Sucker in London

Is That a Cucumber in Your Seersucker?

Esquire Magazine, March - 1983, Photo by Fabrizio Gianni

Behind those smashing argyle socks stands the rare double breasted seersucker. Something of an anachronism due to Summer's humid heat but dash it's good looking. Standing on the far right is an even rarer three piece gray seersucker. The Club Collar puts it over the top for an Edwardian echo but it's understated enough so as not to look like a costume.

Unfortunately, I sweat profusely from the back of the neck and crotch. Consequently, CS gas attacks in the Army were a real drag and the wearing of a three piece or DB seersucker is a sad impossibility. Only for the luckiest of cucumbers.

Last Shouts of Summer

left to right: Nantucket Classics Madras, Faconnable Flowers, Lilly Pulitzer GTH

Sartorial courage increases with September in sight. Every day of August is like watching 60 Minutes on CBS. Something I look forward to -- but with a ticking dread of Monday. The queasy feeling in my gut remains unchanged 26 years since the last day of school. August colors are my last act of defiance -- the middle finger to Fall.

18th Century Seersucker & Bow Ties

Annie's Bow...

...with a different kind of seersucker.

Nice pattern matching.

Doneckers in Lancaster - A very special store recently closed

I love details like these...

...and these. Seersucker's great, great, great grandfather.

Annie Wilson gave me a bow tie and all I had to do was complete a questionnaire. Is this blogging thing sweet or what? Check out her site(s) and be sure to give her bow ties a look. If you're a bow tie kinda guy. I like her style and her blog. For a Californian she has amazingly good taste.

I'm getting a sense of the late 18th - early 19th century although I don't really know why. Maybe it's the embroidery of this formal great coat from France. Annie hand makes every bow so each one is unique. Hard to go wrong with that. Hard to go wrong with $28 as well. You can see what's available here.

Great coat photograph from, What Clothes Reveal, by Linda Baumgarten.

Apparel Arts - The Summer of 1934

Published from 1931 - 1957, Apparel Arts was a large format (11x14) book sold to haberdashers and often displayed in store for consultation of both salesman and buyer. The Italian Gruppo GFT reprint of 1989 consists of three volumes in a slip case.

Volume 3 is a reprint of the Summer 1934 issue. Advertising opened the issue with editorial a good quarter of the way in. Advertising comes back at the end and closes the issue often with an ad for the sister magazine, Esquire. Much of the impact is lost on line due to the size and color of hard copy. They are a joy to hold and read.

Advertising kicks each issue off. There seems to be two types. Fantasy and informational.

Fantasy



Informational

Fantasy

Informational

For Trad combination go to opposing color on wheel above

The center circle is the suit, next circle the shirt options and outer circle is for neck wear. Not an "Outfit" selector as much as an inspiration of how color and pattern works.

If you can read a cookbook - you can cook. Same idea here.

Seersucker is still a great idea what with global warming. I'm convinced Satan wears it. I'm guessing it's half lined and bespoke.

Fabric samples came with the original issues but are replaced with photographs in the Gruppo reprint.

Not the kit for Summer tennis in my home town but man does does it look good.

Capper & Capper was at Wabash and Madison in the Chicago loop. Bought my first fedora there in 1988. Monogrammed sweat band done in the store. I'll never forget it.

Apparel Arts Summer Palette

From the Gruppo GFT three volume reprint of Apparel Arts Magazine: Fashion Is The News. Published in 1989 with forward by G. Bruce Boyer.

That visual over load that is ADD candy is the one and only Apparel Arts Magazine. Issues sell for north of $400 but an affordable alternative is the Gruppo set that can be had for a couple hundred bucks. Instead of buying that seersucker suit this Summer -- get this book.

(click on image to read legend)

Handsome color coordination with suit/jacket, trousers, hat, shirt, tie and even socks presented in a simple graphic. Not so much a "How To" but an inspiration whose purpose was to give salesmen (it was a trade magazine) ideas and increased sales.

Classic style from 1934

Easily worn today

Almost

The beauty of timeless style, erudite coordination and good shoes. All of this would look perfectly normal in any men's store today. Except perhaps The Men's Wearhouse.