Darn It

Thrift shopping often means finding great old stuff only to discover that the reason someone got rid of it is because it's damaged in some way. Combine that with the damage the wool moths can do to your old clothes in your old closet in  an old house, and you frequently wind up dealing with little imperfections like the one pictured above. 

I found this knockout tartan jacket back in March, and it's been waiting patiently in the storage closet since then. I don't remember whether this little hole was there when I bought it, but it doesn't really matter. As I drag it out of the closet and think about how great it will the two, maybe three times, I wear it this Winter, I need to decide how to deal with that pesky little hole. 1/8 inch may not be much, but it's enough.

Lots of times, with holes this small, of it's only one or two, I just live with it. Densely patterned jackets like this one or natty tweeds tend to hide a little hole well enough. If it were elsewhere in the jacket, I might not even care. But this one's right up front.

Of course, the best option here would be reweaving, where an expert would take thread from a hidden spot on the coat to actually reweave the missing part. It's very difficult work, magical even, that can only be performed by an expert specialist. It's also extremely expensive. As great as this coat is, I don;t think I can justify the expense. So, instead, I'll just darn the hole. A trip to the local sewing machine store for a spool f bright red thread, a sharp, thin, needle, and we're set.

A few careful passes with the needle, not pulling the stitches too tight, and the hole is much improved. Not perfect by any stretch, but definitely better and less noticeable from only a few feet back. I often talk here about a lack of money not being a hindrance to having the good stuff, but sometimes you do have to make the best of what you've got.

Besides, in writing this, I realize that it might not be such a bad idea to have my tailor attach a black velvet collar to it, and find and excuse to wear it with a tux, brass buttons and all. Now that would be something.

p.s. my apologies for the sparse posting lately. Technical difficulties should hopefully be remedied tomorrow.

Joy in the Air...

Sure, I work retail and I may have groused more than a bit about Christmas meaning all work and no play for a guy like me, but at the last minute, humanity comes through. The kind owner of the Indian/Nepali restaurant across the street gave us dinner on the house, a delicious lamb tikka masala, and a co-worker/friend, who happens to be something of a nerdly collector, generously shared some selections from his private cellar...

...not least of which was this bottle of 1860 rye whiskey (more on that later, ethereal). Yes, it's real, and yes, it's delicious.

Enjoy the holiday, one and all. We'll be back sometime next week with new installments of your beloved superficial drivel.

Holiday Cheer

Given the fact that Christmas is a mere few days off, it occurs to me that there has been a real lack of holiday cheer around here. The reasons for that are twofold. First, it's been unseasonably warm here in Massachusetts for months. Everyone around me seems to love this, but not I. This is a clothing blog, after all, and my best stuff is the Winter goods, including my extensive collection of wool Tartan trousers, none of which have gotten any use this season. Secondly, being in retail, this season means less fun and more work for me, and little else. Good thing I've got the kids to keep me cheery.

Anyway, I did actually manage to get invited to and attend one Christmas party last weekend, so the custom holiday shirt got at least one airing:

Worn with a navy emblematic tie, and a 6x2 double breasted navy blazer. The double breasted helps keep this relatively in check, with it's high closure point. See, maybe not as silly as you thought.

Silk knot cuff links. Shiny metal would have been way too much, in an outfit that is likely already way too much.

 

Charcoal flannels and black shoes. Bright red socks at a Christmas party are de rigeur. The perfect ensemble for drinking too much Scotch and stumbling home. Ho Ho Ho!

p.s. new items in the Shop. I've been a busy little elf this month.

The Holiday Shirt

The results are in on my most recent foray into the world of so-called "online custom" tailoring, and this time they are relatively favorable. I have to say I'm mostly pleased with the execution of my idea for a dress shirt for holiday parties:

Bright red tartan with a spread collar and French cuffs. Unconventional, of course. But when any maker's size 15 1/2 x 33 shirt fits reasonably well, as it does me, there's no point in having something as mundane as a white shirt made. I plan on wearing this with an emblematic or simple striped tie, grey flannel trousers, and either navy blazer or tweed jacket for festive occasions. I'd say something like "Christmas parties", but having two kids and working night hours in retail, the holiday season rarely has anything to do with parties and celebrations for me (Scrooge).

When ordering the shirt, the first line of questioning involves height, weight and general body type.  Following that is a more detailed set of measurements. In each case, a guess is entered for you, and I was surprised to note that in every case the guess was within a 1/2 inch of my entry. So far, so good.

Choosing fabric is always the hardest part with these things. Actually touching the fabric from which your garment will be produced beforehand is a key step in the actual custom process, sorely lacking in the online experience. It will always be a gamble. In this particular case I won, with a nice mid weight cotton poplin.

The shirt was delivered in just over two weeks, lickety split. That's kinda crazy, but true.

This thing fits me beautifully. The eight button front and extra long tails insure it won't come untucked. The collar is rigid and slightly high, as an English style spread should be. The French cuffs fit close without being restrictive. The buttons are pretty good, maybe not top notch, and the pattern matching in places, particularly the sleeve plackets, leaves a pinch to be desired. The button holes are stitched in white, where a color better matching the pattern such as red would have been preferred. Then again, had I paid for it the shirt would only have cost $54, cheapest I've seen yet for something like this, and cheaper by far than many ready made options. I guess that makes this a bargain, especially when one considers what Ralph will sell you for $165.

And you thought my shirt was way out of bounds. At least it's not pleated. Though I will freely admit that if there were any chance at all I'd be donning the black tie for any reason this month, I'd be lusting after this one, too. But I bet I'd have Tailor4Less make me one for $54 before I'd pay that kind of scratch. To be sure, an atrocious waste of money in either case, but a fella can dream, can't he?

Now all I need is a good party or two to attend. Anyone want to move their bash from Friday or Saturday to a Monday or Tuesday night when I'm not working late? (lousy retail Christmas season...grumble, grumble).