The Brooks Brother Stripe Tie

by oxford cloth button down on May 19, 2013 in Lifestyle, Ties with 3 Comments
Brooks Brothers Striped Tie

I am not by any means saying that Brooks Brothers is the originator of any of these stripe patterns, but they have developed the most referenced classification. That classification is the Brooks Brothers (BB) stripe.

BB #1 stripe in action

BB #1 Stripe in action

The BB #1-5 stripe neckties have become staples in the wardrobe of the classically dressed. Many gentlemen if asked what necktie they would choose if they could only wear one tie everyday would default to one of these ties and there is great reason for that. A necktie in classically colored stripes like most other traditional clothing items will never be in or out of fashion, but will always look correct. I thought that we could all stand to revisit these stripes.

BB #1 Striped Tie

BB #1 Stripe

BB #2 Striped Tie

*BB #2 Stripe

*It was not until I started writing this post that I realized the BB #2 stripe is not available in the same set of simple colors as the others.

BB #3 Striped Tie

BB #3 StripeBB #4 Striped Tie

BB #4 StripeBB #5 Striped TieBB #5 Stripe

The Madras Sport Coat

by oxford cloth button down on May 11, 2013 in Men's Clothing Reviews, Style with 2 Comments
Pete Campbell Madras Jacket

As the colors of spring and summer start to pop up around us so will colorful madras clothing. However, madras does not have to be overwhelmingly bight. In fact, it can be found in a lot of subdued color schemes such as earth tones. Some madras items cannot be restrained no matter what the color. One of these items is the madras sport coat.

Pete Campbell Madras Jacket

The madras sport coat is for those who are confident in their style. It is not an easy look to pull off. I doubt that I need to tell you this as I am sure that you have seen countless fails. These attempts are made more often than not by those who have yet to master fit let alone have the prowess that it takes to pull off the madras jacket. If you are brave enough to take the plunge. My advice to you is to keep it simple. See the “how to wear it well” pics below.

Jab Madras jacketFrom Mister MortMadras from TrashnessNot only is it hard to wear madras jackets, but they are also hard to find. Well, the small-medium-large sized variety in patch madras are not hard to find. This isn’t too surprising considering these pieces are usually no more than cheap costume clothing rather than functional clothing. This is exactly the look that you want to avoid. Finding a correctly constructed and sized sport jacket in non-patch madras is a bit more difficult. I did find a few. Brooks Brothers has two nice madras jackets and O’Connell’s has a large selection of vintage bleeding madras jackets available right now. If I were in the market I would head over to O’Connell’s.

O’Connell’s  Clothing Madras Sport Coats $295

O'Connell's Madras Sport Coat

O'Connell's Madras Sport Coat 2

Brooks Brothers Madras Sport Coats $398

Cambridge Fit Three-Button Madras Sack Sport Coat 1

Madison Fit Vintage Madras Sport

Let’s do a quick recap of this post. Madras sport coats are hard to find and even harder to wear. So you may be asking, why wear them at all? It is simple. When done well they look cool (see pictures). They also keep you cool. I myself am not quite ready to attempt a madras jacket yet, but I am getting closer every summer.

Summer Jacket: Uniqlo Premium Linen Jacket

by oxford cloth button down on May 5, 2013 in Men's Clothing Reviews with 7 Comments
Uniqlo Linen Jacket

The weather is finally warming it up and as a result my lack of warm weather jackets is becoming painfully obvious. Due to budgetary restraints I decide that a very casual cotton or linen summer jacket will be the place to begin. The reason I started with the casual Uniqlo Linen Jacket jacket is that they have a soft construction/shoulder by design and even better they are widely produced, which means that I may be able to stray the Brooks Brothers, J.Press, O’Connell’s path and find one on the cheap.

I did stray away from the establishments of Tradsville and ended up far from home at Uniqlo. I was on H&M’s site looking at linen jackets, not seeing much I liked, and through some type of psychological brand association I ended up on the Uniqlo site. After navigating to the blazer section I was immediately attracted to the shape of their jackets. I loved them. They reminded me of the vintage Brooks Brothers sack illustrations that I recently posted. So much so, that I can’t imagine that classic sack jackets weren’t the inspiration for the design of these jackets or at least the shoulders. I was hooked.

 

Uniqlo Sport Coat

Uniqlo Premium Linen Jacket

Spring 1980 Madras

Vintage Brooks Brothers Madras Image

I purchased the Premium Linen jacket in blue mini-herringbone for $69.99. It is darted, with a 3/2 roll, and a very natural shoulder. I ordered a small which to my surprise fits a lot like a 37R. It matches up with the measurements available online, but for some reason I expected it to show up fitting like a 36XS. I take my hat off to Uniqlo for fighting the urge to make small mean xs.

Uniqlo Linen Jacket

Like all off the rack clothing there are going to be a few issues. This jacket needs one, maybe two alterations. The sleeves need to be shortened (cheating in the pic) and the jacket could benefit from some waist suppression. Neither of these issues reflects poorly on the jacket. Unfortunately, it is just a touch long for me which may seal its fate.

0101Seasonal Tie/Jacket combo.

If you are looking for a cheap summer jacket Uniqlo is worth checking out. This jacket has a great sack shape even though it is darted. It does have 3/2 roll, even if there is not much of a roll. To be fair, I have said the same thing about a newer 3/2 roll from Brooks Brothers. I am not an expert on construction or material. If had to take a guess on the quality of this jacket which I would base on price point. I would say that it is pretty mediocre. Nonetheless, this is a well-shaped and well-priced jacket. I am not sure if I will keep or return my jacket due to the length, but I can tell you that I really want to keep it.

*The Premium Linen jacket appears to have very limited availability. However, the linen cotton jacket has a great shape, too, just minus the 3/2 roll. See below.

Uniqlo Navy Linen Cotton Jacket

Uniqlo Linen Cotton jacket in Navy (more colors available)

Tie Collection

by oxford cloth button down on April 28, 2013 in Thrift Stores, Ties with 5 Comments
Featured image

I needed to reorganize my ties. The current tie set-up was a dresser drawer. All the ties were rolled and very organized. However, this made it hard to try on more than one in the morning and I didn’t think that it wasn’t good for the shape of the ties either. I have decided to move them to a tie rack. I got them all out in preparation for the move and was a little surprised how much my little collection had grown.

Ties to be alteredTies to be altered (narrowed, bow tied, etc.)

Two years ago I had fewer than 10 ties. This was not problematic as I rarely had the opportunity to wear one. At some point, I decided that it would be a good idea to stock up on ties and that future me might appreciate that. Two years later and I now have around 50 ties. I have also started to wear a jacket and tie on Tuesday/Thursday. Guess what? Future me appreciate past me’s decision.

Okay, not all of these ties were purchased at a thrift store. 8 were purchased via Etsy and another internet re-seller, 3 were purchased at the Brooks Brothers outlet, and  2 were gifts. The other 80% of the ties were purchased at thrift stores and kept or traded away for others.

Similar TiesNot twins, but maybe brothers or cousins. The tie on the left is Brooks Brothers and the tie on the right Gant.

Thrift stores have proved to be an invaluable resource for acquiring ties cheaply. If I take my time I can usually find at least one tie at every store, which is a great ROI. It does require a lot of patience. You will sort through tons of ties, find one you like, and then find the stain. It is often painful to find that stain. In fact, I have learned not to get too excited until I have done a thorough examination. Which leads me into a short rant:

Why do thrift stores accept flawed ties? I understand that “beggars can’t be choosers,” but who would benefit from a stained tie? The only person that I can imagine who might be interested in a stained tie would be someone who would use it for the material. So, all stained ties, if accepted (and I don’t think that they should be) should be placed in a bin marked as “Flawed Ties.”

Sorry for the rant, but it needed to said. The moral of this story is to be patient and consistent when looking for ties at thrift stores. Eventually you will have a day like this one (Tie Haul). String a few of these together over the course of a few years and you will have a nice collection of ties before you know it. I do want to leave everyone with something to think about. Why aren’t there more striped ties at thrift stores?

Ties are  3” and 3.25” width with less than a handful of 3.5” width ties

Red Striped TiesTie Collection Red Stripes Close-up

Blue Striped ties

Tie Collection Blue Close-upTie Collection Green & Yellow StripesTie Collection Green & Yellow Stripes Close-up

Tie Collection - SkinnyTie Collection - PatternsTie Collection - Pattern Close-upTie Collection Patterns 2Tie Collection Patterns 2 Close-upTie Collection Pines & ConesTie Collection Pines & Cones Close-upTie Collection PaisleyTie Collection Paisley Close-upTie Collection EblematicTie Collection Emblematic Close-upTie Collection KnitTie Collection Knit Close-upTie Collection Bow TiesTie Collection WoolTie Collection Wool Close-up

 

 

 

What Does a Trad Girlfriend look Like?

by oxford cloth button down on April 21, 2013 in Lifestyle with 2 Comments
Trad GF

“What does a Trad girlfriend look like?,” Is one of my favorite threads over at Ask Andy’s Trad Forum and is clearly the inspiration behind this post. So, what does a trad girlfriend look like? She could be the pretty girl in a polo and pearls, the girl in Lily and a headband, or the woman with a wardrobe that closely resembles your own. A trad girlfriend is all of these women.

Clothes are only a small part of what makes a girlfriend trad. She will be your partner in mixed doubles, be at home on land or water, comfortable in the country (at the country club) or the city, and will help you weather life’s storms just like your trusty old Barbour. If you are really lucky she might even make you a needlepoint belt. This post is about appreciating all of the trad ladies out there.

Trad Gf Reading

Vassar Girl Trad GF in Skirt with Horse

Trad GF Field HockeyTrad Girl on a boatTrad gf riding gear

← Older Entries