Another Arrival

It's not photographing well, but I recently purchased a pen set from a fellow online for the princely sum of $5. I had posted before on how I was on the lookout for a decent silver pen set to take with me and I found one this past weekend on good old eBay. I am pretty pleased with the purchase except for one detail and that being that there are "gold" accents on the pens and I was told that they were all silver. However, they are so light that it's hard to tell, and probably impossible to tell in a dimly lit bar. The upside? Well to start, the man was located in Texas so they arrived quickly, the price was obviously right, seem to have not been used ever, and there was more in the box than I thought there would be. In the original box were the pen and pencil combo, but also a stylus insert as well as a small "travel" pen which I will consider a casual variation of the complete set. So, a 4pc silver Pierre Cardin pen and pencil set for the price of a drink, which I find very agreeable. Another item marked off the "list".

More yellow than mellow

This shirt came in today! One item on my "to get" list had been a nice yellow long sleeve button down shirt that could double for casual and dress. I have to admit, this was a bit of a Christmas gift to myself, but I don't feel any guilt as I got it off eBay and was the only one bidding, plus I got it for next to nothing, so it was really just a good buy that happened at the end of the year. It's a dead stock oxford dress shirt that was still in the bag, but I am having a little trouble dating it. The markings would indicate that it's a late 70's/ early 80's shirt, however the shirt itself has a tapered body  and a fantastic collar that is at least four inches wide that would indicate more 60s, and you know how I like those tall 60s collars with long points.Excuse the pics as it's still wrinkled from the package, but I couldn't wait to get it unwrapped and thrown on the stand in. I put an old Brooks Brothers blazer over it in one pic to give a reference point on the collar. All in all I have to say that I am very pleased with this purchase. Only a few more items to yet arrive, but I will post as they come in.

Yesterdays trash, todays treasure.

When I was a child, the idea of getting socks for Christmas was a let down to say the least. However, times do change and so do attitudes, apparently, as I actually enjoy getting socks for the holiday now. In fact, I'll pretty much run the spectrum on what types of socks I'd love to unwrap come Christmas morning. In addition to the previously mentioned square, I also received three pairs of bamboo blended socks that are now nesting with all their brethren in my sock box. They are nothing kooky or wild, but still much appreciated. Grey, navy, and brown were the colors chosen and they are good colors to get. Sometimes you need to match your sock color to hues of your trousers or shoes and these are very common colors for all. Some might say that, apart from black, that these are the workhorse colors of the dress sock world. (and yes, there is a world of dress socks) These are colors that I need, yet never think to get as I am usually distracted when I am perusing that particular section of the store. Three lovely pairs of stockings in my stocking this year.

There are a few other items that are "en route" that Santa didn't have time to deliver, as soon as these arrive, I will post!

A Christmas gift

Tucked inside a small wrapped box addressed to yours truly was this silk, olive colored pocket square. It's really a nice plain square, but in a lovely hue that I didn't have and so it was a very welcomed addition to my collection. I have to admit, when I went to put it away, I hadn't thought of what I already had to go with it, and then today the proverbial light bulb went on! I recall cleaning out my older tie collection and really only keeping a very small handful of the older ties, two of which I remembered as having similar coloring and thought would look great combined with this particular square. So, I fished them out and took a quick picture to show what I mean. One tie is patterned and one has a regimental stripe feel to it, and since both are NOT solids, they will look great with the square that it (don't want to have two possibly clashing patterns or look too busy). I can easily see any of these being worn with a brown or black suit. So, as promised, here's a glimpse of what Santa brought me.

Merry Christmas!

Busy wrapping and unwrapping, but got a few items in the fashion arena, will upload pics and post as the week continues.

Fab Fabric

If you're in the market for fabric for that next suit, sports coat, or pair of trousers to be made, then you might want to consider eBay. There's a long time seller of quality fabrics on there who is worth a look is you want something special. British Fabrics offers suiting, coating, cottons, mohair's, cashmere, and pretty much everything else under the sun with some real bargains to be had. As soon as my ship comes in, I can guarantee there will be some of this vendors fabric in the cargo hold. If you have a moment, give them a visit.

http://stores.ebay.com/BRITISH-FABRICS

Undecided

As I mentioned in the previous post, I purchased this material recently for no other reason than I enjoyed the pattern. I would like to do something with this, but I am at a loss for what to do. The only thing I have come up with is another cabana set, but the first one has been a bit of a lackluster experience and I am not sure I want to go through that again. basically, i am open for suggestions. If you have any ideas, please let me know as I think this material is too attractive to leave folded up in my office for weeks, months, or even years.

Poolside

Two items of interest today that I thought I would share. First, I wanted to show a hat that I had purchased at the previously mentioned department store closeout for a paltry sum of $6. Its a summer straw hat with one of the stingiest brims I have seen offered in quite a long time, and the fact that the expense was so negligible, I had to purchase it. I have to confess that I don't see this hat getting much wear outside of being worn poolside, sipping on cold tasty beverages in a cabana set. But, somehow, I am very comfortable with that idea. The second item is nothing more than a length of fabric I obtained at a sales bin at a local textiles store. It's nothing spectacular, in fact its nothing more than a mere cotton fabric with a silk screened pattern, but it's the pattern I fell in love with. I bought without thinking and have been toying with what to do with it. So far, I have come up with nothing more than a second cabana set, but I will be open for suggestions. In fact, I will post the fabric tomorrow and see that you think and perhaps see if someone has an idea that I have not yet thought of. Deal? Until then, here's a picture of the that hat and it's token brim. Pairing this with a pair of suitable sunglasses is a priority. But I have plenty of time to find that perfect pair and also perfect my recipe and technique for a mint julep.

Sportswear with style

Once again I find myself thinking of clothing out of season. Today's interest has been my ongoing obsession with vintage sportswear, specifically golf. I had seen this picture before, but every time I see it I feel reinvigorated in my belief that I am on the right track. Mr. Sinatra is look impeccable in his button front knit, slacks, loafers and tasteful pinky ring and watch. Mr. Brynner sports a simple white knit, cuffed trousers and two tone golf shoes. Keep in mind that I do not play golf, but you don't need to to appreciate the fitting casual clothing represented in this photo. This winter might be spent searching out sports shirts that follow these ideals of slim fitting, stylish, and functionality.

Keeping a step ahead.

As of late, my attention has been towards dress slacks (that is, non-casual trousers not part of a suit) and what variances I like. One of the details that I have really interested in lately is the stepped hem. The stepped hem is exactly what it's name implies, a hem in which the back portion is stepped down from the front. This is marvelous feature for a two reasons; one, it can allow for a lack of a break in the trousers front crease without exposing the back of the shoe and giving the "highwater" look....two, it's a dandy feature that I feel gives the hem an almost dressier aesthetic than the normal straight or slant hem. In all actuality , it's a pretty simple alteration to have done as it splits right at the seam, and also open for further embellishment such as a small covered button or v-notch at the point where the two hems meet. The picture is of an older pair of greenish tweed trousers I had to help give an example of this particular hem. I am at the drawing board at the moment to design some trousers for next year and I think this is a feature that's going to be used more than once.

It couldn't be that easy.

But sometimes, it is, in fact, that easy. One of the items I am always on the lookout for are quality belts. They are a little harder to find than one might think as I have a few features that I look for; One, I like my belts on the wide side (at least and inch an a half at bare minimum), two, I like a nice full buckle which is not as popular as I would like. If you are not sure what the term "full buckle" means, then please see the pics attached. Anyways, to get back on point, I always try to find a source for belts that meet my particular needs, but usually end up not finding much. DNA groove offers some great belts and I have one, but it's a tad pricey to fill a wardrobe with these and the rise and fall of the dollar shouldn't affect my belt selection. In a tiny fit of frustration, I mockingly typed an URL into my browser and it actually worked! http://www.belts.com/ . I am not kidding, and to tell the truth, they had some great casual belts for a not too shabby price. I found several full buckle, wide leather belts in blacks, whites and browns that piqued my interest. I plan on ordering one or two in the near future and will give a review at that time. Until then, remember that sometimes you can over think the situation and it helps to take a step back and just try a lark.

Sign on the dotted line...

I haven't posted for a few days as I have been busy, but hopefully I can get back to a regular schedule. I wanted to remind everyone about the power of emails. A lot of stores these days have special sales or events that are sent to their shoppers via emails if they are on mailing lists or signed up for shopper clubs or whatever they call them. I highly advise taking advantage of these. You can get special coupons or heads up for outrageous sales and take that opportunity to stock up on certain items (depending on store). In fact, if you get bored some evening, you can go online and just go around signing up for email alerts at every store you shop at as most modern stores these days have some kind of website. Don't want to get a million emails to your inbox? then consider making a new email address just for sales and alerts. Takes less than a few minutes to set one up and even less to check it once a day or so. Through such emails and shoppers clubs, I have got huge discounts on certain things up to 80% off, and in some cases even managed some things for free! And who doesn't like free stuff? Think of it as clipping coupons for clothes, only the company clips them for you and emails them to you. Go on, do it, what else you have to do?