Turning Corners

[manton]

This thread got me thinking:

http://thelondonlounge.net/gl/forum/vie ... php?t=7731

Toward the end there, the discussion turned to how to pack, and what is the most versatile shoe. Uppercase thinks a high quality slip-on may be the perfect travel shoe, wearable even with suits. I can't go that far. But I felt none of the old revulsion, just a vestigial sense that this is ... not done! For the first time, ever, I could imagine one day wearing a nice loafer with a suit -- a casual suit, but still.

It got me thinking. Is there any garment or practice that you once despised or foreswore for any reason, that you have since come around on? And if so, why? What led you there?

One example: I used to hate square end knit ties. Just hate them. Very recently, I turned. I'm not sure how it happened. I think it started with this pic on SF:



Then I saw some knit ties in a store; I had not gone in to buy anything, just to browse. One was a lovely, unique color I call Sea Foam. I bought it on the spot.



Since then, I have bought two more knits, and wear them every chance I get.

Strange.

One more example. I have always despised bluchers with a suit (except monks, not sure why the exception, but there we are.

This picture began to change my mind:



I saw it many times, over many years, before it had any effect on me. Then about two years ago, suddently it started to creep into my head. I still didn't change my habits, but I started thinking about it.

About a year after that, I saw Mariano Rubinacci in London wearing a very sleek sharkskin suit, with tan scotch grained double-soled longwings. I was shocked to find that I thought it looked great.

But it still took another year before I actually did it myself:





Anyone have similar stories?

[James1988]

Is the herringbone tweed jacket part of a suit?
Its beautiful!!

[storeynicholas]

Tricker's have a royal warrant as 'shoe manufacturers' to the PoW (Lobb's holding the 'bootmakers' warrant - and Henry Maxwell not holding any current licence) and he has long worn Tricker's loafers with a suit. Although I don't recall any in light tan with a dark suit.
NJS

[uppercase]

I've got to think about this matter a bit before responding but I've got to say now that your knit ties are fabulous!

But the herringbone outfit is sublime.

Suits you very well, I can imagine that you feel very comfortable and I think that the 'look' works so well as it may bring you back to your roots.

This is why I think that wearing odd coats make for the possibility of an altogether elevated level of dress and creativity vs. suits.

[luk-cha]

i think for me the biggest turning point would be move from a jeans and t-shirt based wordrobe with sneakers to a more trousers, shirt and sports coat (weather permitting).

i guess this come to a point when your reach 30 and you realize that one can not keep dressing like you did in you 20's.

perhaps these turning points are signs of maturing.

tastes changing i think the hardest point is how to keep something classic, but both make it modern and timeless and to make it your own - organic

this is why a place like LL are really invaluble in developing a "well edited wordrobe"

[alden]

I would approach this from a slightly different angle. I very much like Raglan sleeve overcoats. But it was not always the case. Most raglans available RTW come in Austrian loden cloth in green or blue. You basically have your choice.

Many bespoke tailors shy away from the raglan coat because they have so little call to make it or because it is a difficult coat to get right. So for years I was left with green loden till I became a bit bored. Last year I found a tailor so passionate about the subject, that I decided to give it a go, a cheviot tweed raglan was to be made. The result is pleasing and a few more are presently in the works. So, a garment I knew would look fine in a heavy tweed, took shape and life when a great tailor said “yes.” That “yes” banished the Raglan boredom.



My second story revolves around the patch pocket and DBs. For years I never had the courage to give it a go. Finally an event on the LL stimulated me to give it a try. Etutee posted a few AA illustrations that showed the combination.





I am sure there are other turn around stories and will give it some thought.

Cheers

M Alden

[smoothjazzone]

Manton:

The most versatile business travel shoe I own is a round-toe black elastic sided shoe -- great with just about everything and easy to remove and put on at airports.

Knitted ties are great and go with just about everything -- Rubinacci carries some very nice examples. Each shop seams to have a a different weave and finish and some work better than others with business suits.

Back to your original question -- until a few years ago, I never wore brace trousers as I did not (and still do not) like walking around wearing braces with no jacket. However, after I had one brace trouser made -- I have never looked back and had every single trouser made with braces (they are both more comfortable and an industrial necessity ). What it means in practice is that when at work I do not take my jacket off in the summer (which really isn't a big issue as most buildings are air-conditioned) and in the winter I only take my jacket off when I am wearing a vest.

[manton]

Manton:

The most versatile business travel shoe I own is a round-toe black elastic sided shoe -- great with just about everything and easy to remove and put on at airports.

I've never been a fan of elastic sided shoes, but I've tried them either. However, to me they definitely are "suit appropriate" so I would have no problem on that front.

Knitted ties are great and go with just about everything -- Rubinacci carries some very nice examples.

Just picked up two -- 40 pounds each!


Knitted ties are great and go with just about everything -- Rubinacci carries some very nice examples. Each shop seams to have a a different weave and finish and some work better than others with business suits.

Back to your original question -- until a few years ago, I never wore brace trousers as I did not (and still do not) like walking around wearing braces with no jacket. However, after I had one brace trouser made -- I have never looked back and had every single trouser made with braces (they are both more comfortable and an industrial necessity ). What it means in practice is that when at work I do not take my jacket off in the summer (which really isn't a big issue as most buildings are air-conditioned) and in the winter I only take my jacket off when I am wearing a vest.

Funny, I have been moving in the other direction. It started with odd trousers -- belts only. Then summer suits. And now spring suits. Soon it will be any non-vested suit.

[Matt Deckard]

A very nice jacket... and it being a linen I think the patch pockets go hand in hand with the look, I tend to think of wrinkle able summer wear as clothes which can really take added features.



I used to stay away from linen jackets and suits because the summer suits I had seen on men today tended to be very structured though very wrinkled, lots of Gatsby styled businessmen that put lots of flash on their sedate summer suiting. It wasn't till I started studying that old imperialist look the English sported that I began to like dressing for summer, and that entailed unstructured suits with that never need a bright tie or to be pressed.

[RWS]

What I can see of the coat looks very nice, very appealling, Matt. Might you be able to post a photo' or two showing the entire suit?

[Matt Deckard]

I would have to go put it on... But i'll hunt around in my files to see if I have a better pic available before I do that.

[HappyStroller]

Sir, originally, I could not fathom why you seemed to have a thing for linen over cotton or even silk when it came to handkerchiefs as I gather from that wonderful book The Suit.

Still, I bothered to have some linen ones made. They were either 17" or 27" squares. The larger ones proved too large to be used as pocket squares in the chest pockets of jackets. I finally found a useful purpose for them. They could be spread out to hold the leftovers after snacks or nuts were eaten.

But the best role for linen hankerchiefs was discovered accidently. When my spectacles became fouled, I found one swipe with a linen handkerchief did the job which previously several wipes with a cotton cloth failed to. The linens were even better than those micro-fibre cloths which tend to leave fibres on the glasses.

[uppercase]

"Those move easiest who have learned to dance."

Blue jeans.

Nothing like loosening up the hips than a pair of jeans.

Takes out the stiffness and starch from our bespoke clothes and bespoke demeanour.

Dress up with your bespoke gear.

Sprezzatura for the 21st century.

[storeynicholas]

uppercase - I'll happily take your word for it ...... but maybe It also all depends on whether your inheritance has been an arthritic hip....
NJS

[couch]

Uppercase: no argument here. But alas I can't claim it as a corner turned. My standard Texas high-school wear back in 1970 was Clark's desert boots, evenly broken-in STF 501s, and charcoal herringbone or vaguely camel-colored Harris tweed odd jackets, with a pressed Gitman Bros. blue bengal-striped shirt. The Levi's were probably the best-fitting garment of the ensemble, but now with a bespoke suit vest and jacket I find that 501s still substitute well, on the right occasions, for the casual odd trousers that Etutee's summer AA illustrations sometimes show in a 3-piece mix.