Burberry: Tartan For….

I won’t finish the headline, though Urban Dictionary will be happy to oblige. Recent trips into the City have turned up increasing numbers of people sporting Burberry plaid. My working theory is that this is related to the recent opening of a mammoth Bloomingdale’s in the old Emporium building. (If you haven’t visited, it’s worth a peek. My only regret is that the Hugo Boss store does not open until next fall.)

Not that I have anything against the brand; it has simply become too common. At this point, the only way to project exclusivity with Burberry is by hanging one of their golf towels by the kitchen sink. But then, if you’re going to be that crass, you might as well just sit in Starbucks using hundred dollar bills to keep your place in the latest Mitch Albom book.

New Shades

I’ve spent a few years running around with a pair of Oakley M-frames for sunglasses. They weren’t particularly dressy, being more suited for pairing with Heckler & Koch than Hugo Boss. So, when I was at the mall with my fashion-guru friend the other weekend, we took the time to stop and see what was available.

After trying on a few pairs and finding only one plausible candidate, I was persuaded to try on a pair of brown tinted Ray-Bans. I normally shy away from colors that remind me of the 70s, but in this case I’m glad I didn’t.

Bespoke Suits, & Similar Extravagances

A recent discussion in Another Place on the inappropriateness of ties in the workplace briefly mentioned the luxury that is a bespoke suit. I was immediately impressed with Tom’s site and now have a few ideas as to where to go for my next vacation. Actually, I have been considering East Asia as my next destination for some time now; recommendations for tailors in Beijing or Hong Kong just provide a sufficiently arbitrary excuse.

On a related note, it appears that Charles Tyrwhitt, a Jermyn Street shirtmaker, offers 50% off initial orders. (A catalogue showed up unannounced a few days back.) The current crop of Façonnable shirts is also a bit colourful, with a good showing of greens and purples for Easter.