Archive for the ‘SHIRTS’ Category
Think Pink. Thomas Pink.
The original Thomas Pink shirts were constructed on an authentic block and made from 38 separate components, with a 14 piece hand turned collar.
Thomas Pink was founded by three Irish brothers and entrepreneurs, James, Peter and John Mullen. The company brand name, Thomas Pink came from a London tailor who made red hunting jackets, a color that was referred to as “hunting pink” (see “hunting pink” is more red than you think).
“In the Pink”- is an idiomatic expression for in good health.
Thus, the term “in the pink” has been used to refer both to the color of the hunting jackets (those lucky enough to own one) and hunters’ healthy and energetic approach to their pasttime.
Fact credit: wikipedia.org; www.phrases.org.uk; www.thomaspink.com
Image credit: www.thomaspink.com
Good Vibrations
Image Credit: Pendleton X Opening Ceremony shirt via openingceremony.us
“The Pendletons” were a 1960s rock and roll band self-named after the Pendleton brand wool plaid shirts favored by 1960s American surf culture. The band later changed their name to “The Beach Boys”.
This post is dedicated to Nerd Boyfriend; Fact Credit: Wikipedia
The Beach Boys via Google Images
Shades of Gray
Image Credit: jlindeberg.com
How do you distinguish your enemy when your colors are the same? It’s done by shade. Oxford’s school color is dark blue, while Cambridge’s school color is light blue. Gray follow suit: Oxford Gray is dark gray, while Cambridge Gray is light gray.
Fact Credit: Dressing The Man, Alan Flusser, p.295
Button-Up, Button-Down
The term “Button-down” is often used to describe a shirt generally. Originally the term described a shirt with a collar that buttoned down. Buttoning the collar points to the shirt originated when English polo players wanted to stop their shirt collars from flapping in their faces.
Post World War II, the button-down shirt, alongside cardovan shoes and the sack suit became essential elements of the American Ivy League dress.
According to Hoyle, button up your button down with a sport coat or a tweed, and feel free to skip the tie.
Fact Credit: Wikipedia and Nicholas Antongiavanni, The Suit, p. 102
Photo Credit: Barbour.com
Madras and The Outsiders
Image Credit: usonline.apc.fr
The Outsiders made the ALA’s ‘Top 100 most frequently challenged books’ list. Written by then 16-year-old Susan Hinton, the 1960s novel spurred controversy for its depiction of violence, alcohol abuse…and divorced parents. The story revolves around Greasers and Socs – two rival groups. ‘Socs’ wore “a ski jacket, a madras T-Shirt, and slacks or khaki pants.”
‘Bleeding madras’ were popular in the 1960s. The dyes were not colorfast, so each time the garment was washed, colors faded and bled into one another.
Fact Credit: Wikipedia
Blanket Yourself in Plaid
Photo Credit: stevenalan.com
Plaid was originally a rectangular cloth worn by Scottish shepherds. Worn over the left shoulder, the black and white check served as a nighttime blanket.
According To Hoyle: If you are going to wear two different plaids or checks, make sure the patterns are two different sizes. The same rule holds for wearing two stripes at the same time- keep the scales considerably different.
Facts from Dressing The Man, Alan Flusser, p. 296 and p.69
A Sundried Youth: Our Legacy
Our Legacy’s Spring Summer 2009 ‘”collection is entitled “A SUNDRIED YOUTH” … An experienced mind can tell a lot of different stories … “A SUNDRIED YOUTH” tells the story of a man reminiscing his youth’” Our Legacy’s Spring Summer collection reminds me of the following excerpt from A Separate Peace by John Knowles, in which the character Gene recalls his youth at an all boys boarding school:
“One evening when I was dressing for dinner in this numb frame of mind, an idea occurred to me, the first with any energy in it since Finny fell from the tree. I decided to put on his clothes. We wore the same size, and although he always criticized mine, he wore them frequently, quickly forgetting what belonged to him and what to me. I never forgot, and that evening I put on his cordovan shoes, his pants, and I looked for and finally found his pink shirt, neatly laundered in a drawer. Its high, somewhat stiff collar against my neck, the wide cuffs touching my wrists, the rich material against my skin, excited a sense of strangeness and distinction; I felt like a nobleman, some Spanish grandee” (A Separate Peace, John Knowles, p.54)
If The Shirt Fits
Photo Credit:unisnewyork.com
A button-down fits when:
1. You are able to fit two fingers into the buttoned collar.
2. The cuff stays in place when you move your arm, fitting snugly around your wrist.
3. The shirts points remain in contact with the shirt even with the addition of a tie.
Military Mondays: Nom De Guerre
Photo Credit: nomdeguerre.net
Nom De Guerre: a fictitious name used while assuming a role. Soldiers may use a ‘nom de guerre’ to protect their families from retribution. Nom de Guerre is also the name chosen for a military inspired menswear company. Find the Nom de Guerre shop at 640 Broadway in New York, look for the black metal doors. The space was once a meeting place for the Black Panthers.