Dr Dillon would be proud -- If he remembered me. That's okay. I'll never forget him or the Norton Anthology of English Lit. I bought mine used and sold it the next semester. And like Dillon promised 28 years ago -- I've lived to regret it. Without Dillon's notes, I never could make sense of John Donne.
The shoulders of this bespoke Morty Sills blazer are roped. The lapel, sans button hole. Double vented with the back slightly longer than the front and a slight flare that jets out below the waist. It doesn't fit that well. Tight in the shoulders and arms but roomy in the waist. Sometimes "fit" is not the point.
The original owner had a fascinating life. Maybe a little will rub off. Maybe bad spirits. You never know. But for a quarter of what a China made blazer at Brooks Brothers will set me back, I have something with a story. The key is to never let anyone know. I know I just did, but ignore me for just this one post.
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14 comments:
I like the eye for detail here.
Fun story! I agree that fit isn't always why we cherish certain things.
And, really?, Brooks' suits are all made in China? For some reason I thought they were more locally grown.
BB had some nasty ass China made blzr last year (or year before) that even their own associates poo-pooed. I hope it's no longer there.
What's the story with those buttons?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2500-Morty-SILLS-nyc-BESPOKE-BLUE-BLAZER-44S-SILK-LINING-domick-dunne-/380377727952
you selling it? same date...
Where on earth did you come by that? I met him once when my wife and I were in LA. I was killing time while she was at work (insurance btw) and wandered in the LA county courthouse to see what was going on. Turns out the Phil Spector trial was going on and I tried to get a seat in the courtroom, only the burly ass'd bailiff told me that the courtroom was all full, so I wandered nextdooor to watch some dumb drug sale trial. Anyway, when I had grown bored of that, I left just as the Phil Spector trial was recessing and I saw him in the a hallway and went up and told him that, "I Fucked Yvonne De Carlo"
Mac- Buttons are from Tender Buttons in NYC. They were also sewn on upside down. I assume that was intentional. Other than that, I dunno.
Dallas- I acquired it from that eBay seller.
Tiny Tim- Nice. I'm flattered when obscure Tony Curtis stories are thrown back at me. For the last 6 months I've been telling anyone who'll listen I fucked Fay Dunaway.
Alright, this is just getting weird now...would you believe I have a blue blazerish (micro nailhead?) suit jacket from Charvet and the upside down inner breast pocket label reads Mr. Kissinger, le 9-96.
The best part: if I wore it, at 6 feet and 220lb, I can promise you someone would ask if it was Tom Ford or Michael Bastian based on the fit !
Glad you liked. The narrative just took me there...Though I really did meet Dominick Dunne at the LA courthouse when he was covering the first Phil Spector trial.
He was a lot smaller and frailer than I expected he would be and of course he was impeccably dressed.
Is that the T & A shirt from the color wheel post (way back in '08)? It is the bold colors like this that keep a trad look interesting. Otherwise, it gets pretty stodgy pretty fast.
(By the way, I just made the connection between the red shirt in '08 and the one from M magazine last June.)
Oyster Guy- Who's the tailor? Anthony Maurizio in NYC claims to be one of Kissinger's tailors. Look here:
http://thetrad.blogspot.com/2011/03/ny-tailors-old-school.html
tiny tim- A good narrative will do that to a man. I'm also small and frail but my appetite allows the false impression of health and happiness.
Anon- The primary colors of the T&A shirt and tie did start with the 'M' Magazine piece in June seen here:
http://thetrad.blogspot.com/2011/06/looking-closer.html
The idea was one of my earliest posts in 2007 seen here:
http://thetrad.blogspot.com/2007/09/h-upmann.html
Thx for noticing.
John- i'm a long time reader, and i really enjoy your wonderful writing. As an ex naval officer with a fetish for all things military, old fashioned, and sartorial, I always enjoy the creole you serve up. Although i sometimes wonder, like the fella in "MIdnight in Paris", if i was in the Plaza hotel lobby in my navy dress blues in 1944, whether i would be thinking about how cooler things were in the 1920's.
Anyway, i always wanted to write in a comment, but the idea of writing a stranger seemed so weird. Then I saw your post on my fraternity brother Adam Ciongoli (both at Penn together- i know you lived in Philly), so i figured i had to write in.
Keep up the great work. I find your thoughts on your late Dad especially poignant, and it reminds me to enjoy every bit of time and common ground with my old man (also Navy, Penn). Fondly - not a north american gentile, but still a fan- Edward Katz, Atlanta GA
Great read. Love the last paragraph. Where did you find it?
Edward- Thanks for the comment. Hope to hear from you more and I'll try to keep the Anchor Cranker comments around here to a minimum.
One Last Year- from ebay seller, Mack11211. He's fairly well known in NYC.
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