Archive for January, 2016

Are Baseball Caps Trad???

by oxford cloth button down on January 31, 2016 in Lifestyle, Style with 19 Comments

The title of this post is certainly going to resonate with Trad forumites as this is one of the quintessential ways that one uses to step into unknown territory. Luckily, for the sake of this blog I ask the question in jest as I already know the answer. Yes, baseball caps are trad, but like any article of trad clothing it is all about the where and the when.

Brooks Brothers Tartan Baseball Hat

I recently picked up a new baseball cap which caught the colleague that I was with by surprise. They told me that they did not think that I wore ball caps. This did not shock me, because my work appearance is not one that you would especially associate with baseball hats. However, I assured my coworker that I do occasionally sport a cap.

LL Bean Baseball HatBall caps are a handy item to have around. I throw my hat on if I have to run really early or late errands, or when I am just looking scruffy, but there are lots of other times when wearing a ball cap is trad sanctioned. This includes ball games, golf, hiking, boating, yard work, fishing, or anytime that you find yourself outside without sun, wind, or rain protection, even in your work clothes.

What kind of baseball caps are acceptable you ask? Well, there are no hard and fast rules accept that you like it. This could be your favorite team, a club that you belong to, a plain cap, one with a needlepoint embroidery, or even a tartan patterned cap that would be perfect for fall chores, and even though I made a big stink about wearing clothes with logos a baseball cap is one logo’d item that doesn’t get me bent out of shape.

I hope that this post has provided a little relief to any of my ball cap sporting readers. Know that you are not alone. If you are in need of a baseball hat both Ideal Cap Co. and Ebbets are great places to start. Just remember to take off your cap when indoors!

Measurements of Brooks Brothers OCBDs over the Years

by oxford cloth button down on January 23, 2016 in Clothing and History, Men's Clothing Reviews with 10 Comments

Ivy Style enthusiast Farrago has put together a great post over at Talk Ivy providing measurements of Brooks Brothers OCBDs ranging from the 1960s up to the recently updated 2016 OCBD. These are the types of posts that keep forums going. He was kind enough to allow me to repost this great information over here.

As promised, I got around to combing through the museum. I took measurements on the collars, chest, and length (back and front). I weighed the shirts as well. Apologies for my usual poor photos.

1960’s Brooks Brothers White OCBD

No pocket. Purple label without care instructions. 6 button front . Gussets on the sides. Note the collar length of this shirt.
Collar: 3 ”
Weight: 10.51 oz.
Chest: 24 1/4″
Front: 30 ”
Back: 32 ”

1970’s Brooks Brothers Yellow OCBD

Pocket. Red label without care instructions. 6 button front.
Collar: 3 7/16″
Weight: 12.28 oz.
Chest: 25 1/4″
Front: 28 1/4 ”
Back: 31 1/2 ”

Late 1980’s Brooks Brothers Blue Blazer Stripe OCBD

7 button front.
Collar: 3 3/8″
Weight: 11.96 oz.
Chest: 25 ”
Front: 30 1/2 ”
Back: 31 1/2 ”

Early 1990’s Brooks Brothers Yellow w/ Blue Track Stripe OCBD

7 button front.
Collar: 3 1/4″
Weight: 11.22 oz.
Chest: 24 3/4 ”
Front: 28 3/4 ”
Back: 30 ”

Mid 1990’s Brooks Brothers Ecru OCBD

7 button front.
Collar: 3 3/8″
Weight: 12.10 oz.
Chest: 24 1/4 ”
Front: 28 1/4 ”
Back: 30 1/2 ”

2008 Brooks Brothers Pink OCBD

7 button front. Lined. Note the weight.
Collar: 3 3/8″
Weight: 13.76 oz.
Chest: 24 1/2 ”
Front: 29 1/2 ”
Back: 31 1/4 ”

2016 Brooks Brothers Helio Stripe OCBD

7 button front. Gussets. No pocket. The Madison cut is the nearest to the now discontinued Traditional cut.
Collar: 3 7/16″
Weight: 12.14 oz.
Chest: 23 1/2 ”
Front: 28 ”
Back: 30 1/4 “

Four-in-hand knot with a Dimple Every Time

by oxford cloth button down on January 17, 2016 in Style, Ties with 8 Comments

I have had quite a few requests for me to demonstrate how I knot my tie. Well this week I relented. I took a video as I got ready for work last week. There are two things that I want to note about this video. The first is that I exaggerated the way in which I ensure a dimple in my tie during the recording, I do this by pinching the tie between my thumb and middle finger while using my index finger to shape the dimple. This second is something that I only learned after watching the video myself which is my four-in-hand knot form could use some work.

The Sweater Showdown: J.Press Shaggy Dog vs. Polo Brushed Sweater

by oxford cloth button down on January 10, 2016 in Men's Clothing Reviews, Style with 16 Comments

The title says it all, but I will provide a little background. Even though I had just recently purchased a Shaggy Dog sweater from J.Press I added another brushed sweater to my closet. This sweater is a brushed Shetland/Lambswool/Cashmere blend from Polo Ralph Lauren. These sweaters are both currently available so I thought that a review would be useful for those with a brushed sweater on their want list.

J.Press Shaggy Dog Pros & Cons
Pros

Impressive Brushed Quality
Warm
Well Made

Cons

Thick
Expensive
Maybe Too Warm

Polo Ralph Lauren Brushed Sweater Pros & Cons

Pros

Soft
Nice Brushed Quality
Well Made

Cons

Thin
Delicate
Expensive

As you can see from the Pros/Cons list above each sweater has its own advantages. The Shaggy Dog is iconic, incredibly warm, and has a thick brushed appearance. On the flip side, it may be too warm to wear in most indoor scenarios (luckily, my office is often freezing.) and the thick texture may make one feel like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. It is about 2-3 x as thick as the PRL sweater (You can see the height difference in the top picture.)

The PRL sweater is beautiful looking sweater with a very soft hand, but at first I thought that it might be too delicate for my style. It is also a little thin for what I expect from a brushed sweater. However, the brushed appearance gives the garment just enough texture for me to get over the delicate debate.

Both sweaters are priced pretty high at $265, but they are also both on sale at this time. The Shaggy dog is currently $183.65(see here) and the PRL sweater is $149.99 (see here). They also both have a place in my closet. If you are looking for more brushed options Derek from Put This On put a nice list together (check it out here).

Pink, Grey, & Patterns: A Look in Review

by oxford cloth button down on January 3, 2016 in Men's Clothing Reviews, Style, Ties with 11 Comments

I rarely post a what I wear on a regular basis unlike I do on my Instagram account (see here), but as I have said before one of the best ways to learn is by watching others. I people watch in real life and on the internet where I have found style mentors such as Billax (Wearing the Ivy League Look Since 1958). All of this watching has helped me learn how to put together a good looking rig (at least, every now and then). In fact, a rig that I wore the other week garnered so much positive feedback (both online & IRL) that I thought it was worth sharing.
There are a few reasons why I think that this outfit was a hit. One, is that I did not grab my typical striped tie, but instead reached for a beautiful medallion tie from Gant. Two, the tie is pink. This is not a color that I wear very often. Especially when it comes to ties. Third, the grey tweed sport coat besides having all the Ivy details has lines of blue and green running through it that work well with the tie. The final reason is that it all just works really well together.

Archive for January, 2016

Are Baseball Caps Trad???