Wild West Gentleman Style

Perhaps this is a terrible idea. But perhaps this is pure inspired sartorial genius. I've been watching a lot of old westerns lately and I couldn't help but notice the prominence of the Western String Tie on men of class and sophistication. Not men with particular pretnese or rank. Just hard nosed cowboys who prefered looking sharp to looking dusty and grizzled.

Maybe it's time to try one out. See how it plays. It might be just the look I've been searching for. Or it could make me look like Colonel Sanders.

Green Headwear

Hats.com is offering an exclusive collection called Green Earth Tartan & Tweed. It uses a custom tartan pattern that ” features a unique tartan pattern. Each color highlights an aspect of Earth’s splendor, as well as draws attention to the environmental perils she faces”. And 10% of the proceeds go to environmental charities to boot.

Hopefully it will catch on and become a way to demonstrate your compassion for nature in a more stylish manner than a faux tie-dyed tee with an illustration of a timber wolf on it. Maybe it will become as trendy as those project (RED) shirts I see at the Gap, but never on people outside of it.

I also have a somewhat selfish motivation for the success of this collection. That handsome chap posing in the Army Cap in the collection banner as well as in the Ivy Cap occasionally on the home page is me.

It’s my one and only venture into the world of modeling. I was spotted by a Bollman Hat Co. executive, while playing a gig. For the sake of disclosure, their photographer is a friend of mine. She approached me about modeling the collection and I naturally (no pun intended) agreed.

Even if I weren’t loosely connected to these hats, I’d still consider them a fine looking lot; more than worthy of a purchase. Don’t be afraid to spread the word and be on the cutting edge of a new cause-inspired trend.

Reversible Bow Ties

I was tooling around Etsy helping a friend find a pair of cufflinks when I stumbled upon the seller Pinch & Pull Neckwear. All of the offerings were great and reasonably priced. But what really caught my eye were a pair of reversible ones. They were even at a discount. They came in the mail the other day and they're fantastic.




I did discover that you have to flip it under your collar and start with one of each side facing out to get them to sync up. But it's not too tricky. They were also much taller than my other bow ties. At first that made me a little nervous. But surprisingly a more substantial bow tie is just what the doctor ordered. Initially it made me feel like an old fashioned bar tender or poker dealer. But before long it was a more natural size than the Brooks Brothers bow I picked up a few weeks ago.

Dressing The Man

It turned out that what I didn’t know about dressing myself could fill a book. Luckily, that book was “Dressing the Man” by Alan Flusser, and it was at my local library. This book is the bible of men’s clothes. Or at least the Old Testament of men’s clothes.

As a graphic design student I was told repeatedly that you had to know what the rules where before you could break them successfully. I ended up renewing it from the library. As I got deeper in, I wanted to go back and cross reference the photos and the chapters subjects. It would make an excellent text book for a class in personal and timeless style. I seriously took notes out of it. If I had bought it, I might have broken out the hi-liter and color tab stickers.

For the sake of criticism, it left a little to be desired in the casual department. Not that dressing down should be the goal, but I’m sure there is a method for success in that spectrum as well. Regardless of your typical formality requirements. It’s a must for any man who cares enough to pick out his own clothing. And would like to avoid future utterances of “Honey, does this go?”

If you’ve got a nephew or godson in need of a graduation present, this is the ticket. I only wish I had read this book before I ever went on a job interview or got married. I want to go to The Men’s Warehouse with a megaphone and preach from it to people going in the store.

Regimental NATO Watchband

As I mentioned before. I recently upgraded (incrementally) from a crappy digital watch from Wal-Mart to a serviceable analog watch from Target. See here. I have no complaints about the watch itself. It’s served me well in the pool and I haven’t gotten sick of the styling yet. But the strap is another story. For one thing it gave me a rash. I got in the bad habit of wearing it to bed and in the shower. The bigger problem is that my wrist seems to be sized halfway between two notches. It’s either uncomfortably tight or it’s dancing all over the place when I run.

I fully intended to experiment with watch bands when I bought it. Mostly for style considerations, but also because I liked the nylon strap on my digital model. Though not the velcro and empty space left by the fold back. Six months into being a watch wearer, I feel confident that it’s worth more investment.


I think I’m going to try a NATO strap. At first I was just going to order a solid black one, then I stumbled upon the James Bond design and then on to various collegiate and UK military regimental stylings. smartturnout.com has a good selection. Almost too good. I want to order four or five of them and start a liberal rotation. I’m a little wary of breaking rules about not being a member of the specific regiments and school alumni, but I think I can rationalize and repurpose their color scheme for schools and and institutions I am affiliated with. I’m not sure where to start though. The 007 is sweet.

Changing and setting up the somewhat novel strap should be a fun thing to learn and I’m looking forward to having a subtle conversation piece of flair on my person.

Argyll & Sutherland

... is an infantry regiment of the British Army within the Scottish Division. Their regimental color tie is, in my opinion, the perfect tie. I've seen them here and there, most recently around the neck of my company's CFO. That day, I spent my lunch break at the thrift shop and found one. It was a little beat up and not of the best quality to start with. But it was worth a buck to try it out.


Now I'm searching for a good deal on a nice one. Something on par with but not necessarily Ben Silver or Brooks Brothers. Speaking of BB, they have a gorgeous A&S bow tie that I'm fighting very hard not to order from their web site as I write this.


The style's not going anywhere, and sooner or later somebody is gonna be going out of business or just need to clear out some inventory. I'll just have to keep my eyes open.

Dimple

I’ve heard that you can distinguish the truly classy from the gussied up slobs by their shoes. It’s a detail that posers tend to overlook. I admit that I’m guilty of it. It makes me feel like I’m wearing a costume sometimes. Another detail that I think demonstrates real sartorial know-how is the tie dimple. For a long time I’d get them by accident or mold them after the fact, but the more I learn about how to make a good one the more I realize that it takes experience and practice. Two things you can’t get if you only wear a tie a few times a year.

For one thing a really good dimple is a sign of a really good tie. A woven silk tie of high quality will seem like a tight spring when dimpled. Ready to burst off your chest. Also, if you consistently wear a tie with a dimple, it will build a fabric memory and will start to do it on it’s own eventually.

I’ve often formed one after the fact, pinching and molding until a fake dimple appears. But a fake dimple doesn’t last. The tie knows. Most novices will tell you that the key is to pinch the tie as you tighten it. That’s somewhat effective but lacks the impact of a true dimple. You can even by a clever little product called The Dimpler that acts like a rippled letter opener. Though, it creates more of a tie vagina than a proper dimple. The key to a real one is hand position.

The tendency is to hold the knot like a screwdriver and push it up to your face. The trick is to hold the front panel between your thumb and four fingers like a flute. Gently pull down on the center of the tie while you move it up your neck by pulling on the back panel with your other hand. See the gent in step 4 of the Half Windsor demo from the Brooks Brothers web site.

Trail Blazer

I’ve scaled back my wardrobe building considerably. For one thing, I’m continuing to lose weight. I’d like to see how far I can get before I buy more clothes that won’t fit in two months. Also, the seasons are about to change. I own zero pairs of shorts and only a handful of short sleeved items.

In the meantime, I’m carefully constructing a wanted items list that includes a Brooks Brothers white OCBD, a pair of Sperry Top-Siders, madras shorts, and a summer driving cap. I’m always looking for sunglasses, ties, socks, hats, shoes and other size fixed items.

By the end of the year I’d like to add a suit or two as well as some personalized items for which I might decide to go the bespoke route. Among those items are a pair of bold patterned but muted color tartan trousers. I’m not crazy about black watch or Stewart and those two appear to make up 95% of the selection out there. It might be fun to search for a hunk of fabric that I could have made into trousers as well as a few accessories, like a tie, hat band, vest, etc. Another item that I’m more excited and nervous about is a blazer. Not just any blazer though. A hunter green blazer. You see, I have hazel eyes. They change day to day, sometimes they’re almost entirely green. And I’ve noticed that when I wear my olive green work shirt or hunter green BB sweater I get a lot of compliments. Of course they’re hard to find. It might be the perfect excuse to delve into bespoke clothing. Touch it up with a monogram and have it cut to perfection. I’m getting excited just thinking about it.



These two offerings from Orvis are handsome in their own right, but not precisely what I'm imagining. Something about halfway between in color and texture. Not exactly a country club thing, but not quite a hunting jacket either. I wonder if I'll be able to name it if it comes out nice.

Pocket Squared

The main thrust of this blog is to document my exploration of refinement. I'm trying to examine every aspect of life and when it appears that I'm defaulting to an immature or crude way of doing things, I research and upgrade. Right now I'm half way through Alan Flusser's "Dressing The Man". Each chapter is a revelation.

At the outset I began wearing a sport coat and tie as much as possible and being influenced by Mad Men and other bloggers, I took to sporting a pocket square. I stocked up on some traditional linens and I've been combing thrift shops and department stores to ad some fun and variety.

For the past few days I've had a cold. I've been congested and blowing my nose around the clock. The first day, I pulled tissues out of the box on my desk one after another and all but ignored the handkerchief in my front pocket. The next day I called upon it but once it had been used once I stuffed it in my front pocket, but that made accessing my keys and cell phone a pain. It even muffled the ring and caused me to miss a call. On the third day, I grabbed two before leaving the house. Stuffed one in my jacket pocket and the other in my back trouser pocket where I used to keep my wallet before I switched to a money clip.

Not only does this reinforce the case for money clips, but it's a top notch move that I plan on continuing. In fact there's a precedent for the two handkerchiefs. A fully equipped gentleman always has "one for blowin'" and "one for showin'". This also frees up the display square to be offered to a lady or whipped out in an emergency without fear of sharing your snot and sweat.


In regards to style there is an art to choosing and folding your daily pocket square. Not wanting to get into the whole thing. I've picked up on a few rules that I'll share. A pocket square should not match your tie or your shirt, but it should compliment them both. Sort of like the rug that really ties the room together. And like tie knots, there is a time and a place for each method of folding and stuffing a pocket square. It should reflect your mood. You can be Don Draper (tight and in control), Fred Astaire (Puffed and with flair), Cary Grant (Coy and slightly skewed), The Duke of Windsor (Carefully staged) or Gary Cooper (just stuffed in there). Take note of how each of them positions their handkerchief and how it relates to what you know or assume about each of them. You can also bet that each of them has another one stashed somewhere. Depending on their personality, it might be in their back pocket, breast pocket, front jacket pocket or as debonair as stuffed inside their jacket sleeve.

This is my typical pocket arrangement:
Front Right Trouser - Money Clip
Front Left Trouser - Cell Phone
Back Right Trouser - Usable Handkerchief
Front Right Jacket - Keys
Front Left Jacket - Pocket Knife
Outside Breast Pocket - Show & Share Handkerchief
Inside Left Breast Pocket - Pen and Notebook
Inside Right Breast Pocket - iPod

Needless to say this is how a man carries on without a purse and why a sport coat is a necessity.

Burgundy & Gray

I fished this tie out of a bucket at J. Crew over the weekend for $8. I threw together the rest of the outfit and got carried away. All the way down to my socks and underwear. Then when I got home I noticed that my my whole family was coincidentally coordinated as well.

Wardrobe: Then and Now

In the past year or so I've lost roughly 100 pounds. Virtually every piece of clothing I owned had to be replaced. I used this as an opportunity to overhaul my personal look. I've been going for a more grown up, permanent fashion wardrobe. Here's a quick snapshot of my closet from February 10, 2008 and one from yesterday, February 8, 2009. (obscured are several sport coats, a suit and a few dozen ties.)

The Andy Bernard Conundrum

Without question, Ed Helm’s character on NBC’s The Office is the archetypal preppy douche bag. Andy Bernard is annoying, stupid and full of himself. But damn if I don’t love his wardrobe. I recognize most of what he wears from J. Crew. And clearly, if he learned anything from his privileged upbringing and Ivy League education, it was how to dress.

In fact, I’m more or less dressed like Andy right now. I’m wearing the green and blue university striped tie and checked shirt from J. Crew with khakis and a sweater. I would like to point out that I acquired these items before he debuted on television. But this still begs the question: What does this all say about me? Is the fictional wardrobe of Andy Bernard modeled after dudes like me? Should I be concerned that I am coming off like a douche bag?

I’d much rather be the model for a character like Jim. His wardrobe isn’t objectionable. But frankly, he dressed like a Catholic high school student. I’ve been there. I’m not necessarily trying to go back to that. Perhaps I should strive for a middle ground. Maybe Oscar, but strait.

Mr. Peabody

I decided to go for broke and wear a bow tie. I picked up this one at my local thrift shop. It's from a company called Sherman. And interestingly, wearing it made me feel a bit like Mr. Peabody (quiet, you). Though I quickly got used to it and began to feel like I'd been wearing bow ties my whole life.

I was caught off guard by the lack of comments from coworkers. By the afternoon it started to get noticed. The security guard did mention that a bow tie suited me better than a regular tie. All in all, I'm calling it a success and I'll be keeping my eyes open for other bows to sport on the odd occasion. I don't think this one is too bad. It was certainly the best one of the bunch at the thrift shop. But I can't shake the idea that the little paisley guys look like Homer Simpson sperm.

I'm not going to bother demonstrating how to tie a bow tie. If you're interested it's easy enough to look up. I have to admit that demonstrating the technique was among my original ideas for blog topics. But it seems like everybody else has done it already. I will mention that I learned out of a book rather than online. And once you've done it two or three times, it's not much harder than a half windsor or Prince Albert knot. I did have a strong urge to adjust it frequently, though it barely needed it. Except when my 10 month old decided to grab and pull on it.

Sartorial Pet Peeve | Labels

Confession: I have a vintage Lacoste sweater with the little alligator that I’m quite fond of. It’s a plain navy v-neck. It’s not in the greatest of shape and could probably stand to be replaced. That got me thinking. When wearing a traditional article of clothing, why would you want a visible label of it’s manufacturer? To demonstrate how much you paid for it of course. Upon review, that seems somewhat ungentlemanly to me.

In fact, I often resist buying clothes made by Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Nautica or anyone who tends to prominently display their embroidered logo or some other obvious indicator of the brand. A gentleman should take pride in his appearance. He should wear clothes that fit his body and the occasion. But whether he had them custom tailored at Brooks Brothers or bought them off the J.C. Penny clearance rack is his business.

I understand the marketing strategy and how it benefits the manufacturer to make it obvious and advertise the appeal of his wares. But ask yourself this. If you happened to look good, would you rather have an admirer of your clothing say to himself: “I can see that he shops at Polo.” or “I wonder what his secret is.” It just seems to subtract from the benefits of dressing well and provides short cuts to style.

If the objective is observing the quality of goods and value purchasing, then there are more refined methods for determining what something is worth relative to it’s cost. It’s better to analyze thread count, stitching, button material, and weight than by inspecting a half inch patch of embroidery.

A gentleman can make a lot of different statements with his clothing: I’m on the cutting edge of fashion. I’m strait laced and serious. I’m laid back, individualistic, traditional, hip, old school, fancy, etc. But I don’t think, "I spent $X on a knit polo" should be one of them. There’s too narrow an audience that would appreciate that information. Some people might be put off by how high it is, others by how low.

Current Personal Trend | Watch Caps

I’ll give credit where it’s due. The farmer’s almanac predicted an especially cold winter. And it's no joke out there. I’ve been trying my best to carve as much style out of bundling up as I can. Sweaters under sport coats under overcoats, flaps over fingerless gloves and of course scarves have been mainstays. But one article that I initially tried to resist has evolved into something that I’m not only embracing but turning into a personal trend: watch caps.

Also known as knit caps, ski caps, beanies, tuques, stocking caps, etc., they’re everywhere. But generally speaking, they’re used in a capacity where style is secondary. Nine times out of ten I see them in combination with a puffy winter coat or hooded sweatshirt. If they are part of a fashion statement, it’s usually, “Does anybody want to start a drum circle?” or “I’m fresh out of mega-hold styling gel”. But I’m discovering that in a solid basic color like navy, gray, black or brown and combined with a smart outfit, it can be quite stylish. In the right context and arrangement you start to look like a grizzled navy vet or prize fighter.

There's a narrow space on the casual scale where you can pull it off. Dress it too far down and you've stopped caring. Too formal and it's awkward. The trick is to avoid falling into three traps. 1) The third McKenzie brother. 2) 3rd Grader at the bus stop 3) Drifter. As long as you’re conjuring up images of Burgess Meredith and Sly Stalone in Rocky or David Niven and Anthony Quinn in Guns of the Navarone, you're in business.

Addition:
I just read the preface of the Style Guy's book and he mentioned that style is about doing everything exactly right and one thing intentionally wrong. I think that idea plays well into dressing really sharp and topping it off with a watch cap.

Swim Trunks

Somewhere near the root of this project is a desire to grow out of habits and styles from my late youth. A lot of choices were made attempting to fit into a standard of living that no longer makes any sense. I see it as less of a reinvention and more of a grounding in sensibility. It's an attempt to peel myself away from youthfull fashion trends. The first step is to examine all facets of manner and style. Second, taking them back to the simple roots to understand the whys and the hows. The final phase will be to establish a sensibility that fits me as a grown man and hopefully a proper gentleman as well.

That said, I just picked up a new pair of swim trunks. I'm going to emphasise the word trunks, because I think it's important. They're not board shorts or speedos. Nor are they a swim suit. They're plain solid black. They're of a reasonable length and roomy enough for a grown man's needs. I think it illustrates a process that I'm trying to instill when making new purchases. As sort of an offshoot of the "dress for the job you want" dictem. I'm trying to outfit the gentleman I aspire to be. Almost like buying gifts for the father and potential grandfather in myself. I plan on wearing them in the pool at the gym and in the back yard. And occasionally in the ocean. If I enter a swimming race or take up surfing, then I might consider a different type of swimwear.

You certainly don't need to forgo fashionable designs and patterns. You need a pair of short pants outfitted for swimming that provide a smart balance between freedom of movement and modesty. End of discussion. Besides, no statement made by your choice of swimwear will be able to avoid being completely drowned out by the statements made by your bare body parts.

Lounge Pants

Ideally, I would have a nice pair of pajamas to wear to bed. Though it's the transition time before and after sleeping that I'm really dressing for. And at this stage, a set of pajamas seems a bit formal for most evenings. Perhaps if I was sharing a vacation house, had live-in help or simply spent my days frolicking with my stable of Playboy bunnies, then silk pajamas would be the default choice.

I'm sure the vast majority of men, even if they don't wear them to bed regularly, have a pair of plaid or patterned flannel lounge pants. Otherwise known as unmatched pajama bottoms. I had a pair from the Gap that I wore to the point of disintegration. And their replacements, though fine and suitable were a tad too large and a bit less than fashion forward. It seemed like there was a serious lack of options in the world of lounge pants. I figured I'd be replacing one plaid flannel pair with another until I died in one.

Then I stumbled upon these at a Marshal's of all places. They're made of oxford cloth. Typically reserved for button down shirts, but they make a remarkable pant as well. They're made by a company called Vineyard Vines. A little outfit started by two buddies with an inspiring story. Though, not as inspiring as the Chinese factory where this pair was put together I imagine. Anyway, they offer hyper preppy clothes at outrageous prices. I'll spare you the gory details of what these were originally priced at. They must have not been much of a hit, because they're not currently on their website and like I said, they ended up at a Marshal's.

But I love them. Maybe the transposing of traditional fabrics was a bit too clever for the kind of guys who spend $50 on flip-flops. I can't be sure. But it's my gain either way. I can't put my finger on why, but they have a very Owen Wilson quality. And between you and me, if someone catches me fetching the paper or the mail bright and early. I'd feel a lot more dignified in blue oxford cloth lounge pants than plaid or patterned flannels or even full pajamas for that matter.

An Odd Jacket

Most people use the terms blazer, sport coat, jacket, and suit coat interchangeably. In fact, as I was trying to find clear distinctions, I came across different definitions from various reputable on-line sources. Here’s what I’ve surmised:

Like in biological classification Jacket is the order. It’s a tailored article of clothing with sleeves, a collar, and 2 or 3 buttoned up from the waist. It’s worn over a shirt and is distinct from a waistcoat, overcoat, and mackinaw. It can have different arrangements of pockets and vents (the slits in the back). But the overall shape and usage is pretty consistent for the two main families.

Those would be Suit Jacket and Odd Jacket. The difference is that the former has a matching pair of pants and perhaps a waistcoat. The genus Tuxedo Jacket fits under that classification. As well as the jacket of most military dress uniforms. While an odd jacket can be mixed with different pants.

Under the odd jacket family is the two major Genuses. Blazers and Sport Coats. Here’s where the confusion starts. Basically, a blazer is a solid color and has brass buttons. Originally styled after naval uniform jackets, they are primarily used in a semi-formal fashion. Often in conjunction with a school or private club, sometimes featuring a crest. But it’s very common for them to be generic. They’re more formal than a sport coat but less formal than a suit. A sport coat, on the other hand, generally features a pattern like houndstooth, plaid, stripes, checks, herringbone, etc. Or they can be made of a substantially textured material like tweed, corduroy or linen. A suit jacket and a sport coat may be very similar, but when worn with the rest of the suit they are considerably more formal.

More unique species of sport coat include shooting jackets, hacking jackets, continental jackets, smoking jackets, etc. The common thread is that they are meant for activity and are very much considered to be casual. For example, a navy blue jacket could be mistaken for any of the above, but clues like buttons, pants, material, and even the occasion will tell you whether it’s a suit coat, blazer of sport coat. Either way, a jacket is a must. They go a long way in distinguishing a gentleman.


Notice the level of formality that Jimmy exhibits with each jacket.

Thrifty Ties

Here are some of the awesome trad ties I scored at various thrift shops around town. Most of the thrill is in the hunt. There will be several dozen ties hanging together or stuffed in a bin. 99% of them are hideous. And sometimes in the thicket of stained polyester it will be hard to spot a quality tie. You almost have to unfocus your eyes like those magic 3D puzzles. I find it helpful to do several passes. I'll go through all of them just looking for stripes. Then I'll do a paisley or pattern pass. Then suddenly one will jump out at me.

It's completely rewarding and relatively risk free. I don't think I paid more than $1.50 for each of these. Some came as cheap as 25¢. Considering that you can drop an easy $50 on a strikingly similar tie from a fine clothier, it's kind of amazing. Though, it's not out of the question to find yourself sifting through a hundred ties and coming up completely empty.

Slippers House Shoes

I've got a very Mr. Rogers shoe routine going. I put on sneakers in the morning and change into a pair of leather clogs when I get to work. When I get home at the end of the day, I go strait to the house shoes. I've only really gotten in the habit recently, but I'm totally hooked. I don't like to use the word slippers. It makes me think of fairy tales. Plus the term house shoe makes more sense anyway. Especially when I wear slip on shoes at the office. The house shoe kind of becomes a necessity of gentleman life. I mean, you can't spend your evenings walking around in your socks and you don't want to be tracking dirt all over your carpet either.

They offer a good deal of flexibility too. I can take out the trash or grab the paper. I can put my feet up on the couch. I've worn them for a dinner party and Christmas morning. I've worn them to pick up my step son from basketball practice and once to the grocery store. That's when I discovered that they do have some limitations. In my opinion, the ideal house shoe should feel like mittens on your feet but look like you can almost wear them to work on a casual Friday.



I've had this pair for a long time. So I have kind of a sentimental attachment to them. I thought about getting a pair of leather moccasins or a fancy pair of slippers. Maybe even a pair that looks like little boat shoes. But these are such a good balance, I'll think I stick with them.