A Drop of Sunshine

Spring finally seems to have sprung up around my way, albeit with a lot of rain. Temps hit 70, but the sky remains grey and everything is wet. I'll take it.

The skies may be grey, but that's no reason not to introduce some fun and color into the daily routine. Quite the contrary, in fact. This cotton knit tie in pale yellow with blue and hunter green stripes, along with the gingham square, bring the old standby combo of navy blazer and blue oxford right up out of the doldrums.
It's seasonally appropriate without pushing it.

Lands' End Charter Collection was a dressier line that the company discontinued in 1986. I say we lobby hard for them to bring it back, so long as the quality is as good as this tie.

Pretentiousness is held in check with the slouchy addition of some well warn (and frayed) khakis and some comfy blucher moccasins. No socks.

Happy Springtime, American Northeast. It's good to have you back again.

New Life for Old Things: The Rough Repair

As you may have guessed, I like to keep stuff. I don't like to throw things away, and I will always consider a repair before a replacement. Sometimes this means paying for crafstmanship, as with a tailor or cobbler. Other times, it means giving up the ship and admitting defeat. Between these two concepts is the rough hewn, home made repair. This method is not for everything, but if used sparingly, I think it can have it's own kind of charm. To wit:

Remember those slippers so many of you hated so much when I got them? Tom's by way of Ralph Rugby and covered with skull and bones? Incorigible things, but I like them. They have served me well as house slippers. But, they're cloth, and they rip. In my case, at the edge of my baby toe on both sides. After wearing them like this for a month or more, I finally decided to patch the holes. You can take the man out of the punk band but you can't take the punk...well , you get the picture. A lot of what goes on in the land of punk rock may be kid stuff, but there is a certain aesthetic to it that I don't mind seeing every once in a while. Like an old friend who drinks too much, it's great in small doses.

The patches are cut from an old Andover Shop tie, a sacrilege to be sure, but that old bit of silk had long ago worn out it's usefulness as neckwear, and at least this way it gets a second spin. The yellow thread was of course chosen on purpose. Say and think what you will, but I find the idea of gourmet designer slippers with a moralistic twist bought second hand and repaired with old silk from a once luxurious necktie in a distinctly hard-edged fashion to be kind of, you know, badass. This whole blending of "punk" aesthetic with "preppy" aesthetic may be very Ralph Rugby, very shopping mall, I grant you, The difference lies in doing it by hand, yourself, to your own things...That, and not doing it all the time. I'll probably continue to patch them in a similar way for another year. For a while, they'll only get better, and I'll have a use for some of those ripped and stained ties I can't seem to part with. They'll continue to be my house slippers, where I can enjoy them without inflicting the sight of them on any innocents. Then, one day, they'll die, and you can all breath a collective sigh of relief and pray that I spring for some of those poncy velvet things that seem to be all the rage these days.

p.s. If I haven't lost you completely, as I may well have with this post, feel free to peruse the newest Spring/Summer offerings available in the shop.

Happy Holy Saturday

Pink, green and a soft yellowy cream. A muted pastel pallette for a grey and dreary Holy Saturday. Charcoal wortsed slacks, argyle socks and tassel loafers compete this casual look. Who ever said dressing like Easter eggs needed to be silly?

A Double (Breasted) Shot of Sunshine, Please

Boy has it been grey and dreary around here these past few day. That hasn't stopped me from changing  over the closet though. As I look forward to the full blast warmer months, I picked up this new find at the cleaners today:

Lately, uncharacteristically, I'm really digging on the idea of the "just right" double breasted jacket. This one here is the perfect conglomerate, taking elements I don't usually care for and combining them with those I do...kinda seamlessly.  The trouble I often have with double breasted jackets is the built up shoulder, but this piece has natural shoulders, even if it is darted.

Swelled edges, a very Traditional touch, yet the lapels are fairly wide. That's all well and good, if you ask me. Narrow lapels on a double breasted jacket are an aberration, anyway, the proportions never seem to work. All those buttons require a bit more heft up top for balance. The cloth is likely a cotton/linen/synthetic blend, tres 1960s, with little flecks of white to play up the "linen"ness of it. Of course, wrinkles would play that up even better, but I'll give this one a pass for quality of construction, cut and a perfect shade of khaki.

The two button cuff, so quintessential on our beloved 3/2 undarted jacket is a pinch unexpected here, but I'll take it. It's even got a center vent, and being from the 1960s, is cut a hair on the shorter side, which surprisingly gives it a fresher, more modern feel.

A "Madisonaire" by Varsity Town...sounds pretty fancy.I'm supposing that the "Madisonaire" label and the double breasted cut would suggest that this coat was meant for the city, a bit more urbane, as opposed to something like a tweed sack, which would be strictly campus casual. I couldn't find much on the Varsity Town brand, shy of this old ad, but they do seem like my kind of manufacturer. The Ivy League nuts must love that label. Incidentally, with "Ivy" clothes being something of a rage right now, I think someone should release a line called "College", and sell nothing but blazers and striped ties. There's a gold mine there. The kids love that stuff.

This jacket will be the kill with tropical worsted flat fronts in charcoal grey, white shirt,maybe even with (gasp!) a button down collar, black knit tie and brown suede shoes, light colored socks and a straw hat for good measure. Mark my words, kinda like this guy:

photo: the Sartorialist

True, this guy is in Milan, an his jacket more than likely does not consist of partly synthetic cloth, and that open patch ticket pocket is hard to beat, and his jacket probably cost more than most of my clothes combined,(mine was $4.99) but the concept is largely the same. (Minus a few points for the old watch-over-shirt-cuff-trick. I thought that was silly, even on the great Agnelli. Leave it to the Italians to always be at least one step overdone, myself included)

I think it's about time for a well cut double breasted jacket to make an occasional comeback. Like forward pleats, the fashion industry has been vilifying them for long enough now that they're bound to start speaking the opposite anytime now. I might be ahead of the pack with this one, not that I tend to care much for the pack and what they think. My fear is that creased jeans are the next big thing too, maybe this Fall. I won't be jumping on that one, even if I did call it.

In any case, think about giving a double breasted jacket a try. One or two in the closet is just enough to provide a shot of interest that ups your whole wardrobe.

Bidding In Reverse

The bidding will start at $125, do I hear $125? I have $82.99 in the back, $82.99, Do I have $70? $70, on the phone. Yes, $61.99, gentleman on the isle. Do I hear $55? $6.99, crazy fellow dressed head to toe in old stuff that he went to terrible trouble in chaotic and dirty thrift shops to acquire. Going once, going twice...sold for $6.99 to the crazy fellow. Congratulations, sir.

Crispy khakis, cut like fine dress pants, made of luxurious Italian fabric, the perfect shade of khaki with just a whiff of sheen about them. Unfinished hems. Made in Korea, but you know what? My trusted tailor is also from  Korea. I'll keep these on a hanger, my "good khakis" for when I need (or want) to look especially crispy. (Just not at a funeral).

p.s. In reference to this post, best spam comment so far:

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Farewell, Old Friend. We Hardly Knew Ya'

One of the inviolable rules, if not the the only one, of being stylish is to wear clothing that fits. Don't wear the size you want, or the size you think you are, or wish you were, or whatever. Wear the clothes that fit.

One of the nice things about aging is caring less and less about dumb sh*t like wearing skinny clothes. And so, it is with no small amount of sadness that I must offer a personal favorite for sale in The Shop (along with a number of other new items):

I've wanted a hunter green blazer for as long as I can remember. When I finally came across this number in doeskin by Brooks Brothers, I was thrilled. I had it cleaned and let out. I wore it a handful of times. I tried like Hell to convince myself it fit. The shoulders barely made it and I could button it pretty good if I held my breath. As a result, I rarely wore it. When I did, it was to great effect with certain combinations, but only in pictures. In real life, I must admit, it was always too small. It never looked good on me, and I always knew it.

I wear a size 42 jacket. It's been a long time since I wore a 40. It's more than likely I'll never wear that size again. I could keep this jacket hanging unworn in my closet, wishing it fit me. But that would be a crime. Someone ought to be wearing this thing to death. And so, it's time for this old friend that never was to be set free of the fold. Please, one of you, give it the loving home it deserves.

Last of the Season / First of the Season

Another warm day/cool night combo brings on yet another sartorial combination of dual personality. This time, a unifying theme brings seemingly disparate items together. Minor details deriving from equestrian traditions are found throughout.

Button down collars derive originally from the sport of polo. (Lands' End Original Oxford, $14.99 on sale). The throat latch on my mid-weight grey herringbone is another small equestrian touch. (Tweed jacket by Cricketeer, made in USA, $6.99. Hey, wait a minute, wasn't I wearing a version of this a year ago?). An English made regimental tie in thick silk from The Andover Shop ($1.00) and a pale pink square finish the look. All in all, a fine example of the concept of basics discussed yesterday. I do love that tweed jacket, and it's given me a lot of mileage. However, I am more than ready to put it aside by now.

A recently acquired pair of cream colored pants in soft, heavy weight cotton drill (Polo, $3.99) are bring a touch of Spring to the outfit, in an unexpected but understated way. Or maybe I'm kidding myself. Seriously, cream pants and tweed? They also feature "top pockets" (pockets like jeans have), clearly a detail with roots in the days of mounted military. A surcingle belt, in Black Watch ribbon on cream with a brown leather closure, follows suit. A hoof pick belt in brown would have been better. One of these days...

Chukka boots may not be a strictly equestrian touch, but this pair in dark green suede (Clark's, made in England, $7.99) continue the overall English countryside vibe and add interest without being (too) pushy. Brown paddock boots would have killed it to death, but I don't have any (yet). Classic pieces all, in a generally time tested combination, with just enough tweaks to make it interesting. The final touch is provided by a flat cap in khaki cotton and aviator sunglasses. A bit late 1980s perhaps, but I have been re-reading Flusser lately. Forgive me.

Also making their first appearance of the season, like crocuses (or, croci) , were my pasty white bare ankles, flashing between the cuff of my jeans and Bean blucher moccasins.

"Transitional" dressing is almost always tricky, but that's what makes it so much fun. Happy Spring.

p.s. speaking of "Last of the Season", many items are now on sale in the shop. Peruse.