A Little Accessories Quiz

Let’s try a little test. Which of the following accessories would you prefer if you had to pick one of each?

Watch:

a) Rose-gold Cartier with roman numerals, round face, metal strap
b) Steel Audemars Piguet with no numbers, octagonal face, metal strap
c) Black Bell & Ross with four numbers, square face, plastic strap
d) Silver Patek Philippe with roman numerals, round face, brown leather strap

Scarf:
a) Dark brown, silk graphic on one side, wool on the other
b) Grey cashmere with white pinstripe
c) Black lambswool with white dot
d) Pale grey cashmere with brown reverse

Gloves:
a) Dark brown leather with black crocodile detail
b) Black leather driving gloves
c) Yellow leather with cashmere lining
d) Brown suede with leather edging

Random other:
a) Aviator sunglasses with brown leather bridge
b) Silver and black jade signet ring
c) Gold cigarette lighter
d) Red calf-leather passport holder

Now think carefully. Pick one from each category. I find the choices are rather revealing of the person you want to be as you get dressed.

According to one magazine (with a few added touches from me) all the a) should go together, all the b) together and so on. Which is pretty much spot on for my aspirations – I pick d) every time, except for the random others, where I hesitate between a) and d). I’ve always preferred brown leather to black, silver to gold and liked pale grey wool.

The fact that the magazine got it right demonstrates the art of combining these aspirational shots and combinations. It’s the same with window dressing – Church’s shoes recently began a new campaign in its windows where it combines a pair of shoes with its new lines in socks, ties and scarves.

I was taken by the tan brogues, dark brown scarf and wool tie in a mid-blue with club stripe. But you may be more of a black derby/grey scarf/black knitted silk kind-of-guy. Have a look next time you walk past the store – there’s one in New York and if the branding manager is worth his salt it will have the same window dressing as London (and Hong Kong, Tokyo etc.).

Another way to pick out the accessories that define you is to consider it next time you pack for a trip. Glance at the watch, scarf, gloves, shoes and ties lying on your bed, waiting to be packed. See what message they send out.

As a final word on the subject, I need to mention Bergdorf Goodman window dressing, which never fails to capture my attention every time I walk past. Again, the combinations of the particular window that stops you in your tracks will probably be quite revealing. My favourite is shown opposite. I’ll leave you to decide what it says about me.

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Gentleman on Safari

I have never been on safari. I have often imagined it; I have closed my eyes to a reel of fantastical images. Of me strolling through the dry grass with a pair of binoculars and a pith helmet, of herds of animals sweeping majestically across the plateau and of the glorious evening by the open fire with a neat glass of scotch. Impossibly romantic wishful thinking - and desperately unrealistic. It is rare that we imagine ourselves taking part in something we have never taken part in before and dreaming moderately; our imaginations have an unlimited licence of wonder and luxury. When a virgin traveller imagines the far away places of their reading they are forgiven for dreaming big; a novice climber is exculpated for ambitions of Everest. Therefore, I am sympathetic to my own poor escapist soul.

However, the fact that the modern realities of the world have escaped my attention in certain areas is not merely a product of my imagination. In many ways, I represent the final effects of a culture dripping in materialist nostalgia. Not that I decry materialism, or nostalgia for that matter, but the sense of romance; marketing the dream and not the reality has long been the transmission - from travel agents to airlines to clothing brands. In many ways we are fed the dream of a lifestyle that no longer exists, or one that exists for a tiny few. Naturally, there would be no sense in marketing our own mediocre lives; where is the incentive? We need inspiration, and certainly temptation, to drag us out of bed each morning. However, I am surely not the only one who is frequently struck with disappointment, an embarrassing feeling of being made a fool of and a strong sense of nostalgia when confronted with the modern realities of today.

In examining the range of ‘suggested’ safari clothing I recoiled; it is all absolutely ghastly. Instead of suits for the savannah, the poor purchaser is being marketed something more along the lines of Rambo; combat trousers with a number of pockets that recalls Carrollian ridiculousness, and horrible waistcoats of a thin shapeless material that reminded me a modern safari enthusiast is more likely to dress like the late Steve Irwin than Cecil Rhodes. There was certainly no dream-peddling here - the websites were feeble and basic, there was no sign of a ’prepared shoot’ and the only ’model’ was an overweight bearded man in his late fifties. The dreamer who bases his romantic image of a safari on the gorgeous photography and costuming of Out of Africa had been disturbed from the slumber. However, instead of remaining awake he has turned over and pulled the pillow over his head.

The images above are of the beautiful spring/summer 2008 collection from Hackett, the ever more establishment and esteemed British retailer. A key inspiration for the collection - safari. The chaps loll around an expedition tent in cream cotton suits, linen jackets and panamas, looking every inch the European tourists and colonials of yore. But not everything about the outfits is a costume relic. Bright accessories and Italian looking shirts accompany some of the more traditional items. The overall effect is a melange of the vintage and modern ’gentleman abroad.’ While not everyone is fortunate to do this clothing full justice and take it all on a luxury ten day safari to Kenya, the ’savannah sartorial’ is a popular look for the summer and a further step in fashion’s homage to tailoring of the past. The key, as demonstrated by Hackett, is not to overdo it; wearing shirts unbuttoned and tie-less, accessorising only with a pocket square is very much de rigueur these days. If you simply have to, wear a pith helmet although for many this teeters on the edge of Gilbert & Sullivan-esque costume.

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Checked Shirts and What They Say

“Immediately.” That is the answer to Barima’s question which he proffered upon reading my piece on stripe stereotypes. I hadn’t planned to write something on the subject he was suggesting so soon, but I am a firm believer that things are better and far more satisfying in pairs; no one would wish to be the owner of a sadly single and yet singularly splendid patent shoe.  And of course if there will be discussion of shirt patterning, there must be discussion of checks. For it is the case that checks have as much if not more relevance than stripes for the gentleman of today. Why is this? Well, it is simply that checked shirts are far more prevalent than they used to be and dare I say, far more popular.

The irony of a checked shirt is that the wearer might purchase for superficial individuality whereas in reality, the heritage of a check lies with a man’s identification with a group and a purpose. Tartan became a popular fabric with Sir Walter Scott’s clever diplomacy; a fabric forever identified with all Scots, of both High and Lowlands, despite the fact that the peoples of the latter had little to do with the pattern at all. Further Anglicisation of the Celtic fabric led to large numbers of Victorians wearing check trousers with morning coats - something even the Beau cannot have envisaged.

However, to check a trouser is one thing, but to check a shirt is another. Until quite recently, plain white was the monopoly tone in terms of smart clothing. Checked shirts were worn in the country with tweeds, or they were worn by labourers who wore mixed colour shirts to conceal the sweat, dirt and grease. Gentlemen of the metropolis would certainly not choose any checked fabric. The breakaway from this stiff formality of perpetual ivory was to wear white collars with coloured shirts. At first the shirts were modestly coloured - calm blues and subtle stripes - but the licence had been given; experimentation was inevitable. There are now thousands of checked shirts acceptable for wear in a smart and even formal situation. Checked shirts have, in recent years, taken over as the ’trend’ for the City; a banker in 1912 would have worn a bowler, a dark morning coat, spongebag trousers a sober tie and, importantly, a white shirt. In 2008 he is far more likely to wear, though a dark suit and sober tie, a natty checked shirt. And like the stripes, the check he enjoys to wear will say a lot about him.

The Partner

The Partner has been at his Magic Circle firm for 13 years. He was one of the more colourful and interesting of the graduate trainees he joined with and his love of theatrical patterns has not altered over the years. He wears checked shirts almost exclusively; even at the firm’s Christmas function he could be spotted, charming the young female associates in a subtle black and white check evening shirt. Though generally genial, his bad temper, caused by a rivalry with his Gonville & Caius room mate who now works at Goldman Sachs, is down to the fact that said room mate frequently gloats via monthly email on his astronomical financial success. The Partner, though he works equally long hours, gets a mere fraction of the remuneration. On the more gloomy days when such clouds of despair and envy hang over him, he stays away from his characteristically playful colours and wallows conservatively in a blue gingham check.

The Oxford Don

The Oxford Don is a rare beast these days. The faculty has been ‘freshening up’; younger staff, American staff, are all the rage at this venerable seat of learning. The wizened and pale Don stumbles through Radcliffe Square as a point of comfort; the grand buildings are the only faithful companions he has left, the only friends of youth still standing. His checks are conservative and sensible, reflecting his fireside-reading-knowledge of town and country-town standards; tweeds and checks in Oxford are a traditional uniform. Often called into London to lecture, the Don prefers to decline such visits on the basis that London is too far removed from the metropolis he once knew. He prefers Oxford’s beauty and memories and even favours purchasing from the local shirt retailers on High and Turl Streets.

The Architect

The Architect is tremendously busy and far too important to wear a tie. He likes checked shirts for the mathematics and the colour variation; plain shirts are a blank sheet of paper, the result of a designer without a brain. He wears them simply, top button undone with a moleskin jacket and a pair of cords. While hardly considered chic, his mighty range of shirts are certainly well made and economically sensible - rather like his buildings. The majority are buttoned down - “It’s more practical” - and when meeting clients he ‘smartens’ himself up by, curiously, buttoning the top button. A rival architect in Japan had done precisely the same thing and secured the contract - he has never taken such a risk since.

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One Thing: The Blue Blazer

Over the past year or so I have occasionally highlighted essential pieces of a man’s wardrobe. The “One Thing” columns have covered a variety of items, but today I want to get back to basics with the blue blazer.

A blue blazer is the backbone of any serious wardrobe. The ever popular Preppy Handbook even dubbed it the male exoskeleton. Preppy or not, a blue blazer is the one article of dress clothing all men should have hanging in the closet. It is universally useful and chameleon-like when it comes to meeting your needs in a sartorial pinch.

When they hear “blue blazer” people tend to think of the classic brass button type found on the bridge of a yacht in a Ralph Lauren advertisement. Of course that version is the most traditional, but blue blazers come in a range of fabrics and styles; from lightweight linens to beefy flannels. As the king of odd jackets, a blue blazer can fill the gap when you need to dress somewhere between a suit and a sweater, regardless of the season.

Styles vary as much as materials. Some blazers have horn or resin buttons instead of shipshape brass ones. They can come with single, double or no vents; notched or peaked lapels. Other design variations can change the overall feel of the garment. A double breasted blazer, with its nipped waist and dramatic massing of buttons can impart formality. A single breasted sack jacket with no darting can give you a more casual “drinks at the club” New England persona.

When it comes to shoulders, there are some cultural variations as well. American blazers often have a soft natural shoulder, while English tailors tend to prefer them padded and more structured. This is particularly true with double breasted jackets. American makers like Brooks Bothers and J. Press are arbiters of the natural shoulder; a style I tend prefer.

When shopping for a blue blazer, approach it as a major investment. This should be a jacket that can carry you for years to come and something that you are happy to reach for in the morning. A well constructed blazer made from good fabric will be as comfortable as your favorite sweatshirt and its classic styling will conquer the vagaries of many fashion cycles.

The core benefit of the blue blazer is its inherent versatility. It can make jeans, Chuck Taylors and an old polo shirt look city cool or give khakis, boat shoes and an oxford some un-stuffy dressiness. The blue blazer works because of its balance between formal and comfortable. It’s one of those rare garments that has both stood the test of time and evolved to meet the needs of each generation.

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The Italian Background

The generalisation that the English experiment with their shirts and the Italians with their jackets broadly holds, particularly in business wear. While the English tradition of checked and plaid wools is a fine one, it was always largely restricted to the country (or at least the weekend) and has died out slowly as fewer English men wore suits casually.

The Italians are more willing to experiment with suit cloth at every occasion. This necessitates a shirt and tie combination that makes no attempt to compete with that cloth – the Italian Background.

The Italian Background is simple: a plain blue or black tie on a plain blue shirt. (Occasionally the shirt will be white, but this can look a little funereal.)

The combination works well because a blue shirt suits most people more than white, and it fades more into the background; because a dark tie fades more into the background than a pale tie; and because the dark blue tie is the most similar in tone and harmonious combination with a blue shirt – without being too similar and evoking tone on tone.

But this is analysing the obvious. It works as the plainest and yet most sophisticated of supports to an otherwise daring suit pattern – or indeed odd jacket. It equally supports an adventurous pocket-handkerchief, gloves, hat or jacket. When trying to balance an outfit, the Italian would much rather tone down a tie than go without one.

Four examples are displayed here, all courtesy of The Sartorialist. The first is possibly the most extreme. The high contrast, double-breasted jacket stands out, but is supported effectively by an Italian Background and dark trousers. It even makes it possible to add a pointed handkerchief without appearing over the top.

The second example marries an Italian Background with a hat and bright coat, while number three includes a faintly ridiculous coat that needs all the help it can get. Notice the uniformity of dress in this second combination as well – with odd double-breasted jacket and spread collar. While this may be because they are both associated with the same clothing outlet, it shows the versatility of the Background.

Example number four brings out a particular aspect of the Background – its fruitful combination with beige or tan (yellow, essentially). It is no coincidence that every one of these pictures involves a jacket in some shade of tan. And the gentleman on the left in this example shows that the Background is the best choice for what could otherwise be a very hard suit to find combinations for.

If in doubt, go for the Italian Background. (Oh, and buy yourself a nice, plain blue tie.)

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