Pattern mixing

Worsted small herringbone next to tweed large herringbone. The difficulty with mixing patterns is that if they are too close to each other in size or color, it will look as though you tried, and failed, to match. What could be worse, apart from nuclear war? Here, I fancy that I succeeded in avoiding that trap.

I worry about Mads Mikkelsen playing Hannibal Lecter on TV for a similar reason. His suits are exquisitely tailored, but they usually give him a solid shirt in a rich color with a paisley necktie in highly similar shades. It looks too matchy, whereas I insist upon only the best for Le Chiffre and the star of one of Dapper Spouse's least favorite movies, Valhalla Rising.

Spring Dance

When it was freezing cold and nasty earlier this week, I wore a navy JAB Signature Gold blazer, BR chinos (which, by the way, I do not find to be a great value, but they were the best-fitting chinos I could find at the mall on short notice to fit my weirdening body proportions), CT dress-stripe shirt, and pink PF tie.  Burgundy Allen Edmonds oxfords from eBay. 

Dress for the weather you want, not the weather you have.  Similar to the rain dance in this regard.  And behold--spring temperatures and sunlight amounts, just in time for Daylight Saving Time, which needs to be made permanent, so dark is the DC winter.

eBaynomics

Some black Church's perforated wingtips I acquired from EBay require resoling. The uppers are still in very good shape, although a careless waxing by yours truly left some polish in many of the larger perforations. This slightly reduces their overall appeal by reducing the contrast between black leather and whitish leather edge, but nothing serious.

The grass is always blacker on the other side, though, and I keep thinking that a new pair of Allen Edmonds would be just swell, and I could scrupulously avoid getting polish in any of the perforations.

By the way, I was at the downtown Nordstrom Rack over the weekend and was struck by how high the list price had been on so many dress shoes of rather shoddy material and construction. Sometimes, you get what you pay for only after an 80% markdown.