Relativity

Just the other day, I found this lovely burgundy necktie with white pin-dots. Its, just the right width, hand sewn, and the silk is top rate. A good score for $1.99 :

From a fancy little local haberdashery calle Mr. Sid

No big deal, I'm always buying ties for a couple of bucks. That's only the beginning of today's story.

I remember seeing things from Mr.Sid turn up at the original Filene's Basement all the time. The stuff was always really expensive, like $800 pair of slacks expensive. Even at the deep discounts of a place like "the basement", the prices were prohibitively high. I always thought it was really nice, but never really understood the price tags. So when I came across this tie, I chuckled for a second then bought it.

I decided to check out their website yesterday. While I remember the stuff I used to see as being exclusively house label, they appear to be retailers of brands like Zegna, Etro, Brioni and Bally shoes, in addition to running an extensive made to measure department. Perfect for the kind of Italian fashion slave who can afford to spend as much on his clothes each season as I used to make in a year when I was employed.

Then I see this picture on their site:

and as I'm looking at it, it occurs to me that I have some kind of close facsimile of every single item in the photo:

Which brings me to my point about relativity.

I'm not going to say that my stuff is of equal quality as theirs, because it isn't. I'm not going to say that there is no difference between expensive things and cheap things, because that isn't true. The point I will make is that style doesn't care about money.

When a store like that puts together the display in the picture, they are trying to sell you a sensibility about the way in which items work together, the composition of an outfit from its parts. Sure, they would like it if you bought it from them, but we can't all afford that. This shouldn't stop a man from understanding how clothes work, because that skill is free. And if you can foster it, you can figure out a way to pull it off within your own budget, whatever that is.

When I see a guy walking around in sweatpants talking about how poor he is and this all they had in his price range at Target, I call that the "giving up on life" style. Its an excuse for laziness, nothing more. Style doesn't care about money.

If I walked into the kind of restaurant where Mr. Sid's customers eat in the above outfit, I'm willing to wager 9 out of 10 men in the place wouldn't know the difference. Its all about a keen eye paired with proper comportment. Style doesn't care about money.

And not for nothing, but aside from the vest, which I bought about a month ago, I've already owned this stuff for a while, since well before they put it all together to photograph it. Style doesn't care about money.

My intention here is not to brag. I only mean to help people understand that anybody, and I do mean anybody, can be well dressed if they want to be. A lack of money only helps. Anyone can blow a lot of money in a fancy store, but you really have to 'get it' to pull it off on the cheap.

Top Hats, part 2

Here's a guy who dresses like a man of consequence, Sir Topham Hatt:
You may remember that I have a 2 year old son. He, not unlike millions of other kids, is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine. I know many parents find this sort of thing an annoyance to be suffered through, but I like this show. The fact that so many children take such a keen interest in a show about a railway populated with steam engines and run by a titled gentleman who wears a morning coat and top hat gives me hope for the future.

At least the kids are seeing characters on t.v. who wear ties and take great pride in their work, which is a better example than most t.v. would give them.

(forgive me this small amount of dorkery. I am a dad, after all.)

p.s. Sir Topham Hatt's weekend casual attire consists of tan cavalry twill trousers, a regimental tie and a blazer with a crest. Let the kids watch this show all they want.

Top Hats

Lately there have been a lot of commercials for the museum at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library running during the local news. Can't imagine why...

Not surprisingly, one of them features footage from his innaugural address. When it came on tonight, Mrs. G said "Look at all of those guys in top hats."

I said "Can you believe this how men dressed for formal occasions only 50 years ago? These days you're lucky if you can get a guy to wear long pants to a funeral."

I can be quite an old man sometimes.

Sis-Boom-Bah, part 2

Nothing like the old 1920's football look, especially if (like me) you neither play nor enjoy the sport:This outfit here serves as the example for the opening of two very big cans of worms.

1) Polo Ralph Lauren, and its proper place in the lexicon of American menswear
2) The wearing of numbers and/or crests which are not really yours to wear

For those of us who waste far too much time thinking about these things and then scouring the the Beastly Internet to hear what others think, these are touchy subjects indeed.

Polo Ralph Lauren

It seems that recently the webs have been all atwitter about old Ralph. Maybe its the recent anniversary of the company. Everywhere, you find people who hate the brand and all it stands for, people who claim that it is the province of sissy boy poseurs, or something. But for everyone of those, there's a guy who will wear anything with a pony on it, who feels that department store clothing can make him into something he is not. Both are silly ways of thinking.

I mention it because in the outfit I wore today, my blue university striped oxford, flannel slacks and bright yellow socks were all Polo. Not the right brand you say? Poseur, you say? I say what difference does it make? It's an oxford shirt made of heavy cloth with a really warm pair of grey pants made of very soft wool. Is there a more classic combination? Would you have known if I didn't tell you? Besides, I find that most of the people who launch vitriol at the brand will be the first to tell you that obsession with a brand name is very ungentlemanly. I agree. So then why are they all so obsessed? (I'm making the broad assumption here that readers of this blog likely read the other blogs that I frequent, and know what I am talking about.) Boy, that's a lot of questions.

If you ask me, Polo does a great job of re-introducing a sort of idealised version of the American past( Ironically, the most "Polo" thing about this outfit, the varsity sweater, is actually vintage).And they make a pretty good oxford in a cut that suits me. Mass produced sweatshop goods? Certainly, but if I find one at thrift shop for a few bucks, a shirts a shirt, and who am I to waste it on loosely based principles.

Guys who dress head to toe in Polo and try to ape the distinct style in which thier mannequins and models are dressed look silly, but so do guys who follow any brand so closely. It's because this way of dressing is evidence of a lack of style and confidence. Any chump can just buy the whole outfit. That takes no thought.The brand itself is not to blame. Men of style should know how to see past all that. I think taken piece by piece, Polo items mix perfectly well with things from Brooks Brothers, J. Press or whatever.

Ralph is a kid from the Bronx who understands men's fashion, particularly American men's fashion, in a very profound and unique way. The arguement could even be made (by someone other than me) that if it weren't for Ralph, far fewer American would even be wearing tweed and flannel at all. The stuff looks nice. I only wish it were made here.

Besides, isn't part of the trick to appear as though you don't pay attention to such things (even though, of course, you do) ?

Numbers and Crests

These days fake numbers and crests are all over the place. It is out of control.

Legitimately, such a thing is something to be earned. I mentioned this in a previous post, when I bought the sweater I wore today. A while ago, I had a long scarf from Harvard that I found at a thrift. You know the ones; crimson with white stripes running the length of it, the kind of thing you still see at the Harvard /Yale football game. The thing was warm as hell. But after a while I got rid of it. Why? Because I didn't go to Harvard.

So the how do I explain this sweater? I don't know what school its from, and I don't care. I'm not trying to pass it off as my number, or say it was my grandfathers. Frankly, I generally don't like this sort of thing, butI just think this particular sweater is cool, end of story. Usually, that's the best way to make a sartorial decision anyway.

I invite your comments on these two matters dear readers. Haters welcome.

p.s. sometimes in the summer, I wear a Boston Red Sox cap. I've never played for them.

p.p.s. I purposely avoided linking out to examples from other blogs of what I'm talking about. I suspect some of you know what I mean. How's that for passive aggression?

p.p.p.s. look! my shoes! amazing how "designers" are basically just creative copycats, isn't it? but, who am I too judge.

Whats In a Name, part 2

Yesterday this mystery jacket found its way into my closet: Navy blue wool flannel, un-darted, 3/2 button stance.

Half lined, like the old days, but appears to be brand new.The odd thing is, it has no brand name. This is the only tag in it, besides a paper one inside the left breast pocket stating that it is proudly union made. I plan to get some brass buttons for it, two each instead of three for the cuffs.

I love this jacket. True, I already own a really nice blazer from J.Press, but that one is hopsack, not flannel. The cloth is more spring/summer, and it fits my spring/summer body better. This ones built for the chill of winter, and fits my Christmas cookie body much better.

So whose jacket is this? We all love that old fashioned store brand stuff, but don't forget that many of those items were simply ordered from a factory and then fitted with store labels before being shipped out. This jacket could easily have been destined for any fine men's shop, even J.Press. It's quality is certainly on that level. My point is, labels can be a trusted mark of quality and craftsmanship, but real quality doesn't really need labels. Whose jacket is this? Its my jacket.

Not bad for $3.49. It more than makes up for the white dinner jacket that I may or may not have been right in leaving behind recently.

The brass buttons will likely cost four or five times as much as the coat. Brilliant!

p.s. Just to show I'm not all sour grapes, let me be the first to tell you that The Rival nailed it this time. I agree totally with every word of his most recent post.

Simon's Copley Square, part 3

or, "The Dress Set"

Once upon a time, David Simon, son of Harold Simon, attended a wedding in California. The event was black tie, and being next in line to inherent the family haberdashery, David of course arrived at the hotel with his own beautifully tailored tuxedo.

On the morning of the wedding, he had room service pick up the tux for pressing, and in the process discovered that he forgot to pack his stud and cuff link set. He ran around town for a while, but couldn't find a replacement. It was Sunday, and lots of stores were closed.

Then he noticed that the hardware store was open. In a flash of brilliance, he went in and purchased six sets of nuts and bolts, four very small (the shirt studs) and two larger (the cuff links).

On arrival at the wedding, he was showered with compliments on his most unique jewelry. He said "These? They're Armani" and all was right with the world.

As far as I know, a true story.

p.s. speaking of the West Coast, only in California would these be called winter boots. Lets see 'em in two feet of Boston snow and ice. Frostbitten toes, anyone?

p.p.s. Dammit! Longwing seems to be out of the loop...again! First Tucker and now this.

Garlic For Breakfast

I promise not to make a cooking blog out of this, but I'm all euphoric from a delicious breakfast.

In addition to only wearing the clothes that others have cast aside, making sure to use up all your leftovers is an important part of being a cheapskate. Last night, Mrs. G and I had steaks with some ziti in oil and garlic on the side. The only thing left over was a spoonful of the pasta:

I like using leftover pasta as a breakfast treat. To start, saute the ziti in a little bit of olive oil mixed with butter:

When it just starts to get a little crispy at the edges, add two eggs beaten with a splash of milk:

When the eggs are almost set, flip the whole thing over, add some shredded Romano cheese to one side , and fold like an omelet. (Real Romano cheese. One thing I do not skimp on are my imported Italian foods.)

Enjoy with buttered toast, and some gut-wrenchingly strong stovetop coffee:

For 'dessert', a ripe juicy Bosc Pear:

Molto Bene!