Northeasterners complain about the weather incessantly, and I'm just as guilty of this as the next guy. It's always too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, and we generally get a total of five and a half weeks of truly pleasant weather a year. Thankfully, this past week saw a break in the awful winter we've been having in which we've seen temperatures in the high freezing my ass off and about 6,963,096 inches of snow and ice. Sure, I'll take the nice weather, but what the hell am I supposed to wear when it's fifty-five degrees in February?
These days are a rare opportunity to mix seasonal color palettes and textures and actually get away with it. Since I clearly fancy myself a man of style, I was proud of the outfit I rocked the other day and decided to use it as an example here. Bite whatever you like about it, but in the meantime, here's the breakdown:
Sport coat: This is the same one that I picked up back in October or November and have worn nearly every day since. It's neither too light nor too dark and has flecks of blue and rust colors in there. Typically it's great in the fall as outerwear or in winter as something worn underneath an overcoat, so it made sense in February.
Sweater: Bright yellow cotton crew neck. It's casual and relatively chunky and is generally a great option in the springtime, but hey, it was sunny outside, so why not? And although the color is super bright and maybe a bit loud, it's tempered by the coat and the next piece.
Shirt: This blue gingham number is probably my favorite dress shirt. The scale plays nicely with other patterns, it's a great shade of medium blue, the collar has a great spread to it, and it works in any season. Since blue and yellow are primary colors, the shirt goes well with the sweater, as does:
The tie: I picked this guy up at Club Monaco because they were having some ridiculous sale and it was nine bucks. The colors sync with both shirt and sweater, and the scale of the stripe is larger than that of the check, making for a nice contrast.
Pocket square: Red and blue like the tie, but not identical. I also just dig the dots because they're playful and a little irreverent.
Jeans: Slightly washed-out dark jawns. Always a solid anchor for nearly anything that doesn't require you to wear dress clothing.
Footwear: These entirely baller British Tan wingtips are typically only good in the spring and summer, but again, it was sunny out and they made sense. And yes, the socks are loud as hell, but the green coordinates well with both blue and yellow, and the white stripes link back to the stripes in the tie. A little symmetry can go a long way.
Climate change is here gentlemen, and a lot of the rules about seasonal appropriateness (i.e. no white pants before Memorial Day) might end up going out the window in the next few decades, so it's best to practice new modes now. If Mother Nature isn't going to stick to a script for the weather, you shouldn't be expected to stick to one when it comes to dressing for it.
I certainly love that kind of weather, that's everyday California weather you've just described! We get those 200 days out of the year followed by maybe 30 rainy days and 100 scorching days and the occasional hailing and etc.
ReplyDeleteI certainly do like the zaniness of the outfit, it has a lot of spring colors, but you're rockin' the sweaters and tweed jacket while you still can. I've also found a jacket I love to death, but I'll be really sad to part with it once the weather starts scorching in California; it's an old brown velvet sport coat, my only complaint is that it has no vents, but it was pre-tailored,and I didn't even have to get it taken in, and I found it in perfect condition with the pricetag still on it at the thrift store! It'd be a little bit too much for me to bring it out and wear it as a high school student, but I like to wear it when going out to town with friends, or the like.
I like my jeans on the darker side, I recently bought some Raw Levi 511s that were jsut a size larger than I was, but that's wasn't much of a problem, I'm still into the jean habit with the occasional chino and twill pant.
As for shoes, love them! What kind are those? I've been seriously considering a pair of either brown wingtips or brown boat shoes.