2010 Clothing Insights / 2011 Clothing Plans

[yfyf]

Wow, I can't believe another year has passed. Thankfully, Dewey reminded me! For reference, here is last year's thread:

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=156690

Of my to-do list a year ago, I barely managed to do any of them. I got one grey suit which is still getting fitted, no shawl collar things, two pairs of cotton trousers of which I only wear one ... the problem is I got side-tracked by all sorts of other things! Anyways, here goes.

2010 Insights:

1. Ready to Wear has its place in any wardrobe. Just takes a while to find stuff that fits the way you like.

2. Shoe bespoke is even more terrifying than clothing bespoke. With clothing bespoke, there are some good, cheaper options, you don't burn as much money on it. So far, my experience with two cheaper bespoke shoe options has been a wash. My G&G bespokes on the other hand, are really all their cracked up to be.

3. Unfused collars on shirts are not all that exciting. Hand-stitched shirting though? Could that make a difference in comfort? (credit to MH for this one) Still under investigation.

4. Superlight, fine wools really aren't my thing. They never seem to hang quite right or tailor quite right. A heavier, more breathable fabric may be a better option.

5. I've really come to appreciate the essential "man's" colour: navy and its various shades. Especially when it comes to ties. I also prefer heavy printed silks over woven ties. I never used to notice the difference.

6. I've really come to love suede. On the other hand, I don't know how I feel about really worn out suede.

7. Resoling shoes are well worth it.

8. Aldens aren't as exciting as I thought they were. They don't really hold up all that well.

9. Some shoes are just too long. They fit ok, but they just look too long.

10. Light, over the calf socks are great.

2011 Clothing Plans:

1. I really toned down my wardrobe this year, I'd like to reverse that, it doesn't seem quite right for me.

2. Cull all the not-so-loved shoes in the closet. Need to be a lot more discerning about shoe fit. I think I said that a few years ago, too. Sigh.

3. Need more sport jackets, especially unlined and uncanvassed ones. (which probably shouldn't be called a jacket at all)

4. More colourful shirts.

5. The only thing that could be more awesome than W Bill camelhair, is navy W Bill camelhair. I guess we'll have to fix that end of 2011.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everybody!

 

[sellahi22]

Originally Posted by yfyf

2010 Insights:

1. Ready to Wear has its place in any wardrobe. Just takes a while to find stuff that fits the way you like.

. . .

4. Superlight, fine wools really aren't my thing. They never seem to hang quite right or tailor quite right. A heavier, more breathable fabric may be a better option.

Interesting thread. Aren't these 2 points contradictory? I thought the main advantage of RTW is that you can get random exotic supers cloths that are hard to track down in fabric books or prohibitively expensive (I'm talking about the stuff Kiton etc. use). What other reason could there be for RTW? Surely not price or fit.

Originally Posted by yfyf

4. More colourful shirts.


+1, it's quite an art to choose tasteful colorful shirts, but I think the effort pays off

 

[Holdfast]

Good on you for starting the new thread.

2010 Insights - I do believe I've realised that I now own almost everything I want, and have more clothes and shoes than I need. I'm now operating a "one-in, one-out" policy on almost all new acquisitions. Part of this is because I've run out of space to keep it all, but it forced me to realise I have what I want. NB: the two "almost" in the earlier sentence give me tremendous license to buy more things should my willpower crumble...

Plans for 2011 - get a handful more shirts to fill a few minor gaps/wants - consider a MTM DB chalkstripe provided the MTM DB DJ currently being finished works out well - consider either a bespoke tweed jacket or suit around the end of summer There are a couple of items I have in the back of my mind too (perhaps a better pair of black loafers and maybe a pair of dark green shoes) but they're not really plans, more vague aspirations...

 

[Parker]

Yay! New thread! Posted same in other thread, but yfyf reminded me of a couple more.

2010 insights:
- less is more. I wore a handful of favorites this year and shunned the rest.
- clothes should work with your body type. Note to self: I am not that skinny. Or tall.
- suede shoes are still the best.
- one can't go wrong with navy: jackets, suits, socks, sweaters and ties
- classic round toe lasts work better for my long feet

2011 plans:
- get linen suit, probably in navy
- try double-breasted, maybe glen plaid flannel
- find button-downs with good collar roll
- just for fun, try neckerchief!

 

[F. Corbera]

2010 Insights:

- Love Cappelli neckties

- Bespoke shirts are great (was in my 2010 plans last year)

- Savile Row might be tattered at the edges, but is still a wonderful place for wonderful clothes

- I am more conservative in dress that I thought, but still like the occasional shocking (to SF orthodoxy) ensemble or item of clothing

2011 plans:

- Further the replacement of Neapolitan RTW with Neapolitan bespoke as the mainstay of my warm weather wardrobe

- Get more tweed jackets and striped suits from my English tailor

- Maybe try a bespoke shoe or two or five

- Get a bespoke SB dinner jacket to go with the DB

 

[RogerC]

Oh well, copy/paste from the other thread:

2010

Given my junior academic's pittance and recent conversion into sartorialism, the following:

1) No black shirts. Ever. Again.
2) No more buying stuff in China, even (or especially) ties
3) PL shirts are a great bargain
4) Following from 3: one never has enough shirts, but it is necessary to have enough distribution french/barrel cuffs
5) CMT empowers
6) Flannel is fantastic
7) Good shoes are worth good money, and look best with interesting socks
8) Rather one nice but expensive PS, than 6 nasty cheap cotton ones
9) Duchamp is nice as an accent piece, but classical patterns and fabrics must remain the baseline
10) Long live the Panama hat.

Shopping list for 2011)
1) Sam Hober ties
2) Drakes PS
3) Significant amount of shirts from PL, perhaps with self-sourced fabric if I find something nice I really like
4) 3 suits: navy windowpane flannel DB, beige summer linen DB, grey contra-stripe (not sure about DB or SB yet)
5) 1 tweed SC, 1 shirt jacket
6) more odd trousers, preferably tailor-made.
7) 2 pairs of Zee shoes
8) Shawl collar knitwear

 

[Slewfoot]

Re-post from the other thread as well. Added Mina.

2010
- I could live with shoes only in suede and cordovan
- boots rule in all forms
- looser is better than tighter
- the importance of high end fabrics

2011
- buy much less, but make it count
- camelhair bespoke overcoat
- improve sweater wardrobe
- find the perfect Gun Club fabric
- give Steed a shot as life's too short not to
- give Mina a shot as life's too short not to

 

[George]

More of everything.

 

[Slewfoot]

Originally Posted by Parker

- find button-downs with good collar roll

Peter Lee!

Originally Posted by Parker

- just for fun, try neckerchief!

 

[F. Corbera]

Originally Posted by Slewfoot

2011
- give Steed a shot as life's too short not to
- give Mina a shot as life's too short not to

 

[forex]

Originally Posted by Slewfoot

Peter Lee!




Better than Brooks?

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Out with the fashion stuff and dress more mature. No more RTW. 2 Bespoke suits per year rather than 4 MTM. Hone in on my personal style and stop forcing things just because they are the "norm".

 

[whnay.]

2010 insights

- Bespoke ties are as enjoyable as suits, shirts, etc.

- Silk over cotton squares for most occassions

- You cannot have enough blue shirts

- You can have enough patterned socks and pocket squares

- Bespoke shoes are a false bargain

- It's unbelievably hard to find good quality belts for business or casual wear (Anderson's out of Italy is a godsend)

- It's good to have an eye for clothes and wear them with enjoyment but 99.9% of people don't care about them and 99.99% don't ever want to talk about them

2011 plans

- Russell plaid tweed sportcoat (with elbow patches)

- Light gray chalk pinstripe flannel suit (c. barbera fabric)

- Brown birdseye suit (If I can find the damn fabric)

- PoW DB suit (torn btw flannel or fresco)

- Twill trousers from Ambrosi for spring

- chambray shirts from LH (blues and summer colors)

- C&J hallam in dark brown leather and suede

 

[Slewfoot]

Originally Posted by forex

Better than Brooks?

Almost as good and they actually fit well.

 

[George]

Originally Posted by whnay.

2010 insights - Bespoke shoes are a false bargain
???