Yes, i think this is about taking things a step further, clotheswise, RRP...


This is all quite timely, because i`ve just received those , recently ordered, wine coloured John Spencer penny loafers .What i like about these loafers is that they are a bit of a `fuck off` statement shoe(!). They do have a nice deep toe box ,in reality, and the reason i like them is because they then free one up to be as  subtle (or , perhaps, not...)  , as one likes, with the clothing stuff worn above.

I suppose i think that they could bring intrinsic and integral interest to ,ostensibly, duller clothes worn in combination up-top...

The deep toe box makes them look hard-core, old-school American ivy league, to my mind. Quite alien to European eyes.Most penny loafers these days seem over-styled or compromised, and wishy-washy in their design, to my eyes.

My thoughts are all a bit of a jumble, regards textural contrasts but , personally speaking, i`ve recently come to like and appreciate
merino wool together with , and in combination with, melton wool, aswell as  with cotton corduroy and with chambray and suede.

Watching The Sand Pebbles for the first time, recently, i noticed that McQueen was wearing a black (at a guess - though could have been `darkest navy`) undershirt, underneath a l/s chambray work shirt.

I believe 1966 has a liking for merino wool undershirts and i think that the undershirt in the film might just have been merino. Merino wool is light and soft and doesn`t it purport to `wick` perspiration and sweat? I suppose ,if this is the case, it might have been deemed very suitable for nautical clothing.

My ribbed , hawick shawl cardigan is also merino lambswool and i think it goes really well with the soft texture of blue chambray workshirts.

I think naval, dark navy melton wool peacoats might look good , combined with very fine gauge merino wool jumpers and merino wool trousers, and shiny black `smooth`s` (to offset any surfeit of `texture`).

john smedley `bower`: http://images.figleaves.com/product/290x371/r700314-p700770-front.jpg

I`ve got a camel colour corduroy buffercoat and this has a melton wool collar; i think it might look good with a `midnight` blue  merino rollneck.

I know it`s more Americana than ivy but i have an old lee `stormrider` denim jacket; they have that blanket lining and a corduroy collar. I like this with a thicker gauge , black ribbed, merino rollneck underneath, and with blue cotton 501`s and desert boots.

I bought a Peter Storm fisherman sweater in `french navy`, stretchy  merino lambswool, a few years back.I like this with muddy brown , Levi`s corduroy (cotton mix...) jeans and nubby brown suede playboy boots.

Sadly, they don`t make those Peter Storm fisherman sweaters anymore.

When it comes to shetlands, i like the dyed solid coloured Anderson Everest`s with slim tapered dark grey `Filson whipcord pants` and black smooth`s or `gibsons`.

I have these: http://www.rakuten.co.jp/georges2/cabinet/514-04.jpg

Maybe worn with a sized- up (for cool , slouchy fit) O`Connell`s cord sack jacket...

Merino wool seems to me to be a texture which somehow seems to be quite fitting for night wear. I think it`s because it has that decadent, slinky quality.It seems to go well with softer and silkier textured sportcoats.

Last edited by jesmond (2010-08-02 05:59:31)

Merino has its 'followers' on here.  I wish I could find more that I would want to wear; it does have a good texture, and, as Kingstonian pointed out, is not going to set you back like cashmere. 
I tried the Lee Rider jacket myself during the early autumn of 2007, but couldn't seem to pull it off.  The same went for a nice plaid Pendleton jacket with poppers - absolutely 1950s - which I ended up moving on, too.