All posts in Style

Look What Mercer Just Did

by oxford cloth button down on November 13, 2024 in Style with 5 Comments

Rarely does it feel like I am writing about timely current events, but this time it’s different. This is BIG. Ivy trad legends Mercer & Sons shirtmakers renown for “Distinctive full roll of our unlined 3 7/16″ button down…”, full shirts, and very old school ways of doing business is changing.

Don’t worry they haven’t changed their collar, baggy is better fit, or most of their old school ways. What they have changed is their website. What used to require a phone call or several emails (I believe you could also fax) can now be accomplished online. That’s right they have made the leap to ecommerce.

I feel like a fraud for saying it. Even after having been in the space for 15 years or so I still haven’t tried a Mercer shirt. Even though I’ve always been a big fan (Mercer Says). Now that they have made the purchase process a little easier and little more impulsive that may just change. This is post is a good reminder for us trads stuck in the past that sometimes change can be good. Lastly their shirts aren’t cheap, but first timers can get 1 OCBD for $168.75 instead of $225 (see here).

The Kids Are Alright

by oxford cloth button down on August 15, 2024 in Clothing and History, Style with 4 Comments

This week I wanted to highlight one of my favorite Instagram pages, The Scene In Between. This page checks a lot of boxes for me. It has cool music, cool clothes, and it’s heavy on vibes. It focuses on early and obscure band pics with an emphasis on unknown1960’s garage bands. I almost said that it’s not clothing related, but it’s almost impossible to separate music from fashion and this my kind of music fashion.

Below are a sampling of pics to give you a taste of what Sam Knee is cooking over there. If these glimpses into rock’s past don’t wet your whistle I don’t know what will. I love seeing the ivy look bleed into psychedelic scene, the clean cut all-American boys of the 1950’s morphing into punk rockers right before our very eyes, or even more simply just kids having fun with their friends making music.

Even those post is about clothes it’s not all about clothes. Sometimes it’s nice not to think about clothes. Sometimes, I feel like I gotta get away. And I know if I don’t, I’ll go out of my mind. Better leave it behind with the kids, they’re alright. The kids are alright.

This Shirt Won’t Die & I Love it

by oxford cloth button down on July 26, 2024 in Style with 18 Comments

Every once and a while you stumble upon a piece of clothing that defies all logic and lasts forever. Not only does it refuse to die, but you end up loving it. You also end up wishing that you had bought more, but you could have never known that. No one could have. I have a handful of items that fit the bill. This post is about one of them.

This polo shirt is not supposed to still be here. It was supposed to have been donated or cut into rags at this point, but it has no plans on giving up the ghost anytime soon. It’s not even especially well made. I mean, I grabbed it from Target (Merona brand) on a whim 10 plus years ago. It’s at least 8 years old because I have included a pic of me wearing it in 2016 (first pic below). It was a nice color of navy. Not too dark (I see this all too often) and not too bright. Not only did it have a Goldilocks color it had a Goldilocks fit too. Just the perfect amount to baggy. I don’t recall the price, but I know it was cheap.

I love this polo. I wear it all of the time. I wear it out to lunch, to the pool/beach, for golf, and even on the occasional bike ride which is what I was doing in the yellow baggies pic below. In short, I abuse it. It doesn’t care. It is starting to show a little wear, but it still has some life left in it. There is no moral to this story. It’s just about getting lucky, how some clothing items beat the odds, and appreciating that when it happens. You ever had this happen? I’d love to hear about it.

Summertime & The Living is Ease

by oxford cloth button down on July 19, 2024 in Style with 2 Comments

I recently snagged this Brooksease blazer off of eBay for $50. Even though quality wise Brooksease is probably about the equivalent of Brooksgate without all of the heyday fanfare, I think it was a pretty good deal. This post isn’t really about the blazer though.

Even though this post isn’t specifically about the blazer I will tell you about it. Brooksease was an entry level line. The internet chatter starts about them around 2004 and I know they were still around a little after 2010, but I don’t have a firm grasp on their production dates. While they are mentioned to have less inferior fabrics than the 1818 line with the inclusion of synthetics and stretch. I am not sure if this holds true for them all. Many of them do have a canvassed lapel and to their credit were made in the USA by Southwick.

My Brooksease blazer is classically trad. It has the prized 3/2 roll closure, it’s a dart-less sack cut, and while it doesn’t have a hook vent it does have a center vent. It also has swelled edges which I think are an underrated feature and it has my preferred pocket setup which is a welted breast pocket with lower patch and flap which are accented by nicely opened quarters. The fabric is 100% Lora Piana wool which by touch I am guessing is the 100% Lora Piana pure stretch wool and it was indeed made in the USA by Southwick.

The only problem with my blazer is that it’s about 1 inch too long. While that is certainly better than 1 inch too short especially in today’s post-menswear climate there is a time when this would have driven me crazy. I would have obsessed over it and it most likely would have prevented me from wearing it. Now I’m not saying that my menswear OCD complex has cleared up completely, but currently the length isn’t bothering me one bit. In fact, I think it looks pretty good. It’s summertime and living is easy.

Vintage Poolside Inspo from Slim Aarons

by oxford cloth button down on May 24, 2024 in Historical Fashion, Style with 4 Comments

I thought I’d veer from my trad norm and drop a little vintage inspo for all those headed to the pool like myself this Memorial day weekend from socialite photographer, Slim Aarons. Fire up the grill, break out the madras, and enjoy the long the weekend!