whnay.'s good taste thread

[YRR92]

I like solid cream silk (more of a warm white than a true cream color), because it's white linen in a different shape. The solid, shiny, tan one here is innately quasi-tacky, but (sick as this might make me), I like it more than I would have liked white linen in its place. I just can't get down with the straight line through the pocket -- at least for myself.

 

[DocHolliday]

Squares with a lot of cream in them are quite useful. Solid cream is timid. Get some pattern, people.

 

[DocHolliday]



I like solid cream silk (more of a warm white than a true cream color), because it's white linen in a different shape. The solid, shiny, tan one here is innately quasi-tacky, but (sick as this might make me), I like it more than I would have liked white linen in its place. I just can't get down with the straight line through the pocket -- at least for myself.

White linen doesn't belong in that fit either, so cream is only winning by default. Not because it's the optimal choice, to use a Foo-ism. That's what I mean by "couldn't do any better." It's fairly consistently the "coulda been worse!" choice, which is weak tea.

 

[YRR92]

I can't tell what the stripe colors in the shirt are, they look black, which would be very bad. Blue would be OK, but would demand a solid tie, knit best IMO.

The yellow in the square is a fine color an would look nice as one component of a subdued madder/paisley pattern. As it is, it's a big shock of YELLOW that just shouts.

the tie colors are fine, the pattern is early 90s Norstrsom. Classics, less busy, are way better. But again, pattern in the coat and shirt almost always call for a solid tie. When the shirt pattern is that bold, AND the colors constrast so much, you really need it. Solid knit navy would solve that problem. Then a pattern in the square, showing just a tiny bit, and that would be good.

That makes a lot of sense. The stripes are mid-blue, and the square is a sort of ginger-ale color -- it may read as yellow on your screen, especially if the stripe looks black.

Would a navy knit be a better choice than burgundy or the purple shade of the current tie? I'd worry about navy being a bit strong for this jacket, almost too dark. I've been wearing black and brown wool knits a lot, but the brown is too similar to this jacket and the black is probably too stark, though if I can think of a shirt for that, I'll try it.

CM, brown isn't really boring, but it's not a tricky color to work with, either.

 

[unbelragazzo]

Fwiw here's a somewhat similar combo I wore recently (apologies for crumpled shirt and poorly folded square, just threw this back together for the pic):

 

[DocHolliday]



I can't tell what the stripe colors in the shirt are, they look black, which would be very bad. Blue would be OK, but would demand a solid tie, knit best IMO. whether blue or black, it looks like broadcloth with dark stripes. Way better would be oxford with paler stripes. Navy knt would still be optimal.

The yellow in the square is a fine color an would look nice as one component of a subdued madder/paisley pattern. As it is, it's a big shock of YELLOW that just shouts.

the tie colors are fine, the pattern is early 90s Norstrsom. Classics, less busy, are way better. But again, pattern in the coat and shirt almost always call for a solid tie. When the shirt pattern is that bold, AND the colors constrast so much, you really need it. Solid knit navy would solve that problem. Then a pattern in the square, showing just a tiny bit, and that would be good.

Shirt stripes look blue on my screen -- almost too bright. Agree with your suggestions. Blue white stripe ocbd is needed.

Tie I like more than you, considering it's a madder. I was just glad not to see another busy, tiny Marinella pattern stuffed awkwardly into a sportcoat combo. Larger traditional medallion/diamond prints are way underrated on SF.

 

[Manton]

a burg knit (solid) would work OK, but that's a lot of colors, which means you have to go low key on the square.

 

[Manton]

speaking of which, what square would work then? Or, put another way, is there any solid square that goes with tweed? Doc is basically right, linen never or rarely works. Solid silk typically sucks. What about solid wool or cash? I have a solid cash crean square, I don't use it much. might be the answer here.

 

[YRR92]

Fwiw here's a somewhat similar combo I wore recently (apologies for crumpled shirt and poorly folded square, just threw this back together for the pic):

What's the tie there, UBR? Is it a plain silk twill? I do agree with DocHolliday that Marinella-ish ties don't belong with tweed. That said, I like small prints like that on madder or challis in a tweedy context. In the rig I posted, I might have gone smaller if it weren't for the fact that the only tie I had that fit the bill was green.

Also, I can't get down with graph checks. Two (or more) color tattersalls are great, in my book, but graph checks hang out in this weird not quite city/not quite country space in my mind -- the same one that a lot of gray odd jackets (the ones without a lot of surface interest or countryish styling) live in.

Those are nitpicks, though.

Your square/coat is way better than mine. I worry about so many similar shades, but you do it beautifully there. The tie's the right color and pattern scale, and despite my squeamishness about graph checks this one's far from egregious.

 

[unbelragazzo]

Wool/silk combos like the Drakes ones solve all these problems. They aren't solid but they are small scale enough for most of the square that they aren't annoying.

 

[Manton]

at this point in my (rapidly dissipating) life, I only wear knits or repps with tweed.

 

[YRR92]

a burg knit (solid) would work OK, but that's a lot of colors, which means you have to go low key on the square.

With this coat, I should probably go fairly low-key on the square anyway.

If we accept that off-white silk is out (which I don't, yet), then I think DocHolliday's suggestion of cream (or whatever color) with a lot of ground showing is the closest you could get to a solid. The solid cashmere could work, but I can't help but think a patterned cashmere would be better than a solid.

 

[DocHolliday]

The best of the lot, IMO, is the old-school white linen or cotton stuffed insouciantly, so it juts out like an iceberg. I like that look, in a retro, care-only-so-much way. But that requires a simplicity the forum isn't keen on.

If you're pattern loaded to the point only a solid will do, might be best to do a Coco Chanel or go without.

I have a lovely Ferragamo hunting scene with lots of cream, green and soft golds that does the work of solid cream, only with lots more style.

 

[Claghorn]

Solid cream grenadine grossa? I've never seen one used though, but it seems like it might work as far as solid silk with tweed.

In general, I think cream is like a black knit tie. Rarely optimal, but hard to **** up. Good for beginners.

 

[DocHolliday]

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at this point in my (rapidly dissipating) life, I only wear knits or repps with tweed.

Nothing wrong with this. For a long while I was wearing knits almost exclusively. Sometimes with dots, when living dangerously.