Polka Dots

“How do you feel about accessories with polka-dots such as ties, belts and pocket squares? Is the pattern suitable for men (in moderation)? Thanks in advance, ADG. Keep up the good work. ~Hilton”

I feel good. About polka dots.  And it took me no time to scour the visual drivel that I’ve posted in order to find the supporting evidence. Ian Fleming and Winnie did the best job of sporting polka dot bow ties. Polka dot...where the hell did the name "polka dot" come from?

All of us, to a person—do NOT argue this with me—when wearing a blue polka dot bow tie with cream dots will take on some level of Unintended Churchill Sycophancy. And if it is intended, then good on you.

I have one chocolate brown pocket square. It works in the winter.

And in the summer. Who said brown ain’t a summer color? Call me.

I’ve even co-opted the same square for use as an ascot. Because I have a skinny neck. And washboard abs. 

When Richard Merkin passed away, his wife sent me a great care package of Merkin Memories. And one item, consistent with Merkin’s outrageousness was a red pocket square with oedematous dots on it. (Sorry—there are several of you mugwumps who use British spellings in your blog posts to a laughable affective degree. Megtown over at Pigtown Design is allowed because her father was from England and she lived in Wales. The rest of you non-Britishers, unless you had at least one British parent who taught you rudimentary spelling or you went to school in England or you have a British Passport or you are the child of a British colonial subject, need to drop that damn habit post haste. However, I am allowing, along with my occasional spelling of the word color as colour, my aforementioned British spelling of edematous because it is so effing over the top incredibly wrought in such a beautifully quirky way that I HAD to use it. Shut the ___)

I usually wear my Merkin polka in the winter but when LFG and I get home, I’m gonna thow it in my navy linen blazer. (Yes, I spelled it “thow” deliberately. Courtesy of one T.C. … a KA brother of mine who used to drop his r’s in certain words. “Cut-thoat” also comes to mind. It must be a Winnsboro S.C. thing)

SocksPolka wild? Why not.

Socks Polka subdued? If you have to. 

And finally, I almost pounced on these Jack Spade polka dot shorts the other day in Georgetown. Butcept for two reasons. One...they were about a hundred and thirty bucks. Two...and this is the bigger reason...LFG vetoed the dooky out of 'em.

Onward. Feeling good. Having escaped Florence and am now amongst ‘em with LFG at Rehoboth. We both had our maiden 2012 Gus and Gus chili dog within twelve minutes of arrival. 

And speaking of Feeling Good, here's the Godfather of Soul expounding on the phenomenon...live from Chastain Park. I kid you not, I was sitting in a lovely early 19th century flat in Paris one night...surprise...with a woman. It was our last night there and her friend who lent us the flat had a black and white television with three channels. Why would you even want a telly if you lived in Paris? I turned it on briefly and BAM! ...there was James Brown...live...from Chastain Park. Something about watching James Brown live from Chastain Park on a derelict black and white television, sitting in a great little flat in Paris, licking my divorce wounds while licking a stunner, that's story-worthy. Some damn how.

Eighty Gee Two