STARTING FROM SCRATCH : khakis

i've always said that certain retail chains could turn their whole damn chains around
if they'd step away from all denim all the time
and try and re-imagine a category.

take khakis.

they're just as, if not more so, functional as denim.
they are a touch more versatile in the dressing up category.
and done right, they actually make you look unique in this denim mad world.

but they have to be rethought a bit.

first, the fit.
don't we all want a waist?  i think waists are great.  i think all the crunches and laps in the pool are done for a reason.  and even if we're just sitting at starbucks on santa monica watching the waists go by, we WANT them.   so how about cutting a khaki that emphasizes that, huh?  so hard?  really?

and perhaps we can leave the pleats behind.  as in "the trash".

i think now is probably the time to add a little volume to the leg.  much more modern.  nothing viktor and rolf-ish (for those of you that missed the reference, e-on over to style.com and look it up.  you people really need to read the syllabus before you come to class.)  but a little breathing room so you can sit down. 

and perhaps a slightly fuller lower leg.  i'm not asking for hammer pants, just something more like this.

add a bronze button, a pair of trainers, and a tee, and suddenly, you're neither the chelsea clone, nor the dockers boy.

how refreshing.

alright, i'm done with you.  go away.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH : sweat it.

the sweatshirt.

please, try something without a college logo.

or, any logo.

think a color, or gray with an accent.

think slimmer fit, more like a sweater, more like a shirt,
and look to a higher gauge fabric than cotton,
something that might last you a few years.

then, let it mix with flannel pants,
khakis,
and nothing else.

if you buy matching pants, you are reading the wrong blog.

STARTING FROM SCRATCH : the baseball jacket

ok,
i loves me some jocks.

but then, who doesn't?
so american, so rugged, so "letterman jacket/sock hop/virginity" laden.

and there's something great about having a classic baseball jacket
in your wardrobe.

mainly to appease me.

but when i say classic, i'm actually thinking something a little warped,
like this one:

mixed up,
prepped,
but leather sleeved.

neutralized without the actual logos and letters
of a "borrower label"
(those who trade on nostalgia for credibility when there's a lack of design skill).

and with enough detail to keep the eye
entertained.

TD.

i'm loving this with a white tee,
baggy khakis,
and a black wingtip, no socks.

vous?

STARTING FROM SCRATCH : the trench coat

this new feature is going to give tim a heart attack.

let's play "if i had nothing,
what would i re-populate my wardrobe with
in order to be a more pulled together dresser",
boys.

for these posts, i'm not going to call out the designer or where to buy the items.

the point of the exercise is to LOOK at the items,
to LEARN why these are somewhat more special than the generic category they represent.

and then,
to go find your own version of them.

so, to begin,
every guy needs a trench coat.

look for one in a medium weight, nothing actually rubberized or lined,
you want multiple wear occasions from this piece.

keep the color neutral, and the silhouette lean.
lean is key to being more modern,
and it shouldn't be too long or too short.

in general, mid-thigh length is perfect,
or just below the knee.  not at.  not ankle.

this is not the matrix.

(do i need to say no leather?  no leather.)

and then, look for the tailoring twist.
a special lining.
an inverted pocket.
a trim.

because it needs to stay current,
by being different enough not to date.

now, go.

shop.