Dressed for the road...

"The brute covers himself, the rich man and the fop adorn themselves, the elegant man dresses!"

-Honore de Balzac

exigent
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Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:23 am

I am a warrior of the Apocalypse, an old soldier who is reaching the end of the road, after a long and taxing career. Tired and physically diminished, my final contract now at an end, the time has come for me to withdraw from active service. My wife and I are moving to Cloud Cuckoo Land, a small town in the high desert....

My traveling kit:

Shoes and boots: Edward Green double-sole Dovers sized for thick cashmere socks with smooth hand-linked toes; Gokey 9-ounce snake-proof fully lined custom 12-inch lace-ups
Trousers: Heavy French corduroys; 16-ounce whipcords; 19-ounce donegals
Shirts: Royal Oxford moderate English spread collars with 3-inch points and flowback cuffs
Neckties: Black Face Ram Scottish woolen solids in assorted colours
Jackets: 19-ounce Donegal single-breasted three-button-front riding jacket; 12-ounce three-button front odd jacket made from cloth woven in the Scottish Borders
Overcoat: 25-ounce Shetland tweed double-breasted polo coat
Scarf: Bright red and black geometric print heavyweight Fuji silk from Charvet (14"X72")
Hat: Hunter-coloured 2.5-inch-brim Borsalino fur felt trilby
Gloves: Creamy tan/yellow hand-sewn deerskins with brown contrast stitching
Stick: 37-inch Scottish-made Ginestra crook-handle with bulb nose and four-inch custom-machined stainless steel tip (Asprey 1988)
Umbrella: Brigg solid hickory with sterling collar

What are your favourite traveling clothes?
rjman
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Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:44 am

Sigh... Air travel itself is becoming a form of torture, secret prisons be damned...

Puma Platinum Velocettes, which are slip-on light leather sneaker which are very comfortable and easy in going through airport security (for similar reasons I am turning to elasticated shoes for business wear).

BCBG stretchy cotton trousers.

John Smedley knits, usually Sea Island cotton.

Please don't ban me.
Incroyable
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Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:56 am

Air travel is vile. With their ridiculous limitations on luggage, intolerable amounts of security and generally unpleasant aeroplanes.

"I hate air travel. Not because I’m afraid of flying. But there are no porters. I used to travel with 20 suitcases. You need books, and I always brought clothes for hot weather and cold weather. What can you bring now? A little canvas thing.”

Paul Bowles
BirdofSydney
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Mon Dec 12, 2005 9:57 am

I fly in a suit. It's one less that I have to have in my luggage. And, you always get your coffee/newspaper/broad smile from charming young lady before your plebeian travelling mates...
kolecho
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Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:20 am

Two suits, two pairs of dress shoes, 5 sets of shirts, ties, socks etc. Add running shoes if trip is longer than 5 days (quite often). Add topcoat/carcoat, scarf, gloves, a jumper when weather is cold.
TVD
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Mon Dec 12, 2005 10:23 am

Nice young ladies were all but eradicated by European airlines in their latest round of cost cutting.

Yes, I agree with you, wearing one suit (second pair of trousers inside the hand luggage) is one of the best ways to avoid burdening oneself with insurmountable amounts of luggage. However, air travel requires sturdy cloth and construction!

An ex-guards friend of mine told the following story recently:

A whole group was travelling from London to Jersey coming from a wedding. They were all in morning dress. There was the usual mayhem in front of the security gates with horrendous queues. Demonstrating the presence of mind and leadership skills for which the guards are famous, one of the group called out "Make way for his excellency!" and led them to reach the dreaded security check within an instant.
Will

Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:30 pm

My routine was developed during years of constant travel. I pack one 26" suitcase for each week of my trip. They are stored with the necessities, from workout clothes to umbrella. Just add three suits, two pair of shoes and requisite sundries.

In transit I wear the same clothing both ways unless my schedule forces more formality. An odd jacket of appropriate weight, knit pullover, trousers and slipon shoes .
dopey
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Mon Dec 12, 2005 4:44 pm

exigent wrote:I am a warrior of the Apocalypse, an old soldier who is reaching the end of the road, after a long and taxing career. Tired and physically diminished, my final contract now at an end, the time has come for me to withdraw from active service. My wife and I are moving to Cloud Cuckoo Land, a small town in the high desert....

. . .

What are your favourite traveling clothes?
Exigent:

Excellent post, but, while reading it, I could feel my back slump and my shoulders sag - a compliment on your prose but a complaint on your subject matter. Please brighten my day by reposting when you are feeling light of foot and joyous of spirit.

And if you do head for Cukoo Land, look for the Porpentine.
Last edited by dopey on Mon Dec 12, 2005 5:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
exigent
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Mon Dec 12, 2005 4:55 pm

Excellent, tortured responses, gentlemen--thank you!

I loathe air travel, as well; which is why I am traveling by Rolls Royce ("71 Silver Shadow with good mechanicals and minus the Prince of Darkness, which long ago was sucked out of this particular beast, in favor of Japanese electrics). My question was ill-phrased, though it did bring about some terrific replies, with special mention to rjman, whose pathetic plea had me rolling on the floor at dawn. Je recommence: what are your favorite traveling clothes, without primarily considering the limitations that flying imposes? My own list is designed to address cold weather requirements, obviously enough..., but hot weather merely has me carrying softly constructed heavy linen and 12-ounce wool, since lightweight fabrics do nothing to protect one's body from the sun and the heat (think Bedouin). What are the things that you wear to establish and project your personal taste on the road?
whittaker
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Mon Dec 12, 2005 8:25 pm

Comfortable travelling clothes are grey 14oz flannels partnered with shoes in reversed calf (chukka boots or elegant derbies), a familiar tattersall shirt and a Smedley cashmere jumper. Frequently though, for the same reasons as BirdofSydney I will don a suit, without tie.
Mulberrywood
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Tue Dec 13, 2005 12:37 pm

I won't leave home without my New Balance running shoes.

To go with it comfortable running shorts, socks and a T-shirt.
T4phage
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Tue Dec 13, 2005 1:54 pm

BirdofSydney wrote:I fly in a suit. It's one less that I have to have in my luggage. And, you always get your coffee/newspaper/broad smile from charming young lady before your plebeian travelling mates...
?
I am quite happy to be one of thoes 'plebs'.... they seem to walk without something stuck in their....

As for wearing a suit and being served before others who are not so attired, I have not noticed that treatment when I am dressed in that manner, or others.
stbdtack
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Tue Dec 13, 2005 11:20 pm

BirdofSydney wrote:I fly in a suit. It's one less that I have to have in my luggage. And, you always get your coffee/newspaper/broad smile from charming young lady before your plebeian travelling mates...
I fly in a suit only when I don't have time to change after my last meeting before the airport. Once upon a time it might have made a difference if you dressed well -- no more. I can assure you, the airline staff don't care -- even subconsciously. And I can also assure you that my treatment in first class, though dressed my plebeian cords and flannel shirt, will be as good or better than anybody else on the flight. I know many of the flight attendants and lounge staff because I frequent the same airports and flights quite often -- and even when I don't I'm treated well because I fly more than 100,000 miles/year and have flown more than a million miles with one air line company - they check your status on every flight and that's really all that matters.

Airline travel is still a pain but there are perks that make it a bit easier if you travel a lot. Dress comfortably -- you won't impress anybody by doing otherwise. Save your great suits for the really important people -- your clients.
exigent
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Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:03 am

A gentleman dresses properly as a sign of respect for the persons around him, but he also dresses for himself, as a matter of personal pride, which is not to be disdained. I take stock of everyone I meet--outward appearance has a profound effect on me; we seldom have time to learn anyone's true human qualities. Appearances matter a great deal. So, by all means, prioritize comfort, but don't forgo style that endures, because the half-assed impression you make will surely follow you around like stink on a Kodiac.

This forum is about obsession with elegant clothes. To hell with compromise. You can look swell and still be comfortable. My stuff fits and it allows me to function in a wide range of situations. You are all highly informed; you know better than the vast majority of your fellow citizens what to wear and when. Take your comfortable t-shirts, shorts and running shoes---I do as well. But carry the flag in public.
JMurphy
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Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:40 am

Ambien!!!

E, I must say the Gokey's are a sublime touch...and I have to chime in on several fronts. I'm just back from a three-day trip--I was literally on the ground in front of customers in four time zones in a 60-hour round trip. Picked a helluva week to give up drinking...

Between what I wore and packed: two jackets, two trousers, eight shirts, one belt and one pair of shoes. Brands represented were limited to Isaia and Ferragamo. To the list add six sets of boxers/tees/socks. I took my iPod and B&O earphones (for you iPodists: try the Apple Lossless) and a couple books. Other than that a laptop and work files. I try to travel light although I'm not very good at it....

I, too, was a military man. My first plane ride took me (late in my 18th year) to basic training. My third plane ride was on my 19th birthday--I took off but never landed 8) and I think that in those days I probably carried more clothing in my ruck for 8 days in the field than I do now for a week long business trip...
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