The Vanity of an Ancient King

I like learning about stuff. As you well know, my current obsession is clothing. The earlier seasons of Project Runway were fantastic for learning about garment construction, and some of the basic lingo. Of course, that show was all about women's fashion, and well, I'm a bloke. I wanted to know more about stuff I could wear. I wound up doing a little digging, and found some really cool sites (and a lot of not-so-cool sites) about men's clothing.

I think some of you would be interested in these sites, so I'm gonna share, and tell you what I like/don't like about them.

Street Etiquette: http://streetetiquette.com/

What's good: I think the pics are fantastic, and I like the urban/street style portrayed. Not everything has to be expensive to be good.
What's not so good: He doesn't post enough!! I don't agree with all the stylistic choices, but that's just a personal thing. Even the stuff I don't like, I am glad I saw as I can usually fish out the stuff I do like.

A Suitable Wardrobe: http://asuitablewardrobe.dynend.com/

What's good: Lots of entries about a wide variety of subjects. He has had several bespoke suits made from various tailors all around the world. He also has some really fun guest writers.
What's not so good: His posts aren't very long. He'll hit a good subject, then suddenly, about 50 words later, the entry will be finished. Sometimes it feels like it's merely an opening paragraph than a fully formed thought.

A Continuous Lean: http://www.acontinuouslean.com/

What's good: Frequent posts on a variety of subjects, not all of which are directly sartorially related. I also happen to like the design of the site itself. They do often bring up new finds that other blogs don't hit.
What's not so good: Despite the fact that I read the blog frequently, I don't often agree with their editorial. For example, I don't agree that handmade local garments are inherently better/worth more than garments made by machine in emerging countries (assuming proper labour practices are in use). Often, I just look at the pretty pictures.

Put This On: http://putthison.com/

What's good: It started out with a video about the way jeans were made. Their tagline is "A web series about dressing like a grownup". I think a lot of us could use something like that. Hell, if they made adult Geranimals, I'd be all over it!
What's not so good: They started as a video series, then kinda switched it up, and created a fundraiser to make more. Their text-based posts are a bit of a yawn, and they're a little too Williamsburg/hipster for my general tastes. I gave up irony years ago.

Permanent Style: http://permanentstyle.blogspot.com/

What's good: He makes his own clothes, and tells us the details. How. Cool. Is. That!
What's not so good: I'd like to see more pictures, and possibly smaller posts. I love the subject matter, but it's *really* dense. Also, the layout of the site is a bit difficult to read, but I've ways of fixing that, so it's not so bad.

The Sartorialist: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

What's good: It's mostly a picture blog of various local fashion from around the globe. These pics are taken when the photographer isn't on assignment shooting models wearing high fashion clothes, although he throws them in as well.
What's not so good: There aren't nearly enough men's fashions in the blog, but the pics are so great, I can't help but read it daily.

So hit these places, and let me know what you think. Do you have a favourite site to learn more about clothing/design/fashion/garment construction? Let me know!

So, I didn't post anything yesterday, mostly because I was really busy all week, and I didn't find anything super groovy. That said, my intent was to talk about some blogs I find interesting, and perhaps you'd find them interesting as well.

Instead, my father found me on IM, and as it turns out, he's been emailing my tailor, Mr. Ned. It seems my Xmas gift is coming in the form of a sport coat and trousers. During my next fitting, I'm to act surprised when I am asked to pick out fabric.

Something tweed this way comes.

More Later

Let me say that I love grey. It can go with anything, including itself. Here's a blazer from the ironically named Bespoken (their items aren't actually bespoke, but are made to measure). This particular blazer is from their Fall/Winter '09 collection.



I like this piece for a variety of reasons. Herringbone is a good weave that can be dressed-up without being fussy, but has the versatility to be dressed-down without looking slovenly. First, I like the overall shape. Despite the model's total lack of shoulders — or any secondary sex characteristics, the garment tries to fill in the gaps without being too artificial. The waist closes in neatly, then flairs out again while retaining a good line.

The details also caught my eye. When you have a neutral grey heather like this, any change stands out. Sometimes this can be a good thing. Other times, not so much. In this case, I really like the clean lines of the slanted (British style — American style pockets are straight) no-flap (called, I believe, "jetted") pockets in the slightly darker fabric matching the buttons, and the addition of the tab loop on the collar. Their signature red stitching on the lapel buttonhole looks fantastic on the dark grey background. If I decide to have Mr. Ned make me something similar, I'd go for a purple stitching =)

I've always been a fan of the high-notch collar. It works for taller fellows with shorter upper-bodies (like mine… I'm mostly legs and neck), and appears to lengthen the torso. The lapel itself is a bit skinny for my taste, although that's a very modern look, it is one that won't appear dated in a few years. I'd rather see something a touch wider, to give a nod to the 1950s/60s era but still with a modern edge.

Lastly, we've got an interesting button placement. Suits and jackets commonly come in two and three button flavours, and both follow the same rule of thumb about buttoning them: "Sometimes, always, and never". Two button suits are actually missing the top button, so the rule becomes "always and never". The reasoning is that usually the bottom button is placed in such a way that it would pull the garment in an unflattering way, and just appears to balance the jacket. It becomes a detail. The exceptions are when the buttons are placed in such a way where you can button them both without destroying the shape of the garment. JFK often wore two-button jackets where the second could easily be buttoned without sacrificing the look, nor movement. It seems to me that this specimen could be buttoned, but it's difficult to tell on this shapeless model. When in doubt, don't button the bottom button.

So what do you think? Do you have a particular fabric that you like wearing during the colder months (those that have colder months)? Did you find something during the week that others should know about? Let me know!

I just received word that my suit is available for the first fitting. This is a full-canvas construction, which means it will have more structure than most suits which are half- or no-canvas. More structure will give a more precise fit, and isn't that the entire point?

Of course, I am not sure it's wise to go to my first fitting after being ill, and only a few days after the biggest pig-fests of the year. I'm probably in less-than-normal physical configuration. What the hell, that's what the second fitting is for ;-)

I'm all about finding stuff that's interesting, flattering, and practical. If your garment won't last more than two wearings, I don't care how good it looks. Today, I present to you a fantastic, functional garment with style for (literally) miles.

My apologies for this horrible scan. Fuck you, HP for your bullshit AIOs that require proprietary software to use, but still don't have basic de-screening functions.

Langlitz Rangers

The question isn't *if* you spill, it's when. When you do, you need to sacrifice skin to the asphalt gods. You can sacrifice your own, or you can sacrifice someone else's. Personally, I choose cow over my own flesh.

I like this style in particular as few people seem to rock it these days, and I've always had an eye for the classic. These breeches are very reminiscent of every Tom of Finland pic you've ever seen, and that's never a bad thing. Notice the high waistline, which allows a good, wide belt that will help your kidneys on those long cross-country runs. While I am not super-keen on the zipper pockets, the slash style themselves make it easy to get in them when you're wearing riding gloves.

Langlitz makes fully custom gear, made to measure. A good fit is of utmost importance as this is foremost a protective garment that happens to look fantastic, especially after several thousand miles, and more than a few dead bugs. The wait is long, and yes, they're expensive, but their customer service is amazing, and they'll work with you to make your garment to your satisfaction. These guys have been around for ages, and worth your patronage.

Hey everyone.

I happened to get invited to Gilt, which is a bit like http://Woot.com but for high end clothing. I also now have a proper invite URL, which I'd like to share. While the discounts aren't nearly as good as what gryphons_hole can get with his 25¢ sales, it's at least something. Aside from clothes, they also do linens/bath and travel stuff. Sizing on the internet can be difficult, but they have a generous return policy.

If you're interested, use this link, which will allow you to sign up. If you order something, I get a kickback =)

http://www.giltgroupe.com/invite/cmharrington

Reply here and let me know if you signed up (I am not sure I get mail saying that you did), and let me know if you see something that interests you.