Press Only: T Magazine

The Trad snags a mention in a wonderful piece here on O'Connell's in yesterday's NY Times by Christopher Petkanas. Quoddy Canoe Moc is $45 more from the source. Go figure?

Blind Oxford Tasting: No. 2

$89.95 available from O'Connell's - Shirt #2

Collar: Lined 3 1/4" with full roll and medium tie space.
Body: Double stitch side seams with split yoke. 23" wide x 28" long on 15-4.
Sleeves / Cuffs: Double stitch sleeves with 8 1/2" wide sleeve and one cuff button.
Pocket: 5" with 'V' stitch.

G. Bruce Boyer (15 1/2 - 2)
"Right in the middle. Average cloth, nothing outstanding. Typical quality."

The Goods-
Color: B
Weave: B
Hand: C
Weight: C
Quality: C

Robert Bryan (15-4)
"Okay overall. Body too wide. No extra buttons. Button holes crudely finished."

The Goods-
Color: B
Weave: B
Hand: C
Weight: C
Quality: C

Made in US by Fall River Shirt Company. A beautiful collar roll in a heavy weight oxford with narrow sleeves and a wide body. One of two shirts with a split yoke.

Off My Back: O'Connells Oxford Shirt

What can't you wear it with

Where can't you wear it

When can't you wear it

Who can't you wear it with

Why couldn't you wear it everyday

Simple and soulful. You can buy 'em here - where they call it the 'heavyweight.' If you're stuck in Ft Wayne or worse, California, where this kind of kit is as rare as meat in 1917 Russia, O'Connell's can make it easy for you. Ask for Ethan and shoot the breeze with him for a while -- He's a good soul - - Just like this shirt.

Single needle stitching sewn in America. The RN number reveals the Fall River Shirt factory. Once closed and now reopened in Fall River, Mass. Shirt pockets today can be freakishly small or saddle bag huge. This one is just right. The oxford blue is rich looking unlike a pin point and you can bet the hand will get softer with each washing for many moons to come.

If I were a tad eccentric, I'd wear the blue button down oxford with an equally important pair of khakis, everyday for the rest of my life. No pondering for an iota of a second what to wear each morning. A uniform of sorts. Where God is in the details and the assurance of wearing the very best, for me anyway, is always about being simple with soul.

Trunks

I've always called 'em trunks. Some folks call 'em board shorts. Swim suit? I faintly remember that. Probably the same place I heard sneakers. I thought they were talking about the candy bar. Whatever you call 'em - -O'Connells got 'em. Old new stock. $69.95. If any of these were my size you would not know about 'em.

Off My Back: New Old Stock

O'Connell's Clothing in Buffalo is well known to the cognoscenti as one of the few purveyors of honest and true Trad apparel. With Quoddy back ordered to God knows when - - I found a pair of Quoddy Camp Mocs ($175) at O'Connells and they were a shade under the Quoddy price ($209) to boot or to moc.

I check their web site every week because I'm sure as Hell not driving to Buffalo. Just last week I found something amazing. New Old Stock of Brooks Brothers shirts. I first heard someone say "piss shiver" when I was in the army. I swear I had a piss shiver when I saw these.

Bang the 1-800 and Ethan answers. Ethan always answers. "So what's the story on the Brooks shirts?" Ethan explains O'Connells was one of eight or so retailers who had a Brooks "store in store" concept from the late '80s to the mid '90s. They sold suits, ties, dress shirts and polos. I ask the big question, "Those Brooks shirts you have on your web site - - Are the collars lined?"

A quick primer. Unlined collars are very important to the obsessed Brooks Brothers oxford fan and here's why. It was that detail of a sloppy looking collar that actually made the shirt. In much the same way the bagginess did and still does. It is - - 110% American. Actually, it's North American but that's another story.

"Unlined" says Ethan. Pull out wallet, credit card, bing, bang, bong. Two days later it's here. A pink - I ordered pink - I haven't seen this pink in years. Softer in hue and almost peach when you hold it up to a recent purchase. Amazing.

Maybe it's better. Maybe it's not. The collar is 3 1/4" compared to 3" today. The shirt tail hits 33" compared to 32" today. But oddly the weight (on a kitchen scale) pegs the Old Stock at just over 11 ounces while the new oxford weighs in at just under 13 ounces. Odd that. Ethan thinks they were made in the early '90s somewhere in the south. Maybe Alabama but don't quote him.

If this interests you -- give Ethan a call. Chat him up and give it a go. No discount from this blog. I paid full freight - - so will you. But these little opportunities of history are hard to find in a world of J. Crew 'curatorial' washed horse pooh. You may wanna strike - - while the gettin is (a-hem) unlined.