In the comments to a recent post, some of you put the screws to our man ADG. Most in question were his choices in trousers, the traffic stopping kind. I'm here to buck up for my friend, 'cause he sure as hell ain't alone. But honestly, I'm a complete sucker for heavy weight, soft to the touch, proper tartan wool flannel, in any men's garment, but as trews it's an extra bonus. As for the pink corduroy...c'mon, pink corduroy? When I brought this pair to the register at the local thrift, the following transpired:
Pair #1, from the internationally known Brothers, long time standard bearers in such realms.
Pair #2 from the geekier, if more esoteric and higher quality, Chipp.
Pair #3, from Johnny Appleseed's, a long gone local purveyor of such things. Massachusetts used to be full of these places (sigh). All three pair cost less than $25 together. Go ahead, who will be the first with the "get what you pay for" crack. I dare you.It is by now well known that I enjoy dressing well, and I sometimes lament the absence of the requirement to do so. But the bright side of this is that I need not be bound by laws pertaining to navy suits and white shirts. Since I dress this way by choice, I can allow myself all the cockamamie cords and silly plaid pants I want, where if I were required to dress in jacket and tie, 90% of my wardrobe would be unacceptable.
I could go on about how men behave, and dress, like teenagers well into middle age, and I could complain about our collective loss of decorum in all social matters in general...and I could talk about the courage involved in wearing pink pants in an age when a blue shirt and striped tie with khakis will likely get you jokes and sidelong glances in many everyday situations. But truthfully, I'm more than a pinch of a peacock, and so ain't any guy who would wear this stuff, regardless of upbringing, circumstance or point in history. I like to wear pushy clothes, can't help it.
Forgive me this brief moment of introspection, bur wasn't "know thyself" some famous advice from some famous old guy?
"Conosci te stesso" is good advice for all of us.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird, but I find your legwear less unacceptable than ADG's. Maybe it's that you have more classic plaids and solid colors, and fewer emblematics (aka "critters") and gaudy patterns.
ReplyDeleteEven so, my wife would absolutely refuse to be seen in public with me were I to wear such contrivances, bless her.
Having said that, I could see wearing the leftmost pair (the Appleseed's) as a pair of shorts. Funny, that.
Well, you and ADG are making yourselves happy with your GTH apparel, and you are making many of your real-life viewers happy, too (hey, honey--you'll never believe what I saw today!). More power to you.
I know you're a great guy; you say ADG is, too. I still wouldn't be caught dead in pants like that.
So: where are all your "fun" shirts?
I am having a textile crush on those Johnny Appleseed pants. So killer.
ReplyDeleteIt was 92 degrees (Fahrenheit) with 72% humidity here today, so the tartan wool is pretty much a dream for at least 3 more months.
Those are fantastic pink cords. I, for one, am jealous. A great find!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Sir Cingle
I love the pink cords, wear them proudly.
ReplyDeleteYou go man!
ReplyDeleteI could take #1 & #3 ... but not #2. I regularly wear pink, lavender, and similar colored shirts, but would not be comfortable in those pink pants.
Those are wild cords. I would have bought them too. Paul said in 1961 they had thirty colors of cords.
ReplyDeleteVery well spoken, G. Entirely my sort of trousers. My most recent post reflects the same issues to a lesser extent. I'll certainly be referencing you to one of my new readers who's been asking about the acceptability of such bold selections.
ReplyDeleteThe Cable Knit Collegian
"jazzy". I like it.
ReplyDeleteI wore a pair of Nantucket Red high water pants into town on Saturday and was surprised by the violence of the reaction that greeted them. "Get a pair of trousers that fucking fit you, you cunt" was amongst the strongest comments....and that was from a women well into her 40s!
ReplyDeleteΩ καιροί ω ήθη
(O temora o mores!)
Cyclo2000,
ReplyDeleteWow! What a terrible overreaction! As little as I care for GTH, I would never be so abusive, much less vulgar, about it. Some might say that you chose the wrong venue for Nantucket Reds (i.e., town); even so, there's no excuse for what happened.
I guess that 40-year-old "woman" never heard the George Carlin routine about the Seven Words and women's abhorrence of "P & C."
Fabulous, G. If I saw you on the streets wearing any pair of those beautiful trousers, I would congratulate you and ask where you acquired them. Please, keep at it.
ReplyDelete@ cyclo2000
ReplyDeleteI can't believe someone actually spoke to you that way. Good grief. Why in the world would YOUR pants cause such a reaction for her? I am sorry that happened to you. I say if you have the chupah to pull it off go for it. Besides when in the world did a pair of pants ever hurt anyone?
Cyclo/Mama,
ReplyDeleteThough I give Giuseppe good-natured grief for his flamboyant pants, Mama is absolutely right.
G, you keep on wearing those fine pants, my man! I will never join you, but I will always support you (heck, I've even aided and abetted you in the wearing of loud plaid). And everyone else--yes, even ADG--who likes such legwear? I'm with you in spirit.
Bright white pants and shorts are a guilty pleasure; they're just so damn hard to keep clean.
ReplyDeleteI also long for the day when plaid shorts are acceptable casual wear.