Polo oxford and silk knit tie | Merona donegal cardigan | Polo chino | Zegna chelsea boot

CB buffalo flannel | Polo striped shawl sweater | Talbott raw silk tie | Hilfiger chino | Polo Ranger boot

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

Polo twill workshirt and corduroy trouser | Brooks Brothers lambswool shawl sweater | vintage dupioni silk bow tie | Polo nubuck Ranger boot

Polo oxford and cableknit shawl sweater | Brooks Brothers cashmere glen plaid tie and corduroy trouser | Drake's foulard scarf | Allen Edmonds First Avenue boot

Just in from eBay - Aran Shawl Cardigan

Today's Outfit

Chaps blue oxford shirt

J. Crew silk knit tie, made in Italy

Polo Ralph Lauren hand-knit pima cotton shawl sweater

Lands' End reversible cotton plaid scarf

Polo Ralph Lauren green Andrew chino

American Eagle marled cotton boot sock

Polo Ralph Lauren shearling Ranger boot

Today's Outfit

Polo Ralph Lauren blackwatch tartan shirt

Tasso Elba cotton shawl sweater

Vintage reversible foulard silk/merino wool scarf

Polo Ralph Lauren corduroy pant

Merona cotton intarsia socks

Bally navy leather loafers

Wish List - Rugby Cardigan

Not yet available on Rugby's American site, this cardigan recently showed up for sale on Rugby's Japanese page. I've not seen seen anything else on the market like this, aside from vintage pieces on eBay, so hopefully this will be available soon.

Wish List - Lyle and Scott Cardigan

Shawl cardigans may be available everywhere now, but this one by Lyle and Scott really stands out. Several knitting techniques, along with patch pockets and a unique placket have landed this sweater on my Christmas wish list.

Formal Fun

Now this is how to wear tartan.

Wool and Windowpane

Polo Ralph Lauren yellow oxford
Robert Talbott repp foulard tie
Polo Ralph Lauren cardigan

(not pictured:)
Polo Ralph Lauren navy chino
Allen Edmonds brown tassel loafer


More than an entire year I waited to buy this cardigan as it made its way from $445 to $222.50 to $111.25 at a local menswear shop. At last, I pulled the trigger when I received an extra 30% off the final price.

Is $77.88 a lot to spend on a cardigan? Yes. For an avid thrifter and eBay shopper, that's a lot to spend on anything. Yet, the value of something like this goes beyond original price and the amount I saved. With a soft wool outer shell and pima cotton inner shell, this cardigan is incredibly well made. The lightweight wool makes for three-season use, while the very presence and styling of the cardigan serves as an acceptable substitute for blazers in not-so-formal occasions.

It make have taken a year, but my patience paid off and I couldn't be happier.

Kickin' It in Campsides

Polo Ralph Lauren linen shirt
Rooster Indian madras tie
Merona cotton shawl cardigan
Polo Ralph Lauren chino
Sebago Campsides


Just picked up this vintage Rooster tie for $6 on eBay. Tagged "Bleeding Indian Madras," I can't wait to boil it and see how the colors turn out. The Merona cardigan is one of my favorite knitwear pieces - so much so that I own two. I keep one in place of a sweatshirt for trips to the gym. The other gets worn around the house when it's chilly, as well as for basically any other occasion. The American-made Campsides were a $1 thrift shop find awhile back. Aside from needing fresh insoles, they looked new when I bought them two years ago and  they've held up very well since then.

Just in from eBay

Polo shawl collar sweater in royal and navy stripes, $22

Lucky Colors

Actually, I don't believe in luck. I believe a man's fortune to be determined by wise decisions and a bit of chance. Every time I pair pink and green, I have success in the events of the day. This has proved true both in business and my personal life. I could go on about the psychology of color, something I've read far too much about in my studies of advertising, but somehow these colors just work for me. Perhaps it's the confidence I display while wearing these colors together? Perhaps it's the attention-grabbing combination, itself? 

I just know that red and blue are not and will never be my power colors, unlike a vast majority of badly suited businessmen. You should wear the clothes, the colors, with which you're comfortable, though it never hurts to step outside the realm of comfort to be bold and daring. It's a new year. Take a chance and challenge yourself to experiment with new colors and new, yet classic, pieces of clothing. The results might surprise you.

Also, get out there and hit the thrift shops!

Shirt - Polo semi-spread poplin
Tie - Lauren Ralph Lauren
Sweater - Polo pima cotton
Cardigan - Merona marled cotton
Jeans - Levi's tumbled rigid 559
Socks - Scott Nichol
Shoes - Bass Weejuns

My Christmas Wish List

... keeps on growing and growing. Give me tartan or give me death.

No Cash, No Cashmere, No Problem

Spending $895 on a cashmere sweater is fine when you can afford it. And while cashmere is luxuriously smooth and warm, pima cotton's not so bad either. It's more appropriate for year-round use and it washes quite easily. So, when the opportunity was presented to pick up the pima cotton sweater seen below, incredibly similar to the cashmere sweater on the left, I couldn't resist. Forty-eight dollars later, I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my new sweater from eBay.

Time for Intarsia

                   Just in from eBay...                   

100% pima cotton in a heavy knit that provides plenty of softness and warmth without the all-around bulk of wool. When the first snowfall of the season comes, this is what I'll be wearing.

The Next Best Thing

Or perhaps even better?

Ralph Lauren recently unveiled this beautiful cashmere shawl sweater, but at $895 I'm unbelievably far from considering such a purchase. Instead, I hit the pages of eBay in search of something similar.

What turned up is something I like even more, this incredible shawl sweater of wool and lambswool.

At only $37, you won't hear me complaining about price. Another reason to look forward to winter.

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.