It Is Possible That I Got Carried Away

Pink and light blue seemed sensible enough as I put on my shirt.  After all, mid-gray is a nice, neutral base, no?  But I hadn't had any coffee or gone for a run, so my brain wasn't fully engaged.  So much color was making me happy, and in much the same way that the first shot of tequila makes the second one seem like an even better idea, I put on this blue tie.

Shirt and tie, Charles Tyrwhitt [introductory sale]
Socks, Dapper Classics [Christmas]
Suit, Hickey (now defunct) [Filene's Basement (now defunct)]
Shoes, Church's [eBay]

Cooking With Gas

I don't know where Dapper Fiancee got this apron, but it sure works well when I appropriate it.  I suppose something like this would be more practical, but the advantage of a two-tone pattern like this is that it doesn't show grease stains as easily as a vast cream-colored surface or a standard black "Kiss the Cook" apron which is de rigeur for grillmasters.  The wild pattern interrupts the eye's attempts to go, "Oh, is that bacon grease mixed with steak juice and Jose Cuervo?  Just what exactly were you making?"  If you must know, I find cooking less stressful when accompanied by a cocktail.

The t-shirt came from the Saturday-morning confab of local craftspeople who gather in the courtyard outside the Potbelly near the Ballston Metro station.  It has octopus tentacles up and down the front--and the back as well, which you almost never get from Internet t-shirt sites.  Extremely well printed.  Unfortunately, the craftsperson didn't include any information to identify zirself, so I can't offer a plug.  However, ze may still frequent that market and would be worth a visit if so.

Snow Day

I had a bad experience during one of the huge 2010 snowstorms--got stuck on the side of the road for seven hours.  Of course, I ran out of gas, and my battery died, and so all I had to keep warm was my suit and overcoat.  (I removed the zip-in lining to wrap around my feet.  It was bad.)  Since then, I've been wary of driving in snow, but the dusting we got last night just wasn't enough to deter me by the time I walked outside this morning and realized, "Hey, it snowed last night."

If you're careful and thorough, and you make sure to wipe/shake/knock the snow off your calfskin shoes, they should be able to hold up.  Dry them off at your earliest opportunity.  Overshoes or galoshes aren't a bad idea, but make sure they go up high enough, or you'll just end up with snow inside your shoes. 

The real problem, though, is the dry air and attendant static electricity.  My heavy wool coat actually stuck to my pants leg yesterday (granted, they were tweed pants).  Really messes with the "drape" we all prize.  A spray bottle of water is a useful fix, but it never works for me past about 15 minutes.  I hear hairspray works well, but I hesitate to touch my suits with that.

Anyway, here's to dressing up even when the weather disagrees.

Scarlet [Letter, O'Hara, Johanssen, Socks]

It might be fair to accuse me of chasing cheap thrills.  However, compared to bungee jumping, red socks with an otherwise conservative gray suit, black shoes, and subdued tie are downright safe.  If you want more "my pants, socks, and shoes" posts, you'll have to visit Will at A Suitable Wardrobe, as his vastly larger supply of shoes, mostly bespoke, is simply more photogenic.

This is also a good time of year to catch up on your major menswear bloggers as they reblog photos of themselves, taken by others, at the Pitti Uomo menswear trade show.  See, e.g., Simon Crompton.  If I only had a beard and the dosh for a round-trip ticket to Italy.

Why Does Everyone Joke About Getting Sweaters For Christmas?

Very straightforward pima cotton v-neck sleeved sweater from JAB.  (Thanks, Mater!) Mid-gray color means it coordinates well with the darker grays one usually finds in suiting.  Suit is a JAB Signature Gold; necktie from a random brand at Davelle; Calvin Klein hidden-placket car coat from Filene's (requiescat in pace); Charles Tyrwhitt shirt with a great roll to the collar.  For those cold, cold walks from the parking garage to the courthouse.

The only nettlesome thing about wearing a sweater with a tie is what to do with the bit of the tie that extends past the top of your belt.  I have the best luck with just tucking it into my pants.  It comes out a bit wrinkled at the end of the day, but it's, net, better than having your necktie peek out from the bottom of your sweater.

Why Does Everyone Joke About Getting Socks For Christmas?

Dapper Fiancee's sister and BIL got me some Dapper Classics over-the-calf socks in sky blue (shown), scarlet, and lavender.  They are properly lightweight with a faint ribbed pattern to them.  (Thick weaves with deep clefts look, to my eye, a bit casual.)  Unlike some Paul Fredrick OTC, they go all the way up over my calves; unlike some Jos. A. Bank OTC, the heel pockets actually sit at my heels rather than halfway up my Achilles tendon.

I suppose at some point I'll start buying sized dress socks--all the menswear bloggers swear by them--but that seems like a remote event indeed, like being able to afford bespoke cordovan shoes made from a beloved horse from my childhood.


Was that joke in bad taste?  If it helps your feelings, I didn't have a childhood horse.  In fact, horses and I have never gotten along.  Maybe that's part of why I love cordovan.

Shown with brown Church's oxfords made from a beloved cow from someone's childhood.

Patch-Flap Pockets

Been meaning to talk about how much I love them on odd jackets, such as the tweed seen here.  Patch pockets are pockets that sit on the outside of the jacket rather than the inside.  Flap pockets have a flap. 

Perfect for those days when you're hunting pheasant and your beaters are doing their work some yards ahead of you.  You can't be seen wearing a bandolier of shotgun shells; that sort of affectation is for people like Pancho Villa, people who are forced to use even their clothing as a political statement.  Instead, shove as many rounds as you can carry into these pockets.  Let them bulge.  Use them.

A bit too casual for court around here, although there's at least one extremely dapper lawyer in the Tidewater area who wears, with chinos, a three-roll-two navy odd jacket made out of a heavier wool material with two patch-flap pockets and a patch pocket on the chest.  I find it epic.  Just goes to show that a person wearing well-tailored pants, shone shoes, an appropriate tie, and an obviously well-designed and well-loved jacket has the capacity to outdress a person wearing a suit.