Preppy with a Twist

...or something. The kids and I dressed for a "cook out" at a friends house. Being able to wear a bow tie with shorts is a positive side effect of the "neo-prep" revival. I'll take it.

Cheap Commodities

Funny, not so long ago I would never have imagined that being a grown-up involved wearing shorts in the Summer time. In fact, I would likely have railed against them, citing some sort of archaic rule about "short pants being only for children", and instead plodded around in long pants as a matter of principle. In other words, I'd have taken a view of Summer clothes childish in its narrow-mindedness, and indeed ridiculous in its archaism.  And this from a guy who wears a coat and tie by choice in the Summer, when the occasion is appropriate (or not).

The older I get, the more I come to appreciate a good pair of shorts. I admit that my own personal comfort takes more and more precedence over the opinions of others as I age, but I still like to look my best. True, the slovenly look of cargo shorts, crummy t-shirt, and flip flops is still endemic in our culture, and the streets are full of grown men who still wear the same clothing they wore as toddlers, but that isn't to say that shorts are necessarily childish. It is possible to be dressed like a grown man in shorts, it just takes a little more skill. Still, they are at best something of a cheap commodity and it comes as no surprise that I refuse to pay full whack for them. Enter "Cheap Commodities" stalwart Lands' End.

Yesterday while sorting out the warm weather things I realized that I could use a few new pair of shorts, and not surprisingly, Lands' End had offered me 30% off in the most recent of the emails with which they inundate anybody who ever bought anything from them, ever. I'd complain, but when I do in fact order from them the deals are deep, the customer service is legendary, and the stuff is always well worth it. The pair pictured above, in patchwork bandana pattern, may not be for everyone. They're "go-to-hell", which is a good thing for shorts, and who knows how they'll look in real life, but at $14 ($19.99 less 30%) there a gamble worth taking.  Feel free to disagree, but I think these will be a staple with a plain white tennis shirt and boat shoes, or even a favorite worn old pink oxford shirt. A note on styling is in order here too. Lands' End offers shorts that are cut classic and above the knee, a perfect middle ground between saggy, childish cargo shorts and wide legged, pleated, high waisted old man shorts (looking at you, Jos. Banks). I tempered the purchase with a pair of classic chino shorts with a 9 inch inseam in a color called "club green" ($14.97 less 30%= $10.50).

As much as the #menswear community (uck!) may chafe at the idea of shorts, in many ways they are the easiest garment to get right. Stick with clean cuts and an inseam above the knee, and feel free to indulge in fun colors and GTH patterns at will. Like I said, all you need to go with them is a stack of tennis shirts in white and navy blue. Second hand and vintage are always best, but anyone can buy them cheap from places like Lands' End, J. Crew, or even, dare I say it, the Gap. Save your big money for the better things. Shorts may be something of a necessity, but are also a cheap commodity.

Thrifty Kids, part 4

Lands' End blazer, new with tags ($79.50), $5.99, Polo green tennis shirt, $1.99, Children's Place khakis, $3.99, boat shoes, $4.99

The other day, I had to meet someone for a brief interview at the Shop. The meeting was in the afternoon, and I had the kids in tow. I told them we would go out to lunch at the local taqueria, and that afterwards I needed them to be good and quiet for just a little while so I could talk to another grown-up. When I got dressed in a jacket and tie to meet said grown-up, both children insisted in dressing in kind. The Girl was happy to wear a cute sun dress. The Boy actually argued for a proper shirt and tie, until I assured him that khakis and a tennis shirt with a navy blazer was perfectly acceptable for a warm afternoon in late Summer. Begrudgingly, he finally agreed.

Bare ankles and boat shoes are, of course, de rigeuer. Like father, like son.

Maine Shoes

I'm on vacation this week with the wife and children at our usual favorite spot in Mid-Coast Maine. Despite how overly concerned I may be with clothing, when travelling I am a fan of packing light. I take simple clothing that all matches and try to keep it to one bag. Two pair of shoes are a necessity, and this being Maine I figure the best two would be L.L. Bean blucher mocs and Quoddy boat shoes. Here we see them "in the wild", on some weathered decking.

It may seem that these shoes are merely slightly different versions of the same thing, so why these two? I do have a well considered reason, the kind of well considered reason that seems anything but sensible to most "normal" people (by "normal" I mean people not overly bothered  by clothing). You see, it may be August, but Maine can get cold and chilly, especially at night. While both of these shoes are favorite worn sockless, only the bluchers can be worn with socks. Boat shoes should never, NEVER, be worn with socks, ever. That's a rule. A meaningless, self-imposed rule, but still.......

p.s. the 20% Sale in the Shop has been extended to midnight Thursday, 16 August. Use discount code SUMMER2013 at checkout. Scoop up the deals while you can, Fall restock happening soon.

Worth Every Penny: Quoddy Refurbishment Service

I'd be at a loss for footwear in Summer were it not for a good pair of boat shoes.In the past I've had many, mostly Sperry Topsiders. They were a favorite for my mother to buy for both me and my brother as children, I think because the store in Charlestown where we got our kid shoes always had them and for cheap. Just dressy enough to pass muster under the uniform guidelines at Catholic school, but soft enough so that we weren't constantly bemoaning the fact that we were required to wear shoes.

A few Summers back, I got a pair by the fabled Quoddy of Maine, much revered among the artisinal Americana set. They are clearly better made than Sperry Topsiders of better leather, and cut higher, more like a real shoe. I don't know how happy I'd be actually paying $225 for them, but they last well. To be fair, I should tell you that my pair was bought in a thrift store for less than $10, and I wear them pretty much constantly from May until September. The battered pair on the left arrived home today after trip to Maine, and came back as the much refreshed pair on the right, complete with canvas shoe bag.

The white boat soles had worn down to nothing, and even much of the stitching was gone, leaving the soles flopping off the shoes.

Literally peeling away. But the shoes were worth saving, so off to Maine they went. A day later, I was contacted by a friendly lady from customer service inquiring as to exactly what repairs I wanted done. I only wanted them resoled, I told her, with the same white soles they had originally. "I think we can do better then that" she replied. What I got back, a scant two weeks later, were shoes with new soles, new cushioned leather lining, reconditioned leather, and new rawhide laces. Total charge was $34.95, $25 plus shipping. In keeping with my previously stated belief that sometimes the best new things are old things that you already own, I now have an excellent new pair of boat shoes ready to go another three Summers at least,

with just enough cozy wear and tear on them that I don't feel as though I need to knock the "new" off them. Admittedly, I may have gotten these shoes very cheaply, but even if I'd bought them new my opinion of the service wouldn't change. 

The shoes themselves may be a bit dear, but Quoddy refurbishment service is worth every penny.

The Boat and The Bank (a tale of relativity)

Thrift shops are frequently chaotic places where any sense you have of relativity needs to be suspended if you're going to be succesful. It can be almost an alternate reality that requires an alternate set of rules. To illustrate the point, lets talk about two pair of shoes I recently acquired in the same shop on the same day:

The first is this pair of navy and white boat shoes by L.L.Bean, $14.99 in barely worn condition. Made in El Salvador, of leather that is not the greatest quality, having a bit of a plasticy finish. I might be disappointed in them had I ordered them new for full whack, but for what I paid for them, they're a useful Summer shoe. I know I'll wear them frequently with madras pants and shorts. Just the other day I wore them with khakis, a university striped shirt, rubbon belt and navy blazer.

And then there's these: bench made in England by Church's, the leather is indescribably soft and pliable; $6.99. For half the price of the boat shoes, I got a pair of truly fine shoes that would have sold for nearly ten times as much new. Or, to be mathematical about it, the boaut shoes were 75% off retail, wnd the Church's were 98% off retail. You see, it really is all relative, even if that relativity sometimes works backwards.

in other news:

-Speaking of shoes, I just added several new pairs in the Shop, among them this knockout pair of Crockett and Jones monk straps. Plenty of other new items coming over the weekend.

-Those of you waiting to hear about the vintage tail suit I mentioned a while back, I haven't forgotten, its coming soon. Photos are up at Facebook if you want to go over there and drool over it.

-My custom suit from Imparali Tailors arrived in the mail this week. More on that at the beginning of next week. Short story: it's good.

In Real Life....

...I'm a Dad with two small kids who spends a large portion of each day running the beautifully mundane tasks of everyday life. As much as I can get worked into a lather over the people I see at the grocery store in their pyjamas at 11 am, I have to admit that this is not place for coat and tie either.Being well dressed, or even something of a peacock, is one thing; being a fussy overdone twit is another.

A Baracuta jacket, white tennis shirt, jeans and boat shoes will do just fine on a cool day in April. It's no morning coat, but neither is it bed clothes. Just because you're comfortable doesn't mean you have to be a slob. Just mind the arrogance. (For a great word on that topic, see Conor's recent post at Young Man/Old Man. He's a smart kid.)
Being well dressed is as much about being dressed appropriately for the situation as it is about simply wearing nice things and "dressing up." In fact, for the clotheshorse, casual can be even more difficult to do by virtue of its very ubiquity, but it shouldn't be ignored. There's nothing wrong with being comfortably dressed when you're out shuttling the kids to and from school and shopping for groceries, just as long as you let your personal style come through just as much as it does in your suits and ties.

p.s. the Shop has been recently restocked, with silk and linen beginning to filter in. There are some great vintage suits from Brooks Brothers, and some Italian silk and wool tweed. I'll also be offering a knockout 1940s vintage full tails suit (yes, another one of these) for bids through the blog in a few days, so stay tuned.

p.p.s. The line-up for Top Shelf Flea Market V is dangerous. That much good stuff just shouldn't be in one room at the same time, but when it is, you better be prepared.

Another Whiff of Spring

Pasty white ankles. I'll be damned if I'm going to wear shorts in March, but I will leave the socks at home when the temperature reaches sweaty levels. A whiff of Spring, just a whiff.

p.s. with Mother Nature threatening 80 degrees in the next few days, I've decided it's time to clear out the coats and tweed. Winter items at deep discount in the Shop right now. Click on the Sale! icon in the sidebar to go there directly.

p.p.s sorry for all the shilling lately. Back to our usual programming tomorrow.