An interesting and entertaining read, for sure, but we are now left waiting to read "part 2" of the gentleman's thoughts on the "How (and Why) To Dress Like a Southern Gentleman!" Thanks for sharing this with us.

 

We just made a tie for a group - it is a woven silk and has the flags of the Confederacy. The tie is NOT pictured on my web site. I still have a few. Anyone who is interested can contact me.
Paul Winston
Winston Tailors/ www.chippneckwear.
212 687-0850

 

I'd be happy if people would just stop dressing like slobs all the time. Sweats, t-shirts, yoga pants, flip-flops, trainers, Crocs, etc.

 

This thread is starting to run dangerously close to becoming political. Either stick to clothing or it goes to the Interchange.

 

I'd be happy if people would just stop dressing like slobs all the time. Sweats, t-shirts, yoga pants, flip-flops, trainers, Crocs, etc.

I rather like yoga pants in many cases. That's one trend I'm not going to complain about.

 

I rather like yoga pants in many cases. That's one trend I'm not going to complain about.

Amen.

 

This thread puts me in mind of Huckleberry Finn's kind but ill-fated hosts the Grangerfords: "Every day of his life [old Col. Grangerford] put on a clean shirt and a full suit from head to foot made out of linen so white it hurt your eyes to look at it; and on Sundays he wore a blue tail-coat with brass buttons on it." [His sons]"dressed in white linen from head to foot, like the old gentleman, and wore broad Panama hats."

From some of the posts here, it sounds as if things haven't changed a great deal in the past 160 years or so, at least as far as traditional Southern apparel goes, except that few if any Southern men wear blue, brass buttoned tailcoats these days, I should imagine. I suppose the blue brass-buttoned blazer could be seen as a successor to the colonel's tailcoat.

 

This thread is starting to run dangerously close to becoming political. Either stick to clothing or it goes to the Interchange.

Admonition ignored! All "political" posts removed and posters noted. No politics on Forums other than The Interchange

 

Admonition ignored! All "political" posts removed and posters noted. No politics on Forums other than The Interchange

 

I rather like yoga pants in many cases. That's one trend I'm not going to complain about.

You do have a point. I still prefer skirts and dresses though.

 

Tights, tunics and riding boots get my attention.

 

I believe that article is what some people call a category error.

 

I remember my grandfather's (a true southern gentleman) dress code vividly to this day. He never went out the front door without a suit, tie and hat. In the summer, the suit was a natural colored linen with vest, Panama hat and, often, spectators.

Once, in New York City, we were getting on an elevator. The last two entrants were young women. My grandfather immediately doffed his hat, as southern gentlemen did in the presence of ladies.. The young women proceeded to "turn the air blue" with their speech. My grandfather never said a word. He just put his hat back on.

 

^ what a great story and what a perfect example of the types of posts appropriate for this thread and forum!

 

I apologize that a small political side-track got a large style comment deleted. Won't do it again. I'll just hit the bullet points from my longer reply now:

- Broadcloth or pinpoint more frequently than heavier oxford
- Lighter colors acceptable, like pink or light green
- No vests- too hot.
- Much quicker inclination to lose the jacket, leave it hanging in your office or over a chair.
- Considering button-down collars to be more formal than they are considered up north (perfectly acceptable to wear a suit with button down collars)
- boat shoes all the time with casual dress

 

I take exception to the concept that there is but one Trad. Rocky Mountain Trad (puffy vests, denim, hiking boots are all climate/terrain appropriate), West Coast surfer dude Trad (Pendleton board shirts, Topsters, dark denim) are well-established on the forum. So why not a Southern Gentleman Trad with the above points? Makes perfect sense.

 

I remember my grandfather's (a true southern gentleman) dress code vividly to this day. He never went out the front door without a suit, tie and hat. In the summer, the suit was a natural colored linen with vest, Panama hat and, often, spectators.

Once, in New York City, we were getting on an elevator. The last two entrants were young women. My grandfather immediately doffed his hat, as southern gentlemen did in the presence of ladies.. The young women proceeded to "turn the air blue" with their speech. My grandfather never said a word. He just put his hat back on.

I am not quite sure I "get" this story. Were they cursing at him because his courtly gesture was evocative of patriarchal oppression or some such nonsense, or were they merely using foul language and oblivious to his presence?

 

Their use of foul language meant to him they were not ladies, therefore the hat could go back on his head.

I am not quite sure I "get" this story. Were they cursing at him because his courtly gesture was evocative of patriarchal oppression or some such nonsense, or were they merely using foul language and oblivious to his presence?

 

I can remember the old-timer bankers at a certain institution wearing black dress shoes with seersucker. White button downs only. Blue would be frowned upon, and any other color you would be sent home to change.


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Their use of foul language meant to him they were not ladies, therefore the hat could go back on his head.

Bingo. Cool story.

 

I take exception to the concept that there is but one Trad. Rocky Mountain Trad (puffy vests, denim, hiking boots are all climate/terrain appropriate), West Coast surfer dude Trad (Pendleton board shirts, Topsters, dark denim) are well-established on the forum. So why not a Southern Gentleman Trad with the above points? Makes perfect sense.

I know this for a fact with regard to the Pacific Northwest version of Rocky Mountain Trad. In high school, I wore desert boots, jeans and a Pendleton shirt. I ran some errands today in exactly the same outfit, adding a Gore-Tex shell, which we didn't have then but would have worn if it had been available.

 

It's still done in certain circles:

https://esq.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/05/54cea5c87ec12_-_esq-seersucker-suit-ban-042613-1uwdpi-xl.jpg

I can remember the old-timer bankers at a certain institution wearing black dress shoes with seersucker. White button downs only. Blue would be frowned upon, and any other color you would be sent home to change.

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It's still done in certain circles:

https://esq.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/05/54cea5c87ec12_-_esq-seersucker-suit-ban-042613-1uwdpi-xl.jpg

If I recall correctly, this photo or a similar one was posted a number of years ago on this forum around what was referred to as "National Seersucker Day".

 

I take exception to the concept that there is but one Trad. Rocky Mountain Trad (puffy vests, denim, hiking boots are all climate/terrain appropriate), West Coast surfer dude Trad (Pendleton board shirts, Topsters, dark denim) are well-established on the forum. So why not a Southern Gentleman Trad with the above points? Makes perfect sense.

This is the first time I've seen the words "Trad" and "surfer dude" in the same sentence.

Harris must be spinning in his...rumpus room. He'd better stop--he's liable to wear a hole in his J.Press shaggy dog.

So jeans can be "Trad" depending on the context?

Any look can be "Trad" provided that it is something that for a long time has clearly been associated with a definable demographic in a particular American region?

Fascinating.

 

This is the first time I've seen the words "Trad" and "surfer dude" in the same sentence.

Harris must be spinning in his...rumpus room. He'd better stop--he's liable to wear a hole in his J.Press shaggy dog.

So jeans can be "Trad" depending on the context?

Any look can be "Trad" provided that it is something that for a long time has clearly been associated with a definable demographic in a particular American region?

Fascinating.

I don't think Oldsarge has ever purported to be Trad.....so maybe, consider the source.