More Firsts Of The Season

Poplin suit (more on that later)

 Castle Island

 Gin & Tonic (actually, this would be the first finished bottle of gin for the season)

 Platic pool

 Richie's slush (used to be called slush, anyway. Still just as good)

 Seersucker pants

 Pink wine, al fresco dining in the back yard

Weber grill

Not neccesarily in that order. All in all, it's been a damn good week.

The Jams

A fellow known as Laguna Beach Fogey recently referred to me as a "tattooed goombah from Boston who plays Preppy dress up." (the capitalization of preppy is his...I might have capitalized Goombah).  This might have been funny, if only the ensuing conversation hadn't led me to this. Wow.

So I thought about how I don't like to get political here, and how I like to write about clothes, and music and stuff, and how I should probably just leave this all alone. But when I read something so ugly, ignorant and racist, I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.

So instead of flying off the handle and likely making an ass of myself, I settled my nerves with this incredible live performance by Curtis Mayfield from 1972. Seriously, Curtis with a small band and a Fender amp, sans string arrangement, is unstoppable.

I went to a Memorial Day parade today with my wife, kids and parents. I watched veterans and marching bands roll by, and I thought about what this all stood for, and I tried to give some small idea of it to my four year old boy. Then I came home and got rolling with all this Laguna racism crap and it brought me down, but only for a minute. As Curtis says:

"of all the soldiers who are dead and gone, if we could bring back just one, he'd say we got to have peace"

Go ahead and change the subject if you like...make cracks about the ugly 1970s clothes in the video, make this a conversation about me being a typical bleeding heart from Massachusetts, call me a goombah, it's up to you. I plan to "Keep On Keeping On"

Happy Memorial Day.

p.s. we'll get back to matters more superficial tomorrow...promise.

AAW S/S 2011

"An Affordable Wardrobe is proud to announce the debut of it's Spring/Summer 2011 collection..."

Blech! Scratch that. There will be no press/blogger party hosted by Stella Artois in Manhattan.

After a week of cleaning up and sorting out from the Top Shelf Flea Market, and taking a much needed and well earned little rest, the shop has just been restocked with plenty of goods suitable for the warm weather. "Bill" is back, and he's wearing a lot of chambray. Check it out.

La Costa Orientale (or, East Coast "Italian")

A while back, I made a very brief mention of a new pair of pants in the "Milano" cut by Brooks Brothers which had just made their seasonal debut. Today, on second wearing, I find myself still on the fence about my verdict.

Essentially, they would seem to be just my style. A nice pale shade of orange, very East Coast, and seemingly a cinch on a warm sunny day with a navy blazer and dress shirt open at the neck. In true Affordable Wardrobe fashion, purchased well off season at a deep discount. The cut is pretty trim, but I can live with that, especially in what once was considered a casual outfit, though these days I may as well be meeting the Queen or being inaugurated president in such a get up.

I mentioned before that the "Milano" cut takes some getting used to, and the trouble for me lies in the very short rise of these pants. Please forgive me this unseemly crotch shot, but I took it to make a point, in the interest of service to you, my devout readers. Note how the top of these pants just meet the bottom button  of my blazer. Most of my pants come up at least two inches higher, nearly to the top button. Maybe they don't even look bad, or wrong, by today's standards, but I constantly feel like I need to pull them up, only I can't, because they won't go any higher. I guess that's Italian style, or something.

Orange cotton pants should be so very East Coast, and so I wore them with a vintage blue striped Sero oxford ($1.99) and a J. Press blazer ($7.49), but I eschewed the undershirt and left an extra button open for a flash of chest hair, you know, Italian style...

and this pair of brown suede Ralph Lauren driving loafers, made in Italy ($5.49), really holds this one together, you know, Italian style.  It works, I think, but I had to work at it, and I was conscious of the skimpy cut of these pants all day, which is antithetical to stylish dressing.Who was it that said something like "if you can't wear it and forget that you're wearing it, don't wear it"? Can't remember, but its sound advice. I'll be 35 on my next birthday, and frankly, the "Milano" cut makes me feel old. Ten years ago, slim and trim were the two most important things I looked for in a pair of pants. These days, a more classic fit with room to breath is more my speed. Call it dressing like a grown up, if you will, but its really just knowing my shape and how to flatter it that I'm after. That, and not constantly trying to pull up a pair of pants that won't go any higher.

At the Top Shelf Flea, I had a customer engaged in conversation who was inspecting a vintage 1980s Brooks Brothers "Brooksease" 3/2 sack suit in navy blue with white stripes I was offering, and he said something like "when I see a suit like this, it makes me wonder why a company like Brooks Brothers would engage in all the 'preppy nonsense'."

I said "Blame it on the Italians."

p.s. plenty of "preppy nonsense" is about to hit the shop, including many of the pink and green pants recently mentioned. Stay tuned.

Top Shelf Flea Market III...Grazie Mille!

Once again, I am truly humbled by the incredible turnout at Top Shelf Flea last Sunday. It is truly gratifying to know so many people think my crazy little idea is a good one.

I feel secure in saying that a good time was had by all, and I only regret a lack of photographic evidence for those of you not in attendance. Alas, I was too busy selling to shop (every business man's favorite problem, to be sure).

Bill (my faithful mannequin) and I thank you deeply.

This Little Piggie's Gone to Market...

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Top Shelf Flea Market III. Lots of good stuff, lots of good people. Be back here Monday with the full report.



Teaser, part 3 (the only way to fly)

Not clothes, not available at my booth, but...

This is a vintage 1980s Olmo bicycle, made in Italy. All flashed up and ready-to-ride shape, courtesy of Top Shelf newcomers JA Outfitters. Not cheap, but a steal for it's quality.

Jason, of  Winderness Workshop in Boston, and author of the blog Eggs & Wool,  and Alexi, bike mechanic extroidinaire and self styled "horrible old man" have come together to form JA outfitters, offering bike stuff, wilderness stuff, vintage camping, fishing, and hiking stuff, and other assorted well curated authentic vintage heritage Americana. Now, before you say it, I know I like to poke fun at all that stuff, but these two have it on a level that only goes to prove my distaste for what ADG calls the "vintage heritage legacy work clothes con artists"...by which I mean, they are for real, not gourmet axe wielding Manhattan lumberjacks. And they have this bike to sell.

You see, I didn't learn to drive until I was 29 years old. I resisted it like the plague, and it wasn't until the birth of a child was fast upon me that I broke down. Prior to that, I was a bike dork, full blast. Fixed gear, English three speed, rolled jeans, wool jersey, courier bag wearing, avant garde rock band playing bike dork. Cocky, and 35 pounds lighter, to boot. In those days, I lusted after an Italian bicyle such as this.

Beat me to it, 'cause if I spend half the days haul on this thing, Mrs, G. will have my head, not on a plate, but likely in a trash bag.