Just in case anyone is actually reading...

I'll be vacationing for pretty much all of the next two weeks.

Two weeks packing:
Four t-shirts
Two pairs pants (my favorite jeans and cotton/linen cargos.)
One Harrington jacket
One pair shorts
Swimtrunks
One pair black DVS shoes, one pair brown Chuck Taylors
Socks and underwear

I like roughing it... I'm just not sure this is... but for two weeks? :)

It'll be fun.

Vacationing

I'm off to vacation until after next week - I might post romantical nature-obsessed buffoonery intermittently, but until then, ta-ta.

Just in case anyone is reading this.

White Collar and Cuffs

A rather disappointing post on Men's Flair today. Usually, I at least generally agree with their posts, and enjoy bits and pieces of information and perspective. Unfortunately, today's post seemed both wrong and, respectfully, in bad taste.
First, I'm not sure how the poster came to the conclusion that such cuffs and collar are called "french" - I have only ever read of French cuffs being cuff link cuffs, and French collar is entirely new to me - and does not return any relevant results on a Google search. I would like to see a citation for this word usage.
Second, and on the style front, search for contrast collar or white collar on any clothes shopping site, and you will very, very rarely find a picture of the white collar and cuffs actually on a man - I think because the high contrast draws away from the face. Always beware of buying things that are not displayed where they will be worn.

Look below for a fun show of a much more casual (but still very good-looking) shirt from the Flickr suit up pool.
Also, topically, with the supreme court ruling, will guns become a major accessory?

An enjoyable movie for anglophile fashion

Beyond being a well-shot, well-felt film, The Queen is a great movie for the Anglophile in style. Since Henry the VIII and before, the royal family has functioned as one of the nation's prime style arbitrators. Beyond beautiful tweeds, the film also seems to feed upon the distinction between the tweed of the royal family and the worsted of the prime minister.

Spring and Summer Patterns

Patterns are not like colors. For most events in summer, I like to keep my colors stronger, and my patterns weaker. This may well be a result of the fact that I'm fairly easily washed out, but the marled, complex look of patterns fits better with the cloudy skies and blooming trees of fall than the open skies and emerald fields of spring. With the darker colors come complexity, with the lighter color comes solidity. It's not a rule, it's just a thought.This is a good shot of Jude Law keeping his colors rich, but patterns subtle, and matching his browns with the browns of his skin and hair.

Exception may, of course, be made for madras and a few other things. Like I said, it's not a rule.

The Summer Sportcoat: A recommendation

A great image - Daniel Craig, Esquire's best dressed man of 2008 (some detract, they haven't seen anything but Bond) in Enduring love - cotton sport coat, rumpled, but ready, and a shirt that echoes the hair color.

Summer's warming up, and bright colors singing forth sunny glories. With summer I always find I have a desire to update my wardrobe, to have something bright and new. Ragged seems to fit in fall and winter, but spring and summer call for crisp newness. One of the best crisp newnesses is the crisp newness of a linen or cotton suit - unfortunately, to get a good one is expensive. As an alternative, I recommend a cotton, linen, or cotton/linen blend sport coat - it's as flexible, light, dressy, but casual.

A favorite quote

From Esquire's "things a man should know about style"

"Whether a tie is too fat or too skinny must be decided by you alone, on a tie by tie basis.

When in doubt, as a woman.

Know that she will often be wrong, too, and that ultimately, a man is adrift in a vast sea of complexity and indecision that he alone must ply."

How true... but how fun.

Oh, and I love a good old style ad.

Rules

Sometimes, I like rules. Sometimes they should be broken.

Here's a rule: No chest hair.

Now, okay, at the swimming pool, that's understandable... but at work? Please. No.

As for those rare few who could get away with it: 1. Set a good example. and 2: Attractive or no, it seems to me chest-hair displays are simply too ostentatious for almost any gathering.

Heroes of a nation sartorial: Luciano Barbera

Heroes of a nation sartorial: Luciano Barbera

Each week, I will attempt to present a person of style I think to be a hero and an inspiration. So much of even wonderful sartorial discussion, be it Flusser, or the gentlemen over at Men’s Flair, is focused around this or that detail – on talking about it. I think as much, if not more could be learned from simply absorbing great style icons, whose history to us has taken the sheen of polished old brown shoes. These lessons may teach us beyond words, so I will try to be brief and only point out the most salient of details.

Many of my future posts will doubtless be about movie stars and men of the public eye, but I want my first of this series to be about a man who the public little knows. Luciano Barbera’s life has been deeply involved with clothes. Barbera first rose to fame when he was photographed in his father’s cloth, which he designed into clothes himself (his father is the founder of perhaps the premier Italian mill for wool and cashmere). Today, Barbera’s age has only refined his style. He has been called “One of the style stars of our time” by the Sartorialist, and, most fascinatingly, he seems loved by all sorts of the clothing obsessed. From those who love the glamour of the fashion shows, to those who, like their fathers, think fashion shows garish, Mr. Barbera has won praise. He is a true gentleman of style, dressing to his own pleasure, and the pleasure of every person around him.

The last two images are from the Sartorialist. As someone with greenish eyes and reddish skin, Mr. Barbera's use of green inspires me. He combines it with golds, browns, greys and tans very, very well, but blues especially so.

One of the original pictures that began to bring sartorial fame. Photographed many years ago, stylish now. One needs only look at the cut of the sleeve to know why.


He wears striped shirts with ties so well.
His pocket squares are famous for not-quite matching, yet matching so perfectly.


I love his sense of texture, the playfulness of his lapels.


And what better to end with than formal wear.

A great suit

In a world where we often encounter even the richest of people who do not dress up to high standards, this suit brings joy to my heart. I saw it, to my great surprise, in the LA times. It is a picture of businessman Robert Maguire the III. I love the pin collar, the amount of cuff, the thin tie knot, and the white shirt setting off white hair. That, and the cut and fit of the suit. Around LA, this truly is a rare gem.

The Suit needent be a suit. A long post today

Sorry: the Suit Stays.

Or: Why things remain motionless in an ever-moving industry

There are few industries that inspire as much movement as the fashion industry.

New York, Paris, London, Milan, Los Angeles, all have their fashion shows, along with others, twice a year.

Imagine what would happen, if all the big names of computers (and there would be have to be more than there are) got together twice a year and showed designs that differed, often drastically, from last year.

Nothing would happen.

I think it is obvious that all ultimately-conservative institutions must create spurious movement.

Think about that.

Religion, University, Law, Government.

All create spurious movement, all have remained ideologically and essentially the same for hundreds if not thousands of years.

What is really different in today’s government from that of a thousand years ago?

Make no mistake, Feudalism is still largely in place.

Money assures it.

Slavery still exists.

Why do you think there has been so much focus in the news on who is making the most money. They know. You follow the money for more than the criminal.

When 6.7% of the population still makes one third of the income, feudalism is still in place, if in everything but name.

Unless money has nothing to do with governmental process…. Yea right.

When 6.7% of the population makes one third of the income, money has something to do with the governmental process.

Kings need not be in place, ideas still reign which keep a government largely in power – Presidents have become (or always were) spurious movement.

The church, the university, law, all are just as bad.

I need not point out spurious movement in the university.

The church has its little theological debates – but only among the more informed.

And the decisions are made by a few of those informed.

When 6.7% (if that) of the church makes one third (if not more) of the decisions, guess what.

Same with the university, and don’t get me started on legal process.

This is that strange realm where fashion and philosophy intersect.

In case you hadn’t noticed.

Now, this movement is not, in my opinion, a bad thing when it comes to fashion.

Here’s why:

Religion messes with people’s lives, and there may be better alternatives (like true religion, where everyone actually thinks about and better yet struggles (and is willing to admit they struggle) with what they believe about morality and the afterlife.)

In government, we mess with people’s lives, and there are better alternatives.

In law, we mess with people’s lives, and there are better alternatives.

In fashion, I really don’t think there are better alternatives than the suit.

Sorry.

First off, the good suits I own are ten times as comfortable as jeans, tee shirt, and bomber jacket.

Fourty times as attractive

Ten thousand times as versatile.

In all their “spurious” movement, the fashion industries are really experimenting very specifically within a realm of givens.

They are finding, too, the boundaries of these givens.

I, too, have been amazed at what can come about in the midst of such a realm of givens.

Let us not forget that fashion is sometimes given to overstatement, in order to make a point.

Like whom, I wonder?

Anywho, think about all the options they have developed for the suit – button-front shirts, polo shirts, sweaters, and in all sorts of colors. Cotton shirts, silk shirts, stripes and plaids, checks, designs, etc…

Speaking of such things, anyone ever seen a houndstooth t-shirt? How about a glen plaid t-shirt?

That would be awesome. If any designer ever reads this, feel free to lift those ideas, just give a little credit.

Anywho, that’s just the shirt – ties – silk, wool, cashmere, linen. Glen plaid. Houndstooth. Diamonds. Squares. Solids. Stripes (diagonal or horizontal, never vertical). Maccsfield, spatsford, plaid, argyle (careful there), polka-dot, and that’s just the beginnings.

Then there’s the suit itself. A nearly endless number of shades of grey and blue, along with the occasional olive, brown, tan, white, and black.

There are t-shirts in every color, but who cares. A nice, light-grey t-shirt doesn’t look all that cool, unless you’re James Dean.

A nice light-grey suit, that’s another matter.

Glen plaids, houndstooths, checks, windowpane, pinstripe, solids of every texture, pick-and-pick, birds-eye, gabardine, tweeds too, herringbone being a favorite.

Try to find yourself bomber jackets with all those possibilities.

We haven’t even got to the good part yet – shoes.

Bluchers, Oxfords, Cap-toe, plain-toe, square-toe (careful again), wing-tip, and all these in many variations.

All that to say, goodbye bomber jackets.

And can you structure a bomber jacket? Not really, not well.

Okay, I have more to say, but I’ll shut up for now. I can see you’re tired of this ramble. At least, I am.

May I recommend

In my browsings today, I happened across the following, and recommend the clip about hats (the first one)

http://acontinuouslean.com/2008/06/16/neckties-hats-on-cbs-sunday-morning/#more-891

That said, the second video is rather sad - Ben Stein, in my opinion, displays clearly just how little he understands modern dress, and how little he appreciates a real necktie. His amateurish displays of preening make clear how little he will help anyone who's side he's on. I pity the intelligent design camp. Let us also note his shorts on the posters for Exposed.

That said, oh a good necktie is fun. I love a good necktie.... mmmm... I might just go put one on. Perhaps my brooks brothers with little foxes...

A picture to celebrate the necktie.

This image came from the Sartorialist, a wonderful, wonderful blog. If you came here without knowing about there - it'll be a while before you come back, I'm sure.

Ah Linen

Let's talk for a moment about materials.

Materials seem to me one of the basic building blocks of any enduring style, as they dictate so much of the deportment of one's clothing.

Natural materials, any good book will tell you, are to be hoped for, honored, and beloved. One of the most versatile and summer-effective of these materials is linen.

I found this picture on the Flickr Suit Up pool: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ougenweiden/2492025618/in/pool-suitup


The young man in this picture seems to be doing so many things right. His suit fits quite well, he's got good posture, and classy, but colorful shoes that I don't doubt are very comfortable. He's also working with the natural contrast of his hair and skin, with the darker shirt, lighter suit combination. My only gripe - too long pants, but that can be let go. His sleeve length is quite proper, and his material is a breath of fresh summer air.

A book for all

I love reading about men's clothing, and one of the best bits of reading about it is Esquire's little book "Things a man should know about style." Loaded with tid-bits, it's perfect for both the experienced, and the novice who still needs to learn how to tie his bow-tie.

The best part is the way it's written. Short, little rules, easy to read, easier to remember, and sometimes, hysterically funny.

I highly recommend it.

Let's get started.

Hi, I'm Wallis. I'm a young college graduate who loves clothes. Over the next few weeks, I'll be posting a lot to give a fake sense of history. Then I'll slow down to about one a day. Or whatever.

I personally am working on a somewhat limited budget, but am here to say that a beautiful, enjoyable, classy, and well-fitting wardrobe can be built even on a basic minimum of cash.