Put This On

Thoughts on Buying Good Sweaters

The best time to purchase sweaters is at the end of the season, when the fall/ winter stock gets discounted by fifty percent or more. The best time to shop for sweaters, however, is now, so that you can give yourself a few months time to figure out what you want and not be rushed into impulse buys come January. So, if you’re out browsing for sweaters, I’d suggest the following:

Low- to mid-tier purchases: If your budget is limited, I recommend aiming for sweaters made out of lambswool, Shetland, or merino wools. The first two, all things being equal, are harder-wearing. I also think they can often have more visual depth in their texture and color than most, lower-end merinos, which can be useful if you want to wear the sweater without a jacket. The sweater pictured above really shows off the nice lofty nap on lambswool, I think. 

High-end purchases: If your budget is over $350 or so, consider cashmere. The problem with cashmere below this mark – at least at full retail prices – is that they’re often poorly made. Cashmere is expensive, so when a company is selling a cashmere sweater for under $350 or so, it means they’ve likely skimped on the construction. That can mean shorter fibers used for the yarns, which will result in more breakages and pilling, or thin, loosely knitted fabrics, which will lose their shape over time. Better, I think, to stick to lambswool, Shetlands, and merinos, rather than be tricked into the allure of “cheap” cashmere.

Checking for quality: It’s difficult to determine a sweater’s true quality without having actually owned it for a few years. Nothing can substitute for experience. There are a few things, however, that you can do to make an educated guess. On cashmere, try rubbing the fabric between your fingers for a bit, and see if a light, oily residue has been left on your hands. If there is, that means the fabric was treated with a kind of emulsion, and is probably of low quality. On everything else, see if the sweater has been knitted densely, and check the elasticity of the collars and cuffs. It’s difficult to convey online exactly what level of quality to look for – which is why I think you should browse the inventory at a high-end store – but generally, if you think the sweater might lose its shape easily, it probably will.

Altering knits: Ideally, you should buy something that fits perfectly off-the-rack, but some knits can be altered if you have a good alterationist. On sweaters with side seams, I’ve found it’s easy to take in the body without too much trouble. You can read my post on knit alterations here.

Getting rid of pills: Every sweater, no matter what the quality, will pill to some degree. The question is just how much and how quickly. To take care of pills, I recommend using a sweater shaver. I use this one and it works decently well, though there are probably better ones on the market.

Where to buy: I can’t give a full list of every place that stocks good sweaters, but I can make a few suggestions based off of my experiences. On the high end, I really like Inis Meain, Drumohr, Drake’s, John Smedley, and William Lockie (the last of which you can buy through Heather Wallace). For more affordable purchases, I’ve had good experiences with Brooks Brothers, Club Monaco, and Howard Yount. The first two often do significant mark-downs throughout the season, which is when I think you should buy. Club Monaco also gives students an extra 20% off if they can show a student ID in-store or give a university email address online. I’ve picked up their basic v-neck sweaters before for about $45, and find them to be of a good value. 

Arrow Moccasins: Handmade at an Amazing Price

I just got off the phone with the good people at Arrow Moccasins. They’re a small family company in Hudson, Massachusetts, who hand-make moccasins of every sort. There are traditional laced boots like the ones above, camp mocs, fleece-lined boots, big tall boots and even fur-trapper boots. They even make dog collars and leads.

My wife’s favorite shoes are a pair of their ring boots - but one recently went missing. We think my 15-month-old son may be the culprit. Lately he’s been really into putting things in the trash can. We decided to buy her a pair of double-soled lace boots to make up for it. I’ve already got a pair that I love wearing all fall and winter.

The best part is that these hand-made shoes are exceptionally reasonably priced. The lace boots, outfitted with double soles, are $169 for men and $165 for women. I’ve had no durability issues with the soles (they’re resolable, by the way), but some people prefer crepe rubber soles for city wear - they can do that, too.

Call to order - their number is 978-562-7870. They take a credit card and ship almost anywhere. You can find the full range of their products on their charmingly 1995-ish website.

Corduroys and Chinos

One of my favorite looks for fall is combining a dark brown corduroy sport coat with a casual pair of chinos, especially with an open collared, plaid shirt, like you see above. The chinos should probably be khaki colored, but olive could work just as well. The shirt can also be an OCBD, chamois, flannel, or some other kind of brushed cotton. The key is to get something that’s heavy and rough enough to visually hold its own against the corduroy. For shoes, I recommend a dark brown pair of loafers, chukkas, or plain-toe derbys. I would personally opt for plain calf, but if you wanted more texture, you could reach for suede or pebble grained leathers. 

The best thing about corduroy and chinos is that, like with good denim and tweed, they only get better with age. Corduroy sport coats, for example, look best when they’ve developed that uneven wear from years of repeated use, and causal chinos are much nicer once they’ve softened up with age. This makes them perfect for guys who don’t like to fuss too much over their clothes. So long as you make sure they fit well, you can wear them hard and feel assured that any use will just add to their value. When well-aged, corduroys and chinos have a great way of conveying a relaxed, nonchalant sense of style, which in my opinion is the best kind. 

Plus, their combination just expresses fall very well. As seen here on Woody Allen. 

Linen Sweaters

Linen sweaters can be very useful in the fall. They add an extra layer of protection without wearing too warm, making them perfect for days that range from chilly to cool. Cotton sweaters do this as well, of course, but every cotton sweater I’ve owned has lost its shape too easily. The body and sleeves bag after a while, cuffs lose their elasticity, and wrinkles get set into the elbows. Fine for sweatshirts, but less ideal if you want something dressier.  

That leaves linen, which I’ve been wearing on weekends. The Bay Area’s weather has this annoying tendency to not be so chilly in the afternoon that you’d need a sweater, but as soon as nightfall comes, you quickly wish you had one. So I’ve been wearing my linen sweater on days like these, which has kept me comfortable in both the afternoons and evenings.

In addition, I’ve found that linen can add a bit of texture to an otherwise unremarkable ensemble. For example, in the photo above, I have my brown leather jacket, light blue cotton shirt, and grey flannel trousers. Put together, there’s perhaps too much reliance on solid colors, but once you add the rougher texture of a linen sweater, you add a little subtle variation where there needs to be. (Granted, my own pictures don’t show this texture off very well, but the last image, taken from A Suitable Wardrobe, does).

Unfortunately, there aren’t many places that make, or even sell, linen sweaters. The best I know of is Inis Meain. Where you’d think linen can bag over time, Inis Meain’s version holds up just as good as the best merinos and lambswools. You can buy one from A Suitable Wardrobe. In the past, they’ve also manufactured them for Ben Silver and JL Powell, but those retailers are not selling them at the moment. For something more affordable, check Brooks Brothers, Land’s End, and Club Monaco. Those are unfortunately linen-cotton blends, which makes me suspect they won’t hold their shape as well over time, but on the upside, they’re also a fraction of the price. You can also find linen-cotton blend sweaters at Ralph Lauren, though they don’t seem to stock any recommendable ones this season. Ebay may have some from previous years, but you’ll want to avoid the flimsy, loosely knit, baggy variety. A discerning eye and some patience should land you something good. 

Love this picture of Giuseppe from An Affordable Wardrobe enjoying the autumn. Menswear dads!

marcguyot:

Details.

French clothing genius/madman Marc Guyot has a tumblr. It is essentially a compendium of Sartorial Power Moves.

voxsart:

Fall/Winter Day Shirtings, According To Flusser.

For evening?  White, of course.

Simply a useful guide.

Fall is Coming

Just picked up the first few of our next round of Put This On Gentlemen’s Association pocket squares. English silk; distinctly autumnal.

There’s still a week to sign up for this round. Our squares are quite literally hand-made; cut by hand and sewn by hand in Los Angeles. Because our manufacture is in-house, and we have no retail partners, we’re able to offer them for dramatically less than you’d pay in a fine men’s store.

If you want to join us, or give a membership as a gift, you can do so here.

Green Corduroys for Fall

I’m personally not one for unusual trousers. Some men can pull off loud colors and vivid patterns with aplomb, but they’re few and far between, and I’m not one of them. The one exception I make, however, are green corduroys in the fall.

If you’re just getting your first pair of corduroys, I recommend ones in a dark shade of russet brown. These can be successfully worn with almost any kind of autumnal clothing you can imagine – grey shawl collar cardigans, green waxed cotton Barbour jackets, navy flannel shirts, and brown suede shoes. They’ll be soft, comfortable, and a touch warm.

If you’re getting your second pair, I recommend wheat. Anything that resembles something like the muted color on your standard pair of chinos to ones that are just a touch more golden. If you hit the right shade, and be sure not to veer into something too yellow, these should be about as easy to wear as your dark brown pair.

Once you’re on your third, however, I suggest considering green - something like British racing green or olive. These are slightly more daring colors, but still feel reasonably conservative. Like dark brown and wheat, green is an earthy color that feels very seasonally appropriate in the fall. I wear mine with navy or grey sweaters, the kind with a very heavy texture such as Shetland or lambswool, or with a gun club sport coat, pale blue oxford cloth shirt, and brown slip on shoes, like you see above.

If you’ve never bought corduroys before, take care in paying attention to the size of the wales. These are the ribs that make up the fabric’s signature texture. Something with thicker, more widely spaced, plush wales will look a bit more old-fashioned; something very fine will look close to velvet. A mid-sized wale is a safe bet, though I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wide wales either. Those will look quite comfortable and traditional, and if you don’t wear them in an overly baggy cut, they won’t look too frumpy. My green corduroys are somewhat wide waled, actually, and cut on the fuller side of slim. Corduroys are of course a country garment, but in green I think they’re especially rustic. Country clothes, in my opinion, always look better when they’re cut slightly fuller than city clothes. 

You can pick up decent corduroys at any number of places. Cordings, Pakeman, and Hoggs of Fife have very nice traditionally cut models, while Epaulet’s and Howard Yount’s will run slim. There’s also Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers, who will have different models for different fits. The upside to them is that you’re more likely to live near one of their stores, so you can check out their products in person. However, I’ve also found that the other suppliers are happy to give you measurements if you enquire. 

(As an aside, if you haven’t read Jesse’s address to the Corduroy Appreciation Club, you really ought to read it. It stands out in my mind as one of the funniest clothing-related things I’ve ever come across. Corduroy Now, Corduroy Forever!) 

Thinking of Fall

This portrait of William Eggleston, shot by Maude Schuyler Clay, embodies everything that’s beautiful about fall. Notice the 3/2 roll tweed with faint overpane check; the light blue, candy striped OCBD; and the grey crewneck sweater, most likely made from a hairy Shetland wool. These three fabrics - tweed, oxford cotton, and Shetland wool - pair well in their roughness, giving the ensemble a nicely tailored, but still casual, look. Below he could be wearing something equally textured and casual, such as dark chocolate brown corduroys with suede chukka boots, or perhaps a heavy pair of khaki chinos, ones where the diagonal weave is easily visible, and some shell cordovan wingtips. This to me is fall. 

Oh, and the faux-tortiseshell glasses are a nice touch. Something I’ve been wanting for a bugger long time.