An Uptown Dandy in The Rake

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.

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"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

          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

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.