How I do it....

Always start the day with a solid breakfast, I cannot stress this enough.

Fried egg over hard
Toasted low calorie wheat bread with a honey butter spread
Orangina screwdriver with Monopolowa

coming soon...

I am in the process of thinning my closet and I am in desperate need of new trousers. Not only do I need a few standards for work (black, grey, etc) but I want to get more checks, plaids, and stripes into the mix. I found a fabric house online and ordered some yardage of this material, 100% wool imported from Italy (or so it says here) in what they are calling a black and gray plaid. it appears to have a little bit of green/brown as well, which I am hoping will look good and pair up with a couple of shirt combinations. If all goes well with this material, I'll be ordering more from them. In the meantime, here's a preview of the material ordered and I'll update as soon as it arrives.

*UPDATE*
Material has arrived and I am fairly pleased with it. Little bit heavier weight, but the colors would make it more of a fall/winter item so it actually works out. Will send to tailors soon, so more updates as that process takes place.

*UPDATE*
Should take delivery of new trousers Monday the 30th. Not 100% on how my schedule will play out that day, but expect a post that evening or the next. Three pairs of bespoke trousers are a much needed to my wardrobe at the moment.

Officially In With The In Crowd

I had purchased this shirt about a week ago and it arrived today from the UK. The company is a small, mod orientated, clothing outfit by the name of In With The In Crowd and am so far very pleased with my purchase. I had opted for a light blue button down, and after a few emails with the company (excellent customer service, by the way) I selected a size and ordered. Now, the risk of ordering a shirt online without the chance of actually trying it is something I have to gamble on every now and again, and in this particular incident, I was not let down. The shirt is a long sleeve in 100% cotton with a slight sheen to it, traditional button down collar with a button on the back and a slight downward peak as well (as shown).

 Other features includes double buttons along the front, no breast pocket, back box pleat, and barrel cuffs. The color is a great shade of blue that I am already matching against trousers and sports coats. Word to the wise, however, these shirts are slim fit and probably best to go up a size if you are not sure on sizing.

Recent purchase...

Dropped by Neiman Marcus' today and picked up a few pairs of socks. I have to admit that I actually like the colors and patterns they have been putting out lately, lots of  vivid colors and character. They had a store special, so I got these at 35% off to boot. The black with purple check is a little understated in my opinion, but I think they could work well. The two hooped pair are just great color combinations. All made in Italy as well, which is a bonus for another reason and to be discussed on another post.

Prince of Wales suit

I must have completely overlooked the fact that I received this suit several months ago and failed to post it! The suit is a grey wool suit in a Prince of Wales pattern with a little bit of red to make it interesting. The jacket is a single vent coat with patch pockets, chest pocket flap, and working cuffs. The trousers are low rise and feature frog mouth pockets with a single back pocket. I really love this suit. The material is light weight and suitable for warm weather, but can pull double duty in the colder months. I think another reason why I love it so much is that the pattern allows the trousers of jacket to be worn separately for a different look. The trousers could be worn out on their own with just a long sleeve knitted shirt, or the jacket could be dressed down and paired with some white denims and suede shoes for a cool but casual look. I have played it safe so far with a white dress shirt or black turtleneck, but would love to see if I can get a dark blue or reddish burgundy shirt under it. As for now, here's the suit.

Jean Genie

So, I have become a little more receptive to jeans as a suitable (no pun intended) part of ones wardrobe. However, I should also add that I don't believe I'll be using them as proper evening wear or have more than a few pairs as you run the risk of becoming complacent. I have recently worn a hole in my 501's and thought it was time for a replacement pair. I did, however, want to go with a darker blue and have them double as casual jeans, but also something I could dress up in a pinch during the day. I Had been flirting with the 514's for a bit, but feel they are better off for cords, so i went back to the 501 originals for my denim. The wash I chose was called "clean rigid" and I really like them so far. The nice dark indigo wash, the nice contrast if I have turn ups, and the fact that they are completely void of any "distressing". I got them home and ran them through a couple of shirt and shoe options and found they look great with a Fred Perry and dessies for a casual day look as well as a button down and dressier shoes if I am going anywhere. I would like to mention that the material itself feels a little thin, but so far that hasn't been an issue, but I will of course review these more as they get more rotation into my daily wear.

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.