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 love grey trousers. They’re extremely versatile and go with everything, whether you’re going vintage casual or when you want to wear them with separates like a sweater vest or a patch pocket sportcoat. Now, navy trousers are the counterpart to grey as the pair of trousers everyone should own. Normally I recommend grey since its very plain/unsaturated, allowing you to ground an otherwise loud or colorful outfit. But when it comes to wearing navy trousers, I almost always pair it with brown; the harmony between these two earth tones is nothing short of amazing that really gives you an old school look. Brown and blue are my favorite colors and it’s what we wore this week on Street x Sprezza!
I’m always on the lookout for cheap, vintage suits. You’re guaranteed to find great suits at vintage stores like Joyride or from sellers like Benny, but there’s nothing like the feeling like scoring a great piece at a thrift store. If you look hard enough and have great patience, you can definitely find some cool stuff! And sometimes, you’ll find it on a sale day where your suit will cost $3.
It’s time to answer another question from a reader! We’re going to look at how to pull off an orphaned black jacket. It’s pretty tricky, but it can be done!
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.
a little bit of rest 