Shoulder Season. . .

"Take the picture!"  Clowning around on the way back to campus after lunch.

Today was one of those brilliant mid-September day that we never get enough of.  Bright, blue skies and cool temperatures without being chilly.  The perfect day for combining a few summer and fall items for an attempt at a shoulder season look.  Here's a breakdown of everything pictured above:


* Canali Houndstooth Wool/Silk Jacket -- From An Affordable Wardrobe
* Zanella Charcoal Wool Pants -- Ebay
* Orange and Brown Italian Silk Pocket Square -- Thrifted
* Green Bachrach Wool Tie -- Thrifted
* Land's End Shirt -- Purchased on Sale  
* Land's End Chocolate Brown Leather Belt -- Purchased New
* Allen Edmonds Chocolate Brown Suede Brogues -- Purchased New 
* Von Mauer Crazy Green and Blue Striped Socks -- Purchased on Sale


The jackets is a 40 Long and, accordingly, slightly long, but then my torso is slightly longer than average. It does not look too bad to my eyes, fitting neatly across the upper back and chest with only enough room for a balled fist against my stomach when buttoned.  I like it though I've toyed with the idea of having it shortened an inch or so, but haven't yet done so.  Often 40 Regulars are a tad too short on me anyway, so I have several "longs" in my wardrobe hanging beside a number of "regulars" too. . .  along with the odd 39L and 41R.  It just goes to show that there is little standardization of size across, and even within, brands.  

If you look closely, the left shoulder of the jacket looks a bit odd here given my quirky and exaggerated stance in the above photo.  My left shoulder was, in fact, also broken in a very bad car accident almost 30 years ago, and it is a bit lower than my right according to my tailor Mrs. V.  When I am standing up straight and still, however, the shoulders of this particular jacket hang cleanly straight down as they should without drooping or forming divots.  So, I don't worry too much about it having shoulders that are bolder than current tastes deem acceptable. 

The orange/brown pocket square goes with nothing else color or pattern wise as far as today's attire is concerned.  My current approach is to have one small item, usually the pocket square, that is a little off.  You know.  To avoid the dreaded GQ and Esquire matchy-matchy syndrome.  This particular square seems to work nicely with autumn and winter ensembles given its colors, so I pulled it from the pocket square jar on my dresser this morning, and away we went.

The combination of clothing above is not quite perfect, perhaps, but I received a couple of nice compliments today anyway, so I must be doing something right.  As with so much else in life, working to kick up one's everyday style several notches is an ongoing (and infinitely fun) journey. 

-- Heinz-Ulrich