The Basics

While it's true I often promote a relatively small wardrobe stocked with only choice pieces, a well dressed man can't have enough white and blue dress shirts.

$6.98 for the two of them.

The Tiny Architect

Problem: This morning I had some architecture homework to finish, which was due tonight. But I couldn't just go down to the basement and finish the work at my drafting table, because I was watching the boy.

Solution: set up shop on the dining room table and let the boy join in! I taped down some paper for him, and gave him his very own ruler and 30/60/90 triangle. Of course.

Remarkably, I drew a complex and precise axonometric rendition of the Vanna Venturi house in this way. Best of all, not only did the boy not mark up my work, but he produced a great piece of toddler art while sitting in the chair beside me.
I wish I could always work this way. (By the way, I slayed them with that drawing in studio tonight. )


In other news: One of my best friend's mother passed away this morning, after a long fight with cancer. Please keep Elio and his Dad in your thoughts for me.


I'll be back to my usual needless pontificating on the subject of menswear soon...promise.

The Jams

I used to be a drummer. Actually, I guess I still am, but I just don't get the chance to do it much anymore, what with children and school and all. Tonight I'm getting together with old friend (and sometimes commenter) Pasquale to lay down some jazz....on this beautiful old thing:

1964 Slingerland, blue sparkle finish, with matching 1958 snare drum

This drum set is possibly the greatest thing I own. As you may well have already guessed, it too was acquired at a criminally low price by an unusual set of circumstances. Clothing is far from the only thing to be found on the cheap for the tenacious and creative shopper.

I started playing the drums when I was in the sixth grade, about 11 or 12 years old. After about a year of taking lessons with only a snare drum to prove I was serious, my parents bought me a second hand drum set. It was a basic level Gretsch from the 1980's that they found for $200. Nothing to write home about, but certainly a decent set of drums. I immediately stopped practicing my lessons and began to teach myself every song on my Dad's Beatles albums by ear.

Fast forward 15 years. I'm playing in a gigging band, the fourth or fifth serious one I've been in, on the same drum set. By now I'm pretty damn good and deserving of a better instrument on which to practice my craft. Ebay and the like are loaded with vintage drum sets, with vintage price tags of a couple grand or more. I call it "drum porn"; I know I can't afford them, but I keep tracking these things down just the same. Then one day I come across a cryptic ad on good old craigslist, which says something like "old Slingerland drums $325". I sent an email, expecting for that price some junk form the 90's. What I get is an email from an angst-ridden teenage goth girl in the suburbs, saying "they're kinda old and crappy, you probably don't want them" with a number if pictures of the above beauty attached. I nearly passed out.

Four days later, I'm at her house in a certain exclusive suburb of Boston, with Pasquale and a pick up truck, $350 in hand. The young girl says she promised to hold them for some lady from Rhode Island who's coming in two days, so I offered her the $350, $25 above the asking price, and practically ran out the door with the drums. Her Mom seemed awfully glad to have those damn things out of the house. Her Dad, I suspect, was getting toasted on single malt Scotch while reading the paper in the study.

It's exactly the same drum set Buddy Rich used to play:

The last time I played was at Pasquale's wedding at the end of August (where, incidentally, we played "I Should Have Known Better", one of the very Beatles songs I taught myself all those years ago.) It'll be good to see my old girl again tonight. Next Tuesday, I'll be sitting in with Pasquale and an as yet undetermined horn player for a cocktail gig at the Boston Athenaeum...we'll see how that goes.

The Professional

Despite messy, wet, wind driven fat flakes of snow, today I donned the full business professional get-up and trudged on down to Joe Banks for a job interview:

I dare you not to take me seriously in an outfit like this.

So Mrs. G took part of a day off to come home and watch the boy, and through no small effort I made my way down to the "Financial District" as its know. As I got out of the subway, I checked the time. 10 minutes early, perfect. So, brimming with rare confidence I strode through the door and annouced my arrival. "I have an appointment with (x) at 3:30"

The woman behind the couter looked up and said "Oh yes. (x) is not here. He told me to call and let you know, but I lost your phone number. Sorry."

Well, at least she apologized. That's something these days, I guess.

Since I was already downtown in my business best, I decided to pop in to Brooks Brothers across the street and pick up an application. The fellas there were more than happy to chat, but had nothing but grim news about the currect state of business.

Then I went up the street to the Allen Edmonds store and picked up an application. The fella there was more than happy to chat, but had nothing but grim news about the state of business.

On the way to Downtown Crossing, I passed Thomas Pink. They actually had a help wanted sign in the window (who does that anymore?) So I got an application there.

On the way home I stopped by the Andover Shop, where I had an enjoyable conversation with the old guys about the old days, and our mutual dismay over the current state of acceptable dress. Then they gave me some grim news about the state of business.

Next I went to J.Press. The fella there remembered me. He said he kept my resume and really wanted to hire me, but because of grim news about the state of business, there was just no need of an enthusiastic young fella such as yours truly.

The outlook in the architecture world lately says it will be at least a year or two before most firms will be able to expand again, because of grim news about the state of construction.

Sheesh, a guy just can't catch a break in this town! Maybe I should just drink whiskey under a bridge somewhere and write blues music.

Bits and Pieces

In assembling the Affordable Wardrobe, one sometimes finds it necessary to make a trip to (gasp!) Target, or even the dreaded mall. Such was the case today. I had to pick up a few bits and pieces to finish off my professional look for the job interview this afternoon.

White handkerchiefs from Target, $4.99/ six pack

Black leather gloves from Kohl's, $12.50 on sale.

One thing I couldn't find anywhere were rubber overshoes. I went to seven stores with no luck at all. As luck would have it, it's raw, windy and snowing today...perfect weather for wearing ones finest clothes. I guess I'll just have to wear my dress shoes and step carefully, because I'm certainly not wearing Bean boots with a blue suit and a Chesterfield coat. Last chance is the shoe repair place, which is kind of on the way to the subway, or else I'll stuff some paper towels in my pocket and do my best to wipe up before I walk inside.

The Rumpled Architect

The weather here in Boston was unseasonably warm. Perfect weather for a Macintosh style Burberry raincoat and some tweed:

I call this look the "Rumpled Architect". Note the big tote bag and tube of rolled drawings. The only thing missing is a tweed bucket hat.

(This look is known alternatively as the "Rumpled Professor" , the "Slightly Disheveled Writer" or the "Newspaper Man on Assignment".)

In such an outfit, I could easily convince any client to allow me twice as much money as their budget allows to carry out my designs of vain hubris...or maybe all the pictures of John Updike (r.i.p.) that have been floating around the internet are just rubbing off on me.

p.s. today at school someone asked me "What are you all dressed up or? Work? Job Interview?" I said " I'm not 'all dressed up.' If I was, I'd be wearing a suit.

Young Men in the Old Days

Today the Affordable Wardrobe was joined by this sporty little number:

Vintage 1960's 3/2 sack sports jacket, with 2 button cuffs and those old fashioned shallow side vents. $7.99Made of this gorgeous and unbelievably soft piece of fabric. Too soft to be just wool, maybe part Alpaca? Who knows? Who cares? This label is priceless. I guess I'll have to pass this one on when I get too old for it. Can you even imagine a time when this would be considered clothes for a young man? Seems like it was a million years ago.

I sort of remember Cricketeer being something you could get at Filene's men's department. Apparently it's a brand that was produced by Joseph & Feiss, who now manufactures things for Hugo Boss. Sometimes at Simon's we would get a chance to buy some stuff from them and have our labels put in. That was always a big deal, a special occasion.

Picture this one with dark grey flannels, a blue button down shirt and a navy wool knit tie...or better still a black merino wool turtle-neck...gotta get me a turtle-neck.

In other news, I've got an interview tomorrow at Jos. A. Bank on State Street for a part time job selling menswear. Do you think I can sell menswear? Looks like the navy suit and white shirt will be going out for another spin this week. Just for luck, I bought this tie:

I used to be sent out to spy on these guys back in the days at Simon's. The funny thing is, the State Street location actually occupies the very space that was once Simon's State Street.

Not exactly the kind of work I was looking for, but anything beats being on the dole. Maybe I could even get some clothes out of it, but my thrifting gene will probably never let me pay the exorbitant sum of $249 for a suit. At the very least, it's good interview practice, and of all the innumerable resumes I've sent out, these guys were the only people to even call me back. Wish me luck.