509 Madison Aveue Lobby 3 February 2011 @ 1:33 PM
The Turn-back cuff. Disappearing even in London.
A crowded elevator at lunch filled with dark colored coats and thoughts as passengers complain of too many stops and their disappearing lunch hour. I'm standing next to this guy. A bolt of color communicated on a platform of understatement and richness you often see in Manhattan but rarely in Ft Wayne.
He tells me the jacket is Huntsman. "No shit," I think to myself. He agrees to be photographed but is in a hurry. After the photos he pushes his way through the revolving door but not before telling me no one has ever asked for his picture. I don't admit it's a first for everyone.
What a refreshing sight amidst all the black, gray, & brown, which I admit to being trapped in. I vow to wear color today. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteActually they are very very popular in London from Spencer Hart to Tim Everest,lots of your tailors are rediscovering them and doing them boldly, with a kind of Tedboy vibe the inner cuff lined with a single detail from the tweed or Prince de galles and covered buttons.Next time youre over head to the other side of Hyde park and youll see the young gents rocking the Row but ont the non Posh side of town.Bespoke is Alivebut not at SWI prices.
ReplyDeleteHuntsman are famous for their bold tweeds of course. I wanted to buy a length of a great tweed once at a mill but was told, sorry, this is exclusive to HH. You may have plugged it already tintin but for those interested in HH lore there's Richard Anderson's book Bespoke, his memoir of working at the place (not to be confused with the sumptuous Rizzoli Bespoke)
ReplyDeleteNice to see someone who knows what he's doing handling patterns btw. Note no pocket square, he must read your blog tintin.
ReplyDeleteAny idea who makes that scarf?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the color, Rabbi, but I gotta gefilte fish to catch.
ReplyDeleteCheck out how those turn-up cuffs line up. And, I see that he hunts quail by his tie.
ReplyDeleteTRVS- Send us pictures!
ReplyDeleteAnon- I don't get to London as much as I used to but I do remember the turn back or cocktail cuff was rarely seen. Great news to hear the yoot are picking it up but you're description has me thinking Ben Sherman. Not good.
Joe- Love they have an exclusive. Have Anderson's book and was impressed by the Rizzoli tomb.
Joe- Didn't notice that. I knew I liked him.
notesandbeats- He was moving fast and didn't get to ask. It would have been my second question.
Stew- Only a guy in Atlanta would fry gefilte fish. I assume it comes with sweet ice tea and hushpuppies.
David M- I'm not sure about his hunting but the tie looked like it came from Herzfeld.
Stew- I think he favors the Chief (Edward Platt) on Get Smart.
ReplyDeleteI love NYC. You'd be hard pressed to find this gentleman in Boston, unless he was visiting.
ReplyDeleteHoo-rah for first times.
ReplyDeleteHe looks like an extra in Allen's Crimes & Misdemeanors. You know, at the Dr's party where everyone was being served by bulimic Columbia comp lit majors with death obsessions.
ReplyDeleteAnd I said nothing about frying gefilte. But...
"He looks like an extra in Allen's Crimes & Misdemeanors."
ReplyDeleteHe does rather, but then so do I. What movie do you look like an extra in?
what kind of scarf, darling?
ReplyDeleteNot sure about so many colours, being the minimalist I am, however I totally appreciate the use of colour amid a sea of black, charcoal and more black...
ReplyDeleteThis ensemble brings to mind Rodney Dangerfield's line in Caddyshack- "Oh it looks good on you though."
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that the tie comes from an English gun maker, perhaps a Holland and Holland offering from several seasons ago.
ReplyDeleteIt's not really appropriate city wear but I do love it and I am pleased to see this gent wearing it. I would have thought Boston is where you should see it.
Perhaps this country wear in the city is a higher end reflection of the seemingly greater harshness of living in cities, part of the whole hipster work wear / lumberjack / correctional chic trend.
Would Tintin predict plaid overcoats making a big return in another winter or two?
Stronger than wolf piss that coat is. But who the hell wears cuff turnbacks these days? Foppish affectation.
ReplyDeleteBen Sherman!!!!! Non of the young bloods would be caught in there we save our pennies for something of quality like our grandfathers did,we are sick of Topshop,and Zara we have realized they dont last.So we head to the old guys that do the out work for the Row or gave their apprentices a chance to make us something that is an amalgamation of several pages we have photocopied from ancient style bibles and the copy of the Rake we pinched because we cant affod to spend 24 quid on paper regardless what ever Tyler Brule says.If we can get it viral better.That 24 quid goes to tailor instead or for a good shirt from Emma Willis.A belated thanks for Take Ivy the pages you scanned were a gold mine.
ReplyDeleteBy the way Im 22.5 years old.So there is hope for our generation who says that the recession(which in England will last all my adult life,how depressing is that)is already making us aware of QUALITY
because the suits we have made has to last.
I love the tie as well. I have a similar tie in a dark purple.
ReplyDeleteTerrific richness...
ReplyDeleteAs in so much, go big or go home...its the shirt stripes that really pull all the busyness together... turn back cuffs, wow, even great zamboni had never seen those..i was in london last summer. There were dark dark suits everywhere, like one big funeral, ego- but all the "Id" came through in beautiful shirting, checks, stripes, window pane, chunky cuffs and collars... very different from the U.S. which seems to give shirts the back row and suits the front.
ReplyDeleteHey, Joe: Flesh Gordon.
ReplyDeleteOyster Guy- There's a place in VA that carries the H&H. Can't think of the name. Maybe someone else can. Plaid overcoats? Did they ever go out?
ReplyDeleteADG- Interesting. On someone else it's foppish affectation. On you it's fuzzy dice.
Anon- That's good news. It takes energy and creativity to do what you're doing and the pay off is so much better than looking like you walked out of a store window.
Zambo- Well observed and put. Guys I worked with at Lloyds often wore the same tie (Lloyd's member of public school) every day but dashed it up with wild shirting. A walk down Jermyn St and you could see where it came from. They'd pick some crazy linings as well and for some strange reason a lot of 'em wore metal taps on their shoes.
Stew- Nice one.
TRAWETS NILTGEOV "Hey, Joe: Flesh Gordon."
ReplyDeleteBy their tights shall ye know them?
Tintin"They'd pick some crazy linings as well"
My covert coat is from New and Lingwood and you need shades when I take it off. It always provokes a reaction. The Brits are big into the loud shirtings but don't always pull it off whereas the Italians who have picked up on it always do. This guy has the balance perfectly although I assume he was a Limey.