Houndstooth . Dog tooth. That's how we say it in English.
Otherwise in French, it’s houndstooth. Nothing to see.
Or when it's smaller flea-footed. Or houndstooth if larger.
Otherwise, in English, we will say puppytooth . Puppy tooth.
It's pretty and it holds up.
I want to talk about the pattern that we see a lot at the moment, an old pattern which would have seen the light of day at the beginning of the 20th century. A pattern that I particularly like and it is precisely the link that unites my three nuggets of the day .
Come on, I'll show you.
A Suitsupply coat
1. Why this brand?
To confess: I'm not a huge Suitsupply fan. Sorry David, I know this is a shock to you but I can't live a lie anymore. It's beyond my strength now.
This assumed touch of flashiness often bothers me. I find lookbooks too “have-you-seen-me” and that’s a problem. It seems to me that discretion must serve elegance. Always.
Good.
That said, from time to time, I let myself be surprised by the brand. Because, with its colossal strike force, Suitsupply indulges in producing some crazy things from time to time. I'm thinking in particular of this summer's Gurkha shorts, which I wasn't expecting at all.
Suitsupply is an accessible gateway when you start to be interested in sartorial clothing, with a broad offering and accessible prices. But with this coat, we see that soft tailoring is also well represented here.
2. Why this room?
I'm obsessed with the houndstooth pattern at the moment. I can't say why. It’s in the spirit of the times, it must be said. We find the pattern among many players in the field and there is a sort of hype hovering around this pattern.
Frankly, I'm not complaining: when we give the man something to have a little fun with regarding his clothes, I'm all for it. By principle. Except when it defies the laws of common sense. But I'm always on the creative side. The fashion police should not exist.
This one is a gray and off-white houndstooth and I find it very charming. I would have preferred this fabric to be used to make a Balmacaan Coat, but this form of trench isn't bad either.
Example of a Balmacaan Coat from Berg&Berg right here:
The fabric comes from Ferla, a weaver that we know well at BonneGueule. And we know that their fabrics are subtle and full of this irregularity that we love so much, full of this imprecision which makes everything more authentic. Here, moreover, the composition is attractive: 62% wool, 28% alpaca and 10% polyamide .
The way the piece is worn by the model is typically the kind of outfit I would want to make. Something “Cucinelliesque”. Play with grays, whites, browns.
I'm just a little afraid of the total length, which I would have liked to be longer but, you never know, maybe it's the infinite legs of the model which gives the impression of being short.
But I doubt it.
An Oliver Spencer suit
1. Why this brand?
Oliver Spencer has always caught my eye since I can remember. And, however, I have few pieces from the brand, many of which are above my budget.
In fact, I only have one: a navy blue cardigan with white speckles that I'm wearing here:
But I would like to have so many more!
Because the brand is very much of its time and I particularly appreciate its vision of costume. Or rather, a new vision of the suit, generally worn without a tie, made in soft materials, rather with discreet patterns, in comfortable cuts with details borrowed from the heritage world.
But not just suits: I like casual shirts with officer or club collars , carrot pants, flowing coats that are easy to wear.
Everything feels comfortable and I think it's an ideal dressing room for a man these days. A wardrobe that draws on sartorial tradition but simplifies the stylistic statement, makes it accessible, and relaxes it.
I believe that this is an intelligent positioning in a context where the costume is losing momentum, as professional and social circles require less and less the wearing of it and that it is relayed, for the better in my opinion , to a port of pure pleasure.
I place Oliver Spencer in the same environment as Officine Générale for example, or even Ami Paris .
2. Why this costume?
Beyond my houndstooth period,
But not suits like we spontaneously think of, the ones we wear with a tie and a shirt. No, rather casual suits, sets, but very non-formal, like:
- A camel, burgundy or green corduroy suit, like you find at Drake's for example.
- A three-piece suit in herringbone tweed or flannel
- A moleskin work jacket and matching pants (at Lane Forty Five for example).
In short, casual suits to wear for those mornings when your creativity is flagging . It's easy, top and bottom go together, all the time and no matter what. Winter with a turtleneck and boots. Summer with canvas sneakers and a t-shirt.
And ride youth.
The brand lent me the jacket.
With a little distortion of the image, because it was a giant who took my photo. A giant named David.
It's a little short for my taste and I would rather wear it with high-waisted pants. In the store, I would have asked to go the next size up. Maybe this is the one I need.
For the rest, I appreciate the nice bend, the finish of the sleeves like a work jacket,
Also, up close, she is really beautiful.
A slight ripple on the shoulder: maybe that's a little tight for me.
The pants, however, were not available and it's a shame because I would have liked to try this loose tapered cut, with this pocket on the left leg only which gives a pleasant asymmetry.
Just the kind of cut I like, with enough leg opening to have fun with the shoes. And of course, the playful side of these pants is largely provided by the pattern.
The good thing about this costume is that you can mix it up. It's even the easiest way to wear it.
Not to spoil anything, everything is very well done with an unlined and braided interior of the jacket, manufactured in Portugal and a product made up of 50% ecological wool.
Yes, you could say that I am seductive.
A pair of Yuketen boots (sold out except a 7US)
Yes sorry, I know! It's a bit of a bastard to shove these beautiful boots in front of you and tell you that there aren't any left.
It's a nugget that I found too late. As there are so many. And I will never stop harassing those who own them to push them to sell them to me for a handful of dollars. May God be my witness!
So, I'm not going to dwell on it but it's made in the United States, with leather from Horween and a Vibram sole.
The yellow tab captivates me. This houndstooth pattern upsets me. This shape of boots/moccasins blows my mind.
I am in love.
Too bad I'm not a size 7 US.
Maybe you?
