Kuppenheimer vintage raw silk sport coat | Polo tattersall shirt and raw silk tie | J. Crew chino | Florsheim Imperial vintage longwings

Lebow vintage sport coat | Polo plaid shirt and silk knit tie | Polo denim | Cordwainer Wright shoe

Polo plaid flannel and chino | Talbott anchor tie | Florsheim shoe 

Polo gingham shirt and seersucker short | Brooks Brothers linen bow tie | Florsheim vintage saddle shoe

Hilfiger toggle shawl cardigan and chino | Polo shirt | Cable Car Clothiers tie | Florsheim shoe 

Bespoke tartan sport coat | Stafford shirt | Polo repp striped tie and chino | Florsheim vintage saddle shoe

Polo vintage glen plaid tweed sport coat and oxford | Brooks Brothers bow tie | Allen Edmonds belt | Florsheim Imperial shoe | Ralph Lauren Romance Silver cologne | J. Crew pocket square

bespoke tattersall tweed sport coat | Polo oxford | Brooks Brothers glen plaid camel hair tie | Hilfiger chino | Florsheim vintage saddle shoe

CKCloseup: Florsheim Imperial vintage shoe

Polo gingham oxford and repp paisley tie | Brooks Brothers aran shawl sweater | bespoke wool flannel trouser | Florsheim Imperial shoe 

Today's Outfit - Thursday Blues

Polo pima cotton sweater - eBay, $16

Polo broadcloth shirt - Macy's, $19

Polo tie - eBay, $6

Vintage worsted wool gabardine trouser - thrift shop, $3

River Island striped cotton socks - $3 (out of $15 five-pack)

Florsheim vintage Custom Grade shortwings - thrift shop, $1

My "Dad Outfit"

I've been told I dress very well for my age. I suppose I should take that as a compliment, given the how most twenty-four year old guys dress. I've also been told I dress like an "old rakish gent," or an "old man", in general. I certainly take those remarks as compliments, given how my father inspires the way I dress. From my childhood I remember him wearing tasseled kilties everywhere. In fact, on the weekends he would wear outfits just like this - a cardigan or rugby layered over a sport shirt, madras shorts and his beat up kilties. Call such an outfit trendy and trad, I don't care. To me, this is simple, timeless, American style.

Cardigan - Merona marled cotton - Target clearance sale, $8

Shirt - Polo cotton/silk blend - eBay, $12

Shorts - vintage bleeding madras - thrift shop, $3

Shoes - vintage Florsheim Barletta - thrift shop, $1

How has your father inspired your style?

Wish List - Florsheim by Duckie Brown

The prices on Duckie Brown's Florsheim line may be quackers, but I'm down with Duckie on these styles... pending some tremendous markdowns.

Houndstooth and Haileybury

Yesterday was one of those all dressed up and nowhere to go days. Cold rain, bitter winds. Although, excited to test out another pair of Smart Turnout socks, I pieced together this look and headed out to the bookstore for an afternoon of coffee and reading. Mostly coffee.  

Everything here is tied together in browns and greys, with notes of purple. The deep purple-grey houndstooth of the jacket draws into the trousers, pocket square and socks. While browns run through the sweater, the windowpane of the jacket as well as the jacket buttons, and the chocolate brown brogues.

Chaps Ralph Lauren houndstooth/windowpane sport coat (vintage, made in USA)

Northern Isles cable knit cashmere turtleneck (new from the thrift)

Worsted wool trousers (unknown brand from the thrift)

Daniel Cremieux silk pocket square

Florsheim brogues (vintage, made in USA)

Smart Turnout Haileybury socks (made in UK)

Questions From the Audience - Shoes

I started thrifting recently but I'm yet to find any decent shoes. I'm good on my clothing brands but I'm not sure what to look for in old shoe brands. Any suggestions?
Premium British labels include Crockett & Jones, John Lobb, and Edward Green. Other top Euro brands include Ferragamo, Gucci, Mezlan, Bally and Bruno Magli. Allen Edmonds and Alden from any era are unbeatable. Vintage Cole Haan and Johnston & Murphy made in either the USA or Italy are very nice as well. Vintage Florsheim, Dexter, Bass, and Bostonian are solid, if made a few decades ago. With the exceptions of Allen Edmonds, Alden and a handful of other companies, many of America's legendary shoe makers have either closed or have exported production. In the latter case, prices have continued to rise while quality drops. If you can't find any shoes of great quality at your local thrift, be patient. If you're looking for something in particular, search eBay before ever considering buying at full retail.

In my time thrifting I've walked away from great finds without realizing it, only to do some research back at home to discover I missed something rare and valuable. Do your homework on company histories, logos, shoe production and leather types. You'll save lots of time in the long run and walk away with the best deals.

Feeling the Florsheim

Nubuck bucks? Suede saddles? A bit of both at $2.45. These unique Florsheims are just the sort of shoes I've been wanting for a long time. The chestnut-toned nubuck feels velvety-soft and has been very well maintained, while the leather has only a few subtle scratches. I believe I've found my new go-to shoe.

Staying Grounded

Many of you have been e-mailing me, asking when I'd return to posting my own stuff. I've tried to balance my posts on style inspiration and the CKC Shoppe, but I certainly haven't been taking the time each day to photograph my own looks and write about them. Today I get back to my style with some of my favorite pieces.

I've started with a Polo tartan oxford, one of my favorite shirts to wear this time of year. With it I've matched a vintage Gant rep tie. The incredible menswear shops that used to exist in town all carried Gant in its heyday and I'm very fortunate to have discovered around fifty ties over the last three years.







The sweater vest comes from Lyle and Scott for Elder-Beerman/Bon-Ton. A decent pick up from the clearance racks. The cords are from Polo and the wingtips are Florsheim. I've had this pair for months but am just now getting around to wearing them. A thrift shop find at about one dollar, these now rank among my favorite and most comfortable shoes.