Casual glen plaid

While tradition (and many others) says you probably shouldn't wear a tie without a suit, blazer, or sport coat, I'll admit that it's one of the rules I break sometimes. I've written before about mixing more casual shirts (and a tie) with more sporty jackets, and I'll probably do it again at some point in the future. There are days where I require at least a thin extra layer in the morning and after work, but barely leave the office during the day, and sometimes I find myself with this combination.

I fell into this look recently, during a week when work was a grind and the temperature was just a pinch below the heat oven it's been for months. It made even more sense given my bicycle commute.

It is summer, and a cherry red linen tie popped over a brightly-colored striped shirt. Showing a complete disregard for eyeballs everywhere was the lightly-colored glen plaid jacket over the top.

The jacket itself is a vintage (I'm guessing 60s or so from the tag) piece that I picked up years ago, and despite being lightweight, it's held up incredibly well (the talon metal zipper alone is massive and feels indestructible). It's not really a windbreaker and it's certainly not waterproof, but sometimes it's the perfect jacket for layering, tradition be damned.

Weekend WTF: Vintage pajamas

Although I would certainly never be accused of being a peacock about 99% of the time, I'll admit to having a fair share of kitsch hanging around in my closet and storage areas. Sometimes, you see an item and despite not being sure when you'll wear it, you buy it anyway and hope for the best.

My wife ran across such an item just last week (during a local dollar-day thrift blowout), a rather hilarious vintage (likely 50s or so) men's pajamas top with a really great print


100% cotton and sanforized, this particular top has probably been washed dozens of times and is soft as the softest flannel sheet. A person crazier than myself might try wearing it outside the house just to cause a stir, but I'm guessing it will be little more than a really comfortable shell for my nighttime wind-down as it begins to cool in the approach to fall.


Here's a detail of the great print, including the dapper couple "You-Me," which unfortunately doesn't depict the correct hair color for my wife. Oh well, it's not like I'm going to wear it in public anyway.

Can't explain it

There are a few items of clothing in my wardrobe that I have a somewhat hard time explaining why I like so much. They either have somewhat dubious and/or dated styling, and yet I keep them around and break them out on various occasions.


This oxblood leather jacket is one of those items. The styling is very 80s (see detail picture below), with zippers on the chest and a slim cut that makes it looks like something out of The Warriors crossed with a jacket that a backup dancer in a Michael Jackson video might wear.


That said, I like it. The color is deep and rich and it fits me really well (if a bit tight when I'm wearing a sweater underneath), and really, there's not a lot more to explain than that. On this particular day, I paired it with an older Lands' End knit tie, a Brooks Brothers v-neck sweater, my Pendleton driving cap, some cream corduroys and rather nondescript Florsheims.

Speaking of the aforementioned tie, it was actually a gift from The Cable Knit Collegian, who sent a great selection of them to me awhile back. When I started up Style Share, I certainly didn't expect anything in return, and yet I've gotten several awesome things from those who have participated. I've been incredibly flattered by this gesture from my "internet friends" (as my wife calls them when she sees me opening a package), and I've been working the pieces into my wardrobe recently and will be featuring more of them in the near future.

Considering all the outright dissing and petty bickering that I read on some men's style blogs, the return kindness is one of those damn cool things that proves there are plenty of good guys out there. More to come.

Thinking warm

By some cruel twist of thifting luck, it seems like my best scores lately have all been tailored for warmer weather. As I type this, snow is dumping outside and the temperature for the next three days isn't projected to rise above 0 degrees Fahrenheit (with wind chills dropping to -25 for a good portion of the next 36 hours). Wool will comprise the majority of my wardrobe for awhile and give me a good excuse to break out some of my heaviest sweaters a couple more times.


This particular sweater is one of them, a vintage military number made in England out of 100% wool that's incredibly thick and warm. Paired with my peacoat, it should take the bite out of even the coldest upcoming mornings. If it goes on for too long, I can easily fall back to the uber-thick L.L. Bean Norwegian as well.

Now, if I can just keep my fingers and toes warm.

Speaking of keeping warm, I did manage to find two great wool sweaters recently.


One is a fairly standard 100% wool navy v-neck, and while I normally shy away from logos and emblems, I couldn't pass this one up for a dollar. I haven't played a round in two years, and while I'm years removed from my best scores (at prime, my handicap was 5), I couldn't pass up the kangaroos on the crest of this one.


In terms of bold, blocky colors, you simply can't go wrong with vintage ski sweaters. It's almost impossible to find them in great condition (moth holes are the usual culprits), and this one was no different. It has a tiny hole near the left armpit that I'm going to try to rehabilitate. I'm a sucker for the color combination, and once again it only cost a dollar, so no harm lost if I can't get things to work out.

Thinking about the wind chills tomorrow morning, I almost wish I had kept my beard.

Almost.

Yay or nay? The vintage velveteen jacket

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time at all, you probably know that while I enjoy finding quality traditional clothing items, I also have a bit of a weakness for rather unique pieces as well. This is especially true when they're vintage, as a good portion of the time you simply don't see anything like them being created still today (and if they are, they're by a new designer and priced out of the range of anyone with modest means).

I had just such a find about a week ago. Gliding through the rack at a particularly poorly-lit thrift store, my fingers glanced across some fabric that stood out during the split-second touch. Based on the price ($4) and the tags inside, I knew that it was coming home with my regardless of whether it fit or not, so I paid and left for home without even trying it on.


It may be hard to tell from the picture, but it's a black cotton velveteen jacket. Based on the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America tag inside the pocket, it's from the mid-60s or so, and it's in absolutely mint condition. The best part is that when I tried it on upon arriving home, it fit me nearly perfectly.

So, I have no idea when the occasion will arise to wear such a jacket, but I was incredibly excited to find it. It's one of those pieces that simply doesn't come around that often, and the fact that it fit me made my day.

Sweaters and scruff

I had a nice little block of days off over the past two weeks, and even though I kept fairly busy, I found the time to get out and thrift a little bit. I had a lot of competition (our city is full of pickers, and there were quite a few thrifters in town for the holidays), but I did end up finding a couple gems.

First up was this vintage L.L. Bean sweater. It is now easily the thickest sweater I own, and I haven't even had the occasion to wear it yet.


I knew it was something interesting the moment I saw it, and the tag affirmed it. It's old enough to have the vintage L.L. Bean font, and oddly enough it was made in Norway.


It's not 100% wool, but honestly I don't mind in this case. It makes it less susceptible to moth damage and although it inhibits the breath-ability just a bit, it's going to be layered with enough other garments when I finally do wear it that it won't make much of a difference anyway.

I also found a beautiful 100% wool sweater vest (knitted in England) and a short-sleeve (!?) 100% lambswool v-neck sweater that I'm guessing one would just wear like a sweater-vest. Some cool accessory finds (including a couple sweet ties) will be coming in another post.

It's certainly not very stylish, but I also bought this...


Frankly, I'm not a huge fan of Las Vegas as a city (it's just not my thing), but I buy vintage ringer t-shirts like this once in awhile to wear in the yard and/or around the house. It's one of those shirts that feels like it's been washed about 150 times and is soft and thin and incredibly comfortable. To each their own, I guess.


Almost three weeks since my last wardrobe post, and almost as long since I've shaved. Trying to decide whether I should chop down the ever-thickening beard or not...

I haven't had any returns from the first two months yet, but I'll unveil the items for this months Style Share on Thursday evening (Jan. 6th). Some good stuff again, so swing back and stake your claim.

Rediscovering a classic

The temperature has dropped pretty drastically here lately, with overnight temps settling down in the single digits (Fahrenheit). Days have crept up into the 20s and even the low 30s, which means that it's time for serious business when dressing for the day. In past years, my go-to coat was a leather shearling coat that still sees some appearances on cold days, but the other evening I remembered that I'd acquired a vintage pea coat (complete with a name stamped in the lining) late last spring and had been stashing it for major thermometer drops.


The coat is incredibly heavy, and I've found that it's so warm that I only need to button the middle two buttons during the morning temps, while I drop down to one in the later part of the day (pictured).

With my usual layering, I imagine that the coat would easily suffice for sub-zero temperatures (buttoned up to the neck), as it blocks wind like no other and heats up the body quickly with a bit of walking.

I can't believe I never owned one of these before. It's definitely become an instant staple.

Riddle me this: How can a suit be so ugly and so cool?

One of the reasons I don't post many pictures and links to a lot of new fashion pieces on this blog is because they're things that are simply out of my price range. I've never paid $100 for a pair of pants, and I've never dropped $300 (or even half that) on a pair of shoes, and really I can't imagine doing so in the future. I limit my budget and love the thrill of the bargain hunt, and this small corner of the internet tries to reflect such.

Having said that, if I were rich and a little bit more eccentric and had a place to store it properly, I would probably be tempted to bid on this auction, which is for Frank Gorshin's Riddler Costume from the First Episode of the original Batman television series from the late 60s.

Holy insane lining Batman!

It's one of the more hideous / beautiful / insane / eyeball-popping suits I've ever seen, and yet there's something about it. Oh yeah, and I know I mentioned it before, but look at that damn lining!

Scavenging the scavenged

This past weekend, I saw that there was an estate sale going on at a house in a nice area of my city, but put off going as it was on the opposite side of town from me and none of the clothing sizes listed seemed like they would fit.

Through sheer luck, I happened to be in that same area on the second day of the sale (when everything was 50-75% off), and decided to swing in just for the heck of it. I was immediately bummed that I hadn't gone a day early.

First up, I found not only 6 great belts, but a nice little wooden and brass hanger to hold them (and others which have been hanging over doorknobs in my bedroom).



When I got home, I realized that the two on the right were too small for me, but I think they'll fit a friend of mine (holla skoolbus39!).

At any rate, I also found the eternal accessories, which fit regardless of clothing size; Yes, that's right, I bought more ties.

First up is a couple nice repp ties. Both vintage and 100% silk.

This one in particular caught my eye due to the bad-ass tag. Royal Irish 4th Dragoon Guards? Damn!

Obviously, they weren't out wearing silk neckties on the battlefield, but the color scheme is based on their uniforms. Like I said above, pretty cool.



At any rate, I also found the two following knit ties. The burnt orange one is 100% wool and the chunky maroon knit is 55% mohair and 45% wool. I can always use more of these.



Total spent at the sale was $6, with some pangs of sadness that I hadn't hit it a day earlier. If I had been a shorter fellow, I could have made out like even more of a bandit, as there were still loads of Sero oxfords, wool sweaters, and other interesting items for $1 - $2 each. Crazy times.

After hitting the sale, I came up with an idea for a feature that I'll plan on launching sometime later this week on this site. It's going to be a bit more community-based and I think it will be pretty fun. Stay tuned. You'll want to.

Yay or nay? The Hickey.

A wise man probably would have thought twice in starting a style blog, knowing full well that they are often incredibly self-conscious. I am not a wise man, though.

Despite not posting regularly, I have been scooping up some interesting things over the past couple weeks, and I might as well lay out a few of them, including this amazing/atrocious vintage Hickey Freeman jacket.



Did I mention that it's insane?



Sized at 40 Long, this jacket is by default a, "nay" for me (I wear a 42XL or 44XL, depending on the cuts), but I bought it anyway due to the cheap price ($3.50) and the good name of Hickey Freeman. I'm guessing it's 60s or so from the tag. It's definitely 100% wool and doesn't have even a slight nibble of damage, so I'll have to find a good home for it at some point. The pattern-matching is impeccable and the tailoring is fabulous, as one would expect.

Speaking of homes, this is the sort of jacket that certainly would take a certain... je ne sais quoi to pull off. Or perhaps just a bit more swagger than I have right now. In all honesty, though, it's not too far off from some of the louder Huntsman Tweeds that I've seen crop up in the series of posts on Permanent Style.

Be honest. Would you wear it?

Yay or nay? The Trenker.

Sometimes I see a unique item of clothing at a thrift store, and before I've even really thought about what I'm going to wear it with (or what my wife will think of it), I'm out the door with purchase in hand.

I suppose that's the best way to describe the purchase of this hat, which I got earlier this summer on a whim for $3.



It's a vintage, 100% wool Bavarian-style hat (which I've seen referred to as a "Trenker hat," after the film star Luis Trenker) and I think it will look pretty okay if I team it up with the right combination this fall or winter. Maybe with something like this?

My wife, however, thinks that it looks far too Sound Of Music and is giving more than subtle nudges that I should re-donate it before it even makes one appearance on my head outside our house.

Who's right on this one?

Tie bonanza (part 2)!

It was just a couple months ago when I ran across one of my best tie scores ever. That day, I took home over 14 ties at $2 apiece and was beaming at how many new options I had.

In the midst of an insanely hot and busy summer (the main reason I haven't been posting too often), I recently ran across a huge score of ties that puts the aforementioned haul to shame.

Honestly, I have a hard time even knowing where to start, but I will just say right off the bat that in one fell swoop I purchased 42 ties. The insane part of it all was that they were a mere 10 cents each...

I guess I should start.

First up is a beautiful red, white, and blue silk number from Italy. The bottom is a bit frayed, but I don't care. It's awesome.

Bright red vintage 100% wool tartan. I needed one of these.

A huge, square-end linen tie in check pattern.

Dark blue textured 100% silk tie. Still has the original $5 price tag on it.

Vintage Abercrombie & Fitch tie, back from when they were still awesome. Has VL&A initials on tag, which stands for Von Lengerke & Antoine. According to my resources, that should date it to approximately 1958-1962.

And really, the above ties are just the beginning. There were also a handful of Brooks Brothers, several Hermes, and a couple Gucci ties, all from the early to mid 80s or so. The rest were all from the late 50s - early 70s or so, and at this point my tie storage area is completely overflowing.

More and different posts to come soon, I promise.

Swing Your Partner, Do Si Do

Last week sometime, my wife and I saw a listing for an estate sale that looked absolutely fascinating, largely for its kitsch value. In a rather ritzy part of town, there was a late 80s house absolutely packed full of stuff, including 6 walk-in closets full of mens and womens clothes, over 400 pairs of swing-dance outfits, and all the crazy out-dated artwork and home furnishings that a person could shake a stick at.


The entire house interior seemed to be either teal, pink, or cream, with gold accents everywhere. It was like being stuck in a time capsule of a particular era, and while it definitely wasn't anything even close to the styles that I like, it was certainly a site to behold. My wife's friend described it best when she said, "It's like Golden Girls on steroids."

The main thing that got me out of bed on a Saturday and to the sale, though, was that I saw that the ad listed size 13 shoes for men. Because I have a heck of a time finding interesting shoes, I figured it would be worth a trip to check things out, and fortunately I was right.

First up was a pair of nearly unworn Sebago docksides. Burgundy colored and very comfy. I'd been looking for a pair of boat shoes, and here they be.


Next up is a pair of chocolate brown vintage Florsheim Imperial loafers. The leather is a bit dry, but I'm going to hit them up with some conditioner and cream polish and I think they'll be ready to rock.


Another pair of vintage Florsheim Imperial loafers, this time in light gray! This is another pair that's going to need a bit of love (mainly looks like the wrong color polish was used in a couple spots at one point) to get back to absolutely sharp level, but for what I paid (see below), it was worth the chance.


Last up is yet another pair of vintage Florsheim Imperials. Light brown ankle-boots with a thin strap to close. I'm honestly not sure if it's thick enough to be considered a monk strap, but they're pretty neat regardless. Like the other pair of brown loafers above, the leather is going to need just a bit of conditioning and polish to really get to a sharp level, but it'll be a fun project.


Luckily for me, the total cost of all four pairs was only $8 ($2 a pair)! Despite some of them needing a bit of TLC, it has to qualify as one of my best scores of the summer.

The actual clothing that the gentlemen owned was either too big in girth or two short in length for me, and much of it was poly blends or off-the-charts in cheese factors that I couldn't bring myself to buy it. I didn't walk out with just the shoes, though.

I also found this record:


Amongst all the Lawrence Welk and loads of polka records was this absolutely crazy, "rated X" LP by Kapela S Pelka (aka "Band From Hell"). It's raucous, don't-give-a-shit sleazy orchestral polka from Czechoslovakia that's actually pretty fun.

Not a bad haul for less than $10 including tax.

Vintage ties: The skinnies

In what will probably be my last vintage tie post (see also: square ends, hand-painted, geometric and space age, and novelty prints) for awhile, I'm going to break out my favorite skinny ties. I've noticed this style in particular coming back into the forefront lately, largely I'm sure due to the success of Mad Men, but I've had a thing going for these ties for many moons before that show was a thought (and to be honest, I've still never seen an episode).

Without any further fanfare, I present the ties!

This silk number is embroidered in several different colors (well, pink and white anyway) with undetermined shapes that are eye-catching without being gaudy.

This understated black silk number is art deco all the way. 4 simple boxes filled in with white, this one reminds me of Frank Lloyd Wright for some reason.

Simple black silk with an embroidered triple line racing strip down the middle and a nice starburst near the point in white and orange. Fall, all the way

Technically, this one could have landed in my aforementioned collection of hand-painted numbers, but the tiny additions to this red diagonal print are so subtle they're almost not there. Very nice.

Army green silk tie with a black box damask fade. Totally killer.

I've noticed that a good portion of my older sharkskin and/or silk ties have at the very least some sort of minor embroidery on them. This one is no different, with a ivy and lantern (?) pattern that wobbles its way up the middle.

Another art deco style motif, this one is subtle and nice as well, with shades of gray and hints of light mint green that keeps it from being too somber.

Not sure that this is my favorite, but it's among them. A dark blue silk number with an army green check box damask that not only fades near the point, but has a clean line cut out near the left edge. Kind of a tricky color combination, but it totally cracks when added to the lineup.

Hrm, my next post is already number 50 since starting this thing. Time to start thinking...

I want a minivan

Actually, strike that. I don't actually want a minivan. I want a 1936 Stout Scarab. Somehow, I'd entirely missed the boat on information about this drool-worthy automobile, but was pointed to this older article in the NY Times about it.

Seriously, look at the thing...



It looks like some sort of insane cross between a B 17 Flying Fortress and an Airstream trailer, both of which were in their formative state at the time the Scarab was constructed. Sadly, only 15 of them were ever made, and only 5 of them have survived to this day.

At least there are quite a few photos of them to drool over until some auto company decides they want to bring back the Scarab in an electric-powered version. Get on it, Tesla Motors! I implore you!





Also! A video!

Vintage ties: Geometric and space age

One massive project should be largely on the books next week and things should return a bit more to normal around here for me. To keep some sort of new content going, though, let me present the third in a series of posts that feature some of my more interesting vintage ties (click here for hand-painted or here for the novelty numbers).

I haven't counted my tie collection lately, but I do know that it's almost completely out of control. I have a small rack with arms to hold 36 ties, and there are a minimum of 3 times on each arm, with more draped across the top and some rolled up on my dresser. It's madness, and I need to figure out some better storage, although color-scanning everything in one glance is still fairly easy.

At any rate, this is a group (and again, there are many more in this grouping, these are just my particular favorites) of geometric and / or space age inspired designs. At this point, it probably goes without saying that these were all thrift store or garage sale finds and the most that was paid for any individual tie was $4 (with most clocking it at $2 or less).

Although this one has a swirl damask, dark red and navy cubist shapes rule the day.

If I had to guess where my love of the blue/brown color pairing came from, it would probably trace back to azure spring skies and plowed fields ready for being planted. This tie brings them both together and looks great with a blue and white striped oxford and any number of configurations that go with it.

Flesh-colored ties are a hard egg to crack in terms of working them into a wardrobe and this is no different. Still, I can't deny my love for the design.

Bright red offset with some some blue and white swirls that flare with ribbon ends. Another odd combination in the design, but this one works with so many outfits.

I lovingly refer to this one as my, "Old-school blackjack dealer tie" and I think the title fits. Crisp red and black diamonds in a larger diamond pattern with a dark green tip and diamond damask. Worn with caution.

This would probably be a fairly conservative tie without the two blue swoops, but they're also what give it a real dynamic feel. Another tie that goes with a lot of different combinations, this is one of the ties that led to me starting the collection I have now.

Found at the same time as the previous tie, this Eames-era esque design was sort of an early inspiration and still one of my favorites.

Super simple design that just works and works. The two circles with red just pop and the tie in general is a classic.