Come on Spring!

Monday, March 31, 2008:
Come on Spring, where are you?!? I'm trying really hard here! We changed the laws to make us think you get here earlier! But what? No? You missed your flight? Got stuck in O'Hare? I have you know, Spring, that I wore one of my spring ties for you and I saw drizzle out my door. Drizzle! WTF? With my plans to wear a light suit dashed, I chose my really formal chalk stripe suit from JCrew but in my demanding that you make an appearance I offered the bribe of my fuchsia Hickey Freeman tie. Not only is it fuchsia, but it has blue and yellow dots on it. This tie was found at Saks Off 5th Avenue on a shopping trip that yielded at least on other Ted Baker tie. This tie ties great, and I knew that when I picked it up. I saw Hickey Freeman for the first time when Katherine and I were walking down 5th Avenue in New York when we went to see The Gates in the winter of 2005. I was entranced by the stripes and colors in the window - I had never seen such pure color. However, I didn't think I could spend the money at the time on a tie then so I passed on the option. I was glad to find this tie at Saks Off 5th Avenue, especially since when I was back in New York to see friends and I went shopping at Hickey Freeman. I found that I summoned the restraint to not just buy a tie because I was in the store. The truth is not one tie really caught my eye. It was alarming for sure, but it was the correct thing to do. You can't just buy ties just because. Not even I can do that. I know, I had a moment of strength. So Spring, you should get one yourself, man up and get out here.

Banker-lite

Tuesday, March 11, 2008:
So with 24 ties remaining in this little adventure, I've been getting a little nervous about my selections. This is a pretty big week in terms of meetings and after work events, so now that I am getting down to spring colors I am getting a little anxious with all my playful ties. I chose my JCrew pinstripe, a blue shirt from Banana, and a silk print tie I bought last spring from Banana. It's a paisley pattern with an emphasis on the blue stems in the pattern. I bought this when I was shopping with my friend Lisa in what could only be called a "pity spree" in order to make myself feel tons better. I also bought my gray Banana suit on the same day. I hated paying retail for the suit, but not the tie. Ties, for whatever reason, are something I don't mind spending money on. The same way I feel about dinners - just an fyi. The look is strong and very business oriented, but the swirls in the tie offers a playful juxtaposition to the chalk stripe in the suit. I have worn this suit with a pink and green combination that stretches this concept a little farther, so I tried something different and I like this a little better.

Can't convince myself.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008:
I think it's funny because I haven't yet uttered dislike for any of my ties, but I think this the closest I will get. This tie is one of the first ties I bought at Brooks Brothers. It is a simple pattern in three shades of blue. Clovers made of alternative medium blue and light blue sit on a navy field. The pattern is printed on silk, and the tie is so old the label has fallen off so I am forced to use a safety pin to keep the tie under control. Sometimes silk print ties are harder to tie and produce thin knots, all adding up to a frustrating experience. Surprisingly this morning, this tie cooperated and produced a nice dimple. I decided to wear it a with my navy suit with a a brown pinstripe. I am not all together convinced I enjoyed this outfit, but I decided it was because I have never worn the suit with a tie that didn't have warm colors.

Shimmery Gray Day

Monday, March 3, 2008:
Today was a hard selection. It was an unseasonably warm day for early March so I decided to wear a cotton suit, but it was still March so it had to be one that was still pretty subdued - so no khaki. I bought this suit two years ago because I wanted to wear it to an formal event for Katherine's medical school. I also wanted a new light weight suit that could be worn in three seasons. The gray suit has a nail head dent pattern in gray cotton with a light tan pin stripe. I chose a tie I had purchased with the suit which is a woven silk tie with three colors; taupe, tan and blue. The three colors combine to give the tie a shimmery and silvery effect, which adds to the its formal look. You have to closely examine the tie to pick out the colors - just ask, I'll let you. Like most things in my life, the tie and the suit are from Banana.

My apologies to the blogosphere. . .

First off, my lack of entries isn't discontent with the concept of blogging, or a lack of commitment to my goal. I've been sick and then a general sense of malaise has washed over me beckoning me to sleep, rather than to keep up appearances on the net. However, a sudden creative spirit washed over me and I've decided to get my things in order and catch up. Sorry blogosphere.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008:
Today I decided to wear a sharp combination of a blue paisley tie (from Banana) and a blue striped shirt (from the JCrew outlet) with my gray JCrew suit. The Oregon State Society birthday reception was that evening and I wanted to be refined, but at the same time a little young and sporty. I liked to contrast between the strong verticals and the completeness of the paisley. I also like the cut of the shirt, which is more slim fit then some which is good. I also like the cut of the collar which frames the knot well.


Thursday, February 14, 2008:
I decided to wear one of my favorite ties today. It was my second Ted Baker tie, which was purchased in the summer of 2006. It was the second Ted Baker tie I purchased and I am pretty sure that it was purchased at Saks Off 5th Avenue with Natale and Ian. I paired it with my Banana navy suit with brown pinstripes. It like the unconventional pairing of the colors. I had meetings that day so I decided to dress up for the day. I paired the tie with a blue shirt as to highlight the blue flowers in the tie. This is one of Ted Bakers non-repetitive ties, kind of like a jungle, and a beautiful bramble of flowers. It makes me a little sad that I can't wear this tie for a while now, but it only makes me want to complete this task quicker.


Friday, February 15, 2008:
I made a bold move today and decided to go for the bow tie. The tie was a gift from Katherine's father, Splinter, for Christmas in 2000. Splinter had taught me to tie a bow tie, so he thought this was something I needed. I agree. It's by John Talbot and has a nice geometric design on a field of blue. I remember Katherine asking me what I was wearing when I came over for Christmas dinner and my choice of a white button-down shirt and herringbone pants seemed to be a fine selection as to be paired with the new gift. I went old school at work and chose the forest green sweater I got in Rehoboth, DE on New Year's Day 2008 and my favorite old blazer. Amid the hoots and the hollers from staff when I arrived at work I completely forgot I actually had meetings so I got to share the glory with more people. Thankfully I have another opportunity to wear a bow tie. I think I messed this one up because it was too loose and came out to floppy, maybe.

Banker's stripes and flowers

January 30, 2008:
Today I chose to wear my gray pinstripe JCrew suit with a light blue shirt and a tie by Gianfranco Ferre. The tie was purchased at the Saks 5th Ave outlet in Woodbridge, VA. I bought it on a shopping trip with my sister when she was in town this past fall. The tie is a punchy-orange, with a wispy flower pattern (maybe poppies). I liked the simple, sparse pattern of the flowers and the way that you have to look closely at the tie to see the fact that the flowers look antique in some sort of way, like wallpaper from 1890. I thought it worked well with the power of the chalk stripe of the suit. It's a little banker-ish, and that isn't truly me, but I think that the simple pattern of this tie softens it significantly.