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.

Dress Up/Down

...or, Turtlenecks, part 2

It can be hard enough to wear a jacket and tie these days, without appearing to be needlessly over dressed. Even the most laid back version of such an outfit, rendered in the softest tweeds, corduroy, and flannel, can be to formal for 98% of normal life. Wearing a suit in these circumstances can be damn near impossible. Enter once again the recently acquired turtle neck sweaters ($4.99), this time in tan.

The suit in the photo is a vintage 1960s flannel striped one from Brooks Brothers. Indeed, the very quintessence of business clothing, meant for the kind of business I will likely never conduct. But its heavy and warm and actually quite comfortable. If you closely enough, the stripes are not quite white, and I've found that of I play to that, it is possible to wear this suit in a Sunday semi-formal kind of way. 

On the feet, a pair of recently acquired monk strap shoes in brown suede ($9.99 less 50%= $4.99) continue the laid back feel. Cozy on a cold day, topped with a polo coat, big scarf and tweed cap, I'd almost call the look rakish, if almost anyone other than me were wearing it.

The combination of suit and turtleneck isn't for every situation, but then again a suit itself is lately appropriate for less and less situations everyday. I wore mine to work on a casual Sunday, but it works for a dinner in a good but comfortable restaurant, and can be quite dashing at a Christmas party if you're not a tartan pants kind of guy.