“Vintage Authentic” v. Plain Old Authentic

Some time ago, I was clearing out my closet and came across a pile of old Brooks Brothers oxford cloth button downs. I had not worn these shirts in almost a dozen years, yet there they were; classic, frayed and waiting for a wash. These shirts took years wear in and have a nice threadbare look around the collar and cuffs. If I went looking for these oxfords in a store right now, I’d have to pay a hefty premium for the “vintage” details and “hand finished” distressing.

But I don’t have to; I have the real thing although these days the real thing seems to be less of an ideal. The kind of character that used to take years of wear and tear, weekend chores and yard work can know be picked up by the dozen at the store. We have become such a culture of instant gratification that we can now expect, and receive, instant heritage. These artificially old clothes are of perfectly good quality of course and they are great assets to any wardrobe. Still, I’m very happy to know that these classic shirts are not fakes. They do not have a manufactured history. The various scars and scrapes took me time and effort to develop, not a giant machine that churns out personality by the bolt.

I am still a fan of companies like J. Crew, a label synonymous with pre-beat up classics. But I grew up before the art of creating ready wear history became the norm, so there is comfort knowing that the character these shirts have is, in fact, mine. Much of what is in my closet has taken a lifetime to age and I am proud of that. It’s like a sort of long-term investment.

Of course I also appreciate the benefits offered by the modern textile industry. I like the fact that I can go and buy a pair of khakis that are comfortable right off the bat and that I can’t even remember the days of having to “break in” jeans - something the modern teenager cannot even fathom. Still, there is a certain sense of accomplishment in creating the patina of your own wardrobe.

If nothing else, this experience fits neatly in line with my manta of buying classic clothing that will last. Remember, the perpetually sought after “old money” look speaks of timeless classics - worn out khakis, glossy leather shoes re-soled a hundred times and patched tweed coats - because these cherished articles were actually worn for years. Sometimes, as in the case of Gianni Agnelli’s suits, they’re worn for generations. Thrift is a valued personality trait.

Don’t live in the past however; always make sure to inject new styles and fresh perspectives into your wardrobe. Even the most classic of clothes will not be in fashion forever. Design and cuts change over time, colors go in and out and lapel and tie widths will fluctuate. Wear what you like and makes you happy but always make a point to invest in clothes that offer some long term quality. Fashions fade, style endures and clothes really do develop their own personality. And that you cannot manufacture.

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Commuter & Dad Bag Test - Bag #1: The J. Peterman Company Counterfeit Mailbag

Anyone who reads Off The Cuff knows that I am always thinking about bags in one way or another because men today need them more than ever. And for those of us who commute by bus or rail, like me, we need good bags.

This led to the idea of the Commuter and Dad Bag Test. Unlike some other tests out there, I did not concoct some elaborate rating scale with minute technical benchmarks. I am simply looking at the bag’s suitability for use in the real world. Is it something I will actually want to carry around all day? Is it user friendly and well designed? Can it carry a laptop and a baby bottle without making me nervous?

I have already tested several bags, which entails real life day-to-day usage. I’m using them for work, running errands and carrying stuff around. They are being dropped, stuffed, rained and occasionally stepped on. My scoring system is fairly simple: I’ll tell you what I think, why I think it, and give you an overview of each bag’s performance, pros and cons. I am happy to now present the first review.

The J. Peterman Company Counterfeit Mailbag (US$298.00 / www.jpeterman.com)

Background
This is the only leather bag in the test and also the only messenger bag style bag. It is modeled after the old mail carrier bags that lugged generations of correspondence across the United States. Like the original, it is designed to hang off your shoulder or be carried by the sturdy handle (a modern concession).

Its manufacturer, The J. Peterman Company, is a remarkable company in its own right. Based in Lexington, Kentucky, its founder and namesake, John Peterman, is something of a cult figure in the premium catalog world. For more than 20 years, his iconic “owner’s manuals” have made their way to one expectant mailbox after another. With impressionistic watercolor images and pithy short stories instead of bland product specs, each one is a treat for the eye.

The company may also sound familiar to fans of the TV show “Seinfeld,” which turned John Peterman into a pompous blowhard played with aplomb by actor John O’Hurley (ironically, a part owner of the company). He did such a wonderful job of creating a larger than life character that most viewers did not even realize it was based on a real person and an actual company.

Those familiar with J. Peterman are ardent fans who appreciate its unique offerings and worldly (and wordy) marketing approach. The Counterfeit Mailbag is an original J. Peterman product and one I have long admired – a personal note of thanks goes out to John Peterman for providing the bag for this test.

The results
The day after it arrived, I loaded up and headed off to the office. I quickly lost track of the number of compliments I received by the time I headed home. It certainly has impact on people. Perhaps it is the obvious functionality in its DNA or the classic, simple styling of the thick yet supple leather, but something in this bag makes people like it.

Overall, I have to admit that this is not the ultimate commuter bag. It is not really designed for such a purpose, and actually that’s fine. This bag has so much personality and practical style that it’s almost unapologetic about its limitations. So, while I would recommend it as a great general purpose bag, using it in a commuter-specific role is not what it’s cut out for.

There is one giant open compartment which makes up 90% of the bag and a large exterior zippered pocket in front. This is all covered by an enormous leather flap. The large open pocket has a simple yet ingenious leather tab that buttons on to a brass stud used to keep the pocket pulled closed.

Design-wise, the large main compartment provides no organizational features; it’s just a big space that allows things to move around and get lost. Also, because of the bag’s design – it has a wide structured bottom and a flexible opening that is pulled closed via the tab – stuff naturally gets pushed out of place. For example, although my laptop had plenty of room in the bag, it also quickly shifted around and caused files and notebooks to slide to the bottom. With no additional interior pockets, my cell phone and Blackberry were quickly lost form view.

The zippered front pocket is quite large and slightly gusseted to allow for expansion. The zipper, as with all of the bag’s hardware, is top notch and sturdy. There are no pen loops or extra interior pockets so your smaller items will get jumbled a bit as well.

The sturdy leather shoulder strap is just that, a shoulder strap. Like the original, this bag is designed to be slung over one shoulder, not cross body. There is also a substantial padded leather handle, so it can be carried in business case fashion as well. Usually a perfunctory appendage on shoulder bags, this handle is wholly functional and well designed. Positioned at the center rear of the bag, it distributes weight fairly evenly, so it can be comfortably carried for long periods of time.

Wrap up
The Counterfeit Mailbag is perhaps my favorite overall bag. Neither a briefcase nor a messenger bag, it is actually the closest thing to man bag that I’ve come across. It is absolutely masculine and works quite well with a suit; just make sure to carry it by the handle so as to not mess up your jacket. At the same time the almost total lack of modern luggage engineering gives it a rugged, timeless appeal that works with a leather bomber and fedora. In fact, you are duly instructed to beat the heck out of it to help accelerate the aging process.

This is the kind of bag you want to carry around; it has unmistakable personality and a real sense of history and purpose to it. Just accept its organizational limitations and enjoy.

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The Roots of American Preppy

This column grew out a discussion on my blog, Off The Cuff DC, on the relationship between classic and preppy styles. The subject quickly became an effort to identify the real roots of American preppy and what it means today.

New England preparatory schools, conservative protestant values and social stratification all combined to create an environment which produced the uniform we know today as the preppy look. Actually, what passes today as “preppy” is a fantasized ideal of make believe history. It is a manufactured past that distorts the classically rooted values which gave birth to the preppy culture. When a kid is called a prep today, it usually means that he wears rugby shirts and shops at Abercrombie & Fitch (I remember when A&F was, in fact a great store). There is no sense of history or understanding of the preppy culture and that’s too bad, because it’s a pretty interesting history.

Yes, it started mostly at New England prep schools and ivy walled colleges. But the roots of preppy style can also be traced to a focus on social achievement, uniformity of style, propriety, proper decorum and class distinction. Conformity of dress at school resulted in the basic uniform of coat, tie, button down shirt, grey flannels or chinos and loafers or lace ups. Codes, traditions and sports also helped to nurture a bond and familiarity among budding preps and instilled in them a feeling of belonging.

This environment helped create a culture of exclusivity that had real influence. To say you prepped at Andover (a feeder school for Harvard) or Hotchkiss (a feeder school for Yale) could win you access to the right social circle or get you into really great parties. And once in the working world, to say you were a Yale man could mean getting the right job, joining the right club or vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard.

As preps sought to instill that sense of tradition and lifestyle in their own children, they looked, of course, to their own preppy past. To the oak paneled lecture halls of Exeter, the squash courts of Deerfield and the rowdy but stylish nights at Choate Rosemary Hall. So their offspring were trucked off to the old alma mater and the cycle began again. But, as with so many other attempts to create a bubble of exclusivity, the prep school aesthetic eventually moved beyond its original sphere of influence.

People want what they do not have or what seems more attractive than what they do. So, when the Preppy Handbook hit the shelves in 1980, its editor Lisa Birchach (herself a Brown grad) overnight became the arbitrar of all things pink and green. People didn’t care that it was intended to be both a send-up of the “true” prep culture as well as a tongue and cheek education for those looking to emulate the life. They saw a way of living that was far more exciting, cultured, sporty and stylish than their own - and they wanted it.

For the first time, preppy culture had been distilled into a portable and easy to understand resource. The privileged and windswept lifestyle that had taken generations of Blue Bloods to develop and refine was now a commodity to be bought and imitated. I often use the term “democratization,” to describe this moment in the life of prep. That is because once the Preppy Handbook came out, kids across the world latched onto the most attractive aspect of the preppy life: its look, the rumpled and ironic blending of dress and casual clothes.

As one of my readers sharply pointed out though, the iconic Ralph Lauren image of mixing dress and purposeful clothing did not start out as a fashion movement; “you don’t wear foul weather gear over your blazer because you’re a blue-blooded American demonstrating your accessibility without appearing tacky; you do it because you’re a wise-mouthed elitist who smugly tells your Latin professor, technically speaking, you haven’t broken any rules so there’s nothing he can do about it. And of course it’s sailing gear, because your father does own a yacht…”

The original audience for the rebellious “foul weather gear over the blazer” look was other preppies and their families. Yet, as this type of hybrid style came into its own, it seeped out into regular society. Eventually spreading to Madison Avenue, it was popularized by style influencers like Ralph Lauren. The prep boom of the 1980s waned over time due, I think, to its extreme and vibrant interpretation of the preppy culture; there was an almost cartoonish quality to the movement. Broadly speaking, the current resurgence in preppy style has taken on a more worn, comfortable and “vintage” personality. It seems approachable and less stuffy.

An interesting thing has happened to the breeding grounds of prepdom too. If you walk through Harvard Yard or Yale’s Old Campus, you don’t see too many of the snooty old-line preps anymore. They are still there of course, along with Skull & Bones and the legacy kids whose wealthy parents bought their admission. But what you really see is that a majority of the kids milling around campus these days more closely reflect the modern world. The prep thing is still very strong – stronger perhaps than in the 1980s – but it has been modernized and updated. Just like everything else in life.

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Zip Front Sweaters

Everyone should have a good selection of sweaters in their closet. Though they are popular and useful articles of clothing, sweaters are not often considered fashion accessories. What I mean by this is that they tend to be more function than form. Crew necks and v-necks are the workhorses of many a closet and polo collars add a jazzy punch to the lineup.

And this is just fine; not every piece of clothing you own is supposed to take center stage. Often with items like sweaters, the focus is more on material and construction than fashion. A navy handmade cashmere v-neck is a wonderful investment, but, in the end looks like most other blue v-neck sweaters.

You should still get it, of course, but chances are you want to have that in the wardrobe because it raises the quality of such a standard item to a new level. Others may not appreciate the attention to detail and exceptional pedigree, but you will. That is the approach many men take when adding to and editing their wardrobes.

The zip front sweater is another issue altogether. It is neither anonymous nor a functional workhorse. With its stand-up collar and decidedly urban cut, this versatile piece of clothing has a nice sense of modern-cum-classic style.

Europe has long had an affinity with this style of sweater; in fact a friend of mine has always called the full zip cardigan a “Euro sweater.” The style also has a slight resemblance to old military sweaters with a small shawl collar that could be turned up in cold weather. Either way, the heritage of the zip front sweater is grounded in a solid and timeless style.

When choosing this kind of sweater, either the full zip cardigan or the half-zip pullover is a good choice. With a crisp gingham button down and flat front khakis, a grey or navy cardigan can easily substitute for a sport coat in many circumstances. When zipped up, the split double zipper often found on these sweaters allows for the bottom zipper to be pulled up two or three inches to create a pleasing open-coat effect.

You can find zip sweaters in fabrics and weights from thick heavy cottons to fine luxurious cashmeres; letting you pair them with a range of outfits. Both cardigans and half-zips can easily move between tailored flannels for the office or jeans for hanging out.

Patterns like argyle look especially nice because the traditional designs are tempered by the sweater’s more modern style. Solid colors, either muted heathers or vibrant reds and oranges are equally attractive and versatile.

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All Hail the Bowtie

I have an opinion about men who wear bowties. They are mavericks; truly adventurous dressers who live on the sartorial edge. They are nonconformists and often seen as threatening to the establishment. Yes, look out for the man who sports a bowtie – he probably has an attitude.

For a long time, those who wore bowties were depicted as milquetoasts or mamma’s boys. This situation has slowly changed and bowties have begun to re-emerge as symbols of intellectual rakishness and individual dressers.  Sure, they are not overly common for day wear, but when worn in public they do carry a certain intellectual air. Sill, apart from being paired with a dinner jacket, many men are still afraid to tie one on.

And so there is no confusion, the only appropriate neckwear to pair with a dinner jacket is a bowtie. Please refrain from that annoying Hollywood “look, we’re going against the grain, notice us” habit of wearing bolos, long ties or silly a Nehru collar with a tuxedo. We get it; you’re creative, now just follow George Clooney’s lead you’ll look great.

Bowties have been a favorite of mine for years; I even wore them in college to student government meetings. I felt intellectual when sporting one; even a little dashing. Bowties have so much more personality than regular neck ties and it always seemed to me that interesting people inevitably wore them. A bowtie can provide a natty counterbalance to an otherwise staid outfit – something that a neck tie can’t claim.

I am a longtime fan of journalist George Will, in part because he almost always would wear a bowtie on TV. Recently he has been wearing more neckties, and this is too bad. Sporting a bowtie and that perpetually brainy look, you knew right away that this guy has something to say and that he marches to his own drummer. Bowties have that power.

One reason bow ties are more often the purview of clever men is that at first they are difficult to tie. And let me stop you cold here. Never, under any circumstances should wear a clip-on or prettied bowtie. Ever. They are just so wrong on too many levels. Learn how to tie one yourself and be proud of it. A particularly useful way to practice is using your calf as a stand-in for your neck. Once you get the hang of it, it’s quite simple.

Bowties can be paired with many types of outfits. On the business side, they look good with all nature of suits, though models with a higher lapel stance can visually compensate for the dearth of exposed shirt fabric cascading down your front.

They also can work well in less formal settings, allowing for a bit of dress up when needed. Paired with jeans or khakis, cords or gabardines, bowties can give voice to your inner college professor.

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