Cherry Picking (or, putting together the cherries you pick)

I think I did a post like this a while back called "A Confluence of Styles", or something. Forgive me if I'm repeating myself. You all know that I firmly believe that dressing well has little or nothing to do with money. I also firmly believe that aligning oneself to tightly with any given set of rules is detrimental to the elusive thing called 'style'. My point? There's no good reason not to 'cherry pick' from all things good, and bring your choices all together creatively. Cheap can live with expensive, old can live with new, and so forth...
Here is a old 3/2 sack blazer from J.Press in classic navy blue hopsack. I bought it for $7.49, but I've owned it so long and worn it so much that it's worth can no longer be calculated in dollars. A shirt (perhaps something of an aberration according to many of you) that I had made, the courteous gift of Deo Veritas. Say what you will, but I'm really digging the contrast button down, more and more every time I wear it. For some reason, I can't see it working with anything other that a blue and white pattern on the shirt. ADG has a similar shirt in blue with white stripes, and even Tin Tin told in person that it's "not that bad". From him, I call that a compliment. Seal the deal with a no name silk ascot picked up last week for $1.99 at an undisclosed thrift.

While we're on the subject of the shirt/aberration, I've recently decided that the best way to tame the admittedly somewhat ridiculous three button angled contrast cuffs is to wear them so, buttoned only in the middle. Flashy and ostentatious? Probably, but it's kind of like leaving a button or two open on your jacket cuff just to be a show of about the fact that you had it made. Sue me.

The real story here resides below, in my new favorite shoes. Perhaps also something of an aberration. Brown tassel loafers by Bostonian, USA made, in a lovely shade of chestnut belied by the poor quality of my photography. Khakis and my favorite yellow socks. Lets leave the shoes for a moment and go off on a tangent.

That is indeed a hard crease in my khakis. It's an issue I've been know to waffle on. Until recently, I was staunchly in the "don't even iron your khakis" camp. Then I had this pair and one other shortened by Mr. Lee, and he handed them back to me dry-cleaner sharp, crispy like, and I thought maybe I like this, kinda dress, looks good with a blazer. Khakis are military in origin after all, and do lend themselves to a nice crease. Now I compromise. I have two pair that I crease, and three pair that I wear straight out of the wash. But I digress. Originally from J.Crew, I of course purchased this pair second hand for a ghastly $4.99.

Back to the treads. Take a look at the toe. Instead of the standard moccasin toe stitching, we have this single row of brogue-ing. A small touch, but damned distinctive. I think that, plus the light, casual color give these loafers a certain 1930s vibe. Not bad for $7.99

Truth be told, these shoes are actually a half size larger than I normally wear. But thrift shopping makes a man crafty. A new pair of good old Dr. Scholl's inserts takes up the extra room, and makes them more comfortable besides.

The moral of the story? Good stuff goes with good stuff. All you have to do is know good stuff when you see it.