Excuse me, sir...

[uppercase]

I like black.
I still wear black.
Not as a suit but usually as an odd outfit. It's a nice change up from the boring blue blazer routine.

[Luca]

Specific comments:

"Truly an englishman!" ("Proprio un inglese") -- In Milan; I was wearing a straw trilby with a business suit/tie.

"You look like a jazz musician" -- An long-time colleague, at work; trilby, three-piece suit and a 'tache.

"Those glasses are very serious... I am afraid of thsoe glasses! -- My boss (facetiously) at work; changing from frameless to tortoiseshell framess specs.

"That's so Italian!" -- most of the time I wear shoes without socks away from, say, the beach (this is not an Italian habit).

"Off to Church?" -- My neighbour; I was wearing a flannel PoW suit on Sunday morning.

"Are you a model?" -- (utterly implausible question, from an aestheric viewpoint); I accidentally struck a 'vogueing' pose.

[Frederic Leighton]

Wonderful selection, Luca. Thanks and congratulations!

Excuse me, sir... You are very elegant; can I take a photo with you?

Friendly gentleman in Savile Row yesterday morning. I was walking along the Row to go meet a friend (...who incidentally lives in a completely different part of London ) while this dapper man was coming out of Sedwell in full bespoke. After giving his mobile to a passer-by to have the photo taken, he gave me his business card and offered to send me copy of the shot. I got it today with this message:

Hello Federico,
It was a delight to meet you in the morning light on London's Savile Row. Please find the photos attached. It is always a pleasure to see, let alone meet, a well-dressed man in a now hurriedly dressed or dare I say nearly undressed world.

As you can see, I didn't really deserve his attention. I'm very far from being able to wear bespoke every day. Two hours before the shot I was thinking - "Okay, today I won't be wearing the best shirt in London, but give me 18 minutes and I'll be wearing the best-ironed shirt in London." That's how most of my days start.

In an ideal world, all my trousers have very high waist, all my shirts are my size (and not my collar-size only) and all my linen trousers are 100% linen ...Still, I'm very happy in the real world.

[hectorm]

What does generate commentary/questions, however, is wearing any form of tie or suit at the weekend.

A few weekends ago I showed up at my son´s godfather´s house wearing jacket and tie. As he opened the door to greet me, he smiled and said: "Are you wearing that outfit for me? I´m honored".

[uppercase]

Very nice photo!

[davidhuh]

Excuse me, sir... You are very elegant; can I take a photo with you?

Friendly gentleman in Savile Row yesterday morning. I was walking along the Row to go meet a friend (...who incidentally lives in a completely different part of London ) while this dapper man was coming out of Sedwell in full bespoke. After giving his mobile to a passer-by to have the photo taken, he gave me his business card and offered to send me copy of the shot. I got it today with this message:

Hello Federico,
It was a delight to meet you in the morning light on London's Savile Row. Please find the photos attached. It is always a pleasure to see, let alone meet, a well-dressed man in a now hurriedly dressed or dare I say nearly undressed world.

Dear Federico,

great story, I love it! And the picture is great, too!

Cheers, David

[Frederic Leighton]

Café in Old Street. I'm chatting with a friend I haven't seen in years. A girl comes and looks at me until I stop shaking my hands (my friend is deaf) and turn to her. She doesn't say anything so I ask if she needs help. She says:

Excuse me, are you a solicitor?

- Pardon?!
- Are you a solicitor?
- Pardon?!!
- You are dressed like a solicitor. Are you a solicitor, a barrister?
- No, I'm not. Sorry.
- I'm a lawyer. I'm looking for a job.
- Sorry, I'm not a solicitor. I'm a musician. I suggest you start by looking online...

This was yesterday. When I think about it, I still feel sorry for her. Any solicitor short of staff out there? As for me, I'll think twice before adding another DB suit to my wardrobe.

[Frederic Leighton]

What interesting shoes you have!

Kaya, 4 year old, trying to figure out how to wear my shoe-trees.

[Luca]

I thought I'd add here a couple of recent comments following on from the last two posts in the "Choppin & Lodge"http://www.thelondonlounge.net/forum/vi ... =4&t=11400 thread, which mentioned unusual combinations / reactions.

On Saturday evening, the light grey pinstripe + spectators + straw trilby drew quite a few looks and one gushing testimonial from a driver ("that's sharp! Really sharp! It's how I like to dress...but with black-and-white shoes")

Having failed to "rotate" out of the spectators on Sunday ( ), had a 5 minute paen to "sharp dressers" from my waiter...

I think I'm ready for my straw boater, Mr DeMille, I mean.. Leighton...

[Frederic Leighton]

Can you tie a long and thin knot?

Tonight at my tailor's.

The groom (he is getting married tomorrow) asked his three friends. The friends asked my tailor. The tailor asked me and I happily delivered the knot.

Finally! I can say that the time I spent playing around with my ties wasn't total waste and wasn't all about myself either

[hectorm]

Can you tie a long and thin knot?

...I happily delivered the knot.

With some neckties you simply cannot.
But with a thin silk unlined tie, wide in the middle, and a four-in-hand, is the only one you can deliver.
What did you have, Federico?

[Frederic Leighton]

Yes, that's the principle, Hectorm! Then you have to work with what you've got The guy is getting married in a silk grenadine tie, which will never give a thin knot. Still, you can tie it with a shorter front blade to give a long four-in-hand knot and then make sure you arrange the folds nicely inside the knot so that you can pull it very tight. You will get a knot that is much smaller than the average anyway. Most people leave their knots so loose that they seem almost undone.

If the tie hasn't been cut to give this specific knot, then you need a waistcoat to conceal the shorter front blade and might end up with a good amount of the back one inside your trousers.

[arkirshner]

Gentlemen,

As one who often visits but rarely posts, I thank you for threads like this and want you to know that your wit is appreciated by those of us in the usually silent majority.

Regards,

Alan K

[hectorm]

If the tie hasn't been cut to give this specific knot, then you need a waistcoat to conceal the shorter front blade and might end up with a good amount of the back one inside your trousers.

You might be too young to remember, but that was exactly the way to go during the early 70s. Enormous loose four-in-hand knots tied with the end of the wider blade and a tie barely kept inside by vests and waistcoats. I still have my pictures Although I have to confess that there was a certain overall balance with the flaring bottoms, wide lapels and long hair.

[Frederic Leighton]

Gentlemen, As one who often visits but rarely posts, I thank you for threads like this and want you to know that your wit is appreciated by those of us in the usually silent majority. Regards, Alan K

Dear Alan,

Glad you are enjoying this thread! As a London Lounge member, I'm sure you also have plenty of similar stories that make you smile every time they come back to your mind. Thanks for posting here.

Kind regards,
f

You might be too young to remember, but that was exactly the way to go during the early 70s. Enormous loose four-in-hand knots tied with the end of the wider blade and a tie barely kept inside by vests and waistcoats. I still have my pictures Although I have to confess that there was a certain overall balance with the flaring bottoms, wide lapels and long hair.

Ah! Thank you for sharing, Hectorm! I wasn't around yet and it sounds like I really missed something ...That's the way secondary school students wear their tie today. How do you feel about being a trend-setter?

I can't stand loose knots, but I love short blades. The stylish girl next door expressed her approval yesterday morning. When we came across each other along the stairs, she stopped and for the first time in two years said something: "By the way, you always are very elegant." ...Now I can go to my tailor and pay the last 30% of the new bill with a smile.