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.

Weekend WTF: Bowtie flower thingy

Previous entries with the wtf tag have certainly been a little more odd, but in both cases, I at least knew what they were. With this installment, I'm really truly stumped with the actual accessory that I've purchased.

I was at a local thrift store the other day when I spotted what I originally thought was two silk bowties floating in a bin of loose ties. I pulled them out to inspect them a little closer, and this is what I found...


Based on the style of the tag, they're definitely an older Lands' End product. They each have a hook and latch like a ready-tied bowtie, but instead have an almost 2-inch fixed "flower" on the neck where the bow would usually be.


They were 50 cents each, so I couldn't pass them up. Frankly, I'm not even sure that they're a men's accessory, but I figured it was worth a dollar to inspire a blog post and learn a little something in the process.

Certainly one of my readers know what they are. If you do, please let me know in the comments.

Edit: As expected, Yankee Whisky Papa came through with the answer in the comments (a Rosette tie, which is a womens accessory) and even had a suggestion that I'll likely have to follow. Thanks!

Wednesday WTF: Vintage basketball warmup jersey

I've mentioned it before, but sometimes I have a weakness for clothing items that would fall under the "kitsch" category before anything else. The item in this entry certainly does that, but it also falls under the small list of clothing items that I haven't even worn since buying them. In this case, that time frame is over 5 years, and yet I know I won't get rid of it.



There are many, many reasons that I keep it around, most of which might not make sense to someone who has any interest in traditional style. First off, I'm a sports buff (which surprises a lot of people, even after they've known me for awhile); Secondly, the colors on this vintage warmup jersey are still crisp and the team name is "The Crush," for gawds sake. Oh, and if that weren't enough, look at the name on the back...



So yeah, do I really need to explain the "neat" factor any further?

I've reached the point where I admit that I haven't been able to find any information about this particular jersey. I've searched the web over and over, looking through old ABA, pre-ABA, ABL, and other league names and teams and simply can't find anything.

The right breast area has the designation "1961CG," which I'm guessing corresponds to a date and some sort of league, but google delivers nothing. Various combinations of the team name, player name, and date also leave me scratching my head. I'm assuming it's from a very small regional team which dissolved and left hardly any records (none of which made it to the internet), but it still surprises me that I can't find even a small nibble of information.

What I'm left with is a nearly half-century old basketball warm-up jersey that will likely always take up at least one hanger in my closet. It would be a travesty to get rid of it before I found out at least a little about its history. Right?

Oh, and how about a close-up of that team logo?

As a former power forward, I approve

Weekend WTF: When pigs fly

Sometimes I see an item that I simply can't pass up. The attraction is often of sheer kitsch value, but alas, I can't deny the hard-wiring. The following can't be explained any other way.



Hey, I've never tried to deny it. I love my classic styles, I love my modern styles, and yes, sometimes I fall off the deep end.



I haven't eaten pork in 12 years, but damn it, I love this tie.

I'm going to work it into an outfit this spring, and it will rule.