Gentlemen Brits

Just discovered a few good photos from an old British GQ article. I appreciate the overall aesthetic of this first outfit but a few things are off for me.
No baseball cap - driving cap instead.
No American Flag on jacket sleeve - however the tartan lining is a plus.
No socks - such a thick cardigan mandates socks.
No button-down collar - no complaints here, I love the occasional club collar.


Now, on to the the better selections.

Who cares if you play cricket or tennis? Whether you call the sweater the former or the latter, it's an essential piece for year-round use. Polo, Brooks and Smart Turnout come out with nice several styles each year. I prefer cotton over wool, because the thick weave will provide plenty of warmth.


The other gent wears a Fair Isle knit. True Fair Isle sweaters may be had for a fair price, but I seem to find them quite often at quite reasonable prices on eBay.

Other notable pieces here - the bow tie and driving cap.

Next up? Nice trousers and an interesting scarf. Moving on.

Oh, and if you've played neither cricket nor tennis, you should try. I love cricket despite it's steep learning curve, but tennis is one of those sports you don't have to be good at to enjoy. I hope to serve up (excuse me) more tennis posts this summer.

Again, moving on.

This fellow appears to have back troubles, but at least he's dressed well. Of course I've saved my favorite look for last, one that could come straight from my closet. Subtract the superfluous waistcoat, switch sneakers to brogues and you have something that works for most gents from autumn to spring.

And I must mention my love of the patchwork tweed driving cap. I'm still fishing for one on winter clearance somewhere.

The first five constructive commenters will receive 40% off a purchase of three items or more at the CKC Shoppe.

I hope everyone enjoys the new layout. Have a wonderful week!

CKC Shoppe Sale

Thirty percent for three hours!

30% off your purchase at the CKC Shoppe when you enter code CKC30.

Hope you've all had a wonderful Easter or Passover!

Out Standing in Orvis

 I've been admiring Orvis' selections more and more lately, and here are sixteen reasons why.

Cole Haan Wish List

Aside from orange boat shoes, I'm pretty traditional with my footwear. However, I'd love the have any of these new Cole Haans. Back to personal photos in a day or two. Happy Sunday!

Rugby Personal Preview

Right now Polo and Rugby are offering 25% off purchases with 10% of each purchase going to United Way Japan relief efforts. Never having enough shawl collar sweaters and wanting to help out a bit, I ordered these.

Even on clearance and with discounts, I've never spent so much on two sweaters (around $150 total), but I have high hopes these will live up to my other thickly-knit Polo sweaters which are pretty much indestructible.

The first piece is a 70% cotton / 30% cashmere jersey knit, with rack-stitching around the cuffs and nice contrast stripes.  The second is a flat-knit cotton with rope-and-toggle closure in Nantucket red and contrast stripes. They both certainly look great, but I'll have them in my hands in a couple days and will follow up with feedback and photos.



Until then, I'll be loading up on NHL playoff games as bearded and toothless gents vie for the Cup. Let's do it again, fellas.

Lucky with Leather and Trumpets

Yard sales, thrift shops and... Sam's Club. Yep.


Saturday morning I visited a community yard sale and came upon these bags. First is a Wilsons Leather briefcase, the bag for my business future. Retail value's $300 but I paid an astonishing one dollar. My model's older than the one featured here and of much better quality despite years of wear. The case has a smooth and rich mahogany tone and the strap is full-leather.





Next up is the Counterfeit Mailbag from J. Peterman of Lexington, Kentucky. About the size of a standard messenger bag, this sturdy sack of suede is made to last a lifetime. It's listed $329 but only cost me five dollars. While the Wilsons bag will fill business needs, this one will hold my artwork and photography supplies.





In visiting a nearby thrift shop Saturday afternoon, I discovered two identical pair of shell cordovan shoes, size 8D. Very unfortunately for me, they don't fit. However, both pair of Allen Edmonds Randolph shoes will soon be in the CKC Shoppe. New ones cost $550, these won't.

What's as unbelievable as finding those bags and shoes? Finding this chair and ottoman set for $104.10. Do you ever get a feeling you're meant to see something? While doing some grocery shopping at Sam's Club yesterday I strolled over to the furniture section and immediately spotted this D'Oro Lennox set.

I figured a zero was missing from the price tag, but I was happy to be incorrect. It turns out only the floor model was available and Sam's has to clear product very quickly. After getting the set home I searched online for the original price , only to find the cheapest listing at around $1300. I'm still bewildered.

The only difficult thing was unhinging my bedroom door to fit the chair through.

Thanks to yard sale fate I've decided to take up trumpeting. For $15 I purchased this beautiful and rare Bundy Selmer designed by Vincent Bach. Time to work a big band groove.



Best of luck to you all,
Scott Alexander

Returning with Madras

I'd like to say I've been on vacation the past two weeks, indulging and relaxing. Unfortunately, I've experienced anything but a vacation. A passing in the family borrowed my heart and chaos at work borrowed my mind. Now I feel rejuvenated, inspired, and ready to get back to my posts.

I've had my mind on madras lately. Before the snow of the past couple days, last week brought temperatures in the 70's so I broke out my patchwork madras shorts. I'll get around to showing my own stuff very soon, but for now come my favorite new pieces of the season.

The CKC Shoppe will be updated in the next few days, so look out for a sale and new items!