The Look goes on...

[Mr Knightley]

My daily dress, hasn't really been affected at all during lockdown, around the house I usually wear either.

• Casual - jeans, cords, chino's, with a BD, Bretton top, round knecked t shirt or polo, if the temperature dictates, too hot shorts, too cold some knitwear, a wool sweater or cardigan. If shoes are required Todds drivers or loafers.
• Gardening or other chores, old clothes really, currently in rotation as an example old Brooks Brothers OCBD that had a stain on it, and some old frayed at the bottom khakis and old desert boots or superga's which are 30 years old.​

Out and about as the weather has been good recently, chino's or cotton trousers, a BD, Harrington or monkey jacket, loafers or smooths.

If walking, khakis, monkey boots, trainers, polo, trucker jacket.

Going to the RHS Gardens in Harrogate on Saturday, so planning to wear, John Simons Madras popover, Lightweight cotton sand Levi 505's, Anderson belt, Church's loafers with rubber sole, and Olive coloured Uniqlo unlined 3/2 jacket.

Unfortunately my hair is at week 16 or 17 without a cut, so swept back off centre parting.

I am really looking forward to getting my hair cut tomorrow ?. All sorts of new guidance - wait in the car until called, bring your own drinks, have a good crap ? before you come in, but the Look must go on!

 

[Kingstonian]

I am really looking forward to getting my hair cut tomorrow ?. All sorts of new guidance - wait in the car until called, bring your own drinks, have a good crap ? before you come in, but the Look must go on!

Haircuts start on Saturday officially.

I will go up on the Downs for The Oaks and The Derby - run on the same day. Downs are closed to the public, but I hope to get some sort of view from the perimeter. Coming up onto the Downs and seeing the grandstand is my favourite sight in all of the UK - like going to the seaside for a small child. Will probably back Ennistymon and Vatican City locally for the big two races.

Then at 7:30 it’s off to the pub garden in the backstreets of Kingston to meet up with pals.

Haircut can wait a few days.

 

[Mr Knightley]

Surely haircut before pleasure @Kingstonian ?

Post-haircut today and double Madras





Face mask - my second from John Simons // PRL cardi and shirt // CT chinos // Berwick 1707 Belgian loafers

 

[covskin]

I seem to recall your mentioning before that you had three sub-sets in your wardrobe - the items that are influenced by the Look, a business / formal wardrobe and your active wear.

That's right, and they don't really mix except for some shirts. Even the Patagonia, it's just too formless.

 

[Kingstonian]

How did you manage to get a haircut before midnight?

I work on the basis that after more than one hundred days a few more won’t make much difference.

You could also have double Madras once the restaurants open again.

 

[Mr Knightley]

I had better not say on a public forum @Kingstonian

May have a double Madras (take-away) tomorrow.

 

[Yorky]

Surely haircut before pleasure @Kingstonian ?

Post-haircut today and double Madras

View attachment 1417318

View attachment 1417319

Face mask - my second from John Simons // PRL cardi and shirt // CT chinos // Berwick 1707 Belgian loafers

Got a JS madras popover in the same cloth as the mask.

 

[Mr Knightley]

Got a JS madras popover in the same cloth as the mask.

It is a very nice colour scheme. I think JS is about to issue some new mask designs.

 

[Mr Knightley]

The white shirt.

Many of you will have seen excellent pictures recently on MtoS posted by @Yorky . I was particularly struck by one taken in the early 1990’s on the Isle of Wight. Yorky was sporting a white John Smedley. It’s not a colour I have ever had in a Smedley but, when I thought about it, I realised just how important a part the white shirt has played in my wardrobe down the years. White T-shirts, polos, ocbds, more formal shirts worn with jackets and suits have all been a central part of the look.


1980 - Lacoste


1990 - Ivy Oxford (Italian brand)

I say, ‘have been’ because I have a sense that the white shirt is no longer as popular as it once was. Its off-white and cream relations are also less common today. Even in my more formal outfits the shirt is more likely to be a pale blue or perhaps white with a pattern, rarely plain white. I think I only have one white polo left in regular use.

What is your experience?

 

[Kingstonian]

The white shirt.

Many of you will have seen excellent pictures recently on MtoS posted by @Yorky . I was particularly struck by one taken in the early 1990’s on the Isle of Wight. Yorky was sporting a white John Smedley. It’s not a colour I have ever had in a Smedley but, when I thought about it, I realised just how important a part the white shirt has played in my wardrobe down the years. White T-shirts, polos, ocbds, more formal shirts worn with jackets and suits have all been a central part of the look.

View attachment 1419066
1980 - Lacoste

View attachment 1419067
1990 - Ivy Oxford (Italian brand)

I say, ‘have been’ because I have a sense that the white shirt is no longer as popular as it once was. Its off-white and cream relations are also less common today. Even in my more formal outfits the shirt is more likely to be a pale blue or perhaps white with a pattern, rarely plain white. I think I only have one white polo left in regular use.

What is your experience?

White shirt with a suit was a regular combination for work and certain events for older generations. It’s a good look and it never goes out of fashion.

The downside is that older white garments lose their colour. ‘Daz washing whiter’ is not the sort of claim you see these days. However, even back in the day when those sort of adverts appeared a new white shirt generally looked better than an old one.

 

[Kingstonian]

Derby and Oaks were fine on Saturday. Road from grandstand to Tattenham corner was closed off. So watched the race from behind a fence on the golf course. With no funfair on the hill it was possible to track the whole sweep of the big races with binoculars. That is impossible on a usual big race day - unless you are at the very top of the grandstand. Then you might lose your seat if you wander off to place a bet, get a drink etc. The big screen was also functioning on the Hill so it was possible to confirm the results.

The pub was fine just screens round the bar. Not crowded, a warm welcome from the guvnor. Met another pal on the way home. So got sidetracked and went onto the local Wetherspoons. That was fine too. We had to wait to be shown to a table and there were screens between tables. I wandered up to the bar to check the ales and that was no problem. We were too late for food but it was getting on a bit by then. Might get a haircut when they don’t look busy. Got several pairs of shoes that need heels. I will get them done pair by pair in case any of the cobblers goes bust or has to close down again. Hopefully they will be OK.

 

[Mr Knightley]

Derby and Oaks were fine on Saturday. Road from grandstand to Tattenham corner was closed off. So watched the race from behind a fence on the golf course. With no funfair on the hill it was possible to track the whole sweep of the big races with binoculars. That is impossible on a usual big race day - unless you are at the very top of the grandstand. Then you might lose your seat if you wander off to place a bet, get a drink etc. The big screen was also functioning on the Hill so it was possible to confirm the results.

The pub was fine just screens round the bar. Not crowded, a warm welcome from the guvnor. Met another pal on the way home. So got sidetracked and went onto the local Wetherspoons. That was fine too. We had to wait to be shown to a table and there were screens between tables. I wandered up to the bar to check the ales and that was no problem. We were too late for food but it was getting on a bit by then. Might get a haircut when they don’t look busy. Got several pairs of shoes that need heels. I will get them done pair by pair in case any of the cobblers goes bust or has to close down again. Hopefully they will be OK.

Glad you had a good day!

Mrs K had a hair appointment (a day after me!) and I dropped her off. There were some very well behaved ‘revellers’ in Chelmsford but I made do with a small lunch in Cafe Nero, which had just reopened. Still excellent coffee ?. A bit of shopping followed...

 

[Kingstonian]

Glad you had a good day!

Mrs K had a hair appointment (a day after me!) and I dropped her off. There were some very well behaved ‘revellers’ in Chelmsford but I made do with a small lunch in Cafe Nero, which had just reopened. Still excellent coffee ?. A bit of shopping followed...

You mention Cafe Nero and then I remembered it was Cafe Rouge that has gone into administration. A lot of poor folk will lose their job. It had seemed a fairly sound chain too; but conglomerates probably don’t have the reserves to cope without business for 100 days. Some of the other chain restaurants are more fashion driven and a bit speculative - Mexican food etc..

 

[Swampster]

You mention Cafe Nero and then I remembered it was Cafe Rouge that has gone into administration. A lot of poor folk will lose their job. It had seemed a fairly sound chain too; but conglomerates probably don’t have the reserves to cope without business for 100 days. Some of the other chain restaurants are more fashion driven and a bit speculative - Mexican food etc..

I wonder how sound Cafe Rouge were before the lockdown? One of my local branches had already announced that it was closing even before there was talk of any lockdown, though that may be because the area is probably expensive.

 

[Thin White Duke]

The white shirt.

Many of you will have seen excellent pictures recently on MtoS posted by @Yorky . I was particularly struck by one taken in the early 1990’s on the Isle of Wight. Yorky was sporting a white John Smedley. It’s not a colour I have ever had in a Smedley but, when I thought about it, I realised just how important a part the white shirt has played in my wardrobe down the years. White T-shirts, polos, ocbds, more formal shirts worn with jackets and suits have all been a central part of the look.

View attachment 1419066
1980 - Lacoste

View attachment 1419067
1990 - Ivy Oxford (Italian brand)

I say, ‘have been’ because I have a sense that the white shirt is no longer as popular as it once was. Its off-white and cream relations are also less common today. Even in my more formal outfits the shirt is more likely to be a pale blue or perhaps white with a pattern, rarely plain white. I think I only have one white polo left in regular use.

What is your experience?

Interesting topic Mr. K.
I first entered the white collar workplace in the early nineties. I wore suits to work for the next ten years and every day wore white shirts and white pocket squares. Eventually I was tempted by a beautiful cream sharkskin suit which would have completely washed me out with a white shirt. It was a big step for me to get a denim blue shirt to wear with it. I’m not sure where the white shirt thing came from, I wasn’t a total devotee of Cary Grant but admired his look so maybe there was some of that in there?
Anyway I very rarely wear a plain white shirt these days and almost all my work shirts are variations of blue - stripes, checks, patterned textures etc which are much more flattering to a pasty blondie!
I’ve been sorting photos recently and came across one of me in the nineties with a very loose fitting plain white polo, sleeves almost to the elbows, like your second pic above.
It’s funny how certain elements of the look are sustained despite variations due to the vaguaries of current fashions. Your two pics are a great illustration of this but I have to say the earlier more tailored version is much more flattering. Having been guilty myself of a looser fitting interpretation I won’t be going back there and that’s why the recent pendulum swing away from sausage skins towards loose fits and pleats bugs me. Some things just look better regardless of what the current trend may be.