GMMcL
Distinguished Member
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- May 26, 2011
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FRIDAY CHALLENGE: TWICE AS NICE
Or: Variety Is the Spice Of Life
We know it's hard to master the tasteful deployment of stylish items well. Fit, color, pattern done well in a way that seems simple and elegant. But can you deploy those same items in varied ways? Said another way, spend enough time here, and you'll either see "the uniform" used, or at least see plenty of talk about it -- gray suit + blue tie (esp glen plaid + pin dot); blue suit + brown/burgundy neat tie; navy SC, gray trou, neat or macclesfield tie. Does it look bang-on superb? Bet your ass it does. Difficult to nail for logistical reasons? Sure. Does it show imagination and creativity? Weeeellllll..... So your challenge over the NEXT TWO WEEKS (starting now; entries must be submitted by midnight eastern time on April 25, poll will go up as soon as I can on Saturday April 26, ending midnight eastern on April 27) is to prove you can break the mold; that you can operate outside the uniform. That you can deploy your items creatively in more than just one context. Take any one element and deploy it well in AT LEAST TWO (or three, or in some trifecta or perfecta or combination thereof -- get creative) completely different contexts. Other rules: 1. The items repeated twice must be repeated WITHIN the period. If you chose to go for bonus points, (i.e., a third or fourth fit) you can draw from a fit outside the period, but let's not get cray-cray guys. 2. At least one fit must involve CM -- jacket, tie, etc. If the other fit is more casual and you can pull it off, well then that's the whole spirit of the thing. 3. Bonus points will be paid for the item being a major focal point, like a jacket or tie or patterned pants. Major deductions for foundational items like plain gray trousers or plain blue shirt or plain white square. This is where things get a bit dicey, because this will have to be left to the voters. But really dudes: We all know people can do gray suit blue tie well. And we all know how to deploy gray trousers in two different fits. Neither are really in the spirit of the challenge, SO LET'S VOTE ACCORDINGLY PLEASE. VARIETY is the spice of life. (Note: Please forgive the use of so many examples of myself here. I assure you, it's not narcissism; it's surrender and exhaustion. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find examples where I could confirm you people used the same item twice, and in two very different fits? Either way, by using the examples below, I do not mean to suggest they are of any quality; only that it's late and I'm exhausted from looking.)
THE COMPETITORS
Tripling up on the suit. Colorful green this week, monochrome last week, colorful blue from a lil bit ago.This Week:Last Week:Bonus Older Fit
Here's mine: First fit Spier & Mackay flannel suit. Second fit, trousers from the suit, Canali SC. Common items are the trousers and shoes.
TRIFECTA And all within the contest period.Now, before you denim dudes get all up in my grill about the fit of the denim in that last set, I've lost about 20 lbs over the last 9 months. Those fit me damn near perfect before. Just this week I found a pair that fit my new frame better, but they hadn't come in before I went away on our trip. So just slow your roll a bit, OK?
Week two. Used twice is the tweed jacket, the wool/silk grenadine tie, and the polo suede shoes.Week 1 recapAnd one without the waistcoat
Trip First and second pictures are my entry. Third was just for fun (since how hard is it to go from using a navy jacket separate to using it as part of the suit with which it was intended to be used?)
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