MoneyWellSpent's Southern Trad Thread

[Clouseau]

I hear you, but if we can know where the items we buy come from (for example, i've got Madras shirts from Gap and JCrew rather nice and cheap, so maybe of dubious origin), and if we can avoid the 'sweat shops', it's not bad.
Now of course we have to take their word for it...

 

[Caustic Man]

I agree that cutting out sweatshops is a good thing but I think it's far more affective if people commit to demanding that large retailers no longer buy from sweatshop manufacturers. Because who cares where your madras jacket was made if all your socks and underwear came from bad labor manufacturers? Which is tough because that would mean raising prices.

 

[Roycru]

While on the subject of Bean Boots, it rained here from Monday through Thursday of last week so I wore my 6" Bean Boots I got from L L Bean around thirty years ago all four days.

While on the subject of high waists and forward facing pleats, a picture taken in early November 2017 wearing Polo Ralph Lauren cream wool trousers at the Century City mall in West Los Angeles.

On the subject of Southern Trad, are Frogcats Southern Trad?

Yes, you are correct. I am wearing the same jacket and tie and I am in the same mall as in the other picture. This picture was taken earlier today.

 

[lordsuperb]

While on the subject of Bean Boots, it rained here from Monday through Thursday of last week so I wore my 6" Bean Boots I got from L L Bean around thirty years ago all four days.

View attachment 1111142

While on the subject of high waists and forward facing pleats, a picture taken in early November 2017 wearing Polo Ralph Lauren cream wool trousers at the Century City mall in West Los Angeles.

View attachment 1111143

On the subject of Southern Trad, are Frogcats Southern Trad?

View attachment 1111144

Yes, you are correct. I am wearing the same jacket and tie and I am in the same mall as in the other picture. This picture was taken earlier today.

I like your style oldman.

 

[Caustic Man]

Well, it's a great jacket and tie.

 

[Caustic Man]

This is what happens why I try to take a picture under-house-arrest on an already dark Winter day. I haven't put on my shoes yet, so no creepy picture of feet, but I will be wearing my Bean boots since we got 37 feet of snow last night.

By the by, I've been going without a pocket square more and more lately. I have a lot of patterned jackets, shirts, and ties and over time I've started to think that a PS is often too much. Especially with the casual Ivy vibe I've tried to embody. Indeed, I considered going without a tie but adding a pocket square today but after looking at the two, I actually think wearing this knit tie looks more casual than going without it but adding an off white silk square. I could have gone without both, I suppose, but the pull of the dandy is strong.

 

[Clouseau]

This is what happens why I try to take a picture under-house-arrest on an already dark Winter day. I haven't put on my shoes yet, so no creepy picture of feet, but I will be wearing my Bean boots since we got 37 feet of snow last night.

By the by, I've been going without a pocket square more and more lately. I have a lot of patterned jackets, shirts, and ties and over time I've started to think that a PS is often too much. Especially with the casual Ivy vibe I've tried to embody. Indeed, I considered going without a tie but adding a pocket square today but after looking at the two, I actually think wearing this knit tie looks more casual than going without it but adding an off white silk square. I could have gone without both, I suppose, but the pull of the dandy is strong.

View attachment 1112653

I am very glad that you say that. I find the SF-CM habit of a PS + tie really too much (most of the time). Why not, but it looks like an obligation.
It is considered overdressed in France (at least in the milieu where i come from).
My father, who was a very smart gentleman, only wore a tie OR a PS. Never both at the same time.
Usually when you post a pic on the WAYWRN thread, if you don't have a PS + tie you will have a remark .
I noticed the other day though that one of the usual suspect only wore a tie, and nobody said anything strangely.

 

[Caustic Man]

I will say that wearing a tie with a PS is an interesting challenge, especially when both have a pattern. And there was a peculiar notion floating around a while back that you aren't fully dressed if you aren't wearing a pocket square. So I'm sure those ideas have influence around here.

Several old hands on SF have remarked that the PS choices people make around here are usually more bad than they are good. The suggestion being that pocket squares fail because of the lack of skill of the wearer. But I have seen a lot of outfits where I don't think any PS would look good. Said old hands would have you believe that they themselves could have chosen one more skillfully but I doubt it.

 

[Artigas]

When I first started reading SF about ten years ago, I became a pocket square believer. This was at a time when I rarely ever saw them in person, and it was like my eyes had been opened to a whole new world of menswear possibilities. I began to think any jacket without one looked ugly; any outfit with an empty pocket was incomplete.

But after a few years and a few moves from state to state, I misplaced most of my squares, and then I kind of stopped wearing the few I still had, and now I don't really even notice them much anymore, whether people are wearing them or not. They just don't seem to draw my eye. When I do try one on I usually think they look a little busy, like @Caustic Man says.

The real question seems to be: should we be blowing our noses into our pocket squares?

 

[Caustic Man]

Don’t get me wrong, y’all. A PS can look amazing on a jacket that isn’t too busy and with a sober shirt and tie. But yeah, when you are wearing a patterned jacket, patterned shirt, and patterned tie it’s just like... why? And especially if you’re going for the Trad’s nonchalance it can really make you look like you agonized over it.

 

[Roycru]

A lapel watch strap or chain may be (for those who wear pocket watches) an alternative a pocket square.

Although some people may be surprised if you don't wear both a lapel watch strap and a pocket square.

Since someone always asks, it's a white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookie.

 

[Artigas]

A lapel watch strap or chain may be (for those who wear pocket watches) an alternative a pocket square.

View attachment 1112826

Although some people may be surprised if you don't wear both a lapel watch strap and a pocket square.

View attachment 1112836

Since someone always asks, it's a white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookie.

Upon seeing your leather watch strap, I instantly thought of Bertie Wooster. I was then pleased to scroll down and see his image on the screen as well.

 

[am55]

A lapel watch strap or chain may be (for those who wear pocket watches) an alternative a pocket square.

View attachment 1112826

Although some people may be surprised if you don't wear both a lapel watch strap and a pocket square.

View attachment 1112836

Since someone always asks, it's a white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookie.

Just no horseshoes on that tie... that's the most important!

 

[sftiger]

Always worth rewatching.

Little horseshoes @ 3:10

 

[Epicure]

This is what happens why I try to take a picture under-house-arrest on an already dark Winter day. I haven't put on my shoes yet, so no creepy picture of feet, but I will be wearing my Bean boots since we got 37 feet of snow last night.

By the by, I've been going without a pocket square more and more lately. I have a lot of patterned jackets, shirts, and ties and over time I've started to think that a PS is often too much. Especially with the casual Ivy vibe I've tried to embody. Indeed, I considered going without a tie but adding a pocket square today but after looking at the two, I actually think wearing this knit tie looks more casual than going without it but adding an off white silk square. I could have gone without both, I suppose, but the pull of the dandy is strong.

View attachment 1112653

If I might join the discussion, and share my thoughts as someone who has never seen someone dressed in trad style anywhere but online, my 2 cents is that all else being equal, you made the optimal accessory choice. Trad or not. In my minds eye, the alternative choice of a cream/off white square without the tie wouldn't have worked nearly as well, as it wouldn't have pulled everything together in the way that the tie does. And to do both the tie and the square - even keeping it as simple as the mentioned off white silk - would be overkill. The jacket just doesn't need any further embellishment. It's likely that a choice of any patterned square would look forced. I doubt any patterned square would improve the overall look.

I will say that wearing a tie with a PS is an interesting challenge, especially when both have a pattern. And there was a peculiar notion floating around a while back that you aren't fully dressed if you aren't wearing a pocket square. So I'm sure those ideas have influence around here.

Several old hands on SF have remarked that the PS choices people make around here are usually more bad than they are good. The suggestion being that pocket squares fail because of the lack of skill of the wearer. But I have seen a lot of outfits where I don't think any PS would look good. Said old hands would have you believe that they themselves could have chosen one more skillfully but I doubt it.

Indeed. It's often a case of less is more here. Other than particularly bold patterned jackets, as shown in your example fit above, I tend to find that I hardly ever adorn the pocket of a corduroy jacket with any form of square. This is regardless of whether the jacket is part of a suit, or it is worn with odd trousers. It always looks wrong/contrived/over-done in some way or another.