VintageGent’s Menswear Daily

Cufflink Mishaps

I just rediscovered this great blog about everything cufflinks. Up until reading this, I thought I knew enough to hold my own on the topic, but I stand corrected. Cufflinks are an essential item to think about when it comes to vintage fashion, but sometimes a guy just doesn’t know where to start, or a gal wants to figure out what pair she should choose for her guy without it ending up being unworn in the bottom of the drawer.  Of course, with all of the french cuffs in fashion, it is perfectly acceptable for women to wear them as well.

Author Adwin Ang suggests that there are 10 Common Mistakes that are made when wearing cufflinks, from appropriateness for the occasion to storage. (Just a hint: Don’t put your cufflinks on before the shirt is on, don’t wear clown cufflinks to a wedding, and don’t just toss them in a drawer.)

Read on!

Gilette: A Close Shave Away from A Job

Were you aware that 84% of HR managers, according to a Gillette(R) survey, observed that individuals who are well groomed climb the corporate ladder faster than those that are not? It makes sense in many fields. If you are meeting with clients, it doesn’t give a good impression of the business as a whole when you show up with your shirt tail hanging out your fly and greasy hair.  It just looks like you don’t care.  More so, if you smell, that goes without saying that they won’t want you meeting with their customers down the road.

Some folks may take offense and say that this is discriminatory against those in creative fields and those who choose less traditional clothing and hair styles. On the contrary, it holds true for whatever field you are in. Often “creative” is a euphemism for messy or missing a few showers, when it really should mean a position that calls for less formal attire or allows a latitude for other expressions in hair color, body art or clothing, but still requires your best foot forward. In other words, don’t let them mistake the dye in your hair for dirt streaks.

By browsing around Gillette Career Advantage, there are some tried and true tips for interviewing and general grooming. Style expert Brett Fahlgren (GQ correspondant) and career expert Mark Jeffries team up to present some pointers to help you land that job.  They recommend a clean shaven look rather than a potential employer catching you in the middle of “trying out a beard.”  If you have facial hair, keep it need.  Otherwise, save the stubble for vacation.  They also recommend steering clear of products that will make your hair look wet and greasy.  On the side of physical conduct, there are tips for getting your resume looked at, to appropriate physical contact (the forearm is always safe).

If you want to bypass all the wisdom and your ears just perked up when you read “Gillette,” hoping there would be more information here about the products, you can stop by the Gillette Resource Center. There you will find the latest news on products and other earth shattering news from Gilette, such as sports sponsorship deals and more.

Miscellaneous Fit Tips for Men’s Suits

Here are some miscellaneous fitting tips from here and there.  There are many different preferences out there as far as lapels, colors, and shapes.  Sensibilities also changed from fashion era to fashion era.  These tips will make a suit look like it fits you well, whether you are looking for a suit off the rack, or are looking for something more historical.  Sometimes the difference between looking “dated” and looking like you have great taste and prefer vintage clothing are tips to keep in mind like these.

• When buying a slim fit suit or skinny pants, tailor the hem to have little or no break.  Having a break makes a sleek line appear ill fitting or baggy.  Save the break for pants with a standard or wider leg.
• “Long” sizes are meant for gents who are 6′ 3″ and taller.  There are many men who are 5′10″ to 6′2″ who just assume they are a long, just because they are not a short.  Standard suits are meant to accommodate you, just make sure to order the correct inseam length. That will do it.  If you order a long that you don’t need, the jacket will hang down too long.
• The tip of your tie should not hang lower than your belt.  While the tie has rested everywhere from the stomach to below the belt in various times, having the tie land here will bring you into the modern era.  The exception would be those wide, art deco ties.  They are meant to be worn a bit shorter, but tying them longer would bring the look more up to date.
• Your jacket should reveal 1/4″ of the collar of your dress shirt in the back.  This is so when you sit or shift around, your suit won’t ride up over it.

• Watch the gap.  There should not be a gap in the back between the neck and the shoulders.  This means the jacket is too big. They say you should try on the sizes until you find the one that is a slightly uncomfortable, then try the next size up.  This works if you start larger and gradually go down.  You won’t always have this luxury of unlimited sizes with vintage suits but in modern suits it will work better.

Motorcycle Shirts Without the Big “H”

The “biker jacket” is in style this fall for men and ladies.  A conversation started between a friend and myself about all the gear out there that is emblazoned with Harley logos.  What about other bikes? Of course, part of the appeal of Harley is that the bikes are made in the USA, but what about goldwing accessories, as the bikes have a very fervent following?

I actually found a Goldwing shirt on the web that had a little style to it.  It is not the typical “put a logo on the chest and we’re done.”  I would really be curious to see what the back of the shirt looks like.  I read that it does have the Golfwing logo top and center.  Oh, and it also comes in pink for the ladies.  They are both available at Goldwingcountry.com

How Skinny Can You Go?

These hot red and black vintage ties were on  sale in the “Fit for a Vintage Gent” section of InColdStorage.Etsy.com in honor of this blog.  They have long since sold, but they are still worth mentioning. One is a standard width at 2 1/2″, is textured silk that was sold at Marsh’s.  The other is a black skinny tie at only 1 3/4″ wide with fluer de lys.  It was made by Pilgrim.

One could definitely take these two ties on a trip where the ability to be a clothes horse is limited.  One could stretch your wardrobe without having to bring an additional suit, as the two go with the same color palettes, yet differe in width and look to make one look like they are wearing a whole different outfit.  The condition is impeccable, and they would be equally suited for the collector, or for someone who just wants to look good.

It made me think of how skinny ties have been as far as mainstream fashion goes.  Does a bolo count?  If not, to me, 2″ seems to be the thinnest.  What’s the thinnest that you have seen?

Etiquette on Fake Diamonds and AlmostDiamonds.Com Review

I used to discuss etiquette a bit more on this site, and a reader’s note reminded me of how much I miss it. If you have any etiquette questions related to fashion, etiquette from back in the day or just general lady and gentlemanliness, feel free to leave me a comment and I will do my best to answer it.

The question the reader posed was as follows:

Q:  Is giving or receiving fake diamond rings, or more so Fake Diamond Engagement Rings, a faux pax?  Not everyone can afford a big rock, and it seems that a lot of people trade them in anyways for something they rather have.

A:  I’m glad that you asked.

There are several things to consider here. Firstly, let’s go with the scenario that both parties are on the same page and are comfortable with the idea.  If both parties were on the same page, then I see no fashion crime committed. While it may not be the view you would expect me to take, this is a case where love trumps money.

Some individuals rightfully believe that the marriage is more important than the ring. If a nervous groom and blushing bride don’t have the funds to throw an expensive fete, or even a mid range fete, and it is the difference between waiting to buy a $2,000-10,000 diamond ring or proposing now, then a stand in might be an option.  It can be upgraded to a real diamond for an anniversary in the future, or all involved might be happy with the original.

In fact, Cubic Zirconia Engagement Ringsare a great option when you are traveling and don’t want to risk losing a ring on a scuba diving trip. A new bride may want to show off her new husband and new ring to new friends, but wants the real one to stay in the safe deposit box. When flashing someone a ring, you can’t really tell that its not white gold and is sterling silver  (I recommend going with sterling silver for longevity rather than a composite metal…that is a definite) instead. Of course, a jeweler would, but in a normal social setting it would be unquestioned. Of course, if the stone is extremely large, then it might be.

I also know many people who are in the manufacturing business, in trades, or work on farms.  They might need to leave their engagement ring off most of the time for safety reasons.  They may feel it is a better investment to put money in the band, rather than in a bauble they won’t wear.  They may appreciate a fake diamond to wear in social settings.  Oh, and don’t forget theatrical productions and films where it would break the budget to buy real.

When a fashion crime may be committed is when you find the most outlandish ring you can for daily wear.  Just like wearing a ten carat diamond, it may come across as pretentious.  Just consider the person receiving it, and if you are the one wearing it, consider the overall style you usually prefer.

Next, let’s go with the scenario where the bride to be is in the dark.  If one party is being dishonest to the other and pointing out , and passing them off as real, then that is another issue entirely. Marriage should be built on honesty and trust, and starting out by being deliberately dishonest to someone is not the way to go.  I suggest instead of proposing, you examine if you have been honest to your spouse to be in other areas of your life.  If this is the only glaring omission if you follow through with it, I would come clean.  Test the waters to see if your idea will fly and if it doesn’t, go right to Plan B and get a diamond.  Have it come up in conversation.  You can talk about “a friend of yours” or talk about fake rings in general and that you think they are great for whatever reason.  Then let that open up the discussion. You really should know your spouse to be well enough by now to know if it is a good idea to even approach the topic or not.

Of course, this shouldn’t replace everyone’s giving and getting of a diamond, but it is not a complete fashion “no”.

AlmostDiamonds.com is where we got the photos from.  They have a wide selection of faux diamonds for any budget.

Lose Those Trashy Trends

LG is throwing down a challenge on their LG Bliss Facebook Fan Page. They are looking for you to “drop off” the most hideously ugly things that you are brave enough to upload a photo of that are currently in your life. In exchange, you will be entered to win a $50 gift card or a new LG Bliss phone.  There will five individuals who will win the phone, and fifty second place winners who will win gift cards.  Either way, it seems like a sweet deal to me.

One suggestion they make is to upload Ugly-mobiles that are making a “nonstop trip to ugly town,” mutant macines (outdated, hideous electronics), and my favorite, Trashy Trends (fabulously ugly fashion.)   Unfortunately, I was not particularly trendy during the 1980s, a decade ripe for potentially poorly fashion choices, particularly because I favored looking for unfashionable 1940s clothing at the local thrift.  In this case, I would envy my friends who were fashion victims, and decided that Flock of Seagulls hair was the way to go. They would have a winning photo for sure.

A few years ago, I came across this 70s fashion photo for Mr. Wrangler.  Too bad I didn’t keep the whole magazine, but I had found it damaged beyond repair.  I scanned the ad to save it for posterity.   The gentleman on the right needs no words to elaborate on that look.  I keep wondering if the man on the left stole someone’s boots, cut the shafts off and sewed them to his pants. I was wondering if this would qualify, and the rules say I can upload “anything” I find ugly, so I can!  Of course, some of you may disagree and say these guys are the epitome of hip.  Well, the hip of yesteryear can be the ugly of today.

You can only enter once per Facebook account.  In other words, think long and hard and make it good!  Contest ends November 6, 2009.  Entries are not limited to images; you can upload a video if you prefer.  Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, but images of violence or related “ugly behavior” will be disqualified.

If you enter and use a bad judgement of fashion, let me know.  I would love to see it.  Let me know if I can only look at it in a reflection like an encounter with Medusa, the poster child for ugly itself, or do I dare look at it straight on?

The Rules Aren’t Hazy, Only the Vision

Lasik eye surgery has been around for quite awhile now. In fact, clinics have been performing it for over a decade.  Not everyone jumped on the bandwagon.  The appeal to the individuals who had it done was getting rid of their glasses.  The same reason was what kept some people I knew away from it.  They saw it just as a vanity expense.  Nowadays, the way technology has changed, many people who were out of the correctable range of vision are finding benefit from it.

By the way, if you think you have a vision problem because clips on TV of Barbara Walters or Barbra Streisand are blurry, you might have perfect vision.  A dab of vaseline or a filter was put on the lens to give them a gaussian, wrinkle free blur.   Please change the channel to determine if you should see a doctor.

They have contests for everything these days. Would you believe there is an iLASIK Video Contest, where the grand prize is $5,000. Since they can’t really give away a surgery because they can’t guarantee the winner would be medically eligible, you could definitely put the money towards the surgery if you wanted.   Three  1st place winners will receive a $2,500 HDTV package.  Three 2nd place winners will receive the Flip UltraHD™video camera.

The categories are as follows:

• “My contacts are getting in the way of my good time”
• “My favorite sport or activity would be so much cooler with better vision”
• “You should see life after the iLASIK® Procedure”

Once you make and submit a video, get your friends to vote.  If you enter, be sure to leave me a comment, so I can watch it and cheer you on.

Dior Receives Recognition for Iconic Logo

Almost one year ago, I reported that it was the 40th anniversary of the The Major League Baseball Logo. Jerry Dior, who worked for Sandgren and Murtha at the time, created it to commemorate the 100th anniversary of of the league back in 1968.

According to MLB.com:

Chosen by a committee that included ex-Yankees president Mike Burke and former Commissioner Bowie Kuhn, Dior’s vision was unveiled that fall. Framed by the words “100th Anniversary,” it appeared on uniforms for the first time during the 1969 season.

Dior never received royalties or recognition during the past four decades. Many designers, as required by terms of employment understand that aside form a byline, the company they are hired to work for own the rights to the work.  It is possible that they may never be recognized by name for an image or a design.   On Tuesday, the MLB announced their acknowledgement of his contribution. Dior even appeared at Yankee Stadium and was introduced to the fans.  It appears that Dior was never seeking any sort of compensation, just the legacy for his children and grandchildren to tell stories to future generations about what their grandfather did.

Party Like a Rockstar…Or a Wannabe

There are many reality shows that are basically an exercise in rubber necking. You can’t look away from the train wreck. One of the most cloying tactics is when producers try to set up situations to get the participants drunk or in the hot tub. The participants go along with it thinking perhaps that they will be talked about and famous. I remember even on Hell’s Kitchen, there was an awkward hot tub moment last season. I am sure the folks competing go back to the hotel and unwind in the pool, but it appeared to be a set up to see what would happen between two characters with some chemistry, or at least a gal who was trying to befriend the guy’s team. Nothing happened.

There are no strained set ups in truTV’s Rehab, which airs on Tuesday nights. Rather than being a reality show with a staged concept, the party is real and the footage is real. It’s not reality tv, its actuality tv. We are just flies on the wall. The party takes place at the Hard Rock Hotel, and you will meet high rolling guests, and a staff who tries their best to keep things down to a dull roar. Okay, they don’t keep things down to a dull roar but prevent things from going to heck in a hand basket. Most of the folks there would be at the Hard Rock Hotel anyway, rather than having been auditioned.

The whole show makes me want to reach into the screen and slap someone. I want to shower them with etiquette books, and then send everyone back to their rooms. Then I said to myself, “Why the heck am I watching this?” They say at truTV that the effect is “actual,” that I am supposed to have a reaction, and I do! That is called truth in advertising right there.  Darn it, they got me again!

Beatles “Come Together” with CGI Beards

I was just simply fascinated by the new Beatles Rock Band video game commercial. Clips of the Fab Four from the Let it Be sessions were spliced in seamlessly with new footage of modern day extras. Of course, in “Let it Be,” John and George were beardless. They used the magic of CGI to add beards so they matched the look of the Abbey Road time frame, in order to use the iconic street crossing scene in the same ad and making it seem like it was happening just a moment or two before.  There were some folks on the internet that believed that an actor stood in to play John, but that is most definitely him.  It may be because they are used to seeing that clip of him smiling from “Let it Be” and with the beard it doesn’t look quite right to them.

I would love to see a “makings of” video. If anyone has something to that order, please leave a comment so I can check it out.

There were a few commercials in the past that have used old footage. There was a commercial that I can’t seem to find that had Humphrey Bogart in a bar. This earlier Coors commercial features John Wayne. There is a big difference in the quality of the execution. Wayne doesn’t have as much contact with the other actors, and it is hard to tell with the poor video quality, but the quality of the film Wayne is on does not appear to be the same as the rest of the scene. (By the way, Wayne appears at about :34 seconds into the clip.)

Missed Your Show? No Problem

Back in the day, there used to be such a thing as “appointment viewing.” A good show was on at a particular time and you scheduled your life around it. Inconvenient? Well, it wasn’t then. People watched Ed Sullivan or any other given show and it became a cultural event. Strangers had something in common to talk about. Now, with the hundreds and even thousands of stations on free television, pay cable, and satellite, there isn’t the same type of collective viewing experience. There is so much on that you can’t possibly watch it all.  Stations obliged by rerunning the same show several times a week. What if you can’t even catch it then?

There are several websites where you can watch shows online. However, you usually have to bop around quite a bit because the sites are scattered all over the internet. Some networks use some, some use others. One that sort of consolidates it all in one place. Spreety TV Online : Watch TV Shows Online Free. They don’t host all the videos of all the shows, but if they don’t, they have links to exactly where all the shows will be. It certainly saves a lot of time and you just might find something you didn’t know you needed to watch, but now absolutely have to put on your “must see” list.

Are You The Conversation If You Sit On A Conversation Piece?

ELTE has been providing furniture and lighting in toronto since 1944. I found quite a few arm chairs that would fit into a very Art Moderne style of decor, hidden in their “traditional” section. However, what stopped me short was this piano stool. I can’t exactly decide what fashion movement it represents, and I have never seen anything quite like it. It has a traditional vibe with the nail heads leather, that appears to have a hint of oiling to it, or patina. The open legs instead of the traditional four legs or tripod give it a more modern flavor.  I haven’t decided if this stool reminds me of something a sea captain would sit on in a map room, or if it would be more at home in a library or smoking room.

The price is $775.00 Canadian.  Today, but maybe not other days, it translates to about $689.46 in American dollars.  I won’t be evicting my dining room chairs and replacing them with them, but they certainly are a conversation piece.  That’s an interesting question.  Is something only a conversation piece when there is one of them?  When there are more, does it diminish their uniqueness or make the conversation just last longer.   That is something to ponder.

Rolex by The Pound

(At left, a vintage Rolex advertisement.  If I were flying the Concorde tomorrow, I probably would be able to afford to buy a Rolex, because that would be quite a salary!)

I have told you before that I used to chuckle about the story my dad told me about his adventure in Tijuana. When he was in his late teens or early twenties, he took a cross country road trip with his buddies, and ended up in Tijuana just for kicks. They bought a Rolex that stopped working the minute they reentered the United States. Of course, it was fake, but the whole point was to buy a counterfeit Rolex on purpose just to say they did. Instead of the street salesman of yesteryear, most people didn’t wander into a situation where they would see a Rolex if they weren’t in the market. Now, they are all over the internet. There was a site that offered vintage Rolexes that I once saw, but now there are sites like www.bestoftime.com that are following the big box model of price wars. They buy Rolexes in a certain quantity, so they are able to pass the savings on to you.  They also buy preowned Rolexes.   Most of the shops started out as independent jewelers.

This concept just seems a little strange to me when it comes to an item like this, where people are favoring authenticity over any sort of “best deal.” I never imagine Rolex wearers shopped around for the best price, and rather thought they went with someone they trusted, even if they paid a little more.  I never knew that there were pricing controls on Rolexes, but there are!  Some speculate that it just rises as the exchange rate changes, but I have never seen the prices go down to adjust for it when the exchange rates dip.  The way that some places get around them are to buy in such bulk or to buy pre-owned Rolexes and resell them.

I always think that if you are looking for high quality at a low price, you won’t always find it unless you buy vintage or second hand, which gives you a lot more bang for your buck.   If you are looking at a major jewelry purchase, I encourage you to shop around for something that fits into that category.   No one will point out that you are wearing a watch from a bunch of seasons ago, they will just think you look spiffy.  Also, if you are buying a high ticket item, or something with diamonds in it, be sure to have it appraised so you know what you are getting if you are not an expert and you pay a precious penny.

I did a little sleuthing and discovered that the website is dba Alex’s Jewelry, which is a chain in the Atlanta area.  They have physical stores, rather than just being a drop shipper.   I found a few addresses in the area such as in Sandy Springs and in the city proper, if you are looking to research the business further.   I would suggest if you are buyinga high ticket item over the internet, that you don’t just research if the pricing is competitive, but you also see what the Better Business Bureau has listed.   They don’t always indicate if a business is stellar, but merely if there are any complaints.   However, that is a helpful start.