Thursday, February 25, 2010

Angora Flat Front-Shoulda Stayed in Bed

While my blessings far outrank my challenges this has been one of those proverbial “weeks”. You know-one of those where you think that remaining in bed might have been a good choice for you and the world.

My two Christmas gifts from our half price friends at Polo Ralph in Chevy Chase were my stellar Camel Polo overcoat and my angora/lambs wool flannel blend-flat front-two button suit. Both of these discounted babies are as my baby LFG says….”cuddly”. The angora/lambs wool blend suit has an incredibly soft hand and today I decided to lift my inner and outer spirit by swathing myself in said suit.

I’d been kinda hankering for a flat front trouser suit for some time. I don’t wear suits very often and such a folly would be the last thing I’d have my wingmen at Flusser create for me. 
My suit trousers have always been “drape-y”. Not Oxford Bags “drape-y” but classically so. Worn high on the natural waist with full pleats and side tabs. That’s how I ordered my suit trousers when bespeaking them. And sometimes I’d really throw the trouser drama into high gear with the English Split Back-Fishtail treatment with center buckle in the small of the trouser back. Fuzzy Dice-ish? Probably-shut up.
Now I’m all for flat front trousers. But they are usually found in the guise of khaki-some linen-moleskin and corduroy. That’s where my mind’s eye had them slotted. But the flat front suit option intrigued me so when this one spiraled down to half-price I decided to deploy some of my Christmas bonus that direction. 
Tintin did a post a good while back on the classic old Polo bold patterned suits from the 1980’s and this one spoke a little bit of that decade to me. Actually it first whispered and then realizing that I can’t hear sh_t out of my left ear finally shouted at my country ass.
“Buy me…get me out of here before some sartorially unsophisticated sycophant siphons me off the mark down rack”. How could I not pounce on the bad boy after that?
So here we are. Cuddly as hell and obviously I’m still sporting the requisite flat stomach necessary to pull this look off and no-I don’t have that body girdle from the Sky Mall catalogue on under it. I’m not above it though. 
Actually I’ve gotta have the trousers taken in a bit as I’ve successfully lost that ever so scant bit of waistline that my mama throwed on me through love and calories at Christmas. That’s what mamas are supposed to do.
Old, old old Polo tie with an even older Paul Stuart dress shirt. Rubinacci pocket square from London tightens this rig up nicely. I mean tight. Tighter than a fat girl’s socks.
And yes I’m sitting outside. I’m so tired of this weather that I could spit. But I won’t. And yes I leave the old rugs outside year around and yes the snow covered them for a month and no I don’t care. 
By the time the rugs are relegated to the outer sanctum they are of no monetary value and …and…shut up.
Don’t argue this next point with me. I don’t care what kind of trouser you are considering-nor do I care how tall-short-skinny-tubby you are. If you are going to cuff the trouser-you put a two inch cuff in it or none at all.
Flusser socks and my standard beat to dookie brown suede monk-ey strap shoes finish off this boondoggle.
 So I sit down on the old steamer trunk in my bedroom to snap a picture of the sock/shoe component of this contrivance-nothing new about this-I do it routinely.
But when I stand up I feel something pull. Now I’ve got a lovely hole in my brand new trousers. By the time they return from a reweave it will be too late to wear them this season. 
Oy. Wonder what else could happen in my little Minimus pad? God forbid a late 19th century French advertising poster should fall off the wall.
Like I said, some weeks it just pays to stay in bed.

Onward. Anyone else feel a breeze in here?
ADG

24 comments:

Toad said...

A couple of years ago, the London Lounge commissioned a cloth very similar to your suit. I made an odd jacket from it, and will wear it until I canna no moe.

i'm with you 100% on the cuffs.

Anonymous English Female said...

ADG - Sure hope today was one those days you chose to wear underwear...
PS - Did you import a Ralph model for the shots of your suit or is that skinny, boyish, skinny figure your very own??

ADG said...

Toad...I think this will be one of those "wear forever" garments for me too...once I get the ass end repaired.

AnonEngFem...it's all me...trimmed down post Holidays and yes-I wore knickers today.

ilovelimegreen said...

Shots of sun - I forgot what that is! Good for you to sit and outside AND photograph the sunshine. Those polka dot braces look fabulous against that rug.

Anonymous said...

"Reweave" is a word I'd like to hear Barbara Walters say real fast.

Great fabric and RL minus 50% is even better. The 5" lapel Garrison model is apparently an explict attempt to harken back to '70s and '80s Ralph.

Maybe RL reads the The Trad as well...

Nice poster, also.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, the lapels are like aircraft carriers launching platforms. And there is nothing remotely subtle about the plaid.

Sometimes thing are on 1/2 price sale for a reason.

A rare miss but I do generally like your style.

Anonymous said...

Just got rid of one of my old steamer trunks because it would reach out and destroy any clothes that came near it. Decided to free it to favorite charity store. Sorry about your suit. Beautiful hand as we who know fine fabrics like to say.

ADG said...

LimeGreenGal...that's the Kilim chaise.

Anon...thanks I needed the laugh. Weweave.

Anon...you may be right. The sartorial gods might have orchestrated the trouser tear. I never said the plaid was subtle. I don't really do subtle.

Richard said...

How in the heck did you tear your trousers like that.....maybe, I should go back and re-read. Anyway, I am sorry about that! If it makes you feel better, I knew a guy who bought a Kiton MTM Cream Linen Suit and unfortunately, he fell in a puddle of oil the first day he wore it. Of course, it could not be repaired. He was pissed!

M.Lane said...

That is one nice suit. How awful about the tear. At least you live where you can have it repaired rather than wear it with a hole like I would have to do. But I would. It is that great a suit.

ML
mlanesepic.blogspot.com

Laguna Beach Fogey said...

Bloody hell that's a beautiful get-up. Very well done. D@mn.

ELS said...

Well I think it's a crying shame - that is the spiffiest looking siut I've seen in a long time, including my last London trip which was wall-to-wall spiffy.

You must be gutted, it's beautiful.

Could you pass it off as a memento from your recent pheasant shoot? Or a fox bite?

ELS

Charles said...

Sorry about the britches.

ADG said...

Anon...Re: The old trunk. I concur. However, if I get rid of it, where am I going to hide my dope and sex toys?

Richard...sorry about your friend's suit. But Kiton MTM is a real bad value for the $$$. He could have destroyed an Anderson and Sheppard bespoke suit for the same money and the drama/story would have been much more campaignable. Thee was an old rivet on the chest that caught the trouser leg as I stood up.

LagunaTradCod...thanks man. Thought about you the other week when I was in London...near the Admiral Cod.

ELS...I love you and your suggestions but my constituents already know I'm a poseur. To that end the pheasant/fox excuse won't go.

Longthang...thanks.

Mrs. Blandings said...

Fully endorsing the rugs outside. It's the kind of thing that would seal a friendship for me.

tintin said...

I'd get a double crotch lining in those trou a.s.a.p. I had a pair of Ralphie angora / wool trousers and my thighs and other big things blew through that butter soft fabric in 10 months.

Where can I get the girdle?

Richard said...

I agree ADG - I am not a fan of Kiton!

DAG said...

Great suit - too bad about the tear. I have a brown paisley tie that would look great with that.

Michael1style said...

SImply dashing ADG! Don't really know what the bloke who commented on the suit being left on the rack was smoking, but that fabric is SUBLIME, and I love the tie... is the tie wool?

Very sorry about the suit, but it beats those damn pesky moth holes. There is an Lady who does reweaving in Old Towne if you need another, but something tells me you're ok!

The Sluice Box said...

A reweaver is one of those obscure but essential services that always seem to be on the brink of obsolescence. Finding a good one is a blessing. It's a wonder they're still around. Hat blockers and umbrella repairmen fall into this same category.
-Aaron

Anonymous said...

A framed 6 foot by 4 foot version of that hat poster is available at the 26th St. flea market for a decent price. You could wrap it up in the lapels of that coat for a safe journey home.

Easy and Elegant Life said...

That is one beautiful OTR suit, well-kitted out! Nice get. Are you sending the reweave through my tailor down here?

Meantime, you could ever so gently wear just the suit coat. Look at those lapels! Ralph is getting nostalgic (or back to his roots).

My father-in-law just commented on my cuffs. He mentioned that you just don't see them that deep anymore. (He spent a few years in post-War London as a child.)

By the way, to clean an oriental rug, you use only water. I'm sure the snow didn't do too much damage. Just make sure that they dry out.

CeceliaMc said...

As my daughter would say, "That sucks!"

I always reply, "Don't say sucks."

I love your choice of tie and if perchance I had encountered you in that regalia, I likely would have goosed you.

Not to worry. There's always next season!

ADG said...

Mrs. Blandings...thanks!

Tintin...I hear you re the fragile cloth...I'm over it. The girdle...SkyMall...I'll bring you the catalog when I'm next in Gotham. Two weeks from now.

Richard...Kiton...so pricey off the rack or MTM that one should just go bespoke.

DAG...thanks. I'm woefully lean on tie choices. I don't much wear them anymore.

Michael...thanks. I like the large pattern too.

Sluice...Indeed. I hear that there's only one typewriter repair shop left in NYC...I suppose to service the machines of the last three New Yorker contributors that use them.

Anonymous...that poster-like the lapels on this Polo rig-is probably a repro if it's less than two grand.

Easy and Elegant...Ralph nostalgia...that's exactly why I bought it!

Cecelia...hell, you goose me all the time right here on this blog-and if you stop-I'll be offended.