A Vintage Christmas Party

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It’s been a while since I’ve posted something on true vintage clothing!  Luckily I was invited to a Christmas party hosted by Reese’s Vintage Pieces, so I was able to break out my Golden Era clothes and spend some time in style with friends, both new and old! You’ll be able to see some fantastic vintage tailoring, filled with subtle details and history that you just can’t get with modern clothing.  They just don’t make them like this anymore, other  than going full bespoke!

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Our Vintage Style at the Fall 2016 Dapper Day

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It’s our bi-annual tradition to go to Dapper Day at Disneyland.  People go to the parks dressed in their best attire, whether its vintage, vintage inspired, modern, or anything in between!  While the style varied a lot between the guests, our group went decidedly 1930s-1940s as we usually do, combining textures and patterns as expertly as possible. Here’s what we wore on that slightly mild November day!

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What We Wore This Week: The Herringbone Twins

Herringbone is a classic pattern that has been found on suits, jackets, shirts, and even ties.  Dan Trepanier from Articles of Style wrote a great piece on it’s history.  Being a classic pattern, it provides a great vintage look when found on a sport coat or suit!  It’s been a while since we’ve done a “What We Wore This Week”, so here’s our latest entry with Spencer and I both wearing the pattern!

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I Bought a Jos. A. Bank Suit

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People like to call out Jos A. Bank and Menswear House for making some of the worst suits out there.  They like to cite quality concerns, fit issues, and an overall outdated or boxy look look that is made worse by the “overpriced yet crazy discount”model that the company operates with.  Just look at some of their markdowns.  However, I absolutely pounced at the chance to buy one.  I did cheat though; it was on eBay!

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Going Ivy with White Socks

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One of the many #menswear sins that people like to spout out is to never wear brown shoes with a black suit.  It causes repulsion in some, conniptions in others, and a shunning glance to all.  Even so, there is one sin that is far worse than even that: wearing white socks with dress shoes.  In fact, I haven’t seen too much of it since the 1990s thanks to multiple #menswear bloggers and vloggers who aim to stamp out this inglorious affectation.   However there’s something intriguing about pairing white socks with formal clothing that has been calling out to me.  This practice started in the 1950s and 1960s, and while I take a lot of my cues from the 30s, it’s time we look somewhere else for inspiration.

Update 8/31/18:  Okay so I reference this article a lot, but I do white socks for a lot more than just sartorial stuff. Go figure.

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Pleats: They’ve Always been Cool

Just look at those pleats, courtesy of Permanent Style.  If you show this to any mainstream fashion guy, he’d recoil immediately.  Flat-front pants have been the way to go for the past few years.  Favoring the clean look, the mainstream #menswear community has renounced all ties to the dreadful 1990s business look.  But classic enthusiasts in the community have always favored pleats and have still had them in their trousers without looking terrible!  Here, we look at the brief history of pleats and how they have evolved through menswear.  Hopefully you’ll agree that pleats are, and always have been, cool.

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Dapper Day x LACMA: Jazz and Vintage/Modern Menswear

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It’s not everyday that that you get an email inviting you to be a host of an event. Imagine my surprise when Justin Jorgensen, creator and mastermind behind Dapper Day at Disneyland, invited me to be one for their collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The event revolved around two things: “Jazz at LACMA” (their weekly summer concert) and their latest exhibit, “Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715-2015”.  It was Dapper Day x LACMA.

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