Frameless Duck Head

We believe what we're told and rarely trust our own instincts. A museum is as good a place to start as any. Priceless art hangs on a wall and for years people line up to look and admire. Not so much because they know anything about art, but because they've been told the painting is art and, this is always important, it's worth a shit load of money.

One day the curator learns the painting is a fake and -- what elicited so much respect -- is no longer worth looking at. So what happened? One day it's art. The next it's not. The painting didn't change but perceptions did when the authenticity was taken away.

Museums offer a frame to art. Not the one you see with the painting but the one that gives you a perception. "Well, it's a museum so this must be art." Same with a popular restaurant, "It's impossible to get a reservation so the food must be good." With wine, "Robert Parker and The Wine Spectator gave it a 90. It must be good." Art, food and wine are given a 'frame' to help our increasingly lost and vacuous culture find their way, without much effort, to the "good stuff."

And since all this is about making a buck - too many times the black velvet Elvis painting gets the nice frame while real art sits frameless and ignored in a dusty corner. When Goody's, the southern discount store, was going out of business I was traveling around a big chunk of the Southeast on business.

Goody's carried Duck Heads and I was positive their demise would spell the same for Duck Head. I stopped in every Goody's I could find and bought up every pair of plain front pants for insane discounts.

It's been a few years but Duck Heads are finally back. The classic trousers that are the sartorial symbol of the khak-i-fied south are the same shade of boiled peanuts and just as salty. Duck Head never had much of a frame. They don't need one. I know my memories connect me to these trousers in ways I can't even begin to describe.

You don't need to frame your memories -- 'cause they're something you understand and know. More Duck Head to come. In the mean time visit their web site and Face Book page.

Duck Head is offering a coupon code DHW186520 for 20% off and Free Shipping on orders over $100.

Black Tie at Lincoln Center

The Team L - R: Foster, Miss Kittie and me by Alice Olive

The Venue: Lincoln Center

The Mission: Shoot a shoe.

The Result: A new obsession -- with the Canon 5D too (thanks Foster)


Alice Olive shoots the shoot...


which has already...

prompted questions...

from my concerned father...who is also a leg man.

Sail Duck Wood

The Army Khaki

Ft Bliss, TX 1960

High rise and heavy starch

That's the old man on the left with a crusty 1st Sergeant on the right who looks like he took very little bullshit from anyone. Notice the high rise of the pant on the close up? Today, and I have no idea why, most khakis have a very low rise. Almost like a bikini bottom - not that I know what wearing a bikini bottom is like.

The army issue pant was comfortable and when it was not heavily starched the seat hung down in a not so attractive way. Especially if you were carrying a large wallet. That's why they looked so much better with heavy starch. And when I say heavy - I mean so heavy you'd have to cut the leg opening with a knife. Frequent washing improved how the cotton took to starch.

You can almost see my father's gig line where the shirt placket and fly seam of the pant are lined up with the web belt buckle's left edge . I still do this but not with popover shirts.

There were wash and wear khaki uniforms available for purchase at the P.X. but enlisted men were issued (three?) sets of the cotton khaki uniform until they were phased out in 1985 which was about the time I discovered Duck Head khakis. I was just thinking...I enlisted in the army 34 years ago today.

Custom Chino

The Custom Chino

The Pegged Leg

I apologise for taking liberty with the topic headline but what the heck... Who in their right mind is gonna have a custom pair of cotton chinos made up? I guess someone who can swing $500 for the labor and $20 for the material. The days of Steve Martin's fur lined sink and Tom Ford's $3,000 cotton suits are over. However, find a good alteration's tailor and you can do wonders.

I learned a long time ago that $10 (more like $20 today) to the right tailor could turn a baggy pair of fatigue or cammie trousers into a physique flattering base while adding length at the same time. Pretty much all the Army cared about was your haircut and whether you broke starch. Go the extra mile with tailored fatigues and you were a shoe in for Soldier of the Year. OK, I'm exaggerating a little but not much as any veteran can attest.

Take the same idea to baggy chinos, throw $20 to Mr Peppino who practices his affordable craft across the street from Bloomingdale's in NYC and one can walk away with the same effect. Not Soldier of the Month but a leaner figure made taller through the illusion of longer legs due to the narrow trouser opening. Here, it's seven inches. They were 10.5 inches before Peppino pinned them.

When the tailor pins your chinos he takes into consideration your basic shape and pins accordingly. This way the tailoring really is custom to you. For a lousy $20. How can you go wrong? You don't have to fly to NYC for Mr Peppino. A good local tailor should run about the same. It makes a huge difference with very little investment.

Southern Trad

If ever there was an icon of Southern Trad in the 80's it has to be Duck Heads. This unique brand is found only in the southeast. Popular in Georgia, Virginia and The Carolinas. Cheap, good quality and as cool as cool could be. These trousers hit my college campus in the early 80's and raged in popularity until the early 90's when there was a change in company ownership. And sure enough, some smart guy decided customers wouldn't notice the move off shore to Costa Rica, El Salvador and China. The Olive Ducks are circa 1989-90. Notice the detail of the sewing.

Still, what's not to like for $2.98? They retail for $40 but they're always on sale. I found the Breton Reds at a Goody's outlet. Best worn with cuffs and without socks. Blucher's if you have them and a button down oxford with surcingle belt. Grab a red plastic SOLO cup full of cheap beer and you're suddenly 21 again. Like shrimp and grits...they're all about comfort. Even though I always liked 'em starched.