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.