Wtfoffers But Mr. Mouse, you are not your driveway.
To prove that foresight is futile,
The best plans of mice and men
The gang is angry
All we have is sadness and pain,
For the joy promised!
Last year, I wrote an article about the clothes I want to own in 2024. We’ve broken down our goals into tailoring, shirts, pants, knits, outerwear, shoes, and accessories.
Now, let’s disassemble the clothes I bought and received. especially in relation to that article. I really ended up getting more clothes than I expected, partly because brands sent me things on Instagram, so I have to limit my overview. So let’s do it like this:
the goal: Anthology single-breasted navy custom suit. Tuxedo somehow. Some beater sports jackets.
result: Recycled tuxedo, navy blazer, and two more great sports jackets
In other words…I couldn’t get the navy suit from Anthology. This is a long story, but I was unable to make an appointment at a time that was actually available. It’s a shame because it was number one on my list, but it’s ok. Let’s continue.
I finally got a decent navy blazer. Featuring no vents, patch pockets, double breasted and light brown horn buttons. From Luciano Barbera via eBay. it’s good. My friend Max offered to trade it for a Drake jacket, but I said no.
I got two solid sports jackets. One is made from Samuelsohn’s Xenia wool, which is nice and soft, but not ideal in that it has flap pockets. The other is The Armory’s recycled MTM Model 3, made from rough Harris tweed and complete with patch pockets. This is both valuable and effective as a beater.
Finally, Shane found me a tuxedo. I paid $60 for a vintage Brooks Brothers tuxedo that fit me perfectly. It’s not perfect due to its age and one vent, but it’s definitely going to have a place in my wardrobe until I can find a tailor to make it for me. of Tuxedo for me.
the goal: More blue shirts, tuxedo shirts.
result: chambray button down, blue denim/madras short sleeve camp collar, blue reverse stripe OCBD, blue royal oxford dress shirt, vintage blue shirt I may never have left, and tuxedo shirt.
I already had a blue dress shirt, a blue herringbone button down, and a blue denim shirt (and would consider a navy shirt separately). necessary Blue chambray and blue OCBD. Special thanks to Buck Mason and Proper Cloth respectively. Chambray (top left) is very light and very easy to wear, even in warm weather. OCBD (top right) is a reverse stripe. Ever since I bought my first reverse stripe OCBD, I thought it was cool. I’m right.
Proper Cloth also made me a proper Royal Oxford dress shirt (bottom left). Although Royal Oxford has a similar name to “Oxford Cloth,” it is actually a unique, dressier fabric. It looks subdued when you look at it up close, but it’s actually as formal as broadclothes, so I wear it with a suit and tie.
The OMTC shirt (top center) is made from a fairly dense denim Madras fabric (essentially brown checked denim, which also follows all the Madras rules. It’s not a shirt you’ll wear every day, but the fabric is pretty crazy It is a short-sleeved button closure made with . I love soft, hand-woven denim.
And finally, the tuxedo shirt (bottom right) came from Hockerty. it does the job. I’ve found that there are some compromises in quality, but for an MTM in this price range, it’s hard to fault.
the goal: Mohair cardigan. Generally more textured knitwear. Another knitted t-shirt. Another turtleneck.
result: All of the above and then some.
Needles’ mohair cardigan is so cool. I got exactly what I wanted the most, even though I knew I wouldn’t wear it much (center). It’s a beautiful statement piece and I’m happy to own it.
The bright pink sweater here (bottom left) is also one of the specific knits on my list, but it’s brighter and more saturated than what I had in mind. Pink Shetlands are something truly special. This one is from Paul Stuart (there doesn’t seem to be this particular style on the website) and is a size or two too big, but I don’t really care.
The quality is great in the first and last images above. Anderson & Shepherd cotton sweater and Polo Ralph Lauren cashmere cable knit. This seems to be a standout piece by Polo, definitely the best general brand cashmere knit I’ve seen, and definitely better than the other cashmere cable knits made in Hawick, Scotland .
Octobre Editions has consistently provided solid knitwear (2, 6, 8) to my closet. Please note that some of the options are synthetic blends. However, there are some unique textures here, so it’s worth browsing to find one you like.
The same goes for FrizmWORKS’s uniquely textured alpaca boucle knit (top right). It’s thick and fluffy, and I like the pockets. But there’s definitely a lot of synthetics in this blend…and we get it.
The image in the center left is Buck Mason’s hemp cotton crew neck, which has a unique texture. Hemp is very similar to linen, only stronger, making it a great knit for fairly warm climates. I like it.
the goal: Off-white jeans. Larger linen. Larger chino pants. purple string.
result: Itchy, off-white “Baker Pants.” Off-white linen Andrews. Navy giant fit chinos.
I spent forever looking for soft ecru denim. This year I finally found something that does the same job but better. These Buck Mason baker pants are made from seeded ecru herringbone twill (although mineral gray is the only color option). I paid full price and I was satisfied. I had stretched my budget far beyond that point, so I put myself at risk of buying stiff, low-rise, slim ecru jeans instead of the beautiful jeans I had gotten. These are softer, have better pockets, and are seeded. This means that you can see the black specks of cotton seeds up close inside the fabric.
I’ve written extensively about the Polo Ralph Lauren Andrew Pants in the past. It’s no surprise that I bought another pair last year, but it may come as a surprise that these were the first pair of shoes I bought this year in early January, right after I announced my plans. I’m very happy with it, especially after realizing that it’s very close to the color of Bryceland’s shirt.
She also expressed her love for J.Crew Giant Fit Chinos. Yes, I bought it again for myself. If you haven’t learned yet, here are a bunch of items I recommend.
I couldn’t get the purple code. It was a pretty stupid idea, I don’t need a pair. If only J.Crew would do it in a better shade…I bought a dark brown Giant Fit Cord and received another one in a mid brown, but it said purple in the header, so they’re both actually was not important.
the goal: A raincoat perfect for summer. A durable winter parka.
result: Karakoram without hood.
Although I picked up some good outerwear this year, I ended up doing pretty weak in this category in terms of achieving the goals I set for myself. The Karakoram has a hood, and if it were a little thicker and warmer, it would really scratch the itch, but as it is, I need something else. Truly a monster parka. And then there are the super lightweight rain jackets, which are probably breathable. Fingers crossed.
the goal: Carefully made winter boots. Alden color 8 shell tassel loafers. The missing sneakers.
result: All of the above, well, I’ll just show you the tassel.
I got a nice pair of boots, but I have to exchange them due to size. I have some good sneakers, but…well, it’s a long story and complicated, but just know that I have some good sneakers on hand, and when you see it You can see that.
But what I can show you right now is that I have some Shell Alden in color 8. It’s a Brooks Brothers model (unfortunately no longer available) that’s a little worn and big enough to only be worn with thick socks…but I got it on eBay for a good price. . Let’s go buy Shell Alden before it’s gone.
For those who don’t know, shell cordovan is a unique type of leather made from the membrane of a horse’s butt. Yes, really. It has a unique luster, changes over time, and looks cool. “Color 8” is a unique shade released by Horween, which is like a super dark burgundy with a hint of purple. This is not the only special color of Shell Cordovan. There is some deep lore here, mainly “Color 16” which is simply the darker color 8. But that is beyond the scope of this article.
the goal: Bow tie. Another funky scarf. A new kind of hat. Jewelry with more meaning.
result:scarf. Honorable mention to my new black belt.
I never expected to find a bow tie. As for the hat…I wasn’t even sure what kind of hat I wanted. At one point I put on some berets and a hat with a brim, but I couldn’t find it. And jewelry was always an opportunity. So I’m not surprised at all.
I previously bought a Drakes scarf from Stephon Carson, and I traded it back to him for this scarf. My current plan is to keep exchanging badass scarves with him until I’ve tried all the cool ones in his collection.
I didn’t mention black belt at first, but actually this is a priority for me and I mentioned it in the conclusion of the article. I will mention them here. I got the belt above (black hair-on calf from La Botte Gardiane) secondhand, as well as the black western belt you can see in the fit with the mohair cardigan. Stay tuned as we may have another great belt soon.
Overall, I did surprisingly well. I mean, I got a lot of clothes this year, but I didn’t get everything on my list…but whether I’m thrifting or not, I’m basically hoping for the right clothes to show up. Considering my general approach of waiting, I’m very happy I was able to put the plan together.
I still feel like I’m missing some nice hooded outerwear, I’m craving better jewelry, and I’m upset that plans for The Anthology aren’t working out yet, but… okay, not much. I’m not worried. I’ll put it all together.
We’ll end with a question: What was your favorite piece from last year? Leave a comment, tell a friend, or just think. Reflecting is fun, right?
