Week Day Prince, Weekend Slob

[Guest]

The quality of weekend wear is generally appalling - scruffy jeans and baggy T shirt - yet these same fellows often dress beautifully to work.

The weekends and casual wear occassions present a real challenge to dressing well.

So what items do you suggest should an elegant weekend wardrobe revolve around for a fellow seeking rehabilitation?

[Guest]

From my post in the thread "Resources in Madrid":

Don’t forget the ‘Teba’. It is a type of jacket which has its origin in Spanish aristocrats hunting wear, and is named after the Count of Teba who popularised it. It is a common garment among elegant men in Madrid, specially in the elder. My grandfather is always wearing one when he is informal. I don’t know of any particular place where it can be purchased, but this is its typical look (colour may vary from grey, tones of blue, and tones of green): http://bp1.blogger.com/_m66y9wgk0JE/RrC ... a+teba.jpg

-Guillermo.

[Guest]

The quality of weekend wear is generally appalling - scruffy jeans and baggy T shirt - yet these same fellows often dress beautifully to work.

Upon closer inspection you may find the weekend slobs are not as Prince-like as you think during the week. Its kind of hard to turn good taste off and on. The man who sees dressing well as a necessity for his career is masquerading five days of the week and generally speaking will not pull it off very well.

If you decide to wear more casual clothes on the weekend, pay particular attention to the quality of the trousers and shoes you wear. A well cut trouser is more comfortable to wear than jeans and a well worn shoe with patina always has allure. A comfortable unpadded coat in tweed or flannel, an overcoat or Barbour coat will always look handsome if the foundation of trousers and shoes are present.

M Alden

PS I agree that the Teba jackets are a good deal of fun as long as they are worn in green or navy blue

[Guest]

I'm not sure whether sportswear enters in the category of casual, but if it is the case that you are interested in it, for tennis (which is my favourite and most practiced sport) I highly recommend Ralph Lauren Tennis, and particularly the one (ironically) typical tennis wear item: the "cricket sweater" or the "cricket vet" (the same item but sleeveless).

A pair of face-matching sunglasses is always good to have, but not the styles sold today. I have a Ray-ban classic model in gold from the 60s which actually belonged to my great grandfather. They look great on me as I have a similar face to his.

Informal (but please, NOT Hawaiian) shirts can look really smart. The majority of short sleeve shirts don't look stylish at all, but some few striped ones can look really good. I also wear odd jackets commonly on weekends.

For outerwear, I like safari jackets (such as http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/2125 ... ari3yx.jpg), leather coats... And having a good selection of scarves, gloves, etc, and of course during the Spanish summer, a panama hat.

My age gives me the opportunity to keep exploding casual wear whiles looking good. And I do so.

Guillermo.

PS: I agree with you, M Alden.

[Guest]

I'd start with some (relatively) well-cut khakis and an oxford cloth buttondown shirt. It's about as classic as you can get and will be dressy enough for most situations.

[Guest]

I'd start with some (relatively) well-cut khakis and an oxford cloth buttondown shirt. It's about as classic as you can get and will be dressy enough for most situations.

[Guest]

I think that Alden is correct in that most men who dress slobbishly on the weekend look bad during the week, even when dressed to the nines. On the other hand, unlike many others here, I can think of no more classic weekend outfit than a pair of nice jeans, a buttondown shirt and a Shetland sweater possibly topped off, or bottomed out, with a pair of suede chukkas or cordovan brogues. I think it is a mistake to see jeans and immediately think slob, you have to look a little closer.

Matt

[Guest]

Jeans present more than a few problems to the man who wants to look elegant on the weekend. They are uncomfortable, tend not to fit and look like the wearer is going to clean his employer's barn.

Chinos, perhaps. But the shetland wearer is better off in cords or moleskins.

[Guest]

Jeans present more than a few problems to the man who wants to look elegant on the weekend. They are uncomfortable, tend not to fit and look like the wearer is going to clean his employer's barn.

Chinos, perhaps. But the shetland wearer is better off in cords or moleskins.

From zero to barnsweep in one post. A record, no?

A good pair of jeans can be worn well by an elegant man, but perhaps not by everybody. After all, the man makes the clothes, doesn't he?

[Guest]

I think it is a mistake to see jeans and immediately think slob, you have to look a little closer.

I agree with Matt about jeans. The biggest problem is that jeans are inevitably made with a painfully low rise. The second problem is jeans on the market today are made of material that is second rate. Even the legendary Levis wear out in a very short period of time. So if some knows of a high rise jean made of good rigid denim (like they used to be made)...

Speaking of barns and work trousers, I recently found a pair that I really like. They are made by Carhartt in the USA.

http://www.theworkwearstore.com/page/TW ... garees/B11

The B11 is a high rise trouser that is comfortable and in the right colors actually look great with a tweed coat. And for $35..or 22 euros they are tough to beat.

M Alden

[Guest]

Michael,

This is what you want. 21 oz rigid denim, relatively full (11") rise. The downside is that they cost like pants. I picked up a pair recently and they are terrific.

http://www.ironheart.co.uk/html/main.htm

Matt

[Guest]

Matt

Those jeans look like the right stuff. In ancient times, Levis 501s were so stiff you had to take them home on the roof rack of your car. That's the way they are supposed to be made.
I wonder how the company is doing selling this heavyweight jean...I would not have thought there is a market?

Cheers

Michael

[Guest]

I think it is a bit of a cult item, but much of what is good nowadays is. There is a shop in San Francisco that basically sells only faithful Japanese reproductions of the original style 501s. They seem to be doing well, but I don't think it is a huge market.

[Guest]

There is a shop in San Francisco that basically sells only faithful Japanese reproductions of the original style 501s.

Could you, please, suggest name and address of the shop?

Andrey
(andreybokhanko)

[Guest]

Andrey,

It is called Self Edge and is on, I believe, 18th and Valencia. The web address is www.selfedge.com .

Matt