Blue and Blue

My new dinner suit came in from Rubinacci earlier this week, just in time for a wedding I'm attending this weekend in D.C.

It's midnight blue mohair with midnight blue grosgrain trim. I'm sure most of you know the story of midnight blue for formalwear and how it is supposed to be blacker than black at night. Well, I knew I was going to order a midnight blue dinner suit, but I always assumed that the trim would be black; that's the combination I've always seen. However, in discussing the order with Mariano over the phone, he informed me that black trim has become typical only because it is difficult to find midnight blue grosgrain. So, here I am, with dinner suit and trim in the same color, more correct than correct.

I like the results. I was worried there would not be enough contrast between the grosgrain and the mohair, but the difference in texture does the trick and the grosgain is ever so slightly darker. In retrospect, black trim would have been decidedly showy.

Although Mariano vetoed my initial preference for black trim, he eventuallly agreed to give me shawl lapels and spalla camicia shoulders. In fact, he wound up drawing the lapels himself. I'm very pleased with the shape and size. There were supposed to be buttonholes on both lapels, to hold a flower, but they didn't want to put them in without seeing the jacket on my body.

I know the accessories aren't right. I didn't bother with a proper formal shirt and I polished up a pair of John Lobb Philip IIs instead of getting a pair of pumps or Belgian loafers.

It took four or five hours to get them this shiny. They're almost patent, I'm proud to say. Of course, I didn't polish the vamps to avoid cracking and build-up. The real trick was blending the waxed areas and the non-waxed areas together.

Let's hope it's not too hot in Washington on Sunday.

Can you believe it?

Thanks for giving my Esquire profile so many views, everybody. Somehow, I managed to make it to the semi-finalist round. There are twenty-five of us--take a look around. Throw me a vote--I won't mind!

Just look for the mug.

Well, Why Not?

So, I've entered Esquire's 2009 Best Dressed Real Man contest. Why? On a lark, mostly. Also, I'm curious as to whether they'd seriously consider a guy who wears essentially the same thing every day and doesn't wear designer clothes. We'll see. I envision my candidacy as the Anti-Fashion ticket.

Visit my profile page so I get bumped up on the 'Most Viewed' list. Click for Hope and Change.

One Shoe to Rule Them All

After nine long months, these finally arrived: custom Alden longwings on the Plaza last with single soles. They're shell cordovan, in color #8 (maybe the most versatile shoe color I can think of). If I can persuade my wife that it isn't lunacy, I'd like to order another half-dozen of these. I'd wear them almost exclusively--with suits, odd jackets, jeans, etc. I think they'd go with pretty much anything short of a dinner jacket.

I like them. A lot.



The Plaza last and single sole make the shoe a lot sleeker than Alden's standard 975 model, which is on the more bulbous Barrie last and comes with double soles. The toe of the Plaza is slightly more square, but not dramatically so.

I'm no shoe expert, but I'm aware that Alden's finishing is typically more 'honest' than pretty. This pair seems to be an order or two better finished than stock Aldens:





Nothing fancy, but the stitching looks sound and consistent. It's reasonably neat, if not particularly fine. If these wear anything like my other Aldens, I'm sure they'll take a beating.

Like the rest of the shoe, the sole appears robust and no-nonsense:



But that's okay. There would be something un-American about a bevelled or fiddled waist.

One shoe to rule them all? I posed the question here. Despite the naysayers, I like the idea of wearing a uniform. Anyway, there's something appealingly patriotic about these. Is there another American-made shoe that looks more American?

Well, we'll see what the wife says.