Put This On

Leader of the free world.

He’s in the club.

;)

Starting to get reports of Gentlemen’s Association squares from our second round of production arriving. These ones are made of fine wool (it’s winter!) in a rich orange and a deep purple, with a floral print. Totally amazing, if I do say so myself (I do, if you’re wondering).

Jesse just got interviewed by Say. Big thanks to the folks over there for giving us some shine!

Also, for those curious about Bobby from Boston, which Jesse mentions in the interview, check out this video on Bobby Garnett. 

We Got It For Free: Marshall Anthony tie

A relatively new men’s clothier, Marshall Anthony, recently sent me one of their indigo raw silk ties. I’m usually skeptical of new neckwear brands, but this time, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Marshall Anthony’s raw silks are somewhat like Drake’s tussahs or the raw silks that Ralph Lauren used to put out many years ago. They’re slubby, but lighter in weight and much easier to knot than Drake’s shantungs. In addition, they have slight color striations, which give them some visual interest. You can see the striations in the main picture above.

Most of Marshall Anthony’s ties are padded with a wool interlining, but these raw silks feature a wool and cotton blend. Caron Gabriel, one of the designers behind the company, explained to me that because of the slubby nature of the raw silk, they decided to go with a blend in order to make sure the tie wasn’t too bulky or too thin. I found the effect to be just that; it dimples well, makes a nicely sized knot, and gives an arched drape. As well, despite it not being made with a pure wool interlining, the tie still relaxes and resets easily after a day’s wear. 

Everything the company produces is handmade. The ties are individually cut and sewn by hand, and if they’re untipped, they feature hand rolled edges. Untipped, hand rolled finishing is something I’ve come to really appreciate on casual ties, so it’s great to see it on raw silk. The widths are 3.25”, which fits in well with today’s modern slim look, but still stays within the range of tradition. Likewise, their bow ties are 4.5” in width and 2.5” in height. Not too large, not too small. 

Caron tells me they have some big plans for 2012. They plan to expand the brand into a full menswear line, which will eventually include everything from suits to shoes to outerwear. For now, they’re working on continuing their neckwear line and building in a new shirt collection. They also have a program where customers can send in older neckties they no longer wear and have them turned into custom bow ties. Give them a look when you have a chance. 

Q and Answer: The Partially-Lined Blazer

Layton writes: I recently bought a Paul Stuart tweed blazer on eBay. I’m happy with the way it looks on me, but it seems to be missing the liner on the inside that all blazers and suit jackets I have ever worn or seen have. Did the seller remove the liner, or are some blazers sold without one?

A jacket’s lining has three purposes.

The primary functional purpose is to allow the coat to slide freely on and off, and to hang freely when worn. The lining also provides some measure of additional warmth, and it covers up the guts of the coat, meaning that seams can be left unfinished without looking sloppy.

Until the latter part of the 20th century, the norm was for coats to be made from heavier fabric (for drape), with lining only where necessary. That meant that the sleeves would be lined (so your shirt wouldn’t catch), the shoulders would be lined (so that the back would hang smoothly without bunching), and the chest would be lined (to cover the canvassing and provide for pockets). This meant that exposed seams - in the back of the coat and sometimes in the lower part of the front as well - had to be taped (wrapped with a sewn ribbon) so they’d be presentable and durable.

When the suit coat became a mass-produced product, manufacturers realized that it was cheaper just to leave the seams unfinished and cover them up with a lining. Things were a bit more clammy in a fully-lined coat, but this was less important as the jacket’s primary cloth became more and more lightweight.

When one finds a partially-lined coat these days, it’s generally either a high-end product or designed for summer wear. Since I prefer to wear a heavier cloth, given the opportunity, I like a less-lined coat when possible.

The lining, by the way, is almost always made of bemberg, an early semi-synthetic fabric (invented in the teens) made from plants. If your suit is lined with polyester, it’s probably crap. (If it’s lined with silk, you’re probably super sweaty.)

Go Easy on the Wax

I recently bought a new pair of Crockett and Jones Belgraves from a seller I found online. I was able to get them at a nice discount, but when they arrived, they had thin white creases in certain parts of the leather. I figured the leather must have been just dry, so I treated it with some conditioner. Even after a few treatments, however, they didn’t go away. In fact, when I worn them around a bit, awful white lines would appear wherever the leather would bend. 

Then it occurred to me - the seller must have caked on a bunch of neutral shoe polish wax. He didn’t know how to properly shine shoes. The result is something like the picture you see above, even though the shoes were new. 

The best way to get rid of heavy wax build-up is to use Lexol leather cleaner. “Mixed” solutions such as Allen Edmonds conditioner and cleaner won’t be enough (though they’re still good for regular maintenance). If the build-up is especially bad, you might even have to run your fingernail over the stitches and around the pinking (the zig zag detailing). That’s what I found myself doing last night for about an hour.

The problem with having so much wax build-up is that it not only creates ugly creases (particularly if you use a neutral wax), but it also prevents the leather from absorbing any conditioner, which means it will eventually dry out. To avoid this, go easy on the wax, and every once in a while, use some Lexol leather cleaner to wipe away any build-up. Remember that a little wax goes a long, long way.

Or, if you prefer, just stick to cream polish. You won’t get as much protection from the elements, or perhaps even as high of a shine, but at least your shoes will never look like the ones above. 

Get More from PTO!

In case you haven’t been paying attention, there are two great ways to get more from Put This On.

The Put This On Gentlemen’s Association

We travel the world, finding fabrics to make into pocket squares for the Put This On Gentlemen’s Association. Then they’re cut and finished by hand in Los Angeles (really by hand, with a pair of shears and a needle & thread) and sent across the globe every other month. Memberships start at just $45 per square, which is about 40% less than you’d pay in a store. We take a very small markup on these pieces, but we love to make them, and we cut out the middlemen so we can share them with you for a very reasonable price.

If you sign up for a year’s membership, you not only get half a dozen squares, your first order comes with a white linen square, which (while our stock lasts) is made from deadstock Irish linen from the 1950s.

You can sign up for the Gentlemen’s Association here. And you can even give the Gentlemen’s Association as a gift!

The Put This On Inside Track

Many of our readers write to tell us that one of their favorite Put This On features is our eBay Roundup posts. We spend hours and hours every week combing the auction site for rare and unusual men’s clothing and accessories.

We make three lists every week. Two of them we post for our hundreds of thousands of readers to peruse, but one of them is only accessible for members of the Inside Track.

Membership in the Inside Track is cheap - just five bucks a month. You’ll save many times that every time you buy something… and the money supports our editorial efforts her at PTO.

Sign up for the Inside Track today.

eBay Round Up

Jesse, Kenn, and I found some great items yesterday. Included are some Drake’s ties, nice pocket squares, and a pair of expensive, though beautiful, Saint Crispin shortwings. 

If you don’t see anything you like here, click on these links for excellent suits, good suits, and well made footwear. They’ll help you hone-in on higher quality items, and if you narrow your search further using the navigation bar on the left, you’ll almost be sure to find some great deals. 

Suits, sport coats, and blazers

• Holland & Holland tweed, 38
• Belvest navy double breasted jacket, 38
• Swaine Adeney checked tweed, 38
• Henry Poole double breasted suit, 40
• Brooks Brothers tweed suit, 41
• Battistoni grey striped suit, 42
• Seraphin leather jacket, 42
• Davies & Sons guncheck sport coat, 42 (pictured above)
• Piombo grey checked jacket, 42
• Holland & Sherry three button suit, 42
• Paul Stuart navy blazer, 42L
• Purdey tweed, 42L
• Chipp tuxedo, 44