An Uptown Dandy

Vintage Edward Green for Nordstrom: The Malvern

2012-03-01T22:46:00.000-05:00

Edward Green for Nordstrom.

Many of you will remember the pair of Edward Green Windsor's that I sent back to the factory for re-crafting. Those shoes were originally made by Edward Green for Nordstrom here in the US, and I recently came across a similar pair made for the American department store. While this pair isn't holding up quite as well the Windsors, they are nevertheless quite lovely to behold.

The shoes appear to have been partially resoled at some point, but after 25-30 years, the resoles and uppers appear to be holding up well enough. The leather uppers are beginning to show just a hint of cracking just under the broguing in the image below, and there are a few blemishes around the medallions but the dark leather hue really masks what might be more obvious wear on a lighter pair of shoes.

As you can see from the images, the uppers have a burgundy tone, but I'm not entirely sure if that reddish hue is more from years of polishing rather than the actual leather color. Perhaps a bit of both.

When I cleaned the shoes and applied leather conditioner, I rubbed away quite a bit of the burgundy. I'm sure the shoes would benefit from a thorough cleaning and conditioning, and it would certainly be interesting to see whether, underneath all of that polish residue, there really is a burgundy shoe.

As an aside, this pair of Edward Green offers a good example of the wider 202 last fitted on the narrower C width. I have often heard it said that that, ideally, when wearing the roomier 202 last, one should size down from the regular US D width to a slightly narrower C width (or, in UK sizing from the standard E down to D). The purpose being to reduce the, for lack of better word, "bulbous" effect of the 202 last. Looking at this pair of shoes, the narrower width certainly on the 202 looks like a direct precursor to the sleeker 82 last.

More Tales From The Thrift: Crockett & Jones Spectators for Barneys New York

2012-02-28T22:08:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned the other day, New Jersey was fertile hunting grounds for thrifting this past weekend. If the John Lobb Miami's weren't enough of a blessing, I also came away with these absolutely lovely spectators from Crockett & Jones for Barneys New York.

Lately, companies have been putting out all kinds of two-tone shoes. I'm not even sure if these new color combinations can be properly characterized as a "spectator" shoe, as I thought that meant the shoe needed some white somewhere. Perhaps I'm being a stickler, but in any event, there are really some beautiful options out there if you're looking to go the two-tone route for spring and summer.

Personally, I love a light brown and with white suede combination. Some models will have white calf instead of suede, which to my eye appears a bit too shiny and bright. But to each his own. This pair really displays the classic look: the tan leather has a bit of texture which gives the shoe more of a country look , and it really works well with the suede. Most spectator shoes do not have the extra strip of brown leather behind the captoe, as this pair does, and I imagine most of the white suede will be blocked from view by the wearer's trouser cuff. So perhaps this style would be a better starting point for those looking to experiment with the spectator shoe.

The shoes are in phenomenal condition, having been worn at most 2 or 3 times. The double soles show very little signs of wear, and the rubber heel counters look virtually untouched.

A great pick-up, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, I'm fully stocked with captoe and wingtip specs at the moment, so for any size US 10D feet out there, I've listed these shoes on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300670430327?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_500wt_1413

Thriftin' Ain't Easy: John Lobb's Miami

2012-02-26T19:02:00.000-05:00

John Lobb's Miami.

As spring approaches, thrifting continues to pay dividends out in Northern New Jersey, particularly in the suburb towns along the midtown direct corridor. I probably hadn't done my normal loop since before the holiday season, so it was about time I popped into my haunts to see what could be had.

I was not disappointed. I came away with a few items, but this pair of immaculate boat shoes from John Lobb, known as the Miami, were a pleasant surprise. Surprisingly, the white rubber soles show very little wear. And while the leather was a bit dry when I found them, the calf leather really jumped back to life after after I applied some Saphyr leather conditioner.

Amazingly, I'm not even sure if these were even the best pick-up of the day, even with the absurd $15 price tag and with the 9E size on the 2995 last fitting my size 10 feet perfectly.

But I'll let you all decide.

Stay Tuned!

Uptown Dandification @ Tumblr

2012-02-20T10:35:00.000-05:00

I didn't want to clutter the Uptown Dandy blog with photo posts, especially if they weren't necessarily related to men's style. Tumblr seems like a better format for uploading images anyway, so I've created Uptown Dandification.

I'll be posting images there that capture my imagination or interest. I hope you like them, and even if you don't, I'd like to hear your thoughts anyway!

http://uptowndandification.tumblr.com/

Thanks for looking!

Dan F.

Tod's Driving Moccasins

2012-02-19T18:13:00.001-05:00

I've been meaning to pick up a pair of Tod's driving moccasins for some time now. Since I don't really do much driving, I always put off the purchase with the rationalization that it would make more sense to pick up a pair of shoes that I could wear regularly.

A few weeks ago, there was a sale near near my office in midtown, so I decided to drop in and see if there was anything that caught my eye. As it turned out, I ended up purchasing 3 pairs for my wife, but I did come away with a nice pair of tan suede gommini mocs.

Tod's shoes are made in Cassette d'Ete in Italy, the town where Tod's CEO Diego Della Valle was born. While the company talks up the more than 100 steps involved in making a pair of shoes, most of those involve quality control precautions.

As Simon Crompton pointed out a few weeks ago on his blog Permanent Style, Tod's driving shoes are handmade in most respects. A layer of rubber nubbins is inserted through the leather body of the shoe; an internal rubber layer is then added on top followed by a leather insole. The vamp is sewn by hand around the front with the remainder of the stitching done by hand-guided machine.

It should be noted that the sizing on Tod's shoes is interesting, to say the least. The shoes come in European sizes, so you should generally plan on sizing up a full size. That being said, I'm normally a US 10D, or UK 9.5E in most English shoes, but occasionally a UK 9E, depending on the last. These shoes, however, were a EU 7, US 8. Go figure - but if ordering online, you'll want to know your size in Tod's shoes prior to ordering.

Of course, with the gommini, I won't be wearing these everyday, but I think the tan suede will work well with denim or shorts. Now to schedule a few long drives for the spring and summer . . .

******

Post script: I know this purports to be a "men's style" blog, but bear with me for one moment, or just shield your eyes for two seconds. Rightly or wrongly, I generally associate the Tod's brand with men's shoes and women's handbags. However, the women's shoes are beautiful. I literally could not decide on a pair for my wife, so ended up leaving with 3 pair for her. Unfortunately, I only have a few iPhone pictures of those, but just to give you a sense of the craftsmanship involved. Each pair have the distinctive Tod's gommini above the heel.

Bergdorf's Men's Store: Window Dressing

2012-02-12T18:31:00.000-05:00

One of Bergdorf's wonderful window displays -

The reflection of The Plaza Hotel looms magnificently in the background.

I still haven't had a chance to put up some of the photos that I took during the holiday shopping season - the more iconic men's shopping destinations do a really great job putting together wonderful window displays. Bergdorf's Men's Store created some rather eclectic images built around basic one-word motifs. This one was "Dapper."

Here's "Spiffy."

And a little bit o' "Mighty."

At first, I wasn't sure what the animals were meant to signify - if anything. There were bulls and bears, so I thought perhaps there might be a "masters of the universe," Gordon Gekko-type thing going on. You know, the whole impeccably attired, Wall Street financier imagery (which, in reality, is seldom seen, unless you believe pseudo-Jermyn Street shops (a Jermyn Street address, a Malaysian-made shirt) represent the height of sartorial sophistication).

Then I thought perhaps it was a "Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!" thing. Sort of a "We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto" vibe. . . but I didn't see any Tigers.

Ah, well. I'm sure its something clever and simple that blew right by me.

But wonderful displays, to be sure.

Vintage Edward Green: The Captoe Longwing for Wildsmith

2012-02-05T22:39:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned last week, I recently purchased a pair of longwings made by Edward Green for Ralph Lauren's Purple Label (see the post here). I thought it would be interesting to note the differences between that pair of shoes, made on the elegant 888 last, and this vintage pair of Edward Green shoes made some time ago for Wildsmith & Co.

Its unclear from a quick internet search whether Wildsmith & Co. remains a going concern for bespoke shoes. The current address appears to be 13 Princes Arcade, St. James's, London. The address on this pair of shoes is actually 15 Princes Arcade.

In any event, at one time Wildsmith & Co. were well-regarded bespoke shoemakers. The company offered a variety of models/designs and then essentially coordinated the separate portions of the shoe-making process completed by various outworkers. The company's ready-to-wear footwear was made in either the Edward Green or Crockett & Jones factories in Northampton. Apparently those designs were also created by Wildsmith, although Edward Green seems to have also made shoes for Wildsmith based on designs by Peal & Co. and Cleverley (for Poulsen Skone).

The channeled sole of the vintage Edward Green shoe.

There really is not much of a bevelled waist to speak of.

In this case, the sole was showing quite a bit of wear, so I had them replaced with JR Rendenbach heels.

This particular pair of shoes appears to be an example of the ready-to-wear footwear provided by Edward Green for the Wildsmith & Co. label. These shoes also differ significantly from the RLPL Brooksville - which was based on the classic longwing design - in that the Wildsmith shoe features a captoe, so the horizontal broguing running the length of the shoe does not extend from the wings at the toe box. In this case, the horizontal broguing begins at the throat of the shoe.

In addition, this pair of shoes, on the more substantive 32 last (now defunct, although still available for Made-To-Order or Special Order Edward Green shoes) offers quite a contrast to the decidedly sleeker 888.

As is often the case when comparing vintage Edward Green shoes with their more recent counterparts, the leather burnishing or patina of the older shoes certainly leaves something to be desired. In this area, especially when looking at the patina on the Brooksville, most notably along the toe box as
well as the back quarters, the Edward Green production process seems to have made significant advancements. Whether this is due to the quality of the leather or more advanced burnishing techniques when compared to what existed 20-30 years ago is unclear.

But one can hardly argue with the results. Despite all of the above, the leather uppers on the Wildsmith shoes are holding up quite well after what is most likely 15-20 years (at least). The color and tone of the leather, which appears to be somewhere between Edward Green's dark oak and chestnut antique, is certainly exquisite and seems to have aged very well, which is generally the norm for a pair of Edward Green shoes.

Mackintosh for J. Crew: The Duncan Coat

2012-01-31T23:31:00.000-05:00

As the unseasonably warm weather continues to grace our presence here on the East Coast, it looks like I may be able to break out some of recently acquired foul weather gear. With rain on the forecast and temperatures likely to reach 60 degrees, it seems like the perfect time to try out my new Duncan raincoat, made for J. Crew by Mackintosh.

A nice collaboration.

The brown horn buttons are nice to look at.

J. Crew's recent collaborations have involved some of the more prestigious names in men's clothing, most notably Alden, Barracuta, and, of course, Mackintosh.

While Burberry and Aquascutum are names more commonly associated with rain or trench coats, Charles Macintosh actually patented his rubberised waterproof cloth in 1823 and began manufacturing the first Mackintosh coats in the family's textile factory, Charles Macintosh and Co. of Glasgow.

Partially tartan-lined: a little bit of Scotland . . .

Almost 200 years later, J. Crew partnered with the celebrated company to create this classically simple, yet elegant, coat. Made from water resistant cotton, the coat is partially lined which probably limits its utility to the fall and spring seasons, although it has been said that the coat retains warmth quite well.

Underarm grommets for added comfort.

Interior patch pockets and interior insulation on the fabric seams to enhance the waterproofing.

Interestingly, when I dropped into the J. Crew Men's Shop at 79th Street and Madison Avenue in New York City, I asked about the Mackintosh coats but none were available. I was told by a sales associate that the rumor was that the coats were being phased out because customers were not fond of the roomy fit of the coat. While I have no reason to discount the veracity of that statement, I thought it strange that, if the aim was to unload the remaining supply, the Mackintosh coats were excluded from the seasonal sales and were still selling on J. Crew's website for the full $800 retail price.

In any event, forewarned is forearmed. Coupled with my navy blue Swims and Briggs umbrella, I look forward to the coming deluge.

Edward Green for Ralph Lauren's Purple Label: The Brooksville

2012-01-29T17:31:00.011-05:00

Known in the United States as "English" brogues and in the United Kingdom as "American" brogues, the longwing is a derby style shoe characterized by a pointed toe cap with wings that extend the full length of the shoe and meet at a center seam at the heel.

The extended wings of the longwing brogue . . .

. . .extending to the broguing along the heel seam.

While the style has been around for some time, much of its prominence in the United States is probably due to the popularity of Florsheim's "Kenmoor" model. The original models were stunning examples of American craftsmanship, from the double soles to the "v-cleat" or cat's paw heel. More recently, the longwing brogue has been enjoying something of a renaissance, primarily because of Alden of New England's collaborations with J. Crew and Brooks Brothers. Although I'm not a fan of that company's rather bulbous lasts, not many would argue that Alden is one of the last domestic shoe-makers still producing the celebrated American longwing "gunboat" - i.e. a clunky, chunky, well-made shoe that is built to last.

While trying to take care of some last minute holiday shopping last month, I dropped into Ralph Lauren's Rhinelander Mansion to peruse the Edward Green and Gaziano and Girling selections. Much to my surprise, one of the Edward Green models on display was the Brooksville, the Northamptonshire company's answer to the longwing.

To my eye, one has to be careful with the longwing - because of the horizontal line of broguing that runs almost the entire length of the shoe from the toe cap to the heel seam, the shoe can appear longer or more elongated it actually is. If the shoe has also been made on an elongated last, such as Crockett & Jones' 337, one can go from sleek to ridiculously long pretty quickly.

A bit more of the details on Edward Green's Brooksville for Ralph Lauren's Purple Label.

A phallic medallion?

The patina at the toe box is sublime.

One rarely sees the brown sole waist treatment - its usually black - although it works perfectly here.

A detailed picture of the channeled sole.

A full picture of the sole, which shows off the contours of Edward Green's 888 last.

On this model, Edward Green's 888 last works perfectly - the sleek elegance of the longwing is evident in all its splendor here. So much so that I have to admit, when I first saw these shoes on the display shelf, the last configuration and leather patina led me to believe that these were a pair of shoes made by Tony Gaziano and Dean Girling. But the tell-tale signs of Edward Green craftsmanship are all to evident: from the burnished calf to the chestnut antique color, which of course only succeed in augmenting the brilliance of the Brooksville.

Rake Incarnate: Mayor Jimmy Walker

2012-01-27T13:44:00.001-05:00

I originally posted this in November when this short Jimmy Walker piece appeared in The Rake - here it is again, with the actual article included below. Of course, you can read more about His Honor here at An Uptown Dandy.

The Layover: Anthony Bourdain Drops Into Cleverley

2012-01-25T09:28:00.000-05:00

If you're home flipping through the channels this week, you may want to check out Anthony Bourdain's new show, The Layover. In the London episode, he drops into Cleverley for a quick fitting with Mr. Glasgow.

The episode recap shows a short portion of the segment at about the 2:00 minute mark of this video (you can view it here).

The Walking Tour (Part Seven): Berluti

2012-01-24T21:42:00.000-05:00

I'm generally pretty conservative when it comes to my shoes, as anyone dropping by An Uptown Dandy can probably tell. A nice shade of brown and a little bit of broguing, and I'm sitting pretty in the catbird seat.

But that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate some of the more fashion forward, or "exotic," footwear crafted by some of the well-renowned European craftsmen. Berluti, a French shoe company, has a reputation for using quality leathers and creating unique finishes for their sleek lasts. Some models also include distinct hieroglyphics (for lack of a better term).

Based in Paris in the Rue Marbeuf, the company was founded in 1895 by an Italian, Alessandro Berluti. The firm is currently managed by his descendant, Olga Berluti. While distribution is limited, Berluti footwear is available in the United States at their brick and mortar shop on Madison Avenue in New York City (pictured here), as well as Barneys New York.

What We're Ogling: Men's Ex - The World of High-End Shoes Vol. 5

2012-01-22T21:37:00.000-05:00

I recently picked up Volume 5 of Men's Ex' World of High-End Shoes, and, as always, I was not disappointed. A lot of great photos of shoes from a wide range of makers, including Edward Green, Gaziano & Girling, John Lobb, Carmina, etc.

As I've said in the past, the only downside for shoe connoisseurs (English-speaking, that is) is that this is a Japanese-language magazine. But recently, the Style Forum member Nutcracker has been kind enough to post translations of entire pages - a truly noble undertaking, which we cannot thank him/her enough for undertaking (you can see the SF thread here). This is truly a wonderful resource to have available.

Of course, Volume 5 also has plenty of the pages that I've grown to love and hate - the shoe connoisseur spreads with well-dressed gentlemen posing suavely while surrounded by legions of
lovely shoes.

I love these spreads because its always enjoyable to see the collections that have been amassed over the years.

Unfortunately, it also means another volume has gone by without the editors of Men's Ex to tell me my time has come. I wait patiently for the call . . .

Ah, Finally Some Classic Style at Pitti

2012-01-15T19:44:00.002-05:00

Photo by Tommy Ton for GQ

Now, I'm normally not one for re-blogging street-style photos, but this may be the first photo I've ever seen from Pitti that is just classic men's style. Period. Of course, I'm referring to the gentleman on the right in the overcoat and pinstriped double-breasted suit, and fedora.

Also, unless I'm mistaken, that appears to be a pair of leather gloves in the chest pocket, a look which I've tried with some of the Saratoga outfits - it's a nice change of pace from the pocketsquare.

Very nice.

The Walking Tour Continues: Turnbull & Asser (Part Six)

2012-01-03T20:08:00.000-05:00

Turnbull & Asser had a lovely window display installed for the holidays. Located at 57th street between Park and Madison Avenues, its always worth a trip just to meander around the shop and peruse the colorful dress shirts, ties, and silk knots.

I'm not aware of a winter sale at the moment - although it would certainly be hard-pressed to meet the high standard set by the summer sale in June, when bold stripe shirts from seasons past were selling for an astonishingly low $25 per shirt.

The smoking jacket in forest green is reminiscent of something Sir Winston Churchill might have lounged about in, or perhaps even held a cabinet meeting in. In this day and age, though, it takes a bold man to wear a dark green velvet jacket.

Case in point: "Shy" and "R. Kelly" are generally two things that rarely go together - but when "The Pied Piper of Rhyme" recently appeared on stage to perform a duet on the X-Factor, the normally, ahem, extroverted Kelly chose a more conservatively-colored smoking jacket.

Indeed, Mr. Kelly further distinguishes himself from his Hip-Hop/R&B brethren by displaying some shirt cuff in the photo below.

Why, it could have come straight from the T&A window display.

No doubt Sir Winston would have approved.

The Louis Vuitton Steamer Trunk

2011-12-30T11:49:00.000-05:00

While running around the city last week, I passed by the intersection of 57th and Fifth, where you have Bergdorf's, Tiffany's, and Louis Vuitton all residing at adjacent corners. There isn't really much of interest for me at Louis Vuitton, but I've always been a admirer of their vintage steamer trunks - what I thought were relics from the by-gone age of luxury liner travel.

Not realizing that Louis Vuitton still makes these trunks, I was pleasantly surprised to see this window display featuring some of the company's unparalleled artistry and craftsmanship.

I don't think I'll ever need one of these for traveling, but it would certainly look great as a coffee table in my living room or study.

And here's another window display that I thought was well done.

Happy Holidays From An Uptown Dandy!

2011-12-26T22:26:00.000-05:00

One of the wonderful window displays to be found all along Fifth Avenue

during the holiday season - this one from Tiffany's.

While trekking around the city yesterday in order to get through my holiday shopping in relatively short order, there were some wonderful holiday window displays to be seen at Bergdorf's, Tiffany's, and Van Cleef & Arpel, among many others. Here's a small sampling for your viewing pleasure.

Happy holidays!

Vintage Edward Green: The Collection (Volume II)

2011-12-22T20:10:00.001-05:00

Some of you may recall that a few months ago, I posted a collection of images of some of the vintage Edward Green shoes that I've been lucky enough to come across in thrift shops or eBay (the original post at An Uptown Dandy can be viewed here). Since then, I've managed to find a few more vintage Edward Green shoes, and thought now would be as good a time as any to post pics.

My comments on the first collection still apply. In some cases, the shoes some wear, in other cases they look almost new (in my opinion). I'm usually looking for some feature that you don't really see Edward Green featuring on more recent models, although its always interesting to compare a vintage model with its more recent counterpart. The shoes featured here are from a variety of companies that no longer supply shoes made by Edward Green, including Cole Haan, Paul Stuart, Wildsmith, and Brooks Brothers (via its now-defunct Brooks English line of shoes).

As with the shoes from Part One, I'll plan on posting more detailed summaries and photos of the shoes shown above, (hopefully) sometime in the New Year.

(The Return Of) The Walking Tour (Part Five): Citi Shoes

2011-12-21T21:09:00.000-05:00

Its hard to believe the last segment of the walking tour was way back in May - but when you're chained to your desk, its hard to slip away to roam the streets looking for elegant footwear and such.

But with a few days off from work for the holidays, I packed my camera with the hope that I might come across some interesting men's shops and take a few pictures while I did my holiday shopping.

I've been up and down Park Avenue for years, and I've never noticed CitiShoes, a sort of old-fashioned (for New York City) looking men's shoe store. Located on Park Avenue between 56th and 57th Street, the store is literally right around the corner from Turnbull & Asser on 57th Street.

CitiShoes has a very wide-ranging selection of shoes. Signs above the wall advertise for brands such as Mephisto, Ecco, Rockport, and Sebago, alongside esteemed American shoemakers like Alden and Allen Edmonds and esteemed Northampton makers like Church's and Edward Green.

As there are really only a handful of shops offering limited models of Edward Green shoes (Leffot, Saks, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers), its somewhat noteworthy (for me anyway) when one comes across a new distributor. Of course, CitiShoes may have been selling Edward Green shoes for years for all I know while I've literally been cluelessly walking right by the window display all this time. I do recall the Church's display, but I don't recall the Edward Green's, so I'm guessing that this is a fairly recent development. In any event, prices are basically what you'll see in most shops (a little north of $1000), but one never knows when a random model might be discounted.

If you're in the area, such a wide range of offerings is worth checking out.

Cary Grant: A Celebration of Style

2011-12-18T20:39:00.001-05:00

Fans of classic American style will want to take a look at Richard Torregrossa's excellent study of Cary Grant's timeless elegance - Cary Grant: A Celebration of Style. The writing contributed by Giorgio Armani and Michael Kors is insightful, and Torregrossa's account of Grant's sartorial journey through life is quite interesting. I was surprised to discover that one of Grant's early sartorial icons was none other than Zeppo Marx, the straight man to his three utterly insane brothers.

Of course, the other highlights of this book are the wonderful photos of Grant from various eras, where he nevertheless remains impeccably attired and timelessly elegant. Below are just a few of the images on display. Considerable attention is paid to Grant's transformation from his early appearances in Mae West's films, looking picturesque in military regalia, and his continuing quest for the perfectly sympathetic silhouette which would highlight his trim physique while subtly downplaying what he thought were his more unseemly attributes (such as a thick neck), while at the same time allowing Grant to appear comfortable and relaxed in his doublebreasted suits.

Based on the images provided here, one can only conclude that Grant was successful in his efforts.

An Uptown Dandy & The Rake

2011-11-29T23:43:00.000-05:00

Its always nice to have the last word - but, in this case, Beau James takes an entire page all for himself. In the latest edition of The Rake, I contribute a short piece on New York's Prohibition-era Mayor James J. Walker, noted dandy and general man about town. You can read more about His Honor here.

Vintage Edward Green for Brooks English: The Malvern

2011-11-27T15:50:00.001-05:00

A 25-30 year old pair of Edward Green shoes, holding up quite well.

As I mentioned some time ago here at An Uptown Dandy, Brooks Brothers recently began selling Edward Green shoes again - a partnership that apparently began in the 1970s, was disrupted in 1980s or 1990s, and is now back on track. Of course, back then, the shoes were generally re-branded for Brooks Brothers' Peal & Co. line. Presently, Brooks is simply offering a few models without any re-badging or re-branding. Not that we're complaining.

More commonly, you'll see Edward Green shoes made for the Peal & Co. line, but this pair of wingtips in chestnut antique is a bit rare in that this pair of shoes was made for (what at the time was considered) Brooks' lower "Brooks English" line of shoes. Generally, you'll come across shoes from that line made by Church's. This pair, however, have none of the characteristics that you'll find on a pair of Church's shoes from that era - but it does have all of the tell-tale Edward Green markings that you'll see on a shoe from 1970-1985 period.

To begin with, the shoes have the "Made in England" stamp on the sole that you see on Edward Greens made for Nordstrom or Cole Haan from this period. The Church's shoes usually say "Benchmade in England" and also usually have the UK sizing stamped at the waist of the sole. In addition, the writing on a pair of Church's inside the shoe which will normally include the model name, size, and last information, has remained relatively standard since the 1980s.

Edward Green's handwritten designations, which were used before they switched to the writing that you now see in the oval inside the shoe, was also relatively standard during that period. There's normally an order number (which someimes has an additional exponent number (if that makes sense) which I believe denotes how many shoes of that particular model was included in the order, followed by size and last info in the second row, followed by another number in the third row. This pair of shoes has the same Edward Green handwriting. Interestingly, this pair seems to have been made on a unique last made especially for Brooks Brothers, the 346, which also happens to be the street address for what is now the Brooks Brothers flagship location at 346 Madison Avenue in New York City.

The shoes are really a testament to Edward Green craftsmanship and production standards. After 25 to 35 years, the shoes are holding up quite well - the sole is in great shape and the leather uppers look pristine, in my opinion. There is some slight cracking near the bottom of the lace area, which is a strange place to find a crack, I think. But the leather around the toe box and just above, where one would normally expect to find creasing or cracking is in surprisingly good condition.

Its always interesting to see what differences there are between the shoes made than and those produced today - looking at these, there is a channeled sole, but the waist is fairly "flat" There isn't much of suppression to speak of, and the waist is not bevelled at all. Whether newer technology has made it easier to include these types of flourishes on mass produced shoes, I'm not entirely sure. Certainly, the leather here is a basic monotone color or finish that is certainly not as impressive as some of the burnishing that you see today from Edward Green, Gaziano & Girling, or John Lobb. But all-in-all, a lovely wingtip with beautiful broguing and a distinct medallion.

This concludes the series of more in-depth looks for each of the vintage Edward Greens that were originally included in the Vintage Edward Green - The Collection (Part One) [a link to the original post can be found here].

I hope that you've all enjoyed a closer look at some of the beautiful works of art created by the shoemakers of Northampton. Keep an eye out for Part Two of the Vintage Edward Green collection - coming as soon as I can take the pictures . . .

The Photography of Ronny Jaques

2011-11-23T19:21:00.001-05:00

Marlon Brando, 1947

A friend of mine was nice enough to present me with the book Stolen Moments: The Photographs of Ronny Jaques, curated by Pamela Fiori, who at the time of publication (2008) was editor-in-chief of Town and Country. Lovely photographs abound - particularly for those with an interest in men's style icons of the 1940s-1960s.

Hoagy Carmichael, 1947.

Duke Ellington, 1940s.

The Duke & Duchess of Windsor, 1940s.

Cary Grant, 1940s.

I wasn't familiar with Jaques before this, but I'm glad the oversight has been corrected. Jaques' body of work, as detailed in this photographic history, is impressive. Fiori's book is well-worth picking up, in my opinion, if you're looking for some sartorial inspiration.

Brooklyn's Finest

2011-11-21T20:47:00.000-05:00

I moved out of Brooklyn a few years ago, but every now and then I like to drop into some of the old haunts. After an impressive Irish breakfast at Prime Meats, we took a stroll down Court and Smith Streets. I was surprised to come across some intriguing men's clothing shops. Aside from the thrift shops that I regularly check into, the only men's shop around back then (and worth its salt) was The Brooklyn Circus, which opened around 2006, if I recall correctly. So it was nice to see a sprinkling of new additions (as in two) to the sartorial scene out in BK.

Unfortunately, it was very early on a Monday morning, so the shops were still closed. I hope to be back in a few weeks, when I'll hopefully have time to peruse some of the offerings on hand. Olaf's (not to be confused with the long-time purveyor of men's athletic wear in East Harlem), next to Frankie's 457 on Court Street, had a lovely window display in particular, hearkening back to the old Ivy League shops of yesteryear.

On Smith Street, we came upon another shop as we searched for Bien Cuit, a French bakery with a yam/sweet potato danish that is positively sublime. This one was called "Epaulet" - it, too, was closed, but it also appeared to be worth a return trip sometime in the foreseeable future.

In any event, certainly a step in the right direction. Or, as they used to say when I was younger, big up to Brooklyn.

Despatch From a Book Signing (Enduring Style)

2011-11-16T11:06:00.002-05:00

Yesterday evening, I dropped into the book signing for G. Bruce Boyer's and Maria Cooper-Janis' new book, Enduring Style. It is a lovingly assembled collection of family photographs of Gary Cooper, and also includes an essay by Boyer and a foreword by Ralph Lauren. The event was hosted by the Sartorialist at Leffot's on Christopher Street, so, in addition to meeting the preeminent writer on men's style, one could also peruse Leffot's excellent selection of men's footwear from Alden, Gaziano & Girling, Edward Green, Corthay, etc.

Actual book reviews from better writers than myself, such as Simon Crompton at Permanent Style (here) can be found, so all I'll say about the book is that its definitely worth picking up if you're a fan of the golden age of Hollywood and classic men's style in general. The packaging alone (the book and slip cover come are made from a brown canvas that looks and feels great) is worth the price, in my opinion.

The book signing was memorable in and of itself. Its a bit strange to come face to face (well, to be honest, I actually just stared from across the room) with people whose work you enjoy via the internet or print media. Unfortunately, I'm terrible at striking up a conversation to express heartfelt admiration for someone's work that may have struck me in a particular way. Nevertheless, it was definitely fun to be in the same room with people (and fellow Rake contributors :-)) like Christian Chensvold, Scott Schuman, and, of course, Boyer.

[As an aside, I also passed by Nick Wooster and Alan Flusser at various points in the evening. Mr. Flusser has a way with a scarf that is truly impressive, and Mr. Wooster had his natty urban guerrilla "stilo" in full effect - and it is just as interesting in person. I'm always struck by how classically elegant Wooster's look usually is from the knees up. His sartioral "twist," for lack of a better term, usually seems to kick in from the calves down.]

I actually did have a chance to speak with Mr. Boyer as he signed my copy of Enduring Style. I had planned on asking him to write something pseudo-witty, like "From One Rake to Another," but unfortunately (yes, I know, a pattern is developing), I was thrown completely off-balance by how pleasantly charming and well, nice, Mr. Boyer, was. He immediately identified me as "a fellow member of the tribe," which, of course, would have been the perfect little line to ask him to include with his signature. I managed to spit out how much I enjoyed his work before he commented admiringly on the soft shoulder and cut of the suit I was wearing (Bespoke, he asked; Ralph Lauren Purple Label, I assured him).

After a few more pleasantries, we shook hands. I looked at a few of the shoes on display in the center of the shop, gathered my things and prepared to leave. As I reached the door, a woman stopped me - she stared intently at my shirt (Charvet) and tie (Kiton), felt at the fabric of both, then pinched my chin and said, "Just a lovely combination," before sending me on my way (approvingly, I daresay).

And, with that, an altogether enjoyable evening came to a close.

"El Cubano"

2011-11-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

Alexander Pompez at the 1924 Colored World Series

During the 1920s and 1930s, Harlem was a magnet for the elegantly attired. From jazz musicians like Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway to writers of the Harlem Renaissance such as W.E.B. DuBois and Langston Hughes, the sartorially inclined had a wealth of inspirations from which to draw upon. However, if the elegance and lawlessness of the era could be said to have been exemplified by anyone, it was by the man known as El Cubano.

Born Alejandro Pompez in 1890, the Cuban-American made his way to New York in 1910 and found a job making cigars for $20 a week. Within the year, Pompez had opened his own cigar shop at 2122 Seventh Avenue. Over time, the shop would double as a front for his flourishing numbers racket, and El Cubano would maintain the store front for the next 50 years, until his death.

Pompez was also an avid baseball fan, and by 1916 his profits from the Harlem numbers game allowed him to bankroll a team called the New York Cubans. The name was changed the following year to the Havana Cuban Stars, and then the year after that to the more familiar New York Cuban Stars. By his own admission, he was soon making anywhere from $6000-8000 a day. All of this allowed to Pompez to live the high life: he smoked expensive Cuban cigars, indulged his sartorial appetites, and moved to Harlem's fashionable Sugar Hill section.

But the ostentatious lifestyle also attracted unwanted attention. As Prohibition neared its end, the racketeers began branching out - bootlegging had allowed them to amass considerable financial fortunes, and the gangsters were looking for new revenue streams. Across the river in the Bronx, Dutch Schultz had just ended his war with Mad Dog Coll by shooting the Mad Mick full of lead in the phone booth of a Chelsea drugstore. With his attention now undivided, the Dutchman turned his attention to "organizing" the Harlem policy business.

He was helped out by that dark day in 1931 that came to be known as Black Wednesday. On that Thanksgiving Eve, the magical number 527 (a superstitious number regularly played by Harlem residents) actually hit, wiping out numbers banks all over town. Pompez was actually hit for $68000, but had paid all but $8000 or so when he was summoned by one Solly Girsch to the Cayuga Democratic Club in Harlem.

Girsch was a gunman of some repute in the Schultz gang, and he suggested to Pompez that it would be best if he considered purchasing some insurance on his business. Pompez left and thought nothing of the matter until he was visited a few weeks later at his cigar store by two of Schultz' more notable trigger men, Bo Weinberg and Lulu Rosenkranz. Weinberg told Pompez that the Dutchman wanted to see him the following Saturday, and the two actually returned on that day to the shop to deliver Pompez over to the Dutchman.

Pompez, on his way to testify against Jimmy Hines at his 1938 trial on corruption charges stemming from the protection he accorded Schultz' policy "racket"

Pompez later offered a firsthand account of Schultz' unique bargaining tactics. The two met at an apartment owned by the mother of Dixie Davis, Schultz' lawyer, also known as the Kid Mouthpiece. The soft-spoken Schultz asked, "What's the matter you don't want to come in with me?" At which point he took off his jacket, pulled the .45 tucked in his trousers, and set it on the table in front of Pompez as the two sat down. By the time he left, Pompez had become a 40% shareholder in a new policy bank, and was also entitled to a $250 a week salary. While certainly less than what he had been making as sole proprietor of his own bank, 40% of a bank that Schultz' own books showed to be making $12000 a day in 1935 was nothing to sneeze at. Of course, Pompez never actually saw any profits, only the salary, right up until Charlie "The Bug" Workman deposited that rusty steel-jacketed slug into the Dutchman as he stood over a urinal in the Palace Chophouse in Newark.

If Pompez wasn't ready to go toe to toe with a ne'er-do-well like Schultz, he proved much more adept at sizing up talent in the Negro and Major Leagues. He was credited for scouting and signing, either directly or through his network, Felipe Alou, Jesus Alou, Matty Alou, Sandy Amoros, Damaso Blanco, Ossie Blanco, Marshall Bridges, Jose Cardenal, Orlando Cepeda, Tito Fuentes, Gil Girrido, Monte Irvin, Sherman Jones, Willie Kirkland, Coco Laboy, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey, Minnie Minoso, Manny Mota, Ray Noble, Jimmy Rosario, Jose Santiago, Jose Tartabull and Ozzie Virgil. Many reports also cite Pompez having a hand in the signing of Willie Mays.

Pompez' Baseball Hall of Fame Plaque

Perhaps Pompez’s most significant contribution to the history of organized baseball was the opening and mining of the Dominican Republic market. Pompez maintained a relationship with the Giants for 25 years, working for the club as late as 1971. He was eventually named Director of International Scouting. When the National Baseball Hall of Fame started considering Negro league players for induction, he was a member of the first four election committees starting in 1971. Pompez himself was elected in 2006.

Vintage Cross-Branding: Lock & Co. for Brooks Brothers

2011-11-03T23:37:00.001-04:00

Vintage Brooks Brothers Hat Box (Circa 1960-1970)

Much has written recently about luxury cross-branding, or corporate partnering, or whatever one chooses to call it. The most obvious example is J. Crew and its recent efforts to partner up with just about anyone selling merchandise in the Western Hemisphere: Alden, New Balance, Swaine Adeney Brigg, Barbour - the list really does go on and on.

This makes sense on several levels, I suppose, as presumably Partner X is introducing your discerning customers to quality goods. For Partner Y, it is likewise happy to have its goods introduced to a new market or demographic that might not otherwise be exposed to its product. A good example of this would be the $550 SAB umbrellas that are sold at J. Crew. One can certainly wonder exactly how many J. Crew customers are actually going to purchase said umbrella; but, for purposes of this discussion, the point is that prior to the J. Crew x SAB collaboration, the typical J. Crew customer might have had no firsthand knowledge of the wonders of a Brigg's umbrella.

Despite the hype suggesting otherwise, this is not a new development. As I was trolling through eBay the other day, I came across an auction for an SAB umbrella that was made for the old Abercrombie & Fitch, presumably when it was a purveyor of luxury outdoor goods.

With that in mind, I sifted through my closet in search of an example closer to home - and came away with this vintage (but pristine) hat made for Brooks Brothers by John Lock & Co., the venerable London hatter located on St. James's Street.

This particular model is most likely from the 1960s or 1970s, suggesting that these partnerships have been going on for at least 30 or 40 years.

Do you have your own example of a vintage cross-branding effort? I'd love to hear about it!

Abercrombie & Fitch Take Savile Row

2011-11-01T21:58:00.001-04:00

I'm a big fan of Justin Fitzpatrick over at The Shoe Snob - as the name implies, his content usually is almost entirely shoe-centric, which is fine by me. He must have been especially disgusted by Abercrombie & Fitch's invasion of The Row, which apparently came complete with locust-like hordes of teen shoppers descending upon the fabled sartorial mecca, to take the time to post about the whole sordid affair (see his account here).

The story is even sadder when one considers the illustrious history of this once-proud purveyor of luxury men's sporting goods.

The company was originally founded in 1892 by David Abercrombie as a luxury sporting goods store (here in the States, I suppose Orvis would be A&F's modern-day successor). He later formed a partnership with Ezra Fitch, and, after Abercrombie left the company, Fitch became sole owner and ushered in the "Fitch Years" of continued success. Prominent figures who patronized the company in its early 20th century heyday included Teddy Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Clark Gable, John Steinbeck, John F. Kennedy, Ernest Shackleton, Cole Porter, and Dwight Eisenhower.

After Fitch's retirement, the company continued under a succession of other leaders until its financial collapse in 1977. The present incarnation came into being in 1988, when Limited Brands acquired the ailing company for $47 million after having success in popularizing Express and Victoria's Secret. Sadly, at that time, the sporting goods inventory was cleared out and the new president placed a stronger emphasis on apparel. Then Michael S. Jeffries took over as president in 1992 and popularized the brand as a teen apparel merchandiser.

All of which brings us to the aforementioned hordes of kiddies lining the sidewalks of the Row . . . and to the inevitable conclusion that, once again, us Yanks are to blame.

Boardwalk Empire: The Straw Driving Cap

2011-10-24T23:46:00.001-04:00

I've become a fan of HBO's Boardwalk Empire - almost as much for the intriguing storyline as for the absolutely dazzling men's wardrobe pieces that are on display throughout each episode.

Sunday night's episode floored me right from the beginning with this little men's accessory. You just don't see people wearing straw caps very often, if at all, but that was one bad-looking piece of headwear - and I mean that as a compliment. I took an additional screen-shot which, to my eye anyway, showed the intricate weave or design of the straw.

The rest of Steve Buscemi's outfit looks pretty good here too as well.

I'm not sure if I could pull that off at Saratoga next summer. . . then again, I'm not even sure that I could find something like that before next summer anyway. . .

More Vintage Johnston & Murphy: The Handmade 100s Captoe

2011-10-18T23:30:00.000-04:00

After posting a few new images of my light brown J&M Handmades here, my friend Meister over at Style Forum was kind of enough to share some pictures of his own pair of Handmades. Its not every day that you see a pair of Handmades - and I still have never actually seen a pair of the captoes in person - and these photos only reinforced the idea that I'm missing out on something. I have to say that I'm usually not a big fan of the wide laces, but they look gorgeous with this pair of shoes.

With his kind permission, I'm posting Meister's images here to share with others who might appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making these shoes, which are another example of American shoe-making at its finest.

The channeled sole with a lovely bevelled waist - I just don't think any American company is producing anything like this anymore. If someone is, I'd love to see or hear about it. Granted, I'm only looking at the photo, but that work looks comparable to what you'd find on a pair of shoes from Lobb's Prestige line, or Gaziano & Girling.

The old J&M Aristocraft stamp, which would probably date this pair to the 1970s.

Absolutely stunning. Many thanks, Meister.

Vintage Edward Green: George Cleverley's "Butterfly" Loafer

2011-10-16T18:16:00.003-04:00

This is chronology is a bit of confusing to me, but apparently at some point in the 1970s, the venerable 112-year-old bespoke shoemaker Poulsen, Skone & Co. was taken over by New & Lingwood. From the late 1970s until his death in 1991, George Cleverley - considered by many to be the greatest master shoemaker of the late 20th century - worked as a design consultant for the company, which at some point decided to revive some of his earlier designs.

The idea was apparently to produce a range of superior shoes under the Poulsen Skone & Co. name. Based on the stamp on the sole, this pair of loafers appears to be an example of the results of that collaboration (there is some fading on the insole stamp, but the inscription reads New & Lingwood incorporating Poulsen Skone & Co.).

This model appears to have been manufactured by Edward Green on their classic loafer last, the 184. That illustrious shoemaker also produced their own model of the classic butterfly loafer with punched apron design, called the Tewkesbury.

Along the way, there have been slight variations - Flusser, for instance, once offered a model that included the punched apron but which also included punching along the edge of the butterfly design as well. I'm never one to complain about to much broguing, but, in this instance, I would have to say that I like the clean look of the butterfly design sans the additional perforations.

In any event, one would be lucky to own this eclectic design from one of the 20th century's great shoemakers.

Back Where It All Begins: Johnston & Murphy's Handmade 100s

2011-10-13T23:31:00.001-04:00

An American Icon: Johnston & Murphy's Handmade 100s

Six months ago, I started An Uptown Dandy with a post on my small collection of Johnston & Murphy's crowning achievement, the Handmade 100s (you can view the original post here). Since then, I've received a few reader requests asking for some close-ups of the broguing and leather. In light of the six month anniversary, this seemed like a good time to go back to where it all began (but please keep in mind that my photography skills are really non-existent).

The Handmade 100s are like the Russian Yeti or Canadian Sasquatch: rumours persist as to its existence, but they are rarely seen in captivity or the wild. Bennie's in Atlanta once had an incredible supply on hand - but sadly, that is no longer the case, so shoe connoisseurs are left to rummage through thrift shops and attics. Occasionally, a pair will surface on eBay.

Here, then, are some up close and personal images of an American masterpiece.

The quintessential Johnston & Murphy medallion. Many vintage J&M's from the Handmade and Aristocraft lines have this same toe shape and medallion perforation, which is almost instantly recognizable as a J&M product that was made in the USA during the company's heyday.

What really stands out on these Handmade 100s, besides the lovely shade of brown calf skin leather, is the absolutely perfect looking broguing patterns all along the full-brogue design. What may be even more impressive is the dark leather "piping," for lack of a better term, that we see above the broguing lines and along the edge of each leather piece that comprises the wingtip's leather upper.

In most cases, the various pieces of leather on the wingtip will have "jagged" or "scissor-like" edges. Interestingly, we can see the jagged leather edge along the rim at the top of the upper. But, interestingly enough, the leather piping seems to have been added along the rim of the shoe where the foot is inserted, just behind the broguing line. But along the edges of the other leather pieces that comprise the full- brogue, or wingtip, shoe. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I don't think I've seen this detail can be found on an Italian or English-made. Perhaps a trick of the American trade?

In this day and age, the sign of a well-crafted shoe can be found on the sole of the shoe. Channeled sole, bevelled waists, slight waist suppression, all of these little details are on full display when viewing the Handmade 100s.

The waist shows the original "Handmade" stamp and the channeled soles. The original heels are also still in fine shape, further proof that the Handmade 100s were built to last.

Many thanks to those of you who have decided to drop by,
read a post or two, or offer much-appreciated commentary!

Vintage Asprey: The Cashmere Overcoat

2011-10-12T23:49:00.000-04:00

Previously, I posted about the end of the first golden era of sample sales here in New York City. Quite a few people expressed a desire to see images posted of the cashmere overcoat purchased at the first Asprey sample sale - there were also a few enquiries about the Crockett & Jones' handgrade semi-brogues purchased during the Tom James shoe clear-out, and I promise to post some pictures of those as well.

I obviously have a soft-spot for most of the items in my wardrobe, but the Asprey overcoat is a favorite of mine for a few reasons. To begin with, the rich, almost chocolate brown color of the cashmere is exquisite. I generally wear it with charcoal or grey suits, although I have also worn it with solid navy blue suits. The deep brown really strikes a sharp contrast with the more somber hue of solid conservative suits.

In addition, some of the little details set this coat apart from the more traditional overcoats hanging in my closet. This coat has loads of hand-stitching along the seams, but I really like the sleek patch pockets at the waist and chest. The design really gives the coat a more modern look for a single-breasted overcoat - normally a cut that's about as business conservative as it gets.

Another detail that you don't see every day are the "surgeon," "double," or "french" cuffs with the faux links. I wear this coat quite a bit , especially when browsing or shopping, and I really can't remember the number of times someone has asked whether the overcoat is bespoke or from which tailoring house it was commissioned.

Finally, I really love Asprey's purple lining. It just adds another layer of whimsy to the coat's overall effect.

And the horn buttons put the finishing touches on what I find to be a surprisingly versatile, yet undeniably elegant, overcoat.

While the fall weather has definitely made its presence felt this week here on the east coast, its just not cold enough for cashmere yet - in my opinion, anyway. But soon, very soon . . .

On Urban Safari with The Uptown Dandy

2011-10-10T22:01:00.000-04:00

My Urban Safari Ensemble

Recently, I've been catching up on back issues of Japanese men's style magazines like Men's Ex and Leon. It seems that the safari jacket is making something of a comeback - if it did in fact go anywhere. Similar to the double-breasted paradox, I'm often left wondering whether I'm 10 years ahead of the curve or 10 years behind it. Here's a page from Leon praising (I would assume its praise) the virtues of the Safari jacket:

Nowadays, just about every brand carries some kind of safari jacket, but I like the added benefit of a little authenticity. I'm sure Banana Republic makes an excellent safari jacket that can withstand the hustle and bustle of the upper east side, but, if I was ever actually going on a real safari, could the BR jacket handle the wear and tear of the African brush? Who knows (I'm sure some of you may even be thinking, who cares?)

Once upon a time, Abercrombie & Fitch was an outfitter that provided rugged outerwear for adventurers like Teddy Roosevelt. I'm sure they still make a safari jacket, but the Then it hit me - I didn't need to find a good safari jacket because I already owned one. Years ago, I picked one up at Holland & Holland, and, as some of you may know if you're familiar with the company, it doesn't get more authentic than that. After looking through a closet or two, I was able to find the jacket in basically unworn condition.

It was about 85 degrees here on Columbus Day in New York City, but the crisp fall weather will be coming along any day now, so I thought I'd plan ahead and try to come up with something to wear with the jacket. Here's what I was leaning towards:

Sticking with the safari motif , I matched the khaki-colored cotton safari jacket with another Holland & Holland item, a thick cable-knit mock turtle neck sweater - a cashmere/kid mohair/merino wool blend, it feels heavy but wears well in relatively balmy weather.

I thought the cream and khaki colors would work well with a darker earth tone, so I thought I'd pair the coat and sweater with a dark green cashmere scarf, also from Holland & Holland.

Finally, in keeping with the green accessories, I thought I'd top the outfit off with a nice green cap from Beretta, another venerable purveyor of hunting goods - going all the way back to the 17th century. The cap is a shade lighter than the scarf, but it also has a red check pattern that I've always liked.

All in all, I think this would work well with a pair of jeans, and perhaps a pair of loafers or suede brogues. But, as I'm sure you already know if you've visited this blog before, anything in brown would probably do for me. . .

Anyway, see you out in the wild!

Vintage Lloyd Jennings: The Joys of Renovateur

2011-10-02T22:36:00.001-04:00

Edward Green's original specifications for the Twickenham model,
commissioned by Paul Stuart in 1985.

I recently came across another pair of Twickenhams in a dark brown calf leather but otherwise identical to the pair that I re-crafted at B. Nelson's earlier this year (see here and here). When I found them, the shoes were caked in a layer of dust and grime, and, in addition to some significant creasing, the leather was very dry.

On the other hand, while there was typical scuffing and scratching that one would expect to find on a pair of shoes in this condition, the leather didn't appear to be cracked anywhere - basically, there wasn't anything that a good cleaning and a leather conditioner bath wouldn't work wonders on.

The shoes are stamped for Lloyd Jennings, which to my understanding was a shoemaker of some distinction with premises on Old Bond Street - apparently comparable to John Lobb, but I have no firsthand knowledge of this (but would love to hear more if anyone has any additional information on the company).

The shoes also have the following handwritten information in each shoe: '"446/3" on one line, followed by "136470" on the second line," followed by "9.E" on the last line. The numbering is fading, so I'm not entirely sure if those numbers are accurate. But this shoe is clearly modeled on Edward Green's Twickenham, which I have also seen referred to as the Kingston model in Volume III of The World of High-End Men's Shoes by Men's Ex.

I've yet to see this model produced by any other English company, so while I'm not entirely sure, it would seem that these could very well be another pretty old pair of Edward Green shoes. Regardless of the provenance of the shoes, this particular pair appear to have been well-made.

The heels and the soles appear to be original and were in surprisingly good condition, considering how the uppers looked. I didn't think a resole/recraft was necessary in this case since I (1) already have a lovely pair of Twickenhams in antique chestnut; and (2) these were just a bit snug on my feet (although a stretching would probably set this right).

So with that in mind, I decided to see just how much these might benefit from a basic cleaning with warm water, followed by a liberal application of Saphyr's Renovateur leather conditioner - I have become an avid Renovateur adherent, to the point where the conditioner is basically all I have been using on my shoes lately.

I began by cleaning the shoes with a brush to remove any particles that may have been lodged anywhere along the uppers. I then dampened an old cloth with room-temperature water, and wiped off as much of the dust, dirt, and stains as possible. I also used a toothbrush to try and clean between the uppers and the welt. Here are some photos with the left shoe still in soiled condition and after the right shoe had been cleaned/brushed/wiped:

A before-and-after contrast between the cleaned shoe versus the original condition. As you can see, the cleaned shoe already looks much better. There is still some scuffing to the shoe, and there is still substantive creasing. However, the Renovateur is applied with the express purpose of reducing the blemishes and creasing to the leather. Here's how the cleaned shoe looks after the Renovateur has been rubbed into the calf leather using a rag/cloth:

As you can see, the leather looks much better. While there is still evidence of some nicks and scratches, the overall tone of the shoe looks much healthier and vibrant. There is some darkness where the conditioner has sunk deeper into the leather via the creasing and scuffing, but I find that this discoloration generally disappears within 16-24 hours after application. Generally, the creasing will dissipate, to some extent, within 24 hours as well. Here are both shoes after cleaning and the application of the leather conditioner:

And finally, here are the shoes in natural light after another round of conditioner was applied 24 hours earlier:

Vintage Lloyd Jennings Saddle Shoes.

An Uptown Dandy in The Rake

2011-09-29T21:59:00.002-04:00

On sale now, the September issue of The Rake includes, among its usual array of excellent men's style pieces, an article on that lost sartorial icon, George Raft, that it was a pleasure to contribute.

You can view the original posts on George Raft at An Uptown Dandy here and here.

*******

"In an era when America idolized its movie stars and romanticized its racketeers,

rakish George Raft set the sartorial standard for Tinseltown and the Underworld. . ."

American Tradaturra? Rogers Peet

2011-09-26T23:59:00.000-04:00

Italian sprezzatura manifests itself in many ways - most of which I end up thinking can be catalogued as breaking "style" rules for no other reason but to do something different. In the end, some things work, some things don't, but one can respect the attempt to try to something new.

With the vibrant colors and patterns of Luca Rubinacci's wonderful overcoats and jackets in mind, I set out in search of something for myself. I'm probably just a wee bit more conservative than Mr. Rubinacci, so while I knew that I would like something with a multitude of colors, I knew that I would most likely end up with something that Mr. Rubinacci would probably never be caught dead in. Since I also enjoy thrifting, I set out one Saturday in New York City to make the rounds. There are about 10-15 thrift shops on my route, so I usually end up seeing something that catches my eye for the fall.

The thrifting gods were smiling down upon me when I came across this immaculate raglan overcoat in absolutely pristine condition.

In addition to having a lovely mutli-hued houndstooth pattern, the raglan played up to my love of New York, as the coat was manufactured by that illustrious purveyor of classic American menswear, Rogers Peet.

Founded in lower Manhattan in 1874, the company made its name selling men's apparel and at its peak, the company had 12 locations in the New York area.

16 East 42 Street: If you keep your eyes open,

you can catch a glimpse of the once mighty Rogers, Peet empire.

In its early years Rogers, Peet introduced several innovations into the men's wear business: they attached tags to garments giving fabric composition, they marked garments with price tags (the established practice was to haggle), they offered customers their money back if not satisfied, and they used illustrations of specific merchandise in their advertising. They also used cartoons in their advertisements, a rarity at the time.

Partially-lined: Perfect for the Fall.

Large leather-wrapped buttons - a bit worn, but these can be replaced relatively easily.

I really love the colorful hue to the houndstooth pattern. Whether it adds some American sprezzatura to my work and casual outfits ensembles is another question.

Can't wait for the Fall!

E. Marinella

2011-09-20T23:52:00.000-04:00

I recently stumbled across a thrift store with a supply of E. Marinella ties that seems to flow into the shop at about a steady trickle. The Naples tie-maker has been spoken of in almost reverential tones on style blogs such as A Suitable Wardrobe and Permanent Style, both to praise the craftmanship as well as the wonderful silks and patterns available. Based on my limited experience, I'd have to agree with those assessments: the colors are rich and vibrant while the patterns are elegantly staid, in my opinion. One could argue that these works of art represent a bargain at the retail price of $195.00, but at $29.00, its an absolute steal.

Next Stop: City Hall Station

2011-09-19T00:20:00.002-04:00

The long since abandoned City Hall subway stop.

A brief departure from my normal nocturnal ramblings: The next time you find yourself downtown with some time to kill, hop on the downtown 6 train and take it to the last stop on the line, the Brookyn Bridge station. But instead of getting off, stay on the train as it loops around to the uptown track to begin its trip back north through East Harlem and the Bronx. Keep your eyes open as you pass through the long since abandoned City Hall stop, which is one of the city's lost forgotten treasures. Originally built in 1904, the station was closed in 1945, primarily because not too many people used the station and the loop created an unsafe gap when the train stopped at the station platform.

Notwithstanding the obvious safety issues that would come with having a train station directly under City Hall, one can only hope that the station is one day put back into active service.

Photos by John-Paul Palescandolo and Eric Kazmirek.

Farewell to the First Golden Age: Of Sample Sales and Feeding Frenzies

2011-09-13T23:40:00.000-04:00

Holland & Holland's Shotgun Shell-motif lining: A true classic

I know that it is quite common on the various style fora for members to bemoan the demise of everything from traditional tailoring techniques to classic haberdashers. I found myself in the men's shoe section at the Barney's Warehouse sale just last week engaging in this very same behavior. Looking at the truly pitiful offerings in my size, I could not help but think back to the days when the racks were filled with a decent variety of benchgrade and handgrade shoes from Crockett & Jones. Indeed, my first pair of suede shoes was a pair of benchgrade C&J Conistons in dark brown for under $200. At later sales, I was fortunate to find handgrade suede chukkas and even a pair of Cliffords in antique chestnut at under $300 per pair.

While the proliferation of sample sales continues unabated today, the truly mind-boggling sample sales and online feeding frenzies of the pre-Financial Crisis 2000s appear to be gone, if not forgotten. With the last of the Paul Stuart sample sales occurring in 2009 (and that later iteration a sickly step-child of the 2005-2006 incarnations, I think it is safe to say that the first Golden Age (2002-2008) has come and gone.

My first introduction to an absolute madhouse of a sample sale were the Holland & Holland employee sales. I still have quite a few baby alpaca sweaters, canvas rain coats, and silk v-neck sweaters, all drastically reduced from H&H's stratospheric retail prices and purchased for under $50 per item. Most of the items have been worn fairly regularly for years now and have attained a nice worn-in look. Not the African safari worn-in look, just the urban-jungle worn-in look.

Holland & Holland Norfolk Shooting Jacket.

A heavy jacket with an action back, I believe the wool is coated in teflon.

One button on the sleeve cuff, made in England.

I believe the retail price at the time was over $1000. Sale price: $50.

Holland & Holland was the start of a stretch of some of the greatest sales that I've ever come across. I've already written to some extent on the Paul Stuart sales, but they were truly an event without parallel for a young dandy interested in well-made British shoes on a budget. One is hard-pressed to find the words to describe that moment when, after waiting in line for 50 minutes, you are given permission to enter the sale - you take a few steps into the breach . . . only to be met by row upon row of discounted Grenson Masterpieces made for Paul Stuart's Stuart's Choice line.

Spoils from the Paul Stuart sale.

Grenson Masterpieces for Stuart's Choice line. $250 from $698 retail price.

If one thought that Paul Stuart would remain the gold-standard for decades to come, one was pleasantly surprised to find how quickly Asprey came along to challenge for the title "Greatest Warehouse Sale Ever." As I look through the spoils, it is still too difficult to decide which purchase was best: the 100% cashmere overcoat sample with patch pockets and turn back-cuff with faux cuff-links (I will get around to taking pictures of this, my favorite overcoat, sometime soon), or the Edward Green tasseled loafers in mink suede for under $200? Oh, decisions, decisions.

Edward Green mink suede tasseled loafers for Asprey. $185.

Mind you, these were just the warehouse sales. The on-line feeding frenzies were even more exciting because a certain amount of faith is required to purchase sight unseen based on the reports of others. My first introduction to these types internet stampedes was via the now legendary Bennie's Grenson Masterpiece sales. I'm not ashamed to say that I purchased my first pair of Northampton shoes via Bennies. The next frenzy, around 2005 or 2006, was the equally legendary Crockett & Jones for Tom James close-out. A pair of handgrade C&Js for $150 each? I'll take two pairs of semi-brogue Bartons, one in black and one in antique chestnut, please. To this day, aside from one other pair of Johnston & Murphy Handmade 100s, my only pair of black shoes (I'll take pictures soon, I promise).

The on-line feeding frenzy reached its apex, in my opinion, with the great Ralph Lauren Woodbury Commons Purple Label snatch and grab of 2006 (or was it 2007?). Cashmere blazers for $300. Cashmere blend, custom fit 3-piece suits from $4000 to $300, sight unseen? Let's take a chance!

RLPL cashmere/wool blend 3-piece suit in charcoal grey.

Deciding to purchase based on a sales associate's description over the phone, it was worth the gamble.

Unfortunately, the good times had to come to an end. Gradually, the magnificent warehouse sales disappeared. Holland & Holland closed their 57th street shop - Turnbull & Asser now resides at that location. Asprey also closed up shop on 5th Avenue, moving to a smaller location. Paul Stuart kept the warehouse sale around a bit longer than some of the others, but it too has not been seen in many seasons. The online frenzies are a thing of the past as well - spoken about in hushed, reverential tones by the old-timers and mentioned with just a slight air of disbelief by the next generation.

Some of the new sales are very good, but none of them approach the jaw-dropping levels of yesteryear. An honorable mention goes to Brunello Cucinelli's spring sale, which dropped to 80% off all items on the last few days. The normally outrageously priced BC cashmere v-necks and zip-ups were reduced from $860 to $160 or $170. A great deal, to be sure, but . . .

Spoils from the Brunello Cucinelli Sample Sale.

In the meantime, we'll wait patiently for the second Golden Age, or the first Silver Age, or whatever it may be called, to begin again. See you on the line.

Big Thriftin' Up In Essex County

2011-09-08T23:31:00.000-04:00

Grenson Masterpieces for Paul Stuart's "Stuart's Choice" line.

Having staked out some promising thrifts, consignment shops and outlet stores for some time now in New Jersey, I'm happy to say that my dogged relentlessness has reaped excellent dividends so far. On the other hand, I'm sad to say that I'm becoming convinced that Essex County is where old dandies are put out to pasture.

How else does one explain a pristine - and when I say pristine, I mean the shoe trees still had retail tags attached - pair of Grenson Masterpiece wingtip bluchers in antique chestnut, made for Paul Stuart's "Stuart's Choice" line? Who donates such a thing? Well, whoever he or she may be, you are a better man (or woman) than I am, Gunga Din.

Channeled soles that don't even show signs of shopwear.

I can only assume someone passed away or there was an unsupervised closet-cleaning that went horribly awry.

Nevertheless, after nonchalantly paying the $40 (trees included), I masked my excitement as best I could and sauntered out of the shop at a deceptively casual pace.

Unfortunately, I already have an identical pair of Grenson Masterpieces for the Stuart's Choice line in a dark brown, and this pair was just a bit too snug. Which is the only reason these shoes did not move to the top of my personal "best thrift shop finds ever" list.

Anyway, happy hunting!

Strange Happenings at Marshalls

2011-09-05T23:46:00.000-04:00

A classic business conservative fabric from Brooks Brothers -

a mid-grey with a very fine blue/white pinstripe.

I generally make it a habit to drop into my local Marshall's every now and again - the inventory is so unpredictable that you really never know what you're going to stumble across. For the most part, the men's section will consist of fused suits made in a variety of third world countries, with shirts and ties to match.

Occasionally, however, you can find some real bargains. Most recently, I've come across Polo Ralph Lauren suits made in Italy by Corneliani, suits from Corneliani's own label, and shoes by Church's, Santoni, and Tod's.

On my last trip, the men's suit racks were filled with what appeared to be staple conservative business suits in solid navy blue and grey pinstripes from Brooks Brothers.

A Brooks Bros. charcoal grey two-button pinstripe suit with subtle blue and white pinstripe.

I took a closer look to see what line the suit was made for, and this is where I became a little confused. Generally speaking, Brooks Bros. makes suits for its regular or basic line with a blue label inside the chest, with gold stitching around the tag. The next level up from there is the 1818 line with the difference in the cut of the suit being readily ascertainable by the model tags (i.e Madison, Fitzgerald). Finally, at the top tier of suits for Brook Brothers, you have the Golden Fleece - these suits are equally identifiable by a few features: the tags will indicate that the suit is hand tailored in the USA and the suit jacket is fully canvassed.

In this case, the suits at Brooks Bros. had the "hand tailoring" and "full canvas" tags.

Hand tailored in the USA of Imported Fabric

The "full canvas" tag on the inside of the Brooks Bros. suit.

Having perused the Golden Fleece suits at Brooks' flagship store, it was simple enough to confirm that these were in fact Golden Fleece suits. However, what confused me was that the Golden Fleece label on the inner suit lining appeared to have been removed (you could actually see where the original tag was stitched into the suit lining before it was replaced with the "regular" line blue tag.

After confirming with Brooks Bros. that these are in fact Golden Fleece suits (the Brooks people were never able to come up with an explanation as to why the Golden Fleece tags had been removed and replaced), I basically came away with an $1,800 suit for about $200. Of course, there are legions of Brooks Bros. detractors who will tell you about the poor quality of the offerings from the Brothers Brooks, and while this may or may not be true, most people will tell you that the Golden Fleece suits are of a high quality (at one time or another, the Golden Fleece line has been made by Isaia and Martin Greenfield - I believe this particular suit was made in the Southwick factories here in the USA). Regardless, one would be hard-pressed to find a brand new, fully canvassed suit anywhere for under $200.

Note: It should be pointed out that there might be something to the negative comments about the fit of a Brooks Bros. suit. I'm normally a 42 Regular but the size information inside the chest pocket lists this suit as a 40 Regular; nevertheless, in my opinion, the suit fits me very well (for an off-the-rack suit - it will require minimal tailoring although, despite the smaller size, the jacket will probably still need to be taken in just a bit.

So, if you're interested in Golden Fleece suits in traditional "staple" colors like navy and charcoal grey, pop your head into the local Marshall's. If the 1818 line is more your speed, there were a few of those models mixed into the racks as well - however, in keeping with the befuddling nature that is Marshall's, those suits are actually listed at $350.

Perhaps someone else will have better luck figuring out the whole thing out than I did.

An Uptown Dandy: Felled by Mother Nature

2011-08-30T17:28:00.000-04:00

The Uptown Dandy surveys the damage to his palatial estate caused by Hurricane Irene.

Just a quick post to let you all know that I'll resume posting (hopefully) later in the week. Unfortunately, a 150 year old oak fell victim to Hurricane Irene and , on its way down, decided to take several power lines down to the ground with it. As a result, we're still without power - a situation which we can only hope will be rectified sooner rather than later.

The Harlem Dandy: A Rich History That Encompasses Black Dandyism

2011-08-26T00:45:00.001-04:00

The Uptown Dandy and Big Vic circa 1985(?)

Matching boutonnieres and, oh yes, that's a 3-piece suit at around 10 years old.

I'm always slightly annoyed by these articles that crop up periodically that create the false narrative that men's style has been hibernating somewhere in a dormant state, but now, thanks to the efforts of [fill in the name of our new sartorial savior here], style is back. Much like the clockwork-like trumpeting of the return of the doublebreasted or 3-button suit, I often find myself wondering whether I'm 10 years ahead of the curve or 10 years behind it.

[Note: My father has a closet full of guayaberas in a rainbow of colors. Opening his closet door is like entering the Puerto Rican Charvet. This would put him roughly 40 years ahead of said curve.]

Most recently, several people suggested that I read the New York Times article about the Street Etiquette blog. The piece seemed to follow the same narrative mold - burgeoning dandies adrift amongst a sea of unenlightened simpletons.

Now, I have stopped by that blog every now and then. While I'm not as big of a fan of the 1950s prep look (if you don't know by now, I have a soft spot for the golden age of men's clothing: the 1920s and 1930s), I can appreciate the aesthetic, and I certainly have individual clothing items that could be characterized as vintage trad (I recently came across a pristine houndstooth raglan overcoat with huge leather buttons, half-lined, from that long-ago bastion of New York men's clothiers, Rogers Peet). So while I'm not a huge fan, I do like some of the articles of clothing that they choose to focus on, and I must say their photography skills are truly impressive - basically, its a pretty nice site.

While I understand the author's attempt to diagram a linear heritage dating back to Harlem during the 1920s and 1930s as an example of a "black dandyism" that has "run through generations of black American style", this omits so much of what made Harlem unique at that time by simply referring to the Harlem Renaissance - which of course carries with it a decidedly African-American overtone (no one associates Owney Madden with the Harlem Renaissance despite the fact that he owned the Cotton Club - and rightfully so, as the term "Harlem Renaissance" is not meant to include Irish gangsters who doubled as nightclub owners in their spare time).

Precisely because Harlem was a melting pot for sartorial dandies of all ethnicities from all walks of life, particularly the colorful, larger than life racketeers of the era, a more robust discussion would focus on white racketeers like Vincent Coll as well as latinos like Alejandro Pompez, known as El Cubano. Owner of the New York Cubans, a negro league baseball team, Pompez was also one of the more successful policy banker in Harlem. Eventually taken over when Dutch Schultz muscled into Harlem's numbers racket, Pompez was a noted dandy of the era. Always nattily attired, he was subpoenaed to testify at James J. Hines' corruption trial in 1938 and arrived to testify in a white summer suit with matching Panama straw (more on Pompez later).

While the writers and musicians associated with the Harlem Renaissance are no doubt worthy of even sartorial accolades - in the 1920s and 1930s, Harlem was a diverse community in which people of Irish, Jewish, Caribbean, and African-American descent mixed together. As some of the only people with money in their pockets after the Depression settled over the country, the racketeers were actually in a position to indulge their sartorial appetites.

In any event, a great piece for the young men of Street Etiquette. However, let's keep in mind that Harlem's vibrant and robust history of dandyism should not be confined to racial demographics as simplistic as "black" or "white".

At The Jazz Band Ball

2011-08-21T23:20:00.001-04:00

I love the jazz of the Roaring Twenties, but my enjoyment is usually restricted to digitally restored recordings from private collectors and admirers of such stalwarts as Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke. One rarely hears those old standards of the era performed live, but Michael Arenella and his Dreamland Orchestra not only dust off some tunes that I like, but they can handle the standards, the ballads, and the hot jazz with equal aplomb.

Arenella and his band have been hosting the Jazz-Age Lawn Party for 6 years now, and I thought it was high time I made my way out to Governors Island to enjoy a day of hot jazz, cool cocktails, dazzling dandies, and flirtatious flappers.

I wasn't disappointed. Dressed in a navy blue Borrelli blazer with tan buttons, cream linen slacks, tan socks with light brown polka dots, brown and white Edward Green for RLPL spectators, a light blue shirt with white collar and cuffs shirt from Turnbull and Asser (with matching pocket square from T&A), striped brown/cream/navy blue Luciano Barbera tie, and vintage silver cuff links (with an actual link), I was happily surprised to find that a good portion of the spectators were also done up for the day despite temperatures in the high 80s. Unfortunately, I forgot my vintage Brooks Brothers straw boater in the car, but my Swaine Adeney & Brigg golf umbrella came in handy as the sun settled in over the island.

Michael Aranella and His Dreamland Orchestra in action.

The band was swinging, and the horn player knew his way around a Beiderbecke solo.

You don't often see the action-back jacket anymore, but it's still a sight to see. This jacket had the pleated edge along the shoulder seam and at the bottom along the belted waist, with a center vent between the pleating. I believe the front pockets on the jacket were also center vented. That is old-school right there.

A choreographed dance routine highlighting some of the wild dance numbers of the jazz era.

Some of the true-to-the-era outfits on display by some of the spectators.

All in all, it was a wonderful day - the music was great, the vintage dances were fun to watch, and the prohibition-era cocktails were fantastic. I'm already looking forward to next year's party!

Vintage Edward Green for Cole Haan: The Cadogan

2011-08-18T22:11:00.001-04:00

Vintage Edward Green Cadogan, made in the mid-to-late 1980s for Cole Haan

(from part one of the vintage Edward Green collection).

I was and still remain a great fan of Elmore Leonard, who came to fame as a writer of westerns before penning such crime fiction classics as Get Shorty, Out of Sight, and Rum Punch (later filmed under the title "Jackie Brown").

One thing that used to confuse me in Leonard's later crime stories was his use of Cole Haan as a signifier of the ostentatiousness of the criminal nouveau riche, be he native to Miami or Detroit. Invariably, Leonard would have his sockless yet suave villain fitted out in a pair of Cole Haan loafers.

At first, I was baffled. By the time I was looking to purchase decent dress shoes, Cole Haan had seized production in the United States and had become a purveyor of the dreaded square-toed glued shoe. In fairness, it should be noted that the company never ceased to produce an appealing version of the saddle shoe with the red rubber sole, which harkened back to Cole Haan's glory days.

In any event, my apologies for ever doubting you, Mr. Leonard. In addition to once producing well-made shoes in the USA, Cole Haan apparently also contracted with the "shoemaker to the discerning few," Edward Green, to provide shoes made in England to its own customers. As you can see, the pristine condition of this pair of shoes almost 25 years after it was produced attests to the high standards and commitment to quality once held by Cole Haan.

Full-Frontal of Edward Green's 33 last. I'm not a big fan of the flat laces,

but I believe those are the original laces from the 1980s.

The shoes were in very good condition when I discovered the pair. There was some minor creasing in the normal places, but the Saphyr Renovateur really revived the leather and eliminated any obvious creasing.

If there was an issue with the shoes, it would be the mild discoloration around the perforations on the medallion. This could just as easily be described by someone else as patina or burnishing. I'm not entirely sure what may have caused that.

Classic broguing from the master, Edward Green.

The soles are stamped "Made in England." The heels appear to be original as well. The wear on the sole and rubber heel counter is pretty mild. The shoes really don't appear to have been worn very much in the last 25 years.

The inner sole stamp reads "Cole Haan - Made in England." I have seen other Edward Green models for Cole Haan where the stamp reads "Edward Green for Cole Haan."

Obviously, these are not quite as easy to spot, so keep your eyes peeled :-)

Post-Script:

These pics do look a but blurry to me (some do anyway),

so I may replace one or two in the next few days.

" . . .the more things stay the same" - Edward Green @ Brooks Bros.

2011-08-16T22:06:00.001-04:00

Several pairs of my vintage Edward Greens were re-badged shoes originally made for Brooks Bros.' (now-defunct) Brooks English and (still-offered) Peal lines in the 1980s. Apparently, after almost 25 years, Edward Green shoes are once again available at Brooks Bros. Well, at the flagship store located at 346 Madison Avenue in New York City, at least. The pairs that I saw on display were not re-badged for Brooks Bros., but this is a minor quibble. The price listed for 4 of the 5 pairs was $1100, with the lovely dark oak Dovers retailing at $1200.

At the moment, the offerings include a split toe blucher, a monk strap, a full-brogue, a black cap toe, and a brown suede captoe.

No clue as to whether the shoes will be included in any future promotional sales. One can always hope.

As always, Edward Greens look exquisite in person.

The Edward Green shoes were featured prominently at the entrance to the men's shoe shop, located on the first floor to the rear (to the right of the escalators) at 346 Madison Avenue.

Edward Green's Dover on the 888 last in exquisite dark oak.

The company's way with a patina is on full display here.

The Inverness in burgundy antique.

Also on the 888 last, the Inverness is not a traditional full-brogue (it is fashioned from fewer pieces of leather), which probably contributes to its overall sleek appearance.

Carmina - The Barcelona Shop

2011-08-14T21:34:00.000-04:00

Having heard rumors that An Uptown Dandy's erstwhile European correspondent Jessie Butler had been sighted several afternoons in a row strolling along Barcelona's Passeig de Gràcia with camera in tow, I thought now would be a most opportune time to see if she might drop into the relatively new Carmina shop to snap a few photos and perhaps enquire about the mythical factory store on Mallorca.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Butler's dance card was more or less booked, due to previously scheduled private tours of the exhibits on display at Gaudi's La Pedrera, tanning sessions at Terragona, and a hike up the pilgrim trail to the Benedectine Abbey at Santa Maria de Montserrat (the latter was the basis for a particularly dastardly prank concerning the aforementioned Mallorca factory).

Our ever-elusive European correspondent originally provided this photo with the caption "View of our approach to Carmina's mythical factory store on Mallorca . . ." Alas, it was not to be - unfortunately for me, it was only a wonderful image of the Benedectine Abbey at Santa Maria de Montserrat.

I have yet to purchase a pair of the Albaladejo family's shoes; nevertheless the company seems to be doing fine without me and is developing quite a following. The quality of the shoes seems to have improved gradually and is now said to be on par with Grenson's Masterpieces and Crockett & Jones' handgrade offerings; as such, the current pricing is particularly enticing. More impressively, Carmina seems to be threatening to (if it has not already) supplant Alden and Vass as the pre-eminent shell cordovan shoe manufacturer. If I do end up in Spain in October, I plan on getting a closer look at the shoes and perhaps make a purchase or two.

But enough about me - on to the wonderful images. Many thanks to Ms. Jessie Butler for taking the time to provide so many great photos - there were so many that I'll probably supplement this post in the next few days with additional photos. Enjoy!

Suede offerings from Carmina. The shoe trees look substantive and

the shoe care kit looks equally impressive.

Always a sucker for a well-done spectator - these don't appear to be white suede;

nevertheless, lovely shoes. Extra points for the wonderful wallpaper!

Floor-to-ceiling Carmina.This sublime image speaks for itself -

but that Gillie in the bottom left is talking to me. . .

A close-up of the bottom left portion of the image above -

also known as The Uptown Dandy's "Wheelhouse."

After the variety of leather colors available, the rather elegant lasts are the next thing I noticed. Based on the photos, the patina/burnishing isn't as striking as Edward Green or John Lobb's museum calf, but then again, the leather tones are nonetheless impressive and one must remember that these shoes are being offered at a fraction of the price of those higher-end English shoes.

A close-up of one of the many Carmina offerings:

a plain toe brogue with a nice medallion and adelaide or u-throat.

This model was originally displayed at the 1929 World's Fair and speaks to the company's illustrious history. The image belies the actual dimensions - the shoe is actually about 3 feet long.

More from Sotheby's Auction Book: The Duke of Windsor Collections

2011-08-11T22:19:00.001-04:00

[To see part one on the Sotheby Auction Books for

the Duke and Duchess of Windsor Collections, click here.]

One could spend weeks flipping through the pages of Sotheby's Auction Book for the Duke & Duchess of Windsor collections. From a historical perspective, the Duke's personal belongings and keepsakes are particularly interesting, as even small family keepsakes have significant historical importance. His wardrobe, however, is equally illuminating for any student of 20th century culture, as the Duke was one of the leading style icons of his day.

Walking sticks/canes acquired by the Duke at various stages of life. Some were gifts from his father and mother, at a time when the item was still a part of a gentleman's wardrobe.

As the Duke traveled the world during the era of luxury steamships and sleeping train cars, his collection of luxury steamers and trunks appears to have been extensive. This particular lot included several large Goyard suitcases and other exquisite leather pieces. The second piece from the top left, Lot #3251, was an attache case of tan hide from Davies, London, circa 1950s.

As one can see from the numbers in the photo below, the Duke must have traveled with a quite an impressive set of Goyard suitcases. Surprisingly, the lot had a price of $1000-1500 listed next to it - I wasn't sure if this was the price that Sotheby's expected each case to sell for, or whether $1000-1500 was the expected price for this entire lot. It seems like a very reasonable price, bordering on "bargain basement deal" territory if that is in fact the case, considering the particular provenance and general high quality of these suitcases. This particular set, Lot #3254, was comprised of a Goyard suitcase, a shirt case, and a shoe case, circa 1940s.

Top right: A gentleman's fitted toilet case from Cartier, France, circa 1930s, with a luggage tag dating from the period when the Duke served as Governor of the Bahamas.

Top left and bottom left: Fitted kit bag and fitted toilet case from

T. Anthony of New York, circa 1950s.

For me, it all comes back to the wardrobe. One can still learn quite a bit from the Duke's choices of color, texture, and fabric.

The Duke of Windsor's dressing room at his Paris residence.

The Prince of Wales at the Brigade of Guards point-to-point meeting, 1928. The check overcoat was listed in lot 2862. It was unclear whether the lot included what appears to be the matching cap.

Despite the fact that Sotheby's auction of the Private and Public collections of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor took place almost 15 years ago, the auction book is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to draw inspiration from one of the great dandy's of the 20th century.

The Quintessential Business Shoe? John Lobb's City II

2011-08-09T23:30:00.003-04:00

A close-up of the understated elegance of the leather stitching on John Lobb's

quintessential conservative business dress shoe, The City II.

I've been on something of a vintage Edward Green kick lately, which you've probably picked up on if you've been dropping by An Uptown Dandy the last few weeks. Although Edward Green's are probably my favorite manufacturer of ready-to-wear English-made shoes - because of (in my opinion) the lasts, the exquisite antiquing and burnishing on every shade of brown that the company produces, and of course their often sublime broguing, John Lobb has a loyal following for many of the same reasons.

Lobb enthusiasts swear by the 7000 last and their "museum" calf offerings, and I long ago became an ardent admirer of both (see my previous post on the John Lobb 2008 here). While my understanding is that the company has recently switched from production of the "museum" calf to a "misty" calf with the same something of the same antiquing qualities on display, you can still find some of Lobb's classic models in the old "museum" calf leather.

Shoe enthusiasts will debate which Lobb offering is the quintessential conservative dress shoe: the Phillip II or the City II, the only real difference between the two being the Phillip's broguing at the toe cap and along the five-eyelets. Obviously, one can hardly go wrong with either, but if you're looking for an elegant shoe with sleek lines and no broguing, the City II is truly a shoe without peers. Accept no substitute.

At the time I purchased this pair, I had only recently picked up a pair of John Lobb Tudors, a chelsea boot, in parisian brown museum calf. I was leaning towards the City II in either a dark or light brown - with the recent acquisition of the Tudor in Parisian Brown ultimately pushing me towards the City II in a lighter shade of brown. I eventually came across a museum calf in a chestnut-type of shade called "new gold museum calf."

To put it simply, museum calf is really something that one needs to see in person to fully appreciate. I've tried to capture the "liveliness" of the leather attained by virtue of the museum calf's "mottled" color, but I'm sure my photos don't do it justice. What I've really come to appreciate is the juxtaposition of the classic styling of the City II with the energetic tone of the new gold museum calf. In my opinion, the same shoe in dark brown museum calf or parisian brown is quite conservative. But I like that the gold museum color succeeds at spicing things up a little - of course, sticklers to the rules of traditional business dress would argue that the color renders these shoes inappropriate for business. And, traditionally speaking, they are probably right. However, in this age of business casual and dressing down at almost any social event, I'm sure I'll be able to find enough events to keep these shoes in circulation.

A view from the front: The City II with a single sole,

although there isn't much waist suppression to speak of.

More understated elegance: The stitching above the back quarter.

The sole of the City II: channelled soles with the inimitable "JL" rubber heel design. The waist is slightly bevelled, although prestige line shoes clearly have more of a bevelled waist.

John Lobb's City II: regardless of your choice of leather color, any aspiring shoe connoisseur and uptown dandy should have a pair in his collection.

"Ruminations on Small Objects": Tender Buttons

2011-08-07T23:11:00.000-04:00

Tender Buttons: the name of the shop is borrowed from a

Gertrude Stein piece first published in 1914.

I recently purchased a three-button navy Borrelli jacket and was forced to come to the realization that I'm awash in navy blazers/sports jackets at the moment. In addition to the traditional navy blazer with gold buttons, I have two other navy jackets - unfortunately (to my eye anyway), each of these jackets have dull blue or blue/black buttons. I have been thinking about adding a lighter brown or English horn buttons to a navy jacket for some time now ( a la Brunello Cucinelli) for two reasons: (1) to give the jacket a more casual look and (2) to have a navy jacket with a splash of color to match the tan slacks and brown shoes that I generally like to wear.

With that in mind, it seemed like a great time to drop by Tender Buttons, a pleasant little shop on 62nd between Third and Lexington avenues devoted entirely to buttons of all shapes and sizes. The walls on one side are literally lined with contemporary designs while the other wall has vintage and antique sets.

I had originally thought that English horn buttons in a lighter color might work best, but I didn't really like how the colors were working together once I saw them in person. I then started looking more closely at some of the lighter (almost what I would call a caramel) shades of brown. I eventually settled on a set of very light brown buttons with what appears to be a wood-like texture or finish that should succeed in livening things up a bit. I dropped the jacket off at the tailor to have the buttons put on but will be sure to post pics when I get it back!

So, if you happen to be roaming around on the East Side in need of a little something to pass the time or something to spruce up an otherwise stuffy Navy jacket, more than likely Tender Buttons will have something along the lines of what you're looking for.

The Shoe Connoisseur

2011-08-04T22:34:00.002-04:00

The Uptown Dandy, at home in his natural habitat amongst brown Edward Green shoes.

One of the things I like most about the Men's Ex high-end shoe volumes are the various sections of the magazine focusing on shoe connoisseurs from around the globe. Usually, the gentlemen strike a pose and stare in an almost bemused fashion into the camera, surrounded by their most beloved footwear.

A typical Men's Ex full-page splash from the World of High-End Men's Shoes Vol. 4 -

featuring connoisseur and collection.

In reality, since my Japanese is not what it used to be, I have no idea what's going on. I like to think the gentleman is being featured because of his comprehensive collection of exotic leather footwear and natty fashion sense. Most likely, they're all salesmen from a high end men's haberdashery. The photo above could very well be that of a man gracious enough to have donated his shoes to The Salvation Army or Goodwill, for all I know.

Whatever the case may be, I was inspired to take a couple of extra pictures while I had my first group of vintage Edward Green shoes on the table and ready for their close-ups last weekend. As the theme was "shoe dandy in repose" (with friends, of course), I thought these images captured the spirit of the Men's Ex spreads (if not the professional quality of the photographs themselves).

The Uptown Dandy strikes a pose: light brown glen plaid suit with baby-blue

window pane double-breasted suit for Dunhill (by Zegna);

Charvet MTO shirt, Borrelli 7-fold tie, Alfred Dunhill sterling silver cufflinks, Edward Green Falkirks.

Also, to the right, a teaser for part two of the vintage Edward Green collection.

Post-Script:

This post was done only half in jest.

One of my goals has always been a one-page spread in Men's Ex.

The World of High-End Shoes Vol. 5 is not even necessary - the regular monthly edition will suffice :-)

The Shop Around The Corner: J.J. Hatters

2011-08-03T00:14:00.005-04:00

J.J Hat Center: Fedoras A-Plenty

My father, the original Uptown Dandy, has been wearing eight-piece pie caps (or newsboys or Gatsby's) for as long as I can remember. His charcoal cap was looking a little rough around the edges, so I gave him a gift certificate at Christmas for the J.J. Hat Center on Fifth Avenue at 32nd street. He finally decided that he wanted to take advantage of the certificate, so we dropped into the shop.

The window display at J.J. Hat Center - Borsalino

A close-up of some of the summer hats in the window display.

The old man has a habit of looking around when we enter men's clothing stores and mumbling something like, "I think this place used to be around the corner," or "I used to work here in high-school." But enough of these comments have been confirmed through so many interesting conversations that none of this surprises me anymore.

A few years ago, we walked into Paul Stuart and he started telling the salesman how the store was configured in 1960. The gentleman called over another man who appeared to be the elder statesman of the sales force at Paul Stuart. He proceeded to quiz my father on a variety of questions, including which department he worked in (men's custom made shirts), where it was located (second floor balcony), and who ran the department (I don't recall the name, but the name my father gave passed muster). Having established his credentials, they continued to chat amiably for another 30 minutes.

The same thing happened when we dropped into Eisenberg & Eisenberg on 17th street near Union Square. I was there to pick up a rental tux (for the wedding party) - I happened to be with my father at the allotted pick-up time, and as I was waiting for the suit to be brought out from the back, my father casually mentions that he used to work for such-and-such Eisenberg in the 10th floor showroom around the corner on Fifth Avenue. The man behind the counter was the nephew of the long-ago Eisenberg who gave my father his first job in a men's tailoring shop. My father actually thanked the nephew for the good turn his uncle did by hiring a Puerto Rican from the Bronx at a time when he was having trouble finding any kind of job downtown, and he went on about what good men both uncles who ran the shop at the time were to him. The current Mr. Eisenberg actually got a bit choked up.

The point of all this is that (a) the man knows something about clothes, and (b) I don't discount any of his past experiences. Of course, he still insists that he once assisted one of the owners of a small but exclusive men's haberdashery, named Mr. Grey, in waiting on the Duke of Windsor. "Assisted the owner . . ." But then again, who would make up such a thing? Only a dandy, I would think.

In any event, as my father was looking at the fedoras and summer straw hats, he mentioned to the salesman that he remembered being in a shop like this 40 or 50 years ago, but as he remembered it, that shop was around the corner. To which the salesman replied that J.J. Hatters had only been at the current location for about twenty years. Prior to that, the store actually was located around the corner, from its founding in 1911 to the time that it moved. Needless to say, I was probably more surprised to hear that my father had not been in fact also been employed there at one time or another.

I'm not sure what kind of experience my father had in the shop 40 years ago, but today's shop is truly a pleasure to visit. The staff is knowledgeable, helpful, patient, and extremely courteous. My father decided to come back in the winter for wool eight-piece pie caps (although they had plenty), and instead focus on summer straws and fedoras.

The wool caps: maybe next time.

The Borsalino straw hats are lovely. The weaves look well-done, and the vibrant ribbon colors really add something to the overall effect of the hat. My father picked out a nice one with a brown/tan ribbon with a yellow diamond pattern running around the center. Hats generally look good on him, so he probably could not make a bad choice anyway - he had the brim up at one point and it looked just as good as when the front was snapped down.

A wall of Borsalino summer hats

A case full of panamas and bow ties - a nice combination.

You cannot walk around the hat center without coming face to face with the wall of Borsalino fedoras. Most people would have a hard time not picking up one of those beauties, but when the salesman mentioned that they also stocked Stetsons, I knew we were not leaving without a wide-brim fedora or two. Let's just say that Stetson must have made quite an impression on my father in his younger days. He holds them in high regard, and left with a dark grey wide-brim model that looked magnificent.

The Borsalino Fedoras - they look good to me. But someone had to mention Stetson. . .

At this point, I should also point out that, despite continued reports of the demise of the hat, the shop was pretty crowded for a weekday afternoon. Even more surprisingly, most of the customers were women. From what I could see, they appeared to be purchasing straw Borsalinos in navy blue and other colors. There were men in the store as well, but I would say that most of the purchases were being made by older gentlemen who are just more used to wearing headwear.

My father tries on the Stetson. My mother walked in with her own. . .

So we ended up leaving with the tan Borsalino (on the counter in the foreground in the image above) and a grey felt Stetson fedora (that you can see on my father's head, also in the image above). I would recommend J.J. Hat Center to anyone looking to try on a wide variety of styles before making a purchase decision. In my opinion, you can also expect honest professional advice on which style will suit you best.

Vintage Edward Green: The Collection (Part I)

2011-07-31T23:34:00.001-04:00

Anyone who's made a habit of dropping by An Uptown Dandy has probably figured out by now that I love vintage shoes. Vintage brown shoes, to be exact. Edward Green shoes can be interesting to collect for several reasons. In many cases, Edward Green used to provide shoes for a wide range of companies, from Cole Haan to Barneys to B. Altman to Nordstrom. Much of the fun is often in discerning whether what you've come across is a hidden gem in need of a little TLC (i.e. stripping away layers of old polish, a good cleaning, some leather conditioner, etc.)

Another group photo, sans flash.

Lately, I've been fortunate to come across some interesting vintage Edward Green shoes in remarkable condition, ranging from lightly scuffed uppers to barely-worn soles. One of the things that becomes clear is that, while Edward Green has made significant improvements in areas such as the leather finishing process- you would be hard-pressed to find a pair of Edward Greens pre-dating 1990 with the kind of patina that you see on some of the company's more recent offerings - an older shoe doesn't necessarily mean an inferior one.

The same photo as the one directly above, with the flash in use.

Another added advantage is that, in come cases, the shoes were made in the mid-eighties on a now-defunct last, or a last that was made for that particular retailer/distributor. Generally, those lasts will still be available via Edward Green's Made To Order program, but will be unavailable on newer Ready-To-Wear models.

My original plan was to get the new acquisitions together in one setting for some group shots. Unfortunately, the round table in the picture above was too small to accommodate the entire collection, so what we see here is a sub-set of vintage Edward Green shoes, with probably each pair (save for the butterfly loafers) pre-dating 1986. The pairs in this particular collection were originally ordered from Edward Green by one if its retail partners, including Cole Haan, Nordstrom, Brooks Brothers, Paul Stuart, and New & Lingwood.

I'll be individually spotlighting some of my additions in the weeks and months ahead. I hope you enjoy.

Vintage Edward Green: The Windsor Redux

2011-07-24T20:47:00.004-04:00

The Windsor, delivered in a hunter green Edward Green box, a darker hue than the normal ready-to-wear box.

As I mentioned previously here, I decided to put Edward Green's re-crafting program to the test by restoring a pair of Windsors that I had recently come across. I had seen enough of their work to know that the soles and heels would look pristine after the re-craft. I was particularly interested, however, to see what, if anything, could be done to clean up and revive the leather uppers. For the most part, the leather was in great condition considering the shoes were over 25 years old, with no significant creases, tears, or rips, and my thinking was that if anyone could do anything to clean the staining that had set in, it would be the craftsmen who had originally constructed the shoe in 1985.

The shoes were shipped to Edward Green's Jermyn Street shop - per the sales representative's directions, I included instructions detailing how I wanted the shoes to be "treated."

Specifically, I asked for the HAF sole treatment, wherein a double sole is welted to the shoe; however, at the waist, the double sole narrows to a single sole. On some shoes, Edward Green also darkens the waist of the sole to black, so you have a contrast with the brown/tan wood color on the sole. In this case, because of the light "Acorn" color of the uppers, I thought a dark brown waist would offer a nice contrast while remaining true to the basic tan complexion of the shoe.

The Edward Green box label -

model name, size and last information, and leather color (client name at top right).

For the same reasons, I also asked that natural sole edges be provided - this gives the edge of the sole a lighter tone than the traditional black/dark brown edge that you see. Generally, Edward Green shoes are given this treatment when the leathers are in lighter shades, such as Edwardian Antique or Burnt Pine. However, I've seen enough lighter shoes with darker edges that I thought I'd mention it just to be sure because I thought it would be a nice touch. Other than that, I asked for flush or sunken metal toe taps to be installed - the only item that was an additional mark-up beyond the base price of the recraft.

Things got off to a slow start - a few weeks after the shoes were sent over, I received an email indicating that the shoes could not be re-crafted because the 201 last was no longer available. I thought it was strange that Edward Green would have instructed me to send my shoes all the way to the UK if they didn't actually have the necessary equipment to perform the task, so I forwarded the correspondence to Hilary Freeman at Edward Green to ask if there was really nothing else to be done. She quickly replied that the last could in fact be recreated, and so after an initial bout of disappointment, I was pleased to learn that the recrafting process could now commence.

After lifting the lid from the shoe box, you find two shoes in dust bags.

At this point, the suspense hanging in the air is palpable!

The process generally takes anywhere from 2-3 months to complete; in this case, another month was added to the estimated completion date because the last needed to be created. A 3-4 month wait is certainly something that anyone interested in the recrafting service should factor in when considering the service. However, in my opinion, after receiving the finished product I can only say it was well worth the wait.

[A quick side note: In addition to the wait time, which helps to bolster the feeling of anticipation for the arrival day, I have to say that waiting on a recraft is a little different than waiting on a new pair of shoes. When you order a new pair, you pretty much know what you're getting - the shoes will be pristine and to your specifications and if they're not, you're certainly within your rights to complain, request a new pair, etc. With a recraft, you know that expert craftsmen will be tending to the shoes, but there is an x factor involved: if the shoes are damaged or destroyed during recrafting, that is a risk the owner has to consider when deciding whether to send shoes back to the factory. Also, in the end, you just don't know how the shoes will be fixed, mended, treated, etc.]

Needless to say, I was quite pleased with the results. The first thing that struck me, as a brogue man, was how the broguing appears to have been thoroughly cleaned out; previously, the perforations were filled in with grime and what I would assume was residue from years of polishing creams and wax. The broguing is even more pronounced now.

A side view of the Windsor.

From this angle, you can see the HAF sole whereby the double sole narrows at the waist to a single sole. I like the effect: it gives the profile of the shoe a bit more substance. As you can see, the "triangle" designs along the side of the upper and the "crossed golf clubs" at the back quarter really stand out now.

The "triangle" perforation designs.

Below that, an up-close view of the welt and double sole with the natural sole edge treatment.

The "crossed clubs" design at the back quarter. Below that, an up-close view of the natural "stacked" wood heel treatment. You can also see more detail of the single sole waist.

More detail of the "crossed clubs" design at the back quarter

and the natural "stacked" wood heel treatment.

When looking at the recrafted shoes, the second thing that struck me was the cleanness of the leather as well as its color - while Edward Green apparently could not remove all of the staining to the leather, they seemed to have removed a good amount of it. Also, to my eye, it seems that the leather color was darkened from what I recall being a brighter, almost Edwardian antique color, to the more subdued Acorn color. Whether this was a side-effect of whatever treatment was applied to the stains, or whether it was actually done with the purpose of basically camouflaging or hiding the staining under the darker color, I couldn't say. Whatever the case may be, the effect is impressive - the leather looks cleaner and not as "bright," which, in this case, I like.

A frontal view of toe box with the "crossed clubs" medallion -

looking cleaner and considerably more detailed than previously.

A close-up of the "crossed-clubs" medallion. Absolutely lovely.

Sole treatment: A dark brown waist rounds out the details.

The flush/sunken metal toe taps have rounded screws.

[It might be worth noting that, on a previous recraft of the EG Twickingham by B. Nelson, the flush toe taps had flat screws. While I haven't worn these yet, it seems logical that the rounded screw heads here will sustain and inflict more damage than the flat head screws. I'm not sure if one would feel a difference while walking, just something to consider if you're planning on walking on wood floors in the near future.]

In the end, I was quite pleased with the results of Edward Green's recraft of the Windsor. While the price is certainly nothing to sneeze at, I think the primary factor for potential customers to consider is the turnaround time. 3-4 months is certainly a long time. In the end, while there are definitely quicker and less expensive options to consider when contemplating a recrafting of one's shoes, Edward Green's expertise should be considered second to none. As I've hopefully made clear here, you can expect to be pleased with the results. The Uptown Dandy certainly is.

The Good Old Days: The Paul Stuart Warehouse Sale

2011-07-20T23:33:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time in the laugh-a-minute 2000s, high end men's retail shops were raking in so much money that a few of these retailers decided that it made fiscal sense to rent a huge warehouse site and sell off overstock at fire sale prices. One always comes away from such events with a story or two to tell, but even after all these years, the Paul Stuart warehouse sales still hold a special place in my heart. This is almost certainly because, to this day, I have never entered a warehouse or sample sale with such a jaw-dropping display of high end men's shoes at such low prices.

In recent years, Paul Stuart's Stuart's Choice line has been made in England by Grenson. The shoes were made to the Grenson's highest standard - the Masterpiece. The shoes were made with soles that were identical to those used by Edward Green, and were of the highest quality, at least on par with Crockett & Jones (if anything, Grenson's leathers did not seem to be of the same quality of an Edward Green or John Lobb, but, in fairness, the Masterpiece shoes sold at a fraction of the retail price of those other brands).

Loafer in tan suede with calf trim. Note the Edward Green-like sole with the black treatment at the waist.

If I recall correctly, the German-made double-barreled shoe trees were about $20.

I purchased my first pair of Masterpieces during one of Bennie's (of Atlanta) massive sales but we'll have to save that particular stroll down memory lane for another time. Suffice to say that the experience left me enamored of the Stuart's Choice shoes. Of course, one can't expect to just pick up Masterpieces for $250.00 anytime, so imagine my surprise when the news started going around that Paul Stuart was having a warehouse sale.

My surprise turned to ecstatic delirium on that morning when, after waiting in a winding line that slowly crept its way to the second floor, I made my way into the sale and saw table after table of the Stuart's Choice Masterpieces on sale in a variety of colors and models for about 1/4 of the $698 retail price.

Looking back, if there was a drawback to being unleashed upon that sartorial Garden of Eden, it was the ease to which one succumbed to the feeding frenzy. I believe that I left that first sale with 5 pairs of shoes, including a pair of black semi-brogue/captoes in a hard-to-find wider width for my father. I did come away with a pair of brown blucher wingtips for myself, in addition to some other less conservative styles.

Ah, the good old days.

What We're Perusing: Sotheby's Auction Books - The Duke & Duchess of Windsor Collections

2011-07-18T00:07:00.002-04:00

In September 1997, Sotheby's hosted the sale of the contents of the Duke & Duchess of Windsor's former residence in Paris. The size of the collection was staggering - over three thousand lots were auctioned, making up a total of eighteen sessions spread over 9 days from September 11-19, 1997. The whole of the galleries at Sotheby's, New York was devoted to an exhibition of the collection, which up until that time had never been seen before in public.

One could spend hours looking through the two large auction books produced by Sotheby's. Items for sale included paintings, drawings, prints, bronzes, furniture, ceramics, glass, carpets, textiles, silver and vertu, clocks, watches, coins, medals, books, private papers, and photographs. Of particular interest to me was the Duke's wardrobe of clothes and accessories. While looking at the photos, I was particularly struck by two things. The first is the variety of fabrics, textures, and colors on display in the Duke's cupboard/closet.

"The Duke's wardrobe cupboard arrayed with his signature lounge and

sporting check suits, patterned ties and orderly stacks of crisply starched shirts."

- The Private Collection, Session XVI, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997

The Duke's town clothes, overcoat, and sports clothes swatch boxes, circa 1960.

"Because the Duke spent so much time traveling between his various homes in New York, Paris, and his French country retreat, he used these swatch boxes to remind him of the locations of items from his extensive wardrobe. . . The swatch boxes show that, circa 1960, the Duke owned approximately fifteen evening suits and over fifty-five lounge suits."

- The Private Collection, Session XVI, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997

Lot 2872: Prince of Wales Tweed Sports Suit, London, 1923

" . . .comprising a jacket and stalking trousers of thick, tough oatmeal and maroon wool with bright blue banding woven in the Glenurqhart check, the singlebreasted jacket by Scholte, London . . .the unlabeled Forster & Sons stalking trousers altered from plus fours, probably in the mid 1930s when the zip fly was inserted . . ."

- The Private Collection, Session XVI, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1997

The second thing that struck me about the wardrobe is the quality of the Duke's British and American-made clothing - some pieces seem to have been made for the Duke in the 1920s and he was apparently still wearing these items into the 1970s (its also amazing that the Duke maintained the same physique for almost 50 years). The Duchess probably said it best when she stated, "For some time after our marriage I was puzzled by the fact that while he was the acknowledged leader of men's fashion, he rarely bought a new suit."

Lots 2824, 2825, 2827: Woven Cotton Handkerchiefs with the cypher of the Duke of Windsor, English, circa 1940s-1950s. Note the fabric in the bottom right - it seems to have been repaired on multiple occasions, perhaps lending some credence to the Duchess' comment.

Lot 2845: A group of English and American footwear, circa 1941-1955,

comprising, among others, a pair of Peal & Co. correspondent leather loafers.

The photo details the shoe cupboard in the Duke of Windsor's dressing room.

Lot 2858: Slubbed silk single breasted summer suit by Emilio Lupori, 1949.

"The Duke of Windsor arriving in his Riviera resort suit complete

with fashionable Panama hat, correspondent shoes, and pug, early 1950s."

This is really just a small glimpse of some of the wonderful photographs and images displayed in the auction books (I'll try to post additional images from the books from time to time). For anyone interested in the history of men's style or history in general, this three-volume set is definitely worth the investment.

Vintage Edward Green: John Hlustik's Windsor

2011-07-15T00:56:00.004-04:00

In 1983, John Hlustik purchased the venerable English shoemakers Edward Green for one pound sterling and immediately set about revitalizing the British shoemaking industry. In addition to introducing new lasts that were considered almost sacrilegious at the time, such as the Great 88 - Lobb enthusiasts called it vulgarly Italian in nature - Hlustik introduced a variety of wonderful styles to the Edward Green catalogue.

One of Hlustik's designs that is occasionally lifted from the archives, revived and reproduced is the Windsor model. Originally, the shoe was designed as a five metal-eyelet blucher with extensive broguing. Hlustik's design enticed the eye with a playful tweaking of the traditional wingtip blucher design. The Windsor, however, ended up looking like some kind of decadent cross between a captoe and a wingtip because the cap did not extend down to the welt but actually continued toward the back of the shoe as a wingtip would.

That is really just the beginning of Hlustik's wonderful vision. For me, the beauty of the original design lies in the wonderful broguing patterns at the toe box, along the sides of the apron, and at the back quarters. I'm not entirely sure what the original medallion is, but to my eye, it appears to be crossed golf clubs or lacrosse sticks with an arrow laid across the top of the two clubs/sticks. Or perhaps I'm simply letting my imagination run wild . . . In any event, whatever the design may be, it appears again on the left and right side of the back quarters. If that isn't enough, Hlustik added three sets of triangular perforations along each side of the apron. You can see a (not too detailed) stock photo of the Windsor in the Derby section of an older Edward Green catalogue, probably from the mid-1980s, here.

My understanding is that, during Edward Green's move from the company's former premises at the John Lobb factory to its current location, the tools for the Windsor's various perforation designs were lost/destroyed/misplaced. I'm not sure how difficult it is to replace the tools in question, but the story seems to be borne out by some of the more recent limited/special edition Windsor models produced by Edward Green. Those shoes adhere to the original hybrid captoe/wingtip blucher concept, but the exotic designs are missing. In some instances, the "crossed clubs" have been replaced with a more traditional medallion design. While this "cleaner" look will certainly appeal to some Edward Green enthusiats, I find that the more subdued effect essentially creates a very different shoe.

Edit: There seems to be some debate (or maybe I'm just being stubborn) as to the origins of this particular shoe. Several commenters have identified these as a pair of Vass shoes, although the original post on Style Forum identified the shoes as Edward Green for Ralph Lauren's Purple Label Windsor on the 888 last with HAF sole in chestnut - in any event, still a good example of the Windsor model sans medallion and broguing designs along the sides and back quarters (Photos taken from StyleForum).

A limited edition Windsor made by Edward Green especially for members of the London Lounge forum. This particular model includes a more traditional medallion design and also adds what appears to be a floral motif (Photo taken from London Lounge).

A few months ago, I was lucky enough to come across an older pair of Windsors made during the Hlustik era. I say lucky because, quite simply, the design is just amazing to look at and it literally cannot be recreated (I'm assuming that Edward Green would have had the tools re-made by now if it had the desire or ability to do so). According to Edward Green's records, this particular pair was delivered to Nordstrom in October of 1985.

While the leather uppers unfortunately had some staining from water/salt/something, there were no cracks or significant creasing. The soles and heels appeared to be original and were in good condition.

The original 5 metal eyelet Windsor, 1985. You can see the ornate medallion which appears to be crossed golf clubs, or crossed lacrosse clubs, or crossed bows with an arrow at the center of the design -

take your pick!

In this photo, you can see the medallion, with the matching design at the back right quarter of the right shoe. You can also see the set of three triangular perforations along the outside of the upper. Another set of three triangles runs along the left side of the shoe as well.

The original sole, with "Made In England" stamped along the waist of the sole.

This particular pair of shoes was re-badged for Nordstrom.

The insole is stamped "Made in England Exclusively for Nordstrom."

Edward Green's sizing and last information: size 10.5B on the defunct 201 last.

While the soles were in good condition considering the age of the shoes, I wanted to breathe some life into what I consider to be a fine example of the innovation and excitement John Hlustik brought to the English shoemaking industry almost 30 years ago. I wasn't entirely confident that anything could be done to address some of the leather staining, particularly on the right shoe; nevertheless, this seemed like a good opportunity to take advantage of Edward Green's recrafting service.

So with that, I shipped the shoes off to the company's factory in Northampton, England. I recently received word that the recrafting had been completed and now eagerly await the return of the Windsors.

The Night Mayor: James J. Walker

2011-07-11T23:49:00.004-04:00

James J. Walker, Mayor of New York City, 1926-1932

By 1926, the Big Town had been engulfed in bad booze and hot jazz for over 5 years. It truly was an era of wonderful nonsense, and Jimmy Walker was the perfect man to preside over the close of what Paul Sann called "the lawless decade."

A graduate of Xavier High School, Walker was a Roaring '20's Irish dandy from Greenwich Village who took full advantage of all the city had to offer. Despite a 14-year legislative record in the New York State Assembly and State Senate (prior to his political career, he had achieved some prominence as a songwriter of such pop classics as "Will You Love Me In December As You Do In May"), Walker appeared quite disinterested in such a mundane activity as municipal governance. Nevertheless, he did manage to compile a few legislative victories during his tenure - in keeping with some of his favorite pasttimes, Walker wrote the bills that legalized boxing in New York and allowed theatres to remain open on Sundays. Along the way, he also championed the 5-cent fare, the 8-hour work day for women, workers compensation, and tenement laws.

None of this prevented "Beau James" from sampling a wide range of the city's speakeasies on a nightly basis. Inevitably, Walker's term became synonymous with the proliferation of speakeasies in New York City during the so-called Prohibition Era. Should anyone care to dispute Walker's lack of exuberance as an agent of the law authorized to enforce the nation's dry laws, walk that man or woman over to the '21' Club, where Gentleman Jimmy's private booth is still on public display in the club's wine cellar.

Walker was known to go to the cellar of the '21' Club to have a cocktail in peace as federal agents were raiding the premises above for contraband. The Mayor's booth has been preserved, and can be viewed today.

In fairness to the Mayor, no one should have been terribly surprised by his honor's predilection for the nightlife. On his very first day in office, he was 90 minutes late to his own swearing-in ceremony. The writers dubbed him "The Late Mayor." That moniker coincided rather neatly with his other nickname, "The Night Mayor," so-called because of his propensity to skip most mornings at City Hall after a night spent carousing. Time Magazine reported that Walker "seldom appears before noon, if at all." Whether he needed a break from the booze and the clubs or the affairs of his office, Mayor Walker managed to take seven vacations totalling 143 days in only his first two years in office. This included a trip to Italy to meet Il Duce, Benito Mussolini.

Beau James, looking quite dapper in the doublebreasted suit, spectators, and Panama.

Nevertheless, for most of his tenure, Walker managed to keep his critics at bay with an army of glib one-liners and flippant wisecracks that kept the public amused and enamored. One of his favorite sayings was that "A reformer is a guy who rides through a sewer in a glass-bottomed boat." He also was fond of saying that he'd "rather be a lamppost in New York than Mayor of Chicago." When Fiorello LaGuardia ran against Walker in 1929 as the Republican challenger, he criticized the Mayor's decision earlier that year to raise his salary from $25000 to $40000. Walker simply responded, "That's cheap! Think what it would cost if I worked full time!" He coasted to re-election by half a million votes.

Mayor Walker, shown here in a rare afternoon appearance, throws out the first pitch at a ballgame. Beau James sports his hat in the "Hollywood Brim" style, a rakish effect favored by dandies, movie stars, and racketeers of the era.

Eventually, the one-liners got stale and Gentleman Jimmy couldn't provide any real answers to some of the tougher questions put to him by Judge Samuel Seabury, who was charged with investigating corruption in city government. Particularly, he couldn't explain how he made $26,535.51 in oil stock deals with taxi-cab mogul J. A. Sisto without putting up any of his own money. Nor could he explain why an agent for a bus company provided him with $10,000 for a European trip in 1927, with an extra $3,000 in cash as overdraft protection. Meek explanations were offered, but they were more damning than the silence. When Walker couldn't explain how he came by $246,000 from a joint stock account he owned with a Brooklyn financier and publisher named Paul Block, Block testified that when his 10-year old son pointed out to him that the city didn't pay its Mayor enough money, Block decided "to make some money for Jimmy."

With testimony like this on the record, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt had little choice but to set up hearings to determine whether Walker should be removed from office. The Mayor, in one of his few politically astute moves, saw the writing on the wall, resigned on Sept. 1, 1932, and decamped for the Continent shortly thereafter.

At one point during the hearings, Walker's attorneys succeeded in having a temporary stay granted by the court. In this news footage (see the news reel footage here) we see a momentarily victorious James J. Walker leaving the courtroom, captured in his impudent rakishness for all time: The Night Mayor, resplendent in his sartorial glory.

The Elegant Outfitters of St. James' Street: John Lobb Bespoke

2011-07-05T09:09:00.000-04:00

Esquire Magazine once described John Lobb's London shop at 9 St. James Street as "the most beautiful shop in the world." Far be it for me to argue with that statement, or the sentiment that each pair of Lobb's is a work of art unto itself. Indeed, Lobb is known for crafting what is considered by many to be the finest pair of bespoke shoes available today.

While some customers choose exotic leathers or more outlandish designs when going the bespoke route, this pair was modeled after the traditional conservative full-brogue, or wingtip, design in black calf leather.

It might not be obvious from my amateur photos, but the details on this pair of shoes are impressive to behold. The bevelled waist is particularly noteworthy and I never get bored with broguing.

The soles show obvious signs of wear, but the shoes are holding up quite well, a testament to the high level of craftmanship.

The coats of arms stamped on the in-sole of each shoe indicates that John Lobb holds royal warrants by appointment to Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, and the Prince of Wales.

The shoe trees: While the firm's website currently lists leather shoes at GBP 2690.00, the hollow-hinged wax polished shoe trees are listed at a comparatively pedestrian GBP 522.00. That being said, they're still impressive to behold.

A Day At The Races II: Linen at the Belmont

2011-07-01T09:43:00.001-04:00

As Independence Day approaches, I'm still debating whether to attend a day of horse racing at Belmont Park. An interesting proposition made all the more intriguing because the owner's box in question actually has a dress code (although my understanding is that the enforcement of said code is a bit lax): jacket and tie, although the jacket may be taken off once one has been seated inside the box.

So, although my schedule is still up in the air, it can't hurt to sift through my summer wardrobe to find a suitable outfit for a day at the track. The forecast for the 4th sounds like mid-eighty degree weather here. With that in mind, head-to-toe linen sounds about right, perhaps with a pair of spectators in canvas and leather thrown in for good measure . . .

Take it from the top: patterned Borsalino eight-piece pie cap, 100% linen; tilt rakishly as appropriate. I don't normally wear my jacket this long - however, in this case, I dont mind as the length may help to mask all the little items that end up in the jacket pockets throughout the day. . .

Close-up: Holland & Holland jacket in a khaki/olive color, 100% linen; Luciano Barbera navy blue, brown, and creme neck tie, 100% silk; Ede & Ravenscroft dress shirt in blue gingham, 100% cotton.

There seems to be a lot of emphasis lately on the pocket square, so I thought I'd switch things up by stuffing a pair of leather driving gloves into the chest pocket of the jacket. Motorities Driving Gloves by Alfred Dunhill, light brown with dark brown piping, 100% leather.

More accessories: Longines watch with strap in "honey wheat" calf leather;

Alfred Dunhill silver cufflinks.

Obligatory shoe spotlight:

Edward Green Malvern III, chestnut antique and canvas twill, UK 10E on the 202 last, paired with Brooks Brothers slacks in an off-white/creme color, 100% linen;

I'm not sure if the color of the twill works with the bright slacks, but it does seem to go well with the color of the jacket. It may be worth trying this same outfit with a darker pair of slacks somewhere down the line.

All in all, I like it :-)

Happy 4th of July!

Every Dandy Needs One: The Shoe Care Kit

2011-06-29T09:58:00.001-04:00

In most cases, I usually like to drop my shoes off at B. Nelson's or The Leather Spa for a cleaning, polish, and shine. I'll sometimes even head over to the Concourse at Rockefeller Center to sit down for a shine. However, when I have the time, I enjoy sitting at home with my shoe kit and giving my shoes a good cleaning and polish (most of my shoes are some shade of brown and I generally don't like them to have a high shine).

My wife purchased this little set for me about 10 years ago from Holland & Holland when the company had a Manhattan location at 57th street between Park and Madison Avenue (I believe Turnbull & Asser currently occupies the location). Interestingly enough, I don't believe that I owned any "high-end" English shoes at that time - just a few pairs of American-made J&M Aristocrafts handed down from my father - but thankfully the lovely woman was able to glimpse the uptown dandy lurking somewhere just under the surface.

Plenty of blogs have described how to properly shine your shoes better than I can, so I won't even try to flog that horse. You'll basically need some brushes, an old rag or cloth, a leather conditioner, and a polishing wax. Lately, I've really only been using a conditioner (Saphir Renovateur). If I use a polishing agent, I keep it basic with a neutral so as not to cover up the developing leather patina on the brown shoes.

With that said, this little set has everything you'll need to care for your shoes:

A brush with dark bristles for black shoes and another brush with lighter bristles for shoes of a lighter shade, so you're not mixing black and brown polishes on one brush.

Smaller brushes that you can use to clean around the sole edges and broguing perforations.

The leather carrying case also has just enough room for some polish tins and the leather conditioner jar, as well as a spare cloth.

After 10 years of buffing and brushing, the set is still in great shape and shows no signs of wearing down anytime soon. The gift that keeps on giving, wouldn't you say?

Vintage Edward Green for M. Bardelli: The Cadogan

2011-06-27T09:21:00.000-04:00

While shoe makers have progressed in leaps and bounds from methods used as recently as the 1980s, in everything from quality of leather to the ability to mass produce shoes with details that would only have been seen on a bespoke shoe 30 years ago, I still enjoy seeing examples of the shoes produced in the past by various American, English, and Italian firms. To be honest, this is for a variety of reasons - it could be that I've come across a pair of shoes in a defunct style or model, or the shoes are on a defunct last that is no longer used because it has been "improved upon", or the shoes are of a leather that is no longer used. Sometimes, after 30 years, the patina of a basic brown calf leather leather has simply evolved into a stunning work of art in and of itself. Whatever the reason for catching my eye, I'll try to share some of these vintage examples of classic men's footwear.

Some of the more prestigious shoe companies of Northampton often re-badge their products for retailers who want quality shoes available to their customers under their own label or brand. For instance, Crockett & Jones currently makes shoes for the Brooks Brothers' Peal & Co. line of footwear. John Lobb currently produces footwear for their parent company, Hermes, under that company's own imprint.

Edward Green has an established history of producing shoes for some of the finest men's ateliers and clothiers around the world. At one time or another, the company has produced footwear for some of the more famous names in American men's clothing, such as Paul Stuart, Brooks Brothers, Nordstrom, and Cole Haan. The tradition continues to the present, as Edward Green shoes can still be found anywhere from Ralph Lauren to Maus & Hoffman.

The photo above is of a pair of Cadogan's in antique chestnut, made by Edward Green for M. Bardelli, Cashmere Cotton & Silk. One of the oldest men's clothing establishments in Milan, Bardelli's was founded in 1941 as a hat shop but gradually grew to become the elegant emporium that it is today. Specializing in “cashmere, cotton and silk”, Bardelli's is housed in a nineteenth century palazzo and offers a range of beautiful men and women’s collections including suits, shoes, knitwear, textiles for the home and marvellous accessories.

This particular pair of shoes was made on the 202 last. This last remains one of Edward Green's more popular offerings, as the round-toed silhouette creates an elegant, but quite conservative, effect. This particular pair has a wider-than-normal width, but the shoe doesn't seem to suffer from any blobbiness or loss of refinement.

One benefit of re-badging for the retailer is that it will often be allowed to customize some details of the shoe. While this model is a fairly standard semi-brogue, the medallion on this pair is different than what you would normally see on a typical Cadogan branded under Edward Green's own company name.

As you can see below, this pair was re-badged for M. Bardelli.

While this pair of shoes may have been produced to certain specifications for Bardelli by Edward Green, the shoes certainly don't suffer from any decline or drop-off in quality. Most likely, Bardelli chose Edward Green as a supplier because each company enjoys a well-earned reputation for holding itself to the highest production and quality standards. Based on what I can see here, it was a fine match.