Metropolitan Part 2.

After watching the entire film, I give Metropolitan a thumbs up. I did worry for a long time that I would never see the cast in suits or casual attire. I feared that they would remain in evening wear throughout the movie. I did enjoy the hypocrisy, the gossiping, and betrayal. The downward fall stuff was amusing as well. "We are all doomed for failure", I love it! In addition, I found the brunettes rather attractive in this film (always a plus)! I do believe this is a good film to watch around Christmas, but I plan to view it again soon. One always picks up on new detail the second time around.

Silly Contest At The Club

Tonight at the club, we had a ridiculous contest (who can best dress like an 80s preppy). I don't think they realized the fact that we dress like 80s preps for the most part anyway. Regardless, I decided to participate, and the only thing I could think of to add to my usual attire was a sweater around the neck. Somehow, I was runner-up with my simple addition :) The outfit above consists of: pink candy stripe OCBD, navy blazer with brass buttons, hot pink square, chinos, web belt and bit loafers.

Metropolitan

I have seen references to this movie (Metropolitan) many times of late, and I decided to purchase the film since I could not find it in my local video store. As I am writing this post, I am about half way through the film (the phone will not stop ringing and I have the movie on pause). Thus far, I am uncertain if I think it was worth the money. The film has many references to J Press, Brooks Brothers, and the word "preppy". Alright, let's go watch the rest of the film.

The Blackwatch Blazer

Southwick ad recovered from the Trad blog

Let me apologize for not posting yesterday, and for being behind today. I have been under the weather the last couple days, and it is probably due to late night escapades but that is another story. Anyway, the Blackwatch blazer can be an excellent alternative to the traditional navy blazer in the right circumstances. I generally think of this fabric as a fall/winter fabric, but I have seen the pattern in warm weather versions before. I recently purchased a Brooks Brothers madras sport coat that closely resembles Blackwatch. In my opinion, the best Blackwatch patterns are those that appear navy from a distance or in low lighting. Blackwatch jackets also look good with brass buttons, or with horn buttons. The ad below is a classic Southwick ad that I saw on the Trad blog. The ad demonstrates the beauty of a Blackwatch blazer that looks like a navy blazer in the right lighting. In addition, it is just a beautiful ad. Have a great weekend!

WASP 101 Girl of The Week

A young Chris Evert, need I say more :)

Every Man Needs His Chair

Every man needs that special chair that he retires to when he needs a moment of peace and quiet. The solitude of relaxing in a comfortable chair while reading, smoking (cigar or pipe), or just enjoying the fellowship of your dog is priceless. Doing such an activity helps me to maintain focus and drive. In addition, it is an even better routine if you are dressed as impeccably as the Duke is in the photo above. If your fashion acumen is not up to par with the Duke, I still suggest finding that special chair.

Is Winston Churchill One Of History's Best Dressed?

Is Winston Churchill one of history's best dressed individuals? When considering that question, I would have to say, yes! Undoubtedly, he broke rules, but some of the best dressed men in world shatter all the do's and do nots of fashion. The button down shirt with a double breasted blazer is an example of breaking the rules to some. Apparently, my display in last week's post drove some viewers mad. I think a couple folks actually referred to me as stupid (loved it). I guess the Duke, Churchill, Astaire, etc. were stupid as well :) In my opinion, it is the rule breakers that make life and fashion interesting. These individuals leave marks, and Churchill certainly left his mark. The polka dot bow tie and many other displays will always be credited to Winston, and he deserves the credit. His three piece suits, watch chain, hats, and cigars were very stylish as well. Winston, I salute you........and you were a pretty good politician to.

Winston looks great in his white suit, and he is sitting beside a pretty stylish American in this photo as well. I might change Churchill's socks, but he still looks great.

Knit Ties

Knit ties are certainly classic, that is not debatable. However, I have not worn a knit tie in quite a while, but I decided to break one out earlier this week. I was amazed at how many comments I received about my tie. Older men in particular seem to appreciate the classic nature of the old school knit tie. Many companies offer knit ties, and some of these companies include: Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, J Crew, J Press, etc. In the past, I have been know to mix a knit tie with a suit. Typically, you only see knit ties with blazers and sport coats, but I think it is a good balance of dressy and casual to mix a knit with a suit.

WASP 101 Girl Of The Week

credit: InStyle Magazine

I loved Katie when she starred on Dawson's Creek, and I still love her. However, I am not so fond of her husband Tom Cruise. Katie, you are wonderful.

More Bruce Boyer

credit: Sartorialist

Looking at images like this one of Bruce Boyer makes me wish fall were here. I love the golden cords and tweed sport coat. However, my favorite items are his shirt and tie combination.

A Great Photo Of Jeremy Hackett

Credit: The Sartorialist

Mr. Hackett makes this all blue ensemble look beautiful! Love this photo, love his style.

Question Revisited

When I started my blog in January, I posed a question about the usage of crested or monogrammed slippers. The blog was in its early stages, and I don't think I had any response to my statements. Regardless, the post was about wearing slippers outside of the home. The photo above is a picture from a previous post displaying an outfit I wore while having guest over to our house. Would it be acceptable for me to go out on the town wearing the ensemble above with my crested slippers? Ralph Lauren says "yes", and he elaborates further by saying that slippers are a good alternative to penny loafers when wearing a blazer (http://www.polo.com/ style guide section). What do you think?

Our NEIGHBOR Came Over!

First, let me say happy belated Father's Day to all the dads out there, and I am very fortunate to still have my dad with me. So, let us begin the story. My wife and I were preparing for a late lunch for both our fathers. As we were setting the table, the male touchy feely neighbor rang my door bell. As I opened the door, he walked in my house and burst into tears. He began to cry about his touchy feely wife leaving him. Big surprise :) Anyway, he decided to just make himself at home, and I kept politely telling him that we were expecting our parents. I hoped he would get the message and leave, but no luck with that.

Burdened by my neighbors continual whining and refusal to leave, I excused myself to quickly freshen up before our parents arrived. Moments later, I hear my wife scream and I ran back into the den where I had left them. As I ran back into the room, my wife yelled he kicked our dog hard (my wife later told me he just snapped, and it is all on our security camera). The crazy man tried to tell me to hold on a minute, and then he smacked me. Before I knew it, I punched him in the nose, kicked him in the crown jewels, and drug him by his hair onto the porch. I will refrain from telling the rest of the story because it involves me yelling and telling him off as he walked away. Regardless, I was able to get cleaned up and calm my wife down before our parents arrived. We did not share the story with them because we knew it would just upset them. After getting things back in order, my wife wore a beautiful white dress, and I wore the ensemble above. Oh yeah, the pup is okay.

Can He Pull It Off?

This is a photo that I saw on the blog called A Continuous Lean, and I believe the blogger found the photo in some New York magazine. The article is a story about the gentleman in the photo and J Press, and of course, his clothes are J Press. The point of my post is to pose a simple question. And, the question is, can he pull it off? A month or so ago, I featured some outrageous suits from Brooks Brothers Black Fleece collection (Thom Browne). The plaid suit featured in that post seem to be too much to handle, and I have never considered wearing a madras suit. However, I am extremely fond of plaid and after seeing some of the Duke of Windsor's plaid suits, I am getting more courage. If you notice, the gentleman above has a matching madras jacket over his shoulder, and I have imagined how the ensemble would look if it were paired with the matching trousers. I can't believe I am saying this, but I think it might work. The pattern is muted, and not as bright as the Black Fleece suit. The simple shirt and tie combination also leads me to believe this might be possible. If the gentleman would ditch the hat and shave, I think he might make it work. What do you think?

Caught In The Act

Remember my pesky touchy feely neighbor? Well, she is at it again! She came running over to my driveway with her friends to take a picture. Why she wanted such a random photo is beyond me. She is the lady all squeezed up next to me. At least I had on a nice madras shirt :)

Every WASPs Dream

Credit: Vanity Fair

The Official Preppy Handbook makes reference to preppy men's wandering eye for non WASPy women. Mrs. Jolie certainly looks at home in WASP attire, but she is probably best categorized as every WASPy guys dream. There is something edgy, and mysterious about her that drives men wild. As Tony the Tiger would say, she's grrrrreat!

Credit: Steven Klein, W Magazine

St. John Ads

An Old Ivy Leaguer

What is not to like about Bruce Boyer's style. I think this photo originally came from the Sartorialist, but I have seen it in many other locations. Boyer's style is relaxed, and he seems to prefer odd jackets and trousers to wearing suits. His style is certainly not buttoned up.

Men like Mr. Boyer and the older gentleman in last weeks post provide inspiration to continue preserving the Ivy League style. This photo is so distinguished. His glasses, tie, tweed jacket, button down shirt, and well groomed beard are truly classic (I usually hate beards). The table setting is very WASP as well. Excellent photo, just excellent!

Country Club Nights

(This is the post for Monday, and I am putting it up a little early)

As the days grow warmer (over 90 degrees today), one begins to realize that it is time for vacationing and nights spent at the country club. For the evening, I wore my Brooks Brothers summer tweed jacket, oxford cloth trousers (a little more break than I like.....must have them taken up), oxford cloth button down, bow tie, and bit loafers.

I have not been to the club recently, and several seasonal residents have returned that I have not seen in a while. The evening included a lot of back slapping and pretentious laughing. Actually, I enjoy very few of the members company, but I like the atmosphere. The members who are the most fun to talk to are the older women. My wife says I am such a flirt with older women, and she is right. I am amused by their over baked skin, golden locks, and over zealous personalities. Their husbands obviously pay them little attention.

The food was decent this evening! We dined on filet mignon and lobster, but I have had better. The desert was the best part of the evening, key lime pie, yum! As the evening progressed, the men began to lie more about their golf and tennis games. I seldom join these discussions because I am not interested in golf, and none of them can match my tennis skills :)

Where was my wife? She went out again to see that movie that all the women are going crazy about (need I say the name). Regardless, I had a great time and I got some much needed relaxation. It is going to be a good summer!

My shoes and whimsical socks.

As the evening went own, I removed my jacket and rolled up my sleeves. This is how the outfit looked without the coat.

Robert Burke Is a Well Dressed Guy

Sart has a lot of wonderful photos of the very stylish and well dressed Robert Burke. I particularly like his shirt and tie combination in this photo. The red graph check shirt and green tie go together well. I have always loved the combination, and this particular color of green is unique. The photo below is very nice as well, and I am very fond of the tie.

Death Of The WASP

For a few years now, we have read about the so called decline of the WASPs (original preppies, trads, ivy leaguers, etc). Are we really in decline? The answer to that question is multifaceted.

If we are discussing the decline of the old money set in the United States then the answer is "yes". The old money WASPs have slowly disappeared, and many of their rambunctious offspring did not carry on the tradition. Without question, the WASPy types are less visible today in the world of politics and business. In my opinion, this sector of the WASP world is vanishing, but there are other aspects of the WASP domain.

To further analyze the question, we must next identify who qualifies as a WASP. Can there be a new breed of WASPs? Personally, I think the WASP lifestyle is very much alive today. If we analyze the question from a fashion and personal taste perspective, WASPs may be on the rise. For me, being a WASP means you love classic Ivy League style. The Official Preppy Handbook actually means something to you, and it is your reference when in doubt. You prefer J Press and Brooks Brothers, and you would never be caught dead wearing Banana Republic or Dolce. One prefers plaid and tweed, and insist on dressing their bodies and homes in like materials. Many people could actually qualify or fit this category, right?

(Borrowed from the Tucker & the FNB blog...this is a great photo)

http://tnsil.blogspot.com/

www.filmnoirbuff.com

So, we are back to the original question, are we in decline? From the perspective of those interested in preserving the lifestyle, I say "no". With the help of the Internet and loyalist like myself, the WASP lifestyle is still very evident in society today. Designers like Ralph Lauren have help to preserve the classics, and Brooks Brothers return to their humble beginnings has been further inspiration. Of course, J Press has always held on to tradition, and Japanese interest in WASP attire has help to preserve this historical establishment.

In closing, we must remember one thing. WASPs have always been a small group or club to begin with. It would be far less entertaining if being a WASP was the norm. It is a truly a lifestyle, and in my opinion, there will always be oxford cloth wearing, Range Rover driving, madras sporting WASPs around. Dead, I think not.

Reader's Photos

The following photo was recently sent in for the Reader's Photos section of my blog. On display is two poplin suits and striped ties. I particularly like the yellow tie, and I like the fact that the gentleman on the right is wearing argyle socks. In addition, I think they did a good job adding color to drab colored suits. This very important when wearing khaki and olive. I would add a pocket square, and I probably would pick a different pink tie for the gentleman on the right. Also a word of caution, be very careful when purchasing a poplin suit. Many of them are polyester blends (yikes)! I personally favor linen and light weight wool for my tan/khaki suits. Anyway, well done gents.

Is Peach The New Pink?

In the world WASPs, the word "new" is seldom used. Of course, WASPs have been wearing peach colored button downs for many years, but is it possible that peach and orange could be the "new" go to color for WASPs? Could the peachy hue possibly surpass pink? I personally doubt it, but I do enjoy wearing a peach colored shirt from time to time. At first glance, the color appears difficult to pair a tie with. Personally, I favor green and I think it is an elegant combination. In addition, I plan to wear the shirt and tie combination above with my seersucker suit.

My wife decided she would let me take her photo! It does not go with the post, but I thought I would throw it in anyway :)

Adopt a Grandpa

Last week, I featured this gentleman on my blog from the Sartorialist (the guy wearing pink and yellow). I truly wish, that the Sartorialist would find this guy and take more photos. I don't think I have ever seen a photo of him dressed poorly. Take this outfit for example: critter cords, tweed toggle coat, Burberry scarf, and penny loafers, wow! If anyone is looking to adopt a grandpa, he would be a desired candidate. I bet he could tell some wonderful stories, and I would love to see his closet. And if I recall correctly, the photos are taken outside of a flea market in New York. If so, this must be the best dressed flea market on the planet.