It's Academic

What is the longest running TV quiz show in America? North America? The world?! The answer to all is It's Academic. Originating in the Baltimore and DC, the show has spawned countless variants across the nation. The Delmarva Peninsula has a total of three competing teams, and I am happy to say that I am a contestant for one of them. For years, my school's team has performed highly on the show, and its former members can now be found at schools including Princeton, Columbia, and UVA (to name only a few). We also have gained a reputation for our distinct sense of style, which holds its roots in Prep and Trad.

****

April 30th

This was my first time as a contestant on the show, as I was filling in for another who was visiting Stanford that weekend. However, it also happened to be the last show of the season, so my transition onto the TV team was a smooth one. It was also today that I was let in on a somewhat recent rule my captain had established: bow tie or no tie. (For those who do not follow my Instagram, this post will be serving as an unmasking of this blog's creator.)

(Left to right) Thomas (me), Kevon (Captain), Luke

Peaked Lapel Suit (Joseph Abboud)
Spread Collar Dress Shirt (Van Heusen)
 Grant Chronograph Watch (Fossil)

• Joseph Abboud Peaked Lapel Suit- Inherited from family friend. Joseph Abboud is now mainly sold at Men's Wearhouse, but has been sold elsewhere in the past. The company currently follows me on Instagram, and has left comments on several posts. Best worn with a long tie.  *My go-to for such an event would typically have been a navy blazer, but other reasons prevented me from doing so. Unless you want to look like Bert Cooper from Mad Men, do not pair a bow tie with a gray suit. I had no other option, and if you do too, that is understandable. If your gray suit is tweed, disregard this. Gray blazers are fine with bow ties too!
• Van Heusen Dress Shirt- Bought at Boscov's, a regional chain of department stores. A cheap, quick fix for a dress shirt. 
• Fossil Grant Chronograph Watch- Bought from Macy's. This watch is equipped with a stopwatch function that will go as far as thirty minutes. While popular with students and in department stores, I recommend Citizen or Seiko instead. Equally popular, they manufacture their watches in Japan, while my Fossil is made elsewhere. I typically try to avoid wearing it with suits, but obviously did not do so here.
• The ties we were wearing were purchased from ties.com by Kevon (at his discretion). Terrible quality, but still a wide variety. While I had planned to wear a navy blazer, the tie he had chosen for me would not look go with it, so I turned to my grey suit as an only hope. 

October 8th

While Kevon had graduated, the bow tie tradition was still in place. It was now up to us to provide our own, which I didn't mind at all. Since it was now autumn, my range of blazer choices had widened!

(Left to right) Nick, Luke (Captain), Thomas
Cotton Button Down (J. Crew)
Sailboat Bow Tie (Vineyard Vines) USA
Vintage Burgundy Blazer (Stafford) USA
Khaki Chinos (Tommy Hilfiger)

• J. Crew Cotton Button Down- Bought from Uptown Cheapskate. A white button down is my go to for blazers and the beach (see JFK). However, this one is not made from oxford cloth like my Stafford and L.L. Bean ones. NEVER to be worn with a suit.
• Vineyard Vines Sailboat Bow Tie- Bought from outlet store in Rehoboth Beach, DE. While its whale is seen on t-shirts in the hallways of many high schools and colleges, we must remember that VV started as a tie maker. While sharing similar designs with Salvatore Ferragamo and Hermes, Vineyard Vines sets itself apart with its specialty in nautical designs, and makes its ties in the USA, while most of its merchandise is imported. 
• Vintage Stafford Blazer- Passed down from grandfather. Another in-house department store brand that I make exceptions for due to its original domestic manufacturing. While now being made outside of the US, most products are imported from Latin America, which tends to be of better quality than East Asian manufacturing. I still am lamenting the closing of my local J.C. Penny from three years ago, and wear my Stafford clothes with fond remembrance. The dark color goes perfect during the fall and winter months, and contrasts perfectly to the blue bow tie. Just like seersucker, do not let this be the first blazer in your wardrobe. Work your way up from herringbone, tweed, or of course, navy. Made in USA.
• Tommy Hilfiger Khaki Chinos- See Christmas 2016. 
• Nick was also donning a US made vintage blazer for the show (which he had inherited). He even managed to find a pair of ticket stubs from a Tommy Dorsey Orchestra concert in one of the pockets. 

January 29th
With the bow tie rule still in place, I wanted to go for my Harris Tweed herringbone blazer for the taping. However, a last minute event changed this and I decided upon a Trad's best friend: the navy blazer.

(Left to Right) Thomas, Nick, Luke
Thomas:
Repp Stripe Bow Tie (Brooks Brothers) USA
Cashmere Crewneck Sweater (Brooks Brothers) Scotland
Cotton Button Down (J. Crew)
Navy 2 Button Blazer (Andhurst) USA
Straight Leg Chinos (Lands End)
Nick:
University Stripe OCBD (J. Crew)
Slim Chinos (J. Crew)
Floral Pocket Square (Tommy Hilfiger)
Repp Stripe Bow Tie (The Tie Bar)
Windowpane Wool Blazer (McGregor) USA

• Brooks Brothers Repp Stripe Bowtie- Inherited from family friend. In signature Brooks burgundy, gold, and navy. Can be worn year round due to such neutrality in the colors. While over $50 in outlet and flagship stores, cheaper alternatives can be found on Ebay. Best paired with a crewneck sweater (if any sweater at all). Made in USA.
• Brooks Brothers Cashmere Crewneck Sweater- One of my proudest purchases ever made. Uptown Cheapskate had the sweater for months, and had marked it down to only $3 when I bought it. Being put out by Brooks' short lived Country Club line, I am not able to determine its official worth. However, on *Ebay it is said to have originally been sold by Brooks for $348, and sold on there for $200. As I would not encourage pursuing a similar sweater at such a price, I say to keep your eyes to used clothing stores for a chance. Made in Scotland. *For more from the Brooks Brothers Country Club collection, visit Ebay for a bargain. 
• Vintage Andhurst Navy Blazer- Passed down from grandfather. This was a former in-house brand of Belk, and was sold exclusively in their stores. However, it was discontinued, and can now only be found on Ebay. It is my slimmest fitting of blazers, and I have even gotten inquiries on whether or not I had it tailored, while the only tailoring it received was during its conception. A navy blazer is a must for any young man in the world of Trad. While Brooks Brothers is known to be the signature navy blazer maker, they have fallen victim to globalized manufacturing, and mark up their prices to great heights. For a higher quality yet inexpensive alternative, search Ebay and used clothing stores for vintage domestic or Anglo made brands. The glory of the navy blazer is that you can wear it with nearly anything in the Trad world. From oxfords to polos, and from khaki pants to bright colored GTH shorts. Made in USA.
• Lands End Chinos- See Ringing in the New Year.
• Nick made use of yet another vintage blazer he inherited from his grandfather. With it, he wore a university stripe J. Crew OCBD (Uptown Cheapskate), with J. Crew chinos, a Tommy Hilfiger pocket square, and a repp stripe bow tie from The Tie Bar (a provider of inexpensive yet durable neck wear).

****

With our win on the 29th, I am happy to say we will be returning for the semifinals on May 13th. Until then, catch us air on April 29th on WJZ-CBS Baltimore!