Progress report

It was lightly snowing yesterday, so while stuck at home I decided to shop at home in my Spring/Summer clothes closet for the coming seasons duds. Inexplicably, a few weeks before the start of each season I usually decide that "X" will be "IT" for this season.  Sometimes its a fabric, sometimes a color.  Whatever my choice, it is always out of step with what "they" choose, and once selected I hardly ever change my mind.

Several years ago for instance I chose 2 DB jackets from J. Peterman's sale bin.  One was screaming yellow, one fire engine red.  My selections are proof positive that the most expensive purchase you ever make is clothing you never wear.  I don't particularly care for red clothing and only care for screaming yellow if it's Gallo fly yellow painted on vintage Italian autos.

The jackets sat in the closet, even after Mr. Clorox and I extensively customized them.  Look up colorfast in the dictionary and a photo of these 2 jackets appear.

  Before

Two years later, they fit much better, but still too outrageous to wear so I gave Mr. Clorox one more attempt, fully expecting to gift them to Goodwill.  This time I let the coats soak in bleach  for 2 days.

 After

I love how the yellow turned out.  It's now a perfectly wearable Spring sport coat that doesn't draw undue attention to itself.

 Before

The red is a work in process, and still damp from the dryer in the after photo.

After

I blame the bleach for dissolving the thread on all the buttons. Every button on both jackets has now been resewn.

Toad

spring things

There are fewer pontificators of men's fashion than women's but this season They, whomever they are, have deemed that the well dressed male this spring and summer will be wearing a blue, unlined sport coat with open patch pockets. All others are pretenders.



For a change, more than a few of the suggested jackets are double breasted, which is problematic depending upon where you live. Nothing is as elegant as a DB jacket in the spring and nothing speaks of a personal hell quite like DB on a hot, humid, summer afternoon.


I'll likely give this trend a pass this year. I like the look, but am long on options in my closet. Come next spring I'll think blue, unlined jackets are a really great idea, search long and hard until being told you should have been here last year, we had lots.



Looking closely though you'll find some really great trim ideas to bring along to your next visit to your tailor.


The drawing below is from J Peterman's spring catalog. For those who prefer their clothing to come with a backstory this is the "it" jacket of the season.






Happy shopping.

Toad

I've been saving these photos from Tumblr for a while. If they are yours let me know so I can credit the source, which I did not keep at the time. My apologies.

Double Breasted tweed

By actual count I have more than my share of tweed jackets in my closets. Irish tweed, Manx tweed, Harris tweed, and the odd mutt thrown in for good measure. Not a double breasted in the mix. Rarer than hens teeth, Ben Silver is showing 2 this season.

Nice tweed, but to my eye something appears off. Perhaps it's the juxtaposition of the casual tweed and the more formal peaked lapels.

I'm all over wearing the unexpected, and applaud the man who can wear this, but if this is such a great idea why don't we see it more often? Makes a better suit coat than odd jacket, don't ya think? Just saying.

Toad