BlackTieFoo: Shirt Studs and Other Fooish Contemplations - Page 2

Settled on the stud design:



They will be stud versions of the above cufflinks, but in sterling silver and with domed garnet cabochons instead of lapis.

M.P. Levene is the shop, but they use one of the Birminham jewelers (Deakin & Francis, Alabaster & Wilson, etc.). I spent 15 minutes trying to go directly through one of the makers, figuring I'd save some money, but it quickly became apparent that it was going to be a costly pain in the ass. Let the shop handle it, I figure.

I'm not a fan of those, poorsod. A tad too slick for me.

Just went by Geneva to get measured for my shirt--my first time using them. Details: pique bib front (ending above the waist), pique spread collar, pique single cuffs, voile body, three studs showing (other buttons hidden). I am torn on the last feature. Considering switching to a full four-stud front, but afraid the bottom stud will be at an awkward position relative to my trouser waist.

$500 was the spending cap for the studs alone . The expenses of the shirt and shoes are separate matters.

Yes, they know what kinds of cufflinks I'm using.

For what it's worth, I think two will show--based on my loose measurements.

Why's that? Have I been known to prefer slickly-styled things? Hard to make sense of your attempted snipe.

As far as I can tell, C&J makes two patent leather oxfords: a captoe and a plaintoe. If I'm going to get patent shoes, I'm going to do it 100% right and get the plaintoes. But, to my eye, the C&J patent plaintoes are no more sleek or elegant than Alden's version on the Plaza last. I think I'd have to move significantly higher up the shoe food chain to get patent oxfords that look noticeably more refined.

Thanks. Not too flashy? I worried about that for a micro-second, then said f*ck it, I'll be a badass.

I hear ya, but on the other hand, a pleated front is visually more fussy than a bib front, which conflicts with the streamlined look of a shawl-lapelled jacket. Honestly, I think one could go either way quite happily and correctly. Anyway, Geneva notified me upfront they could not guarantee completion of a pleated shirt in my abbreviated timeframe.

I screwed myself a little bit by going ventless--the jacket is far more cumbersome to sit in and thus wrinkles more, which makes me wish I could take it off sometimes. However, that doesn't change the fact that vents would have been intolerably inelegant.