The Look goes on...

[cerneabbas]

Lost during one of the upgrades. If he's watching he should sign up again, he had some interesting posts.

Yes a pity that we lost him and a couple of others.
I had a look at the Purple Cords that's an interesting colour.

 

[cerneabbas]

A lot of negative stories about Black Friday, 'its all a rip off' 'you don't save anything' etc etc.
Now that maybe true for people who buy on impulse or who don't watch an item so don't realise its initial price,however I tend to target items that I want and then wait and see if they are reduced and this year (again) I made several purchases and saved 20% / 25% on all of them (50% on one) on the price that I would have paid had I bought them when I first saw them,so I am happy with the Black Friday experience.

 

[Clouseau]

I have been mulling over the 'Suits/ Smart Casual' debate and my comments about jeans.
Mr Knightley was in favour of Suits whilst I thought that Smart Casual wear was more 'important' today (sadly) however then Mr Knightley championed jeans whereas I argued against jeans on older blokes and as part of Smart Casual.
In a previous post Mr Knightley had wondered if we should spend more on Casual items ?
My position is this,Smart Casual is a very important style today and I want to raise my game and make my Smart Casual look more Smart than Casual...so no jeans (or Trainers).

Since the Summer through training (yes that includes the much derided Pilates) and a change in diet I have lost about a Stone and a half in weight (22 Pounds/ 10 Kilos) sadly this has meant that a lot of my Trousers are now too big for me.
I always try to take a positive from any experience (including negative experiences) and here the positive is that I will have to buy new Trousers/Chinos/Cords suitable for my age and my needs today.....
There will be no more blue jeans even though I get compliments on my Navy Armani J21 jeans I no longer feel happy with that look in the same way as I felt that I was too old for Trainers some time ago.

So what do I want when I buy new trousers ? I am thinking a pair of Navy and a pair of Grey wool flat front trousers,maybe some Cords and a pair of Chinos,I recently bought some Wrangler Texas jeans in a Biscuit colour (possibly something like Yorky mentioned?) and I will wear them for more mundane use (going to shops,gym etc).
I expect that I will buy some Puppy Tooth check trousers but they are not a priority, I also have a whim to buy some Tweed trousers and I like the look of the Jura tweed trousers on fifecountry although maybe they are a bit too Country.

Sorry that its such a long post but I thought that it might encourage further debate if I clarified my earlier posts.

Yes that's an interesting topic/debate cerneabbas.

Suits.
i've got two, one that works for Autumn/Winter, one that works for Spring/Summer. TBH i don't think i wore a suit for a year !
In most semi-formal or even formal occasions, the Blazer/Sports jacket - Trousers combo works rather well.

Smart casual.
I think it is interesting to spend more on casual items indeed, as long as they are quality and versatile.

Everyday casual and jeans.
I agree that at a certain age (that i didn't reach yet imho) it is better to avoid jeans. I decided not to buy anymore, but i have at least Ten pairs in my closet that are in rotation ! So i think i have again for 15 years at least of jeans wear (some are already old) !
I totally disagree with MrK when he says : "I don't think jeans ever fit 'well' compared to many other types of trousers". It really depends, like 'other types of trousers' of the fit, rise, and quality of Jeans. Also depends of the individual. Some look good in jeans, some don't.
The fit is capital : not too fitted but not to loose either. I wore jeans (Lee Europe 101z) in the "Cut of your Jib" Friday Challenge (my Fifth victory in a FC, thanks to the voters) and apparently it was a success.
I've been on a Jeans Search/Questioning for a couple of years. Like most guys on this thread i think, i was a Levi's 501 bloke until the 2000s where i did some tries. Designer jeans : I tried and liked the Paul Smith jeans and i had several pairs (still have one) in the 2000s. But they changed their fit and i don't like them now. Then i went back to the Three American historical brands: i discovered the Lee Riders from the Japan Archives that are now my Jeans of choice. I still like Levi's jeans, but i like them to be a little 'different' in colors from the usual to stand out from the crowd. I've also got a couple of Wranglers rather nice.
Funnily until the 2000s i would never have worn other Jeans than Levi's 501 MiUSA.

So Smart casual ? Yes, and in my case it can include Jeans - but not only.

 

[Kingstonian]

I have been mulling over the 'Suits/ Smart Casual' debate and my comments about jeans.
Mr Knightley was in favour of Suits whilst I thought that Smart Casual wear was more 'important' today (sadly) however then Mr Knightley championed jeans whereas I argued against jeans on older blokes and as part of Smart Casual.
In a previous post Mr Knightley had wondered if we should spend more on Casual items ?
My position is this,Smart Casual is a very important style today and I want to raise my game and make my Smart Casual look more Smart than Casual...so no jeans (or Trainers).

Since the Summer through training (yes that includes the much derided Pilates) and a change in diet I have lost about a Stone and a half in weight (22 Pounds/ 10 Kilos) sadly this has meant that a lot of my Trousers are now too big for me.
I always try to take a positive from any experience (including negative experiences) and here the positive is that I will have to buy new Trousers/Chinos/Cords suitable for my age and my needs today.....
There will be no more blue jeans even though I get compliments on my Navy Armani J21 jeans I no longer feel happy with that look in the same way as I felt that I was too old for Trainers some time ago.

So what do I want when I buy new trousers ? I am thinking a pair of Navy and a pair of Grey wool flat front trousers,maybe some Cords and a pair of Chinos,I recently bought some Wrangler Texas jeans in a Biscuit colour (possibly something like Yorky mentioned?) and I will wear them for more mundane use (going to shops,gym etc).
I expect that I will buy some Puppy Tooth check trousers but they are not a priority, I also have a whim to buy some Tweed trousers and I like the look of the Jura tweed trousers on fifecountry although maybe they are a bit too Country.

Sorry that its such a long post but I thought that it might encourage further debate if I clarified my earlier posts.

Wool trousers will require a lot more care than jeans though. I do have jeans - Wranglers MWZ13 ‘cowboy cut’ guaranteed not to reveal builders bum. They are reasonably priced and handy for chores where other trousers might get damaged. At this time of year, moleskin and 8 wale cords are nice and warm and don’t get damaged by moths.

 

[Thin White Duke]

My two cents / pence:

I don’t think there’s necessarily an upper age limit for jeans and trainers. They CAN look good at any age it’s the choices that are important. A lot of blokes get to a certain age and they’re wearing washed out baggy flaccid jeans and comfortable orthopedic style trainers which is a bad advert for the look. I’m a frequent wearer of dark fitted jeans and gazelles / sambas / stan smiths.

I mentioned in my recent blog post that I’m wearing jeans less these days simply coz I’m a bit bored with them. I have four pairs of dark blue selvedge jeans - two Levis and two Uniqlo and I’m happy to have achieved my mission of not wearing them at all over the summer but I have had them on a couple of times in recent weeks.

I also have two white jeans and a few assorted colours of five pocket cotton strides (Levis 511 ‘Commuters’). I neither like, nor own, nor desire to own, nor have a need for moleskins or cords.

Anything higher than the above on a formality scale would mean either sta pressts or linen strides for me, which I wear a lot in the hot Florida summers.

I need to join the harrington challenge and since there’s a bit of an anti jeans undercurrent I’m trying to decide what non jeans would look good with mine.

 

[Jimmy Balantyne]

Mr Knightley, here's that Locks 'Palm Springs' I mentioned a while back. This, like the previous photo, was taken by way of convincing the missus. Got the woman serving me to take it.

 

[Mr Knightley]

You turn your back on the thread for five minutes and all this happens!

@Jimmy Balantyne I like it! How do you describe that particular style?

I was going to ask about winter hats as my own hat game is very poor. I wear hats and caps with less formal styles but not with suit and tie normally.

Which hats do you guys wear in winter?

I haven’t got a lot to add to the discussion about jeans and alternatives and the decline of the suit, I am afraid. I would say that while we need to be conscious of aging, we should not let it become our master.

 

[Mr Knightley]

This is typical of my winter hat style - all pretty casual.



Bucket hat made in Scotland and branded ‘3 Cavaliers’, Bates, DAKS house check

 

[Clouseau]

- "Clouseau ? This is Dreyfus. I know who stole your hat…"

 

[Jimmy Balantyne]

You turn your back on the thread for five minutes and all this happens!

@Jimmy Balantyne I like it! How do you describe that particular style?

I was going to ask about winter hats as my own hat game is very poor. I wear hats and caps with less formal styles but not with suit and tie normally.

Which hats do you guys wear in winter?

I haven’t got a lot to add to the discussion about jeans and alternatives and the decline of the suit, I am afraid. I would say that while we need to be conscious of aging, we should not let it become our master.

It's a black Panama. It's got a bit of a Spanish vibe which is difficult to explain/describe. Most of my hats are Newsboy caps. There's a brown Trilby and a Woolrich red and black hunting cap with flaps for the ears. In the depths of winter, it's life-saver. It takes a bit of front to carry off a hat. Caps are easy but hats man... different story.

 

[Botolph]

This sort of sums it up:

 

[Thin White Duke]

Good topic Mister K.
I saw a pic of you sporting that bucket hat recently and I think it aged you. Was reaching for a reference point in films or something and came up empty. Alec Guinness as George Smiley maybe? Anyway most of your gear could be worn by any well dressed fella from late teenage to your current vintage but a tweed bucket hat is firmly the sphere of ... ‘mature gents’.

I recently got a rust brown wool felt fedora to wear with my chesterfield coat on cold days. 2 1/4 inch brim. Water resistant. Crushable if it needs to be packed but I’d rather not do that! Off to Chicago next week so it may be deployed soon.

 

[Jimmy Balantyne]

The other problem is that you run this risk of an unruly fifteen-year-old, knocking it off. My wife claims this fear is based on the fact that it's the sort of thing I'd have done... She may have a point. Incidentally, Fly-front who used to post on here mentioned, possibly on another forum, how people used to spray their hair silver or gold. In this... it's silver.

 

[cerneabbas]

Good topic Mister K.
I saw a pic of you sporting that bucket hat recently and I think it aged you. Was reaching for a reference point in films or something and came up empty. Alec Guinness as George Smiley maybe? Anyway most of your gear could be worn by any well dressed fella from late teenage to your current vintage but a tweed bucket hat is firmly the sphere of ... ‘mature gents’.

I recently got a rust brown wool felt fedora to wear with my chesterfield coat on cold days. 2 1/4 inch brim. Water resistant. Crushable if it needs to be packed but I’d rather not do that! Off to Chicago next week so it may be deployed soon.

Chicago....Fedora....Chesterfield coat....surely an Al Capone convention ? will you carry a violin case ?

I have a Tweed bucket hat for very cold dry days, a Failsworth Grouse hat blue Harris Tweed,I saw Sean Connery wearing one once in a film,however I think that I look more like one of the Wurzels in mine.

 

[cerneabbas]

I have a couple of waxed cotton caps by Failsworth / Earland bros made from Halley Stevensons waxed cotton material,nice caps in the rain and they seem breathable too.
In fact I have been so impressed that I am watching out for a jacket made from the same material,Fred Perry have made jackets from HS material in the past as have many more famous names.

A problem recently with caps is people saying about Peaky Blinders, now I was quite surprised that most people even knew about Peaky Blinders, anyway I then found out (I should have guessed) that there is a TV series about them.
Now of course any time someone is seen wearing a cap there will be a Peaky Blinders comment,20 years ago it would have been Victor Meldrew....