The gentleman at the left in the illustration (from a 1937 Esquire) is wearing what is today an all but extinct suit, in pale gray and cream flannel. It has not been common for decades because the colors are the colors of spring, and 16 ounce flannel , once summer clothing, is thought too warm for the heat.
Today of course the mills can make us 10/11 ounce flannels that provide flannel's soft comfort without all the warmth. That may not be stuff for mid-August inland, but it will do nicely for a coastal city in June. Time to resurrect pale gray and cream flannel? I think so.
Wear it with tan oxfords in calf or suede and replace the yachting cap with a Milan straw with a gray band.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Pale Gray and Cream
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8 comments:
Will,
The cream is the stripe and the gray the background? I can't tell exactly from the picture.
Well that takes me back Will!
My father used to wear a lightweight flannel very similar to the one shown in his J Class racing days; and even wore the cap. Ah, happy and distant days.
Turling, that's right.
Will,
The straw hat with gray band brought a smile to my face. I can't wait until Spring when my pearl gray suit comes out. Nice picture.
Aye aye. Consider me onboard for summer-weight grey and cream flannel.
Beautiful suit! I've seen a few of these. The cream stripe is more elegant compared to a white stripe.
It wouldn't be ideal for August in San Francisco?
For San Francisco yes, but not for Napa.
Yeah, that would be way too warm for Napa in August! My ex-girlfriend worked in SF last summer and I had the pleasure of spending 27 days there. August in SF was beautiful but it was 106 the two days we were in Napa at the end of the month!
We loved it, though, and the dry heat was so much nicer than the steambath that would be Chicago at that temperature. I wore long-sleeved linen shirts and she thought I was crazy until we got there and I ended up being cooler than she was in sleeveless tops.
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