Today's Apparel Arts image combines three items that have been on my mind lately, those being cream colored trousers, a glen checked odd jacket with a predominance of black or gray in the pattern, and a scarf worn instead of a necktie.
Now odd jackets should not normally be city garb, but we do need something to throw on for afternoons spent escorting out of town visitors to the museums. This one is of interest because both the color scheme and the pattern suit it for urban wear better than the predominantly brown coats that are most commonly seen. For gray and blue are city colors as you know, while brown and green are better in the country. And a large glen check that is almost but not quite a suit pattern reinforces that urban look. Look for it in a mid-weight worsted with some cashmere in the blend.
Then there are the cream colored trousers, a shade often overlooked by men accustomed to gray. Cream below the waist complements similar shades above it, and the infrequency with which it is seen these days give it an advantage. I am promised a pair of 17 ounce/500 gram cream colored flannels by trousermaker Salvatore Ambrosi, though some combination of the Italian postal service, Icelandic ash and the Easter holiday have apparently destined them to arrive when it is no longer cool enough to wear them. Holland & Sherry makes the cloth, which hangs straight as an arrow due to its weight.
Finally there is the scarf worn instead of a necktie, a touch that is seen about half the time on models showing the new looks of the Italian designers this season. Men who fear the necktie is too stodgy for their off duty time should consider the scarf. It closes the neck and, like the neckerchief or ascot, makes for the kind of finished appearance that suits the man who pays attention to his clothing.
Three items for your consideration for cool spring and warm fall, and perhaps fresher today than they were 75 years ago.
Monday, May 10, 2010
For Your Consideration
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11 comments:
How are "city" and "country" color choices affected by the actual colors of one's city?
Seattle is so green and leafy that country colors seem appropriate for anywhere besides the downtown core.
Very nice, Will. Thank you.
I do agree that our location affects our choice of color palette. A recent long weekend in a grimy February Manhattan reinforced the prudence of black and grays as choices there. As they would have been in a 19th Century sooty London.
Will,
What are your thoughts about Morley Safer's wardrobe on 60 Minutes?
He very frequently wears odd jackets, but with terrific drape and fabulous tie, shirt, and pocket square combinations. He seems quite the fashion icon for a man in his late 70s.
Being an anchor on a newsmagazine, I would imagine you'd say a blue or grey suit would be required, but Safer really jazzes things up with his choices. He leaves the traditional blue pinstripes to Steve Kroft.
Will,
When wearing a scarf in lieu of a tie or ascot, is the type of shirt important? Something tells me it is. I don't think I could do the scarf with an odd jacket with a collared shirt. It looks like the man in this sketch is wearing a collar-less shirt, and I think that is an important part of the ensemble. Your thoughts?
Joe
Egad man, cream colored 17 oz flannel trousers. Sounds just right, until the temperature no longer cooperates. Didn't know H&S still had anything that substantial. Don't see it on their publicly accessible website, perhaps they have a trade website or one must specifically ask for such collections.
A nice article. If you want a Glen check jacket at a good price there are two places I'd advise on. One is Comnipel in Italy that has one for 100 Euros in pure linen. Another is Charles Tywitt of Piccadilly doing one for 150 pounds in Linen Cotton. Both are based on grey foundation. I like this look a lot and yes the cream trousers are good but even better in my opinion is Pearl Grey. The prob is where can you find Pearl Grey flannels now in whicj in my opinion is a great colour.
Will,
Your post is most timely, for only yesterday, I commissioned my London tailor to make a white flannel trousers for me to attend an evening soiree in the country in early July. No white (or more particularly,'off-white') flannel was in stock (I checked Holland and Sherry/Scabal).....apparently, as I am told, it's a rare find in the UK these days - we ended up with a medium off-white barathea. Noteworthy, my tailor, 'Threadneedleman' of South London, who has been in the trade for over the past forty years lamented that he is rarely commissioned to make any 'white/off-white' trousers in the past few years.
Davies & Son as well as Anderson & Sheppard have very decent off-white flannel cloth available at short notice.
I have a few odd jackets in a blue-based colour scheme based on Tweed patterns for the urban purposes you describe, Will, and they come in very handy at times.
Where does one buy men's scarves these days? I have defaulted to wearing those of my wife's silk square collection that are not overtly feminine, but would not mind having a few of my "own"...
Men's scarves? I didn't plant this question, truly. Visit http://store.dynend.com
Will,
a perfect article at a perfect time.
White/cream flannels are those rare items in a man's wardrobe. So rare that it's hard to feel comfortable wearing them unless you've just closed a major deal. Gentlemen, you only live once.
Last month, I found the flannel cloth, and within two weeks my white flannels were finished. Highwaisted, pleated, luxiorious, I tried them with a black and white houndstooth check jacket.
Great start for the gin & tonic season!
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