Reader Questions

From Seth
"I'm a long-time fan of your blog, but this is my first time writing you. I am in Glasgow, Scotland for the next month, so I was wondering if you might suggest some good shopping spots while I'm here. I'd be interested in traditional things such as tweeds, sweaters, wellies, etc."

I'm not too knowledgeable about shopping in Glasgow itself but there's some great architecture. The photo is of Pollok House.

If you have access to a car, drive up to Golspie in the North (between Brora and Dornoch) and visit North Highland Tweed Co. which is selling what's left of the tweed stock of Hunters of Brora at great prices. No web site but the telephone was 01408 633294 or 01863 766908 last I knew. Highly recommended for cloth.

Also North is Johnston's of Elgin, the largest cashmere weaver. They have a factory store.

Finally, Begg Cashmere is in Ayr, not far southwest. I don't know if they have a factory store as I've not been there. If they do, it would be well worth a trip if only to see the paisley cashmere scarves. Expensive but gorgeous.

Finally, you can get respectable shetland prices direct from Spirit of Shetland without leaving your computer.

From Nicolaus

"I'm writing about arm holes in bespoke clothing. There's much ado about "high arm holes" on jackets in some of the forums I frequent. I wanted to know what is your opinion on the matter? Do high arm holes make wearing a jacket more comfortable and allow for more freedom of movement?"

Arm holes are a measure of precision tailoring. Larger armholes are easier on the tailor - Anderson & Sheppard famously went to larger armholes some years ago to make it easier to send jobs to the firm's outworkers - and it's hoped the customers won't notice.

High armholes are important however as they help the jacket ride the shoulders without the collar coming off the back of the neck.

Lifestyle: Black Velvet

We owe the recipe for Black Velvet to the passing of Britain's Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert, in 1861. It was drunk in place of champagne at Brooks as a sign of mourning. I wasn't mourning when I first had it as an undergraduate years ago but despite that oversight have remained fond of the way the ingredients complement each other.

Making the drink couldn't be easier but the Black Velvet is not a one person drink unless that person is a serious alcoholic. The bartender should have enough thirsty people around to consume bottles of champagne in their entirety so as not to waste any.

To make a black velvet, pour half a glass of Guiness stout down the side of a champagne flute to minimize the head. Then top it up with iced Brut poured slowly over an upside down teaspoon. The spoon helps the champagne to run down the sides of the glass rather than splashing into the stout and mixing with it. The two liquids should remain separate layers, creating a visual affect and a purer pair of tastes.

I first enjoyed the drink at lunch with a bowl of bouillabaisse and I heartily recommend the combination.

What Makes a Sports Shirt?

What makes a shirt a sports shirt, which is to say something other than a dress shirt? Two things: fabric and pockets.

A sports shirt is usually intended to be worn as a top garment without a jacket, or, less often, under a sweater. That means it needs to take on some of the functions of a jacket. And, in my book, that means a sports shirt starts with two pleated pockets that button.

A sports shirt can have short sleeves or long sleeves with barrel cuffs. It may have shirt tails and a buttondown collar. Or, it may have square tails and a camp collar, which is a collar without the reinforcing band that keeps the collar standing. But when he's wearing a sports shirt a man needs pockets (it's the opposite of a dress shirt which in my opinion shouldn't have them).

The other characteristic of a sports shirt is that it typically has bolder fabric than a dress shirt. That might be bright solids in linen or silk; or Tattersalls, Scottish tartans, cotton madras or other checks and plaids. Heavier weights can also come into play, such as denim, viyella (like the pictured shirts from Ben Silver), moleskin and twill.

Whatever the fabric, remember that one pocket is not enough. There must be one on each side for balance across the chest. And buttons to keep them closed, so your sunglasses don't fall out every time you lean over.

Socks Around the House

On a Saturday evening, black suede Belgian Shoes, cream and black hoop striped socks and charcoal whipcord trousers. An ecru silk shirt and a dark green velvet smoking jacket are out of the picture.

Maintenance: G&G's Shoe Cleaning Kit

Tired of hauling country shoes into the city for polishing, I decided I needed shine supplies for the weekend. I was ordering a pair of shoes at the time, and, on impulse, took a flyer on Gaziano & Girling's shoe cleaning kit. That was six months ago.

Of course, I'd entirely forgotten that 'shine them myself' resolve when one day Dean Girling emailed asking if it was OK to charge my credit card. I hadn't made any other plans, so I'm now the owner of a shine kit that's nearly as nice as a pair of G&G bespoke. As it should be. I mean, it took significantly longer than the shoe order did and cost as much as a couple pair of boat shoes.

Nonetheless, the kit reminds me of some of the wonderful English accessories that used to be available in London's Burlington Arcade before the jewelers took the place over. Men who don't care if their shoes go unpolished while they await delivery will appreciate the sturdy case that encloses a shoe horn, tins of polish, suede cleaner, a shine cloth and a selection of brushes for calf and suede shoes. Now all I have to do is figure out the intended use of some of the brushes.

Gaziano & Girling Shoe Cleaning Kit, £100 ex VAT (about $200).

A Pause in the Travels of Dege & Skinner

The venerable firm of Dege & Skinner, founded in 1865, is a leading men's and ladies' bespoke tailor and shirtmaker. From its workrooms in Savile Row, London, Dege produces suits, shirts, neckties, military uniforms and riding clothes for clients around the world. The firm has one of the two most extensive travelling tailor programs that I'm aware of, visiting customers in the UK, USA, Europe, the Gulf States, and Japan on a regular basis. Last week they paused in San Francisco.

Graham Lawless, sales director, alternates with Managing Director William Skinner on the road. Outside of London, either Lawless or Skinner are the face of the firm to tailored clothing customers. Each travels most of a month each year. Says Lawless, "We don't believe we can just sit back and wait for our customers to come to us. We go where they are." He's wearing one of the firm's suits, a three button roll top.


The Dege house style evolved from its uniform work for the British cavalry in the 19th century. It's a military cut with a lot of structure, like these samples. To the left is a one button, peak lapelled odd jacket of silk and linen. On the right is a double breasted worsted. The other three coats hanging in the room when I visited were riding jackets.


Dege is the only Savile Row tailor with its own staff making bespoke shirts and neckties for customers. Robert Whittaker, who joined the firm 13 years ago from Bowring & Arundel (once among my favorite haberdashers), takes great pride in the bespoke necktie program. Dege commissions its own necktie silk, weaving just enough for four neckties in any colorway. Once the silk is sold out, it's gone forever.

Of course, bespoke clothing with a 150 year heritage is not inexpensive and the strength of the British pound means it keeps getting more so. Two piece suit prices start at £2,265 ex VAT (approximately $4,530) and blazers at £1,695 ex VAT (approximately $3,380 ex VAT). Bespoke shirts start at £142.50 ex VAT(approximately $285 USD). And it looks to me like next year the dollar cost will be still greater. But they don't have anything like this at Barney's New York.

The City Gives It Up for Barney's

San Francisco gave it up for the opening of Barney's New York this week, attracted by a combination of civic responsibility and one of the larger party extravaganzas of the year. The department store chain pulled out all the stops, tenting Union Square, but then the guests deserve a little something for their $400 tickets. Proceeds went to benefit the Nick Traina foundation.


Mayor Gavin Newsom was part of the crowd, in one of his typical all solids ensembles designed to look good on camera. That's author Danielle Steele saying hello.


A red bow tie helped make George and Charlotte Schultz easy to find. He's the former Secretary of State and she is the current Chief of Protocol and Director of Special Events for San Francisco. Other attendees included Vanessa Getty and actress Minnie Driver.


It's easy to tell where Barney's priorities lie. The first four floors are entirely given over to women's clothing and accessories, about which I have nothing to say. Regrettably for males of the species, the menswear is very of the moment. The fifth floor is given over to avante garde clothing and I saw nothing among the Richard James socks and Berluti ready to wear shoes on the slightly more conservative sixth floor that would be likely to bring me back.

Photographs are courtesy of Drew Altizer Photography. © Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.

Reader Questions

From JB
"Can you tell me the proper way to wear sock suspenders? Where should I position the grip?"
Sock suspenders, like the pictured pair from England's Albert Thurston, are usually worn above the calf, with the attachment forward, on the inside of the leg bone.

From James
"Is it ok to wear cuff links with a sport coat? My friend says no way! A steak dinner is riding on this."


If you don't want to pay off your bet, you may want to get a second opinion. I think links are questionable with a blazer and too much for other odd jackets.

Lifestyle: The Rye Manhattan

Rye was the original American whiskey, but largely disappeared after Prohibition. According to one story, all the distillers moved to new lives in the midwest and when Prohibition ended they began distilling corn as it was more available. And that's supposed to be how we got so much bourbon.

At any rate, rye is enjoying another turn in the sun these days, thanks in part to the renewed popularity of the Manhattan, my drink of the season.

Mind you, a man must to take care to avoid fake Manhattans. The limited availability of rye caused some bartenders to begin building a version using bourbon and that's a mistake. Bourbon is too sweet.

The classic recipe is:

2 oz rye
1 oz red vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake well over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an olive (a cherry is also too sweet).

Try one when cocktail hour next rolls around.

"Wool" Neckties

Autumn begins the season for wool neckties, the best of which are cashmere or a mixture of cashmere and silk (I think of Irish poplin, a weave of silk and wool, as a spring and summer item so I'm not discussing them here). Of the pictured baker's dozen from my closet, eleven fall into the cashmere category, the red tie is pure wool and the light blue solid is camel hair.

The point of "wool" neckties is that they absorb light rather than reflect it, and that feature combined with the visible weave adds interest to combinations built around flannel or tweed jackets. They are particularly effective combined with a paisley or hunting pattern silk pocket square.

Like many men, I learned to appreciate the color of silk neckties first, for some reason that probably had something to do with the opinions of various young women. But I've since learned to be my own critic, and I like the look of wool for Autumn.

Cary Grant Did It

In one of his films, Cary Grant arrived at his office, removed his jacket and his oxfords and slipped into a cardigan sweater and tassel loafers for the day. Years later, author Bruce Boyer wrote that the scene was the beginning of business casual.

I admit that his cardigan looked lighter and more comfortable than any suit jacket and I tried to emulate Mr. Grant one winter. I bought a gray Scottish cashmere version and brought it into the office with a pair of Alden tassel moccasins. But I was back to wearing my jacket and regular shoes after just a couple of weeks.

For one thing, the office was often a bit too warm for a sweater. And, more importantly, I discovered that it just took too long to change my shoes and a jacket every time I was going to lunch or a meeting, and back again when I returned. It's one thing to wear clothes and quite another to be dressing and undressing several extra times each day.

But the sweater was a worthwhile purchase overall as it serves me still. I wear it instead of a jacket for casual daytime entertaining on the weekend, with a pair of patterned trousers, an ecru silk shirt with a button down collar, slip-on shoes and a scarf.

The pictured John Laing of Scotland's classic cardigan model is from San Francisco's Cable Car Clothiers. These are rather steep at $595 but similar models are available from many reputable men's stores and online. One source that I've never tried is Brora Scottish Cashmere which has cardigans for £239.00 (about $400 ex VAT) . And I've seen them on sale elsewhere for half of that price.

Just remember that a cardigan should button, not zip. How else can a man leave the bottom button unbuttoned?

More on Blended Dressing

At one point during the 1930's it was said that to be considered "best dressed" a man had to be able to wear the loudest of checked suits without attracting attention. Men that could do so had mastered the art of the blend, combining elements of dress so that none of them stood out from the overall image.

For example, the late Duke of Windsor was able to wear tweed suits with very strong patterns, patterns that would be flashy on other men, and look well dressed at the same time. He was expert at blending.

The secret to the blend is that each element in an ensemble should relate to the other. The first illustration is a combination of the sort favored by the Duke, a black and white plaid suit with a red overcheck. The shirt has a gray body with a white collar, picking up two of the suit's tones, and the necktie's red ground picks up the overcheck. The combination works to reduce the strength of the suit's pattern.

In the second illustration, our man's black lord's hat and shoes relate to the black in his suit. He is wearing an odd vest that picks up the brown in his suit's overcheck. His shirt collar is the same as the white in the suit's weave, and the shirt body is similar in tone to the waistcoat. The look is subdued though the suit is anything but.

These are more extreme examples than may be appropriate in many work places but they are intended to make a point. You may not have a checked suit but you can still see the effect of blending for yourself.

The next time you're shopping for a suit, take out a navy solid and place it next to a white shirt and a maroon necktie. Then lay down a blue flannel with a white chalk stripe, a blue end on end shirt and a maroon necktie with white dots. The combination of the flannel's texture and the white in the suit, the shirt, and the necktie work together to create an effect that's considerably more sophisticated than that of the three solids.

Buy the flannel.

Maintenance: The Wet Shave

There are two types of shaving - wet and dry - and of the two the wet shave is a bit closer as well as a more luxurious experience. I use an electric razor most of the time, but I like to indulge in a wet shave on Saturday afternoons when I'm dressing for the evening. Here's how.

The most important part of the wet shave is the preparation. Skin needs to be softened and the pores opened, which means it's best to either shave right after a hot shower, or to moisturize the face with a hot, wet face towel for thirty seconds or so.

Following moisturization, apply shaving soap that has been whipped to a lather with the largest badger hair brush you can afford (larger brushes hold more water). Shaving soap has fatty oils for lubrication and the brush lifts the beard and lightly exfoliates the skin. Applying cream or gel with the hands actually flattens the whiskers and makes shaving less effective.

It's important to shave in the direction that the whiskers grow. Before shaving, use the fingers to detect the direction of the grain. One direction will feel more resistance than others,and that direction is against the grain. Don't shave against the grain (that's the most common cause of razor burn, in-grown hairs and shaving rash). Around the chin and under the nose, move the blade sideways against the growth if necessary.

Use a quality razor and sharp blades for the work - the Gilette Mach III is a good choice. Warm the blade under hot water and then use smooth strokes to minimize skin irritation. An alum block will stop small cuts from bleeding. Rinse the razor after each stroke.

After shaving, rinse the face with cold water to close the pores. Gently pat it dry and then apply an alcohol-free balm or moisturizing gel. Rinse the brush and razor to remove soap and flick away any remaining water, and hang the brush on a brush stand so it can dry.

Men who use a fragrance after shaving should apply it behind the ears and at the base of the neck rather than irritate the newly exfoliated skin on the face.

When it comes to shaving products, the venerable English firm of George Trumper is my preference. I like the traditional looking handles they offer for the Mach III cartridges as well as their shaving soaps and related products. The pink labelled Extract of West Indian Limes collection includes shaving soap in a wooden tub (£16.50 or roughly $33) as well as skin food, a moisturing glycerin-based after shave balm (from £12.00 or roughly $24.00). It smells good, and the scent dissipates in half an hour so it won't conflict with a favorite cologne.

If you haven't experienced a classic wet shave, try it first at a reputable barber shop. Once you're hooked, ask a loved one for the gift of a badger shaving brush (brushes start at £36.00 , or roughly $72.00, but you're worth it). Any third party that strokes the result will be glad they did.

Fall Foliage

It must have been something in the air. Yesterday was the first time that Fall colors felt right to me this season, so I wore an old light-weight cashmere jacket, cotton drill trousers, blue royal oxford shirt, a wool necktie, paisley pocket square and saddle shoes.

Reader Questions

From Valerian

"I am a young professional and like my trousers at the hip instead of the waist. However, your blog prompted me to want braces instead of belts and I was wondering if trousers with braces need to have a higher waist or if I can wear them just as I wear my standard trousers."

You can wear hip-height trousers with braces and realize one benefit - your trousers will remain in place without periodic adjustment. That said, you may not want to convert your existing wardrobe. Trousers intended to be worn suspended should be about an inch larger in the waist so they can move freely as you do.

Following that logic myself years ago, I quickly realized that I might as well just get high waisted trousers in the first place. When they are waist-high they have a better line, and better finish the look of a suit, particularly a vested suit. Note how the high waisted gentleman in the illustration does not have a bit of shirt or a belt showing through the open quarters on his jacket.

Lifestyle: Cocktail Recipes

I was recently pointed to a version of what should eventually become the 21st century's replacement for my well thumbed hard copy bartender's guide. M.esquire.com is Esquire magazine's new site for mobile devices, and it thoughtfully includes 18 of the more important cocktail recipes that frantic hosts can access from their Blackberrys and iPhones.

Today the site is not quite ready to replace the thousand plus recipes in Mittie Hellmich's Ultimate Bar Book. But it'll come in handy should a man hear "I've got fresh mint. Why don't you mix us a couple of Mojitos while I slip into something more comfortable?" at his date's apartment.

Is This Where It Goes?

Perhaps the most interesting modern trend in dress is that we keep turning undergarments into outer garments. No sooner was the jacket left behind than some began removing their shirts. And now the undershirts are disappearing. It's a trend that can't go much further - Mr. Timberlake is running out of clothes.

As more of us spend the majority of our lifespans in temperature controlled environments, it follows that, social proscriptions aside, nudity could replace underwear as outerwear. At least among the young. Anyone who's been to a nude beach realizes that an undressed mass of middle aged people is remarkably unattractive.

That large obstacle aside, or perhaps because of it, people are taking better care of their bodies and there's a growing demand for tattoos, piercings and body painting intended to complement the visible skin. According to Wikipedia, a 2003 online poll found that 16% of all adults in the United States had at least one tattoo, and I saw, and lost track of, another reference that said the incidence is up to 24% today. It can only go higher, and it will.

But I don't think that the fully decorated nude look is going to go much beyond entertainers attempting to pump up their careers. For one thing, it's in fundamental conflict with too many other trends, not the least of them the Muslim belief in modest dress for both men and women.

My bet is that the pendulum is about to begin swinging in the other direction. Most of that body art will be seen only in private.

The Last of the Seersucker

Initially I wasn't going to admit that it's me in this photo, snapped last week by marianneme at the Art Deco Society of California's Gatsby Summer Afternoon in Oakland, California. Not only do I not normally dress "deco" intentionally, I was photographed unawares and not in the best of moods despite the beautiful day. I'd arrived at the event with three ladies and had promptly lost track of all of them. And they had the corkscrew...

After consideration I decided I like the car as a background. Boater, spectator shoes in chestnut leather and pearl suede, seersucker double breasted, blue linen shirt, madras bow tie and similar, but not matching, argyle socks. With a seat stick.

The seersucker is ready for cleaning and storage for the season now, to be replaced in the active rotation by something tweed.

Autumn's Covert Coat

Autumn's most useful dress coat may be the covert, a topcoat that's named for a cloth that's named for a thicket where game birds may shelter (as we shall see the brush played a role in the coat's design). I like it because it's city wear that, unlike its relative the chesterfield, is also appropriate in the country.

Covert cloth is a fawn-colored, medium weight (18 ounce) twill-weave fabric that's sturdy and warm. It's principal use is in the eponymous coat, which is supposed to be single-breasted, fly-fronted, and knee length. It is characterized by four rows of stitches on each sleeve cuff and on the bottom hem that were intended as reinforcements to minimize wear that might occur while the wearer was riding through those thickets.

The classic covert coat has two side pockets and an interior game pocket that's just right for the day's newspaper. A brown or green velvet collar is an option for a dressier look and particularly appropriate for men who, like the dandies of old, wear their hair long enough to leave marks on their collars over time. After all, it's easier to replace a bit of velvet than the entire coat when you can't find new collar fabric.

Reasonably authentic ready to wear versions of the covert may be found at London's Cordings for £425.00 including VAT (about $680 ex VAT) or New & Lingwood for £450.00 including VAT (about $720 ex VAT). It's a bit more difficult to locate in the United States - the "covert" shown at New York's Alan Flusser Custom Shop, for example, is undoubtedly a very nice coat but it's definitely not a covert.

Piping Resurrected

Blazers, so named because the ones worn at regattas often "blazed" in color, were first seen in university colors. According to Esquire's Encyclopedia of 20th Century Men's Fashions, navy blazers piped in white were popular at the Henley regatta in 1924. I don't recall seeing piping outside of that context.

That is, until this past week when Brooks Brothers introduced its Black Fleece line designed by the notorious Thom Browne.

I'm encouraged by the Brethren's initiative with the new collection. The designs have precedence, unlike Browne's runway collection this season, and the items are well made. Purchased in the correct size and tailored appropriately, most of the pieces will look classic rather than extreme.

I wish BroBroClo, the name I was instructed to use on the many checks I wrote them over the decades, still had the taste within its organization to update the classics on its own. The prices would be better - but I suppose the company also needs the visibility and image enhancement (did I just write that about Thom Browne?) it gets from the association.

On balance, I give the effort a solid 'B.' I'm not sure whose colors were borrowed for the piped blazer in the collection, but I doubt if wearing some university rowing club's colors inappropriately is any more of a sin than wearing a Brooks Brothers version of the Brigade of Guards necktie on the streets of Manhattan.

Sources: J. L. Powell

Once the pollution from Indiana's steel mills was cleaned up a generation ago, Chicagoans began to seek out the dunes of Southwestern Michigan for their country houses. Today, in a century old former New York Central Railroad station, leisure and adventure wear purveyor J. L. Powell sells them apparel for outdoor activities ranging from walking to wingshooting (an edited version of their inventory is also available on the World Wide Web).

Inspired by Willis & Geiger, a great name that Lands’ End purchased and then shut down, Powell's tasteful selection includes some of my favorite suppliers, such as Inis Meàin knitwear and Edward Green shoes. Indeed, two of the site's better values are EG's Belgravia casuals in Edwardian for $735 a pair and Warwick half boots in dark oak for $835, about 25% below current prices elsewhere.

The way the firm appears to be integrating itself into the community bodes well for its longevity. I've seen photos of a long abandoned gasoline station on the main highway that's been re-purposed for merchandise display. And last month the company sponsored a Side by Side Classic shooting competition with exhibits by Barbour, Filson and Fieldsport. This is similar to the way that James Lock and John Lobb London remain visible to their British customers in the countryside.

To my taste, Powell is one of the more interesting new purveyors in North America.

Reader Questions

From Chris

"I have a friend getting married in two months. He is going to wear morning clothes (yeah!) but is having difficulty locating the proper neckwear. Cravats are hard to come by in number, it seems. Do you have suggestions?"

Macclesfield four in hands would be equally appropriate (that's what the Duke of Windsor wore to marry Wallis and HRH Prince Charles did the same when he married Camilla Parker Bowles) but there should be no problem securing cravats from New & Lingwood or Budd in London.

Quotation: Brummel's Rules

"By 1801, the Brummel look was required uniform for Almack's - which meant his evening costume, consisting of white cravat and waistcoat, dark blue or black tailcoat and black knee breeches and stockings or tight black pantaloons. A 'solemn proclamation' went out from the club that only 'silk stockings, thin shoes and white neckclothes [were to be] invariably worn.' Wider trousers, or any addition of color, were unacceptable. Brummel's rules for men's attire at Almack's began to pare down men's evening wear to the formal black and white that has remained, evolving by the end of the 19th century into the even more structured 'white tie and tails.'"

- Beau Brummel, Ian Kelly

When It's Warm in Autumn

There's so much fuss about putting summer clothes away after Labor Day, and very little information about what choices are appropriate when it's still blistering hot in mid September. But this is one question that's thought about quite a bit in Northern California. Away from the coast, it's warm here until sometime in November.

So, what to wear? The Rules have us storing our seersucker, white bucks, and straw hats after Labor Day, but they say nothing about summer clothes in general. Transitioning from hot weather clothes is a process rather than an event, a process that begins with the removal of obviously summer items like white linen from the active wardrobe. Continue to wear darker summer items, such as navy mohair, until the temperature calls for heavier cloth. But put away the lighter colored suits and shoes. That dove gray tropical suit and the light tan shoes should be replaced with a charcoal mid-weight that's worn with dark brown shoes.

Complement the color scheme like Fred Astaire, with a mid-toned hat. Straws are no longer appropriate, but there are felts and then there are unlined ultra light-weight felts (like the one by Art Fawcett in the photo) that are almost as cool as a straw.

Photo courtesy of AlanC

In a word, keep the weight light and darken the mix of colors.

Lifestyle: Apple Brandy

It was no coincidence that the Normandy region of Northern France was the birthplace of Taillevent, the first celebrity chef. Normandy's coast is known for its turbot and oysters and its countryside for its dairy products and its apples.

The apple tree first appeared in Normandy while Taillevent was cooking, in the second half of the fourteenth century. It took no more than 200 years before it was fermented into apple brandy, now Autumn's quintessential beverage.

Apple brandy, called Calvados when it's made in Normandy, is made by fermenting apple juice into a dry cider which in turn is distilled into an eau de vie. After at least two years (more is better) of aging in oak casks, it can be served as an aperitif, blended in drinks, enjoyed between meals, drunk with coffee, or served during the very civilized trou normand (the Norman break, a glassful of calvados served between courses at mealtime).

The trou normand is a pleasant custom to adopt in Autumn, particularly if you can find Clear Creek Distillery's Eau de Vie Pomme (rated 96-100 points by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in 2001). Made with a traditional European pot still and barrel aged for eight years, it's an amber-hued brandy that smells of fresh apples but has oak-aged complexity on the palate. Try it ($36.99 at San Francisco's K&L Wine Merchants) following a Norman style dessert omelette of sauteed apples and cream.

The G9

Fall might be time to investigate another enduring classic, the Baracuta G9, an English outer jacket that's been around since 1937. Wear it for weekend leaf raking with chinos, bluchers and, as the temperature falls, a sweater.

The much copied G9 has:

• Elasticized banding at the cuffs & waist
• Raglan sleeves
• 2 front button pockets
• Zippered closure and a button neck closure

Fully lined in a Fraser tartan plaid, the cotton version is $245 plus $5 shipping from O'Connell's in Buffalo, New York. Ben Silver offers it in Melton wool for $375.

Changing Hat Seasons

Some put the actual date at September 15, but for many, Labor Day in the United States is the end of straw hat season. I for one will be retiring my James Lock boater for the season after this coming weekend.

Straw hats in general, and boaters in particular, make an elegant statement on the golf course when worn with trousers (shorts don't have the necessary gravitas). Although, when introducing one into a baseball cap wearing foursome for the first time, there can be criticism. I found that a straw fedora (what used to be called a jippa jappa) can help ease the way if worn a few times before the boater. And it helps still more if the wearer has enough game to win the Nassaus for front, back and round from any parvenus who lack an appreciation of classic style.

Lifestyle: Virgin Atlantic

I was unpleasantly surprised recently to discover that United Airlines charges a $2500 premium for a one way business class fare between London and San Francisco purchased a day before travel (about $6500 instead of the usual $4000). Fortunately for my wallet that day, there were no business class seats available on any airline and I ended up in Virgin Atlantic's Premium Economy where I had a very good experience.

Well, it was good once I got through the dual nightmares of Heathrow's security screening and Virgin's luggage check. Premium Economy costs a couple hundred dollars more than a coach fare, and once aboard I found that fee had rented a seat that was 3" wider, reclined a bit further, and had more legroom. Much more legroom. I was seated at the boarding door, so I actually had more space than the first class passengers.

In fact, the experience felt better than Business Class on that other airline that wanted $6500 for a one way ticket. I had laptop power, free drinks, OK food and an excellent entertainment system with movies and music on demand.

Bottom line: I'll be trying Virgin America for a flight to New York in September.

Reader Questions

From Ed

"Which color do you consider more appropriate for a pair of dressy Edward Green slip-ons: Burgundy Antique or Dark Oak? I’m specifically speaking about the Kibworth model, which I will wear with a blue blazer & dark grey trousers."

You wouldn't be making a mistake with either color. Dark oak can be worn in more situations in my opinion, but burgundy, like the pictured shoes by Hawaii's Leather Soul, is very nice as well.

From Peter

"I have been habitually using double pleats, with cuffs, for my suit trousers (high-waisted, of course, with braces), and getting my odd trousers cuffless with flat fronts (and a Daks waist, as I can't stand belts). Although I am slight of build and have no trouble wearing flat-front trousers, I'm beginning to think that I might prefer pleated and cuffed trousers for wear with odd jackets as well.

Do you pleat your trousers in casual fabrics, such as moleskin, corduroy or linen?"

Jeans and other work clothes have typically had flat fronts, so moleskins and cords can go either way (linen is a dress trouser cloth). Forward pleats and cuffs are dress trouser enhancements that appeared early this century and have been with us ever since, though flat fronts returned in military uniforms during the Second world War because they required less cloth.

Flat fronts look fine on men with washboard stomachs but pleats are the product of more sophisticated tailoring. They are more comfortable and look better as the discipline necessary to maintain that washboard disappears later in life. Pleats do not need to be accompanied by cuffs, though cuffs are customary for double breasted lounge suits.

Like the pictured twill trousers from J. L. Powell, all of my trousers have had cuffs and two forward pleats since I was a teen, irrespective of the state of my waistline. But then, I don't own any jeans.

Back to School

Back to school next week. Time for young JFKs to exchange their shorts and espadrilles (what, are those laces at his ankles?) for trousers and dress shoes.