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Reconsider the Navy Blazer, Part 2

Not too long ago I posted an article about bringing back the navy blazer, a staple of yesteryear, who's resurgence as of late has been relatively minimal. Ralph Lauren's gotten it right, and so have a few other makers, but the versatility of a navy blazer reigns supreme in my book, especially when cut and fitted properly as mentioned before (and shown here). I would encourage my readers to read my previous post regarding the navy blazer. A link is provided here for your convenience http://tinyurl.com/navyblazer, tying the former post to this one.

My reason for bringing the blazer up again today involves something mentioned in the previous article: the buttons. I mentioned trading out the brass or gold buttons that typify a navy blazer with something different. At the time of the last article I had not found something that caused "my heart to burn within me", but now, I believe I have.
One of the sources I previously mentioned for finding buttons was the Goodwill Store, which is precisely the source of my new accouterments (see photo 2).

These are real silver to boot. The jacket they were formerly attached to was ugly and ill-fitting, but look on eBay for silver blazer buttons and tell me that $4.99 was a bad price to pay for the buttons alone, even if I had to scrap the jacket (I actually ripped the buttons off and then re-donated the jacket).
Anyhoo... I thought an after photo would benefit the before, so here it is (photo 1). If you haven't found your blazer (or your buttons) yet, keep looking. They await your discovery.
Cheers!
-Paul

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Required Listening: Regarding Stacks, by Bon Iver


This could very possibly be my most favorite song of all time. When I need to feel calm, I put this on; it is probably the most soothing song I've ever heard. Now, after learning how to play it, breaking out the guitar and playing this song is like a drug that settles my nerves and eases my mind.

There is no official video for this song, so here is a fan-made photo montage set to the album version of the song. Take some time out from your day and give this a listen. If you have some good headphones, use them. If you enjoy some good pot every once in a while (you know... on occasion, when you have a great song to listen to or you want to play "hip" parent to your teenage kids or you're having a party... whatever), smoke some. Just promise me that the first time you hear this song, it's not being played simply as "background music". Devote some time to it and let it soothe your soul.

Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul
-DISCLAIMER: The use of marijuana is not necessarily endorsed by Paul Walters on Style, as marijuana is illegal for some reason or another and therefore its use cannot be officially condoned by this website or its author.-

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A Penny for Your Thoughts...

Hello again! Today's piece (as an armchair journalist or columnist or whatever I am, I figure I can get away with calling my writings "pieces") concerns yet another wardrobe staple: the versatile penny loafer. Penny loafers as we know them today are an American evolution of the Norwegian leisure slippers of decades past. A brief history may not be neccessary, but I'm going to provide a short lesson regardless. Here we go...
Moccasin style leisure slippers were a popular production in Norway in the 1930's.
The Norwegians began exporting their unique shoes to the rest of Europe where they were adopted by visiting Americans and then introduced to the states by the American Esquire magazine.

In 1934, G.H. Bass (then a boot maker in Wilton, Maine) started making loafers marketed as "Weejuns" (a play on "Norwegians"). Bass made popular a strip of leather across the saddle with a diamond cut-out. Initially only worn in the summer at home, the shoe grew in popularity in America to become a significant part of men's casual shoe wardrobe. The loafers became more of a mainstay of the American wardrobe than they ever were in Europe.

Eventually American ingenuity inspired prep. school students to make use of the diamond shaped cutout atop the shoe. Aside from making a fashion statement, a dime placed in the cutout also assured that the price of a phone call was always at the wearers... er... fingertips (well, close enough). As the price of phone calls went up, pennies replaced dimes to maintain the fashion-statement while shelling out less coin, and eventually, the practice was abandoned altogether. The shoes, however, were not (nor was the term "penny loafer," a description which is still common today).

The penny loafer has remained a versatile shoe that can be dressed up or down, looking equally at home with a sport coat or blazer, white oxford-cloth-button-down, and dress trousers (Miles Davis became known for this look), or a white tee with jeans (James Dean invented this look, but in photo 2, borrows Davis's aforementioned ensemble). The shoes can be worn sockless in the summer and with socks in the cooler seasons. I'd say pair them with anything in between athletic wear and a suit on the formality spectrum.

My loafers (pictured in photo 1) are made by Allen Edmonds, a brand who's consistant quality and American provenance I adore, but many makers produce the penny loafer. G.H. Bass still makes their Weejuns in several price-ranges with variations on some of the more minor details, and while my Allen Edmonds are not an inexpensive pair of shoes, French shoemaker J.M. Weston's basic penny loafers start at about twice their price.
All of these options look very similar. All of them are just as versatile, and all of you can afford a pair.

Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

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Tom Ford Makes Movies


This just in... Tom Ford, who shocked many purists when he was selected to dress James Bond in Quantum of Solace, is now again making waves on the silver screen... except this time, the movie is his own. A Single Man (based off of Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel), starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore comes out soon, and features Tom Ford's debut as a director and at penning a screenplay. Firth has already won a best actor award for his role in the film at the Venice Film Festival, and Oscar buzz abounds for both he and Julianne Moore.

Whether or not the clothes featured in the film will be designed by Ford (who was the former creative director of Gucci) I don't know yet, but the movie has been called visually dazzling, and a stunning and beautiful film debut by Tom Ford. The movie appears to be set in the late 50's or early 60's (1962 to be exact... the video provides a date). Costuming should rival Mad Men in the way of period wardrobing, surely giving Tom Ford a chance to compete with Brooks Brother's new Mad Men special edition suit. I'm looking forward to seeing it, as $10 for a movie ticket will probably be the only thing with Tom Ford's name on it that I'll ever be able to afford. Check it out in the video trailer.

Cheers,
Paul

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Simple, but Ballsy

Hello again!
Sorry; it has been a few days since my last post. Life has been busy. What can I say? My nine-week-old daughter got some shots and has been depressingly puny for the better part of the week, and as our doctor protests mine and my wife's strong stance against unnecessary vaccinations, there are still a few that must be administered, even under our own admission. Anyhoo...

Today we will again discuss the pocket square. I am a big pocket square advocate and fan, and I have many brightly colored silk pocket squares that I love to wear to amp up an outfit. Lately however, possibly because of the Mad Men influence, I have been favoring the snow-white cotton or linen square, pressed in a crisp TV fold, gently peaking out from above my pocket. The James Bond fold, where 1/8th to 1/4 of an inch of square politely asserts its presence, breaking the monotony of an otherwise conservative (eh... maybe not so conservative) ensemble.

I have, however, started to wonder what is wrong with me, the proverbial semi-dandy, whose collection of vibrant pocket squares has begun to virtually gather dust. I decided something must be done, and a happy medium had to be reached. Enter the patterned cotton handkerchief. Simple in its medium of construction, not unlike the plain white handkerchief that has become a staple, but slightly ballsy, displaying a tasteful pattern on its empty canvas.

Photo 1 shows a couple of examples, designed by David Chu of Nautica notoriety, one with a plaid pattern and one with a tasteful stripe. Pairing one of these squares with one's outfit pays an homage to minimalism, while at the same time projecting flair and panache. In photo 2, the pocket square echoes colors in the shirt with the lighter blues, and also the darker navy in the crest on the rep tie, brilliantly tying the components together. The plaid pattern also flirts with the sport coat's windowpane.

This example is not a limitation. My good friend David Watkins of Astor & Black custom clothiers recently wore a pocket square cut from the same fabric of one of his custom shirts, in a white undercolor with brown micro-check, paired with a brown tie. Combinations obviously abound, and pairings can include jacket pattern, shirt, tie... you get the idea.

The nice thing about these squares? Cheap. A box of 3 can typically run you around $20 at sources such as Brooks Brothers or department stores. Or, check out the outlet stores. A box of 3 patterned squares at TJ Maxx, for example, may be priced as low as $5.99.
Give it a try, and until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

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Learn to Tie a New Knot: The Pratt

Today I wanted to share with you a clever way to knot your necktie. This knot gives you a nice, symmetrical triangle without the extra heft and bulk of a Windsor knot. It also uses less of the tie length to form the knot, and is better suited for shorter ties than a Windsor. If you'd like to avoid the asymmetrical look of the four-in-hand, give the Pratt knot a try.

It is also known as the Shelby knot and the Pratt-Shelby. The knot was invented by Jerry Pratt, an employee of the US Chamber of Commerce. He had been wearing his tie in the Pratt knot for some twenty years before it became popular after TV personality Don Shelby wore it on air. The New York fashion press then promptly (and mistakenly) attributed the invention of the knot to Shelby.

One of the interesting things about this knot is that tying it begins with the tie "inside out" around one's neck, with the back of the tie showing rather than with the front of the tie showing as is most common. The video provided perfectly depicts how to tie this knot.
Give it a go!
Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul
Photo 1 shows the finished product.