Barney's Seasonal Sales - John Lobb's Phillip II in Tobacco Suede

Shoe fanatics have been making a bee-line for Barney's lately, as they've been having 40% off on selected Gaziano & Girling and John Lobb shoes. At the moment, the G&Gs are going for somewhere between $600-700, which is a decent price. There are also rumblings that Barney's may be severing its relationship with G&G, which would be a shame as its always good to have a selection of retailers available in NYC. Stores like Leffot and Leather Soul get a lot of ink, but you rarely see those shops offering almost their entire inventory for one brand at a significant discount.

We'll have to wait and see, but hopefully the rumors are just that. After all, back in December, Barney's was offering select G&G models for as low as $459. Those kinds of reminiscent of the fire sale Bloomingdale's had when it unloaded its Edward Green models for less than $400 per pair a few years ago.

All of this reminded me of what I thought was still the best deal Barney's has offered to date on John Lobb Phillip IIs in tobacco suede.

If I recall correctly, I first heard about the deal through Derek Guy via his posts at either Put This On or Die Workwear. I happened to be walking by Barney's Flagship on Madison Avenue, so I dropped in to the shoe department to see what models might be available. I was looking to replace my Crockett & Jones suede Connaughts, also purchased via Barneys, and the suede Phillip IIs fit the bill perfectly.

Even better, these Prestige-model shoes were on sale for $589, with Lobb shoe trees included.

As the feeding frenzy was already under way, the display models were the only pair remaining in my size. The sales associate therefore offered to take an additional 10% off, dropping the total down to under $550.

Of course, this is open to debate, but I thought it was an even better deal than the Gaziano & Girling's at $459 (of course, it helps that I'm not in love with G&G's inverted captoe). Lobb's prestige edition shoes - featuring the 7000 last with details such as bevelled waists, channeled soled, and typically outstanding John Lobb finishing - retail for roughly $1600 at Barney's.

A Cultural History of the Dandy @ Slate.com

Leonardo DiCaprio (with Tobey Maguire) as Jay Gatsby,

looking quite dandyish in a pink pinstriped suit with turnback cuffs.

Here's an interesting article by Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell titled "The Man In The Pink Suit," which I took to be a reference to the Great Gatsby. I thought the passage on Gatsby was interesting in that it alludes to his "gangster" style, which, as I've been saying, was really just the lastest styles as worn by dandies who just so happened to be criminals in the 1920s and 1930s.

For Gatsby, the consummate performer, life is a stage, and Daisy is his audience of one. If clothes make the man, then this archetypal self-made man owes everything to his wardrobe. In the film, his bedroom looks like an outpost of Brooks Brothers; his straw boater stays in place even when he’s tearing around Long Island in his tricked-out yellow convertible. But the subtext is clear: Sharp-dressed men can’t be trusted. Their flashy suits are disguises, distractions. Gatsby’s style is more gangster than gentleman; it’s hard to picture him rocking Nick Carraway’s floppy bow ties or Tom Buchanan’s riding breeches. “An Oxford man!” Tom bellows. “Like hell he is! He wears a pink suit.” Though no Oxford man, Gatsby bears a striking resemblance to the Arrow Collar man looming over Times Square—a historically accurate detail not spelled out in the book. His tailored perfection is too good to be true, a two-dimensional façade. Like the detachable shirt collar itself, Gatsby is dapper but doomed.

All in all, the article is entertaining and illuminating. And I was not aware that Michael Jackson was fond of quoting Napoleon, which is an eye-opener unto itself.

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2013/05/history_of_the_dandy_liberace_gatsby_david_bowie_and_other_peacocks.html

More Big Thriftin': Alden for Brooks Brothers Shell Cordovan Loafer

On a quick thrift shop tour this weekend, I came across this pair of Brooks Brothers loafers, made from Horween shell cordovan by Alden.

The shoes are in excellent condition, and show very little signs of wear on the outer and inner soles.

Unfortunately, the size 8.5D shoes are too small for my size 10D feet - so I've put them up for sale on eBay. You can check them out here.