Hiatus

So, obviously I have not posted in a very long time, it comes down to this; should I? Does anyone care? Hmmm....phone lines are open.

Can't resist a classic

I feel like Michael Corleone being pulled back in. I had pretty much sworn off Ben Sherman and their latest line that still attempts to compete with other brands, instead of focusing on what made them a name brand that's lasted. Of course, occasionally a few specs of genius fall through the cracks and land in my lap. The classic short sleeve Ben Sherman in a black and blue gingham and script logo. It's always hard to shake your roots, and in this case, my roots screamed at me to grab this shirt. Looks great with some 501's, khakis, or perhaps a pair of sta-prest for that classic look. Eventually I am going to take a new direction with the site and try more pictures of items being worn rather than just shown, but or now, here's a glimpse of what was bought.

Service

Finding fantastic customer service is a treat all in itself. Once again, I am thrilled by Claudio at DNA. I had been looking for a suitable pair of trousers for my new linen jacket and some new stock on his website brought me to a pair of cotton and silk trousers. I emailed him and asked for his honest opinion of color and texture against the jacket I already had. By the next day, an email was returned to me with a few photos of the trousers next to a rmeaining jacket he had at the shop. Who could resist? Expecting delivery tomorrow.

Madras Sports Coat

As mentioned previously, I had purchased a few items of eBay recently and now they are starting to flow in. One item I picked up was this half lined madras blazer for a song. I don't know why, but I have recently felt compelled to acquire proper sports coats and pseudo formal wear for the hot Texas summers. I saw this listed and it the picture appealed to me. I always have some slight hesitation of buying coats of eBay as I can never be too sure about the fit and don't want to have to turn around and resell or spend too much having it altered. This jacket is a welcomed addition. The actual coat was a little darker than the picture led it to be, which was more than fine by me. It has a solid ecru base color with a blue, brown, and olive check pattern which works well for me color wise. The lining is what sold me, as it's a fantastic almost royal blue acetate and it really works well with the jacket. The rest is pretty standard with flap pockets, single vent, three buttons, and simple period shaping.  Another nifty bonus was the label, "Eldorado Traditionals, styled for young men" which is right up my alley. Pictured it here with a cotton Brooks Brothers polo in blue, and I think that pairing it with a pair of khaki trousers would look great, but I'll get to that later. For now, here my latest find.

Saturday Night

Last night I attended The Fuzz Club, a once a month event that my friend Sue puts on that has her (and sometimes other DJ's) playing 60's pop, soul, mod, psych and any other 60s period music that might fit the theme for that month. It's a nice night out to listen to good music, meet up with friends, and just generally have a good time. To be honest, apart from the drinks, friends, and music, there is another hidden reason to attend and that is the fair amount of peacockery that goes on between a small faction of the crowd of which I am not excluded. I did face a small dilemma though, the humidity of the day was a little rough. This problem was overcome by a quick look in the closet and remembering my new linen jacket (as if I could forget). The key was natural and breathable fabrics. I opted for a pure cotton button down with french cuffs, mohair trousers in a light tan color, the dark blue linen odd jacket with orange and sky checks, and a pair of chisel toed shoes. I also added a pair of vintage silver cuff links and black belt with silver full buckle to the mix. All in all I think it turned out well, but you can be the judge of that.

On a different note, the ending of some eBay auctions have a pair of sunglasses, a vintage madras jacket, and some sewing patterns headed my way. As soon as the arrive I will post them up.

Fewer posts....

I know, I have been slacking. With school and work and everything in between I either forget, don't have the time, or just get too lazy. Trying to rectify this. In the meantime, I have some sunglasses on the way, still need to photograph cabana set, have a few other clothing items to sort out, and have a project headed this way. Promise to have more within the next day or two.

Summer update

Just an FYI, the long awaited cabana set has been made, worn, tested, and well received. Went to a pool party courtesy of my friends Bill and Savannah this weekend and wore it out. Pardon the pun, but it went over swimmingly. Some pics were taken, but none of the full set. I will model it out and have a couple of pics taken to show. Keep an eye out!

Made in England

Picked up a short sleeve John Smedley today and of course, I was not disappointed. if anyone is not familiar with Smedleys, it's a brand of English clothing, specializing in knits. Their sea island cotton is unlike anything you have ever worn before. They tend to be a bit on the pricey side, but they are worth it, plus you can always find a deal if you keep your eyes open. As they tend to be very thin, they are fantastic at looking great when it's scorching hot outside. I managed a nice beige colored shirt that should be fairly easy to match up with anything as it's a neutral. I'll post some pics up as soon as I get a moment.

On the look out

If anyone sees a black thin tie with small white polka dots, let me now. Looking to pair with this short that I have had for quite some time. It's a fitted black shirt with contrasting white collar and cuffs. I think a nice black and white tie add to it if worn with a black suit....any suggestions?

Working for the weekend.

So, it's Friday and the work week ends, only this Friday is a little better than most as I have my friend Scott coming into town tomorrow to guest DJ a dance party here, which also means there is a dance party to go to. The icing on the cake? Well, thanks to my new friend Gareth out of Wales, I received my latest addition to my suit collection today. I was hoping it would arrive before the weekend and it did. It's a DNA wool suit in a brown tonik, with all the usual details; such as side vents, covered buttons, ticket pocket, frog mouth pockets, etc. I tried it on and it fit like a glove which means I don't even think I'll have to do any alterations. Now, I know a brown suit is nothing to get excited about, but it's a nice workhorse than can be worn almost anywhere. I am thinking of pairing it with a sky blue shirt I have, but as always, this depends. I would have worn a sky pocket square as well, but that seems to have gone missing (never lend clothes to friends). I had taken some pictures of the suit on my old stand in, but I thought since I am going to be wearing it tomorrow night, that I might as well get some pics of it on and in the club. Unfortunately the bar/club is pretty much a dump that I normally wouldn't set foot in, so you'll have to do with the people in the fore ground, and dismiss the crap in the background. Please check back for pictures of the evening.

New Arrivals Pt. 3

Lastly, I also obtained this vintage tie from a seller up north. I had been after one of these square ended, horizontal ties for quite a while. I know there are some mixed feelings towards them, but it always reminded me of the early Michael Caine movies such as Alfie. Very casual tie that can be worn with a tweed sports coat or even a cardigan or sweater. This particular one is in shades of grey, black and brown; subtle but still standing out on it's own accord. The brand is Ernst Nizam which from what i can tell was a popular manufacturer of this particular style of neckties. The make up is of a 50/50 poly/wool mix, which leaves it with a nice body and different sheen's depending on the color. Looking forward to trying this out soon.

New Arrival Part.2

In addition to the checked trousers, I also obtained a pair of green glen plaid pants from Farah. very suedehead, but I am OK with that. Once again, dead stock with all the tags still attached (some even with straight pins). I think I am going to have these tailored a bit for a better fit as they are not quite as slim fit as the previous pair, but I think these will be great casual wear with everything to boots to brogues, braces to blazers. Both pairs of trousers were bought for about $25 together, so not a bad deal if I say so myself. Here's the glen plaid with highlights of the pattern and tags.

New Arrivals Pt.1

Got in several of my most recent eBay finds this week and finally got around to photographing them and posting them. Going to split them up so I can say a little but about each. First is a pair of deadstock yellowish gold trousers in a slim fit that I am guess came from Sears. They have a large window pane check and side slas pockets and , of course, no cuff. They came complete with all the original taps still pinned to them and the ever popular "inspection sticker" (number 1 in this case). Now, this is not a typical color I would normally go for, but I saw an old 60's or 70's Smirnoff ad that had a man in there wearing what appeared to be tan or yellow gold checked trousers, with a dark blue or black sports coat, black shoes, shite shirt and red tie. I liked th elook so much that I mentally rolodexed it for a future outfit.I will scan the ad later and insert for reference. As for now, here's the Permanant Press trousers in all their glory.

On the way...

Bought a few eBay items and have a few more in my scope. I should receive sometime next week and will post accordingly. Hopefully I will be able to cross a few items off the every growing Want List. On the way for now are a couple of dead stock trousers in a glen plaid and a window pane check.

UPDATE 4/2/11
Also on the way is a vintage, horizontal striped, square ended tie.

UPDATE 4/5/11
Also coming along, green vintage turtleneck.

Needed to lose weight

With anything fashion related, we all know that weight plays a a role whether you like it or not. Recently I put on some and wasn't too happy. I could do what I always do and watch calories and such, but I ran across this picture and thought, "good enough for Dino, good enough for me". Enter The Drinkings Mans Diet. Bought my copy and already read it, very interesting outlook and some good ideas. Going to give it a whirl and let you know. Need to slim down for swimsuit season I guess.

What I bought

Received an email from Neiman Marcus Last Call offering a discount off whatever your total purchase was, so I decided to check it out. Luckily, I work just down the road from them so I was able to drive over during my lunch break. Nothing much there that I was interested in, perhaps the odd jacket or two, but of course were not in my size. I did, however, see that they had there own brand of socks in some great multi stripe and block striped colors. I tried to be smart and pick out only the ones I could match to something later, and I managed to narrow it down to these three. I think these will look great during the spring/summer to follow and add a little color to perhaps any somber outfit I might be wearing that day.

UPDATE- Have worn all of these since buying them and have very impressed. Colors stayed vibrant after washing, they feel great and held up well (in more than one sense if you catch my drift) I do believe I would go back and get more, even in solids, just due to the fit of them.

Take notes

There's not going to be a test, but there is something to be said about taking notes. Previously I showed a mohair cardigan I got purely off an idea I had one night. While I was laying in bed I thought of this combo and how I liked it, knowing that if I continued to lie there and fall asleep, i probably would have forgotten about it by morning. So, I got out of bed and into my office, and wrote the idea down. If you like me, you forget things from time to time, and that's why I am going to stress the importance of notes for your sartorial needs. I will see combinations of colors, styles, and materials all the time and sometimes make up something  in my mind because of what I saw or what I thought I saw. Now, thanks to the technology of smart phones, a lot of phones these days come equiped with some sort of notes function, so it's not as hard as you might think. Every now and again I "empty" my phone notes and transfer them to my desk to a more permanent location so I can start sourcing any items I might need. I have done this recently and found that I had a lot more ideas in there than I had recalled. So now that I have these notes out, it's time to start looking.

The Fuzz

I have always drawn style inspiration from the old fashion ads in men's magazine like Playboy or Stag from the late 50's and 60's. Bright colors, fantastic fabrics, and wild patterns and textures that set the mid century American male into another world of dandyism. Brands like Burlington, Ban Lon, Leonardo Strassi, Cricketeer, and others made clothes that would make a peacock proud. Leaning towards that 60's bachelor look, I recently picked up this pea green fuzzy mohair sweater. I have been looking for a cardigan like this for quite some time after having in image cross my mind of the cardie, a yellow button down, and some black trousers. (I recall getting out of bed in the night to go into my office and write it down so I didn't forget). Flash forward a few months and I located the shirt and the sweater. I know it's not for everyone, but I think the colors really compliment each other well and will make a great combination. I think the trousers will have to be tapered and hemmed a little on the high side to complete the look. The cardigan brand is Kings Road sportswear, which is just a dolled up name from Sears, but it still makes a statement. All I need now is a highball and a couple of jazz albums to wind the night away.

Americana

While posting to a blog I frequent about the new chinos I had purchased, Rachel and I decided to take some pictures down at the neighborhood park. These are one of three new pairs of chino's I recently bought while out the other night. The fit is what I had been looking for for a long time; slim fit, low rise, thin material, etc etc. I want to add more 60's Americana/ivy spin to the mostly mod/suede look I go for now. I went with a simple pair of putty chino's ( I know, pants need hemming), Brooks Brothers slim fit long sleeve polo, and a pair of Clark's desert boots in a dark brown suede. The whole look seems very "weekend" to me; perhaps a BBQ or running errands about town.

Harrington jacket

I have commented before on the classic Harrington style jacket before and how I was keeping an eye out for one.  Well, once again life closed one door and opened another. I was doing a little online shopping for shorts and ran across old navy's website and saw that they were offering some shorts and a white linen short sleeve shirt with a straight hem. Since there is a store in my neighborhood, I decided to drive over and have a look. Well, the shorts were a bust, and the shirt wasn't available in a small (at that store) so my reasons for going had given out. However, on the way in I noticed they offered a Harrington jacket in blue and it wasn't that bad, I wasn't too keen on the shade of blue or the price tag so I passed on it. I went over to the sale section and saw the same jacket, this time in a beige and an almost madras lining, and half off. I found one that fitted the way I liked and was off. I guess this makes up for the one I lost on eBay recently. Might get to wear it once or twice before it gets too warm, but here it is for now. Also got a great deal on some chino's a store over, but that's a post for tomorrow.

That time of the year

It's definitely that time of the year, the time for me to by my annual pair of shorts. The weather is getting warmer and the call for cool weather clothing is creeping up. About this time every year I get around to buying a pair of shorts for the summer when it's hot and I am lounging around the house. I missed the boat on some linen Bermudas that BR did last year, but I am not deterred. Defiantly going to be of the solid color, Bermuda variety, in a hopefully linen or thin cotton cloth. I know that this site is pretty much geared towards a certain amount of formality in clothing, but I have to stress that wearing shorts does not open the floodgates into sloppy appearance. A nice pair of shorts, short sleeved shirt with a straight hem, and a nice pair of slip-ons, and you'll be the best dressed man beating the heat this summer. As soon as I find a suitable pair, I'll post and review them here.

Spring forward

I thought it fitting that since tomorrow is daylight savings time, aka "spring forward" that I debut my most recent acquisition. A lovely linen odd jacket from DNA Groove in dark blue with a pumpkin and sky blue check. I have been ogling over this jacket for a long time and finally bit the bullet and got it. I had high expectations before it arrived only to have them met, and even surpassed. I love this coat and it's a great introduction to Spring for me. I have matched it a few pairs of trousers and jeans so far and had to add a few to the old want list, but I think it's going to make it's way into heavy rotation this year. Even after I got it I noticed that Claudio had done a YouTube video of this same jacket a while back. Tomorrow is off in search of shoes and trousers for work. Even though the dress code at the office is very casual, I think it's still a good idea not to fall into the "jeans and polo" trap. Don't you agree?

The vintage advantage

I received a txt today from my good friend today asking about vintage shopping and after a store recommendation, I added in eBay. I have to admit, I routinely scour through that site looking for things that I think I need. Now, I have certain tricks and tips that I use to snag good deals, but it's definitely a learned art. Today I received this simple vintage short sleeve knit shirt in the mail and am pretty pleased with it. The color is great, the condition is new, and the fit is great. I know, it's not spectacular, but pair it with the right pants, thrown on some soft loafers, and this is a great casual spring look. As soon as I get this together and the weather permits, I (or someone near me) will snap a picture to show what I mean. Until then, here's today's find. And before you ask, yes, it does bring out my eyes.

Yea or Nay?

I need more shoes....I really do. I have been eyeing these for a bit but i'm torn. I like the leather and the style, but the soles aren't leather...and that's bothering me. They are currently on sale and I am seriously considering them...am I crazy or do they look as sharp as I think?

I know, almost a month...

...since my last post. I have been busy with many things, not excluding my new job after being on a career hiatus for a very long time. But, I am back and hope to have more coming to talk about. I made a small jaunt out to a few shops today on search of a couple of pairs of shoes with some friends and came home almost empty handed. The shoes were a bust ( I need a pair of leather casual that aren't suede, and a pair of black evening shoes as my old ones are just that, old), but I did manage to pick up something for my troubles. I found a couple of pocket squares in great colors for a song and snatched them up, as well as a new tie in a nice shade of green. I was tempted on a purple hued tie, but decided that it wasn't a color I could wear well. I thought I would post them up for you so you can see what I mean. In the meantime, be sure to check back soon as I have two items arriving this week, including a summer sportscoat that I have been drooling over for quite some time and a vintage knit shirt I think will be great for the spring. I am also going to try an organize any purchases I have made since last post, show them, and say a little about why I bought them, where I purchased, etc etc. Sorry for the lack of posting, but it was for legitimate reasons :)

Clarks

My Clarks arrived yesterday and I am happy with my purchase. I had some reservations about them before they arrived as I read the reviews from the website I ordered from and everyone seemed to have a sizing issue, and having to order a size down. I ordered my normal size and was afraid I would have to return for a smaller pair. Fortunately for me, they fit just fine. I have small feet for my size, but my feet are wide, so it worked out just fine with the way Clarks fit. I put them on and forgot how comfortable they are and how quiet they are to walk around in. I would post a pic, but I think I already have posted one earlier. Went for the dark brown instead of the original sand color for personal reasons. I think I'll wear them out today :)

Consolation prize

Well, I received an email from CK with a $15 coupon to print out and decided to go up to the outlet to see if I could find something to use it on. I don't know why, but when ever I get one of these things I try to have the total purchase be as close to the coupon value as I can, something about free stuff always just sounds better. Unfortunately, there was nothing in Calvin Klein that I liked at all. I was never fond of their clothes, other than their ties and briefs, and even then I could buy that cheaper from elsewhere than the actual store. I thought about getting a new tie, but wasn't really feeling it. After a little bit of looking, I decided to just text Rachel and ask if she needed anything as it would probably be best used for her. On the way home (and feeling a bit unsatisfied) I decided to stop off at the Macy's that is closing by my home, it's been pretty picked through but I thought I would see if they had marked down their pocket squares anymore. After searching, I found the ten or so that were left and found one lilac square in the midst. It was on sale (like everything else) and then price was right, so I bought it.I really like the shade and wish I had a few more items to go with it. But I guess it's just a matter of time.

Tomfoolery

A couple of new jewelry items to post. Picked up a cheap ID bracelet recently as I had been wanting one for a while, but didn't want to shell out big bucks to find out that I don't like things on my wrist. So I am trying it out and getting used to it. Also, while at my friend Bills, he had some eBay overage he didn't want and offered up a few to me. I picked through came away with these. I am not terribly fond of gold, but I guess I need a pair for some unforeseen reason that may crop up. I am watching a few sets at the moment, so if I win, I may be posting more.

Perk of going back to school

As some of you may or may not know, I decided to return to college and obtain a degree in Computer Science. During the course of buying overly priced school books, I noticed that Amazon has a special programs for "college students". Simple process of signing up and you get good discounts. You also receive updates and email alerts for any specials that might have, which brings us to today's post. I have been wanting another pair of Clark's desert boots ever since I wore out my last, and via this program I got a pair for 40% off the cheapest price I found online, plus free two day shipping. Quite pleased! I'll be posting Friday wen they arrive ;)

UPDATE!  Due to the freakish snow store that decided to hit Austin the very day I was to expect my shoes, the delivery date has been moved to monday they 7th. Will post as they arrive.

What we wore...

May or may not be worth a mention, but last night I finally got around to going to a night at the Fuzz Club since my friend Sue returned to Texas. I had a good time, enjoyed some great music, and got to display my dandy tendencies once again. I went with a friend of mine who looked sharp in a nice blue DNA suit, a lilac checked tab collar shirt, purple pattern tie, and purplish/lilac patterned pocket square in a fantastic fold that seemed to be a puff variation of the "three stairs" fold. I decided on a pair of bespoke black mohair trousers, black turtleneck with my blue boating blazer, light blue socks and black leather shoes. There were a few other men that night that took the time to dress up, but numbers were defiantly in the women's favor that evening. In hindsight, I should have brought my camera, but didn't. Fortunately, I will remember for the next one.

Few items

So, apparently the Macy's near my house is closing and have a sale on everything. Nothing fantastic as of yet, but I did manage to find a nice pair of socks for a giveaway price. They are a pale purple with lime green and off white horizontal stripes. I didn't find much else there as everything else was kind of bland. Almost picked up a pair of Levi's, but I decided I had enough and am actually trying to wind them out of my wardrobe as it is. Other than that, there were plenty of other items that were ok, but a better deal for someone looking to stock up on essentials. While I was there, I wandered to the Dillard's closeout store and found a silk pocket square that I had seen before and liked, but just didn't get for one reason or another. Well, it was there again, the last one and marked down even further, so I got it for about a tenth of the original cost. I would have also picked up another sports coat, but apparently the daily sale didn't apply to it (even though it was a sports coat, they were calling it a casual coat, whatever). It was a brown linen coat with side vents and slanted pockets, included a ticket pocket. I would have had to alter it a bit, but it would have been worth it if the cost was right, but since it wasn't, it got away. Either way, the day ended with a nice new pair of socks and a pocket square for a total cost less than that of a fast food combo.

Belt Review

So, as promised, I am going to do a short review on the belt from http://www.belts.com/. It was a surprise to me, but a welcomed one as I found this baby literally on my doorstep. I had come across this website in an effort to find nice wide leather belts with full buckles, and I had. Unfortunately, as this was a gift purchased for me, I cannot comment on the ordering process. I can, however, discuss everything else. First, the item was nicely and professionally boxed and shipped very quickly. I found the width of the belt to be exactly what I was looking for and of a fairly thick leather. The buckle, as you can see, is a full metal buckle in a kind of silver finish. I have to say, that I am very pleased with this item as it fit all my requirements that I was looking for in casual belt and wasn't too badly priced. Based solely on this one experience and the quality of the belt I received, I would definitely buy again. (especially since I've earmarked a few more to acquire). A belt like this would look great on some casual trousers, patterned or plain, and would look even better if the pants had tunnel belt loops. I'll match it to some pants and snap a picture later to see what I mean. Until then, here's the belt on it's own.

Weekend find

Obviously not catching up on things, but trying. Went out the other day and picked this up at Last Call, a short sleeve Fred Perry in a nice green with yellow and red piping. I am thinking of pairing this with a pair of stone trousers or perhaps jeans when the spring hits. Was fairly pleased with this find as it's an actual "Made in England" shirt, and not one of their other countries of manufacture (although I like the Japan ones).

UPDATE- Was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of a belt from http://www.belts.com/ yesterday as well! Thanks Rachel! Will post a pic and review it as promised.

More yellow

As I am bound and determined to add more color into my wardrobe, I picked this canary yellow silk pocket square on my last trip to the shops. I found that Nordstroms does a decent pocket square in solid colors for a very reasonable price, this included. I've placed in a navy sports coat for contrast and put into a four point fold for this picture. This square is a exact match for color on the recent button down I acquired, however, since the shirt is of an oxford weave, I doubt I will be wearing them together. I could pair with a nice navy blazer or perhaps any color of suits and a tie with similar color in a pattern or stripe. To tell you the truth, I am at a building stage for pocket squares at the moment and really just pick them up as my pocketbook allows. As of now, I am staying with silk squares, but will eventually get a few linen squares to wear with sports coats during the summer months.

Arriving soon, hopefully

Acquired this via eBay the other day and hoping it will arrive soon. It's a two button blazer in a herringbone weave with side vents and velvet back collar. Now, I am normally not a fan of the two button jacket, but the higher buttoning position makes this quite appealing to me. The downside to this jacket is that it's going to need some mending as there is supposedly a hole or two, but I have been looking into repair work and re weavers, and I am pretty sure this can be taken care of. Another oddity that I see is that it lacks a breast pocket and I have to admit, this is a first for me. I wanted a nice tweedy sports coat and along came this, with the side vents and velvet collar, I was bound to have it. I will post as it arrives, but for now, here's a one from the seller.

Been away too long.

Have much to post and I need to do it today. As the weather is less than desirable here, I will try to make multiple posts and get most of it up. An outing yesterday with my good friend Bill only added to the pile. Have an umbrella, pocket square, and Pj's from yesterday, plus a new knit shirt, cardigan, and cheap cuff link set. Also, I have one or two items arriving via post this week and hopefully will have the time to get those up as well.

More Brooks Brothers

Picked this up at an after holidays sale at the local Brooks Brothers outlet. It's a nice oat colored Scottish wool crew neck sweater that fits me perfectly. I have been looking more to crew neck sweaters as of recent months and happened upon this one. Luckily they only had them in my size, so I was able to snatch one up. Super soft and very nice wool. Still going through  my shirts and trousers to see which ones match up best, but I'm sure I'll post some pics once this gets worn out.

Resolutions

Anyone have any? Think you'll stick to them? Any of them of a sartorial nature? Post them here and I'll help if I can.

My resolution is to lose weight, try and eliminate two list items per month, and generally hone my image. Also, I plan to spend an hour a week on this site trying to improve it, so last chance to chime in for any thing you like to see or changes take place.

Happy New Year to you all.