Get Festive

I must apologize for the sparseness of posts here lately. In looking the blog over, I realize that this is only the fifth post this month. While I have been more than busy working to make extra money in order that it may be spent immediately on the children, little time has been left to tend to the internet side of life. My usual December parade of obnoxious tartan outfits has been happening at Facebook this year instead of the blog, and can be seen here, under the heading "Get Festive". I thought it would be good to share the last in that series of thoughts here.

While I do appreciate tartan trousers and bright red socks, I've never had much of a taste for overtly Christmas specific clothing. Singing ties and adults running about in drugstore Santa hats are the kind of thing that makes it hard for me to enjoy this season, which can be hard enough for a veteran retailer like me. Christmas themed ties fall just short of this. But there are of course exceptions, and even a hardened scrooge can be softened up sometimes. The tie above, which I will wear today, is just such an exception. We can infer that it is a holiday tie by it's green ground, but it's theme takes a closer look to figure out. No Santa, no snowmen, no Christmas trees, no candy canes.

Pipers piping; drummers drumming; lords a-leaping; ladies dancing...

maids a-milking; swans a-singing; geese a-laying; golden rings...

calling birds; French hens; turtle doves; and of course, a partridge in a pear tree. This one is juts clever enough to get the better of me, and should be just silly enough against a quiet background of blue shirt, navy blazer and grey flannel trousers.

A well made tie from Ben Silver, worth every penny of the $3.99 that the thrift shop charged me for it. Hapy Holidays everyone, more news to come next week.

p.s. from the shameless self promotion department: AAW gift certificates make a great last minute gift. Order today and have a printable PDF in your email in time for tomorrow.

The Plaid of Christmas Past

While sorting through some photos looking for ones for what I thought might be a new post, I stumbled across a number of Tartan drenched vanity shots from Christmas week, and decided that timeliness, or lack of it, should be no deterrent in discussing them. I sure do like the old Scottish weave.

I think I took this photo for a post about understatement in holiday dress. However, upon review I can see that their is nothing understated about this. Big bad black watch plaid, splashed across a flannel jacket, which is actually half of a suit, wide 1970s lapels and all. True, a white square and solid navy blue wool tie may have had the chance to hold things in check, but the by now infamous custom shirt and collar pin have other things to say about it.

This ensemble, for a night on the job Christmas Eve is far more traditional, and perhaps wearable. A knitted merino wool vest in goldenrod and a lightly hued tartan Viyella tie actually are anchored this time with a navy flannel blazer and charcoal slacks.

Christmas Day, on the other hand, is no time to mess around. What else is a guy going to do with a pair of pants such as these? Don't half step with this stuff. Wear them like you mean it, behave as though such garments are completely normal, and get down on the floor to assist two children still clad in their pyjamas mid-afternoon in the construction of a new model train set. Because thats what holidays, and plaid pants, are for.

Happy New Year.