By now, I have built a wardrobe which covers 99% of my daily life.
FORMAL: black tie & morning dress made by traveling Hong Kong tailors ("Hello Mista Beestingplace!").
BUSINESS: A collection of 2 button and 3 button SB worsted suits in navy and medium grey. White and light blue double cuff slimfit shirts from Harvie & H. 120 ties (mostly Hermes/Ferragamo). 6 pairs of C&J bench- and handgrade black Oxfords.
CASUAL: Some Polo RL button-downs, Loro Piana knitwear, various H&H pieces. A covert coat. A field coat. Alden & C&J cordovan.
KIT: SAB briefcases & umbrellas, proper watches & cufflinks. Non-smoker, so no need for lighter etc. No sunglasses.
So, I am done, more or less. Any additional purchase would not really alter the overall portfolio, would it?
Last edited by Beestonplace (2015-01-03 13:41:50)
Dont you know what I mean?
So - you have a fawn Covert Coat. Now you buy a navy one. How much additional pleasure/satisfaction with coat #3 and #4 give you?
It all depends on how much space you've got.....
Well even if oyu have infinite space, that does not solve the problem of diminishing returns. From 0 to 1 pair of Aldens, that makes a difference. But from 10 to 11 it is hardly noticeable. From 100 to 101 pairs it is even worse.
So my theory is: have a small but perfectly composed wardrobe.
That makes perfect sense, and is probably one of the reasons I have never followed this sensible path.
It is quite sobering to look at it this way. I have spent the last 2 years to find out what I like. Now I have bought everything I wanted. And now?
Wear it?
Live?
I always want something more, there's always a little further on, another glimpse into the garden of delights....
And there's always stuff that I no longer want/need, even sometimes with shoes.
But I think the pressing question and dilemma of our times, is how to be resplendent, stake your claim and stand-out from the herd in the business-casual world? Well, primarily, doing an exceptional job is always a good starting point, but these dullards are fighting a rear guard action. The world of business suits and ties with the exception of a few professions is already gone.
It's doing the casual look with finesse and flair that may actually be the answer. For some, at least.
Anyway, I recommend you get the Timothy Little oxfords on the TL14 last, you know it makes sense Beestonplace!
FNB - the best way to "stand out" is (in my opinion) to avoid going the extra sartorial mile: standard fit navy 2 button suit, no highwater trousers, no pocket square. I am even toying with the idea to wear button cuff shirts (without breast pocket, maybe from Hilditch & Key's old range).
Today it has become very mainstream not to look "conservative" or "plain", so people either go the business casual way (no tie, black shirts, sacks) or they become Little Lord Toad of Toad Hall and dress like Peter Pan (purple, cute socks, Sherlock Holmes checks etc).
I prefer the IBM salesmen look from the 1960ies, but without hair product and Buddy Holly glasses.
But, back on topic, I will NOT buy anything clothes-related this year. I have even found a hidden stash of emergency Hilditch & Key shirts in the back of my closet. Another 10, god knows when I am supposed to wear them.
if they are hungry and female they are invited to uck my ock.
*push
The trouble with clothes is I get bored with them so quickly. I seem to have ended up with a load of expensive stuff I never wear, or hardly wear. About three weeks ago I done a wack on an Attolini shirt in a gingham check, lovely shirt, wonderful touch, fantastic roll on the BD collar, fits me to a T. Had to have it. Still not worn it. I must have 50 shirts and I wear overalls for work. Too much of everything TBH but I just don't seem to be able to stop myself from buying more. Apart from coats and thats only because the wife does her nut if I bring another one home.
I wouldn't mind coming to a standstill for a couple of years.
Last edited by Goodyear welt (2015-06-09 13:48:09)
-indeed-
Whenever I had more than one coat it felt to me like the wardrobial equivalent of Eggs Benedict.
Yea , Bro
Everybody here has a slightly different set of psychological "complexes" as to why or how they dress.
Beeston, it's your personal journey.
Some personal journeys are very compelling, which is what keeps me coming back here.
I have no idea of what constitutes a right or wrong rationale for picking, curating or wearing a wardrobe, other that some are more successful at it than others.
But watching all these individual journeys has provided me with some moments of awe, more than a few of personal insights, and many, many smug ROFLMAO-PIMP (Pissing In My Pants- not a trivial matter when you have an enlarged prostate) moments.
Moral of the story:
clear your pineal gland, put a stiff (glandular or alcoholic) in your hand and go get some.
Last edited by Bop (2015-06-17 00:11:10)
Novelty is a way of gaining attention..but it doesn't achieve much after that... ? It can't reward like 'beauty', for want of a better word. Beauty can well contain novelty though..I'll try and explain.
Beeston lays down a strong foundation, but I'm not sure he knows why. He only sees the elements he talks about as working. What he doesn't see is the principles as to why they work. Therefore he doesn't have full understanding and is then stunted in his thoughts and can't move on...my view is to take those simple principles and see how far you can go with them to enter into the next plateu and then the next...where you keep layering these principles until you have something very complex but held together by incredibly simple principles. That is how a system grows to be complex but still simple enough as to hold together. If you come it it the other end you actually become more like a sculpture chiseling down something till it takes a form..really though both are trying to reach the same point and what it comes down to is still those fundamental principles of balance.
So something loud is met with something quiet...and then the intermediate which is the bridge that can lean either way to create drama of varying degrees..its all about the relative nature of the plastic elements. You are not trying to create a basic static image..you are trying to create ups, downs, transitions and moments of rest. That is the key really to a lot of things. That is balance, not just a derge of neutrality.
Last edited by Bop (2015-06-18 23:58:11)
Last edited by Bop (2015-06-19 01:06:22)