Changing of the Guard

About the time I was in high school I would occasionally go into my parents hall closet to look for a coat on particulary cold nights (as few as they are here), one item I would "borrow" from my father would be his old parka from when my parents lived in the northeast part of the US. My mom and dad had matching parkas purchased from Sears in the early seventies; one in sage green and the other in blue. These were essential copies of the military N-3B parka and were fairly popular at the time (and still are). Fast forward about 20 years and I still have my father parka and it became part of my winter rotation of cold weather jackets. However, those twenty years weren't exactly kind to the faithful parka and it bears the signs of a much used life. I recently decided to replace my fathers parka and get my own of the same ilk. I decided to go with the Alpha Industries slim fit N-3B parka in the very same blue as my dads. It arrived just the other day and I am glad to see that the legacy will be carried on without fear. The quality is fantastic and the fit is superb. The only difference, style-wise, is an inside pocket that seems to have been added as an after thought, but it's by no means a strike against the coat. I had tried the cheaper versions and found the pockets to be lined with the same nylon as the outside, but the Alpha Industries model came with a warmer and more forgiving cloth lining for the pockets. As of yet, I have found no con's to counter the long list of pro's that I have for this parka and am pleased to have a proper replacement for my fathers parka. As soon as the coat get;s a little more wear, I intend to take some pictures of it in action.

P.S. On a more sentimental note, after purchasing mine and speaking to my parents about theirs, I realized that that my father was the same age as I am now when he first bought his years ago. I don't know why that makes this seem all the more "right" to me.

Sneak Preview

The weather here took a slight snap with the arrival of a cold front which has allowed for sweaters and the occasional jacket to work. In good timing with this, I am expecting an arrival of a new item that I hope to review here soon. Look for something around this weekend.

The Search for Sleepwear

I have recently been trying to source a sleepwear items and have been hitting bricks walls at every turn. Since I choose not to wear flannel pajama pants emblazoned with Yosemite Sam, a t-shirt, and red plaid slippers with a faux fur lining, I am now being made to work for what I want. The search continues and with little in the way of results. I have jotted down a cursory list of items I feel that I "need" to round off my evening time wardrobe and I feel that they are modest in nature and not deserving of this seemingly never ending quest.

• 3-4 Pairs of plain, non-flannel, pajama sets (fall/winter)
• 1 pair of leather scuff slippers
• 1 plain shawl collared robe (fall/winter)
• 2 pair of pajama or lounge pants (spring/summer)

For summer, I can get away with less and don't feel I need to explain that any further. I have found a few companies that fit my requirements, however they tend to be a bit on the pricey side. I am also avoiding Chinese made products for reasons I don't care to go into at this moment. Apparently a limited bank balance and a stipulation country of origin are really making this a tough search. I will, of course, write more if I am able to turn anything up.

Going Grey

I don't know how I have managed this, but I seem to have gone a large portion of my life without a proper pair of grey flannel trousers. If you already have a pair, then you know what a workhorse they can be. I have to admit that I have been having trouble in locating a pair that I like, sartorially speaking. That's why I have given myself the deal that if I lose a certain amount of weight, then I can treat myself to a bespoke pair. More on this as the weight comes off (hopefully) and the trousers come on.

Slow and Steady

Another year has passed and my age has increased (yet again). Rachel blessed me with a safety razor shave setup. Merkur 34c, badger bristle brush, and shave mug. I am trying to relearn to slow down and take time to do things with care and precision, and hopefully learn that the best things in life aren't all just flash in the pan. Giving myself a certain amount of time each morning to get cleaned and dressed helps me set a calming regiment to start each day. Even such mundane things as shaving can be done in such a way to help mentally prepare yourself for the day.

Cords

With the Texas winter slightly cooling and my selection of pants running thin, I wanted to replace my brown corduroys that I got from Levi's. A trip to the Levi's outlet didn't produce much except a sever distrust for their design department. I hopped around form shop to shop on the off chance that I could find something and it paid off. 1 corduroys in a dark almost loden green. The bonus was they were on the clearance section and 50% off as well. For some reason they didn't want to photograph well, so I might talk Rachel into taking a few of me with them being worn. Pics soon to come, I am sure of it.

Keeping tabs..

I've starting keeping a small daily notebook, mostly for "to-do" lists I think of during the day and the occasional grocery list and it's been quite handy. But as of late, I have begun jotting down (on the usually blank left page) notes to myself of what I wish I had worn that day. Nothing extravagant, but on a day I rush to work in some khakis and a Fred, I might write down that I would I would have preferred to have worn a pair of dark brown wool trousers, maybe a tattersaw shirt, and even a greenish tweed sports coat in case the weather took a turn that evening (which it did) and I wanted to go out after work (which I did). I think the idea is to brown beat myself into looking for more suitable clothes for work, and making a point of wearing them. You can spend ten minutes each evening laying it all out, and the rest of the next day enjoying the fact that you did.