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Father's Day! Borrowing things from Dad?

Ropavejero

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Since it's Father's Day, I wondered . . . if others ever went prowling through and helping themselves to garments from their fathers' wardrobes.

In high school, I remember "borrowing" and actually "taking & keeping" from my father's closet, among other things: several shirts and especially old oxford shirts (looked mature when compared to other students' sweatshirts), some sweaters, including a comfy Shetland wool cardigan, a couple of tweed sport coats (sweaters and sport coats made warm outer wear in fall and winter), various ties, and a sturdy old black leather belt (these accessories, though "used" were perfect when needing to "dress up" in the customary school boy tan khakis and navy blue blazer combination). Well . . . remember carting all items off to college. There, I managed to wear out the shirts and sweaters (replacing them with new items of similar quality and style I acquired myself). The ties got discarded one by one (and suitable replacements purchased) as each became overtly "dated" looking and belt lost or left behind moving in and out of various dormitory rooms (daily student dress norm consisted of blue jeans absent belt anyway, so hadn't missed it until getting ready for some "coat and tie" function).

Eventually, when graduation rolled around got a new suit (professionally altered to fit, as opposed to Dad's "similar" size garments) accompanied with dress shoes, silk tie, etc. all of which were needed for round of interviews ahead.

All in all my father was generous as to clothing loaning, usually after noticing I was wearing something of his only said, "I was looking for that," or "You look nice in my . . . "

Question? Anyone else confess to "borrowing" (or, dare we say, "stealing") stuff from daddy's closet that you wore out, discarded, lost, or otherwise never returned?
 

designprofessor

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I hated my dads wingtips growing up, now i own a closet full. Funny how things change.....
One fond memory is watching him thoroughly brush and shine his shoes. To this day I love the smell of shoe polish and the whole ritual of it. I'll thank my dad for that.
 

gorgekko

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When my father was younger, back in the 60s in Europe, he was quite the style hound. By the time I showed up in 1971, however, he was an immigrant Canadian blue collar worker and putting his money into his family so there wasn't much that I coveted -- other than this swanky sport coat he bought sometime in the mid-1970s that was too small for me.

Perhaps some buried generational memory is responsible for my sartorial obsession...a passing of the torch...
 

Jetta

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I never borrowed clothes from dad while growing up since I wore a bigger size than him. Now I wear the size he used to and he wears the size I used to, so I now have a couple pairs of 501's from the 60's and a Hugo Boss suit of his and he has almost my entire old wardrobe. I think got the better end of the deal
smile.gif
 

Teacher

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Originally Posted by designprofessor
I hated my dads wingtips growing up, now i own a closet full. Funny how things change.....

Oh my, could I sing a few bars of that! Until a couple of years ago, I thought wingtips were for stodgy old farts like Dad and Grandpa, both of whom own Florsheim Kenmoors from about 1580. Now I covet them and own a handful of pairs of wings myself.

That being said, I never borrowed so much as a tie from my dad. He dressed like his father (who was born in 1918) and I was a child of the progressive, minimalist 1980's, so we were completely incompatible. The funny thing is that he has progressed in his style and I've become a bit more conservative (?) and timeless, so we've more or less met up. If we were the same size I might borrow from him now, but he's 5' 8"/165 lbs, whereas I'm 5' 10"/210 lbs, so that's not gonna happen any time soon.
 

JLibourel

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Never had a father, courtesy of WWII. I believe my uncle furnished me with a couple of his old sport coats and some other apparel when I went off to prep school, but I soon got so much bigger than my uncle or his father that I couldn't borrow much from them.

The reverse is true with my stepson. I am much taller and heavier than he is. He does borrow my neckties for his fraternity meetings, dances and such. I don't complain because he has never damaged one and it gives me a good rationale for buying as many neckties as I want with my wife complaining.

A cute story: When I was packing to go to the most recent SHOT Show, my boy asked somewhat nervously, "You're not taking all your good ties, are you?" I replied, "No, James, I'm not taking 40+ neckties to a four-day event!"
(I have my ties divided on two Woodlore tie rack. My "first line" ties are all on one rack, but I got so many that some pretty nice ties are now on the "second string" rack. In fact, I'm wearing one today.
 

Hanseat

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I've 'borrowed' a couple of ties from my dad's closet,

borrowed a suit (my dark suit was at the cleaners and he's about my size), a pair of flannels, other ties, a sportsjacket. Most of that he knew abou though so no problems there. Pretty unexciting but I like the fact that one of the ties I've 'borrowed' has some wear/ character to it.
 

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