Early Summer 2017

While summer officially has been here for only a little over a week, Memorial Day marked its spiritual start. For future reference, I have broken down my summer posting into three sections: Early (Memorial Day to June 30), Mid (July-August), and Late (August-Labor Day). While I will still be posting separately for some occasions within each section, I would like to begin with a compilation of a few notable outfits from the first.

******

Memorial Day (5/29)
While many people's ideal Memorial Day is at the beach, it being cloudy, windy, and 63 degrees are not usually a part of the picture! This was what I had going on for me when I went to Ocean City with friends for the day. While a few of us decided go into the water, I remained dry and content on the shore, wearing something I never thought I would wear to the beach: a sweater. With one of my friends bringing their portable speaker and Rolling Stones collection, I could have been sitting in OCMD 1965 with my outfit combined with the music.

Clubmaster Shades (Ray Ban) Italy
Pique Polo Shirt (Lacoste)
Cotton Sweater (L. L. Bean)
Seersucker Shorts (Vineyard Vines)
Grant Chronograph (Fossil)
Anchor Bracelet (KJP) USA

• Lacoste Polo Shirt- Ties the lighter blues of the shorts and sweater together with navy. For more, see Spring 2017.
• L.L. Bean Cotton Sweater- Bought from L.L. Bean store at King of Prussia Mall. My go-to lightweight sweater worn over a polo. Easy to tie around neck for WASPy country club look (tread lightly).
• Vineyard Vines Seersucker Shorts- Bought from Rehoboth, DE outlet store. Had to break these boys out for Memorial Day, no matter how chilly. When wearing seersucker pants or shorts, be sure to keep to solids for the top. Clashing of patterns can make eyes bleed.

Senior Trip to Busch Gardens (5/30)

Living only three hours from Williamsburg, VA, my senior class took a trip to Busch Gardens for the day. While roller coasters have never quite been my choice of activity, I still went on the trip to be with my girlfriend and the bros. To celebrate the seasonal wardrobe change even further, I decided to go full out GTH with my linen party shirt. 

Linen Party Shirt (Vineyard Vines)
Baseball Cap (Brooks Brothers)
Nautical Croakies (Southern Tide)
8" Shorts (L.L Bean)
Anchor Bracelet (KJP) USA
Grant Chronograph (Fossil)
*Sausage Roll Penny Loafers (Alden) USA

• Vineyard Vines Linen Party Shirt- Bought from Rehoboth outlet during Fall sale for only $25. Once a signature of Brooks Brothers as the "Fun Shirt", VV releases a new design for this color blocked shirt each year and has made it their own as the Party Shirt. These shirts are highly sought after in the Prep clothing community, so a deal of only $25 is quite significant (as I had considered buying it full price in the Outer Banks). This shirt is not to be worn more than once every 2-3 weeks due to its boldness, and should be limited only to the spring and summer depending on the colors and material (while some are made in darker colors for F/W wear). The epitome of GTH and TFM. For a more complete guide, see Tony from College Trad's article on the Fun Shirt.
• Brooks Brothers Baseball Cap- Turned forward for photo. Backwards for remainder of day for an even more pretentious and fratty look. Mad, brah? Embrace it. For more, see Skip Day.*Brooks Brothers has since released a US made version of the hat. However, it is a flat-brimmed snapback. I think I'll stick with my imported one. Birkenstocks are made in Germany, yet you don't see me buying those either.
• Southern Tide Nautical Croakies- Bought from Dixieland Clothing in Davidson, NC. Decorated with signal flags. Also gained me the reputation of being the "dad" of our group. Not as good quality as VV's croakies, but longer and lacking whale logo already on my shirt.
• L.L. Bean 8" Shorts- Bought from website. A much needed upgrade from my pleated Ralph Lauren khaki shorts and 10" Nautica ones. I have now retired them to grass cutting duty.
• Alden Sausage Roll Penny Loafers- Nick questioned me on why I decided to wear these to the park, as well as the rest of my outfit. My answer: why not? In the world of Trad/Prep/Ivy/what-have-you, there is a time where such clothes become more comfortable than a pair of sweatpants and loose t-shirt. For more, see Winter 2017.
• Paired ensemble with my beater Fossil and KJP bracelet. Probably one of my more accessorized outfits w/ hat and croakies.

Graduation (6/3)

Since our Academic Team did not make the Sunday playoffs (see Alexandria, VA), I thankfully was able to enjoy my graduation ceremony and give my speech with ease. I was also able to stay around much longer than if I had been returning to Alexandria, so I was able to take pictures with friends. While I took many, I have decided to stay true to a running theme of this blog and post a picture of me with Nick and our Academic Team coach, Mr. Bock.

Me: Cotton Button Down (J. Crew)
Repp Stripe Tie (Brooks Brothers) USA
Dress Chinos (Brooks Brothers)
Sausage Roll Penny Loafers (Alden) USA
Nick: Gingham Button Down (J. Crew)
Crest Tie (Tommy Hilfiger) USA
Dark Chinos (J. Crew)
Leather Oxfords (G.H. Bass)

• J. Crew Cotton Button Down- See It's Academic.
• Vintage Brooks Brothers Repp Stripe Tie- A popular trend this year was to wear a bow tie with graduation robes. While normally I would endorse such a Trad pairing, its trendiness was not appreciated, so I decided instead upon a class of '67 look in wearing my robes with a slim repp tie from Brooks. Made in USA.
• Brooks Brothers Dress Chinos- Bought from Uptown Cheapskate. For a while (as you readers may have noticed), I had been using my Vineyard Vines club pants as my go-to for semi-formal occasions. However, I have wanted to step my game up with a dressier pair of pants for such events, and I was prepared to spend a good deal on L.L. Bean's website for a pair of their acclaimed dress chinos. However, an impromptu trip to Uptown saved from spending such an amount of money, and provided me with a pair of quality no-break chinos that present a much more classic look than my club pants.
• Nick decided against the bow tie trend as well, wearing a vintage straight Hilfiger tie we came across at a Goodwill the week before. While I have recommended against Tommy ties in past posts, I will share a rule that I follow for most brands: If its genuinely vintage, its likely quality made, no matter what status of the brand now. See what Abercrombie & Fitch used to be and you'll know what I'm talking about.
• Nick's oxfords also have quite an interesting story to them. Initially ordering them for prom, the shoes had still not shipped mere days before the dance. So when Nick called to inquire, Bass apologized and gave the shoes to him for free! Alas, they still did not arrive until after the dance, leaving Nick to purchase a pair of Florsheims from Boscov's department store.

Graduation Dinner (6/13)

Celebrating my graduation with my family and Morgan at Buster's Seafood Grill (one of Salisbury's three seafood restaurants, including Red Lobster *cringe*). Being in the 90s today, I did not want to be sweating in an OCBD, but I didn't want to be too casual for dinner in shorts. So I met in the middle in yet another 1960s inspired outfit.

Mad Men Collection Ribbed Polo (Banana Republic)
Original Wayfarers (Ray Ban) Italy
Leather Belt (J. Crew) USA
Casual Chinos (Brooks Brothers)
Stripe Watchband (Brooks Brothers)
Accutron Watch (Bulova) Switzerland
Sausage Roll Penny Loafers (Alden) USA

• Banana Republic Mad Men Collection Ribbed Polo- Bought from Uptown Cheapskate. Starting in 2011, Banana Republic decided to cash in on a phenomena that was taking the nation by storm, and that was the TV show Mad Men. Reintroducing slick style pieces such as madras jackets and ribbed polos for men, Banana Republic made it so any man could dress like Don Draper on the weekend (while Brooks Brothers released Mad Men edition suits recreating the look of Don at Sterling Cooper). BR even got the 1960s sizing down, with me jumping from a small/medium mens to a large for this shirt. If you want to wear it like Don, pair it with pants. Leave your Ralph Lauren polos for shorts. While I appreciate that a casual Mad Men line was released, it still bothers me that it was not by a company that was active during the 60s (as Banana didn't begin as a safari gear company until the 1980s).
• Ray Ban Original Wayfarers- While Don wore aviators, Wayfarers remain a trademark sunglasses design of the 1950s and 60s. Worn by JFK, Cary Grant, and even Bob Dylan (while none wore the Ray Ban models), this design was killed by the 70s but was resurrected in the 1980s and has lived on to today. Made in Italy. 
• J. Crew Leather Belt- See Winter 2017.
• Brooks Brothers Casual Chinos- Bought from Uptown Cheapskate on in-store credit from my sales to them. Just like my dress chinos from graduation, they have no break. An upgrade from the Hilfigers that I have so prominently featured on this blog. They hold a crease much better too, and are a brand actually worn in the 60s!
• Vintage Bulova Accutron- Read Ringin' in the New Year and Spring 2017.
• Alden Sausage Roll Penny Loafers- Read Winter and Spring 2017.

Chester River (6/18)

As I will be staying in Salisbury for at least the first year of my college education at Salisbury University, I have decided to make it a priority this summer to explore parts of Maryland's Eastern shore that I have never been to before. As a local at a school pulling from across the nation, I guess one could say its my duty. As today my family would be taking my youngest sister up to Camp Pecometh (a United Methodist summer camp) on the Chester River, I decided to tag along and begin my heritage tour. I had never been to this part of the Delmarva peninsula before, and I must say I enjoyed it, as we were only a matter of minutes from the Chesapeake Bay at the camp. We also were close to Chestertown, one of the Eastern Shore's oldest communities. Legend has it that Chestertown was host to a Tea Party similar to Boston's on the eve of the American revolution. The town is also home to the LAC Washington College, the one of the oldest universities in the US. While I did not have the chance to visit neither Chestertown nor the college today, I enjoyed my time on the river.

Crab pots and pontoon boat, not included.
Pique Polo Shirt (Lacoste)
Tortoise Wayfarer Sunglasses (Ray Ban) Italy
Canvas Club Belt (Vineyard Vines) USA
Seersucker Shorts (Vineyard Vines)
Original Topsiders (Sperry)
Anchor Bracelet (KJP) USA
Striped Watchband (Brooks Brothers)
Accutron Watch (Bulova) Switzerland

• Vineyard Vines Canvas Club Belt- Bought from Rehoboth outlet. While originally one of the few "Made in USA" items from VV, details in their product page on the Vineyard Vines website shows that this may not be the case anymore. While I am going to wait and see to believe, I am ready to abandon Vines for Leatherman if it is true. It'll be hard giving up all of the wonderful designs though. My belt is printed with lighthouses on a red background. Made in USA (hopefully still is too).
• Sperry Topsiders- When by the water, wear Topsiders. It's just what you do in the world of Prep. For more, see Springtime Hike.

*****

Alexandria, VA

With classes finished, there was one thing left for me to do before graduating, and that was the National Academic Championship. Our team consisted of the same players as it did for the TV show It's Academic (see my earlier posts), with three additional players to fill a fourth spot. The competition was held at the Mark Center Hilton in Alexandria, VA, by Chip Beall, a former game show host. While most of the other teams competing faced a long flight or car trip, our trip to Alexandria was less than three hours. As we were staying at the hotel where the competition was taking place, this put us in walking distance of a Chesapeake Bay tradition: Clyde's restaurant.

Originally a bar in Georgetown opened in '63, Clyde's has since expanded to a chain of upscale restaurants in the DC area (and even gets a shoutout in The Official Preppy Handbook).

The room our team was sat in was themed as a Chesapeake Bay hunt club (notice the guns and decoys).  The restaurant also has an Adirondack themed dining room, as well as a nautical one which is home to the famous bar. 

When you order a lobster roll and are given two of them with your order, you know you've paid your money's worth. 

Dessert: Bailey's Cheesecake with Kahlua sauce.

"Let's get a picture at Clyde's" -Nick Selser
Me: University Stripe OCBD (Vineyard Vines)
Nautical Flag Belt (Leatherman Ltd.) USA
Nantucket Reds (Murray's Toggery Shop)
Horsebit Loafers (Cole Haan)
Nick: Vanderbilt Longsleeve Frocket Tee (League Outfitters)
Whale Shorts (Ralph Lauren)
Canvas Deckshoes (Sperry)

• Vineyard Vines University Stripe OCBD- See Winter 2017.
• Leatherman Ltd Nautical Flag Belt- Bought from the boutique/men's store Sailor in Easton, MD. Motif belts are tricky to pair with Nantucket Reds. However, the navy in the belt ribbon was able to bring both the belt and the pants together in a tasteful combination. After all, these pants were originally worn by sailors. Can be paired with khaki or stone chinos as well. Made in USA.
• Genuine Nantucket Reds- Bought from Orvis outlet in Rehoboth, DE for only $35. These typically go for over $80, so I was quick to snatch these up in Delaware rather than driving up to Nantucket or getting hit hard with shipping fees and high prices. While obtaining genuine Nantucket Reds is a struggle even on Ebay, I recommend buying similar colored pants from other companies (like I did with Banana Republic before getting these) before getting lucky like myself or blowing nearly $100 on pants that are also imported. Murray's does offer US made Nantuckets online and in their flagship store, but they are sold at a much higher price.
• Cole Haan Horsebit Loafers- See Winter 2017.
• Nick decided upon a Vanderbilt University frocket tee, whale shorts, and deck shoes for the occasion. While he purchased the shirt during his visit to his chosen school, the whale shorts were found at Uptown Cheapskate during a post-birthday shopping spree that happened to correspond with a Memorial Day sale. Nick walked out of the store with over $1000 worth of clothes while having spent less than $100.

The following day, our team competed in the tournament but sadly did not make it to the playoffs. However, this did not bother us, as we would have had to return to Alexandria after graduating the next day, and played with minimal sleep on Sunday. So Nick and I decided to make the most of our opportunity and visit Alexandria's Old Town historic district as we had done during the competition last year. While walking around the waterfront, we both made a point to visit a preppy favorite in Alexandria, The Lucky Knot.

The Lucky Knot's Kings Street location in Alexandria. Its other location is in Annapolis, MD, which I sadly have not had the chance to visit yet.

The Lucky Knot specializes in mainly college preppy brands (Southern Tide, Vineyard Vines, Southern Proper, Etc.) that are popular in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, but also pays homage to New England through its sale of Barbour waxed jackets and Kiel James Patrick bracelets.

You know its a gentleman's store when these boys are on the wall. 

After purchasing matching croakies from the store (and a bow-tie on Nick's part), the two of us hit the harbor before getting dinner and leaving the city at 9. We are already planning a return trip for this summer, so stay tuned for Alexandria, VA part II!

For the competition, our captain told us to dress overly preppy. This only made us blend in even more while in Old Town. While strange looks may have met us in Salisbury, this was not the case here.
Me: Navy Blazer (Andhurst/Belk) USA
Blue Oxford (Lands End) USA
Leather Belt (J. Crew) USA
Whale Shorts (Ralph Lauren)
Horsebit Loafers (Cole Haan)
Clubmaster Shades (Rayban) Italy
Nick: Frat Hat (Southern Proper)
Aviator Shades (Rayban) Italy
Reversible Bowtie (The Tie Bar)
Tattersall OCBD (J. Crew)
5" Shorts (J. Crew)
Original Topsiders (Sperry)

• Andhurst Navy Blazer- Worn with shorts for a WASPy look. Add a hat, and it will turn fratty. For more, see It's Academic.
• Lands End Blue OCBD- Bought from Uptown Cheapskate. Made before LE decided to globalize their production, this shirt is probably my highest in quality and best fitting, and is coveted by my father. Made in the USA.
• Ralph Lauren Whale Shorts- Not an uncommon sight in preppy towns like Alexandria. For more, see Senior Skip Day.
• Nick is on the frattier end of the spectrum, wearing his Frat Hat from SoPro (which he purchased from The Lucky Knot last year), OCBD, bowtie, and Chubbie length shorts with Sperrys.

****