11 January 2012

The Abominable Plaid Dress Shirt

Given the unsettling lack of any kind of snow throughout November, December, and now January, I guess we need to find something other than a big wild snow man abominable this year. How about a plaid "dress shirt", made all the more abominable by the un-buttoned button down collar...somebody, please smack some sense into me. I am fully prepared to use my Italian-ness, and the fact that G. Bruce Boyer does it all the time lately, as a full cop out.
Brooks Brothers USA made poplin shirt in "Dress Gordon" tartan: $8.99
Cricketeer tweed jacket, made in USA : $6.99
Mohair/wool blend knit tie, very wide, very '70s, by Rooster: $1.99
Silk pocket square: I've forgotten
Skirt pin as tie bar
Below: charcoal flannels with forward pleats, cordovan wingtips, and bottle green socks.

I may sometimes complain about not having the kind of life that requires a man to dress well, but really it can be a blessing in disguise. What kind of job that required a jacket and tie would allow me to get away with these kind of sartorial shenanigans? Dressing well by requirement is one thing. Dressing well through a combination of a sense of manhood, occasion, dash, respect and sheer enjoyment is far more fun. All the more so if the less creative and brave among us find it "abominable".

14 comments:

notanymore said...

It's not affectation if it feels right to you, and I say that not a combination I would ever wear, and that is quite all right.

Vive le difference and all that.

SUM said...

The point about dressing through a "combination" of various things especially "enjoyment" is not lost on me. Well put.

Anonymous said...

This is the bee's knees!

Philip said...

For once the plaid shirt works for you. Dress tartans are better for this because they're paler, have more white in them, and therefore work better as a shirting option with a jacket and tie. I approve, sir.

ThriftyTeacher said...

Kudos to you! I LOVE plaid...I even have plaid curtains that my wife's best friend made for me hanging in our home office. However, I have been unwilling to be brave enough to pair a plaid shirt with a tie, partly because I don't think I can pair them well and carry it off. You, however, can!

I like this ensemble...especially that jacket! And only a mere $7... Oh how I want a jacket like that!

Very well done! I may be gaining newfound confidence in wearing and pairing plaid the correct way!

Editor of The Dandy American said...

I love the jacket and quite a steal if I may add. Good job.

JKG said...

I'm with you, G. I set my own dress code, and make no provision for my employees so long as they are neat. After a week had passed from my hiring, I actually had one of my older employees come by my office and ask with concern if I was going to introduce a dress code. I reassured her "no," but "I'm having too much fun without one" I didn't add.

WSTKS-FM Worldwide said...

"Dressing well through a combination of a sense of manhood, occasion, dash, respect and sheer enjoyment is far more fun. All the more so if the less creative and brave among us find it 'abominable'." -- Extremely well-said!

Best Regards,

Ulrich von B.

Young Fogey said...

I hate "yeah, me too!" posts, but, yeah, me too! Your summary--"Dressing well through a combination..."--is spot on.

There is no dress code where I work (of course, this leads to problems, especially when women wear clothes that reveal too much, but I digress). Even so, I wear a jacket & tie every day, both because I like to and because of the impression it makes on others--and myself. I know I'm serious about work when I'm dressed for it.

I often wear ties (casual ones) on the weekends, too, again because I like to, and also because it raises the sartorial bar just that much. I like to present a certain image to the world, even if no one else really notices (and who knows--they just might).

Great combination as usual, G.

John said...

Very well said as usual, sir.

Trad Undergrad said...

If only college profs dressed this well. Mine come to class in jeans and t-shirt.

Stuck in L.A. said...

@Trad Undergrad

At our college the profs wear jeans when they're dressing up. Otherwise it's usually sweatpants.

Young Fogey said...

Back in the day (1980s), when I was an undergrad, most professors at my school disdained neckties, but I had some who were stalwarts. The rest wore nice enough clothes: button-down shirts, chinos, even the occasional blazer.

What irked me at the time was the co-eds who whore sweats to class. I thought of their attire as being only one step up from pajamas.

It's only gotten worse, I'm afraid. How I long for the pre-Cultural Revolution days when college meant dressing like an adult!

Samatha @ Calvin Klein 2 button suits said...

Stripe dress shirt would make a perfect combination to this suit. Lovely!