Over at ask Andy they have the trad forum - which lays down the rules and laws of tradlyness - the problem is there is no easily definable measure of checks and balances on the law makers.
For example the nantucket red thread that has recently appeared here - reading the thread some say they are an invention of a fellow on A little island in the Atlantic- that were marketed and aimed at tourists and as such lack the herritage of the Ivy league look which many tradsters hope to achieve.
So on the Trad scale- nantucket reds would score very highly-but on the Ivy scale very low.
Where do sperry deck shoes score- and how do they rate when compared to say Sebago or Dexter deck shoes?
your such a wank - dude LOL
To use the word "Trad" is not to be what the Internet calls "Trad".
And this you all know in your hearts.
... And I relish that burning feeling you are now experiencing.
Best -
So all things being equal where does Ralph appear on the scale?
High because he presents the trad thing to perfection - or- low because trad internet gentleman don`t like his logo on their shirts?
Remember when 'Arry used to reckon to pick the Pony off with a pin?
Bless him.
How we pissed ourselves over that.
Ol Chums,
My trad shoes go to eleven.
Perchance we need a trad pyramid??
Cheerio.
Last edited by Admiral Cod (2008-03-13 08:09:37)
One thing that's become obvious is that everyone has their own definition of trad. For me it is largely based on the late '70's preppy (mostly) and ivy (I guess). So for me reds and boat shoes register pretty high on the tradometer. I don't think they're ivy, but who cares about ivy?
Ive been to Mercers website and i don't know why but i'd really like to try their oxford cloth buttons downs. they may be new and they may be wanna-be but does that alone make their produce bad? everyone was new once and with so many people complaining that can't find this or that anymore maybe it's time to embrace some new companies even if they arent trad or ivy or whatever name you want to call it.
Mercer shirts are nice. I have a lot of them. They're rather loosely cut. Mythbusting hereabouts has revealed that although some shirts were cut this way during the "boom years" of the style, slimmer cuts were equally popular. I believe you can get Mercers in a slimmer cut too? Mr. Mercer is an accomodating and nice guy by all appearances and is local. He was also around before the trad forum, just his stuff appeared in magazine ads in the WSJ and New Yorker, I think.
But as LongWing hints, part of this is picking and choosing for yourself, so by all means wear them...just don't try to tell everybody they are the One True Ivy/Trad Shirt because all the pictures we have come up with have clearly disproven that notion.
Last edited by Coolidge (2008-03-13 09:35:50)
We are a fussy lot, but the trad dictates that we must each draw the line somewhere. I can't get fussy about OCBDs, so I buy at Brooks. I still haven't figured out what all the talk of "collar roll" is about.
We are trads. We wear fused suits.
I've been looking at Alden penny loafers so long now that the weejun just looks funny to me now. I like the faux moc toe stitching on the Alden better than the real deal on the wejun. The true moc stitching causes all sorts of puckering of the leather which Alden has avoided by the faux toe. I guess I'm more fussy about my penny loafers than my OCBDs.
Where do gucci loafers appear on the scale-are suede loafers more trad than leather- are brown tradder than black?
I do love the Mercer OCBDs, but don't care for Bill's at all. I can never resist buying a sport coat when I have enough dough to buy Aldens, but then I'm not much of a shoe guy. I've been wearing ankle boots almost exclusively for the past few months.
And I LOVE Ralph Lauren, particularly the Rugby line. Just cool, easy, great looking stuff. I'm buying more from Ralph than Brooks or Press these days--though I stuffily avoid the logoed stuff.