Colin - ‘ I think there comes a time when you know you don't need any more clothes.’

Are you feeling alright? Have you had a bang on the head or a sudden shock?

Colin - ‘but then I got thinking: realistically I am going to wear this jacket incredibly rarely in London (or maybe holiday). It's not like it's easy to wear compared to something like tweed or corduroy.’

Seriously, it’s a great jacket that you must wear around Kingston as soon as the temperature rises above 19C. Brass neck it in Spoons. Wear it and don’t give a fig for the sartorial hoi polloi. Wear it at every opportunity with polo shirts, plain tee shirts, chinos, faded jeans and canvas sneakers. Congratulations on a good capture.

Smashing jacket, lucky man!
I occasionally go back and re-read bits and bobs of Gary's blog, it's a shame so few of the photos work now. I like his instagram stuff too but he was always a superb raconteur with the blog and his insta feed isn't quite the same.

I'll be buying stuff with my dying breath I expect but I'm possibly more unusual in that I never really buy stuff to squirrel away, with the exception of a pair of the FOB Bedfords I bought last year before piling weight back on, everything I've purchased in the last ten years is in rotation.
The struggle for me is finding replacements of much loved things as and when they wear out. I'd still like a pale blue gingham to replace my much loved Baggies bought from TRS on an early visit for example.
Plus I'm still developing my ideas about what suits me, what doesn't and wear to get it from.

Tim; 'Plus I'm still developing my ideas about what suits me, what doesn't and wear to get it from.'

I wish I'd done this years ago, instead of developing my own 'smash and grab' style of shopping. What I've been left with is several massive piles of clothes and shoes and a 'Can't see the shirt for the Gants' situation every morning.

If funds allowed I would hire a unit, put everything in there save what I'm particularly into right now, wear that gear til it falls apart and treat the unit as a shop to return to and sort out a few more bits. Minimilist style with an endless supply of back ups off site. At least that way the gear would get a fair wearing.

But I probably will keep buying. Men have hobbies and men collect. At least I don't disappear to sit at the side of an empty lake with a fishing rod all weekend. Or have a collection of teapots that nobody's allowed to touch.

Yes, it's the search for perfection that is the clothes addicts fix.

Case in point. I wanted a camel coloured shetland to wear with a blue OCBD and Levis. Finally in the END sale I pulled the trigger. Yesterday I was wearing it and my immediate reaction was should I have gone for smaller size and something a bit more refined that the Jamiesons version.

Now, I'm searching again.

It never stops.

I also suffer from the knowledge that things will be discontinued. How I wish I would have bought more J Keydge Ivy jackets.

I don't wear most of what I have. That's a good sign I've got enough.

I was moving into a casual mode anyway. After a while being the only person around wearing a necktie gets old.

The pandemic really iced things, though. For the better part of three years now I've been working remotely.

I've morphed into the Swamp Yankee look -- lots of LL Bean, Filson, etc. Open collar sport shirts. Short Bean boots for trips to the grocery store and post office (tattered boat shoes in summer). Elmer Fudd wool hunting cap in winter.

For really cold weather, I've got a hood/neck thing made of fleece that I bought for cold weather fishing. It certainly does the job but it makes me look like a member of Antifa.

I recently consigned or donated a goodish pile of stuff. Gearing up for another run at the sport coat rack.

The goal is to get everything in my two closets and not have free-standing racks.

It will be brutal.

Last edited by Patrick (2023-02-01 06:54:39)

''I also suffer from the knowledge that things will be discontinued. How I wish I would have bought more J Keydge Ivy jackets.''

Have that afflicton too. RL does magnificent plaids and madras. It happens a load came in last month and I knew my size would be gone quick. So I bought 7 of them and right I was as all out of stock in a Large. And I keep on checking just to make sure I did right.

Wished I had kept my J.Keydge jackets, they had the right fit and silhouette. But not not always decent cloth. One I had was like a thick wool jumper.

I'm pretty much into clothes and music. Now that I'm streaming, I don't need to spend much of my discretionary income on ultra rare or audiophile vinyl. So that leaves clothes. And it's never enough.

I've stuff everywhere in boxes, shirts rolled-up and stashed in wardrobes. Shoes everywhere too.

The missus said the other day, ''They're not like you, when they buy shoes they last 10 years...'' To which the youngest retorted ''Momma, when papa buys shoes, they last for 30 years!''

Getting rid of shoes is particularly difficult. Ebay is the worst. Low-ball offers and impossible questions along the lines of "I'm 6'4, 280 pounds with a club foot and a neck beard. Will these shoes fit me, and may I have them for $5?"

I take the shoes to the local thrift shop, which uses the proceeds to help financially strapped people with medical bills. That kills two birds: Something good comes out of the donation, and an actual human being can try the shoes on and subsequently enjoy them.

Haha Patrick funny story, and yes l know how difficult it must be to sell your shoos.

As for my clothing journey, l am entering the high levels now and the pinnacle of my clothing journey. This means that l am having a minimalist wardrobe of highend custom staples that l can mix and match. Eg, three bespoke tweed coats for winter with seven bespoke 21 oz cavalry twill trousers which will see me through 6 months of the year. Along with that will be plenty of shoos, sox and cashmere turtlenecks for abundant combos. It is an impeccably thought out wardrobe of my dreams. All solid quality, versatile and classic. Everything will be well worn and enjoyed. In total l will only have about 6 sportscoats and minimal shirts. Maybe 25 trousers in all.