Feelin’ Lucky?
Think this isn’t a 70’s cop look?
Google a little movie called “Dirty Harry” (imagine him with slightly less awesome hair… also no .44 mag).
But it’s also a little “trad-y”.
With just a tinge of rock-n-roll from the desert boots and selvage denim (yes, I know mods wore desert boots, work with me here).
3 great tastes that taste great together.
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Thrifted:
Polo RL Jacket (n w/o t) - $5
LLBean Cashmere sweater - Final Clearance $15
LLBean OCBD - $5
Pengin Selvage Deinm - $5
LLBean Sig Desert Boots - $20 (!)
Woolrich Gun Check Scarf - $3
Hat - Gift
Lets see if anyone like this.
Got that tie yesterday with my leather jacket, unfortunately after a day of wear, the zipper stopped working… I was glad I bought it at goodwill (and that I have access to a pricing gun to reattach the tag), but I’m always sad to have to return something.
Such are the travails of a seasoned thrifter.
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Thrifted:
“Spearat-Lee’s” Corduroy Sport Coat - $4
J Crew Cotton Cashmere Sweater - $7
Jordan Marsh “A Fitted Shirt” OCBD - $2.50
Penguin Japanese Selvage Denim - $5
Vintage Longwings - $12
Turquoise Scarf - $2
Pocket Square - $1
Hat - Gift
3 Cheers for the Rose and the Gray.
On shitty days (40 degrees and raining on old snow) you gotta keep some color to remind you that every day isn’t a “oh yeah, I need to get my windshield wipers replaced, hope nobody sideswipes me because this salt spray makes it pretty hard to see out all my windows” type of day.
Plus I always wear Chucks when its drizzling out, because I enjoy making poor life decisions.
Also of note, my gray flannel sport coat which is a lovely vintage Jos. A Bank. Much like Haggar which also lost its way to the pleaten-ing and general “cheap-boxy-looking-ification” of dept. store menswear.
Once upon a time these were good, mid-range-price point type places that offered something comparable to any other union-made vintage garment. Or really to much of the modern Brooks Bros/J Crew/Bean Signature type quality of today.
Finally, I generally eschew the “statement piece” for a general statement. For instance, the chucks, pocket square or silk knot would all be a subtle injection of color on a miserable day like this, but all together they change from “I AM WEARING RED CHUCKS” to “I am wearing red”. Think of it as a process of addition by addition.
I know, I know, weird thought right? Getting more from a look by adding more to it?
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Thrifted:
Jos. A Bank - $5
Vintage Van Heusen fitted shirt - $5
Penguin Japanese Selvage Denim - $5
Gray & Green.
Eagle Eyed readers will note that I’m doing something rare and recreating an old look wholesale.
I think anyone who wants to incorporate more color into their ensemble would do well to start with blue and move swiftly to green. Basically all shades of green work well together, and something like a green sweater or foulard on a tie can be bold without being overwhelming. Gray and green go together particularly well IMO, but most greens also pair well with navy blue, brown and even black (if you’re the rare #menswear reader who will admit to wearing black).
I particularly like cool colors (lower left on this color wheel) because the muted versions pair well with the brighter/more saturated versions. I wouldn’t pair burnt orange with blaze orange or rust with crimson, but I think navy and royal blue or olive with kelly green are smashing combos. Also in this case the brighter greens of the under layer are referenced by the army jacket and scarf (yet another example of the over/under dichotomy you get to play with during winter.
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Thrifted:
Army field coat - $10
Jordan Marsh “Varsitonian” Tweed Jacket - $5
J Crew Cotton/Cashmere Sweater - $7
Luca Franzini for the Tie Rack - $2 (I know it’s mostly covered up, but this tie is gorgeous, it rivals my Turnbull & Asser tie for excellence of knot & drape)
Penguin Japanese Selvage Denim - $5
Vintage Shell Cordovan Bostonian Wingtips - $8
Dressed by (and stolen from) the internet.
When I saw EvolvingStyle’s latest WIWT I knew I had to steal it wholesale put my own spin on it. So today I did just that.
Now, I’m no stranger to the plaid tie, or even the plaid tie/navy blazer combo. But I really liked the bold use of red and the overtly casual “Jeans & Blazer” look is one I haven’t done in a while. In this case, my spin got rid of the tie clip and made the pocket square a contrasting pattern/material in a complementary color scheme. I also swapped out the shoes for work boots because we got 6 inches of snow last night.
Also of note, matching my scarf to the main color in the ensemble. I could have gone with a navy scarf, but it’s such a nice day that seemed a little severe. The red picks up on the PS, but with the popped collar on the blazer it gives it a slightly more “outerwear” flavor.
So that’s how you steal from bloggers you like. Just make sure to cite your sources.
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Thrifted:
Stanley Blacker Blazer - $4
Jordan Marsh “A Fitted Shirt” OCBD - $2.50
Pendleton Red Plaid Wool Tie - $3
Pocket Square (Ladies Scarf) - $2
Black Cashmere Lined Leather Gloves - $9.60
*Ed Note: This exact scenario (20-25 degrees, & sunny, w/ scarf) is pretty much the only time I cosign popping anything other than an overcoat collar.
Slick Academic.
As I’ve talked about before when I get dressed I like to take a certain “look” (nerdy academic, hipster d-bag, laid-back-italian-jackass, etc…) and put a different spin on it by increasing or decreasing elements of formality within it.
Today I’m getting brunch with my cousin (I basically have the week off, yay for pseudo-vacations!) to discuss his wedding. He’s super tweedy, so I’m looking for an academic-esque look, but one that’s a bit less rumpled.
The glen plaid and wool tie reference a more nerdy academic look, the jeans and momochromatic color scheme look a bit more urbane. The shirt/tie/ps combo is even it’s own spin on the Italian Background (with gingham subbing in for plain blue because… well… have you read this blog before?). The work boots are simply a practical element in suddenly snowy Maine this time of year. The duffle coat plays well with all those elements without being married to any of them.
By strategically playing with formalities, the look manages to be laid back, put together, tweedy and slick, all at the same time.
Maybe I’m getting a bit too meta, but if you look at your wardrobe through the formality lens it makes it easier to make choices in the morning. What “look” are you looking to go for? Do you want it more/less formal than it usually is? Where can you make substitutions?
This look would be too #menswearmullet (business up top, party down below) if I had been wearing a silk tie, but a bold tartan or tweed would have been more “academic” than I was going for. Ditto if I had worn a navy blazer or tweed jacket (respectively).
The formality of specific items doesn’t get written about a whole lot, but it’s an important element in tying together a look and finding your own style independent of what you see on Tumblr every day.
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Thrifted:
Glen Plaid Jacket (Part of a Suit) by Donatelli’s of Portland ME - $5
Merona Blue Gingham Shirt - $5
“Tattersal” Blue Wool Tie - $2
Silk Pocket Square - $1.50
Penguin Japanese Selvage Jeans - $5
Cole Haan Woven Leather Belt - $7 (whoa! big spender!)
Vintage Toggle Coat by Lodenfrey - Free
Tweed and denim.
Absolutely my go to in the cold months. It’s warm even when standing outside in the freezing cold not wearing a coat because you have to take pics of the fit (I SUFFER FOR MY ART BLOG!) Also, I know how I’ve written that I like pattern mixing to be aggressive, just because you’re mixing 4 patterns doesn’t mean it has to be really in your face. The herringbone and glen plaid are basically just gray from any distance, with the subtlest red in the plaid tying the tie and pocket square to the rest of the outfit.
Giant fur collar peacoat cause that’s how I roll.
And seriously. It was fucking cold as shit today. Finally.
Corduroy and Cashmere.
Upwards of 60 again today. Good day for a corduroy jacket. I like the mix here of the corduroy wales with the cable knit cashmere. This outfit also speaks to the value of vintage items. The shoes and jacket are both thrifted vintage pieces, $8 and $3 respectively. Slightly better than the $600 and $180 you’d spend on comparable pieces.
And since the jacket is unstructured with big patch pockets, it means it looks just as modern as this season’s items. And since the shoes are shell cordovan it means they’ll last basically forever.
While you might have some trouble finding some more “modern” items, finding anything that’s coming back after a long time out of fashion, or that’s “timeless” (corduroy jackets, tweed, flannel pants, etc…) is fairly easy and infinitely cheaper to thrift than to buy retail.
It’s late and I’m tired, so I’ll just offer this for commentary.
It’s fine to wear dark jeans with a navy blazer. Just remember that the informality of jeans provides a lot the of contrast. Pair this with a white spread collar and navy tie and it looks kind of like you were trying for a suit but wore jeans because that’s what the cool kids do. Keep the elements casual and the navy jeans on navy jacket plays much better.
A common “rookie” “mistake”* when you’re trying to dress better is just wearing a tie with it. Throwing on a tie to dress up a jeans & shirt look can look like… well… you just threw on a tie over your jeans & shirt look.
However, a carefully considered tie can absolutely go with a casual outfit, dressing it up without messing it up (WORDPLAY!).
In this case I have what basically amounts to a jeans & shirt look, selvage jeans, buffalo check shirt (by Rogues Gallery because I’m a wicked Hipstah) with a cotton bomber jacket and ranger mocs. But I was heading to class, and for some reason I like to wear a tie to class. So I went with a gray knit.
The gray on gray echoes what you might normally see in a conservative suiting, but without the formality. And the jeans/mocs are a step up from sneakers, but a step back from business casual shoes.
In short, it’s a very casual look that borrows ideas from formal styles and recreates them with more casual elements. For guys who consistently have trouble dressing in a more casual manner, that’s something to think about. Just notch down the formality of each individual item you’re wearing. In this case, jeans not trousers, flannel not OCBD/broadcloth, knit not woven, zip-front jacket not blazer. I could do pretty much this same look with navy trousers, gray blazer, gray woven tie (still wool), gingham shirt and longwings, it would just be on the more formal side of the casual/formal spectrum. Business casual instead of barroom formal.
Food for thought.
*I don’t really believe there can be “rookies” in style, or “mistakes” as such, but you get my meaning.
36 degrees when I got up today.
Time for tweed and scarves.
So many scarves.
I’ll try and write something on them on Monday since I leave for work in 5 minutes and never get done.
WIWY.
Too busy playing Fallout: New Vegas to post on the blog.
Blue vans ripsaws (I’m over authentics)
Check ‘dem gunmetal clubmasters.
huh… can’t really see it…
Wait a sec…
![I got these Saddle shoes a while back and they’ve kind of been bugging me. I never know how to style them. I’ve definitely gone too costumey on some occasions (saddles+bow tie+mustache=Olde Tyme Saloon Keep)
[ed note: I have no problem with dressing like an Olde Tyme Saloon keep, I’d say it’s a cornerstone of my look]
I think this is my best attempt yet. Anything other than jeans with these and I think they’ve looked to effete (even for me). However, I don’t (for better or worse) just wear a jacket/tie/pocket square with jeans all that often.
I’m trying them here as a sort of pseudo oxford. They’re closed lacing, and complementary, not contrasting colors. They also have surprisingly aggressive styling for an LL Bean shoe, which I think references the “I’m not a blogger” (Jeans, blue jacket, no tie) thing I have going.
I’m curious to see what the internet thinks.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqempliAxd1qhf6kko1_1280.jpg)
I got these Saddle shoes a while back and they’ve kind of been bugging me. I never know how to style them. I’ve definitely gone too costumey on some occasions (saddles+bow tie+mustache=Olde Tyme Saloon Keep)
[ed note: I have no problem with dressing like an Olde Tyme Saloon keep, I’d say it’s a cornerstone of my look]
I think this is my best attempt yet. Anything other than jeans with these and I think they’ve looked to effete (even for me). However, I don’t (for better or worse) just wear a jacket/tie/pocket square with jeans all that often.
I’m trying them here as a sort of pseudo oxford. They’re closed lacing, and complementary, not contrasting colors. They also have surprisingly aggressive styling for an LL Bean shoe, which I think references the “I’m not a blogger” (Jeans, blue jacket, no tie) thing I have going.
I’m curious to see what the internet thinks.
Day off.
All dressed down with some place to go.
Just the coffee shop, but still.
Breaking out my vintage Orvis wool/cotton flannel plaid shirt. Feels like fall already.
So one advantage of working a regular mans schedule (9-5? what am I? an office drone? I work 10-6 thank you very much). Is I get to dress to go out. I’m finally embracing my collection of black shoes. These sing monks (tm) are actually Wolverines (Weapon X style!) which is an advantage of thrifting. You turn up stuff that you never even knew existed.
Either way. I’ma get my weekend on.
