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.

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.