Inspired by a post by Laguna Beach Trad about his tutor and sartorial mentor, I give you one Col. Robert “Bob” Lynch, (USA, dec.), substitute teacher, St. Stephen’s Episcopal School for Boys, 1983.

“Cox, Thomas C.?”
“Present, Sir.”
“Any relation to Col. Tom Cox, U.S. Army?”
“Yes sir, my father, sir.”
“I served with him. Good man.”

I wish a had a picture of this man in all his Churchillian presence. He was commanding presence in the classroom, big and solid, iron maned, and florid of complexion when inspired. He was every inch “an officer and a gentleman,” a product of a different era.

When he retired from active duty, he adopted a uniform of a different sort.

He joined another long grey line of men who were clad in Brooks Brothers suits. His were three piece in oxford grey or darker colors.

(Brooks Brothers Regent Suit)

He wore conservative stripes or small, neat patterns on his ties…

(Ralph Lauren Tie)

(Ralph Lauren Savile Row Micro Spot Tie)

… which were always shown to great effect on blindingly white, starched, spread collar, french (double)cuffed shirts.

(Purple Label Shirt by Ralph Lauren)

The blaze of white echoed in his breast pocket by a linen pocket square which he would use to wipe his brow if need be.

(Irish Linen Pocket Square by Cable Car Clothiers)

I don’t recall his cufflinks, I’m sure they were discreet. Or his watch — was it a pocket watch? I believe he wore a signet ring in addition to his wedding band.

(Signet Ring through eBay)

He led from the front, standing and lecturing, feet firmly planted in what we used to call “gunboat wingtips” that were probably by Florsheim or Alden, moving confidently to the blackboard to dispense wisdom.

(”Callipygian, gentlemen, is the word you’re looking for.”)

(Florsheim Imperial Kenmoore through Zappos.com)

I understand that Col. Lynch passed away in 2002, 20 years after he became a teacher.
FACUL(T)Y
COL ROBERT E. LYNCH, USA
Colonel Lynch a member of the ICAF faculty
1974-1976 and a Correspondence Program grad-
uate died of a pulmonary embolism on 25
January 2002 at Virginia Hospital Center. He
was 78. Colonel Lynch resided in Arlington and
was a native of Wintrhop Mass. He received his
bachelor’’degree from the University of Mass.,
and a master’s degree in Business Administration
from the University of North Carolina. He was
also a graduate of the Army Command and
General Staff College and the Army War College.
During World War II he served as a Combat
Engineer in Europe and subsequently served in
combat during both the Korean War and the
Vietnam War. Colonel Lynch spent much of his
military career in education and administrative
posts. In addition to his faculty service at ICAF,
he taught social sciences at the US Military
Academy. From 1969-1973 he was Deputy
Adjutant General of the Army, and from 1976-
1979 he was President of the Physical Evaluation
Board at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
After retirement from the Army in 1979 he taught
Russian and Far Eastern History at St. Stephens
and St. Agnes School in Alexandria for 20 years
retiring again in 1999 but continuing on a part-
time basis until August 2001. He is survived by
his wife of 50 years, Mary Helen Lynch, three
daughters and three granddaughters.
(From the Tiger Times.)

His are big shoes to fill. I’m glad I knew him.

“1999 was the year the Indian Nuclear Satellite went out of control. No one knew where it might land. It soared above the ozone layer like a lethal bird of prey. The whole world was alarmed… Claire couldn’t care less. At the time, she was living her own nightmare. The same dream arrived each night. She was gliding over an unknown land, pleasantly at first, but then the gliding would turn into falling, the falling into panic, and then she’d wake up.”

Nice beginning, huh? Then throw in Max Von Sydow, Sam Neill and William Hurt dressed in 1940’s inspired clothing and a soundtrack of music specifically composed for the film — featuring, among others, Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Talking Heads, U2 — and I was hooked…

Watching Wim Wenders movies make me feel like I do when I read a Paul Auster novel, vaguely superior for having done so. Regardless of my understanding of them.

The exception to the rule is Until the End of the World

1999 turned out to be less bleak than depicted. But the movie still feels like a memory — or a dream– that you can’t shake.

Filmed in 15 cities in seven countries and on four continents, this may be the ultimate road movie. The screenplay was written by Wenders and Peter Carey. Although I’ve heard that Solveig Dommartin, who plays Claire, the protagonist, had a hand in it. She was Wenders girlfriend at the time, but is uncredited as a writer on his website. Because they were denied rights to film in China, Wenders gave her a handheld digital camera and sent her on vacation. The resulting “video diary” (vlog?) is emailed and becomes part of the story of Claire’s adventures. (N.B. Ms. Dommartin died at age 45 in 2007.)

So if you need to pick an appropriate movie to watch on the day after Earth Day, you may want to settle in for the three hour visual feast, if you can find it.

This month’s GQ has an article about a former GQ staffer who relocates to Washington D.C. and discovers that he is dangerously fashionable, although he is a bit plain for NYC (”Mr. GQ Goes to Washington” by Greg Veis).

Or as he puts it: “Also: pleats. Lots of pants down here be pleated. It’s crazy.”

Which sort of raises the question: who is that GQ guy that the magazine seeks to influence? In high school, I was deemed “very GQ.” Makes sense, I was in high school, trying to look like a bit of an adult (as we did back in the stone ages.) But GQ is an acronym for “Gentleman’s Quarterly.” The mascot found on the spine of the magazine is a 1930’s sculpture that used to sit on the late Art Cooper’s desk (he was the editor.) It is of a well-dressed man.

So who is going to help that guy above?

In my opinion, most magazines, GQ included, have lost their way when it comes to what the real world man (by that I mean any man over 30) wants to wear and looks good in. Sure they show flashes of classic style influence. But then comes the fashionable stuff that sells magazines and advertisers.

For example, flat front trousers are great when you’re standing up at a cocktail party. Less comfortable for extended hours on the plane flying business class let alone coach. But trousers haven’t always been pleated. Trousers used to highlight a well-muscled leg and slim physique. They were tight… As a matter of fact, trousers came along around 1800. Before that we wore pantaloons. Yikes.

“Pleats,” the fashion maven will insist, ” still look sloppy.”

So what we have here is a failure to communicate. A disconnect, if you will, between the fashion industry and the business district. And even more so with the professional tailors.

Pleats, I assert, do not look sloppy. Improperly tailored and ill-worn trousers look sloppy. (See above.)

But how many men do you know who take the time to have clothing properly tailored — chalked up while they’re wearing it, pinned, measured and noted? I wonder.

Properly tailored trousers with pleats look neat when worn correctly. That is when they fall from the natural waist in a clean unbroken line and finish the line of a suit. That’s hard to pull off unless you are wearing braces (called “suspenders” here in America) and the trousers are cuffed to add some weight to the bottom.

Do most men wear braces these days? I suspect not. Which means that their trousers are slipping under their bellies to rest more or less at the hip. Which makes the pleats expand. And ruins the whole effect.

How did we get here?

The elegant 1930’s pleats and cuffs fell by the wayside around WWII when cloth rationing went into effect. All that extra gabardine and serge was needed to help defeat the Axis. Then came the space age, with its emphasis on modernity and streamlined silhouettes. Pleats were still around, not everywhere, but evident. They were just shallower. And sooner or later the pendulum swung again and morning in America revealed the power suit and the accompanying full cut, multi-pleated trousers. Designers really got into the swing of things putting out trousers of proportions unseen since the hep got gone with their zoot suits with the reet pleat.

Did we start to work more? Exercise less? Or just eat to expand to fit our newly voluminous clothing? Who knows? But it all started to get to be a bit much for some folks who craved “comfort.” Especially the newly minted techno-millionaire/start-up class who got the job done while wearing clothing more suitable to painting an apartment or doing yard work.

As Americans we worship success and hope to emulate the formula of those who have achieved it. So we were saddled with Casual Friday, then casual everyday. And tailors everywhere must have gone hungry. We forgot how clothes are supposed to look when confronted with the world wearing 36″ x 32″ khakis and golf shirts. Comfortable clothing, the rational stated, allowed us free range to work longer and be happier.

It was a short step to complete slovenliness.

(Image Land’s End)

But things are coming back around. That same issue of GQ has Scott Schuman a.k.a. The Sartorialist shooting the best suits under $500. Sure they’re on the slim side with low rises based on the way that we wear our ubiquitous jeans, making it unnecessary to wear braces (or a belt in some cases.) But at least there is an effort being made by some to have us look better. Will these looks play in Peoria? Maybe among the younger (toned and tan) set.

And eventually, in a season or two, you’ll begin to see full-cut pleated trousers again and men can breathe a sigh of relief while heading to their tailors.

For we have all learned that fit is most important when there is less material in which to hide one’s flaws.