Buying a three piece, chalk stripe, half lined, high rise trouser suit for $3 is probably a once-in-a-lifetime situation. Getting three suits for $25 each, however, is still pretty damn good! Don’t worry, this isn’t an ad for Jos A. Bank; it’s more of advice to always check eBay since you never know what you’re going to find!
Even though we love going sartorial on the blog, we still have a passion for casual style. It’s been 80F for a full two weeks in Southern California and I’ve found myself ditching my ties for open collars and my sportcoats for rolled up shirt sleeves. We’ve talked about sartorial casual, but its always fun to take it down a notch further and wear tee shirts with trousers! It’s a topic we’ve explored 3 times in the past, but this one has a slight nautical twist. The look is perfect for hot days when even a button up is too much.
Last time we talked about the tattersall waistcoat, a garment with a checked pattern that instantly screams vintage when it’s worn with a suit or separates. For those of you looking for a throwback ivy style, the tattersall is for you. However, we here at Street x Sprezza are always looking for ways to look even older. Nothing screams 1930’s than a two-tone, patch pocket vest; unfortunately, they’re extremely rare to find in perfect vintage condition. When we heard that Simon James Cathcart was about to reproduce one in a heavy flannel, we jumped on it right away.
One word, three syllables: tattersall. It’s the perfect odd vest to add to your wardrobe if you want to give yourself a vintage pop! Leave those plain tweed waistcoats at home; this is how you do it.
The guys and I are no stranger to vintage clothing. Whether it’s true vintage suits or even putting together something “vintage casual”, we definitely love vintage. While the former has a very niche following (the vintage community as I affectionately call it), the latter is huge in the mainstream society. With loop collar shirts, cool sweaters, and straight/wide selvedge denim, this special breed of vintage enthusiast is typically what most people tend to go for when they want a “vintage look”. There isn’t a huge tradeshow like Pitti Uomo, Inspiration LA is the event to go to if you like that look. It’s certainly a great place to go to see some of the coolest vintage pieces (that still exist) as well as some of the best dressed guys in the world that aren’t in suits.
I am a big fan of vintage clothing. They’re filled with so much character that you just can’t find today! Unless you go bespoke or completely custom, there’s no way you’re going to get specific lapels, particular cuts/designs, or even cool fabric. Vintage is a staple of my wardrobe and I am always on the lookout for something cool to add into my rotation! Outerwear and sweaters in particular are a great way to add some vintage pizzaz into your own outfits. A few articles ago we talked about the vintage M-43 field jacket and the Fair Isle Sweater vest. This time we’re going to look at a vintage Cowichan sweater.
There a bunch of places that I look to for inspiration. If you haven’t noticed, most are taken from the social media profiles of my favorite tailors and haberdashers. This time we look at one of the oldest places men got their style inspiration from: fashion illustrations.
We love to wear sportcoats. Suits definitely have their place, but we typically like to wear odd jackets and odd trousers just for the sake of being able to combine different colors and patterns. As most people know, the most versatile sportcoat is the navy one; it’s used as a grounding device to play with other pieces. Numerous fashion blogs talk about the navy blazer, but we’re different. We like classic clothes, but that doesn’t mean boring! Instead of the expected #menswear spiel , we’re going to show you some cool NON-NAVY sportcoats that happen to feature one of our favorite details: patch pockets.
There are a lot of controversial things that this blog advocates. Spear point collars, collar bars, high rise trousers, and white socks are just a few of those pieces! Whether you wear these things together or incorporate one, you end up with a cool vintage look that sets your sartorial game apart from everyone else. Now it’s time to talk about another addition to “Ethan’s Favorite Things”: the fair isle sweater vest.
For the past 3 years, I’ve worn a tuxedo on New Years. I’d like to say that December 31, 2016 was no different, but the truth is that I’m wearing a sweater and jeans as I write this. However, I was able to wear my black tie ensemble to a NYE Eve (December 30th) party at the Cicada Club in Downtown Los Angeles! There was dancing, drinks, and a myriad of well dressed people ranging from vintage enthusiasts, swing dancers, and Hollywood types. Here’s what we wore to the event! You could also consider this a post on how to do black tie correctly!
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