Repair or Replace?

Regular readers of this blog know that the answer I would give to the question posed in the title of this post is emphatically to repair...most of the time.

It's fair to say that tassel loafers are my favorite type of shoe. I suppose that's why I've been able to justify owning five pair that vary only slightly from one another. About six months ago, an old favorite pair suffered irreparable damage to the leather upper. I wore those shoes with cords and sweaters, flannels and tweeds, and in violation of barely existent sartorial rules, even suits. I was happy to have scored an apt replacement in the form of the above pair of Allen Edmonds in the "Saratoga" model, via eBay for $26.

But these weren't an such an apt replacement. There were too many differences.The vamp on these is much higher, and the toe is a little pointier than I like. Still, I could overlook those things.

What I had trouble overlooking was the tassels. On my old pair, the lace was actually tied in a knot, but on this pair, the tassels were just attached separately. A small detail, but a detail nonetheless. It's kind of like getting cheap boat shoes where the lace doesn't really go around the whole shoe. Add to that the fact that the previous owner had applied (badly) way too many layers of wax polish. Probably read too many #menswear blogs. Consequently, they get much less use than their predecessors.

So when they got a little worn in the heel and needed new soles, I stalled. I considered bringing them to Allen Edmonds for re-crafting. I've seen re-crafted Allen Edmonds shoes firsthand, and I know that the service is worth the $100 or so dollars it costs. They would fix the soles and strip off all those excessive layers of wax polish, but those damn "fake" tassels would still be there.

Then these came along, Italian made for Polo Ralph Lauren, in barely worn condition, for $60 via eBay. The vamp is lower, giving the shoe a more slipper like line, which I like. They have a closer shape to the beloved pair I tried to replace in the first place. The toe is rounder, which accommodates my wide, brick shaped foot better. And they cost about half of what the re-crafting process would cost.

Best of all, the lace is tied, and braided to boot. A zesty little touch. I can already tell that these will get easily double the wear of the previous pair. Given that they saved me money, this is one case where replacement was a better choice than repair.

Better to spend those re-crafting dollars on these Allen Edmonds shell cordovan "Mac Neil" longwings, which also need soles and heels. These are not so easily replaced, at least not at the kind of prices I'm used to paying.

Repair and reuse may be the cornerstone concepts of thrift itself, but they are best tempered with a well timed and occasional replacement.

Boston Style

Last week, Put This On ran a q&a post about wearing loafers with a suit. I'm sure many of you have already seen the article, but for those who haven't you can read it here. While I find Put This On to be a very informative website and I agree with everything they say in this post, I feel I compelled to point out one glaring omission. What about tassel loafers?

The only reason I mention it is because the end summary is that one generally shouldn't wear loafers with a suit. Oddly, I almost always wear loafers with a suit. I'm not alone in this, but perhaps it's an East Coast thing. Here in Boston, tassel loafers worn with business suits are a common sighting, or at least they were when there were more men around in suits. It was/is so common in fact, that as a kid, before I knew the proper name for tassel loafers, I called them "lawyer shoes" because I only ever saw them with suits. I see plenty of guys with penny loafers and suits too, but that's a look I can't get with, excepting of course the case of seersucker suits. Tassels and suits go together like khakis and a blazer, at least in Boston. Why else would a thing like the black tassel loafer even exist if not to wear it with a navy blue suit? Then again, we are the same people who not only accept but tend to prefer button down collars with suits, another combination widely avoided almost everywhere else, so take my opinion with the appropriate grain of salt.

Context of course plays a big part. What's acceptable in an office environment here may not be elsewhere and these unwritten rules should be your guide.I tend to prefer the look because I wear my suits purely by choice, and I don;t want to look like I'm going to a board meeting. Often, a slightly less formal shoe is all I need to tone down a navy or grey suit. However, at a wedding or other formal event, I still wear black lace-ups.

Let me close by reminding you that I also like to wear black tassel loafers with my tuxedo, so it's entirely possible I have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about anyway.

Maine Hunting Tassels

This time of year, Bean Boots, what were once called Maine Hunting Shoes, are a staple for me. I have a high pair that I wear when the weather is really bad, and a pair of low cut mocs like the ones pictured above for rain or just when there's snow and slush on the ground. I plan to round out the collection with an even higher pair lined in shearling. They're comfortable, relatively inexpensive, and they keep my feet dry. I like the mocs for the same reason I like my tassel loafers so much, easy to step into.

Trouble is that newer Bean Boots tend to run not just a little large, but huge. My normal shoe size is 10, sometimes 10 1/2, but at a size 9 my Bean mocs are still a little large. They can flop off the at the heel and pull the socks down, and the rawhide lacing comes undone, if you keep it ties like they are in the photo above.

I've modified mine just slightly. First, I pulled the laces tighter and tied them in a tight double knot. This keeps a bit more tightly fitted to my feet, and they don't slip at the heel anymore because the knot no longer comes loose. But tying them this way leaves a long strand of unused rawhide at each end. Cutting it is one option, but I find it make the shoes look truncated. Instead, I tied the ends into an Eastland Knot,

 creating something of a rugged woodland tassel loafer. The shoes know work better for me, and have one little tweak that sets them apart. A little modification can go a long way.

The Learning Curve

The longer you thrift shop, the better you become at spotting the good stuff, even at a glance. It is especially gratifying when you just know something is really good, and the brand name had nothing to do with it.

Only yesterday, I turned up a nice looking pair of black tassel loafers. I spotted them from afar, their quality being so obviously superior to that of the sea of low grade, worn out, smelly shoes in which these were floating. I could literally see the clear quality of the leather from ten feet back by comparison. I'm a brown shoe guy 97% of the time, but I was thinking these would look pretty sharp with grey pinstripes,or even a tux, to make the purists commit hara kiri. Anyway, I like them, and they fit me.

Bonus points for the fact they've been worn perhaps two or three times. Certainly worth every penny of $9.99 I paid for them.

It wasn't until after I had decided to purchase them that I saw the label. W.S. Foster and Son of Jermyn Street in London. Believe it or not, I didn't know much about this firm, but I did know that an address on Jermyn Street in London is nothing to sneer at. Brief internet homework revealed these to be a pair of their Arlington loafers, which retail for 345 British pounds ( i.e. $578 US Dollars). Score one for the good guys!

There is a very real learning curve with successful thrift shopping. In the beginning, one finds well recognized brands, cheap. But one quickly learns to spot real quality, cheap. And in the end, with patience, one gets the real good stuff, cheap. But it only works if you stick with the curve.

Back to Basics

Recently, I unearthed what was once an old favorite sweater. It had been languishing in the closet since getting stained last Winter. Nothing a trip to the dry cleaners, and overcoming laziness about it, couldn't fix. It's the simplest piece of clothing, but having it back these last few weeks reminds of the importance of getting back to basics.

You see, it's nothing exciting, just a tan v-neck sweater. But it goes well with any shirt I own, and makes me feel more "dressed" than I would wearing only a shirt and pants. It's a handy piece for this time of year, as we transition out of Winter.

Lucky for me, it happens to be a particularly nice one, a thrift store find had for only $5.99 from the House of Tweed, made in Scotland of New Lambswool. Looking back through old posts to find this photo, it seems I wore this sweater quite a lot in the last few years.

Worn with simple grey flannel slacks, practically any shirt, and tassel loafers, it is the perfect thing when casual but not sloppy is the order of the day. This saw me through a surprise few hours at work on my day off today. Last Sunday, with a navy striped shirt and penny loafers, I hosted my daughters fourth birthday party in it. With jeans, it makes me feel just a little more "grown up".

Red socks punch things up a bit. Argyles would have been jam as well.

I suppose I took this item for granted before, and I didn't think I missed it when it was gone. However, having it back only two weeks, I've worn it a half dozen times. Fortunately, such a thing can be had by almost any guy anywhere. You can get a good one at a good store, you can get a good one at a thrift store, you can get a reasonable one at a place like J. Crew, or even the Gap, or you can get a placeholder at Walmart. In any case, any man wishing to dress in a classic way with neat, basic pieces should have something like this. Few things work as well as getting back to basics.

p.s. new stuff in the Shop.

Neutrality

I often like to indulge in bright colors and pattern matching that is likely excessive (though my preference for that does seem to be wearing off in my old age). Still, nothing puts it all in perspective like an assemblage of neutrals.

Still, an assemblage of neutrals doesn't need to be boring by any means. This is the time to play with texture and material. Remember too that black and white don't have to be kept separate from brown and tan. I think quite the opposite is true, that the four of them together, while perhaps more difficult to pull off at first, is far more interesting.

Here. a newly acquired jacket in black and white glen check, sans colored overcheck, gets its first outing ($7.49). The coat is unidentified, but carries all the right details: 3/2 roll, a high notch,  no darts, center vent, natural shoulders and half lining. The three button cuffs, as opposed to two button, lead me to believe that it might be from J. Press.  True, it might be half of a suit, but I don't think so. In this particular case, I hardly think it matters. The cloth is what I'd call 10 month weight, but two weeks ago on a day that hovered at 70, it was a nice break from my navy and white Summer uniform.

A white pinpoint Brooks Brothers shirt with button down collar ($5.49) is an obvious choice. A black silk knit tie (Lands' End, gratis) adds texture while keeping it simple. Brown Ray Bans, rather than black, with green lenses may be unexpected, but the country origins of a pattern like glen check take to brown accessories well, despite it being actually black and white. The pin on the tie is proof that I can't leave well enough alone, even when I'm supposedly "keeping it simple".

Below, tan trousers in silk/cotton blend with forward pleats by Ralph ($5.99), and old favorite brown tassel loafers, with off white dress socks in one of the few situations I can think of where they are actually the right choice.

Just because you're keeping it simple, doesn't mean you can't also keep it interesting.

(Another) Whiff of Spring

Little by little, the bright colors that are the hallmark of East Coast GTH style come creeping in. Funny, these days I feel that wearing things like pyjamas, flip flops and underwear in public as clothing shouts "Go To Hell" a lot more loudly than bright colors and embroidery, but that's just me.

Today, a bright orange sweater is the thing. Acquired for $1.99 at a thrift shop, the only tag it bore was one saying "100% wool". No brand name, no real way of discerning its age or provenance. Just a really good sweater in a cheery color for a couple of bucks. With a striped shirt and barest hint of oh-so-pretentious ascot showing, under a Barbour jacket, it's a nice whiff of Spring....just a whiff.

Below, favorite charcoal flannels with favorite tassel loafers and bottle green socks. I think I need to buy a dozen pair of these socks. I find they go with almost anything, in a way that is a whiff quirky without being silly...just a whiff.

p.s. the Shop will go into sleeper mode beginning tomorrow night for my upcoming appearance at the Drill Hall Flea this Sunday. Out of towners, if you've been eyeing something, get it now before I sell it live on Sunday.

First of the Season (Old Favorites)

I love a big fat pair of light grey flannel pants, and I revel in the first days cold enough to warrant them:

I am constantly compelled to pair these burly pants with bright yellow socks (see here, here, and here, here too...and those are just the instances comitted to the internet). Big fat wool to keep us warm, bright yellow to remind us that the sun doesn't stop shining in the cold, even if it does set much sooner.

Happy Autmn, everybody...finally!

24 November: Correction, "Autumn".