Get Ready

I heard that the Farmer's Almanac has predicted an unusually cold winter this year. Not that I neccesarily put much stock in the Farmer's Almanac, butI say bring it on. I've been preparing, and I'm ready. Are you?

Currently in the closet are some old friends and some recent off season acquisitions. Left to right: Vintage Southwick heavy wool twill in hunter green; vintage wool tartan jacket (great for Bobby Burns parties); Paul Stuart brown glen check with gold and burgundy overcheck; old custom cashmere large scale glen check with blue overcheck; Andover Shop Russell plaid heavy tweed; Brooks Brothers gun club check with open patch pockets; Andover Shop moss green tweed with orange, red, blue, and lavender check; Andover Shop brown tweed with burgundy overcheck; Norman Hilton brown color fleck herringbone; three piece cavalry twill suit. All acquired through thrift shops, ebay, or trade. 

Not bad for a broke cheapskate. Persistence pays off.

p.s. Looks like we have temps pushing 80 on the way this weekend. Good thing I kept the khakis and hopsack blazer in rotation.

Another Man's Clothes

People often ask me "doesn't it bother you to wear another man's clothes?", or coarser still "how can you wear a dead guy's things?" The answers are respectively "No", and "with great pleasure".

A while back, I acquired a truly beautiful navy blazer through a trade, and it quickly become a staple and a favorite. Originally found by good friend Zach, it was hand made in New York of very fine cashmere for a man who just so happened to be built exactly like me, with perhaps slightly longer arms. Mere weeks later, the above jacket surfaced. It's the same coat, down to every detail, only this time rendered in a large scale glen check with blue accents, also cashmere. The fit you see here is "as is".Incredible.Once again, found by Zach and acquired through trade.

Ticket pocket and two button cuffs, with side vents...

with not black, but smoke blue buttons to bring out the blue accents in the check. This thing is for real.

Once again, by Virgil Carducci of Fifth Avenue. The name remains a mystery.

So,I guess when such a thing happens, one can only assume that some fellow has died and his things are now being cast away by family members. It's very likely. I can fully understand why many people would find this to be a bit creepy, I get it. But I choose to believe that the kind of man who commissions such garments to be made would be happier to see them in use than be quarantined simply because the original purchaser has passed on. What good can come of that, really? Whoever he was, both he and Virgil put a lot of soul into these jackets, and I'm happy to keep them alive. There really is no need to be morbid about it, is there?

Frankly, I'll be thrilled if his suits start turning up  soon.I bet (hope) they have forward pleats.

p.s. Spring goods trickling in to the Shop. Silk jackets have begun to post today.

Whiffs of Spring

Last week, it go warm enough to forgo an overcoat in favor of a heavy sports jacket with a sweater, scarf and gloves in the bag for later. So I wore this:

It's an outfit I like well enough, comprised of good components. And while it did suit the weather just fine, it didn't feel quite right. So much brown,

and the combination of olive cords and rust socks....too Autumn. While the the fabrics and weights are perfectly right for the weather in which I wore them, nothing about it took hold of the sunshine or looked forward to warmer days to come.

Even the Tyrolean hat is feeling, how do say, "over".

Two days later, the same weather gets another shot, only this time the impending onset of Spring begins to make itself felt, if only a little:

A heavy jacket and sweater combo still keep me warm, only this time it's a navy blazer, and the sweater is off white silk. Brighter colors in the shirt and tie are a bit more cheery.

Wide wale cords and loafers are still in effect, but there's a mile of difference between kelly green and olive green. Still cautiously warm, still carrying a scarf and gloves in case, but this time looking forward rather than back.

Even though it still gets cold enough for the heavy Brooks Brothers Gloverall duffle coat, I can't help but swap the tweed caps for a baseball cap on a casual, knock-around day.

And though it may be snowing outside as I write this, I did go so far as to enjoy the first new pink wine of the season.

Whiffs of Spring.

p.s. tons of great new neckties in the Shop.

All In The Details

Wearing clothes is fun for me. That could explain my penchant for a lot of things that would be too much for many people. Bright colors and crazy patchwork are the height of fun dressing, but it only works if you know how to ground yourself in understatement from time to time. I am in no way advocating boring dress, because "understated" and "drab" don't necessarily have to be the same thing.

Few outfits could be more classic than a navy blazer, grey trousers and burgundy tie, as seen here. What keep this extremely simple combination from drabness lies all in the details.

The importance of a good navy blazer in a man's wardrobe can't be understated (correction: overstated-ed.). I wear mine with some frequency, and as such have three: two single breasted, one lightweight and one Winter weight, and a double breasted.This one is an upgrade for me, replacing my old flannel one.Hand made in a Madison Avenue tailor shop once upon a time, the construction is beautiful. Internet homework turned up nothing on Virgil Carducci. Anybody know anything about him?

Like the suit that was mentioned in the last post, this jacket has a great combination of mostly European details, but it works great with my existing largely American based wardrobe. Notable is the shoulder, which is roped in a very Italian style, but has a natural slope.

Patch and flap pockets are more American, but a ticket pocket is a nice unexpected touch.

Hand finished button holes and edge stitching. This thing is the real deal. Side vents, of course.

The fabric is incredibly soft to the hand, likely at least partly cashmere. It's thick and warm, but breaths well. Closer inspection reveals a herringbone weave, it's navy shade being achieved through a weave of royal blue and black threads, giving it a richer navy shade when seen under artificial light. I traded a new-with-tags Gloverall duffel coat for this, and I couldn't be happier with the results of the bargain.

A striped shirt by Polo ($5.99) adds a bit of punch. The undone button down collar is, admittedly, a hopeless affectation, but don't forget that I'm a guy who wears jacket and tie by choice only, so who cares? I wouldn't try this in an office job, but then again I don't have one. A burgundy grenadine tie by Brooks Brothers was $1.99 well spent.

The trousers are Andover Shop mid grey flannels, with side tabs and forward pleats, worn without braces.

With all these European details, these classic American penny loafers and yellow socks are suddenly incongruous, but why not?

So much about dressing well for men lies in the details, but it's even truer when keeping things relatively quiet. Finding little ways to set off a relatively conservative ensemble can be a challenge, but it's also a lot of fun. Just remember to do this stuff for yourself, and not to impress others, because you'll probably be the only person who notices or cares.