Put This On

Vanda Fine Clothing

I received a special package last week containing an order from Vanda Fine Clothing. Inside was a selection of items from their first official production run - a brown wool necktie, Japanese kimono silk pocket square, and two orchid lapel pins in my university colors. The pocket square and lapel pins are really nice, but the showpiece for me was the tie. It’s a six-fold, unlined necktie made from an English, Huddersfield wool. It has a dark brown glen plaid pattern with a faint blue overcheck, and it goes wonderfully with my grey flannel sport coat or navy blazer. 

Since Vanda’s ties are all either unlined or made with just a light interlining, they drape and knot very uniquely. Hardy Amies once said that “Good design and making of clothes must always honour cloth; must disturb cloth as little and possible … Undisturbed cloth makes the wearer appear at ease and is pleasing to the eye of the viewer.”  Vanda’s ties strike me as very much “honoring cloth.” Their silk ties feel lighter and airier than other silk ties on the market, and their wools have more heft and drape. The edges aren’t pressed, so they naturally roll, as you can see above and on their website. The result is a very unique tie that indeed feels more at ease. 

Granted, an unlined tie isn’t for everyone, but if you’re an enthusiast for this kind of stuff, you’d be remiss to not try it at least once. I’m already looking forward to my next order. 

A selection of pocket squares at Wilhelm Jungmann & Neffe, a textiles and men’s accessories shop in Vienna’s “Innere Stadt” district.  

(photos taken by Suitorial)

Oh, what’s this in the mail? A small packet from England came. And inside?

Two Holland and Holland pocket squares, neatly wrapped in tissue paper and then sealed with a little metallic sticker. I’ve been hunting for these for a year and a half, first after seeing Jesse write about them, and then after losing the auction he posted about eight months later. Luckily for me, the same seller finally posted another pair of them last month, and I won the auction. Now I finally, finally have the pocket square that this guy wore in a video.

I’m actually wearing one of the squares now, and when I put it on this morning, I sang this song. Not at all joking. 

The Put This On Gentlemen’s Association Is Here

Today marks the start of the Put This On Gentlemen’s Association.

Join the Association, and you’ll have a hand-made square delivered to your door every two months. We choose the finest new and vintage fabrics from all over the world, bring them to our seamstress’ atelier in Los Angeles to be transformed into squares, then send them via US Mails to our members across this great nation.

Our prices are modest: just $270 for a full year’s membership, or $147 for half a year. Order now, and you can get in on our first shipment, which will be sent out at the beginning of December, just in time for Christmas. It’s a perfect gift for someone you love (even if that someone is you).

Whether you’ve got motorized pocket square racks in your walk-in closet, or you’re just starting down the path of sartorial excellence, the Put This On Gentlemen’s Association is open to you.

Sign up for a year before November 15th, and you’ll receive the perfect white linen square along with your first shipment.

Join us, won’t you?

Q and Answer: How Do I Fold My Pocket Square

John from Iowa writes: So I have a pocket square. How do I wear it?

Let me start here: you’re probably over thinking it. The pocket square isn’t meant to look fussed-over. It’s meant to look like you haven’t thought about it (even if you have).

There are a couple of ways to wear a square.

Generally, the poof is your best bet. Simply pinch the square in the middle and lift. Fold the bottom up so that the whole thing’s the appropriate depth to fit in your pocket without too much creeping, and let a little bit of the top floof out. On larger squares you can gather a few concentric points around the center of the square (say two inches from center) and draw them up rather than the center. This will give you a more dynamic look.

The opposite move is also acceptable. Gather the corners and lift, then fold up the bottom a bit, and let the tips peek out the top of the pocket.

A combo of those two is also fine with a large enough square - gather the square, then fold it in half, so that the corners and the center are touching. A bit of both.

The only real “fold” I’d advocate is the TV fold. Simply fold your square into a rectangle so the edge pokes just outside the pocket. This is suitable for serious, sober occasions and is best done with a plain white linen handkerchief.

No matter how you fold it, you’ll probably have to fuss with your square a bit during the day. Just remember: it should always look like you shoved it into your pocket absentmindedly because you’re just that relaxed and cool.

J Press Sale

J Press is having a sale right now, with discounts of up to 40% off. 

I think there are some good deals to be had. If you’re on the market for ties, I think their garza fina grenadines and knits, as well regimentals, would make for good buys. I also like their navy attache, wine surcingle belt, and collection of pocket squares. Additionally, if you think you might get the itch to buy a university scarf this fall, you might want to do it now while they’re on sale. 

For things that haven’t been marked down, punch in the code PSJUN11 at checkout to score some savings. 

Sale ends on the 16th. 

It’s On Sale

J. Press Pocket Square

J. Press just started their private sale - 25% off pretty much everything (no schoolboy scarves or shaggy dog sweaters that I can see (edit: there are schoolboy scarves under “winter gear” in the sale section, thanks CF)). Use the code PSMay11, and if you lack inspiration, check back here on Monday. That’s all I’ll say about that.

$52.13 from $69.50 at J. Press

The Five Days of Summer Series, Part V: Summer Style on the Cheap

Before Jesse let me start writing here, I was a dedicated PTO reader for more than a year. One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Jesse’s posts was how grounded they were. While other blogs were off writing about $500 shoes and $2,000 suits, Jesse was recommending things that were actually affordable for most people. 

Since I’ve begun blogging, I’ve found myself slipping into the same trap - mostly writing about really expensive things. Now, I strongly believe the philosophy that you should buy less, buy better. I get much more out of my really expensive purchases than my discount ones. However, it’s not like menswear is just a choice between Target and Cucinelli; there’s a lot of stuff in between. So for the final installment to this series, I wanted to cover some options for those who might be really strapped for cash. 

Pants: Uniqlo’s vintage fit chinos fit pretty slim around the seat and thighs, but they’re a bit more straight legged from the knee down. If you’re OK with that, call up Uniqlo’s New York store and you can order a pair for around $30. 

Shirts: Lands End Canvas has a line of decent shirts marketed under their “Heritage Collection.” You can get some for as low as $13. If you buy over $50 worth of items, they’ll knock off $10 and give you free shipping once you punch in the coupon code PARENTS (pin: 3135). That makes each shirt about $10. 

There are also the telnyashka shirts I wrote about earlier this week. I really like the carded cotton on St. James, but if you’re strapped for cash, a reasonable verisimilitude can be had for under $20. 

Shoes: I think most of the plimsolls I wrote about this week are affordable. For example, if you Google around you’ll find Supergas for around $45. You can also find Converse All Star Cups for pretty cheap here and here. Lastly, RopeySoles has some nice handmade espadrilles for $30. I especially like the denim and linen ones. 

Watch: Timex Easy Reader is an obvious choice, but you might also want to consider Maiden Noir’s. Throw a Nato strap on either of these and you’re good to go. You can get straps either through Central Watch or eBay. Once all is said and done, you’ll have a great looking watch this summer for less than $70.

Belt: Beltoutlet.com has woven belts for $13 for and web belts for $8. You can also get elastic surcingles from Wood’s of Shropshire for $11. My favorites are the wovens, but any of these can be paired well with some cotton chinos. 

Pocket squares: One of my first editorial posts ever was about custom pocket squares. Go find some fabric you like and send it to Son so he can sew some handrolled edges on it. The whole thing should cost you around $25. 

Socks: I hear going sockless is free. You’re not poor; you’re just stylish. 

That concludes the Five Days of Summer. If you want to review the past installments, just click here for the full series. Now you don’t have an excuse to look bad this summer. 

It’s On eBay

Holland & Holland Pocket Square

I have this square, which I purchased from this very seller. She was very pleasant to interact with, and her store is full of nice stuff. Also: I love bunny rabbits.

Starts at about $16, ends Monday