel lined pants from Bean when I was driving an old Chevy blazer with no heat. They were a godsend. But a bit too hot indoors.