One For The Good Guys, part 2

I'm sure many of you remember the article I wrote a while back about the new mayor of Lawrence, MA, and his dress code for city hall employees requiring them to dress like grown-ups. At the time, I called for anyone willing to show their support for Mr. Mayor to send me a tie which I would present on our collective behalf. What followed led me down an unexpected path, with a pleasant surprise as its conclusion.

In the week following the original piece, I collected nearly 50 ties from among my readers, a gift for which I thank each of you who contributed. Then I got an email from Paul Fredrick, an online clothing retailer out of Pennsylvania, saying they thought this was a great cause and wanted to be involved. I wasn't quite sure what that might mean, but agreed to be in touch with them after contacting the mayor's office.

The next day, I spoke with the kind assistant to Mayor Rivera. She informed me that the mayor appreciated our offer, but that there was a place where this gift might fill a bigger need. She directed me to the Notre Dame Cristo Rey high school in Lawrence. It's a Catholic school that focuses on lower income kids, getting them office jobs as part of a work/study program that helps defray the cost of tuition. Not only do these kids where ties to school, but also to work. Already they're doing better than grown people with government office jobs. Being from  lower income families, the mayor's office felt these kids needed the help more, and I agreed completely.

I informed the representative from Paul Fredrick of this, not sure whether they would still get involved. They did, sending me 350 ties (!!!) as a donation to the school. I was flabbergasted, but my reaction was nothing compared to that of the dean at the school. I dropped the ties off yesterday, in a box so heavy I could barely lift it alone. They are destined to be given to the incoming freshman class.

When those kids grow up and take jobs in places like Lawrence City Hall, or anywhere else for that matter, I doubt we'll have to "force" them to dress, or behave, appropriately. Chalk one up for the good guys.

My sincerest thanks to Mayor Rivera's office, Paul Fredrick, and each of you who donated ties. Generosity and charity never go out of style.

Free Stuff : Passaggio Cravatte

A while back, I was graciously offered a tie to review by Gianni Cerutti of Passaggio Cravatte. I had heard so many good things about them, and never having owned an Italian seven fold tie, I accepted. Besides, the broken English of whatever translator he used in his emails, all of which began "Hello, Dear", was something I couldn't refuse.

His process was in depth and friendly. After we agreed to work together, he sent me over 200 high resolution photos of vintage fabrics he has on hand, silks, grenadines, knits in wool and cashmere,you name it. In many cases, each fabric is only enough for a few ties. After some deliberation, I settled on a soft cashmere in burgundy, brown, and tan tic weave. I gave him the length and width of a favorite tie of mine and waited excitedly for my tie to arrive.

In a matter of only two short weeks, my tie had arrived. The cashmere was softer than I could have imagined, and the construction is indeed superb. All Gianni's ties are made to order, completely by hand, in his small studio in Naples. The tie is unlined, with a rolled tip and seven fold construction, which gives it a nice heft yet lets it hang very softly when tied. I hate to sound maudlin, but it really is something of a work of art. In person, there is no denying the superior quality this tie has in relation to nearly all of my others, that there is something special about this one is obvious from a distance (that is, to a clothing nerd who thinks too much about these things anyway). The only other tie I have that comes close is a wool and cashmere blend made in Italy by Paul Stuart.

As you can imagine, these things do not come cheap. This tie would have sold for 195 Euro, or roughly $235. No small chunk of change, and frankly a hard thing for me to justify endorsing on a blog about being cheap. But we need to consider it in context I suppose. Ralph Lauren Purple Label sells ties for upwards of $220, but there are a lot of each of them. The tie I ordered is the only like it in existence, and that's at least worth something. If you're reading this blog, chances are you probably won't be ordering one of these any time soon, but it is worth knowing that in very rare cases, things are expensive for a very real reason. My Nonna would have loved this tie, for it's Italian-ness as well as the beauty of it's construction and material. She was like that.

Grazie, Gianni.

p.s. Speaking of ties, look for a follow up to this story soon. It's been really interesting the way this has developed, and I look forward to sharing the results with you.

p.p.s. In the Shameless Self Promotion Department, Spring Clearance Sale is happening now in the AAW Shop.

One For the Good Guys

Mayor Dan Rivera of Lawrence, Mass.

Recently, Dan Rivera, the newly elected Mayor of Lawrence Massachusetts, has instituted a dress code for City Hall employees. Read the story here.

Basically, he's only asking grown-ups who work in an office to dress like grown-ups who work in an office, which of course has some of those same grown-ups in a lather. He's banned jeans, sweatpants, spandex, and pyjamas. To me, the only thing shocking here is that we need to have rules in place to get people to do this. Adults used to just know these things.

The rule that seems to have garnered the most negative reaction is the one requiring men to wear a tie. It's been called everything from sexist to elitist. A lot of guys are citing the cost of these clothes as their primary complaint. I'm sure you all can guess how I feel about that. Of the more than one hundred ties currently in my own collection, I'm sure none of them cost more that five dollars at thrift shops.

Lawrence has been known for years as something of a "rough town", one of poverty and crime. Mayor Rivera is trying to clean up the city's image, and he believes that City Hall, effectively his own back yard, is the place to start. I for one would like to show my support of his efforts. As such, I'd like to take up a collection of ties and donate them to the Mayor to give out to his male employees. An Affordable Wardrobe will be donating a dozen or so of its own ties to this cause. I'm sure many of you have at least one tie you don't really need. Find that tie, and send it to me by the end of the week. I'll drive them up to Mayor Rivera's office myself with support on behalf of all the readers of this blog. I guarantee that after a week of wearing ties regularly, most of the complainers will begin to feel better about themselves in the morning.

Let's get behind Mayor Rivera. This really is one point we can chalk up for the good guys.

You can send your ties here:

An Affordable Wardrobe

249 Elm Street 2nd Floor

Somerville, MA, 02144

p.s. the last time I visited a thrift shop in Lawrence, I came away with half a dozen shirts from the Andover Shop. Penury is not an excuse.

New Year's Sale

Now through midnight, Sunday, 5 January, enjoy 20% off your entire purchase in the AAW online Shop. Use discount code NEWYEAR2014 at checkout. Offer also good in the AAW Store, 249 Elm Street, 2nd Floor, Somerville, Mass. Saturday, 4 January, 10 am-2pm.

Reading Material

My apologies to any ladies present for this one. Truth be told, men tend to keep reading material in the, ahem, restroom. Abhorrent? Perhaps, but a "guy thing" nonetheless. Recently, this particular triumvirate has convened in my own home:

"Class" by Paul Fussell, 1983; "The Prince" by Niccolo Machiavelli, 16th century,

each less than a dollar at thrift shops.

"The Tao of Wu" by the RZA, a Christmas gift from Kid Brother

A now classic tome on the American class structure, and a humorous one at that, especially from an East Coast point of view....an ancient text from Rennaissance Italy, written by an aristocrat, on how to be one....and a philosophical work by a modern rap artist who draws on Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Bhuddism, comic books and kung fu movies with unbridled equanimity. I've read all three, and all three now have been filed for quick reference and cross checking. For good measure, they sit atop a Phaidon book of ugly British post cards, mainly pictures of motels, highways and rest stops, called simply "Bad Post Cards".

If that doesn't explain in condensed and distilled form the sort of thing that goes on around this blog, I don't know what will.

p.s.

the necktie selection at the Shop has been amply replenished. There are also a number of non-clothing items available, some suitable for children, others not. Go see.

Sale!

An Affordable Wardrobe Shop is having an end of year sale!

From now until midnight Saturday, 31 December, all orders over $50 are 15% off. Use discount code NEWYEAR2012 at checkout. All orders received by the end of the sale will ship Wednesday, 4 January via USPS priority mail.