#“silk would feel nicer but maybe it would seem less planned if it was cotton”

[jqupohtia]

HIM

[menswearmusings]

After You Buy All the Essentials, Then What? My Personal List Moving Forward

Switching focus from the urgent to the important is a vital practice in the business world. Have you ever worked somewhere where it’s clear that instead of thinking critically about the core of the organization’s mission for ways to grow and improve, the focus is instead on whatever the newest, shiniest idea is (or often, whatever the latest crisis is)?

I always had a sense of urgency about buying clothes, because my goal was to dress in cool tailoring every day of the week in ways that I would consider meaningfully different. But being constrained by a budget meant I had to think carefully about what I bought, so I wouldn’t end up with something because it was a great deal, only to discover I had very little use for it. So I created a list of clothes I wanted that I imagined would comprise a complete wardrobe (for my tastes and needs). That helped me stay focused on my goals when sale season started and there were so many awesome things to buy.

Now, though, having largely built that wardrobe I imagined, I tend to get distracted by the new, shiny thing much more. I’ll find some product on eBay or in a shop on sale and become obsessed with it, going back to look at it over and over again. Without that hit list of must-buys to bring myself back from the brink, I always have a creeping sense that whatever it is I end up actually purchasing is maybe the wrong choice for me and I should instead be saving that money for some other, better purchase down the road. I’ve picked all the low-hanging fruit, but I have no personal guidance for reaching higher.

So, in an effort to try and refocus myself on buying what I can consider important purchases—not just those with the urgency of desire—here’s my list of next must-haves.

(By the way, if you’re just starting out and want some help building a wardrobe from scratch, check out my “Guide to Building a Tailored Wardrobe.” In it, I explain just that—how to have the right mindset about buying clothes, plus specific advice for versatility in clothing. Check it out here.)

More cotton-linen trousers for summer

Since becoming a dad—but even before then—dress trousers in wool just don’t get much wear from me. Primarily that’s because pants need cleaning more often, and I hate dry cleaning bills. But it’s also because I prefer a silhouette that just doesn’t work with dress pants, at least in wool. Jeans or even chinos made of denim or cotton twill drape differently and thus can work in the tapered cut I prefer. My previously perfectly fitting flannel trousers with that ideal taper from Spier & Mackay are now too slim because my calves got too big. So I have to go fuller. I’m fine going with that in a drapey wool, but day to day I prefer a slimmer knee and slightly tapered opening at the hem.

This is why cotton-linen trousers exist. Cotton-linen seems to have that perfect balance of cotton’s stiffness with linen’s drape, so they hang well but are forgiving if the fit isn’t bespoke-perfect or your proportions make things difficult. Pure linen just doesn’t give off the vibe I’m looking for typically (it feels a little more louche the way it hangs and rumples than I as a person am). And other options like wool-silk-linen blends are beautiful and amazing (I’ll get those below), but what I like about cotton-linen is I can usually machine wash it myself to no ill effect. Currently I have one pair, so it’d be nice to get another 2-3 to rotate through (much as I have with flannel in the winter). My list would be: 

A second pair of off-white 

Tan / khaki

Deeper brown

Maybe a light blue or mid-navy

Options I have for buying these: Spier & Mackay’s dress trouser fit is still my best bet right now, and I’ve been told they’ll have a crop of 7 colors of cotton-linen trousers in mid-April. That said, I also just purchased some pairs from Brooks Brothers’ Red Fleece line that arrive soon, made from fabric by the same mill as Spier’s, for $37 a pair that might work, too.

A rotation of good chinos and a pair of light wash jeans that fit

Chinos are nice because they dress up or down pretty well (you can wear a tie with them without it being weird, unlike five-pocket pants, but on their own without a jacket they’re good too), and if you get them in the right fabric, they’re pretty hard-wearing.

Finding chinos that 1- don’t have stretch, 2- are made from material that’s a good mid-weight, and 3- fit the way I want is extremely difficult. You wouldn’t think so but man it’s hard to find good chinos. And finding good, faded jeans with similar qualities is likewise hard without spending $200+. That said, if I can find them, what would make my wardrobe happy would be chinos in:

Off-white

Stone

True khaki

Possibly a pair in fatigue, which is a good color when it’s too hot to wear a jacket

Options for chinos are tricky. I like the idea of what fellow menswear blogger Ian is doing with his new shop Lost Monarch; $125 is hefty for chinos, but I suppose if they fit really well and the fabric rules, the investment might be worth it. I also always forget about classic chino maker Bill’s Khakis, which was always hailed as having the highest quality back in my early Styleforum days. They introduced a number of slimmer fitting styles over the years and are still fairly easy to find on eBay. Spier & Mackay’s chinos are a great deal but each time I’ve tried them, the fit’s been off for me in some way or other. I might try them once again this spring. 

As for light wash jeans, I’ll be looking probably at American Eagle, Polo RL, Abercrombie, Banana Republic, and other mall brands. Much as I’d like to get some 3-Sixteens or even Naked and Famous, they’re hard to get ahold of where I live and trying jeans on is critical.

A dark navy blazer in both single and double breasted configurations

I have seasonally appropriate navy jackets—one is wool/cashmere for winter, and one is raw silk for summer—and last summer I added a dark blue double breasted jacket for summer as well. When I recently tried on No Man Walks Alone’s Sartoria Carrara jackettried on No Man Walks Alone’s Sartoria Carrara jacket, which was a dark navy twill, I remembered why dark navy jackets exist: they’re classy as heck. All my navy jackets are slightly lighter shades of navy, which is great, but a good, dark navy blazer brings some gravity to an outfit, looks great in the evening and dresses up very well for more formal occasions.

That said, it’s gotta be the right texture. Hopsack wool is a good option; I would also be interested in some kind of blend like wool-silk-linen or similar. I’m not a fan of mohair, so I wouldn’t do that, and the high twist fabrics are tricky because they tend to look fairly smooth, while I like a little more surface texture. Given how much I like my SuitSupply Jort blazer, I’m hoping they release a double breasted jacket that might fit the bill this spring/summer. As for single breasted, I really, really liked that NMWAxCarrara jacketNMWAxCarrara jacket, so something closer to a 3-season fabric from him would be amazing. Of course Spier & Mackay has staple hopsack wool blazers in both their Neapolitan cut and regular cut, which sold out quickly in my size.

A dark navy double breasted blazer by Ring Jacket (model 6) I tried on at The Armoury in New York City. Click the image to see the product page of this actual jacket at their site.

A pair or two of summer trousers in a nicer fabric

Cotton linen trousers and chinos are as dressy as I need them to be most of the time in my life, but it’s still nice to have a pair of classier dress trousers in summer for occasions that call for it. I’ve had gray hopsack and fresco in the past, but those were more corporate than I was looking for.

Summer is the time for levity in the color palette, so I really like the idea of a light or mid blue (maybe a petrol blue). Every time Greg at No Man Walks Alone does spring pre-orders for Rota, they offer these beautiful wool/silk/linen blend fabrics, including petrol blue in the past, and every time, I love how they look but always stopped short of ordering for various reasons. A sufficiently textured, interesting blend in a light gray would also be nice and would be better than a corporate looking fresco or tropical wool. In the swatches below, which were for this season’s Rota trouser made to order options, the blue and gray at the top hold appeal, and even that green at the bottom.

Swatches for Rita wool/silk/linen trousers From No Man Walks Alone.

Some dress shirts from Anglo-Italian

It feels like I’ve been banging on about this for years at this point, I know, but their reverse stripe OCBD is great and I need to just pull the trigger and buy it. But beyond that, Anglo’s house dress shirt model is essentially the perfect shirt: the collar shape is an ideal wide spread with no tie space and that isn’t too stiff; the fit is comfortable but not baggy; and the details are all there both quality and design-wise. The back shirring is maybe a bit out there for many people, but these shirts are meant to be worn under a jacket, which is how I’d wear them. I’d buy white first then probably their blue end-on-end and maybe the bengal stripe. They’re expensive at $175, but that’s less than other comparable Italian dress shirt companies like Finamore or Borrelli.

A couple additional pairs of suede shoes

I love suede for its versatility in dressing up or down. What I wear 95% of the time are snuff suede penny loafers, snuff suede chukkas and tan suede tassel loafers. I’m looking to get more dark brown suede, which, sorta like true dark navy blazers, brings some gravity to an outfit. My penny loafers have been through some rough times; I plan to resole them (which they badly need), but it’d be nice to have a pair that aren’t so beaten up. I prefer a sleeker last shape most of the time (not pointy, maybe almond shaped) to the round lasts you see from classic Ivy brands like Alden, which are more casual and carry a lot more of that Ivy feeling (something I’m always trying to temper with more rakish aesthetics). That said, a rounded loafer of some kind to wear strictly casually is something I’d like to get to help share the load with the other shoes. I’ve also been really into the split toe derby look the last year or so. I tried The Armoury’s on when I visited there in 2018, and really liked it. 

So, the list would be:

Dark brown suede penny loafers

Dark brown suede Chelsea boots

Brown suede split toe

Dark or mid-brown suede beef roll or similar more casual loafers

I’ve noticed that the most comfortable shoes I love wearing the most are all made by Allen Edmonds, so I’ll be looking at those for sure. The Sea Island in particular looks awesome for that casual loafer. Beckett Simonon has some suede boots and given how comfortable their shoes are, their Bolton Chelsea looks nice. Meermin of course is another option for suede boots, and they have a penny loafer that might fit the bill for me, too. Spier & Mackay’s shoe offerings look very good, including this suede penny loafer. And of course the Armoury’s split toe derby is the one I’m most looking at for that category as I’m sort of picky when it comes to split toe shoes.

So there’s my hit list moving forward. I’ve already deviated from it this season by purchasing an excellent but not-on-this-list jacket from Spier & Mackay in 100% linen by Sondrio in a mid-brown glen check pattern. It surprised me how much I loved it, so I’m letting myself deviate from the list, guilt-free. And at the end of the day, the clothing hobby is all about enjoying life anyhow, and what could be more important than than?

(Help support this site! If you buy stuff through my links, your clicks and purchases earn me a commission from many of the retailers I feature, and it helps me sustain this site—as well as my menswear habit ;-)  Thanks!)

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[pennywaltzy]

A Merry Christmas After All (5/8) - NEW CHAPTER

And more fluffy Salcroft content!

A Merry Christmas After All - Sally and Mycroft make an arrangement to have a pretend relationship together, culminating in a spectacular break-up at a destination wedding in Hawaii. But what they intend to have happen doesn’t go according to plan when pesky feelings decide to get involved.

READ CHAPTER 1 | READ CHAPTER 5 | HELP ME SURVIVE? | COMMISSION ME? | BUY ME A KOFI?

The car arrived two hours later and she found she was not in it alone; Mycroft was in the back, waiting. She smiled at him as she got in when the driver opened the door. “You certainly look more comfortable than I do,” he said with a small smile of his own on his face.

“Well, you said to get comfortable,” she said as the driver shut the door behind her. “If I can wear this to yoga class, it’s comfortable enough.”

“It suits you,” he said with a nod. “I’m quite used to seeing you in more of business attire than anything else.”

“Do you have comfortable clothes?” she asked, tilting her head as she looked at him.

“I suppose the clothes I exercise in are comfortable,” he mused. “Other than that, I tend to be in suits.”

“Okay, we need to change that,” she said. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Not all of our pretend dates are going to be at fancy places. I’m not saying you need to wear denim trousers and T-shirts, but maybe...more casual trousers, tasteful jumpers. If your family is going to believe I’ve had any influence on you, you do need to change a bit. Feel free to go back after our break-up, though. They’ll probably be expecting it.”

“And if I find I like the changes?”

“Well, no one’s stopping you from keeping them,” she said. “And if Molly really is pregnant, a less impeccable wardrobe will deal well with baby spit-up.”

He chuckled at that. “I suppose there’s some wisdom in that.”

“Damn straight there is,” she said with a nod. They lapsed into a short silence before she spoke again. “You really have a film projector at your home?”

“Yes, and a room where I watch the films I have,” he said. “Not a theatre-style room, but I suppose aside from my bedroom it would be the most comfortable room in my home.”

“You better have popcorn.”

“I do not, but perhaps we can order some to be delivered along with our dinner.”

“So you haven’t placed the order yet?”

“There’s no one at my home to make sure we get it so I assumed since we’d be sharing the car I could order it en route.”

She thought for a moment. “Is your kitchen really as bare as Sherlock said it is?”

“Not currently. His fiancee has ideas that go against my diet, in that I should have a full refrigerator. At least she stocked it with moderately healthy food. Why do you ask?”

“I can cook,” she said. “I spent a few years taking culinary classes to get my mind off the stress of the job. I’m actually quite good, and as you seem to be a gourmand...”

“A homemade meal from Sally Donovan? I think this is an opportunity I can’t pass up,” he said with a smile.

“Then I’ll cook and you pick a good wine. I’ll critique your choice, of course, so we’ll see if you’re as much of a wine snob as I am. Then we’ll eat and watch films and I’ll forgive you for not having popcorn this time.”

He nodded. “That sounds acceptable. And perhaps you’ll accept the substitute of Jaffa cakes and truffles? I do have my vices, after all.”

“Done,” she said, holding out her hand. He shook it and then they settled into a different conversation for the rest of the ride, each talking about the day’s events and Sally told him about her plans for the following day. When they arrived at his home she wasn’t at all surprised to see it was akin to the manor homes out in the country, just a bit smaller and closer to London proper. They got out of the car, the driver opening her side as Mycroft let himself out, and they made their way to the front doot. Mycroft opened it and they stepped inside and she took the chance to look around. “It’s a bit foreboding.”

“It’s the intimidation factor that I appreciate,” he said. “When I have guests I want to unsettle, I invite them to my office or my home.”

“And the rest of us you just meet in abandoned warehouses,” she said with a smirk.

“You weren’t intimidated if I recall,” he said.

“Not really. I thought you were less of a prat than your brother, but not by much. I was more annoyed than anything else. I wanted to get home for a soak.”

“You prefer baths to showers?” he asked.

“After a long day, yes,” she said.

“I’ll put you in the guest bedroom with the claw-footed bath, then, if you stay tonight. Anthea usually stocks it with top of the line bath products for when she stays due to work.”

Sally nodded. “What type of pillowcases do you have?”

“Egyptian cotton,” he said, frowning.

“Any silk ones, by any chance?”

“I have a few, though they don’t match the bedding set.” Then it hit him. “Your hair.”

She nodded. “I don’t treat it, but silk pillowcases are best for the type of hair I have. I brought my own hair products, though. I hope you don’t mind.”

“For the time we’re pretending to date, let me know what you need and I’ll have it available in case you would like to do another movie night and stay over,” he said. “I don’t want to inconvenience you by having you have to bring your things from home.”

“That’s nice of you, Mycroft.”

“Well, you are doing me an immense favour with this ruse. I can at least make it easier on you.”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, and to her surprise, he flushed slightly. “You know for the time we’re in Hawaii we have to show some public signs of affection,” she said softly. “But I won’t do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You set the rules for what you’re willing to do.”

“It’s not that it makes me uncomfortable,” he said. “It’s just rare to have anyone aside from Dr. Hooper show physical affection towards me. I suppose it still affects me.”

“Ah,” Sally said. “Well, we’ll ease into it, then, alright? And if we have dinner together tomorrow as you suggested, we can start with hand-holding.”

He nodded. “That sounds acceptable.”

“Okay then,” she said with a nod of her own. “Now then. Where’s this cavern of a kitchen at?”

He gave her a small smile and gestured down the hall. “This way.” He walked forward and she followed. This was turning into more time spent together than they had initially agreed upon, but she felt if nothing else, Mycroft needed a friend. And while she was reaping some rewards from this pretend relationship, it didn’t mean she couldn’t give him some friendship that might last even past their fake break-up. Everyone needed friends, after all, even the Ice Man. And she didn’t mind, because to be honest, he was nicer than he seemed, which was a pleasant surprise. So if it meant more time spent together before Hawaii...so be it.