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Anonymous asked: First, I love reading your stuff, it has provided several great tips for me. My question...I am ready to make the move from Clark's Desert Boots (which have served me well) to something of a higher quality and better fit. I am looking for brown leather and do quite a bit of walking (in the Midwest, so waterproof would be a plus), do you have any recommendations?
I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog! I’ve had a few busy weeks at my real job but soon I’ll be back to posting at my usual rate.
Assuming we’re still talking about chukkas - I can only really offer advice on what I’ve tried, but my experiences with the Loake Pimlico are very positive. I wrote more about them here. They have a Dainite sole and come in brown suede or calf - I have the suede and used a suede waterproofer to make them fairly water resistant. I bought mine from Pediwear, which offered the best price at the time. They will also price match any other lower price and deduct a further 5%. The shoes also crop up on ebay from time to time. I sized down one full size from my US size.
If you want my thoughts on other shoes, check out this and this. I’d say a chukka boot or blucher would serve you well, especially if you can afford getting them in shell cordovan. Be sure to hang on to those Clark’s, though - a beat up pair of those is a great shoe to have for everyday wear.
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Anonymous asked: Notice you have at least a couple suits from Thick as Thieves. I've been wavering over whether to do the online MTM thing. I'm ready to take the leap (and happen also to be trying to dress well, or at least not miserably and within my means, in the Bay Area). The photos you've posted of your PoW suit are fetching and I wonder what suit format--house or traditional--you chose. Any other specifics you might share in ordering from Jason? My thanks--Dan
I’ve been grappling with whether or not to post anything about my Thick as Thieves suits. Here’s the jist of it: I own two Thick as Thieves suits from a couple years ago (one was a gift, one was my own purchase). I have mixed feelings about them. I would hesitate to recommend them to most people.
Both of my suits needed extensive alterations after I got them. This isn’t unexpected at all but it can be frustrating if you’re really buying into the “made-to-measure = perfect” idea, which is most definitely not true (that goes for all MTM companies, not just this one). At the end of the day, though, I think suits are just too complicated to be a blind MTM item. Shirts? Sure. Suits, however, are just too involved to be relayed over emails and online forms. After alterations my suits were OK but they lacked a real “silhouette;” I spent hours perfecting all my measurements (like a true engineer, I took a series of measurements from different sources, and continued taking them until they all had a standard deviation of less than .25”) but when I actually wore my suit it seemed to be missing a cohesiveness that comes from looking at the product as a whole, not just examining a couple dozen measurements. Again, this is a risk for all blind MTM and not just Thick as Thieves.
I did like that I was able to work with Jason directly, giving the process a human element. However, he is a busy guy and I could tell that he was not as invested in my suit as I was. I was also disappointed with some of the fabric. For instance, my midnight navy mohair suit was a vast improvement on my first and overall I think it turned out pretty well. However, I began to notice that after not too long it began to look like it was covered in cat hair or something. Since I don’t own a cat I took a closer look and was saddened to see that the fibers were coming out of the fabric itself – it was dissolving before my eyes.
If you are a hard size to fit (preferably small, since that would fit into Thick as Thieves’ aesthetic) and like the styling that the suits come with (cropped, narrow lapels, etc) then it could be a good option, especially if you get measured in person. If you’re just looking for a reasonably priced suit and are being lured by the promise of “perfection” and “customization” then I would pass. If I were going to buy a $450-500 suit tomorrow I would buy Suitsupply without hesitation. Hopefully that helps. I don’t like being negative about products but that was my experience. I don’t have anything against Jason or what he’s doing, but his product isn’t really for me.
From the weekend - laundry day.
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Dress like you know what you’re doing.
Some people say “dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.” I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, but I think it can be expanded to activities outside of the office as well.
Over the past few months I’ve been strengthening my resume as a professional “party attender;” with a stretch of luck I’ve had the good fortune of filling empty seats at a couple of upscale parties and $500/plate fundraisers. One of my new favorite pastimes during these events is heading over to the lobby piano while in a nice professional outfit and sitting down as if I’ve been hired to play. I’m surprised at how long they let me go before realizing that I probably wasn’t supposed to play jazz standards at the black tie gala being held in the rotunda. Security usually figures it out somewhere between “Stella By Starlight” and the third chorus of “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing.”
A nice suit, a few classic tunes, and a healthy dash of confidence can go a long way.
Above: The Steinway in the lobby of the Palace Hotel.
It’s On Sale: Saphir shine kit
Shoe products are of those necessities that are rarely on sale and can add up in cost quickly. Fortunately, Wingtip is having a flash sale today, and one of the products available is a starter shine kit from Saphir. It’s down to $33 from $110 and contains 5 polishes and two polishing cloths. Saphir polish is great stuff and this will make a wonderful backbone to any shoe care kit. Note that this package does not include Renovateur or any of the creme polishes (both of which I use more often than the high-gloss wax). However, I do believe that Wingtip carries them and you could use them to get over the $50 free shipping minimum.
Anonymous asked: Hi, Can you give me some recommendations on suit brands? My budget is around 800. Many thanks!
Suitsupply has lots of great options in the $450-800 range. Their site has good sizing information but if you have any other questions about them I would direct them toward Timo, our resident Suitsupply expert. Brooks Brothers is a good option as well; right now they are having their friends and family sale (25% off), so many suits (like their 1818 line, which are made in the USA or Italy) are around that pricepoint as well. I’ve heard good things about the eHaberdasher Benjamin suit but don’t know too much about it. Depending on your size, you could probably find some good stuff on ebay but that requires patience and a good understanding of your own measurements, so it’s probably not the best move for a first suit. Depending on where you live, there might be a local made-to-measure program that does good work. In San Francisco there’s Spoon Tailor and Beckett and Robb; I don’t own either of their suits but I’ve seen them on others and they look great. Good luck!