A DAY OF CLASSIC COATS...

It was Friday and I needed some creative inspiration to make it through... so where else could I turn but to my carefully collected vintage closet to clothe the day in something extraordinarily special... so as I left the long hallway to the outside I was clothed in style... No matter what the day had in store for me I was prepared... looking and feeling good are half the battle... Now I see that many men have stopped wearing the raincoat... or topcoat... I see a few business men wearing them faithfully but of late I have also seen some young men sporting them with jeans, slacks, corduroys giving an upscale look to what might otherwise be a mundane ensemble...

Later in the evening I chose a favorite of mine, a wool and faux fur greatcoat... I love the chunky collar of this  greatcoat... and I chose a new Cossack hat to accessorize it... Yes, I had plenty of vintage Cossack hats but somehow this one was the item that I pulled from the hat rack in my closet... 

Besides being wonderfully functional, a well designed topcoat or greatcoat can also be a stylish way of keeping out the winter cold.  In damp climates like the Mid-Atlantic region of the East Coast you just have to have something between you and the frigid humidity... 

Modern topcoats and greatcoats have more features for storage and such, the vintage models are more functional in that they protect you from the elements.  I never like to clutter the drape of a graciously cut coat with keys, gloves, and other such necessities... personally if at all possible I travel as lightly as possible especially when heading out on the town...

When accessorizing a coat it is most important to pull details from the fabric, buttons, collar, etc., in order to pull it together with the rest of the outfit.  Personally I love clean uncomplicated lines, a generous collar that goes well with the brim of my hat...

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VINTAGE TIES REFRESH THE MODERN DILEMMA OF FASHION UBIQUITY...

BIGDADDYBLUES

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A VINTAGE TIE AESTHETE... ABOVE I AM WEARING A 5 IN. WIDE BURGUNDY KNIT TIE CIRCA 1973. I LOVE 70'S TIES, ESPECIALLY THE DOUBLE-KNIT, DACRON POLYESTER ONES BECAUSE THEY KNOT SO WELL AND HOLD THEIR SHAPE MUCH BETTER THAN NATURAL FIBERS... THE OVAL "REPUSSE" PATTERN WENT SO WELL WITH THE ONE ON MY SHIRT I KNEW THEY WERE MADE TO BE WORN TOGETHER... ALTHOUGH NEARLY 30 YEARS LAY BETWEEN THEM...

BELOW ARE SOME STUNNING VINTAGE TIES THAT CAN ADD NEW VIBRANCY TO ANY MANS WARDROBE.  PLEASE INQUIRE ABOUT THESE OR ANY OTHER APPAREL AT: 

BIGDADDYBLUES62@YAHOO.COM  

3 Fine Silk Ties

The average gentleman shops at the same stores every other man shops at.  This can mean only one thing, look alike syndrome... What truly sets a gentleman apart from every other man is the uniqueness of his wardrobe.  But in a modern market of mass produced fashion virtually everything that can be bought ready to wear is ubiquitous... generic... 

Surely every man has the ability to give apparel a personal touch setting it apart from the next one but fine vintage clothing is one of a kind, you'll never see it on another man unless you are looking in a mirror...

Many vintage patterns are resurfacing today in virtually every designer collection.  As quiet as it is kept as early on as the early 1990's fashion houses like Dolce and Gabbana and Kenneth Cole started copying simple men's clothing from the late 1950's to the early 1970's including the flat front, the peg leg the tailored blazer and shirt and narrower collar.  When I first started seeing their clothing in fashion magazines I thought I was looking through the racks of a thrift store with exceptionally good vintage buys.  These classics had already been made all they had to do was copy them and add a few personal touches updated fabrics etc.  But it is so much nicer to have the one of a kind original than pay for a copy worn by hundreds of thousands of men.  For a man of distinction vintage is the clear choice.  

4 in. 1970's Tie with exploded plaid pattern

Two heavy 4 in. Polyester Damasks at the ends and a fine woven stripe and  foulard  middle.

A hansome foulard with a fade-away stipe typical of 1970's cravats.

3 pristine skinny 1950's cravats.

WEARING VINTAGE TIES...

ALTHOUGH 30 YEARS APART THE FINE 1970'S REPOUSSE TIE AND 2005 SHIRT SEEM ULTIMATELY TO HAVE BEEN MADE FOR ONE ANOTHER... THE TRUE FASCINATION OF WEARING VINTAGE TIES IS HOW READILY THEY LEND THEMSELVES TO MODERN STYLE... WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WEARING ONLY WHAT IS AVAILABLE IN STORES TODAY IS GREATLY LIMITING TO A MANS REPERTOIRE OF FASHION AND STYLE POSSIBILITIES.  GENTLEMEN WHO ADD VINTAGE TO THEIR WARDROBES HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADD ANOTHER DIMENSION COMPLETELY UNATTAINABLE BY OTHER MEN...

BELOW I AM WEARING A VINTAGE 1970'S TIE WITH A BURGUNDY REPOUSSE PATTERN, THIS PATTERN JUST WENT DANDY WITH A MODERN SHIRT WITH NEARLY THE SAME RETICULATED PATTERN...

TIE QUESTIONNAIRE

 

 PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONNAIRE; YOU MAY HAVE MORE THAN ONE ANSWER PER QUESTION IF APPLICABLE… JOT YOUR ANSWERS DOWN ON A PIECE OF PAPER AND THEN PLEASE POST YOUR ANSWERS AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE WITH THE QUESTION NUMBER FIRST AND LETTER ANSWER(S) SECOND, FOR EXAMPLE:

(1-A; 2-C; 3-A B C & D; 4-B…)

BEGIN THE QUESTIONNAIRE:

 

1.       HOW OFTEN DO YOU WEAR TIES?

A.      DAILY?

B.      NEVER?

C.      ONLY ON RARE FORMAL OCCASIONS LIKE GRADUATIONS, WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS?

D.      WHEN THE FANCY HITS YOU?

2.       DO YOU WEAR A TIE TO WORK?

A.      ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE MEETINGS?

B.      WHEN YOU WANT (NOT MANDATORY DRESS CODE)?

C.      ALWAYS (MANDATORY DRESS CODE)?

3.       DO YOU WEAR TIES FOR:                                  

A.      SOCIAL EVENTS?

B.      PARTYING/CLUBBING?

C.      HANGING OUT AS A CASUAL ACCESSORY?

D.      CHURCH?

E.       PERSONAL BUSINESS AFFAIRS?

4.       HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND SELECTING A TIE?

A.      5 MINUTES OR LES?

B.      10 MINUTES OR LESS?

C.      20 MINUTES OR MORE?

5.       HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND PERFECTING YOUR KNOT?

A.      2 MINUTES OR LESS?

B.      NOT MORE THAN 5 MINUTES?

C.      IF MORE THAN 5 MINUTES, WHY?

6.       WHAT KNOTS DO YOU USE THE MOST?

A.      WINDSOR KNOT?

B.      HALF WINDSOR KNOT?

C.      FOUR-IN-HAND KNOT?         

D.      PRATT KNOT?

E.       SHELBY KNOT?

7.       WHAT STYLE OF TIE COMPRISES MOST OF YOUR TIE COLLECTION?

A.      FOULARD'S?

B.      STRIPES?

C.      PRINTS?

D.      ARABESQUES/PAISLEY?

E.       PLAIN/SOLID?

8.       WHAT FABRICS DO YOU PREFER IN A TIE?

A.      SILK (YEAR ROUND)?

B.      SILK (SPECIFY PREFERRED TIME OF YEAR OF OTHER)?

C.      COTTON (YEAR ROUND)?

D.      COTTON (SUMMER ONLY)?            

E.       WOOL (YEAR ROUND)?

F.       WOOL (WINTER ONLY)?

G.     RAYON (YEAR ROUND)?

H.      RAYON (SPECIFY PREFERRED TIME OF YEAR OF OTHER)?

I.        POLYESTER (YEAR ROUND)?

J.        POLYESTER (SPECIFY PREFERRED TIME OF YEAR OF OTHER)?

9.       WHAT TEXTURE AND FINISH DO YOU PREFER IN A TIE?

A.      SMOOTH MATTE?

B.      SMOOTH SHINY?

C.      IRIDESCENT/SHARKSKIN?

D.      ROUGH-TEXTURED?

E.       BROAD KNIT OR WOVEN?

10.   OF ALL THE TIES IN YOUR COLLECTION WHAT COLOR IS REPRESENTED THE MOST?

A.      BLACK TO GREY RANGE?

B.      DARK-RED-VIOLET TO RED RANGE?

C.      LIGHT-PINK TO MAUVE RANGE?

D.      DARK-BLUE VIOLET TO BLUE RANGE?

E.       LIGHT-LAVENDER TO LIGHT BLUE-VIOLET RANGE?     

F.       DARK-BLUE-GREEN TO GREEN RANGE?

G.     LIGHT-BLUE GREEN TO LIGHT GREEN RANGE?

H.      DARK-OLIVE TO BROWN RANGE?

I.        LIGHT-OLIVE TO LIGHT-BROWN RANGE?

J.        DARK-YELLOW TO ORANGE RANGE

K.      LIGHT YELLOW TO ORANGE RANGE?

11.   WHAT PART OF YOUR APPAREL DO YOU TRY TO MATCH THE TIE TO:

A.      SHIRT?

B.      TROUSERS?

C.      BLAZER?

D.      SUIT?

E.       WAIST COAT?

F.       SHOES?

G.     HAT?

H.      CONTRAST COLOR DIFFERENT FROM THE ABOVE ELEMENTS?

12.   IF YOU WERE TO ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF TIE COORDINATION WHAT WOULD IT BE?

13.   WHAT WIDTH OF TIE DO YOU PREFER?

A.      SKINNY 1.0 IN. OR LESS?

B.      SKINNY 1.0 IN. - 2.O IN.?              

C.      MEDIUM 2.5 IN. - 3.0 IN?

D.      WIDE 3.5 – 4.5 IN?

14.   WHAT TYPE OF TIES DO YOU WEAR?

A.      TRADITIONAL NECK TIES (HAND KNOTTED)?

B.      TRADITIONAL NECK TIES (CLIP ON/PRE TIED)?

C.      BOW TIES (HAND KNOTTED)?

D.      BOW TIES (CLIP ON/PRE TIED)?

E.       ASCOT?

F.       SCARF?

15.   WHICH OF THESE IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOUR STYLE MOST OF THE TIME?

A.      A “SAY SOMETHING” BOLD TIE?

B.      A SUBDUED TIE THAT BLENDS PERFECTLY?

C.      A TIE THAT MAKES A STATEMENT BUT DOES NOT OVERPOWER THE ENSEMBLE AS A WHOLE?

16.   WHAT ACCESSORIES DO YOU WEAR OR WOULD LIKE TO WEAR WITH A TIE?

A.      A TIE BAR AND MATCHING CUFFLINKS?

B.      A TIE BAR ONLY?

C.      A TIE TACK OR PIN?

D.      A COLLAR BAR?

E.       A MATCHING POCKET SQUARE?

F.       A MATCHING BUTTONEER?

 

THANK YOU                              

DAVID VOLLIN

WWW.BIGDADDYBLUESHABERDASHER.BLOGSPOT.COM

 

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