The Dappled Waistcoat: spring apparel

It's been a busy Spring so far, the height of which was the Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event April 24-27. Aside from enjoying the sights and sounds of Lexington, KY, I met a ton of well dressed men and ladies who have inspired my S/S wardrobe mindset and my choice spring selections this year. The overarching lesson of Spring 2014: just because it's bright, doesn't mean it matches. Everyone needs to RELAX with the day-glo rainbows of self-consciously preppy garb. Your entire ensemble doesn't need to consist of accent pieces. I call for a return to minimalism and subtlety!

Anyway, I realized after returning from Kentucky that Mother's Day is right around the corner. Yet again we must scour the earth, searching for a perfect gift for our angelic, martyr mothers: "don't get me anything, you're my real gift" -- YEAH OKAY MOM. On a side note, I've reached the ripe age of twenty-somethingness where plenty of my peers are mothers. I'm therefore opting to make this not exclusively a "MOM" gift guide, but a little taste of lovely things for all ladies this Spring. Don't worry guys, I didn't forget about you either.

1. Dubarry of Ireland "Menorca" in Sky, $149. The newest color update to Dubarry's timeless ladies deck shoe, in super soft sky blue leather with non-slip, non-marking soles. They're so pretty (yes, pretty) that I'm not even opposed to mother-daughter matching pairs.
2. Shinola "The Runwell" 41mm watch, $625. A hint of retro styling with a classic, minimalist profile. All handcrafted in Detroit. Stainless steel body powered by Detroit-made Argonite 1069 high-quality quartz movement. Understated, subtle, but luxurious. These are the keywords for my SS14 philosophy.

3. Bottega Veneta perfume, $90 and up. A lush blend of fresh floral notes and subtle leather undertones. In short, it's what I wouldn't mind smelling like every day this season. Not too feminine, not musky, just light and balanced. I strongly suggest you go to a store and smell it yourself.

1. Altru Apparel "Tropical Lunch Woven," $40. After reading multiple editorials about the grand return of the Hawaiian shirt, I'm happy to see an American-made version from Los Angeles' Altru at a happy price. The quasi Warhol graphics give a user-friendly edge for those a bit wary of looking too "Aloha."

2. General Knot "Apricot Oxford and Micro Gingham Necktie," $88. I'm a sucker for shades of peach, apricot, and tangerine (re: my PINO tangelo bowtie of yore). It's as close to pink as I'm ever willing to get. The texture in the apricot fabric adds just the right about of roughness to an otherwise cheeky color. Consider yourself fully armed for whatever weddings, dates, awkward family occasions, etc. that the season may throw your way.

3. Moscot "Randall" in Chameleon, $295. You want to know why I love Moscot? They've been based in New York for about a hundred years, and though they've certainly grown, they never sacrificed style or quality in the process. Sure you can get cheapos that look pretty similar, but you can literally feel the history and Moscot legacy oozing out of these frames. So worth it.

Confession: even the items I choose for guys are things I want for myself.

I love boots and flannel as much as any red-blooded American, but winter has definitely lost its novelty for me. For weeks I've been suffering through Men's Fashion Week, demoralizing winter blowout sales full of rumpled disorganized sweaters and outerwear, and watching in agony while bloggers and storefronts alike prematurely let some bathing suits and linen shirts trickle out.

No worries, though! Spring is here (kind of)... and I'm extremely excited about all the fresh, dapper looks. American brands have really stepped up this season, and it's cause for a lot of celebration. Later in the post, I'm excited to share the launch of a new San Francisco-based women's shirt line, Tradlands, a welcome solution to the problem of finding quality, American-made buttondown shirts for gals.

My inspiration for Spring this year is delicately executed menswear on ladies. It's a bit harder to do feminized menswear in the winter, because the weight of the fabrics and the necessity of layering for the cold tends to leave women looking shapeless. At least, that's what my problem has always been. When I saw this preview of General Knot & Co.'s Spring skinnies, though, I got a surge of inspiration. Slimmer proportions and good tailoring allows women to appropriate menswear in a way that's really empowering and creative.

Also, for the record, the words "It will be mine... oh yes... it will be mine" left my lips as soon as I laid eyes on that little floral number. Knowing how limited the runs of General Knot's ties are, I checked every day until the new collection launched and ordered it. Only 12 of that floral tie were made. Not sure how many are left now, but please believe I got mine!

As you see above, I love it with my old reliable chambray shirt (J Crew, $70), but I look forward to pairing it with my lavender Ralph Lauren oxford shirt, and my RL Rugby sage and white stripe oxford. As soon as I get a Tradlands shirt, I'll obviously wear it with that too.

Other ties I'd love to add to my collection:

Forage "Grey Floral" necktie, $78

The Tie Bar "Knitted Kneats" silk knit in Mauve/Ivory, $15

The Tie Bar silk knit bow tie in Coral, $15

the Hill-side "Modified Herringbone" in White, $90 at Hickorees

The grey floral tie from Forage is perfect. The neutral color is really versatile and allows it to be paired with almost anything, but the floral pattern is subtle and carries a strong Spring vibe. All of the neckwear from the Philadelphia-based haberdashery is made in limited runs from vintage and deadstock cotton fabrics. Ergo, the ties are a bit more pricy than the set $15 ones at The Tie Bar, but you're paying for a certain level of exclusivity and craftsmanship that's a bit more intimate. I love having a few really special pieces like my General Knot floral, but for the average person The Tie Bar is a great option because it allows you to stock up on stylish ties that are still made by hand. My message therefore, is achieving great style through budgetary balance.

As far as the Modified Herringbone tie from the Hill-side goes... all I have to say is, watch this video:

Old Virginia: The Hill-Side's "Modified Herringbone" Fabric from The Hill-Side on Vimeo.

San Francisco presents: TRADLANDS

Today, February 5th, marks the launch of Tradlands: a collection of women's shirts designed and hand-sewn in SF. For their debut line, they've paired fabrics including raw denim and fine cotton plaid with neat details like lacquered brass snaps to create a feminine silhouette that is still conscious of the needs of a rugged, on-the-go kind of gal. These shirts would be equally at home with sleeves rolled up, digging in a garden as they would paired with some great jeans and accessories to go about town. Whether you're dressing them up or down, the shirts have a distinctly American sensibility that will never appear out of place. My personal favorite is the "Hayes Valley," made of a beautiful mid-weight chambray that would go PERFECTLY with my skinny tie from General Knot (cough, cough, nudge, nudge). As these shots from their lookbook show, though, the whole collection is well thought-out and carefully designed.

Tradlands "Hayes Valley" shirt, $147

Speaking of accessories to match up with your sparkly new Tradlands shirt... my friend Victoria of San Francisco's Our House Vintage and Design has some of her signature feather bow-ties in refreshing Spring colors. To make the bow ties, she layers hand-dyed feathers on leather backing, with velvet ribbon serving as the neck strap. She also uses remnant leather in an effort to recycle, and like most handmade goods, only a limited amount of each color are made. She does custom work too, so if there's a color you don't see in her Etsy shop don't hesitate to send her a message!

It's really cool to watch San Francisco develop into a creative mecca for handmade products and innovative design. I wish Sadie and Jeremy of Tradlands the best of luck with their launch, and I thank them on behalf of women everywhere for making lovely and hardworking shirts!

Brands and shops from this post:

Our House Vintage and Design