Friday, November 5, 2010

Spooky Houndstooth

This recent flurry of suit wearing days saw me go to another Flusser standard. This one is seventeen years old. Our transitional weather, I think, is behind us so these lightweight swathing are now stored away till the warmer invitational known as Spring 2011.
Funny I know, but I’m the designated class photographer for LFG and her peers. Shut up. I rolled over to her school to take pictures of their Halloween soiree and a spooky costume kind of a guy I ain’t. So why not bust a pair of spooky socks at least.
I netted out more of a Christmas mélange than Halloween methinks. But remember, LFG banned my orange pants. Yes people I know that it’s a bit beyond just fuzzy to rig this houndstooth with a plaid tie abutting a navy striped shirt. But I did it and I’ll do it again. I'd suggest you not try this butcept at home.
The shirt is just about as old and the collar fusing is beginning to reflect it. Fused collars? Get over yourself. Unless you are paying three-fifty and up for bespoke, your collars are fused. So are your cuffs. Collars and cuffs. Always verify that they are the same colour. Dig my black safety patrol belt.
Seventeen years ago I had some transient delusion that maybe a two button jacket would be interesting. I'm a three-two roll stalwart and don't know what came over me. But here it is and it's really no worse for the missing gallbladder incisionesque hand felled top button amidst the roll. Hell yes it is. After crafting that sentence I'm awash in three-two roll remorse. Hold me.
If you don't own something single-breasted with peak lapels, you need to consider it. It's the jauntiest contrivance and in hard finish fabrics, hand felled button holes just pop. And I'm all about the damn pop. Snap and Krackle? Not so much. Even though I do like cracklin cornbread.
Seventeen years later, I would raise the button stance just a bit on this rig. 
The pre-Halloween week saw me in this rig as well. Sporting pink and in the pink. 
Toad, these are my initials. Same ones I had your boys at Del Toro slap on a pair of their slippies for me. Butcept I didn't commission velvet ones. Brown suede with a slightly lighter brown monogram. Monochromatoarrogance...still of no consequence. Shut up.
And finally boys...and/or girls, there's nothing more incongruous than paying good money for an elegant tie and consequently manifesting a shitty knot. Learn to tie a properly dimpled four-in hand and pin the bastard down if your collar is a flyaway. There is no other knot by the way. Full Windsor....there exists no circumstance where it is required. Half Windsor? See my Full Windsor comment.
Onward. Skull and Crossbones-ish. Ghilliefied too.

ADG, II and the Classics IV

18 comments:

ilovelimegreen said...

The houndstooth suit is indeed snazzy but don't tempt us with lines like "I’m the designated class photographer for LFG and her peers" and not show us any of those Halloween photos! (Love the plaid tie with those spooky socks!)

James said...

A portrait of sartorial splendor. My work day closet was full of dark suits and white shirts, but my tie rack and sock drawer were borderline psychedelic, or was that psychotic?

Summer is a Verb said...

I want those socks...XXOO

ADG said...

AllieVonDelToro...I'll sell 'em to you.

James...gotta have something fuzzy in the ensemble and ties/socks are a good place to do it.

LimeGreener...I can't share those photos...what with the human sacrifices and everything. Plus, LFG wasn't there. She was home sick.

Suburban Princess said...

Gorgeous! The last time I saw a man in a suit this nice was a couple of years ago and strangely, in the grocery store. I was staring for so long I walked into an end display.

Anonymous said...

You are a proper knotter. (as opposed to a nutter) It makes my heart soar like an eagle when I see that perfect little dimple under a slightly asymmetrical schoolboy knot. Our Mayor (San Francisco) ties such perfect knots they almost look like they have not been touched by human hands. The ultimate Mayoral clip ons. My vote for him was based purely on the daily outcome of his knot. He never failed to produce perfection. He is forever in front of a camera and after two terms I think I would be correct in saying that he has never worn the same tie twice.
When I was going through my Annie Hall phase, I had this Missoni tie that had been a party favor from a Missoni trade supper I had been invited to. I loved the colors, I mean hell, it's Missoni. But the tie was so thick that I had a hard time tying it, even at half mast on my menswear shirt with obligatory vest and pleated pants. It never looked quite perfect but since I was going for the carefree, studied sloppiness thing it never mattered. I would like to see it tied perfectly some day before I die.

ADG said...

AnonSanFran...send it to me. I shall tie it. Properly-for you. Askew.

Suburban...I remember THAT day. What a noise you made as the end stand display cans rolled everywhere.

Wildcat Whisperer said...

Dear Sir:

That suit is effin' BOSS.

Don't regret the button stance...it's close enough to the natural waist to work for at least another decade or two.

yoga teacher said...

I sadly gave away my excellent Halloween fairy costume this year, which was a severe blow since 10 short years ago my kid was so proud that her mom had the best costume ever. I had to content myself with a witch's hat and dressing up our *Borderdor* as a devil. Maybe next year I'll go as you... if only I could figure out what a "three-two roll" is. Three pockets, 2 buttons? Just what gets rolled?

Good on you for being the class photog. Especially when your baby is home sick. You get the cool dad award for sure.

tintin said...

You would put rims on a toaster.

tintin said...

http://www.guitarsolos.com/videos-chris-rock-black-guys-and-%5BGOCu45gI9-k%5D.cfm

CeceliaMc said...

You must ONLY wear that suit with the striped shirt and the plaid-tie-so-yummy-it-makes-me-weep.

NOTHING else will do.

Anonymous said...

Yoga

three buttons with the lapel rolled over the top one and to the middle button ........3/2 roll......elegant

Suburban Princess said...

LOL Well thank you for pretending you didn't notice!

Laguna Beach Fogey said...

Well done ol' chum. You are the standard.

I could not get away with a SB peak lapel suit in the orifice, though I have noticed a couple of other chaps wearing DB suits with peak lapels. The DB chalk stripe calls to me...

Love the suede kickers, and, of course, the socks.

ADG said...

Laguna...I don't want to be the standard bearer, it'll take the fun away from all of this...but thanks for the compliment. What about a solid navy SB peak? Seems fairly subdued to me. The first time I saw the striped shirt-plaid tie combo was on a guy at a breakfast meeting in Baltimore 20 years ago. The suit that it was underpinning? ... SB gray flannel-chalk stripe. Nothing, nothing in the world better looking than that suit.

Suburban...no worries.

Young Fogey said...

Pimpin'!

Butcept for the socks. Thems is clownin'.

Easy and Elegant Life said...

Absolute fuzzy perfection. Keep fighting the good fight.