I had another enjoyable luncheon with the man I met last year. His sartorial choices are always fun to witness. He is what would have been called Preppy in the 80’s, or HUB for you Stillman fans. Dyed in the madras, as it were.
Now I haven’t worn shorts for anything beyond yard work or dashes into Duck, NC for supplies in years. I’m middle-aged and it seems unseemly, but here is a man, just a few years my senior, who cheerfully paired khaki Bermuda shorts with Gucci loafers (his were brown),
a rakishly striped polo shirt (if I ventured to guess, I’d say J Press)
and a hopsack blazer (white square).
It helps that he is slender, tanned and actually has that prep school pedigree in spades (Connecticut schooling, followed by a men-only college in Virginia and stints in New York and Washington D.C. for work…..) Why does it help? Because he wears the cloths unself-consciously, as he has for most of his adult life, and therefore they are authentic to his lifestyle.
Which in my world is an interesting thing to contemplate.
What do you get away with wearing because of your background or heritage, geographical location, etcetera that would look slightly off-kilter on someone else?
Discuss, I’m off to find one of those shirts, they look comfortable.
You should wear the clothes, not let the clothes wear you.
I believe it is UHB, Urban Haute Bourgeoisie, and yes I too wore Gucci loafers (in brown with red/green insert) with khaki Bermuda shorts and a white LaCoste with the shirt tail out ( they were long in the back then) in college during the late seventies and caught no end of grief for it, maybe I needed the blazer. On another topic I applaud your sartorial ethos keep up the good work, America needs more well dressed fashion icons ( Chris Cox) who lead by example these days to help it get turned around and to repel the barbarians (middle aged men dressing like thirteen year olds) at the gate. Thank you and don’t ever stop writing you have a true gift and speaking of that how about writing a men’s fashion and manners book, let me know I will order several.