Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Trad-Ivy Tuesday: The Soft—Unpinned Collar


“If it’s not a button down, I’m not interested.” This was my mantra from the time I was old enough to buy my own shirts ‘till I was close to thirty years old. Until then, I had no interest in a straight collar, a modified spread or anything…other than a button down.
The Trad Mother Church that I worked in offered one basic style of a straight collar shirt but I never took notice of it. Seems to me that the local preachers preferred it. Our highest volume stock in trade was courtesy of Gant and it was always oxford cloth button down…at nineteen dollars a go. I can’t find a photo of it and I am not dreaming this one up…Gant had a deep, almost orange-ish yellow called maize (surprise I know) that was solely unique to them. It made every other yellow look washed out…not that even the Gant maize color did anyone’s coloring a favor. Ok, I’m digressing.
Why would I need anything other than a button down? My clothing line-up until age thirty consisted totally of single breasted, single vented, mostly 3/2 rolled clothing. The exception was an occasional from the outlets, Ralph rig that might have been double vented. But peaked lapels, sleeve cuffs and double breasted rigs, even though just around the corner, weren’t yet part of my oeuvre.
And when they did arrive, the sartorial components that beg for a shirting alternative to the age-old buttoned down standard, whispered to me…  “pin it, pin it…” so I complied. The cinched and secured, elevated visual stance of a well dimpled tie was enough to keep me devoted to the pinned-collar-code to this day. Plus, I could never seem to pull off the unpinned look. Sure, when I did, the unwashed masses would have never known that I was falling short of the mark. But I did. And that’s all that mattered.
Here’s my one exception to the rule where I’m actually comfortable with the outcome. But the tie clasp offers the grounding and securitization that for some reason I think I need. But others through the years have done the unpinned collar rather well. Here’s a few
Sir Henry Cotton
John P. Marquand does it but this look is just too sloppy for me.
Acheson does it but his vest supplies the cinched tie arc that makes this anything but relaxed.
Gable. Strong as nine rows of spring onions.
Scott. Unpinned.
Bobby Jones
Gary Cooper
And here’s my buddy G. Bruce Boyer manifesting Ivy-Trad-Tweed-Cord Sprezzatura all-to-be-damned. Folks, this is about as stellar as it gets…relaxed—unstudied wise. With an unbuttoned button down collar. Sublime.
If you’ve read my stuff for any length of time, you know that this photo of my pimply faced teenage dad is one that still provokes scores of unanswered questions. Fear not, I won’t take you back down that maudlin path again. Suffice it to say that I remain intrigued by the unrequited genesis of his style.
And when LFG and I were home last June, I found this photo of my dad. How do farm boys in Horry County, South Carolina develop this level of style? Soft, unpinned collar and some swanky bit of neckwear to bring it full circle. This looks kinda Ralph before Ralph. Suffice it to say that I never got the hang of pulling together this unpinned, soft collared casual look. My dad was rocking it at ten.
Amidst the previous photo of my father was this one. Looks like some kind of corporate head shot thing for the files. My mom had no answer regarding the photo so that puts me at a complete loss as well. I remained a company man for thirteen years before starting my own gig. My dad lasted about thirteen minutes, listening to others, before he started his. Maybe this was his exit photo. Whatever the case…as much as I love the photo booth shot of my dad, this one doesn’t trip my trigger. Full Windsor knot and an unpinned collar. It’s just not my thing.
So here’s my final verdict on the unpinned, soft collar. I’m neutral. If you can pull the look off, then I suppose that it’s ok. I prefer a tightened up, fountainhead arc of a well dimpled tie preening above a pin. It could be a karmic thing for me, I don’t know. I tried the unpinned caution-to-the-wind collar when last I needed a new driver’s licence. The outcome’s above. Case closed. At least for me.

Onward.
ADG, II

5 comments:

The Leopard said...

I really enjoyed your comedy album "The Pinned-Down Mind" an apt sequel to Newhart's earlier work. The growth as a sartorialist is in direct correlation to the amount of experimentation in dress and the confidence you gain from finding a look that works for you.The journey is not for the faint of heart and you have charged in like a modern day William Wallace ( I've missed a few blogs have you already done the kilt with blue painted face thing?). I think the pinning works for you because of the overall fuzziness of it all, in saying that I think the unpinned club collar with the houndstooth jacket looked great. Many moons ago when I was in college I wore the BB BDO exclusively and it worked for me, I still wear them for casual wear but now wear Turnbull & Asser spread collars (no pin) with double cuffs with my suits as I believe and it works for me as you wear what works for you and it makes you happy and that's what it's all about.

yoga teacher said...

Seriously, don't you ever feel like you're choking (especially when it's hot)? Then what if, for some reason, you had to get your tie off really fast? Where would you store the pin until you got home?
OK, one more. I like the blue plaid (windowpane?) shirt
with the gold tie, but are the horses upside down? Are they horses? Is this tie PC?

Anonymous said...

"There's no school like the Old School, and I am Headmaster."
-RocknRolla

DIRECTOR

ADG said...

Leopard...I've not done the blue face paint thing yet. But how did you know? I DO have a Smurfs post in the queue.

Yoga...I never feel like I'm choking when I wear a pinned collar. I was watching Matt Weiner's comment on the first episode of Mad Men last night. He was talking about the scene where all of the younger Mad Men are out at a bar. They actually cinched their ties back UP while out for after work drinks. He speaks to this. But I have undone the pin after dinner. I either pin it to my braces (suspenders) or leave it pierced in one of the collars and close it. The horses are anything but PC and upside down or not, they are an expression of my individuality and my Masonic
station.

Headmaster RockaRolla...Don't give me no demerits.

notanymore said...

This was an exceptionally interesting read into your personal history.

And I still pretty much don't do non-button downs.