Easter 2017

Much like the Fourth of July, Easter has become a prep holiday. Bright colors, madras, blazers. We might as well be dressing for the Kentucky Derby (but for the sake of Christianity and not a horse race)! While to many finding such an outfit for Easter is a chore, in the world of Trad, it is an opportunity.

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Church Service

As predicted, today's service served an opportunity for the men of my church to wear their tan sport coats and blazers of fairer color. However, I decided to take my outfit the extra step, and brought West Egg, NY to Salisbury, MD.

Straw Boater Hat (Scala)
Seersucker Blazer (Architect)
Pleated Seersucker Trousers (Ben Silver) USA
Cotton Button Down Shirt (J. Crew)
Repp Stripe Tie (Brooks Brothers) USA
Two Tone Wingtips (G.H. Bass)

• Architect Seersucker Blazer- Bought from Boscov's deparment store. While it is imported and of a no name brand, I must say that I have not been disappointed with the jacket at all. Easter and Derby Day are the two exceptions to the "no seersucker before Memorial Day" rule, and I intend to make the most of them both. Two summers ago, I was taking a course at William & Mary and brought the jacket for festivities on the final day. It turned out my roommate from Chicago (who I shared countless things in common with) had brought the very same blazer (aside from the fact that his was from Sakks). Preppy minds think alike. Can be paired with a crisp pair of khakis or GTH colored pants.
• Ben Silver Pleated Seersucker Trousers- Bought from Goodwill in Easton, MD. Easton is one of the wealthiest and preppiest towns on the Eastern shore of MD (Wedding Crashers was filmed here, need I say more), so it makes sense that its Goodwill would be a Trad's playground. Ben Silver is one of the finest clothiers in the American South, and such trousers would normally sell for over $200. I only spent $5 on mine. The pattern matched perfectly with the blazer, which is always a gamble when buying seersucker. So in a matter of $5, my jacket went from blazer to suit separate. The trousers are pleated and cuffed. A Southern tradition. Made in USA.
• Vintage Brooks Brothers Repp Tie- This was another buy from the Easton Goodwill. This Brooks tie is from the 1960s (hello Mad Men) but went perfectly with the seersucker as well. A repp tie in the 1960s will look the same as it did in the 1920s, and now in the 2010s. That's the true magic of Brooks Brothers. Made in USA. 
• J. Crew Cotton Button Down- See It's Academic.
• G.H. Bass Two Tone Wingtips- Bought from third party discount site that no longer exists. Easter is typically my breakout date for these bad boys. While it is most common to wear such wingtips with a suit (a la Nucky Thompson or Jay Gatsby), I occasionally pair them with chinos and an OCBD as a GTH item. Orthodox, no. Compliment magnet, yes.
• As Easter (along Derby Day) is a day to accessorize, I completed my Fitzgeraldian look with a pocket square, tie pin, and straw hat. I bought the hat from historicalemporium.com, a site specializing in replicas of vintage clothing. Soon, I hope to invest in a set of Ray Ban Gatsbys to complete the look. Happy Easter, Old Sport!

Family Lunch

As it was predicted to be 84 degrees today, I decided to switch to a more casual option with fewer layers for my family's annual Easter lunch.

Madras Button Down Shirt (Vineyard Vines

Leather Belt (J. Crew) USA
Slim Fit Club Pants (Vineyard Vines)
Sausage Roll Penny Loafers (Alden) USA

• Vineyard Vines Madras Button Down Shirt- Bought from Rehoboth Beach, DE outlet store. Because of its bright colors, this shirt should be worn in moderation. The pairing with the pants was a GTH move, and suggested by the sales associate at the outlet (the customer service has outstanding every visit I have made). For spring and summer only. *This shirt has also taught me a lesson with VV's sizing. I typically wear a medium in shirt sizes, but VV's classic fit medium looked like a tent on me, so I purchased this as a slim fit medium. While initially still baggy, several washes brought it down to a good fit, while all of the small, initially well fitting VV shirts I bought are now short in the sleeves.
• J. Crew Leather Belt- See Winter 2017.
• Vineyard Vines Slim Fit Club Pants- Of the same structure as my khaki colored club pants, yet could not be more different in their color ("Strawberry Blonde"). These are an GTH move on their own with neutral colors, but especially when paired with an equally colorful shirt (see above). Another garment that should be confined to spring and summer.
• Alden Sausage Roll Penny Loafers- Worn sockless. Its that time of year again, gents. For more, see Winter 2017.

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