16 April 2010

Off My Back: French Kissing in a Foulard Button Down

Foulard Shirt (front row on right) by Lee- Esquire Magazine 09/1960

Foulard Fabric

A.K.A. "The Acorn Shirt" by Golf Foxtrot
'University' collar 3 3/8

Those fashion designers in Wilmington, DE
Sleeve placket

I caught that ad in the Sept 1960 issue of Esquire and it got me thinking. When was the last time I saw a foulard pattern shirt? I had a Gant in high school but I was at a loss after that. And that was a long time ago.

I picked up my order from Individualized at Wright & Simon back in Feb. and caught this fabric stuck in the back of the sample book. I asked Len Simon about it and he said, "No one's ordered that crap in years."

Len's brilliant because I had to have the foulard knowing it had been abandoned. I asked what else no one wanted and he pointed out that beautiful twill in pink and hunter green. I love what no one else wants. We'll look at that shirt next week.

A surprise these were the cheapest fabrics although, like the Golf Foxtrot, I imagine many of you will not be.

I love both these shirts for their vintage patterns but Individualized is just not the place for a popover. Horrible pattern matching again. The last nightmare was returned and they fixed it but I just can't go back again. Len'll run me through with his yard stick. The sleeve plackets never match either. Is this Made to Measure or am I being difficult? The trick with Individualized is to stick with small patterns and solids.

I remember a foulard shirt on my back when Cheryl S. gave me my first French kiss at a dance. She was sitting on my lap, took the gum out of her mouth and let me have it while we listened to the Carpenters, Close to You. Definitely gonna be looking for another foulard.

7 comments:

heavy tweed jacket said...

Great looking fabric, and a rare long sleeve popover. I had a long sleeve red gingham check popover years ago. Always wanted another.

~Tessa~Scoffs said...

I get it that you ran out of belts and suspenders but damn, I need a drink in the morning, if not a picture of one. Can't you match alcohol to shirts somehow? Say, a cocktail-shirt-tail kind of thingy?

Anonymous said...

I remember foulard and paisley being popular for shirts in the mid-1980s. Even The Gap and stores like that carried them. The popularity of foulard then probably grew from the popularity of the ultimate 1980s "power tie." Remember all the yellow foulard ties.

The popover is interesting in a heavier shirt. Lastly, I thought your other popover shirts looked very good. I was surprised to read you were not happy with the manufacture of them.

Tom Buchanan

Brian said...

Now you are going to cause mass traffic jams on Market St. if you keep showinf off those shirts from Wright and Simon. The shirt looks great!

tintin said...

HTJ- The long sleeves are hard to find. And some of the MTM are asking another $30 to do a pop over. But I can't help myself.

Tessa- Done.

Tom- The problem is with the placket front. Pattern shifts and the larger the pattern the more obvious. MTM this affordable (this was $90 all in) is done with zero oversight and I can understand that for a US made shirt where the fit is bang on. Any popover thru Individualized should be a solid.

Brian- I hear Len Simon is trying out for next season's Project Runway. He'll get my vote.

GSV JR said...

Ray Manzarek called. He wants his shirt back, dude.

MAH said...

i'm still wearing ties and boxers from the old wright & simons by Gallcios