The End of the Sartorial Road

[FlyingHorker]

Nothing wrong with that at all OP.

 

[John Grady Cole]

12. Ascot Chang oxford cloth button-downs in light blue

By chance do you have a photo of the collar on this? I had them make some oxfords for me and the stock collar is horrible (my fault, obviously, I should have paid more attention).

 

[FlyingHorker]

@dieworkwear if this is the parka, then it looks dope.

 

[dieworkwear]

By chance do you have a photo of the collar on this? I had them make some oxfords for me and the stock collar is horrible (my fault, obviously, I should have paid more attention).

I don't. To be honest, I just sent them a Mercer shirt and told them to copy the collar, as well as to make mine unlined. You could ask them to use my collar and scale it to your pattern.

@dieworkwear if this is the parka, then it looks dope.

View attachment 1310088

Yes, that's the one. I use it as a raincoat. Grenfell has a dispatch rider raincoat this season that looks really nice, but I don't think I really need another raincoat.

 

[bry2000]

@dieworkwear if this is the parka, then it looks dope.

View attachment 1310088

I tried on that Parka and was really torn over whether to purchase it. I ended up passing probably because it was too similar to several EG coats I already owned. Probably should have gone for it.

 

[Bromley]

I've been wearing black Blundstone 500s so much this season. I kind of wonder if they're going to be burnt in a few years, even if they're a classic item. But I do enjoy wearing mine.

Definitely. I pretty much only wear mine in a semi-industrial setting, and appreciate the rubber sole/laceless design. I do like the way they look with certain outfits, but in a way that I'm sure will feel stale soon.

I don't. To be honest, I just sent them a Mercer shirt and told them to copy the collar, as well as to make mine unlined. You could ask them to use my collar and scale it to your pattern.

Did they get it right? I've got a '60s Brooks Brothers button down that I tried to have replicated a few times in the past without luck. Having a newish shirtmaker try it, and I think this one will be a success. I haven't tried Mercer shirts, but Kamakura comes close to my ideal. OG Brooks Brothers has very light interfacing in the placket, which opens the collar up perfectly. Kamakura does not, and so the collar folds a bit. I also finally tracked down a source for a proper Oxford cotton. Blind feel tested with the '60s BB and couldn't pick one out from the other. Anyway, if this shirt situation works out, it might be where I stop getting any other shirts.

 

[dieworkwear]

Did they get it right? I've got a '60s Brooks Brothers button down that I tried to have replicated a few times in the past without luck. Having a newish shirtmaker try it, and I think this one will be a success. I haven't tried Mercer shirts, but Kamakura comes close to my ideal. OG Brooks Brothers has very light interfacing in the placket, which opens the collar up perfectly. Kamakura does not, and so the collar folds a bit. I also finally tracked down a source for a proper Oxford cotton. Blind feel tested with the '60s BB and couldn't pick one out from the other. Anyway, if this shirt situation works out, it might be where I stop getting any other shirts.

I think it turned out pretty well. I also used the same fabric, so maybe that has something to do with it. Can't remember what they do for my placket.

Also like Kamakura a lot.

 

[ixk]

I feel the same was OP, but for footwear. I'm 1-2 items away from completing my footwear collection.

 

[Count de Monet]

...
.
11. Alden for Brooks Brothers tassel loafers in black calf.
...
8. Grey O'Connell's Sheltand
...

I realize these are personal preferences and items you already own but please endulge my curiosity.

For tasseled loafers, why black calf rather than burg shell?

For one Shetland sweater, why gray rather than, e.g. navy?

Just curious. Please don’t infer any sort of criticism. Simply interested if the reasons had to do with versatility, style choices, sentiment, whatever.

Thanks.

 

[dieworkwear]

I realize these are personal preferences and items you already own but please endulge my curiosity.

For tasseled loafers, why black calf rather than burg shell?

For one Shetland sweater, why gray rather than, e.g. navy?

Just curious. Please don’t infer any sort of criticism. Simply interested if the reasons had to do with versatility, style choices, sentiment, whatever.

Thanks.

Not at all. I don't have any good justification, to be honest. I personally think a lot of this stuff is about preferences.

I've owned four pairs of tassel loafers: burg shell, dark brown suede, mid-brown calf, and black calf. I thought I'd wear the burg shell the most, partly because Bruce Boyer described them as the ultimate color in an old Cigar Affcinando article. But I just found I never wore them. It could have been that I didn't like the AE design. I find their burg shell lacks the luster of Alden burg shell, but some guys don't like the Alden version cause it has an eggplant hue.

Anyway, I wore the two brown tassel loafers for a while, and took a chance on the black calf. I wasn't sure I was going to wear them, esp since I don't wear my black penny loafers very often. But after buying a pair from Brooks Brothers, I find I not only wear the black calf ones more than any other color, I wear them more than many of my other shoes.

I think some of it is just associations. I like split toes cause a lot of the guys I admire, style-wise, wear split toes (Boyer, Akamine, Vox, Ethan Newton, etc). I also like black tassel loafers for the same reason. George at BRIO wears them. So do a lot of those Japanese guys who like Italian style (but the version of Italian style that takes after English style). I just think they look kind of cool for that reason.

I also think they look a little less AAAC trad than brown tassel loafers, and perhaps a little sexier (to the degree tassel loafers can be sexy). They look less fuddy-duddy. And I like how they look with tan trousers and brown tweeds, along with grey trousers and navy sport coats. Vox told me that, when he was growing up, black Brooks Brothers tassel loafers were "the thing." So maybe they have even deeper trad roots, I don't know.

As for Shetlands, it's just because I almost never wear a sweater with CM styled tailored trousers. I only wear tailored trousers when I'm wearing a sport coat, and I don't wear sweaters under sport coats. No real reason for that, except for wanting to keep tailored looks very simple. So since I mostly wear Shetlands with blue jeans and non-gray outerwear, it's a grey sweater.

 

[Waldo Jeffers]

Not directed at me but I dig black calf tassels - I recently got a pair and am pretty stoked on them. I feel like the black subdues the tassels in a good way

 

[Big A]

Curious for the guys who have bought everything if you were to now pair down to a very basic wardrobe what would you go with

This is what I’ve been trying to do. I’ve pared down to:

1. 5 sport coats (a couple of NSM sport coats, a couple of sport coats from discount stores, a Castianga coat)
2. 3 biz suits (Steed navy DB / NSM navy DB / NSM grey DB)
3. 3 casual suits (heavy tweed Duncan Quinn / 2 Mashburn OTR flannel)
4. Probably 8 Kiton OTR shirts, a couple of RL OCBDs, a Borelli denim shirt.
5. A bunch of pants in various shades of grey, mostly from epaulet, plus navy flannel Caruso OTR
6. About 30 knit ties, of which I wear 3 regularly
7. Alden shell longwings, Epaulet Alt Wein (also by Alden), and a pair of G&G shoes recently decimated by NYC sidewalk salt.

Clearly I’ve still got a ways to go .... if I was forced at gunpoint to reduce it to the bare minimum I’d go with one NSM sport coat, three pairs of varying grey Epaulet pants, one Mashburn suit, the aforementioned 3 ties, the kiton shirts, and the shell longwings. I’d dump the NSM and Steed suits - despite the iGent love for these tailors, I’ve never been completely happy with any of them... the NSM pants have never been quite right, and the drape in the Steed jacket makes it unbalanced to my eye. I bear some of the blame for this .... weight fluctuations during construction and a failure to assert myself during the process

 

[Waldo Jeffers]

It’s also interesting to see how different people perceive the term “basic”

to me, i would be ok with the following

-1 navy suit
-Three fall/winter sportcoats in navy, gray and brown
-4 fall/winter trousers (brown moleskin, navy moleskin, charcoal tweed, mid gray flannel)
- 3 OCBDs (blue, white, blue stripe)
- 3 spread collar dress shirts (blue, white, blue striped)
- 3 basic fall/winter ties
- two crew neck sweaters (navy and charcoal)
- 1 pair of jeans
- 2 pair of 5 pocket cords (dark brown and dark green)
- 2 casual flannel shirts
- 3 summer OCBDs (either in lighter cotton or cotton/linen) (blue, white, blue stripes)
- 4 pairs of chinos (stone, khaki, olive, light brown)
- 2 summer sport coats (navy and mid to light gray)
- 3 basic summer ties
- two pairs of shorts (olive/brown and gray)
- 3 polo shirts (white, pink, navy)
- very dark brown cap toe oxfords
- mid brown semi brogue oxfords
- Black tassel loafers
- brown pebble grain or suede penny loafers
- brown chukka boots
- brown camp mocs
- 1 pair of fall/winter sneakers (for me, adidas gazelles or similar)
- 1 pair of summer sneakers (canvas Vans)
- 1 pair of flip flops
- 2 pair board shorts
- 5 T-shirt’s in plain colors
- 2 hooded sweatshirts (navy and gray)
- 2 sweatpants (navy and gray)
- 2 pairs athletic shorts
- 1 navy overcoat
- 1 casual fall/winter coat in navy or olive
- 1 trench coat
- snow boots
- rain boots

 

[CBrown85]

Peoples' "pared down" wardrobe is bigger than anything I've had at my most gluttonous.

 

[SmoothLefty]

I've been on StyleForum since the beginning. In that time, I've learned a lot about men's clothing, significantly improved my wardrobe, and made some great friends, both online and offline. Maybe because it's the New Year (call it a resolution of sorts), but I've come to realize that I don't need or want to buy any more clothes. Partly because there are other areas in which I would like to spend money (watches, art, travel, kitchen renovation) and partly because I just want to enjoy what I already have. So while I'll stay on StyleForum to contribute knowledge where I can and live vicariously through other posters, it's the end of the sartorial road for me (at least for now), save for the occasional NMWA purchase with LuxeSwap credit.

Anybody else feel the same? Or is this just crazy talk?

I have just come to this point myself. I'm nearing my 40s; when I turned 30 I began getting into men's clothing and it quickly became an obsession. I rebuilt my wardrobe twice in the last eight years: the first round of getting really "in" to clothes (a lot of slim fit and workwear and some prep/trad) and then again about three years in when I embraced my New England roots and went nearly full-on trad. I own more sweaters and penny loafers than any man should but hey, it's been a fun trip. I have everything I can think of, everything that I want. I have purchased quality items that should last for decades. This was the first Christmas in eons that I didn't ask for clothes/shoes/accessories. I haven't purchased anything for my wardrobe since August. It's a bit of a weird feeling to move on but it also feels right. It's time. My wife and I also bought our forever home--at least hopefully--early in the fall so it's easy to focus all of my discretionary income there.