Archive for March, 2017

Moc Talk: Sperry Camp Mocs

by oxford cloth button down on March 26, 2017 in Men's Clothing Reviews, shoes, Style with 6 Comments

Like many of you I have been scanning my closet to find any holes (and not moth holes this week!) in my warm weather wardrobe. Overall my closet is in good shape, but my shoe line up could use some help. My Sperry Topsiders are falling apart and my L.L. Bean Signature mocs don’t fit me sans socks the way that I had hoped.
Sperry Camp MocsDuring this exercise I found a pair of Sperry’s Gold Cup Authentic Original 1-Eye Boat Shoe online. While they call it a boat shoe us Trad’s would call it a camp moc. What I liked about this shoe is that I knew that Sperry shoes fit me well sock-less, it featured premium leather, and I snagged a pair for under $100. They retail for $159.95.

There are things that I don’t love about the shoe. The shape of Sperry’s camp moc is a little off. The tongue is a little wider and the toe box looks a little elongated. Basically they look like a boat shoe/camp moc hybrid, but lean more towards the moc side. They also feature more branding than I care for which is none, but from afar it is not noticeable. I can live with both of these things since the fits is so good.

I will have more to report as I wear them in over the spring and summer, but as of know I think that they were a good buy. The fit is good, they are lightweight which is perfect for going sock-less, and the quality is at least one full step above standard Sperry products. If Bean camp mocs don’t fit you well and Rancourt’s are too rich for your blood these may be worth a look.

Moth Man Cometh

by oxford cloth button down on March 19, 2017 in Lifestyle, Style with 11 Comments

I have been having an eventful few months. A few of my sweaters were attacked by moths, someone hit my parked car, I have been extra busy on the work front, and then my sweaters were again attacked by moths. As you can tell none of the events have been what I would call positive. The worst part is that the sweater problem is still haunting me.

I store my sweaters in two areas. One of these areas is a dresser drawer and the other a cedar chest.  Even though both are stocked with cedar and lavender this is only going to discourage moths not stop them. After doing some research it appears that cedar chest are effective because they are not easy for moths to get into not because they are made of cedar.
Moth HoleThe first attack occurred in my dresser. I discovered a brand new sweater at the very bottom of the pile with a hole. I mention that it was new for two reasons. The first is that moths are attracted to clothing with stains or some dirt from wear. Second, is that only because it was new could I confirm that the moth bites happened in this drawer because all of my sweates travel between the two areas.

So, What did I do? First, I took all of my sweaters to the dry cleaner. This was annoying, but it made me feel confidant that I had taken care of the issue. I also cleaned out the dresser drawer really well. Finally I put all of the sweaters into the cedar chest. Fast forward a week and I discover another moth hole. This time I put all my sweaters in the freezer to kill off the moths, clean out the cedar chest, and Finally I put them in the plastic storage bags.

I share this because I am sure that many of you can relate to this struggle. Moths are terrifying to anyone that has a fair amount of sweaters. They are hard to see which means it is hard to know that they are there until it is too late. What I am trying to do now is move forward and stop worrying about future attacks (which is much easier said than done). I just keep telling myself that I have taken the necessary precautions and the worst case scenario is that I will have to buy some new sweaters 😉

Spring Sacks for Cheap

by oxford cloth button down on March 12, 2017 in Lifestyle, Men's Clothing Reviews, Style with 7 Comments

One thing about 3/2 roll sack sport coats is that they are not cheap. Places like O’Connell’s, J.Press, and (sometimes) Brooks Brothers that stock 3/2 roll sacks have a high barrier to entry with prices average starting around $750. This presents a challenge to the younger generation interested in the style. That’s why I always like to share when I find something that is trad, ivy, & very affordable.
Uniqlo seersucker sackUniqlo 2-button sack

Uniqlo is currently offering a few sack sport coats in their Uniqlo U collection. This includes a khaki (looks brown)  seersucker with a 3/2 roll, swelled edges, and no darts. There is also the even more rare 2-button sack with patch, but not flap pockets (I like the green). Both jackets retail for $79.99 and are currently on sale for $59.99.

Before you get too excited lets talk about the pros and cons. The first con is fit. These jackets are alpha sized so fit is really hit or miss. At least they provide detailed measurements on site. Another pro is that they are cheap enough to beat up, but on the other hand the quality may not hold up to too many beatings. If you are on a budget, but like the trad look or are just a trad looking for a beater jacket these may be worth checking out.

Trad Concessions

by oxford cloth button down on March 5, 2017 in Style with 13 Comments

I often get asked if I make any concessions in my clothing. For example, Would I wear a spread collar shirt? Would I wear chinos with no cuff? Do I always wear a button-down collar? You get the idea. To the disappointment of trad purists world wide I do make concessions.
Trad ConcessionsTo get the ball the rolling I thought that I would name a few concessions that I have recently made. I wore a pair of chinos yesterday (it was Saturday) that were not cuffed and I turned up the hem, I recently purchased a pair of gym shorts with a logo, and I occasionally wear only a t-shirt to the grocery. Now none of these are all that shocking (minus the t-shirt for some of you), but as you can see I am not perfectly trad.

It was a twill sport coat above from PRL that inspired this post. I saw this great looking summer jacket with soft shoulders, three-button (with potential roll), and the icing on the cake for me, patch pockets. Then I saw the darts. This would generally be a deal breaker, but this time it was not. Probably because darts on patterned jackets don’t stand out as much as they do on say a solid navy blazer. In the end I did not purchase the jacket, but it is not because it was not trad enough.

Concessions are tricky. The trick is to know what concessions you will be able to live with and which you will not. This will only come with time and mistakes. Just try to learn from the mistakes. On the other end, this is a reminder that if you like something don’t get caught up in the, “is this Trad?” state of mind. It is okay to like other things. It’s okay new things. It’s okay to change.