I’m not very wity when it comes to naming my posts…oh well, I’ll work on that.
I don’t like how the 501′s fit straight off the rack as I find the fit to be too full. My issue with the slimmer versions are that they end up being too tight in seat and through the thighs. I really want a pair of selvedge, but I have yet to find a pair that fits without needing alteration. The way the seam is on them, makes it difficult to alter. Anyone have any ideas?
I’ve been hunting for a seersucker shirt this summer, and I finally got to wear it during Labor Day Weekend, which is probably the latest you can get away with wearing this.
I found this Ralph Lauren seersucker shirt on eBay back in June for $15. I actually didn’t realize the shirt was short sleeve until it came in the mail. I glanced the description, I guess I missed that part. I did end up recently getting a Brooks Brothers long sleeve seersucker shirt about two weeks ago that needs some work. I’ll have to get that ready for next season.
I got the shirt shortened by two inches and had the sleeves and sides taken in to improve the overall fit and look. I spent $20 to get these alterations done. I really like the overall improvement of this shirt.
The pic on the top left was taken outside of my office on her P&S, I tried to correct the color, but I couldn’t without the whole picture getting too dark. There are some out takes over on my Tumblr.
Note: Seersucker originates from the Persian words “shir o shekar,” meaning “milk and sugar”, probably from the resemblance of its smooth and rough stripes to the smooth surface of milk and bumpy texture of sugar.
via Unabashedly Prep
I was looking for some beat up khakis, that I could wash a bunch, and would get a worn look. I bought these khakis a few months back from Old Navy for $5. They were my size, and I figured it could be a fun experiment. Plus, it is officially summer here in Atlanta, so with humidity on most days it feels like 100+ degrees.
I had khakis narrowed, from the thigh down. Then I washed them about 4 times, in hot water, and then put them in my dryer. I really like the look of them now. They already had some pre-distressed wholes, but now they look a little more natural.
I also had the tie slimmed down by about a half of an inch. I bought the tie a few months back when I was in NYC doing some thrifting.
After looking at the pics, I need to take better shots of the angles to make sure you can see the difference in the fit. I also, couldn’t decide on the shoes, so I posted bother versions. Let me know what you think.
Shirt – Lands End(thrift store) Tie – Brooks Brothers, Khakis – Old Navy, Tie Bar – Shoes – 1)Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars inspired by GIUSEPPE (who was inspired by an email) (eBay $40) 2)Vintage Ralph Lauren Wingtips (eBay) close up here
Additional Notes: I’m still learning my camera, and I also started to do some color adjustment. It was a little difficult for me to get the images to match, I think also part of the problem was the the before pictures were taken with my point & shoot, while the after were shot with my dSLR. Still learning, focus on the fit, not my camera skills. Thanks! Any advice is welcome. 
Tie:
I got this tie off of eBay sometime last year. I had it narrowed, it was just a little too thick for my taste. At the bottom is was about 3.5″ and now its 3″.
Jeans:
The jeans I bought from H&M about two years ago, I stopped wearing them once I got my rigid Levi’s 501′s. It’s hard to go back, once you break in some jeans. I needed a lighter jean for summer, so I went shopping in my own closet. I had them slimmed up from the thigh down, and taken up a little.
I’m not really happy with the jeans, seems like there is too much room around the thighs and crotch still, probably not worth it to get fixed. Click on the pictures to enlarge.
Check out some more pics from this shoot over the next day or so on my Tumblr. There might be one there by the time you read this.
This first pic was taken with my point and shoot, since I dropped my DSLR. I got it back last night, so the new pic was shot with it.
(Note: I won’t wear the tie until fall/winter since it’s wool)
Shirt – H&M, Tie – Brooks Brothers, Jeans – H&M, Tie Bar – Fine and Dandy , Shoes – Allen Edmonds “Grayson” (eBay $40)
This is what happens on photo shoots, very seldomly do they alter the clothing to make it look that tailored. As you can see, they tapered the jacket and slimmed down the sleeves.
You probably shouldn’t walk around in public like this…so…take it to the tailor or your seamstress.
“Don’t believe the hype” – Public Enemy
So, since I’ve been traveling so much (you know, the job to pay for blogging and alterations) – I’ve been trying to figure out a way to do things a little more efficiently.
So, I’ve pulled out everything that I need to take in, no pun intended. It ranges from things I’ve bought recently, to things I bought last summer, and things that I’ve had for quite some time, but I just don’t like that fit anymore.
So in the meanwhile, here’s my stack of denim, chino’s, and trousers that I need to take in. I even have some swim trunks that I want about an inch shorter. (i threw in the watch for some added color)
I must say, my most favorite thing to do besides scoring something awesome off of eBay or in a thrift store, is going to the back of a store, hitting the sales rack, and finding something that is off-season, and in this case these were almost 80% off the original price.
I purchased these Glen plaid wool pants at Club Monaco during another one of my NYC trips. I believe at the beginning of the season, there was also a blazer to go with it.
My Tailor and a few friends always ask me why I don’t just buy my size. Well, under these circumstances, my size is normally not going to be there. For these pants, that’s just fine. Also, as previously mentioned, I have a small waist, but I have more athletic thighs, so I normally have to go up a size to accommodate the legs. These pants happened to be the size I needed!
So, I had them taken in at the waist, tapered, hemmed and a 1″cuff.
Shirt – Ralph Lauren, Blazer – Uniqlo, Trousers – Club Monaco, Shoes – Allen Edmonds McCallister ($20 eBay!)
Continue reading →
I bought these pants during a work trip to NYC. They are a pair of heavy gray flannel slacks, that has a blazer to match, but I waited way too long to snatch that up. I had them check other stores, but no store had it in my size. I believe I got the pants for about $29 when they were originally $118 (gotta love those sales racks). The pants were a 34, when I normally wear a 31 or 32. That’s fine for me to size up because I normally have issues with getting my quads into Club Monaco pants when I try to wear true to size.
It took me a while to get these to my seamstress, again, been traveling quite frequently for the job and for pleasure on the weekend as of lately. I’m not a huge fan of french cuffs, so when I was taking my “after” pics, I switched up the shirt.
Too warm/hot to wear them now, but they’ll be ready to go for next season. And in case you missed it - Club Monaco Fall 2010 Lookbook shot by Garance Dore
click on the images for a close up
Before: Shoes – Vintage Ralph Lauren (eBay), Shirt – Brooks Brothers (thrift store), Tie – No Label (thrift store)
After: Shoes – Vintage Salvatore Ferragamo (ebay), Shirt – Ralph Lauren (thrift store), Tie – Sears (I’m guessing it’s a 60′s era label)
I ordered up the usual. Sleeves narrowed and taken in at the side. There still is a little too much room around my lower arm, I might need to address that later.
(excuse me while I work on some formatting issues)
This shirt didn’t really need too much. I got the sides taken in, and the sleeves narrowed. I really don’t like the bunching around the waist, and there is ALWAYS too much material around the waist. I’ve even gone to department stores and have tried on numerous types of brands that are supposed to be “slim” or “athletic” cut. I would still have to pay a lot of money for those shirts, so I’d rather get my shirts else where, and just get them altered. Plus, it’s more fun. This shirt is from Uniqlo, and there shirts do fit me well of the rack, which is why I only needed a little adjustment.
before
after
Shirt – Uniqlo, Jeans – Levi’s 501 (my staple)