A merry Spring to you, one and all! First, my apologies for the lack of recent, er, postage. Why, you ask? No, I'm not dead. More like general laziness, waking up at around 2 PM most days, and weeks at a shot spent at the manor houses in the English Countryside, aided by my trusty valet. That's the official version anyway. Nearer to the truth is an incessant and increasingly annoying job search (and if you're looking for a job you know that it's well-nigh impossible to even find jobs for which to apply), constant sickness for two months in the Well-Dressed Gentleman's household, and myriad events on the calendar.
But back to business. It's Spring. I don't know about you, but in the depths of winter I find myself retreating to classy sweaters in place of the jacket and tie. Indeed, I'm sure all we who live in places that turn into freezers 3.5 months out of the year, at some point after the thrill of a Winter Wonderland has worn off, open the front door and shout into the frigid air (or Frigidaire) "Alas, temperate weather of Spring, Summer and Autumn, I hardly knew ye!" No more! The time for dressing to the nines is surely here, with no need to worry about filthy slush mucking up one's ensemble, and no need to don a heavy coat, scarf, hat and gloves over a suit to walk outdoors. You can just walk outside, sans the extra layers, and the immediate result is that you strike people as a Well-Dressed Gentleman right off the bat.
But there is an evil, vile side to this glorious weather. No, not the rain; rain brings out a light and dashing rain coat with a snappy umbrella. I'm talking of a horrid and true laziness/casualness that possesses some men, and leads them to go about in shorts, flip-flops, and even, possibly, a cut-off t-shirt. One wants to say:
"Look pal, do us all a favor--put some clothes on. We don't want to see your dirty feet, your silly legs, or poor style. Neither do women. It just looks bad. So knock it off. And you may as well grow up while you're at it."
I mean, you can make up your own words. But you don't really need words. The simple contrast will make any man of conscience second guess his style choices. If they don't, no words will likely help. Now I'm not talking about the pool or beach, back yard or in one's-own-house situation. It's the rest of the time, and honestly, it's disrespectful to the rest of the human race to dress that way. That's one of the reasons for this website--dressing well shows respect for ourselves and for those around us.
Which brings us, in a bit of a jarring segue, to pocket squares. The results of the poll show that some gents just don't employ them and they don't care who knows it. The smallest number think you need a tie for a pocket square to be present; the greatest number say if there's a pocket, it needs a friend; and the middle group think it just depends on the circs. These are highly scientific studies, and we would be wise to heed or not heed them. For me, I had thought that a tie was necessary for the old pocket square to be sitting in that breast pocket. And no, I didn't taint the poll with my own vote. But now? I don't know. I asked Will Dynend about this (see his site, A Suitable Wardrobe) , because he is a real expert. I don't think he'll mind if I post his reply to me: "You're an idiot." Ah, wrong reply. Sorry about that. Right, here it is: "If you have a breast pocket it should have a handkerchief in it, tie or no tie. Whether men should walk around with open shirt collars is another topic entirely." So in all humility, I can only say that there's a good chance my theory on this is off kilter. Of course, so much of these details are opinion, and kilter one way or the other. But Will has a better sense of this than I do, I'd say.
That's it for now. Cheerio gents, enjoy the weather!
