Resolution for the New Year

I've put a lot of thought into this subject. My choices for wardrobe building have never been better. Smart shopping online and eBay allows me to purchase things which were previously beyond reach. Prior to the internet I had the instinctive ability to pay top dollar for things. Not any longer. Also, I don't need anything in terms of clothing. I covet, I want. And I'm not ashamed!

If you are looking for resolutions involving world peace and spiritual growth, you are on the wrong blog!

The object of my desires is the Italian knit polo shirt. Exactly like the one I described in my previous post "The Greatest Story Ever Told." With the advent of global warming,* polo shirts will become more important as the primary piece of clothing for the upper torso. Ergo, get the finest shirts you can. Many of the more expensive polo shirts made in Italy have an unbelievable fabric. The cotton is incredibly fine and smooth. It is to die for.

The most readily available of these shirts are the Bobby Jones golf shirts made under the Hickey Freeman label. It is a pleasure to roll the fabric between your fingers. Feels like silk. The big problem is the price. They are in the $150 range (more for long sleeve). In addition they have the typical golf cut. Longer, hemmed sleeves and a very loose cut. Not my style at all. I prefer banded sleeves and a trimmer cut.

I've found polo shirts made under the Gitman label (pictured above) for $95 at several online stores. This is still too much for a polo shirt and I'd consider it at half the price. I'm going to keep a very close eye on Sierra Trading Post as they have deep discounts on many Italian-made garments. eBay is a trickier venue as many designer shirts are not genuine.
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*LeDandy believes the controversy surrounding global warming is a crock of shit. The earth has evolved for hundreds of millions of years, experiencing drastic changes in the environment. This is no exception. Whether it is a "natural" evolution or man-made is irrelevant.

LeDandy: Hypocrisy in Action

Do as I say, not as I do. Today I went on a "fact-finding" mission in Union Square for shoes. I've learned that things aren't always what they appear to be in photos. So I was just going to get a sense of what appealed to me. The predictable thing happened: I bought the Bragano's mentioned in yesterday's post for the current sales price. Forget about discipline. At least I called Jon Dean prior to the purchase to ensure he wouldn't kill me later.

My first stop was Discount Shoe Warehouse on Powell Street. A Costco for shoes. I read in Style Forum that they often carry Allen-Edmonds for less than a hundred dollars. To my surprise, they carried two models of Allen Edmonds. I was even more surprised that most of the shoes seemed to have a variety of defects. Marred leather and poor finishes on the soles stood out to me. Moreover, the Hillcrest model (a light brown blucher) was plain ugly and bulky.

On to Cole Haan to check out the Bragano Cedric model. It looked beautiful on the website and I was curious to see if it lived up to my expectations. Pure sex appeal! The Speedos of the shoe world. Man, I fell in love with them. They had two colors: black and nutmeg. It would be a tough choice with color. I told them that I'd have to think about the shoes.

I owed it to myself to look at the sale over at Allen Edmonds. This was like being a dream as I was the only customer in store yet ignored by the two sales people on duty. Not a good way to run a business. The models on sale seemed to be the modern-day equivalents of the old Bass Weejun. Sturdy, stiff leather, well made and.... boring. I was glad to leave. Unexciting shoes and rude sales staff turned me off.

Back to Cole Haan. I decided on the black shoes as this is more versatile and formal. Also, the nutmeg pair had a stain problem on one shoe. I took the last black pair in stock.

All was not well. At home I took a closer look at the right shoe as it was a floor model. There was some crackling of the leather which I didn't notice at the store (store lighting always sucks). If this was an eBay purchase for fifty bucks I wouldn't mind. But I want a perfect pair from a retail purchase. Fortunately Cole Haan is very well run and they promised to order another pair for an exchange.

Nothing is ever simple for me!

After Christmas Sales

Even though I am a self-proclaimed dandy, I haven't done a lot of clothes shopping in the past. This is the first time I'm paying attention to sales. "Daddy needs a new pair of shoes," as the craps players say in Vegas. Well, I don't need new shoes but I'd sure like to get some selected pairs on the cheap.

My mom used to say that the real sales don't start until the first of the year. It looks like that is the case from what I've seen regarding men's shoes. My beloved Bragano Cedric's have been reduced from $325 to $200, but that is still too much for me. There is a certain price level at which I feel uncomfortable wearing something. Afraid to get a scratch on them or otherwise damage the precious merchandise. This is a bad a feeling and ruins any perceived enjoyment.

I'll keep my eye on Sierra Trading Post for deals. It helps using Style Forum and Ask Andy (both online, clothing forums) to get coupon codes for extra savings of 10%-20%. I've found eBay to be a little too unpredictable for my taste. The only exception are sellers with a stellar reputation like Grapevine Hill.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Clean Closets

Quite a difference with our closets judging by the before and after photos. It is hard to believe that Jon Dean and I lived like overgrown college students with our previous closet mess. This afternoon we had three of our closets redone.

I'll spare you the tired jokes of coming out of the closet. At least we have nice ones now!

The Greatest Story Ever Told

In the spirit of Christmas, this is an appropriate title for the story which I am about to unfold. This incident happened twenty-three years ago in Tucson, Arizona while I was a sophomore in college. It is entirely true. The names have not been changed because I don't really care. Ironically, my greatest clothing story does not result in the purchase and/or wearing of an article of clothing.

Spring semester 1983. I am in my second semester at the University of Arizona and I am one happy student. One semester done and I find out that the classes aren't overly demanding. I have time to enjoy myself and experience a few pleasures. Women and drinking. At that time, the drinking age in Arizona was nineteen and I turned nineteen during this semester. Also, I had my first full relationship (albeit brief, like a weekend) at this time. Tucson is an overgrown truckstop of a town but I didn't care. I was having a great time.

All my classes were fine except one: American History 101 with Professor Jack Marietta. I should have dumped this class early but he was a terrific lecturer. A diminutive fellow with a commanding presence. He had a passion for the subject and it carried across to the students. Loud and clear. The only problem was grades. He was a son-of-a-bitch with exams. Trick multiple choice problems and difficult essay questions. I befriended one fellow student, Chris, and we remained friends during my time at U of A. A tall, good looking kid with a sense for adventure.

We had a killer of a test in Marietta's class one day and we were both very worried about our grade. In the self-insulated manner of students, we both thought our entire futures were flushed down the drain by this exam. We went over the exam questions together and both accepted the fact that we failed. We needed to get our minds off of the class and the test. There isn't a lot to do in Tucson. The best thing I could recommend was a trip to El Con Mall. At least we'd be away from the school.

El Con was a deteriorating mall near the school. At one time it was the premier mall in Tucson but most of the nice stores moved to the more prosperous suburbs out north. One quality men's store remained: Mills-Touche. They had stores in Phoenix with an Ivy League style. The type of place where if I saved my money, I could eventually buy a surcingle belt. Or a tie. I persuaded Chris to go in the store with me so I could look at some polo shirts.

Back in the 80's there were still grown men working at the upscale men's stores. Men who did this line of work as a career. When they saw college kids, it was typically not a friendly reception. This time was different. The salesman who approached us was about fifty-five and had reading glasses around his neck attached with a cord. The stereotypical old salesman. He took a special interest in us. Especially me. I was a bit naive at the time. I thought he was just being nice.

The guy asked me a lot of questions and did keep a closer than usual distance when talking with me. I asked to see the polo shirts and he showed us some Italian knits that were $80 or so. This was a lot of money at the time, and even a lot of money now. I was startled by the price. Then he spread out the shirt, ran his hand over the fabric and said in a quiet, yet excited voice "This is wonderful cotton. In hot, humid weather this hugs your body. It makes your nipples stand out." He scared the shit out of us! I realized why he was being nice.

Chris and I were both stunned. Ever see those cartoons where the character has his legs spinning in the air but doesn't run? That was us. I mumbled something about the price and started to leave. He ran up to us and urged us to "...visit my friend Nicholas over at Goldwater's [a department store] in the Foothills Mall." I nodded and we both took off.

It worked. This trip took our mind off the exams. And whatever we did, we stayed away from Foothills Mall and any queer-looking guy named Nicholas.

Oh, the test. Christ and I had the highest scores in the class of a hundred students. He had a ninety-one and I had an eighty-eight. Everyone else was in the thirties and forties.

Give Me Fashion Over Geekdom

Every Saturday morning I work out in the garage lifting weights. We have our outdoor dog Sandy who keeps me company along with the radio for entertainment. Usually I listen to "O'Donnell on Technology" as the selection is extremely poor for programs. This show focuses mainly on computers and software.

Some kid and his mom called and asked about purchasing a laptop for the youngster. This reminded me of when I bought my first computer, a laptop in 1989 for about $1,800. It sure brought back some bitter memories of my efforts at working in the computer-related field. Several years after buying the laptop, I couldn't even get $50 for it. Worse, I couldn't find a decent paying job in this field while in Michigan and Arizona even though I was pretty damn good.

I have a headful of bitter memories when it comes to computers. I spend as little as possible these days on the damn things. Also, no more personal time spent on work-related databases and other applications. It always goes unappreciated.

It is a strange world as far as what is rewarded. Studying and working hard is not the answer. I learned that lesson the hard way.

One person who intrigues me is Stacy London from the cable tv show "What Not to Wear." It is the show wherein she and a conspicuous homosexual (Clinton Kelly) do a complete fashion makeover of a shlub. In addition to being a babe*, she is a very smart young woman. I read in Wikipedia that she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar with a double major in philosophy and Germanic Studies. So did she pursue a doctorate and become a frustrated scholar in the over-crowded and unappreciated world of academia? Hell no, she knew where to go.

There is far more glory and money in being a tv fashion expert than by writing dull and unread treatises on esoteric subjects.

If only I learned this lesson at an earlier age.
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*Undoubtedly a babe, but lacks sufficient "meat on da bones" for LeDandy's taste.

Cheap Thrills

It has been a bitch of a week so you'll pardon me for not writing. I've seen a lot of interpersonal conflict around me (not at home)and it has been troubling to say the least, if not less. Add an extra long commute because of the pre-Christmas rush and the end result is not favorable.

A piece of good news today. I received the grey cotton Barbour sweater and black Sunspel underwear that I ordered from Sierra Trading Post last Sunday. Lately I've been in love with them because of their merchandise and prices. Lands' End has been the foundation of my clothing until now. STP offers more exotic items at higher discounts. The underwear was merely a small purchase that enabled me to get the $20 discount on a $50 or more order. Just like the "B-side" of a 45 rpm record, for my older readers.

The sweater is great. I've needed a grey cotton sweater for some time. Even more impressive is the material of the drawers. The cotton is more like silk. Ah, the luxury. Egyptian cotton. I can feel the spirit of the pharoahs in my shorts. Just kidding.

Looking forward to a long, relaxing three day Christmas holiday.

A Special Needs Child

This post has nothing to do with clothing. Maybe a little to do about style. Pictured above is my #2 son Garson. Doesn't he look like a #2? He's a gorgeous, big strapping lad who is six years old. He has my features but his mother's eyes. Enough joking.

In addition to Garson, we have his biological sister Gergie and a Maine Coon cat named "The Champ." The Champ is known as my #1 son. While the Champ likes Garson, this affection is not reciprocated. To say the least. Garson will provoke a fight with the Champ usually once a day, especially around dinner time. Garson will also attempt to ambush the Champ in the hallway by hiding in wait around the corner. Jon Dean and I both cannot stand this behavior. It's mean and may lead to injury. Yet we do not really know how to stop it.

On Friday night Garson was in big trouble. We heard a commotion in the living room and went out to investigate. Garson pulled some of the lights off the Christmas tree. The cat who stole Christmas. Then Garson picked another fight with his brother. Jon Dean was ready to spank him, but I stopped him. The boy needed love not whackings.

Many people believe that the incredibly good looking are not very bright. In Garson's case, this belief is correct. He is not the brightest bulb in the bunch. Spanking the boy will only make matters worse. The boy needs attention. "He's a special needs child," I said. So I put him in my lap and watched tv on Friday night. It worked. He was calmer as the evening progressed.

I know in time that the fighting will stop. Just a little sibling jealousy.

Thanks Sally

One of the great things about being an unabashed dandy is that people know exactly what to buy me for gifts. This week at work we had our holiday party with "Secret Santa" proceedings. Secret Santa is where we each buy a gift for another co-worker (chosen at random) with a spending limit of $15. I bought two small cannisters with green teas for a program director and I received two pairs of beautiful cotton socks. One is a conservative purple and the other is a subdued pink color. My new co-worker, Sally, bought these for me after discreetly inquiring about my tastes. A job well done.

I didn't think I'd be saying this for some time, but my sock collection is complete at the present time. There is nothing more I need in terms of footwear. The only thing I want is a pair of low-vamp tuxedo loafers. For that I will have to be patient on eBay. There is no way I'm paying $300+ for shoes.

I realized that I reached my saturation point with socks this evening when I made another purchase on Sierra Trading Post. I've been searching for a grey cotton sweater and finally found one for a good price on STP. It was marked down to $40 but I needed to spend $50 to get the twenty dollar refund on the order. What to buy for $10? That was the question.

I looked at socks and eventually realized that I do not want anything in that area. A shirt or sweater would be significantly more than $10 and I wanted to keep the order at $30 + shipping. I settled on some underwear. Black briefs from Sunspel of England for $12.95.* "There's nothing more exhilarating than the softness of Egyptian cotton," states the online description from STP. I can't wait to find out if this is true.

No more socks. It is on to sweaters and lets win there. [to paraphrase Bobby Kennedy's last statement]
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*The late, great comedian Redd Foxx advocated the wearing of dark colored underwear.

Solutions for the Middle East

You heard it here first. Sometimes I watch this show on cable tv called "What Not to Wear." The hosts of the show advise fashion-troubled people on what to wear in order to improve their appearance. So I thought, how would I makeover some of the central characters in the ongoing MidEast soap opera.

Lets start with the Hezbollah leader, Mr. Nasrallah. He's a good looking guy, described by many as charismatic. A Shiite JFK, if you will. Lose the glasses! My God, those frames must be from Costco. He would look so much better with a smaller frame, perhaps rimless. I'd recommend the German frames Lunor. They would give him a much more distinguished look, appropriate for his rank.

Now on to the Iranian leader, Ahmadjinadad. Once again, we have a good-looking, charismatic man. But where is the tie? An open shirt is not appropriate for a head of state. At first, I thought he might benefit from a bow tie. Then I had to be realistic and accept that a bow tie would be too severe for him. Farrakhan, yes. But not Ahmadjineedad (I gave up trying to spell his name). The solution is an assortment of Robert Talbot repp-stripe neckties in conservative colors. A deep red and blue tie would be perfect for him, given his dark coloring.

Also, he should stick with navy blue suits of the highest quality. I'd suggest Southwick or Hickey-Freeman. Crisp white, all cotton shirts would further help bring out his features. This man would look so much better if he followed my advice.

The worst offender in the Middle East is the Israeli military. What is the story with those uniforms? They make the Cubans look good! They have the best military in the Middle East (not saying a lot) and should look spiffy. Perhaps borrow some style tips from the Germans? Or the British Army, especially the desert gear they wore back in WWII. It couldn't hurt.

Well, these solutions won't solve all the problems in the region. However, it will make tv appearances more palatable for the Western viewer.

Dandyism Beyond Clothing

Our closets at home are a mess. That is why we are having our closets remodeled in a few weeks. I have a hard time reaching clothes on the top shelf in our closet and that is where I put most of my workout clothes. Virtually all of the time I have clothes fall on top of me and I am sick of it. We have two bedrooms we really don't use and yet we are running out of storage space. So last weekend we arranged to have three closets remodeled. It must be a sign of aging because I am really excited about home improvements.

What is a good accessory to have for a new closet? Cedar sock boxes. While searching for shoe trees online one day, I came across this nifty little accessory. My sock collection deserves more than being thrown in with the hoi polloi. It will be a nice way to store deserving socks between wearings.

Sierra Trading Post has these boxes for $8.50 each instead of the $15 retail price. Combine this with free shipping and no sales tax to produce an irresistible deal.

A Dandy Dog

As seen in a previous entry of LeDandy, pets can be dandies also. One leading exponent of canine dandyism is Mr. Cooper Peterson from North Carolina. In this photo he shows his carefree side while on vacation. I've never met Mr. Peterson but know him through his work (and his mom's) on the French Bulldog Rescue Network. It is a remarkable organization doing great work for abandoned and mistreated Frenchies.

One of my co-workers remarked that Cooper dresses better than he does. I won't comment on my co-worker's wardrobe but I will say that Coop has a great sense of style.

It is the Christmas season and the time for giving. LeDandy urges you to give a few dollars to the French Bulldog Rescue Network.

The Greatest Dandy of All-Time: The Duke of Windsor

Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron Renfrew, Lord of the Isles and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. The man had a lot of titles. He also had a fantastic sense of style. The Duke was definitely a trendsetter. An expert at breaking the rules of current fashion. Anyone can follow the rules of dressing well, but it takes genius to create your own style. Much like an abstract painter, you have to master the basics of conventional rules before embarking on your own path.

Ok, the Duke of Windsor was a nitwit and most likely a Nazi sympathizer. I'm not saying the man was a saint. Though I will say he is the patron saint of dandyism.

I can write an article on him but I found an excellent one on him by Bruce Boyer for "Forbes" written in 1998. The text of the article:

Do like the Duke

They told you mixing checks and stripes is a fashion no-no only slightly less egregious than wearing white socks with brogues and a navy-blue suit. They told you wrong. Browse through any issue of any men's magazine and you see things recommended that were considered fashion felonies ten years ago: A double-breasted, chalk-stripe suit with a striped shirt and a woven houndstooth-check tie. Or a checked shirt and striped tie with a plaid sport jacket. All worn with suede shoes and fancy hosiery.

The irony is that this isn't new and it didn't come from out of nowhere. It came from England 60-odd years ago, from the sartorial imagination of one man: Edward, Duke of Windsor. Failed monarch and political numbskull he might have been, but Edward did more to influence the way men dress than probably any man this century. Still does.

There's a photo of the Duke taken for Vogue in 1964 by famed fashion photographer Horst in which the Duke looks so with-it that it's hard to believe it was taken 34 years ago. There he stands, wearing a marine- blue, shetland tweed suit with a bold, white windowpane overplaid, pale blue checked spread-collar shirt and plaid silk tie. If he were walking down the street today, he would still be the absolute glass of fashion and the mold of form.

The latest "innovations" from the Duke's closet include the resurgence of the spread-collar shirt and brown suede shoes worn with a blue or gray suit, but a long list of others have come before. Credit the Duke with Fair Isle sweaters, tartan everything, midnight-blue dinner jackets (once again gaining popularity since the eye perceives them as more black than actual black), backless formal waistcoats, argyle socks, the regimental stripe tie and the drape-cut suit.

Back in the late 1920s men knew they were imitating the Duke and did so quite consciously. He was openly considered among the best-dressed young men in the world, and men would have their tailors copy whatever outfits he was photographed wearing; one gent from Chicago even left a standing order with Windsor's own tailor to duplicate every outfit Windsor ordered. The Duke was the golden boy of the jazz age, the First Salesman of the British Empire.

Today this political disaster remains the font of inspiration for the majority of men's clothing designers and manufacturers alike. Ralph Lauren has made a career emulating the Duke, and everyone from Armani to Zegna has paid homage. Last February, when Windsor's mementos went up at auction, the bidding for the Duke's old wardrobe was particularly heavy.

Crit Rawlings, president of Oxxford Clothes, dropped $12,650 on a silk suit. In all, the Duke's 25 suits, sport jackets and formal outfits took in $773,145.

You want to know how a guy ought to dress? Forget the fashion magazines. Check out the auction catalog.

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The Duke of Windsor occupies the throne of supreme dandy. I bow to you.

Homage To My Roots

I recently read an excellent article on dandyism and its roots in the preppy world. Looking back on my life, I credit my interest in preppiedom as a turning point with my interest in fashion. I never did read the Preppy Handbook, but I knew the basic elements.* My first instances of prep were Izod polo shirts and Sperry Top-Siders back in 1980 while in high school in Arizona. I thought that by being well-dressed, I'd get the girls. Or a girl. I was wrong.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy my new appearance. It slowly developed in college while I was in Tucson, AZ. Tucson is a dump but that's not relevant. I made a couple of friends who knew their clothing. Lloyd, who majored in fucking up, introduced me to Bass Weejuns back in 1983. "They last forever," he said. He wasn't far from the truth. I'll never forget the shock of paying $63 for a pair of shoes back then. It was a lot of money for me. Turned out to be money well spent. Bass Weejuns were an excellent shoe made in the U.S. during the early '80s. Now it is mass-produced crap turned out in China. Stay away from Weejuns.

Lloyd was a straight guy and we were friends for about two years. My most memorable time with him was when we were drunk late on a Friday night / Saturday morning. We ordered a pizza from Domino's and asked them to send a gorgeous, well-built delivery girl. In our intoxicated state, we really believed this would happen. Instead we got some homely looking, pimple faced boy. I laugh to this day about that night. I don't know what happened to Lloyd.

Then there was Kurt. Tall and formal. Very preppy and well-mannered. Unfortunately that was about all there was to Kurt. As Jon Dean says, "I've stepped in puddles deeper than [so and so]." I forgot where we met but we stayed friends for a few years after college. I added some canvas, duck emblazoned belts, braces, and navy blazers to my wardrobe thanks to Kurt. He liked to shop at Mills-Touche at the Biltmore Plaza in Phoenix. Not exactly the province of college students on a budget. More the domain of lawyers and upper-level executives. Thanks to Kurt, I bought my duck belts there. Twenty-three years later those belts are still in my closet.**

I do have one interesting story involving Kurt. We liked to dress up and go out on the town. One Saturday night we were drinking at the bar in Oscar Taylor's restaurant in the Biltmore, dressed well beyond our means. I spotted an attractive woman at the bar and pointed her out to Kurt. "Go talk to her," he said. I didn't need any encouragement. This turned out to be the only (straight) bar pick up I ever made. The following week she was greatly disappointed in me when she found that I was a college student. "I thought you were a successful businessman, the way you were dressed," she said. I guess she didn't want me for my good looks!

I had some good roots as a budding dandy.

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*Good Christmas gift hint for LeDandy.
**Unfortunately I now wear a 34 in belts, not the 32 purchased.

The Herman Goering Defense

Earlier in the week I made a reference to a defense I used for wearing colorful socks. Flamboyant, bold socks. The type that lead to wondering about the wearer's sexual orientation. Many years ago, in a flash of brilliance, I came up with a defense for wearing outlandish socks. The socks in question were my pale yellow pair with black pindots.

Ever hear of the Nuremburg Defense? A legal argument used by soldiers and politicians accused of war crimes. They claim they were only following orders and someone above them was responsible. Well, I'm naming my defense for wearing loud socks in (dis)honor of one of the original Nuremburg defendants: Herman Goering.

The year was 1989. I was in Michigan at the time working a temp job at General Motors. Man, that was an incredibly dull job and I had no idea what I was doing. Nor did anyone else, hence the lousy quality of American cars. But I digress. There were some decent people there and one of my co-workers was a guy named Jim Schmidt. Jim was in his fifties, a short chubby guy and a career man at GM. Translation: an alcoholic. We both shared an interest in WWII and he was quite the Germanophile. Big surprise given his name. I liked him and he made the place more bearable.

One day I had on my pale yellow socks with low vamp, black Cole-Haan shoes. I passed by his desk and he said "Whoa!, What the hell is that?" I pulled up a trouser leg and showed the whole sock. He looked at me askance and said "I don't know about you." He said this in a good-natured way but he really thought I might be light in the loafers (pun intended). I wasn't at the time. Then I had a bolt of inspiration and told him that Reichsmarshall Goering also wore the same style of socks. Any WWII buff has seen the photos of Goering in those flamboyant outfits.

We were inseparable after I made that statement.

Poor Jim. I don't know what happened to the guy but he was miserable. One day he took a very long lunch from 11 am to 3 pm. He came back smashed, telling everyone he had four margaritas and six drinks of some other kind. He came up to me and said he needed another drink! GM was the kind of place that just took away your soul one day at a time.

Some bold socks brightened up the place for a short time. And I felt proud driving my Honda Accord to work.

I'm Not Shallow

One may gather from my recent posts that I am a shallow person who can discuss only footwear. I assure you that I am a much deeper man. In fact today I will discuss sweaters. Call me a renaissance man.

The weather has finally dipped below 60 here in the Bay Area. That means it is time to start wearing sweaters. For the past few years I wore rugby shirts with a turtleneck underneath, avoiding the need for sweaters. Now I've reverted back to sweaters. This probably has something to do with my footwear addiction as a rugby doesn't go well with dress shoes and colorful socks.

A new shopping center was built near my work a few months ago. The Westfield Shopping Center has a bunch of new stores including Bloomingdales. A few weeks ago I checked out the merchandise. My God, I've never seen such overpriced crap. Ordinary heavy wool sweaters - $800, cashmere sweaters - $1,000+! Yes, US dollars. I couldn't help but utter "Holy mackerel," which drew the attention of a salesman. I don't know what kind of idiot would pay those prices but someone must.

I like to buy off season. Sweaters in the summer months, polo style shirts in winter. So what did I do last week? I bought a sweater. A nice lightweight wool, peach v-neck from Sierra Trading Post.

Bad Advice

I am astounded by the drivel coming from the mouths of so-called experts in the fashion/style field. The other day I looked at a clothing forum called Ask Andy About Clothes. Anyone can put up a fashion website (like me) but this guy has quite a following. His site rivals Style Forum in terms of readership. So I thought this guy should know something about clothes.

Wrong! I went to his column about socks since this is my area of interest these days. Immediately I read bad advice.

"DRESS SOCKS. Rule of thumb: The dressier the situation, the darker the socks." Incorrect, Andrew. Unless you are in the legal or mortuary fields, this statement does not apply as a rule. One of the dressiest looks I ever put together involved yellow socks with navy pants and black dress shoes. In fact, I'd put forth the opposite principle. Combine light colored socks with dark dress shoes and dark pants. Contrast can look good if done properly.

Beware the fashion gurus. Sometimes they don't know more than the common person.

Colorful Socks

You can call it "men's hosiery" if you like, but I think that is pretentious. They are still socks to me. So why wear colorful socks? I ask, why wear boring solid black or brown socks? Ok, you might get beat up and called queer. Or called queer and then get beat up. For those men secure in their masculinity (or who really are gay), then colorful socks are a wonderful means of self-expression and unique style.*

Many, many years ago I had the pleasure of wearing some colorful socks. It must have been about fifteen years ago in Michigan. This particular pair was a light yellow with black pindots. Gorgeous and I enjoyed wearing them. Unfortunately they wore out after time and I couldn't find them again. In fact, I couldn't find any decent colorful socks. Solid black, brown or gray. Turn on the snooze alarm.

Last year when I bought my ill-fated Alden shoes, I went sock shopping with a friend over to the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. Short of spending $35 for a pair, there was no selection of decent socks. Even the $35 pair was a "one size fits all" [sic]. When you wear a size 8D, this claim does not always apply. I ended up buying an overpriced, poor quality pair of pink Polo socks for $11. Made in Korea.

Thank God for the wonderful world of the internet. The English men have a passion for bold socks and I bought a few pair from Sox Populi. The blue socks shown in my 11/28/06 post are from England.

Last week I received the rainbow socks shown above. I ordered them from Sierra Trading Post and they are the Italian De Pio brand. Half off the full $25 cost, I couldn't resist. The full vamp loafers don't do these socks justice but I am still working on my shoe collection.

Socks are a great tool for separating yourself from the crowd. Also, it is one of the least expensive accessories to a man's wardrobe.
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*There is a defense one can raise as to wearing colorful socks. It is highly controversial and not for everyone. I will discuss this defense later in the week.

A Gorgeous Cashmere Sweater

My daughter Foxy has her first cashmere sweater, in time for a cold winter. We ordered it online from the Company Store with her initials on the back of it. As you can see, the fit is very good and she knows how great she looks in it. I was a little worried about the colors since they might clash with her coat, but it worked out fine.

Even though the sweater is very nice, I can't add the Company Store to my list of recommended vendors. They have atrocious customer service and sent the sweater via parcel post. It took over a month to get here after the monogram was applied. Customer service was rude and not helpful on the phone. Pay a few bucks more and get the sweater somewhere else.

Regardless of the purchase details, Foxy looks fabulous in her new sweater. And she knows it.