Reader question: Old World gabardine

Brian H. asks:

Old gabardines (those of my youth) had a wonderful hand, nice body, draped well, and weren’t shiny.  Modern day gabs are flimsy and shiny.  In any of your travels have you ever run across a really great Old World gabardine?

Brian, you’ve got me outgunned here–not only have I not stumbled upon a contemporary iteration of such a cloth, but I’ve never had experience with the vintage version you describe.  However, I did seek out the counsel of better-informed gentlemen on your behalf.  As it turns out, the situation doesn’t look so good, but you aren’t completely without hope.

Michael Anton, author of The Suit, and who I’m convinced possesses a perfect mental catalogue of every current English cloth book out there, reports:  ”All the gab that I know of is Italian, with very narrow wales and a lot of sheen.  I don’t know of any English Mills that still make gab.”  However, Michael Alden, The London Lounge and Dress With Style founder, points back in the direction of the Continent: “The only mill still making the old heavy stuff is Gorina, in Barcelona.”  Unfortunately, Gorina’s website is entirely in Spanish and can’t be easily translated by Google.  Still, there’s a start–just hit ‘Contactar’.

Does anybody else have a lead for Brian and the other gabardine aficionados of the world?

Perfectly right

I recently stumbled on this photo at Styleforum, a portrait of Nixon administration martyr Elliot Richardson, taken by photographer Richard Avedon.  In my opinion, Richardson’s style hits all the right notes and warrants close study.

First of all, it’s timeless.  The photograph dates from 1976, but if you didn’t know anything about Elliot Richardson, I suspect you’d have trouble telling if the year was 1976, 1956, or 2006.  You might argue that his lapels and pocket flaps suggest a 70’s vintage, but they are only slightly wide and fall well within the range of classic correctness (a good reminder that fashions of the moment ought to be adopted with care).  Every other detail is unimpeachably moderate: the shoulder line, the gorge, the buttoning point, the waist suppression and waist level, the spread of the shirt collar, etc.  Even the drape is just right–enough to look relaxed, but not at all slouchy or sloppy.

Second, the fit is dead-on.  The jacket collar hugs his neck, descending gracefully into a steep, straight-sided ‘V’.  The shoulders are wide enough to define his chest and waist, but appear completely natural.  The outer line of the sleeves form simple, convex curves, free of acute indentations.  The collar points of his shirt are long enough so that they don’t show.  There is no unsightly tugging or pulling anywhere.  The length of the jacket appears neither short nor long.  The sleeves taper gracefully to his wrists.

Third, the details are balanced and harmonious.  Of four distinct surfaces (suit, shirt, tie, pocket square), two are solid white, and two are patterned: the tie is high contrast, with a bold, graphic motif spaced far apart on a dark, saturated background, while the suit’s glen plaid is low contrast, muted, and fine enough to appear solid at first glance.  Nowhere do two surfaces of like coloration, texture or pattern meet.  For the win, the dark plastic glasses and leather briefcase establish a continuity with the tie–while not being too obvious about it, by virtue of both spacial and material separation.  The resulting ensemble is nuanced and interesting, but neither lacking definition nor confusing to look at.

At the end, here’s what really counts: I could wear something like Richardson’s outfit today without looking like an actor in a period movie or a fashion junkie (somehow, Mad Men aficionados manage to look like both, but I digress).  This kind of classic style has gradually evolved over decades and generations, so it shouldn’t surprise us that it still looks perfectly right.

To think: this is how Americans used to dress.

Reader question: where do I start?

Ken R., who currently wears designer clothes, wants to learn how to dress classically.  He asks:

Can you recommend some brands to look at? Where do I start?

Well, I wouldn’t start by focusing on particular brands.  The issue isn’t who makes your clothes, but how you wear them.  So, I suggest taking a more general, fundamental approach: learn “the rules” of classic style first.  Sure, nuance and creativity are essential, but they have to come after covering the basics.

It’s tempting to direct beginners to internet forums like Styleforum and The London Lounge.  However, while great communities with lots of information, they are hard to navigate without some baseline knowledge.  So, I recommend first turning your attention to two excellent resources: Dressing the Man, by Alan Flusser, and Michael Alden’s new website, Dress With Style.  The former, published in 2002, is the closest thing out there to a sartorial Bible for men who did not grow up learning to dress in classic, tailored clothing.  Mr. Flusser has written a number of other books, but this one is by far the best illustrated, making it very easy to understand what he’s saying.  Should you take everything in the book as gospel?  Of course not.  As knowledgeable as he is, Mr. Flusser is ultimately just one man, and his perspective is not all-encompassing or infallible.  Still, there isn’t a better introductory authority.

After you’ve gone through Mr. Flusser’s book, or while you’re reading it, take a look at Dress With Style.  It contains a growing series of vignettes in which The London Lounge founder Michael Alden (pictured on the right) shares his thoughts on developing personal style.  The topics range from the specific to the abstract, but the discussion is consistently inspirational.  Moreover, Michael is one of the most elegant, stylish men I know of–his example is an education in and of itself.  As such, the site is an excellent complement to the more clinical and technically-oriented Dressing the Man.  Now, I’m not suggesting you necessarily comb through it with a fine-toothed comb before exploring elsewhere, including the forums mentioned above, but it will enliven your early research and get you on the right track.

Well, I hope that helps.  Enjoy yourself–what would the point be otherwise?