Tartan Trousers, A WASPy Alternative

If you are looking for a WASPy alternative to gray flannel and khakis for your navy blazer or camel hair sport coat, then try a pair of tartan trousers. The key is to keep your shirt and tie very simple. I love wearing my black watch plaid trousers with my navy blazer, and I have displayed a plaid pair of trousers with my camel hair. Try it out, you may like it!

A Day In The Country

Today, I drove up to the country to visit my father at his estate. As I have mentioned many times, he is a farmer but his home lies about twenty minutes north of the farm. He is a wooly chap with a full beard, and he is constantly chewing or smoking a cigar (Macanudo Cafe).

For the day, I wore casual attire:

Flannel shirt - Ralph Lauren
Khakis - J Crew
Herringbone Sport Coat - Ralph Lauren
Argyle Socks - Brooks
Belgian Loafers

Even though I like my Polo Sport Coat, I can't help but prefer a 3/2 roll sack. This particular jacket has a cardigan like fit, and a three button stance. Truthfully, many Ivy League students wore three button jackets, but the 3/2 roll is the most renowned style.

Regardless, I enjoyed spending the day with the "Bear" (my dad), and he always seems to know more each time I see him (he is a know it all). But, I love him!

Belgians for My Birthday!

This past weekend, I celebrated my 33rd birthday. I can't believe I am almost in my mid-30s. Anyway, the age burden was eased by the surprise of a pair of Belgian Loafers. I have broken every fashion rule since by wearing these shoes constantly upon their arrival, and I love them.

Belgians can be tricky though when it comes to size. Always buy one size smaller than you normally wear. For example, I wear a 10 D in normal shoes, but I buy a 9 wide in Belgians. In addition, the calf leather shoes are tighter than the suede shoes because I wear a 9 medium in the suede.

Anyway, pick up a pair and forget about their dainty appearance. Your feet will thank you!

A Few Days of Ralph: Part 3 - The Stores

Who else sells his apparel in a restored mansion on the Upper East Side of New York! The Ralph Lauren empire in New York City is a site to behold, and one could easily get lost in the decor alone. And recently, the mansion was revamped to be just a men's establishment. For me, there is nothing better than a wood paneled club setting and tweed, and Ralph Lauren provides this luxury for us in abundance on the Upper East Side.

A Few Days of Ralph: Part 2 - Old Money Ads

In today's world, nobody does old money looking ads better than Ralph Lauren. Perhaps his best ads were in the 1980s but the fact is still does the old money look better than anyone. Enjoy!

The Preppy Study

We will continue with a Few Days with Ralph shortly, but for today, I wanted to share one of my favorite preppy photographs. While visiting the blog Unabashedly Prep, I rediscovered one of my favorite photos from a magazine called Vitals. Yes, the magazine has gone under, but this photo forever remains one of my favorite.

A Few Days of Ralph: Part 1 - Shoes

I know Ralph is loathed by many in the trad world, but regardless of their loathing, Ralph is part of the preppy establishment. And, over the next few days, I am going to do a few posts featuring some of my favorite things about Ralph Lauren.

To start things off, I am going to compliment the company for fine foot apparel. Some of the best made and most beautiful shoes I own have come from Ralph Lauren. In fact, if you are in the market for cordovan shoes, you should look no further than the halls of Polo for a fine selection. I personally own the brown cordovan tassel loafers, and I can truly say they will last a lifetime. In addition, I will also say that I covet the cordovan oxford bluchers, but sadly Ralph has removed from his on-line shopping experience. So Ralph, put them back on-line and your dear friend Richard will buy a pair. Alright, well that should get the masses stirred.......enough for now.

LL Bean and The Joy of Stuffed Preppies

Yes, I know I have been letting the blogging community down with my infrequent posts, but election season has been chaotic since I personally handle all political clients. Regardless, I have been adding new items to the wardrobe, and I embarked on a new sartorial journey the other day while it was raining. On this rainy day, I wore a typical prep school outfit (blazer, OCBD, Repp Tie, Khakis, yellow socks) with LL Bean duck moccasins. I had never paired these casual shoes with a shirt and tie, but somehow I found it comforting.

On another rambling note, after viewing that other guy's blog that loves me so much, I did find a book that interested me. The book is called The Joy of Stuffed Preppies. Yes, it is slightly morbid, but hilarious in many ways. The book can be picked up at Amazon for mere dollars, but if you want a new one be prepared to invest $100.

Alright, enough for now and I promise to return to my regular posting glory as soon as possible.

Inspirational Brooks

Minus the fact that this is not a sack 3/2 roll, this is an inspirational Brooks ensemble. Olive green tweed with rust windowpane check, corduroy odd vest, pink button down collar, and club bow tie. Truly inspirational!