Alternative Black Tie

I wanted to go somewhere wearing this....

...but instead I stayed home and wore this.

(Tuxedo t-shirt gift of the Boy and the Girl. Mrs. G says they absolutley insisted)

I'm not going to get all sappy about the meaning of things and say that all this silly stuff about clothes doesn't matter, because I really believe it does. However, it's never a bad thing to have little reminders to keep things in proper persepctive. My family is happy and healthy, and I have a lot to be grateful for. So what if I spent New Years Eve in a tux t-shirt.

Happy New Year.

p.s. after much neglect, the Shop has a lot of new items in it today. As though you haven't spent enough money in the last few weeks....

Limits....

....even I have them.

I work at night, and as such often putter around the house in my pyjamas until late morning. I ought to have nicer pyjamas, I suppose. But I just can't bring myself to hang around the house in a night shirt without feeling like a jerk.

Even if it is a really nice one from Brooks Brothers. Before anyone makes a crack about the matching night cap and candlestick, Mrs. G already beat you to it. She had plenty other choice humorous remarks to make as well. The last thing sleepwear should do is make you appear silly in the eyes of your significant other.

I have my limits.



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.

Just Some Old Thing To Wear Around The House....

In the past, I've made my position of precious house clothes quite clear. I've never been one for luxury pyjamas or precious embroidered velvet slippers, as I find that the time I spend at home in my house clothes involves as much cleaning and house work as it does sleeping. And then this falls into my lap...

...an honest to God dressing gown. Not a robe, a dressing gown, made of some of the softest light weight tweed I've ever touched. Found at a favorite thrift haunt for $6.99, among a rack of ladies coats of all things. Rules of thrifting: 1) look where you don't think things should be, because sometimes that's where the are. 2) Learn to spot good fabric. I saw the sleeve sticking out of a heap of junk and the fabric is what caught my eye.

The beautifully cut shawl collar had me thinking black tie immediately. Do I dare be so obnoxious as to invite people to my house for cocktails and host them in this get-up? Does such a garment even belong in a modest two bedroom with toys all over the place?

Finding a belt with something like this in a thrift shop is like a gift from above, truly rare. Its got a few tiny moth holes, but only a few, so who cares? Guess I have to do a complete 180 degree turn and order some custom made broadcloth pyjamas and a half dozen pair of those damn velvet slippers. The full rig will be just the thing for cooking pancakes, washing dishes and picking up after the kids.

p.s. new stuff in the Shop, including Brooks Brothers sweaters, Alden shoes, and some serious vintage Harris Tweed.