The Eccentric Orange Gentleman

Bush Vest

2011-02-16T20:34:00.003-05:00

Filson bush vest a very nice addition to the waistcoats in my closet. Given my recent cash deficit I may have to wait. They are on sale by the way; $70 and it's yours.

This is the sort of thing I could wear without a coat at a picnic or some other outing. It doubles as functional attire with all the pockets. Plus it just smells of African utilitarian stylish funk.

My Big Fat Tumblr Blog

2011-01-29T20:04:00.003-05:00

Hey! I'm on tumlbr at orangegentleman.tumblr.com.

I'll say this:

easier to reblog
easier to link
no photo hosting
I own my own material outright

This blog will be updated and kept relevant. I'll just post about different things on here, not necessarily different topics just different posts.

If I Wore Scarves, I'd Wear This One!

2011-01-24T01:18:00.006-05:00

I'm not a big scarf wearer by any means; the thought of having something around my neck is just uncomfortable. I don't wear turtle necks and can't stand buttoning my jacket all the way up to the collar.

The snow storm that hit us in Atlanta a few weeks ago made me wish for a scarf. Since then, I've kept my eye out for what I would wear and been open to it. Usually it snows the week of my birthday, March 1st is my birthday. In a way I'm thinking ahead.

So, what is my perfect scarf. I must go dandy with it. I also like sweaters. I have plenty of knit ties, knit gloves( I don't wear), a plethora of sweaters, why not a knit scarf. Here comes the Jack Spade patch scarf.

multiple patterns in a patchwork assembly
knit
colorful
texture overload

Feast upon its visual splendor.

Photo Credit: Ebay seller shopdotstyle

Noodlers Antietam

2010-08-10T00:35:00.006-04:00

JetPens supplied me with some Noodler's ink after stumbling onto my blog about 1 month ago.

So, here is the review:
Antietam was host to one of the bloodiest battles during the American civil war. This ink, I think, is intended to be a blood red. I don't think it is. To me; it appears to be an orange with red tendencies. It looks like the color of blood after you wash it out of a white shirt. It doesn't quite come out but stays orange.

The ink shades a very nice and vibrant variation. It goes from the blood red color to to a brilliant orange. It is a very quick drying ink and in a my broad pens dries very quickly. Even with that drying quality it, creeps from nibs frequently.

Now, orange is my favorite color but I'll be honest; this isn't my favorite color. I don't mind it but it straddles a strange fence. I don't like bright reds and most reds are inks that would never see the inside of my piston fillers. Antietam isn't orange enough for me to like and isn't a dark enough red for me to be okay with. This equals a color I couldn't use. I'm a fan of quite a few oranges. The diamine pumpkin, a neon orange, is the most flagrant example of an orange I have. I use that color very much. The fact that this orange is far too red is a problem for me on white paper.

This color takes a very strange turn when on a cream paper. I wish I had a sample to show you; the one I prepped was destroyed by a spill. The orange mellows out a little and blends with the red to make a medium fall leaf color of an orange. The best way to describe this is it browns up some. So, yes on cream: no on white.

Still! I don't think you get it yet? It is like the kid sister of one of your friends. She blossoms while you are at college, uni for some. Then upon your return you find that something has changed. Then it dawns on you that she is now a beautiful flower. You shouldn't even be looking at her but you have to admit she is attractive to you. She has always had a crush on you and only now can you even consider her. Yet you don't. This is the dilemma I face.

On cream paper, I love this ink. I don't really use cream paper. I work too much and only use white non-fp paper that I force my thin-nibbed pens upon in a careless manner. Thus, I mostly write on papers that Antietam would not be pleasing to me causing me to cast this ink aside only for the pleasures of leisurely correspondence or personal writing. I, being a young man, cannot bear the financial burden of inks that cannot be used at work and at play. I get away with every single ink I own even the bright pumpkin orange from diamine. My employers don't mind and resign it to be one of my eccentricities. Finally I say, this ink will not be one I add to my collection for constant purchase.

EDIT:

If you would like to purchase antietam from Jet Pens, click here.

Hiatus?

2010-07-08T01:18:00.003-04:00

Readers,

I've been very busy these past couple of months. As you all know I was and still am on the job hunt. I can clearly say that it has been rough and exciting. Well in the process I failed to get a new job but managed to somehow get promoted. I'm not one to toot my own horn but, how do you get promoted as you are actively searching for a new employer? I don't know but it has made me one busy camper.

There have been some very interesting changes in my life as well. I'm getting closer to business school application time and I've strengthened my focus on getting back into finance. I know what I want to do career-wise and I'm going to go get it. After all it is all in my hands and out there for me to get. I just have to go get it. So, as I get comfortable in my position I can't say that I'll be posting very often.

Another change is I'm doing a feasibility study for a business my brother and I have been thinking about for 6 years now. All three of these things leave me with little time to blog. I'll tell you right now I will make an effort to blog, at the minimum, once a week. Until things change that is the game plan.

Sorry for the lack of posts, this should explain why.

D RIng Belts

2010-07-03T11:12:00.005-04:00

The pinnacle of college boy belting is the silk d ring belt. Worn with chinos, OCBDs, loafers, and a sport coat.

Summer time means, we can wear brighter colors and our accessories should reflect that.

So, have some fun with the casual d ring belt and go with a nice sporting theme if the silk is embroidered or printed.

Cheers!

Photo Credit: All the belts are photos from dann-online.com. The gentleman wearing the belt is from his personal blog, http://kleidsam.blogspot.com/. As always, if you don't want me to post these photos contact me and I'll remove them.

Handkerchiefs

2010-04-17T16:44:00.006-04:00

I've been a firm user of handkerchiefs since I was twelve. Why? I stumbled upon one in a pocket of a suit my father bought me from a thrift store. It luckily had a monogram Identical to mine.

I loved the embroidered lion and decorative trees on the corners. It looked like it was handmade from a girlfriend or mother. I began using it because at about that time I developed allergies and was constantly wiping tears from my eyes. It came in handy. Since then I've always kept one on hand when necessary.

Handkerchiefs are interesting, they are not really used anymore in the U.S. The practice of using them is still strong in Africa and the third world parts of the world.

For a primer on them here is a link from a gent from South Africa, the country not the region. Recently I've needed to upgrade. My go to kerchiefs are all rather aged. Once the white ones go from White to Cream then to Tan you need some new ones. It is quite acceptable to let them yellow from usage. The Brits prefer them yellowed. It just means your getting your money's worth.

I usually opt for white and cream so I can easily tell when it is time to replace or deep oxiclean them. This time around I opted for a few colors to be thrown in. I couldn't get any from my usual source due to it closing down. So, I took a chance on a J.Press pack for $29.99. Shipping is heavily taxed like J.Crew so save up a few purchases because you wont want to hit with the shipping. In my pack, I received 3 purple, 2 blue, and 2 white.

When choosing handkerchiefs know that you don't have to get them with hand rolled edges. They are an unnecessary extravagance. Especially if you wipe your sweat off with your kerchiefs or dry your hands with them. Save your money for better pocket squares or other things. Another thing you should look for is decorative patterns on the borders and corners. Without these, you might want to look elsewhere; the kerchief is not of adequate quality.

Pardon the dark pictures, I can't stand taking pictures outside.

A Primer on Tie Bars

2010-04-17T14:27:00.009-04:00

A friend recently asked me if I wear tie bars. No, not really. I have two, one was a recent purchase; Gabriel's horn in a gold tone, base metal and a sterling, Greek key motif one. I typically only wear them when I'm wearing a knit tie.

During the interview day at AT&T, I saw a few individuals wearing tie bars and noticed how suave they can be when paired with conservative outfits. I doubt I'll be wearing them that way. Why? I think that they are informal and I treat them accordingly.

Tie bars serve a dual purpose; functionality and decoration. They hold the tie in a fixed position and stop them from swaying. It also reduces the need for you to periodically straighten up your tie or tuck in the small end in the keeper by keep both ends together and pinned onto the shirt. Decoratively they allow a strong arch on the tie as it falls from neck to inside the jacket. It also can be designed decoratively, monogrammed, or placed in a decorative slanting manner. Keep this in mind should you decide to start wearing them.

Tie bars should be rather thick to avoid breaking under the stress of a thicker tie and the abuses of bending to accommodate a tie.

They should also have several spaces and clips in the center of the the clipping mechanism. This allows the tie to have space without bunching and enhances the life of the tie bar. How you ask? Well the spaces with clips allow the clipping mechanism to catch and pin the tie even if the end is loose. Thus, letting you use it without necessitating frequent repair. The space is also useful for catching the thicker ties without slipping out.

Lastly, let us discuss the designs. The classic look is a solid rectangle or one with round edges. I have a preference for the rectangular, sharp edged ones. Both will do, especially if you pair the round edge one with a club collar it adds more visual interest by echoing the roundness of the collar. The other classic look is a the same for with a brushed finish, monogram, or machined design. Sometimes all three are present. The more adventurous amongst us will choose a design that is whimsical or creative. Animals, cameos, and swords are common for the dandy to don. I try to stay away from anything sword in design because they can get very used car salesman in appearance. To those wanting something rare; go for something in the form of a rectangle, with or without round edges, but with a texture or scalloping. What I mean is a regular looking tie bar that has diagonals cut into the metal, for instance. These maintain the same visual as a classic tie bar while offering a personal touch that isn't too far out there for the less adventurous.

Now, of materials; one should choose sterling, in my humble opinion. Don't worry about the cost because they can be had for less then $10 shipped on eBay regularly. The positives to sterling silver are it shines well, it patinas, and resists corrosion better than some other base metals. The negatives are brand new it can cost quite a bit, it patinas, is easily scratched, and needs to be polished more often than other precious metals. All in all, I strongly recommend sterling silver.

Gluttony

2010-04-17T12:46:00.004-04:00

In many regards I'm a glutton. I have as of last count 39 ties. About half are bow ties and half straight. Let us follow this thread a little further, of all the ties I have I have about 10 with a navy ground or a dominant navy color.

Yup and I'm adding one more. It is a navy ground with a gold pig on the bow tie. I've been wanting a pig tie for some time. The playful spirit of the pig on the tie and the symbolism of money are something I don't mind being associated with. The gluttony well, that is here to stay.

Nooooooo!

2010-04-17T11:11:00.001-04:00

So, I didn't get the job at AT&T.

Through the process I learned a few things:

I have real valuable work experience
My resume is alright
I'm an natural leader
I like challenging work

I just need to find a company that will utilize my strengths. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve and I'm working on the next opportunity. It is a shame I didn't get my dream job but on to the next move.

I wish them the best and the individuals that were chosen over me the best as well. Good luck!

The Cheapest Tie Bar You'll Ever Own!!!

2010-04-14T01:45:00.002-04:00

I'm a big fan of accessories boy does it get crazy waiting for boxes of swag from the evil bay. I'm on the search for the next animal cufflinks to add to my collection. Even though, I always find it necessary to have back-ups and cheap alternatives.

You never know what will happen or if you will be able to find something. So, it is good to be prepared. Tie bars are essentially one of the easiest things to find a replacement for. Paper clips of medium and large sizes works best and they can be thrown away or misplaced with no worry. As common as they are they still look simple, elegant, and interesting. Just make sure you don't get too cocky about this when you out dress the metro-guy from accounting who spent a fortune on his monogrammed, custom, white gold tie bar. By the way, you can lie to him and tell him it's sterling or really tick him off by admitting you picked up from the supply closet as you strolled in this morning.

Signed The Eccentric Orange Gentleman

Today is the Big Day!

2010-04-14T01:39:00.002-04:00

Today I find out whether or not I got my dream job. I'm expecting the phone call around noon but who knows; GST -5 or Eastern US Time Zone. But who knows. I wasn't promised a timeline just a day.

So, cross your fingers, pray, or do whatever it is you do for good luck! I'll see you on the other side.

Signed The Eccentric Orange Gentleman

More AT&T Swag.

2010-04-10T23:51:00.006-04:00

While I'm still up and in the mood; here is some more swag. I'm glad it wasn't your usual branded mug and pen. Instead we got some useful stuff like the pictured note book and sticky notes.

Enjoy, I know I will!!! More to write notes and GTD captures. Yep I'm a productivity junky when I'm not off work.

News

2010-04-10T18:00:00.011-04:00

1 free ringtone/ business card was given out as part of the swag bag after the event.

For those of you keeping up with my career search know this; after 9 months of chasing AT&T, I'll know by Wednesday. I think I have it. I was able to build rapport with one of the executives because he was, back 10 years ago, in the same industry as me. He also was concerned with his future and is a go-getter like me. Through out the many starts and stops I showed persistence, professionalism, and experience in working in a professional atmosphere. I was able to convey my skills and honest about my experience and background. Talking to some of the candidates, many did not have but a few work experiences to draw from for the behavioral interviews. Mind you there were at least 2 prerequisites ones and 2 shotgun ones in the interview day event. This I think puts me ahead of pack.

I didn't ask many questions during the interview day event because I kept getting overlooked. I didn't have many questions but I also wanted to take the time to form my thoughts properly. When I don't sleep very much I know I say some really blunt statements. It is like my mind says things without choosing proper wording. In other words, I mean the same thing just the connotation of words I choose come out wrongly. For instance, I called someone pitiful when I meant to say that I'm saddened by the fact that they aren't competitive in any sense. I was 2 minutes late because I got lost traversing the AT&T Mobility campus. They didn't seem to mind considering others were 30- 1 hour late. After all this is Atlanta and traffic and road conditions leave much to be desired. Other than that, I think I'm a strong candidate.

A Herd of Wallets

2010-04-10T17:19:00.006-04:00

Recently, I've been on a wallet buying binge. I guess you can call me my father's son. He used to buy wallet after wallet. He would buy a new one when the old one was stuffed full of business cards or the leather was worn out. Instead of throwing them out he kept them. I'm the same way in many respects except I buy a new one or switch when I feel the wallet has been filled up too much. Depending on what I wear, I also will change wallets.

I've got about 10 wallets: 1 bifold, numerous slim leather wallets, 1 exotic tall billfold; can hold taller non-US currency, and 1 alligator stamped leather breast pocket wallet.

So, here are the recent additions to the herd:

This one is a slim card case made from natural colored leather. Purchased on Etsy.

This last one is stingray dyed red. It is a tall billfold that can holds non-US currency.

Busy! Trying to Get a New Job.

2010-04-02T22:19:00.005-04:00

My apologies with the gap in posting. I've got a few post in draft form. I've just been busy interviewing for my dream job at AT&T. I've got yet another interview going . This one seems to be a sort of superday thing like investment banks do.

I'm excited but ready to move on to this wonderful career opportunity. So, until all that is resolved I'll probably be limiting my posting. Sorry, but real life come first

Barima and I will be having a conversation soon sort of an interview to get another perspective on style. It will be nice to hear another African's sartorial likes and dislikes.

So, that is what is going on.

Best Wishes,

Orange Gent.

Photo Credit: AT&T Mobility

Busy!

2010-04-02T22:19:00.001-04:00

Go with the Customizable One.

2010-04-02T13:05:00.009-04:00

Every once in a while two manufacturers use the same source and end up with the same exact items. I usually go with the customizable one.

Here are the companies:

Paul Stuart
R. Hanauer

They both make a great product and use wonderful fabrics. It would be really grand to buy some of their products. I especially love Paul Stuarts accessories. I can't afford any but I do love the way they play with patterns and colors. They always seem to push it as far as they can but still remain conservative. Every year they release the same sort of patterned socks but lightly tweak the design. The herringbone patterned socks are the ones that really catch my eye. Last year it was a pair of socks that had interlocking herring bone. It looked like a zipper-like print. This year it was a really large herringbone each; kind of like the huge Polo logo, absurdly gigantic.

R. Hanauer only makes accessories, or as they call it The Finishing Touches™. They carry a wide range of things from their staple bow ties to patterned d-ring belts. I really like the fact that their bow tie program allow you to choose your own shape. They even allow you to further customize. Most options can be had for the regular price of their products. They make them in the U.S., doesn't matter to me I prefer quality, so you can call them to discuss any specs you need changed on the fly.

Check it out.

At $55 by R. Hanauer with custom configurations gratis sounds good. $70 from Paul Stuart shipped with no customization options available, I think I'll stick with R. Hanauer. Nothing against Paul Stuart, I like the company, this time go with the customizable one.

Happy 1 Anniversary!

2010-03-04T20:47:00.003-05:00

Happy One Year Anniversary to my blog!!!! It was this time last year I finally bit the bullet and decided to blog about all my eccentricities in one blog.

I've learned many things from fellow bloggers, made a few friends, trading a few items, philosophized, introduced the sartorial blogosphere to African style (very few of us in the sartorial blogosphere).

So let us continue down this path. Take a seat under my shade tree and let me, the Chief of this story, teach you and learn from you.

WIWT: Car Shopping

2010-03-04T20:10:00.004-05:00

Pink happy socks
JCrew Orange Watch Strap

JPress Yellow Repp Tie
JCrew mid-weight sweater in light turquoise

Self Present 4: Pilot Iroshizuku Inks

2010-03-03T15:37:00.003-05:00

The mail lady just dropped these off fresh from Jetpens. I'll be giving them a review as soon as I get Self Present 5 or 6. For now just take a look at them.

Also tomorrow expect some fountain pen ink reviews that have been piling up on me and a few notebook reviews.

Until Then,

Orange

Self Present 3: Sized Bow Ties

2010-03-03T15:13:00.007-05:00

Bow ties are interesting beasts. They fly in and out of style with no apparent reason. They are in style right now and are being produced by the most uncharacteristic makers. The designs are now bordering ludicrous. I can't believe the things coming out now days. These whimsical designs that are reversible are interesting only when done right. Be wary of cheap materials, poor prints, un matchedstriping, and poor manufacture from these fly-by-night producers. No matter how much or little you pay you should get quality. Back to normal discussions, if you wear bow ties you are going to find that at some point you will want a sized bow tie.

I found some offered on Etsy by a Canadian mom. She prices them at $8 shipped. The only catch is that you have to know what size you wear. I wear a 35" sized bow tie. Now to get that size you need to tie your bow tie to the length you like. Experienced bow tie wearers will know that even that is not exactly right. You need to consider the width of the tie, the way it hangs off your collar, if it projects forward and how far, thickness of the material, how tight you tie your bow tie, and width of your face. In other words, just go and tie one of a similar cloth and measure the desired length.

I purchased these sized bow ties from Ruffle-N-Tuck on Etsy.

Tartan in a Silk Wool Blend

Tomato Red in a Wool Flannel

Edited: to include the purchase details.

Self Present 2: Wii Mario Kart

2010-03-03T03:14:00.003-05:00

Woo Hoo! I love Mario Kart and this one is great!

I'm still a little iffy on the wheel but I'll warm up to it. The real test is will I still like this as much as I liked the other iterations.

3 Days to Greatness!

2010-03-01T22:11:00.003-05:00

3 days until the blog turns a year. This post should crack the 90th post barrier.

Let me expound on how this next year is going to be. I definitely plan on doing more essays, more funny stories, more philosophical sartorial pieces, more diversity in post topics, more eccentric details, more product review, more advice, more questions answered, and more greatness.

This past year I accomplished a few things:

Graduated with a BBA in Finance
Started an adult relationship with a young lady
Opened my first checking non-student checking account
Saved more than I planned, even without adhering to my usually strict budget
Planned my first conference
Opened my own trading account, no more trading around with Mom's

Changes that occurred in 2009:

I became the head of my family due to my father's death
Inherited a small sum of money, its in the 5 figure range
Became an assistant manager

Things to look forward to in 2010

A new career with a new company, my dream job is with AT&T if only AT&T can quickly get back to me before I have a heart attack from the suspense
A stronger and deeper relationship with my woman
Prospectively being a full-time manager with a better salary, hourly wages suck
More Trading
Bigger Savings Account
Paying off student loans, mine aren't too bad
Better Work/Life Balance, my work hours suck
New car
1st MTM suit, I've dabbled with pieces here and there but not a full on suit.
MTM and Bespoke shirting and shoes, I do save for a reason because me like nice stuff

Goals for 2010

Remember my father
Pay off student loans
Pay off my car
Sign a lease to a high-rise apartment in midtown ATL
Gain wisdom
Visit my grandparents in Africa and meet my extended family members for the first time
Continue building my shoe wardrobe, I'm up to 5 pairs
Begin Building a Professional Wardrobe, even though my work place doesn't require it I eventually plan on getting into a position that will require business dress
Find a full time entry-level job with nice benefits and an excellent training program
Network more, I'm now the biggest fan of nepotism since going at it alone is proving impossible
Calligraphy Practice
Getting Ripped again
Furthering my sartorial knowledge
Building Deeper relationships with my friends, family, and community
Lay the groundwork for wealth building in my family
Create a foundation for my prospective family
Thanking anyone who has helped me get to a good start in building my life
Lastly, thanking my woman for lending me her ear and supporting me even when I'm feeling down

Yeah I know that is plenty of stuff. Well I told you all I like lists and categories. After all how does a mathematical mind work. So, that is me for the next year of my life. Let's pray for blessings!

Wallets: Self-Present 1

2010-03-01T21:40:00.007-05:00

Today Is my 24th Birthday; I'm halfway to 30.

Traditionally I don't really care to celebrate my birthday. There is really only one thing I do every year, I buy myself presents. I don't really care to party but I always get dragged in to something. This year was different, we had an intimate dinner with a few close friends. Last year it snowed and Atlanta shut down. So, I got to leave work early only to be dragged to a club -fest that ended in a house party at my ex's house. I got home at 6 am and had to be at work at 11. My how the times have changed.

My first set of self-presents, that's what I call them don't judge me, appropriately arrived Today.

I'm a Gilt Groupe Member and bought these slim wallets on Friday. Typically, Gilt takes forever to ship. This time was different; 3 days later they arrive.

Check them out!

Canvas outside with brown leather piping.

Suede Interior

Inner Compartment for coins and receipts

See the contrasting textures... Yummy right!

Overall this is the sort of wallet you could find made in an African open air market. The canvas, a popular fabric, is readily available and would be considered stylish. The contrasting textures are just bonus. Extra points because the 3 materials paired together shout.

Medium brown crushed leather

Inner compartment

More brown crushed leather

This last wallet is probably going to be my new daily user. It is time I put up my dad's card case.

Hopefully I can soon fill these wallets up with some real money from a new source of employment. Here is to wishing!

WIWY: Birthday Outing Edition (No Text)

2010-03-01T21:27:00.003-05:00

Shouting!

2010-02-28T18:19:00.018-05:00

Whenever you dress casually you clearly are not bound by many rules. In fact, you should do whatever you want to do within reason. Consider practicality and pleasure. Yet, do not forget to wear one thing that shouts!

If your like any of my non-African friends your asking me what I mean. Well, Africans are not as bound by the rules of color Westerners follow. Colors don't imply orientation or sex, they are just colors. We simply wear what we like and think nothing about color matching. We also will wear any colors together yet somehow there is a harmony there. We never really ponder the colors we just work on feeling. 'Feeling' is very important to any African art. Our artwork works on two principles that contrast each other artifice and the natural. Dressing is no different. Feeling is simply a sense of harmony that a work of art has in its entirety, taken as a whole. Things without feeling are not considered art. This idea only matters because Africans tend to use high contrast in works of art. For example, loud colors, busy patterns, and the use of realistic and abstract elements all in the same body of work. For those two cousins to get along feeling must be present. Keep this in mind as we explore shouting.

Shouting, literal translation from several East African tongues, refers to the element that contrasts the most. This shouting element can be as simple as a contrasting texture, a print, a color, or a change in formality, or informal element in a formal article. Africans naturally do this. We'll combine the traditional printed cloth with a odd coat and come up with an interesting looking odd coat. I for one, take a Kente cloth and have it sewn into a pocket square. The square's pattern shouts so loudly other Africans and the cognoscenti can spot it's origin. Shouting adds style and flare to your entire look. Italians seem to have something similar and they call it sprezzatura; from what I can gather it seems to be attached to the man doing it. It also is not exactly contrast but not doing something in the normal way. Many copy each other on purpose instead of developing out of the natural. Shouting is attached to the element, the article, or the contrasting aspect. Shouting also is never affected or forced it is developed naturally. An example of this is Ozwald Boateng. His entire line is all about shouting, ignore the cut and fabrics. His ability to style is principled in shouting. If you have a chance at looking at some of his looks you'll begin to see the common thread. Now, just like in real life shouting can be done to some one in the same room or clear across an estate; it is the same sartorially. Go light or sprinkle on the seasoning heavily. Boateng shouts until your ears bleed.

To drive in my point, let's move on to some examples of shouting and I'll guide you to a better understanding:

Funky socks shout.

These boots shout.

Purple blazers shout.

Patch pockets and turnback cuffs on a suit coat shout loudly!

Photo Credits: Hart Schaffner & Marx, Leffot blog, Perry Ellis, M Magazine, don't remember the first photos owner.

MTO Dreams

2010-02-23T12:42:00.004-05:00

I've been secretly socking away some money for some Made-to-Order Shoes. So far, I've got about $600 saved up. I'm thinking about splurging on some boots or some monk straps. Whatever I do, I'll definitely make it a fun shoe. Hell, I might even go for some button boots.

Now onward ho! Shoes today are greatly limited in design and materials. This is probably due to the market in mens fine shoes being usurped by sneakers and cheaper alternatives. One can only get an idea of this by reading and studying ads from the past. As an avid thrift shopper and yard sale aficionado I can tell you that even regular people could afford to purchase fine leather shoes. Why, the market was flush with a surplus of makers and the entire environment supported it. Sneakers were utilitarian and only for sport thusly, the propers shoes due to saturation and demand could be offered and low as well as astounding price points. Another side effect was that, just like today, the various makes could be creative and market different styles and fashions.

You don't believe me do you, take a look at the following:

Too many to describe. Just know that they would look proper even today. I'm really digging the straight tip oxford in the corner.

This appears to be spectators with 2 different kinds of materials. It appears to be suede, calf skin, and white leather. The materials contrast highly and look sharper for it.

A casual design with some perforations. Botegga Venetta still designs shoes like this every S/S.

A spectator monk hybrid next to a spectator with some perforated leather panels.

Photo Credit: All are Esquire and found all over the internets...

Taking Inspiration From the Joker

2010-02-17T14:39:00.005-05:00

The Joker's trademark colors are green and purple. These colors look well together yet many ignore there potential. Whenever I mention it to a friend they laugh or bring up the Joker. I take it in kind and just prove them wrong. Instead of looking like a cartoon character, I channel a dandy of exquisite taste.

Take a gander and analyze why this works:

Dressing to Live.

2010-02-16T15:05:00.009-05:00

Life is composed of many stages. These stages bring many different aspects of culture, knowledge, responsibility, and costume. The last of these is what we shall concern ourselves with and explore further. We shall seek to understand it and apply .

To avoid argument, let us assume that life begins from conception and ends at death. Here are the stages: conception to birth, infancy to school age, school age to young adulthood, and full adulthood to middle age, eldership, and finally death. At conception to birth you wear nothing and from infancy to school age your parents dress you according to the fashions of your age, sometimes their whim takes over. During young adulthood you begin to develop your own ideas and dress according to them; most will follow what the media, their peers, or affiliate groups wear. The next stage full adulthood, by now you are firmly stuck in your way of dressing. If you are a man you have to own at minimum a 1 suit and you have completely become absorbed in your profession's attire. Eldership is a free-for-all. You can say and wear anything you desire. Many now have the privilege of dressing with all the exclusive items of their culture. In my culture, you can now wear tribal dress with a cane and highly decorated head dress even before the Chiefs. Then finally, at death, you once again wear nothing at all.

Mr. E living to dress at Christmas.

The sartorial blogosphere sometimes waxes poetry and philosophizes about dressing to the point of making it seem like that is the expression of ultimate masculinity. Dressing to them is intrinsically important to their life; they live to dress. This is advisable only in some circumstances. The most appropriate time for this is during eldership. It is in this stage of life that one has no responsibilities, theoretically and maybe only in the best case scenarios, and society has freed one to the point of allowing them to pursue and develop the intrinsic things in life. Some examples of this in Western culture are the senior citizen golfers, continuing education or life long learning programs at universities, and the Flavio Briatore like playboy billionaires.

Manton, M.D. dressing to live for his medical practice.

Well what of the majority of us that are sartorialists. It is estimated by menswear retailers that we are of the 18 - 34 age range, the so called video-game demographic. This is the adulthood to middle age category. In the full adulthood stage of life we are seeking things that are instrumental. On the young side one is occupied with education on the older end one is completely engorged with wealth building in their career. These things are all to build a life for themselves and their families; the foundation for the lifestyle they will hopefully live during eldership is being created. This stage of life requires instrumentality in the choice of dress. For, to succeed in one's career one must dress according to the profession and peers in one's place of employment. One is said to be 'dressing to live'. To dress to unique or outdress the superiors will bring ill will towards you and hamper your success; Antongiovanni, the author of TheLondonLounge.Net fame, writes something similar in his book, "The Suit."

While it is admirable to seek the intrinsic values of dandyism it is much more useful for the majority of sartoralists to dress with what they can get away with. One should copy their peers and superiors but not to a tee. Copy the form but play with the particulars. Choose to be a dandy with the items one does not expose very much. Socks and pocket squares lend themselves to this quite well. Items that are front and center like ties should follow the norm to ensure one's livelihood. Remember this advise, dress to live in your youth and live to dress during eldership.

An Interesting Fair Isle Sweater Vest

2010-02-08T23:18:00.011-05:00

From time to time one comes across anomalies in the menswear world. These are items that existed for a short period of time, are not traditional, completely bizarre, or just plain archaic; yet they are desirable, even if controversial.

The Houndstooth Kid, an internet friend of the Eccentric Orange Gent, recently posted about the mess jacket. This got my wheels turning and inspired me to post about my sweater vest. Sometimes you gain inspiration from your peers and I thank him for that.

Here is the interesting Fair Isle sweater vest:

The most interesting thing about this sweater vest is closure system. It creates a very large opening in the chest and opens up so many possibilities for tie and shirt combinations. The deep opening makes it unsuitable for wear without jackets and with bow ties. Sorry! This is a straight tie and jacket affair. The pattern and closure make it highly informal. You should only wear this with a casual or country suit. The more daring of dandies will choose to take it with an odd jacket and odd pants. Sadly the buttons stop short of allowing you to wear a pocket watch although, one could jerry rig one for extra style points.

While this seems to be novel; it actually is a style of sweater that fell out of favor after the sixties. I've come across a few and even asked a seasoned Atlanta financial executive who happened to be wearing one at an alumni mixer down town about them. The banker told me that they were all the rage when he was a student at Emory in the '60s. They also can be found on ebay from time to time. I personally think they should still be around and only add interest to the sweater combinations that dandies can piece together.

Ebay Image

Next time your thrifting consider this option. I overlooked mine but after three months of passing it by I finally came to my senses and picked it up. Please, let us remind ourselves every once in a while of forgotten words in the sartorial dictionary.

Money Never Sleeps!!!

2010-02-05T22:55:00.006-05:00

As a child, I watched Wall Street immediately I wanted to be Gordon Gecko with a conscious. His wealth and lifestyle were something for me to dream about. My ultimate dream is to have a penthouse one day and live the life of a Chief. Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps is coming out and guess who is going to watch it? Do I still want to be Gecko, no, I want to be Warren Buffett. Both are the reason I studied finance. Okay! Not exactly but roll with it.

In the long run, I want to enter Private Equity and chase my financial goal, for now, I'm quite happy being Bud Fox's dad and working hard for a living. After all, the skills I'm sharpening now will serve me well as a banker or financier.

Let's get down to business: I picked up a pair of cuff links made from silver, my favorite. They are chain linked and have buy on 1 side and sell on the other. This is exactly what I could picture Gordon Gekko wearing in Money Never Sleeps. I may not have his wealth but I've got this handsome pair of links. I can't wait to wear these. They are worth all $12 I spent on them. Check out the un-boxing.

Waist Coats of Envy.

2010-01-30T23:18:00.004-05:00

I just bought this from a thrift store. For some reason, I'm starting to wear green. I still don't think olive green goes well with my skin tone so I avoid it. These other shades seem to work well with me. The mustard waistcoat seems to work well with me. It brings out the brown undertones in my flesh. It almost imitates the effect orange and red have against my face. The darker greens work too. As long as they aren't too close to olive green, they work. The fact that green is a very versatile color works for me as well. Expect to see them in an ensemble soon. I'll try and give you an idea of what these hues of green can be worn with.

Side Note: These buttons look really bad and I plan on changing them to an orangey brown horn ones. Hell! I might even go with a metal button type because this is an odd vest I can do that. We'll have to see.

Another Pair of Socks!

2010-01-30T22:07:00.004-05:00

These socks aren't just interesting because they are my favorite color but also because they are textured. The pattern is sort of like a crocheted sweater. It is called seeded by the sock department at American Apparel. I'm loving there socks over there. On sale I picked up 2 for a $10er.

Enjoy!

By the way, I don't only wear Bill's Khakis even though it seems like it.

Orange & Gray

2010-01-29T23:45:00.008-05:00

Tonight, I was browsing a few ties after work and stumbled upon a a bow tie in oxford gray at BB. It was interesting and It reminded me of this orange striped shirt I've been waiting to wear for sometime now.

Now, this got me thinking what exactly can you wear with, tie wise mind you, with an orange shirt. Orange is a pale enough color so I thought I could pull off a dark green. For some reason I just wasn't feeling it. I let my mind blank and grey came to me. I think I got this idea that I could treat it like pink and it would pop out at me against a grey.

I was really right. The darker grays such as charcoal make it seem brighter. Oxford and medium grays make the orange appear normal; not too bright and not too pale. Light grays or gray patterns on a white ground make the orange look like a pastel or pale color. Take a look and my photos. The bow tie was purchased today and the straight Glen Check patterned tie I've had for at least a year.

With the darker gray the shirt appears to be brighter.

With the white ground underneath the stripes this appears to make the orange a pastel almost a salmon pink color

See what I mean. Play around with this and discover what you like and what looks good with you. Also, know this, depending on the seasons you can use this to play on the suit you are wearing. In Winter and Fall, darker colors are worn more frequently so, we could use a darker tie and contrast with a brighter orange shirt. The reverse is true for Summer and Spring so, a lighter tie will bring the color down and let you play with a pocket square or lead with some go to hell pants.

What I Wore Today: "60s Bow tie Edition

2010-01-28T13:12:00.009-05:00

Here I am on an errand day, I dislike these mornings so, I take it as a chance to wear something I normally don't. I find it really hard to wear this particular bow tie. I decided to let it take center stage. It is a slim, '60s bow tie and therefore hard to wear with most colors I
own. Also you have to wear a particularly high v-neck collared sweater or a crew neck sweater. If you have a particularly high closing vest or waistcoat you could wear this.

So, here it is:

Vintage, yellow bow tie with my Aeropostle multi stripe shirt and an argyle, Perry Ellis sweater

The side view shows that it really is a high v-neck.

Close-up of the stamped patterned belt against my shirt and some Bill's Khakis

Happy Socks in a staid blue pattern

New saddle shoes thrifted from the Salvation Army. Pebbled like textured leather on the vamp in a dark brown and regular brown leather on the rest of the shoe with a rubber brick sole

Flecked Socks

2010-01-27T18:14:00.003-05:00

As a lover of colorful socks and a member of the group of gentlemen that display their socks prominently, I've found that I'm always keeping an eye out for interesting socks. These I accidently ran into at American Apparel when I was looking for a present for my younger brother. He loves some of their printed shirts. They have some really nice socks. Most of them are made from cotton blends and wool blends. They make use of recycled materials and their are made by immigrants in L.A. Overall a very well run outfit in the sock department.

These particular ones are made from cotton and feature recycled wool as the flecks on the socks. I wanted the socks because they remind me of fleckled tweeds. I only have one tweed jacket and this is a nod to it. By the way, Atlanta rarely gets cold enough to warrant tweed plus we drive everywhere. I used to make use of it when I was still in University because walking to class was at least a 10 minute affair. Anywhere there you have it a rare sock find at an unusual source.

What I Wore Today: Career Fair Edition

2010-01-26T16:40:00.008-05:00

Today I attended a career fair and got to have a little fun in the wardrobe department. They were telling us to keep it semi-business formal. What does that mean. There really is no such thing as semi-formal. You can't straddle the fence in matters formal.

I and most people took it to mean you can wear a suit but your only expected to wear an odd jacket and dress pants. As usual I prefer to wear suits when most dress down. I also wanted to send an informal tone yet business. I ended up wearing my lucky suit with my new sweater vest. The rest was just plain fun. I stuck to wearing stripes and didn't really consider the colors I was wearing. I just made sure the colors didn't fight each other.

Sometimes it is easier to avoid consciously choosing the colors you wear. I just went with my mood. This can lead to discoveries of color combinations that work for you. A recent one I discovered was pink and darker oranges. Another is dark green can match most colors, stick to the hunter green-ish colors. Chew on that for awhile and see where it takes you!

Here are the photos:

What I Wore Dec 16th.

2010-01-25T10:59:00.005-05:00

I rarely post my looks online. I've been meaning to and here is one. I wore this to see the Nutcracker on a date with my current lady friend. The lapel pin gives off the Christmas vibe.

The suit is a hand me down from my God-Father's friend. It was tailored in the '60s, late '60s mind you. The db vest was imported from an English thrift shop via eBay. The shirt is also importated from Old Blighty via TM Lewin's traders and it is worn with a Donald Trump tie from Marshall's. My pocket square is J-Press picked up at a horrible men's store near Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza that wont be named. Lastly, I'm wearing Allen Edmond's Park Avenue shoes bulled to perfection. The socks are some simply dotted wool patterned socks from J.Crew I bought a year or two ago.

Dressing With the Color Wheel

2010-01-20T23:03:00.004-05:00

We are all familiar with the color wheel yet few of us look to it for guidance. It can definitively give you an answer about what colors to wear and with what. So, this post is all about how I used it today.

Today I used analogous colors, colors that lie next to each other on the wheel. First, let me explain what forced me to use the color wheel. One of the colorful sweaters I received yesterday was a heather dark bluish-green, someone called it peacock although it isn't the color of peacock feathers. Well, what do you wear with it? I had an idea that green and blue look good together but, what else? What tie should I wear? I just didn't know what to wear.

I referred to the color wheel. Now, I drew a line bisecting the wheel; one side is purple all the way to bright green and the other half is yellow to a purplish-red. Since, I dislike yellow most of the time, I ignored the yellow side. Since, I'm focusing on the purple and green side I started to play around with the colors. Since I have a dark green I know, I have to use bright or lighter colors. So what I did was I said I'll try a purple and a light blue. I put on a blue shirt and immediately moved on to the tie. It didn't look good wearing a solid purple tie; my plumb and bright colored purple both looked strange. Next I thought how about a geometric using a purple as a significant color. This approach worked much better because I landed on the tie I decided to wear. It is a checked pattern with a dark purple, a bright purple, a light blue, and a navy repeating check.

Using my methodology wont guarantee success. Like I did, you have to play around with it. You also need to use the basic skills you learned about dressing, such as contrast, scale, and the rules. Also you'll never have the exact colors you have on the wheel. This is neither desirable nor a disadvantage. It just means you have to use your imagination and slant the colors to fit what you have in your closet. Now you have no reason you can't wear something that is a hard color to coordinate with. Seriously it isn't very hard to do.

Good Luck!!!

Colorful Sweaters

2010-01-19T14:59:00.006-05:00

As you layer for winter warmth consider brightening up your appearance with a colorful sweater.

Throw on a mid-weight one underneath a casual suit or an odd coat. Either way you can't go wrong. I recently ordered these after the after christmas sales. Lets just say they were the last pickings and because of it I got them dirt cheap.

These were purchased for two reasons:

I can layer with them for winter
I can wear them on their own for Spring and Fall

Always purchase 1 to two seasons ahead. You can get incredible deals this way and it gives you time to consider how to put it all together.

I plan on wearing these sweaters with my usual blue striped shirts. The greenish one will look particularly well with a purple checked shirt I haven't worn in awhile.

How to wear it? You're on your own for this one! Try out different combinations and try something you like. For a last resort use a color wheel triad, at least I think that is what its called it has been awhile since high school art classes. Make an equilateral triangle and the three points touch will touch three colors that look great together. The brightest color should be your sweater and the next one your tie.

The Sweater as Waist Coat

2010-01-14T02:06:00.007-05:00

Hybrids are interesting creatures they usually don't work. Take the mule, for example. Yet, when they do they really push the envelope.

Here I have a sweater vest that is made like a regular waistcoat. It has the peaked bottom, buttons, and even is pinstriped. This waistcoat although a sweater vest, it is still a waistcoat. I plan on wearing it like a waistcoat. So, that means I'll be wearing it under a jacket and with a pocket watch. The surprise with this garment is that Ralph Lauren could execute something this daring and yet still conservative in nature especially with their Rugby line.

Check it out.

My Wool Bowtie

2009-11-03T17:15:00.012-05:00

Ha ha hat hair from the newsboy cap I borrowed from the sister.

I'm an avid bow tie wearer. I typically only wear silk in very eccentric designs. I only have 3 in conservative design and don't really plan on taming my rotation of bows any time soon.

Recently, I've noticed that bow tie makers are experimenting with pretty interesting designs and are staying away from the regular designs. They usually seem to just be adapting straight tie designs or using the same fabrics from straight tie designs. Well, I wear bow ties to make things more interesting and change my look. Even though I have plenty of bow ties, I'm usually wearing a straight tie.

Now that you know of my bow tie preference let us consider this bow tie. I really enjoy wearing my conservative blue striped shirts and then throwing on a crazy colored bow tie over the collar. The clash is an instant expression of my personality. I adhere to tradition but have no issue with improving or evolving it. Sort of a respect for the past and a desire to make history of my own.

Cricket Bat Shaped Bow Tie about 2 inches wide all the way through

Collar detail shot. I'm wearing a medium spread collar. Most wouldn't but I like it to wear medium spreads instead of BDs, button downs, with bow ties.

As always I like to leave something for you to chew on. Here is some food for thought. The bow tie is a tweed tartan. Tweed is more appropriate fabric for winter because it is warm wearing. To be honest with you, it doesn't really make a difference for the bow ties; my neck is no warmer just because of a 3 inch strip of wool instead of silk. Also the dullness of the fabric is in line with the less than bright conditions of Fall and Winter.

*Note ignore this paragraph if you just want some style tips and don't care for the nuances of mens classical attire. Some will harp on and on about the correct fabrics for ties according to the seasons. Know that they are mistaken or quoting sources that are not accurate. For instance Winston Churchill wore a silk bow tie pretty much his entire premiership. I will save you other examples and get to the point. The only difference is that silk fabrics were worn in town or the metropolis, as Jeeves would put it, and rougher fabrics were country attire. For examples of both watch Jeeves and Wooster on you tube. Jeeves adhered to traditions and held his charge to a higher standard than he himself, Wooster of course, cared to do.

I wore it with today with a cardigan(old worn in cardigan with massive piling) and a blue ground shirt with pink, white, and tan stripes in a fairly large scale. This is a common combination for me. Conservative until you see the tie, square, and socks on me at the time. I maintain a rather dandy set of accessories.

Allow me one more short paragraph and a moment of nostalgia. I chose this particular tie because it reminds me of simpler times. When I was younger we lived in apartments, in Fall we would await the leaves falling on the ground. Why, well we raked them and played in the piles. We would throw each other in the piles. These leaves were similar to the tie; some were orange, yellow, red, maroon, and green. Just like the tie the two sides of the leaf could be different colors depending on the way you look at it.

Farewell and I hope your enjoying your Fall!

Coming Attractions

2009-10-30T00:15:00.002-04:00

Okay, as always I like to keep y'all informed, if I may adopt an Atlanta phrase. So, in the coming weeks I plan to delve deeper into personal style development. I will be taking a few personal days in the upcoming weeks and will plan to drop a few heavy posts. I want to do blitz about pens, ink, stationary, and doodling. I also plan on a stay-cation before work goes crazy with the Holiday season crowd. So, during the stay-cation I'll probably be finally releasing the unwanted post on pocket watch accessories I promised as well as my personal collection.

As I post I find I'm no longer finding myself thinking about posting. The ideas are just flowing in. I'm even taking inspiration from the blogosphere. The whole personal style dev posts where inspired by Guiseppe of AnAffordableWardrobe.blogspot.com. I look forward to more posts and to continue blogging along with y'all.

P.S. Last Month Was Our 6 month Anniversary, if one can say that and sound intelligent.

Personal Style: The Signature and Eccentricities

2009-10-29T21:40:00.013-04:00

As you further develop your personal style you will begin to see there are some things you constantly do or don't do. These are your signatures and your eccentricities. Many will develop without you consciously seeking them out. These things will make any look you put together yours.

Your signature is a beautiful thing and something unique to your person. Sometimes they are a cultural thing and many in your culture might develop it, for example Americans and OCBDs. Other times you will find that they are only your thing although others may ape you if you reach prominence.

Eccentricities have an attractive quality that influences others. Some replicate and most will duplicate. Other gentlemen will be inspired by your quirks. Also these signatures help your confidence because they come natural to you. While you may enjoy stiff starched collars, you may find that the club collared shirts are your favorites. Others will take notice and complement you on them; that is when you know that you truly own it and it is now a part of your personal styles.

Let us take a look at some examples of Signatures:

Sator, a master of the sartorial arts with a penchant for historical modes, wears historically influenced waistcoats.

Here is a waistcoat with shawl collared lapel. He fashioned it after a waistcoat ad he saw from the Edwardian era. He liked the peaking or exaggerated downward curve of the waistcoats of that era. After much research, he realized that their intent was to elongate the figure. This practice still exists but less curving is done; it can be seen in modern db waistcoats.

Here is a close-up for all the details.

While this slipped waistcoat is something not very different from what is available today it is special. The slipping is usually lighter than waistcoats and never black in contemporary examples. Also the buttons on most waistcoats are meant to blend in and not to contrast as heavily as those on Sator's waistcoat. This is an example of Sator's exuberance and eccentric study of past modes that allowed him to duplicate cues from the past and incorporate them into his dress today.

Our next example is HRH Prince Michael of Kent. He is known for several things, his command of the Russian language, his resemblance to the last Czar of Russia, his magnificent Jesus beard, and his huge tie knots.

Prince Michael's ties are quite thick all the way through but it is the huge knots that are of interest. His bespoke ties are made thicker because he likes the knots to be large and the tie to have body. It also seems that he gets long medium spread collars to accommodate his thick tie knot. A thing of his own, while not for me, it actually harmonizes with the rest of his appearance. The big beard, collar, and tie knot rest naturally near each other.This picture illustrates more evidently how the collar accommodates the tie.

So, I leave you with another song full of wisdom.

May your drums beat loud,

The Eccentric Orange Gentleman

Personal Style Development

2009-10-29T16:26:00.021-04:00

As unique as we are we tend to develop a herd mentality. The blogosphere doesn't really help especially with all the trad, sartorial, traditional style ones available. If your new to the sartorial arts aping looks is perfectly fine. Just beware of replication, instead seek duplication.

To fully grasp my point we must discuss the difference between replication and duplication. According to Answers.com it is, "The process by which genetic material, a single-celled organism, or a virus reproduces or makes a cop of itself." Replication is an attempt at an exact copy. Duplication is a process of copying. In genes it occurs as an embryo is developing. It is not exact and leads to free mutation. This is called genetic recombination. An example of this would be the one really tall person in a family of short people.

Now let me return to the point of my post. As a new gentleman to the sartorial arts one should duplicate not replication. Duplication allows you to freely mutate, if you will, the look into something you would wear. Replication removes the very thing that makes you you; your personality. In addition to that, you've stolen another individuals personal style. I wont dwell on that very long understand that some aspects of personal style are, as the name suggests, personal. These things may have really deep meaning so, be mindful and respectful.

Personal style is the easiest to develop because you already have it. You have preferences on color, formality, and patterns. Simply use them in your duplication of the looks you see in magazines, books, and the many blogs, hopefully mine is on your list. Go ahead! You don't like blue but want to try the Atlanta College Boy look; try a pink shirt. Still not enough of you in it. How about a pink OCBD, oxford cloth button down, instead of a spread collar.

Let me make this as clear as possible. Duplicate the form but allow your personal style to shine through by integrating it in the choices you make for the look. My example of this is, I don't really like OCBDs very much so I wear spread collars. Even if the look I'm duplicating is using an OCBD, I still wont wear it.

I like to impart some practicality as well as examples. So, let us perform an exercise.

The following photo is from anaffordablewardrobe.blogspot.com

This look is composed of a green blazer worn with khakis, OCBD, & a crew neck sweater.

My Take: I don't like green blazers, crew neck sweaters, or OCBDs. Also I prefer to wear ties. To make it mine I'd wear a blue blazer, a v-neck sweater, a soft collar shirt. The rest of the colors are fine with me.

Next we have a photo from Will's Asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com.

Nicholas Antongiovanni is wearing a navy sport coat with a checked, country, button down shirt, and a yellow knit tie.

My Take: Button downs and yellow knit ties don't work with me so, I would forgo them. I would wear a spread collar with a red knit tie. Everything else is okay with me.

In the final Photo I have Mr. Sperelli taken from his blog, http://andrea-sperelli.livejournal.com/.

Mr. Sperelli is the gentleman on the left wearing a black corduroy jacket in a medium whale worn with a purple, striped, contrast collar shirt. He also is wearing a tan waistcoat and a purple pocket square.

My Take: I would change the pocket square to a patterned version, I rarely wear solid ones anymore. I like red and navy worn with purple for pocket squares. I would change the tie to a solid in a maroon. The different colors are an homage to my culture. In Africa color clashing is an art. Though, in East Africa, maroon, purple, and navy are placed together quite commonly. You'll see it in patterns everywhere. So, aside from looking well put together, it makes an inside statement of pride to other East Africans.

In conclusion, we should seek to always display our own style. Duplication of looks is acceptable; replication is not. We all know what we intuitively like and should try to include that when we duplicate looks to expand our sartorial vocabulary. Let your personality shine through in your appearance. A favorite color, a bending of a rule, or an homage to ones club or ethnicity are ways to express personal style. Like all things; when you practice this it soon becomes simply a part of your style, the epitome of personal style.

Fall is All About Textures

2009-10-26T14:52:00.006-04:00

When Fall arrives, the game changes from vivid colors on display to a little bit of colors and heavy doses of texture. Textures begin to take over the sartorial landscape. Textures are extremely easy to match. You simply keep rough textures with rough textures. Also some contrast with smooth and shiny textures is okay. A good compromise is keeping everything rough and contrasting with a tie, pocket square, or both.

Let us consider the following images for analysis:

In this Apparel Arts Fall/Winter accessories image you see the color splashed in between the staid colors of the gentlemen's suit and coat.

This image from an ebay auction. This is a 1940s style DB suit. It is a herringbone with a double over stripe in a lighter reddish-brown. This over stripe is a nice way of playing with the herringbone pattern and adding some color to it. It is finished with a bright and playful pocket square which breathes life into this otherwise plain ensemble.

Here, the image in the left box, the gentleman mixes many textures. Gray flannel pants, a v-neck sweater, and a tweed over coat. The color in this grouping is done with what looks like a knit tie
Apparel Arts gives us another example. While in brown tones mainly the gentleman in the left brightens up the look with a red, Churchill dot tie. It looks like he is wearing a medium brown tweed coat and some heavy chinos in a British khaki color. Note, I hate the shoes I remember wearing them to private school. In different colors they are awesome; I personally like a brown toe and heel with an oxblood vamp.

Another Apparel Arts image is presented for analysis. Here the textures are the main focus. The suit underneath this over coat appears to be a calvary twill pattern, this can be a very distinctive texture that only shows up at a close distance. The overcoat is a herringbone tweed in a relatively wide scale it appears. Like pattern matching it helps to keep the visible elements of a texture varying in scale. This is more evident in herringbones and twills.

Lastly another photo from ebay. This time the color is from a shirt. Keeping with the Season's colors, the hues are somber yet punch brightly. Against the heather brown surface this shirt really stands out.

To sum up, textures are where you want to show your dandy side during winter. Don't be afraid of colors just keep it to a minimun. Contrast lightly and do mix several textures.

Photo Credit: various ebay sellers and Apparel Arts.

An Orange Pocket Square

2009-10-25T23:47:00.008-04:00

When I first saw this pocket square a year ago I knew I had to have it. I'm glad it is still around; I only purchased it last week. It is a Kent Wang orange striped pocket square made from cotton.

Why did I want it so much. Right about this time 3 years ago my late father had returned from Africa. He was running a non-profit org and helping out some NGOs focused on East African problems. While he was there he went on a safari of Masai Mara. It was cold, yes it gets cold in Africa even on the Equator, he purchased some hand knitted blankets from the Masai in the first village they encountered. One of the blankets looks just like this pattern except really really bright orange. The green and royal blue stripes really liven up the orange. The blanket really reminded me of home. When we lived in Nairobi we had a few Masais that lived near us and although modern they knitted these and sold them in town. There house was decorated with handmade crafts thanks to the mother's taste and the father's lawyer's salary.

Orange & Brown

2009-10-25T04:59:00.010-04:00

Let us consider wearing orange and brown together. In Fall, these colors really work well together and if it works for the leaves it can't be half bad.

Esquire photo: brown checked tweed and orange shirt with a contrast collar

Some tailoring Shop. The light brown tweed jacket on the right with an orange pocket square and a navy with orange stripes tie. The dark, grayish-brown tweed on the left is matched with a bright orange silk tie.

This photo is from a Swedish blog I can't recall: another brown checked tweed matched with a dark orange tie and an orangey-brown square. It looks like paisley.

Here a famous abdicator wears an orange pastel shirt paired with a brown odd jacket with an orange over check.

In this German ad, the gentleman on the left is wearing a dark brown jacket with an orange tie.

Photo Credit: Credited under the photo unless I can't remember. Again, if they are yours and you want them down shoot me an email or leave a comment.

Fall & Winter Socks

2009-10-24T15:03:00.007-04:00

Fall and Winter brings inclement weather and harsh winds. Atlanta may never reach freezing, but for a few days, still the wind is bone chilling. Little things like layering lightly and heavier socks help one retain sensation and maintain body temperature.

Wool socks are always a go to item during these colder months. Wool blends, cashmere, and even knitted silk all have their benefits and should also be considered. That is enough talk of materials let us move to pattern.

Typically you'll see herringbones, my favorite pattern, and argyles. This is made more obvious in this Esquire photo. I say consider ribbed hose like the navy one for more formal settings; the surface interest keeps it interesting while avoiding informality. Also consider diagonal ribbing and vertical striping for the same purposes. Vertical striping can also be used in dandy situations if you chose a wide scale, interesting color, or multiple colors. For casual situations try a tartan, or large scaled herringbone.

What do I like to wear in winter. I wear alot of vertical striped, and herringbones in distinctive colors and scales. Before they ripped, I had a curry colored, herringbone, ribbed pair of socks. Under a pair of dark, or British, khakis they blended in. Up close and personal you could see the darker ribbing in between the whales. This is how you dandify sock wearing in Fall/Winter. The bright colors work as well but are hard to find in wool.

The Atlanta College Boy Look in Fall

2009-10-23T14:49:00.006-04:00

In Fall, Atlanta boys still in university dress something like this:

Medium Weight Cardigan
Spread Collar Shirt, light blue is the favorite
Alternatively you could go for a polo or rugby shirt worn without a tie
Chinos, light colors are favored un-ironed too hungover to wake up in time to do so
Wool Knit Tie, red, blue, green tones are favored
One could also wear a paisley bow tie
The dandies finish up with colored socks, blue seems to be the standard
Loafers of any variety finish off the look, this is where you see whom is rich or not, the rich boys wear Gucci bit loafers and the rest of us wear penny loafers in various forms.

Here is my take on this. In case you are wondering, I'm wearing a Sekonda 2209 caliber movement watch on a NATO strap.

These knit ties arch so beautifully.

WIWY

2009-10-22T22:47:00.004-04:00

What I Wore Yesterday:

Light Weight Cardigan Navy Blue

Blue Checked Shirt

Lord of the Isles Tartan Patterned Wool Tie

Heavy Wool '60s(Medium Weight for the Era) Navy Herringbone Pants

Purple Striped Socks

Austrian Antique Pocket Watch attached to my 2nd to last button

Brain Pocket Notebook in Chocolate Brown

Have Fun in Fall With Tartan Odd Trousers

2009-10-15T15:32:00.008-04:00

I'm a big fan of having fun with your clothing. I like to throw in one or two articles just for me. Mine are usually bright, whimsical, or symbolic. In Fall, the easiest way to do this is with tartan odd trousers. I caught so much hell for this when I was still an undergrad. The ladies respected it though and I usually got noticed more than my friend.

Back to business; tartan is really nice for the colder times of the year. Why? Well, it's usually made from a warmer fabric, wool, tweed, flannel. I usually wear mine with solid odd jackets and thick striped shirts.

I'm currently working on a pair for myself. It is going to be made-to-measure with a high waist and fishtail back. I've got a few ideas and about how I'm going to wear it. I just need to decide the pattern.

It is safe to say it wont be any of these.

Photo Credit: An old Brooks Brothers catalog,

How I Wear Knit Ties.

2009-10-13T11:47:00.007-04:00

I love wearing knit ties. The texture and surface interest is just amazing. I avoid solid colors unless they are different. Everyone has them in black or navy so, be a little different; I say go with a striped combination. I like some yellow in them to remind me spring and summer will return. I also go for bigger scaled stripes because It just isn't that typical. These images show how I would wear them save the button down shirts;I reserve those for bow ties. These contrast well with medium spread collars. The mixture of formal collar and informal tie work well. Plus, the ties are informal enough to be worn with a California tuxedo; jeans, dress shirt, jacket, and tie.

For an illustration see the images below:

Knit tie in I Zingari colors of red gold and black.

This one is on my wish list. Too bad I can never find it.

Horizontal striped knit tie in red, yellow, and navy blue.

Horizontal stripes are common in knit ties especially the flat-ended ones. American professors are famous for this pattern. The preppy ivy league professors wear this particular style.

Photo Credit: Ebay various sellers.

Inspiration from a friend!

2009-10-13T03:41:00.009-04:00

If you've been following my blog, you know I love Bottega Venetta and their signature woven pattern. So, after reading a friends blog I decided to see if AE made a loafer in a woven pattern. Just my luck they do. I picked up this pair. Bonus! It came with wooden shoe trees. Sweet!

My next loafer purchase is going to be a Prince Albert slipper with tassels; I wonder if I can get it in persimmon orange velvet.

Alan thanks for the inspiration.

Layering Right

2009-10-11T00:51:00.006-04:00

Sweater Vest

Odd Tweed Waistcoat

Ribbed Cardigan

V-neck Sweater

Wool Tartan Waistcoat

In my opinion you should have 3 basic colors and then work your way to other colors.

Basics:

Navy
Gray/Charcoal
White/Cream

You can wear the basics with virtually anything. A few other colors to have are reds(bright tomato, maroon, etc), a bottle green, and maybe lighter shades of blue. Tartans should be kept minimal and make sure you know how to tone it down if it is loud. As far as tweed, whatever you like. I personally like grays and orange browns. Occasionally, I'll get a salt and pepper tweed; kidding I have 3 in my closet.

If you are layering similar colors make sure the first layer is lighter than the subsequent layer and darker than your tie. In other words, if you are wearing a charcoal suit a medium grey makes the best layer. Otherwise, just go the other way. I like to wear bright layers under dark jackets and dark layers under light jackets. The contrast is awesome!

Photo Credit: Paul Stuart, Jcrew, Everyday Elegance Blog, & a Japanese blog I can't remember.

The Sweater as Jacket

2009-10-09T13:47:00.002-04:00

Enjoy!

Photo credit: J.Crew

Of Sweaters

2009-10-06T15:49:00.007-04:00

I'm back from from my hiatus. Hope everything has been well with you all in blogland.

Moving on; sweaters are the go to item in fall and winter. I'm partial to cardigans and sleeveless sweaters, or vests. The cardigans if thick enough can be worn as a jacket of sorts and if not can be worn under a jacket as another layer to keep you warm. When I used to ride a train to University it really came in handy to have that extra layer. Sleeveless sweaters are really nice for days that aren't really cold but are breezy. The wind in Atlanta cuts through bones and you really need that extra layer over your solar plexus. Plus they don't get too warm since your arms are exposed. V-neck sweaters are the last kind I wear regularly; don't get me wrong I wear crew necks and toggled button sweaters too just not as much as the former three. V-necks are excellent with bow ties and are at home with wool and knitted ties. The textures really work well when you vary them like that. I avoid the professor look by not wearing jeans and opting for checked pants or corduroys.

So, lets proceed to some photo analysis to give you some ideas my friends.

This is a Ralph Lauren image from 2 years ago. This entire look is something I'd wear with some minor changes; pink OCBD, orange-brown tie, brightly colored watch strap, and a real expression not a ridiculous model look. What do I like about this look? Well, the herringbone tweed is something I'm fond of. The Fair Isle patterned sleeveless sweater and corduroys add textural differences that are really nice. The corduroys could go one of two ways, they should be darker or lighter the color is too close to the vest and it is my preference to break up colors. All in all very nice!

Winston, a fellow blogger and free lance writer, wears the sweater as jacket. He wears a very English look with the bright striped, contrast collar, french-cuffed shirt and an even brighter bow tie. Winston follows this with an olive corduroy pant. Again I would wear this entire look except I would wear different pants. I dislike olive, it doesn't work very well with dark skin tones. I think a brown or navy would work well. Maybe even a moleskin pant in persimmon orange. A minor gripe is I don't wear very much red so, I would wear a navy or charcoal grey tie. This is almost identical to what I would wear out during winter. In fact I'm wearing a V-necked light weight navy cardigan with a pink striped shirt, cuff-linked of course. I'm pairing that with cream corduroys and a Churchill dotted bow tie. Very close right?Photo coming very soon.

OTC

2009-08-30T02:39:00.003-04:00

Happy Socks now has OTC(Over The Calf) socks. For $15, I hope they are as awesome as they seem. I'll be trying some out soon.

Brain Pocket: An artisanal notebook

2009-08-19T21:54:00.003-04:00

Brain Pocket is a leather covered notebook. The leather is of a premium quality and tough. I choose a very light, buttery cream colored one. I also chose a sheriff's star metal button to tie the notebook shut with. It is a very well made product. I planned on using it to track my paper portfolio for a stock market game I play online. I also was going to try out strategies with this too.

I chose to get the lined paper and blank paper. I really like that this notebook is made by hand and then the filler papers are inserted. Everything else is crafted by hand. The leather is worked and tanned by hand and the accessories are chosen by the customer.

The notebook is about 4 by 8 and is really long. This model is intended to be carry under one's arm or placed inside a jacket's pocket. I keep it on my desk.

Verdict: Mixed recommendation, for some it is great to have a notebook with two books. For others, the size is a problem and the price, $70, is just too much. For me, I don't think this is the kind of product you repurchase; you simply buy refills for the cover and replace it. There is one thing though; it draws stares and questions when friends come over.

Happy Socks The Review.

2009-08-19T21:00:00.007-04:00

Buy some now!

The product is well made and awesome. I had one pair rip on me after I washed them and attempted to put them on. It must have been happenstance because the rest are perfect. The socks aren't the most soft or excellent pair but they do constitute a well made product. The value of such colorful delights at a low price is indeed tremendous. As with all great socks, they get softer the more you wash them. I would recommend them as presents to anyone you like. You should probably buy more than 4 because the shipping is expensive, at least in my opinion. Shipping is free for more than 4 pairs of socks to anywhere in the world. I have a rule about shipping. I like it to be under 10% of the total price of the items I purchase (hint jcrew.com shipping fascists). It took about 1.5 weeks to get to me once it was ordered.

I've ordered ten more pairs aside from the 4 I ordered on my trial run. I am now a devoted customer. Right now they have a clearance sale buy ten pairs and get half off. So, 5 bucks a pair. Now is the time to stock up for some stocking stuffers for the dandy or sartorialist in your life.

Happy Socks Review Preview!

2009-07-18T01:21:00.002-04:00

Yay they arrived 2 and a half weeks later after a cork up with my credit card company. Well so far so good. I'll give you a proper review after I wash them and see how they are. Also finals coming up soon. By the way, saddle shoes in barley and brown and linen pants in oatmeal on the bottom.

Rainbows for Summer!

2009-07-12T00:44:00.007-04:00

Seersucker comes in many different colors while the darker blue in the photo is what you are used to give the others a shot. Again, I dislike seersucker suits. I think the strong pattern just doesn't seem to get toned down when I wear it. It is too much for me.

Personally I recommend going for the light blue. It isn't too far from the traditional and it is different enough to differentiate your self from the rest of the South. Orange is a good one to wear as an odd jacket or odd pant. The purple would make an excellent suit for flamboyant types. Finally, the lime, yellow, and etc are too much for the regular sartorialists. I recommend using this sparingly. I would try a bowtie, pocket square, or waistcoat/vest.

I'm fond of the light blue, the trad blue, orange, and khaki. Why? They are all in my closet. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Photo Credit: I don't really know. If it is yours let me know if you want me to take the photos down.

The Update...

2009-07-12T00:31:00.002-04:00

Ready or not here I come....

So, I finally received the Happy Socks package. I plan on wearing a pair on Monday and reviewing them shortly.

The briefcase saving fund is almost done. I've got one paycheck to go and 3 weeks of my bachelors left, before I purchase it. I'm really getting ahead of myself here. I'll review that too when I get it.

I also plan on trying to get a WAYWT post. I should have a really digital camera within a few days.

I've got some shoes coming that I want to review as well.

Keep your eyes open and keep asking me questions, I surely love answering them.

My Father's Cardholder

2009-07-08T23:32:00.004-04:00

In the past couple of months, I've been looking for a slim breast pocket wallet. I came across several that were well out of my price range, $50+. I can't even believe that they were on sale at these prices so, I decided to wait. My thinking was, as the economy got worse they would become more desperate to move product that prices would go down. Boy was I wrong. Many luxury and handcrafted goods are still moving product. I should know, I move quite a few expensive fountain pens every so often.

Well, after my father died I suddenly inherited all his things. My brother, doesn't seem to want much so I've begun looking through the things and cherry picking what I want and what can be sent home, to East Africa. The first thing I wanted was my father's cardholder. Why, well I presented it to him about 3 years ago for Christmas. He was starting a non-profit and had massive amounts of business cards weighing down his wallet. So, I purchased it and had it engraved with his Christian name and his proper last name. He loved and used it quite a bit. What he really loved was it carried an engraving of his true family name, that of our ancestors. In honor of my father, I now use it.

So, in honor of the ancestors, live well.

An Excellent Color!

2009-07-08T21:49:00.008-04:00

I absolutely love the orange pad-holders that Rhodia makes. I had to have one and it really is outstanding. Surprisingly it gets less stares that the white linen pants I wear to University in downtown Atlanta.

The color is bright but more pastel than the pads themselves. The inside is black and contains accent orange stitching. It really is nice. Now only if it was real leather. Oh by the way this was a personal purchase. I stole from my piggy bank, it took about 10 minutes to roll up the pennies. Now I have 3 of these pad holders. 2 black ones and 1 orange one.

The Double Breasted Waistcoat in Action in a photo post.

2009-07-03T02:07:00.005-04:00

Sator in his double breasted waistcoat with shawl lapels

Side view of Sator with his double breasted waistcoat

A grey double breasted vest that would be perfect with cashmere striped pants and a short jacket.

Odd double breaseted waistcoats, the one in the center is amazing.

Double breasted waistcoat worn well with a matching suit

This double breasted waistcoat is one I'm lusting over it is like a single breasted

Waistcoat in a less formal setting

Photo credit: Sator & a few others.

What type of Suit Do I like to Wear in Summer?

2009-07-02T15:36:00.004-04:00

Well, I like to wear linen suits in summer, that is if I do wear a suit. I prefer to wear tan or cream. Otherwise I'm usually wearing odd jackets of various types. Why because they allow me to wear many different colors and combinations of summer textures. For instance; linen, seersucker, tropical wool, cotton, and wool blends. I like to mix them with silk ties.

If I should have something important to do this is probably what I wear most a tan cotton suit with patch pockets and three buttons so I could wear a bow tie without much shirt showing.

Seersucker as an Odd Jacket.

2009-06-30T08:39:00.005-04:00

I love seersucker but dislike wearing it as a suit. Instead I enjoy it as an odd jacket. I particularly wear it with light colored chinos; cream, stone, and white are excellent in this capacity.

How to pull it off: take a look at the pictures and emulate. You can dress it up or down. You can't go wrong with chinos and open collared shirts. I even wear polos with them occasionally. I would avoid stripes of similar size and don't match the color of the seersucker to your shirt. Another thing to avoid is spending big money on seersucker, it isn't very versatile and stains very easily. You typically can only wear it for one spring and summer. You can get away with two if you stay away from people and live in a sterile environment. Just kidding.

Happy summer! I'm getting ready to take an exam hopefully you are doing something fun.

Club Collars a Rarity That Deserves Attention.

2009-06-28T10:33:00.007-04:00

I've recently been in need of shirts. A few where shrunk and some are showing there age. After a discussion with my alterations tailor, I discovered that they actually do MTM and bespoke clothing. There pricing scheme is fair for MTM shirts, at about +-$70. That is only about $3 more than the English shirts I import because I like the french cuffs and bright colored stripes. I have been wanting to try some club collared shirts and collarless shirts. Well club collared shirts are hard to find Off the Rack and because of that a rarity. Since, these are MTM I get to try it out. Now, I already have one in a red and blue double stripe so, I am familiar with what works for me and how to wear it.

How to do it, they are like any other collar so, wear them that way. Big, round headed gentlemen should wear straight, long, more pointed collars. Thin, long headed gents should wear short, rounder, and more spread collars. They can be worn dressed up or casual, formal or sporty, and even without a jacket. I personally don't go jacket-less unless engaged in sports or wearing a something to cover my sleeves.

For me, I think I'll go with 2 different ones. I'll try a contrast collar one and a spread collar like the one Merkin is wearing with the bowler.

Here are plenty of examples:

Photo Credit: I have no idea where these were borrowed from, a few are from 2 Japanese blogs don't remember which ones, and the Richard Merkin photos are from the London Lounge and Ask Andy forums. If they are yours and you want them down shoot me an email at orange gentleman dot gmail dot com.

The Leisure Suit is Still Alive!

2009-06-28T10:14:00.007-04:00

Yes, you read right. The leisure suit is still worn. In East Africa and Asia, it is still worn. Some parts of Mexico and Central America wear a highly modified version as well.

Like you I was completely surprised a few years ago when my brother returned with one. The novelty of it was quite nice and refreshing. Then the reality snuck in is it really wearable as a normal item. After questioning, he revealed everyone wears them back home and they come in a few varieties. He had a short sleeved version that is typical of young men; it is designed to be worn with an open collar, untucked, and with sandals or canvas shoes. The other two versions are both long sleeved with safari suit styling but much softer and less hard wearing cloth. They are worn untucked or tucked and have 4 to six pockets. The most popular colors for the cloth are navy, pale yellow, cream, oatmeal, brown, tan, white, and a red that fades into pink. Now the way they are worn is really interesting, it is treated like casual dress. While, the American would wear chinos, a golf shirt, and some loafers the East African would wear a leisure suit, a long sleeved version of coarse, with sandals or canvas shoes.

Is this wearable outside of East Africa; yes! The safari suit version in a khaki or cream looks just like a safari suit. Something everyone is familiar with. It definitely isn't as hard to wear as an ascot. If designed with tasteful details, really nothing '70s, it isn't that different. A shirt jacket with matching pants is all it is. I believe I've made my argument; me lord's I rest.

So, there you have it. An item written off by the Western sartorialists is accepted as a staple in other parts of the world. Dandyism is truly regional and that only adds to its beauty!

Where Have You Been Orange Gent?

2009-06-24T01:10:00.004-04:00

Well, let us just say that school, work, career prospects, and the untimely death of one's father have really caused be to take some time off and relax.

I will get back to posting regularly but I have been behind in my school work. Well until I am ready for a regular posting know this: summer sales are on. Take advantage of the deals. The economy, the lack of loose funds, and the amount of unemployed former spenders have left many sizes available. I have always found myself at a size that is average enough to warrant very few items remaining when sales are on. I suggest you take advantage of the current conditions. Arbitrage opportunities are far and few in between. In the meanwhile enjoy another of my nephew's tartans.

My Nephew's Tartan!

2009-06-05T20:17:00.003-04:00

Today I had to call out from work to babysit my nephew. Between rounds of video-games and wrestling, I showed him my laptop. We then went to play on several sites, watched a cartoon, and made a tartan. The tartan is awesome. We made it at TartanMaker.com. It is an awesome way to spend time with the little guy.

New Template!

2009-06-05T15:06:00.003-04:00

For now this template suits me and my blog. I am looking for one more appropriate to my eccentricities as we delve deeper into what exactly I fancy. I also want to develop a heraldic identity for my blog. I am an amateur heraldist and enjoy the science. I told you I was mildly eccentric.

I've found a person who can help me get all this done at a reasonable cost to me. I'll explore it and let you know how it goes. As always, this is a hobby and the changes do not mean I am monetizing my blog in any matter. Anyway, I would boldly proclaim it if this blog was making money. Why? In these times people need to believe that there is hope and entrepreneurs are not in decline.

Tire Soles in Action!

2009-06-05T11:34:00.006-04:00

No one ever believes me when I say that tire soles work. Well here is proof. Avarcas are a traditional style of sandals worn by Catalan farmers in Spain. These ones use re-purposed tires for soles. I knew it wouldn't be too long before this idea spread from poverty to trendy. What once was a way of getting by is now a trendy way of being eco-friendly. Pick them up at ancientindustries.com

Warning: No recommendation here; I just thought you might want to see what I spoke about in action.

Photo Credit: Ancient Industries @ ancientindustries.com

The Canvas Shoe and The Dandy!

2009-06-04T03:36:00.029-04:00

Dandies must maintain their unique sense of style and know when to break the rules, when to bend them, and when to create new rules altogether. Other times an idea from thriftiness, poverty, necessity, or accident spurs some creativity. Canvas shoes and suits is one of them.

In East Africa, canvas shoes are a staple of anyone who can afford to purchase more than a few pairs of shoes. Why; they are cheap, resole-able with some African ingenuity, easily dyed, customizable, de rigeur for school children, and easy to clean. Another one of my father's stories comes to mind, when I was growing up he always was trying to find canvas shoes and buy them for us. He finally gave up on getting them and realized American school children wear sneakers and one pair of dress shoes to school. Well, after one of his relapses I decided to ask him why he was obsessed with them.

He replied, "I remember wearing them to school. We were supposed to wear dress shoes but the British under funded education and we were too many for my father to afford proper shoes. Instead he bought us canvas shoes. After sometime it caught on how much value could be had from canvas shoes. Everyone had to have a pair. Especially when someone learned how to jerry-rig old tires in to soles. Oh black is the best color. You could do anything in them. Dirty them up and all you had to do was rinse them and occasionally use charcoal to dye the black back on."

After awhile of hearing this I still wasn't sold. Then he told me they used to wear them with suits and odd jackets. He said they were smart enough not to look out of place, cheap enough that everyone could afford them, and were multipurpose. All those reasons are why they wore them in such a manner. I also think the lightweight helped in a humid environment like, where my Dad grew up.

Summer time is the best time to pull these on and give it a try. Stick to blazer combinations, light colored suits, and stay away from formal clothes. The shoes are versatile; I'd wear them with a khaki suit or jeans and a dress shirt. Now, in regards of what colors conservative dandies should stick to the trinity of blue, red, and black. Adventurous dandies only your mind is the limit. I've just ordered a pair in peach so, I suggest you push your boundaries and explore an exotic color. After all, most pairs can be had for well under $50. These will be some of the cheapest shoes you'll ever own.

These following gentleman all could wear canvas shoes in the East African tradition:

This is the kind of suit that I would wear with a pair of navy or black canvas shoes; linen is a summer cloth that works with the casualness of the canvas shoes. Keep everything just change the shoes.

Tan suit would work well with any number of colored canvas shoes. I'd just as easily go with brown, oatmeal, or a pale orange.

This is the most prized of occasions to wear said shoes while lounging leisurely in a sport coat and odd trousers. Here I would probably go with a navy or light blue colored shoe.

Here are a few models that merit consideration:

Original Keds in Peach, this is the very pair I ordered for x<$40 shipped. I plan on wearing mine with a linen, tan, double breasted suit; a blue, striped shirt; a red, Churchill dot bow tie; and some red, checkered, Happy Socks socks.

Bright yellow Asos Pilmadrille model. Has the jute sole like espadrilles but is virtually a copy of Keds. It is quite affordable at $30.

Toms in a navy canvas. These cost $48 with tax and maybe shipping a little over the Jackson($50) benchmark. Considering the company donates shoes 1:1 for each pair sold makes it less expensive. These are perfect for the philanthropist in us and the conservative in us as well.

Toms in a madras canvas shoe for $48. This pair is lovely dandified fun for southern gents or preps.

These are true espadrilles that tie up around your legs; the Roberto model from Espadrilles Etc. For the brave dandy, pair with shorts and a French striped shirt while vacationing on the beach somewhere. They are price at $38 from Espadrilles Etc.

Warning: Like most modern mass marketed goods these usually have some logo tag on them. They are quite easy to remove and pose no serious trouble to remove. Also, do not have them resoled from old tires; it is not safe or ideal for dandies to pursue thriftiness to such an extreme manner.

UPDATE: I can no longer recommend Asos canvas shoes. They have plastic sole grips and I am concerned about quality. Since I have never owned a pair, I cannot in good faith recommend them. Plastic in shoes is generally a sign of poor quality construction; I do not know if this maxim is true for Asos. For their sake I hope not.

Photo Credit: Vintage Esquire, Keds.com, Asos.com, Espadrilles Etc., and TomsShoes.com.

How to Make the Blazer Yours!

2009-06-04T02:42:00.010-04:00

Blazers are the most common odd jacket worn or seen around town. Do you want to look the same as everyone else? If your answer is no keep reading.

As a member of the sartorial brotherhood you should be made aware of the options you have to solve this problem. Some are simple and others require more time, work, or effort. Here is a picture essay on a few options

Regular Buttons

With Side Vents and Club Colors

Obnoxiously bright Colored Cloth

On a boat with self colored buttons

Accessorize with a Skimmer and a bow tie

Taping for the Club look

Wear it with University Stripes or get it in a different colored cloth

Bright Club Colors

Larger Buttons

Patched

So, do you still want to wear the blazer you've had for a while. Okay get out there and have some fun. A word of advice; don't use club patches, colored jackets, or any special insignia unless you are affiliated legitimately. It could lead to a terrible offense that could have been easily avoided.

The blazer can be made in several options and we should get creative and customize blazers so, that we will not all be wearing the same blazer.

Photo Credit: This one's all over the place. I also can't remember so, if they are yours and you want them pulled down contact me at orange gentleman at gmail dot com.

Posting Schedule

2009-06-02T12:52:00.003-04:00

Hello Dear Readers,

I'm going to try something new for me. I will try to post something at least every other day. This means I will no longer post marathon style, doing two or three every time I had time to. I will also make time to blog. It has become a way to relieve stress, express myself, and share my knowledge.

I'm even thinking of starting another blog just for my really eccentric passions. We will cross that bridge when we get to the end of the path.

Good Day,

The Eccentric Orange Gent.

Rhodia Pad Holders 3x4 Review

2009-06-01T23:41:00.007-04:00

I have a need, okay more of a compulsion, to carry a 3 by 4 pad with me at all times. It is invaluable at work and helps me capture ideas, lists, to do items, and other GTD captures as the day progresses. After destroying a few of them I decided it would be great if I had some sort of holder for them. Well, Rhodia preempted me.

I bit the bullet and purchased the black. Secretly I wanted the orange. Who am I kidding? The orange was my preference. The choice was taken out of my hands because I couldn't find a single dealer who had them in stock in that particular color. So after 3 weeks with one I think it is time to give it a review.

Review

Looks: Well the leatherette is okay but real leather is always nicer.
Portability: Extremely portable. Can fit in my shirt pockets, pants pockets, jacket pockets, and breast pocket even with 2 pads in it.
Usefulness: Extremely. It adds 2 pockets to my small pads and offers me a place to store torn out pages. The protection it offers my pads is great.
Durability: Well, I'm not sure which would be more durable between leather and its imitation counterpart but I'm certainly sure this is pretty good. It definitely took a beating from my nephews, being stomped on, and falling out of a moving car pretty well. I'm going with Decent.
Price: +- $10.00 online it includes a 3x4 pad.

Overall: I say the pad holder is a great purchase for individuals who need an extra pocket with their palm sized pads and need a little protection, too. Would I purchase another one? Yes in orange. I'll keep the black for business and the orange for pleasure.

I used the pad it came with to plan my father's funeral and memorial service. I keep everything in the pad holder, cards, ideas, my pad for captures, and even cash. It was invaluable and I don't know how I would have kept up if I wasn't writing everything down. It also was useful for shielding my pad while writing in the rain.

Keep your eyes open for more updates and reviews. I'll probably go on a posting run of a few at a time in the next week. During my formal mourning period I constantly was finding ideas for posts. I found it a little disturbing considering my circumstances; maybe this is one way for me to heal. Blogging through the pain. Maybe writing is another thing I inherited from my father.

The Return of Eccentricity and Silver Elephants

2009-06-01T22:29:00.012-04:00

I have been absent from the blogosphere for a sad yet, happy occasion. My father passed away on May 16th at 6:33 am. I am still grieving and trying to work out the whole estate process. As the first born son, it is my duty to handle most of the process according to tribal tradition. I am perplexed by the amount of paper work that is required in this, my adopted nation.

Okay, enough of that let us move on to a much happier topic; cufflinks. My favorite classic men's accessory. I recently, okay today, I won an ebay auction for a pair of 3d elephant links from sterling silver. I love animal cufflinks because they are formal yet, informal. Plus, the symbolism. As an African I can tell you that all things carry symbolism when in the form of personal items. Animals, an African favorite, are typically present in our art and decor. In regards to my tribe elephants symbolize manliness, strength, memory, remembrance, protection, military might, strategy, and order. In my tribe, heads and tails carry different meanings. The elephant in its entirety is all those things; considering the components the head stands for memory, remembrance, protection, strategy and order; the tail or posterior symbolizes strength, steadfastness, order in troubling times, and support.

These links feature a separated head and posterior. It has heads on one side of the links and tails on the other. They are connected by a chain; a symbol of joining, restraint, and responsibility.

All these things were told to me in stories by my father; just like his father taught him, and so on. So, I will wear these in appreciation of the oral tradition of my people and in remembrance of my father. After all, an elephant never forgets...

Humor Transcends Language!

2009-05-16T01:19:00.008-04:00

When I was a very young immigrant, I discovered that humor crosses all barriers. Especially language. I immediately noticed my uncle, who has been in the States since the '80s, sounded a little different. Then there was his wife, who sounds like a female version of Foghorn Leghorn, the cartoon rooster with a southern accent; she was hilariously strange sounding. Eventually I discovered more funny things that I'll mention as I continue to blog. Well this brings me to the whole point of this post. As a four year old in a new country, PBS was the best channel in the world and so was GPTV, Georgia Public TV. The characters talked proper English and slowly, shows all about this new place, and lastly British Comedies.

British comedies are my favorites. They have been since before the States. Readers of the Eccentric's blog, I recommend you start watching them now! Unfamiliar, let me give you a few of my faves to start you off:

Blackadder; 4 series, English for seasons, about an aristocrat who finds himself in historical situations that involve getting over on his betters. It stars Rowan Atkinson, famous for his portrayal of Mr. Bean also guesting on 2 series is Hugh Laurie, famous in America for House, MD.
Are You Being Served; 4 series, I think. It is about a few store clerks that mix business with their personal lives. Their boss is a Hugh Hefner type with a dicky heart.
Jeeves and Wooster: 4 series about an aristocrat and his extremely crafty valet, Jeeves. Excellent 1920s wardrobe and props, filmed in several estates. Based on a P.G. Wodehouse book and stars Hugh Laurie, Dr. House again, and Stephen Fry.
Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister: 5 series, 3 Yes, Minister & 2 Yes, Prime Minister. It star Paul Eddinton as a Minister with some very entertaining staff members. His 2 secretaries, the supporting cast, play off of him to great results. It is a political comedy and still rings satirically true today as it did in the '80s. Watchers of John Stewart and Stephen Colbert Shows will love it.

So, rent these, borrow them, or purchase them. To sample, search on you tube; Black Adder is really easy to find given its immense popularity.

Summer is Spectator Shoes Time

2009-05-15T23:46:00.008-04:00

Summer time and spectator shoes go hand in hand. The contrast of the dark and light colored material make a great combination in the bright sun. For dandies, spectator shoes fit a very nice area on the sartorial continuum, right between dandy and formal. Bonus points must be given for the comfort factor, come on, who can turn down a pair with perforated suede on the sides. The perforations increase the air-flow in the show giving the wearer especially cool feet.

2 years ago Bottega Venetta made a pair that were superb. A friend of mine had them and I was always trying to get him to pass them on to me.

***Side story ignore if you don't want a story***Well, one day we go clubbing and end up in a bar, as usual. So, this older gentleman in an ascot notices us and keeps moving closer. Now, we didn't realize it until he was two bar stools away from us. At this point my friend says something to me about it and I just shrug it off. Then the gentleman gets up and says, "Young man those are some mighty fine shoes your wearing. Are those the new Bottega Venetta blah blah blah."

As he is talking my friend turns to me and mouths, "why is he still looking down." Then he proceeds to boldly hit on my friend in front of everyone including the women we where flirting with a few stools away from us. My friend immediately jumps out of his stool and with lightning like speed removes his shoes, sock-less mind you. Then he calmly says, "you wanted them there yours; but you have to take the gay old guy too." I couldn't stop laughing at how ridiculous he was behaving but, when I came around I came to my senses and checked to see that our friend wasn't offended. He wasn't and was laughing much louder and harder than I was. To conclude, I finally got the shoes.

Back to the topic at hand; most will find the black and white spectators too similar to the golf designs. At least, I do. So, stay away from them and go for a brown and white, a tan and black, or any other combination you can find. Now days they even make them ready-to-wear in monochromatic colors, for example, a brown leather and brown suede, half brogue. Here are some examples:

Personally I like mine in a loafer or slip-on model in a cream and light brown. Why? Well, with chinos, a polo shirt, and a sport coat on it looks dashing. To finish off my look, I opt for bright obnoxious socks. Orange hosiery anyone? For an example of how to pull this off check out this Apparel Arts scan:

Photo Credit: MensFlair.com blog and Dandyism.net

Colorful Socks Make Happy Feet!

2009-05-13T17:06:00.010-04:00

Colorful socks are just plain fun! They need not be expensive or unattainable. Happy Socks is a company that makes socks for those with little heft in their wallet.

These socks are just beautiful. They come in all manner of patterns and are available in plain colors as well. Don't expect staid socks though; they specialize in the bright and colorful. I have a few of them on order. They come recommended from a dandy acquaintance of mine. He says, "They are no Marcoliani but they are great socks and offer value." You can purchase any of their socks for $10 a piece with $4 shipping. Orders of 4 or more are shipped for free.

Still interested, take a look at some of their range:

Photo Credit: Photos attributed to Happy Socks, AB at HappySocks.com

Another Clairfontaine Review

2009-04-29T18:37:00.018-04:00

No not another one. Just kidding. This time around I have a note pad and a notebook. They both are the same size, 148 mm x 210 mm. The difference is really in the binding method hence, their names. Note pads are bound on top and flip up and down. Notebooks are bound on one side and flip side to side.

To start off the review I'll describe the stationery. First the note pad then the notebook. The pad has the three folds on the cover which facilitate keeping the cover back. The construction is solid and the backing is stiff. This one is black and beautiful with gridded paper. The notebook is spiral bound but not with the kind that wraps around but the kind that passes through meeting another metal ring. The paper is lined with non-college rule spacing. It is the spacing I like;small writers may find it too large.

Tests

Notepad

Feel: Smooth, even for scratchy nibs.

Feathering: None

Bleed-through: No, even less than with Rhodia paper. Only the most sensitive will care about this.

Aesthetics: Simple and attractive. Serious black cover for business. White logo at the bottom of the cover and at the rear.

Durability: The pages need to be firmly grasped to tear them out. The back pad is stiff and the entire note pad is sturdy.

Portability: This is serious writing pad. It isn't extremely portable and does not fit into pockets. This pad will rest in a portfolio, school bag, laptop bag or desk. It is meant for serious business.

Uses: Best suited for school and business. I personally prefer an 8'' x 11'' size but I'll take this slightly smaller notebook. Can be used in meetings and for lecture note taking. I'd stay away from games on this one. Too expensive for that sort of activity.

Hack ability: Yes, but I wont offer any ideas or links for this one.

Overall Thoughts

I'll save this one for after the other review.

Note Book

Feel: Smooth, even for scratchy nibs.

Feathering: None

Bleed-through: No, even less than with Rhodia paper. Only the most sensitive will care about this.

Aesthetics: Orange and awesome. White logo at the bottom of the cover and at the rear are the usual transgressions. There is also a margin at the top and bottom. I particularly don't mind the header but the footers annoy me. I don't use the last line for anything important just to signify pages, or study notes.

Durability: The pages need to be firmly grasped to tear them out. They don't come off clean. The back pad is soft and the entire note pad is flexible. I would say it is well made but definitely not stiff.

Portability: This is serious notebook. It isn't extremely portable and does not fit into pockets. This pad will rest in a school bag or my laptop bag. I would use it for note taking at one of my extracurriculars or during a lecture.

Uses: This is best suited for school. I personally prefer an 8'' x 11'' size but I'll take this slightly smaller notebook. It can be used in meetings and for lecture note taking. No games on this notebook. It is too much of a school notebook for that.

Hack ability: Yes, I wouldn't though. I think it isn't worth the effort; why fight nature. It is meant for note taking.

Overall Thoughts

Both notebooks are fountain pen safe and probably are suited for serious school or business writing. Perfect size for lecture note taking and I'd even write personal letters with these. I've never purchased these particular books but I'm fond of the Rhodia versions of both. Even then, I prefer 8'' x 11' for business and school purposes. Occasionally, I'll have need for something this small but I clearly favor larger sizes. Would I purchase these, yes and no. Yes, I like them and would purchase if I found them on sale. No, because I have a strong preference for Rhodia products. Again, I like big books better( I feel a crude joke coming on;)......

Details:

No comparison paper for the feel test
Subjective methods used.
Bias in favor of Rhodia products.
*These books were provided by Exaclair.

The Testing Cast in Full Glory

From the left: Pelikan m400 in White Tortoise, Lamy Safari in Flame, Pelikan m200 in Black and Blue, Pelikan 140 in Black and Green classic colors, Sharpie in Black and Grey classic colors

A Clairefontaine Review

2009-04-29T17:23:00.007-04:00

Another review is in order this time I'll be reviewing a Clairefontaine product.

I'll start this one off with a general description of the pad. First of all, it is 105 x 148 MM and contains 80 sheets of paper. It does fit into my palm but not comfortably. I don't think its size is conducive to carrying on your person. The pad barely fit into my back pocket and didn't fare well in my other pockets either. Back to the description, it has 3 folds on the cover which allow you to fold the cover over to the back thus, making it usable from the palm of one very large hand.

On to the testing; to get an overview of my testing methods read this post: Rhodia No.12 Bloc Review.

Tests

Feel; Smooth, even for scratchy nibs.

Feathering; None

Bleed-through; No, even less than with Rhodia paper. Only the most sensitive will care about this.

Aesthetics; Functional and the orange is attractive. No real margins to distract me. One transgression, the cover has a logo and so does the rear.

Durability; The pages need to be firmly grasped to tear them out. The back pad is stiff and the entire note pad is sturdy.

Portability: This one will stay on a desk. It is portable just not for me. So, I want to keep it in my laptop bag yet, it will probably stay on a desk somewhere.

Uses: Can be used for business and play. For business I would use it to quickly jot tasks, inventory lists, and maybe to keep messages. This is a note pad I will be using for games like scrabble that require score keeping. I also have quite a bit of fun playing guess the sketch and other drawing games with this pad. I probably wouldn't use it at school; too big for a palm sized pad and too small for a classroom note taking pad.

Hack ability: This is really open to interpretation. Of course, I just don't have any ideas or links for this one.

Overall Thoughts

Clairefontaine paper is much better than Rhodia paper. It is definitely smoother and heavier. That is probably due to Clairefontaine being 90 g/m squared and Rhodia is 80 g/m squared. No real bleed-through and it comes in a gridded paper. This is the ultimate in fountain pen safe stationery! The final verdict to the question of a purchase is no. Why not? I prefer a certain sizing in pads. I like them small enough to fit into my pockets easily or big enough to take pages of lecture notes without turning the page after every pen lift. If this is your preferred size then go for it, you wont be disappointed. Clairefontaine paper is awesome!

Details:
No comparison paper for the feel test.
Subjective methods used.
*This particular note pad was provided by Exaclair.

Briefcase Disappointment and Some Good News.

2009-04-28T15:42:00.004-04:00

I've decided to leave the briefcase alone and take it as it is. After all the majority of my newspaper reading is done via my Mac Book Pro. Still, I did like the idea of a pocket I could easily slip things into and out of easily.

Well, such is the world.

On a side note, I did receive a job offer which I decided to take. The job offers better pay and managerial experience. It will look great on my resume and if I still like it there is a chance to go further up the corporate ladder. I don't really consider it a move towards my choice career but a career with them isn't so bad.

While interviewing for the accepted position, I was also interviewing elsewhere. In total I was on 8 interviews in a manner of 5 days. It was exhaustive and fun at the same time. So, what happened? I was seriously hoping to hear back from 2 of the firms because they are well known in Atlanta financial circles. Either would have been an excellent career start. Unfortunately the positions I was seeking were filled and they mentioned that they would keep in contact with me. Yeah, whatever that means. The other 2 firms are in an area I am interested in but not passionate about. While not a career move, it would give me a competitive edge when applying for business school and again resume boosters. These last two firms will be contacting me mid May to tell me their decision. I am optimistic yet, these are troubling times for recent and soon-to-be-graduates.

Searching for Briefcases...

2009-04-22T19:40:00.016-04:00

As I move closer to graduation, I am looking to obtain a business essentials kit. I already have many things I've place on the list. There are two things missing though and that brings me to the search for a briefcase. Why do i need one, two reasons:

My messenger bag is not professional enough
My messenger bag is nearly unusable due to wear

Looking around, I've come up with a few requirements for my new case:

Genuine Leather
Hard wearing
Professional Appearance
Brown in color
Compartment for my Mac Book Pro 15" with no pockets, zippers, or anything that could damage it
Pockets for HP12c, pen rolls, Stapler, and other student supplies
Somewhat expandable or with at minimum 2 compartments: 1 for the laptop the other for files, folders, folios, and notebooks.
*Bonus Must be made in small quantities preferably by a small company with the passionate owner who is easily accessible.

There are several options available until we consider price. I realize that on the market, currently, there really are no options for well built cases until you break the $100 mark. 100 is the lower bound, now, we must consider the upper bound. $300 is the most I'm willing to spend; even this I consider too much. In the off chance that I work hard, save, sell off a few pens, break the piggy bank, and roll up and cash my change bowl; I just might be able to get to that price point. I probably will end up spending more. I plan on waiting until my final finals to purchase this case this will give me plenty of time to save.

My search ended when I found the custom hide company's 1945 reproduction army briefcase. They version of the case has 3 compartments, a zippered section, some pockets, a shoulder strap, and can even be monogrammed. All for the $324. It is $9 over budget. The monogram pushes it way passed the upper bound and that is fine with me!

To truly make it mine, I will probably add a newspaper pocket in the rear and an O monogrammed in the front. I will need to enquire about this to discover the cost of this addition. Should the customization cost too much I'll skip it and just read my Wall Street Journal online like every other 20-something-year-old.

Check out the photos!

That's right it is the briefcase from, Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)! I can see the Staff Sergeant carrying intelligence reports to the admiral in one of these!

Photo Credit: Pulled from the Custom Hide Company's website at www.customhide.com.

Rhodia No. 12 Bloc Review

2009-04-21T14:31:00.014-04:00

I've been busy lately, not so much that I can't have a little fun. Here is another review.

Before we get started I need to explain my testing methods:

*Feel; how the nib feels on the paper?
*Feathering; if the ink feathers on the paper?
Bleed-through; is the ink visible on the reverse side of the?
Aesthetics; overall appearance, cover design and page details?
Durability; is it hard to tear out pages, will it be easily destroyed?

There are other means I will use to rank them but they will be personal and may not mean anything to you. There are:

Portability: Where am I likely to keep it in my pocket, laptop bag or portfolio?
Uses: Which place is it most suited for school, business or play?(no Oxford Coma here)
Hack ability: Can I alter it to suit my needs?

Rhodia No. 12 Bloc

Test 1: Smooth. Even the italic Reform 1745 was easy to write with.

Test 2: Feathering was non existent with any of the used combinations of nibs, pens, and inks.

Test 3: Just the Sharpie bled. One can discern that there is writing on the back but it won't bother most people. Only the really, really sensitive will mind.

Test 4: Just 1 transgression, a logo on the front of the pad in bold black lettering. None anywhere else. The gridded paper is straight forward and has no header or footer margins. Also no left or right margins. Overall it is great looking and not heavily branded.

Test 5: Pages need to be deliberately torn and for its purpose it is solidly constructed. Will take abuse from one's palm and from being sat on.

Portability: Very portable. Fits into a variety of things: palms, jeans pockets, breast pockets, shirt pockets, hip pockets, and awesome for hangman with one's nephews.

Uses: No place it isn't useful. I carry it with me everywhere. I have one for work and another for everywhere.

Hack ability: Yes. Here is one. Awesome for GTDers.

Details:

No comparison paper for the feel test.
Subjective methods used.
*This particular note pad was provided by Exaclair but I was already a fan of this product.

Summary:

For GTDers and people that need an all purpose writing pad, this is the note pad for you. Its stand out features are portability and pocket proof construction. Personally I buy them a few at a time to ensure I have them on hand whenever needed. I carry one everywhere I go, never know when they come in handy.

Internet Friends Are The Best

2009-04-15T19:13:00.005-04:00

I recently received a former Holy Grail pen. It is a limited edition Pelikan M400 Honey Tortoise and White colored pen. My internet friend gave it to me for an extremely reasonable price. On top of that, she sent me an accompanying letter. T. cheers to you! Enjoy the letter and surprise I'm sending you!

Interview Links

2009-04-15T19:13:00.004-04:00

The easiest links to wear with shirts are definitely metallic or mother of pearl. I mostly opt for sterling silver. Lately I've been trying to tone it down. After all, on job interviews I like to look hungry and serious. So, after wearing silk knots for a couple of interviews I decided to find a mother of pearl pair of cuff links.

Here is what I found.

Seize-Sur-Vingt mother of pearl cuff links for 22 bucks.

Reasons it works for me:

Under $25 - check
Understated enough for a job interview - check
High wear ability with several shirts - check
Bonus: Can be worn with formal dress - check

Photo credit: Seize-Sur-Vingt check them out at http://shop.16sur20.com/.

The Fountain Pen Holy Grail List

2009-04-15T19:12:00.000-04:00

Classic Fountain Pens Tea Time in Mandarin Yellow and Black (the only none vintage model)

Pelikan 140 Money Green

Pelikan 140 Grey

Pelikan M200 in Yellow for Citroenpers

Pelikan 140 in Light Blue and Yellow for Continental AG in Hannover Germany

Pelikan Blue Lapis 1935 Limited Edition

Photo Credit: Nibs.com and Pelikan-Guide.com.

More Favorites

2009-04-07T21:45:00.006-04:00

Starting off, we have an $8 dollar tie from Burlington Coat Factory's sales rack. It was produced by Donald J. Trump's people. A heavy silk, woven, pastel pink colored beauty. The white and dark grey over stripe advise on what to pair it up with. A perfect marriage with a spring weight, grey flannel sadly, I have none. I do have a grey striped shirt I wear with this. The grey and pink really accent each other well. I would cation you to heed the warning: you might be mobbed by admirers if worn when alone!

This is a vintage tie I bought on eBay for about 7 bucks. It is navy blue with purple and brown flowers. It is a bold tie for serious bow tie wearers. Definitely not a starter bow tie, lest ye be remembered as a lecturer on the antiquities. No maker's tag on the back of it. It is 100 percent silk though.

Here is a pair of golf ball and tee cuff links gold plated in 24 carats. The finest, joking obviously, in sport cuff links I bought myself for Christmas in '07. Links like this, because of their sporting nature, are informal enough for any combination of jacket and pants. In fact, I'll go as far as saying I would not advise wearing them with suits; save the most casual of suits.

Lastly, I have a light blue and white, enameled, chain connected cuff link. I purchased it at a thrift store for 50 cents. I loved them so much I donated $24.50, bringing us to $25 the most I'll ever spend for a pair of links. Chain connected links are generally formal and require suits of any kind. I wear them with suits .

Note: if I am starting to sound like The Architect from An Affordable Wardrobe remember, I was poor first.