In Between (in more ways than one...)

Here we are again at that "in between" time of year. You now, what the clothing nerds more highfalutin than me ( you know, the guys who use terms like "odd jackets") refer to as the 'shoulder season'. Brisk in the morning, warm all day, cool at night, with sunshine around.

In the past few years, it has come to my attention that people tend to think only in extremes. A down parka, or naked on the beach, no in-between. I don't get it. I'm as happy as anyone that Ma Nature is all bright and happy lately, but I am not about to start running around in short pants and tennis shirts yet. If I did, I'd miss out on the delightfully confusing stage of "in-between" dressing, not to mention being cold half of the time.

That's why we have weird garments like this:

In the past, you may have seen me refer to this as the "big sweater". That's because it's cable knit and has a shawl collar, and I wear it a lot in the Fall and late Winter. It makes a particularly good combo with a down vest or Barbour jacket. But...

check out the fabric content. Linen, cotton and silk. Hardly fabrics for the blustery weather. But who needs a cable knit shawl collared sweater in the Summer? Must be for Spring. (please, no cracks about 'Made in China'. I know. That's not what we're talking about here. Drop it...). You know, because maybe in April it's 75 degrees all afternoon, but then you gotta walk home at 11:30, and it's only 50 degrees...


So maybe this weird cable knit thing works out pretty good with "Reds" , boat shoes and bare ankles, all of which just came out of storage.

My point is, celebrate the new warm weather right up to the hilt, but don't pretend it's Summer. Because it ain't.

Also...

I haven't been around here much in the past few days. That's because I somehow got invited to a press preview of the Fall/Winter collection from Levi's, at a loft art gallery in New York that took place on Wednesday evening.
See those skinny people standing on those boxes? Those are models, kind of like human mannequins. They were just standing there the whole time, while all those other people hung around being cool. But hell, there was an open bar...

A good friend of mine who lives in Brooklyn went to school for journalism, and has been published in magazines and newspapers like, you know, an actual member of the press. He said that companies like to invite bloggers to these things because they are easier to buy off, not operating in the same ethical circles as actual journalists. Therefore, I will speak no more about it.

However, the trip to New York was a real treat, as I got to meet a number of my so-called 'imaginary friends' in the flesh.

After arriving in the city and settling in, I had the rare privilege of sharing a coffee break with ADG and his lovely daughter LFG, who both just happened to be in town. Later, following a cigar and a stroll to the Village, I met up with Tin Tin, and we attended this fashion thingy together. You could say we stuck out like a couple of sore thumbs, but the Trad and I were more like a broken leg and a black eye at this thing. Turns out we exist 'in-between' the worlds of high fashion and old men. I also got to meet Mordechai ( a swell kid), Michael Williams (also a swell kid) and J.P. of 'The Selvedge Yard' (also swell, though perhaps less of a kid). The world got smaller, and I became even more of an internet dork.

Afterwards, Tin Tin and I dined at the lovely restaurant 'Le Veau d'Or', far and away the Frenchest place outside of France. And the next morning, with memories of Starbuck's espresso, Levi's,gin & tonic,braised leeks, steamed mussels, Sancerre, flan, cognac, Guinness, friendly conversation and a swell hangover, I boarded the bus for Boston, then proceeded to hit the sack early for a couple of nights.

Because I am also in between being young enough to stay out too late and old enough to really handle it well...