Quirky stuff

[globetrotter]

what are your feelings about "quirky stuff" - mickey mouse watches, blinking cufflinks, strange ties?

I have a pretty big collection of that kind of stuff - my favorites are a tie with gumby on it, cufflinks with a cup of coffee and a roll on them, a Kieth Herring watch. I used to wear very conservative suits with one piece every day of something a little quirky.

I actually stopped because of a comment made to me by a customer - I sell pretty big ticket items and he said something along the line of "I don't know if I want my boss knowing that we are trusting our business to somebody who comes to a presentation wearing a gumby tie" half joking.


what do you all think? do you wear anything like this?

 

[arvi]

i like menswear because it's all about the aesthetics...the look and feel of the attire & accessories...the matching of a tie and shirt..the fabric and pattern of a suit or jacke..the beauty of a fine pair of shoes..the resulting feeling is that of having put together a fine picture (hopefully without the work showing)..an image one might see in a magazine layout or on the screen..
if you choose to dress idiosyncratically that's fine if you are in a position to get away with it...perhaps you might find a style of dress that would lend itself to the use of some your novelty items as accessories (worn in moderation)..remember, some people think elton john dresses well (funky eyeglasses for nuance)

 

[Tom]

My personal tendency is to avoid "quirky" items. To me they look tacky. However, I think that they can be justified with a personal anecdote... "my father gave me this mickey mouse watch when I was thirteen years old", or "I found this Gumby tie under the restaurant table where I proposed to my wife". The coffee cup links on the other hand, sound rather elegant.

 

[mistahlee]

i like menswear because it's all about the aesthetics...the look and feel of the attire & accessories...the matching of a tie and shirt..the fabric and pattern of a suit or jacke..the beauty of a fine pair of shoes..the resulting feeling is that of having put together a fine picture (hopefully without the work showing)..an image one might see in a magazine layout or on the screen..

Yes, exactly; dressing as a creative act.  Which, by the way, is the reason I almost never wear the same ensemble twice.  Something new must be introduced to make it fresh and keep me excited.  Perhaps something quirky, if handled with care.

 

[arvi]

ok mistahlee....aside from the satisfaction of knowing that one looks good and the comments,good & bad (of course those who make bad comments really don't have any taste

) of others there's the creative act of dressing...putting the outfit together both in thought & reality..i also try to always wear something new or that hasn't been worn for a while..hence the out of control tie/shirt collection

 

[acole]

I think there's a fine line between quirky and tacky. Â Flashing cufflinks (or any items incorporating LEDs) are way over it. Short of that, it's a matter of taste and context. Â I think you do have to maintain a certain inverse relationship between wacky and loud:Â A tie with a big, contrasting Mickey Mouse print would be too much, but a black waistcoat with tiny repeating Mickey figures in self-jacquard might be just the thing. Â Alternatively, if you wanted to wear a loud "look at me." color, then the styling of that item should be scrupulously abstract, IMO...for instance, a bright solid pink tie in faille or grenadine. In any interaction with "big-ticket" clients, pushing the envelope is probably risky unless you work for Toys-R-Us...why not save the glitz for evening or church? Â If you have to do something 'subversive' in a business context, I think the more savvy route is to wear crazy patterns on your socks, braces, or underwear. Â That short-circuits any complaints, since people would first have to admit to staring at your undergarments. For my own wardrobe, I like the idea of daring color combinations or pattern matching, but I really don't care for the non-abstract motifs that find their way onto ties etc., like cartoon characters or Model Ts or Botticelli or scenes from a duck hunt. Â I suppose I might make an exception for an MC Escher print... Anyway, that's just me. Of course, some guys can pull off just about anything...

 

[kidkim2]

globetrotter--

I like your topic, though I myself have never had the nerve to wear anything quirky. (Not, at least, intentionally.) Unless you count the bulldog lapel pin I used to sport. (It was the mascot of the institution where I worked.)

I'll never forget my shock at discovering that Albert Bowker, Chancellor of UCBerkeley in the '70s, was never without his Bullwinkle watch. I literally couldn't believe my eyes. (As I should have been able to guess--but didn't--the watch was a memento from an important contributor to the UCBerkeley Foundation, a fund that had been initiated by Bowker.)

 

[LabelKing]

Paul Smith, and Dunhill make various items of the quirky nature.

I personally have an affinity for intergrating such things into my ensembles.

 

[jerseyguy]

I also particularly enjoy "quirky" items, but I think the key to integrating them into your wardrobe effectively is to wear things in odd colors or patterns that are takes on traditional clothing and patterns like plaids, stripes, or paisleys. Etro, Paul Smith, et. al are very good at this.

On the other hand, novelty items, like Gumby and Mickey Mouse ties, are impossible to wear tastefully, IMO.

 

[LabelKing]

On the other hand, novelty items, like Gumby and Mickey Mouse ties, are impossible to wear tastefully, IMO. That is very true. I find that things like Dali ties fall into that category as well.

 

[jerseyguy]

Agreed, LabelKing.

There are exceptions, too. Some might consider the scarf print ties that Hermes offers to be novelty ties, but I love them.

 

[Drew]

I think the garish prints of Hermes and Versace are in a different league than your garden variety conversational print neckties and other gimmicky accessories. But I don't wear either.

I just remember growing up in Chicagoland during the Bulls' dominance in the 1990s, and Sunday mornings at church were a veritable exhibition of the latest (and ugliest) Michael Jordan-themed neckwear. Oft-times with Dockers, no less.

 

[LabelKing]

Yes, the Versace, and Hermes graphics are of a different caliber. In many senses really.

Those can be quite tasteful. And I wouldn't consider them novelty per se.

 

[kidkim2]

If I had all the money in the world. . .

* A solid gold bespoke Mickey Mouse watch?
* Louis Vuitton plastic shirt protector?
* Cashmere Foxcroft sweatshirt?
* Five dollar goldpiece blazer buttons?
* Collapsible opera hat?
* A different Patek Philippe watch with matching band for every pair of shoes I own.

 

[VMan]

If I had all the money in the world. . .

* A solid gold bespoke Mickey Mouse watch?
* Louis Vuitton plastic shirt protector?
* Cashmere Foxcroft sweatshirt?
* Five dollar goldpiece blazer buttons?
* Collapsible opera hat?
* A different Patek Philippe watch with matching band for every pair of shoes I own.

And clear metal collar stays.