Paisley & Tweeds

The breast pocket on the left hand side of a mans jacket should always be filled with a pocket square. And when the textured, colorful look of tweed jacketing calls for a more sophisticated visual than can be provided by simple white linen, it's time for silk, particularly paisley silk like the one from Drake's Londonin the photo. 

The kidney-shaped paisley is one of the world's familiar patterns. It originated in Persia, but its western name is taken from the Scottish town of Paisley which became the best-known producer of the design in the early 19th century. That may be because the inhabitants of Paisley did the best job of complementing tweed-the standard outerwear of the area. They definitely are credited with printing five color patterns at a time when the competition made do with two.

Personally, I think that multi-colored paisley makes the best silk squares. The complex designs let a man look refined and easy going about his dress at the same time, with squares that have grounds that relate to nothing else that he's wearing and multi-colored patterns that may complement shirt, necktie, jacket or all three. 

The untucked neckscarf

HRH Prince Charles demonstrates how to utilize an untucked scarf to fill a jacket opening when there's no necktie. A length of cashmere keeps the chest warm and the centers the viewers eye on the wearers face.

Most readers will want to use this technique with an odd jacket rather than a Chitrali Cloak from the Pakistani tribal areas. Said cloak costs but £30 ($45), which is unusually good value for twelve yards of hand loomed lambs wool, however the low cost is no doubt related to the 340 mile trip from Islamabad thats required to reach the town where they are made. Fortunately the royal publicity means we can probably expect to find the garments in the J. Peterman catalog next season.

Still, for now tweed jackets are considerably simpler to obtain. Cashmere scarves may be found at the same sources.

Thomas Pink : White Shirt Bar

“Thomas Pink’s new initiative, the white shirt bar… opened this week in Manhattan. (Those expecting a dress-code-restricted boozery, sorry to disappoint.) With 20 perennial styles to choose from (black-tie to casual oxfords) as well as six seasonal additions, the bar features a shirt menu and dedicated staff to figure out which shirt belongs on which customer.” Those men seeking the proper cut in a white shirt may find refuge in with Thomas Pink. Good to know for a nice quality and good fit basic.

The worlds largest mall :Dubai

As reported in this morning's DNR, the first phase of the world's largest mall opened this week in,where else?—Dubai. Despite the global financial crisis, Emaar Malls Group, which developed the 5.6-million-square-foot shopping center, expects it to receive 30 million visitors in its first year. Here, a brief list of what's on offer to attract them:

- 1,200 stores, including Versace, Burberry, Roberto Cavalli, Galliano, Hermès, Givenchy, Cerruti, Missoni, Tom Ford, and Ermenegildo Zegna
- A 10-million-liter aquarium with 33,000 animals, at least 30 of which are, apparently,very aggressive
- A 76,000-square-foot indoor amusement park called SEGA Republic, subdivided into themes including the Speed Zone, Sports Zone, and Redemption Zone
- An Olympic-size skating rink, open year round
- 14,000 indoor parking spaces

Tattersall for the Hunt

A tattersall is a regularly spaced plaid, usually a 1/2" rectangle that's a little taller than it is wide, combining two dark colored lines on a light ground. The pattern was named after Tattersall's, a London horse market founded in 1766 where blankets with the design were in common use.

Two hundred and fifty years later, the tattersall waistcoat remains a standard part of a man's formal and informal hunt garb, when foxes are the prey of the day. So tattersall worn under a tweed hacking jacket can come in handy for men who are or who wish to appear as if they are on speaking terms with a horse - even if the horse in question is one of the police mounts that are ridden around New York's Central Park. For the horse ranks higher than the dog in the hierarchy of costly pets, and where there are horses, there are females who dote on them.

That makes a tattersall waistcoat useful for more than one kind of hunting.

Sperry Top Sider Chukka

New for fall....

great casual shoe for fall...

WS Foster : On tour

Shoemaker WS Foster is on tour in the United States last week and this one. The company is showing new made to order models that are worth a look. For one thing, they're only available at the Jermyn Street store or on tour, which means that the well shod Foster customer isn't likely to see himself coming and going any time soon. For another, this particular series of MTO shoes, made to Northampton's highest standards, is $757 a pair (£447) ex VAT and compares favorably to shoes retailing for $1,100.

Sarah Adlam and Emma Lakin are in New York tomorrow or Thursday and Friday in Washington.

New York: The Barclay, 111 East 48th Street Tel: 212 755 5900
Washington: The University Club, 1135 16th St. (NW) Tel: 202 862 8800

Filson Double Mackinaw Cruiser Coat

Looking for a recession friendly coat ?  -

The Filson Mackinaw Wool Coat is made from 24oz virgin wool that can absorb “up to 30% of its weight in water without becoming damp or clammy.” Who wouldn’t want a coat which keeps guard against elements like wind, rain, and snow? Get it for 335$US from Filson.

Comes in olive, grey,black and the oh so hip buffalo plaid.

GDC: Boots

A cool boot from GDC. Their Union Work Boot comes in black and brown leather, cool aztec like embroideries on the sidepanels, giving them a more cool casual look. Lightweight sole , very durable - would probably look better once you beat them up a little.

Inventor : Cowboy Shirt

This week Design Observer posted a fantastic story by Adam Levy on Jack A. Weil, the inventor of the Cowboy Shirt. This guy is responsible for the cowboy shirt  - pretty damn cool. Read The Inventor of the Cowboy Shirt here.