Trad and Effort

19106 Views 118 Replies 37 Participants Last post by heimskringla, Jan 4, 2009

heimskringla

Discussion Starter · Dec 11, 2008

Do forgive me if this has been beaten to death already. However, in following this forum for the last few months, I have come to a conclusion about what attracted me to the 'trad' style in the first place.I enjoy the apparent effortlessness involved--except most of you put quite a lot of effort in to dressing in a particular way.

Much like GHWB I grew up in a family in which it was normal for men to dress in this particular style; plain front trousers, a properly fitting jacket, and a presentable pair of shoes were de rigeur for the men in my family, even after we ceased to have an abundance of wealth. My grandfather certainly had a favorite haberdashery or two, but I never recall him fussing over whether or not his jacket had darts or a rolled lapel. He always insisted that a gentlemen must never try too hard to dress well, because in doing so he was likely to appear pretentious. There's a certain austerity in that statement, I suppose, but that particular ideal is one that many older "WASP" families cherish deeply.

I suppose that what I'm saying is that I find it very difficult to fuss quite this much about what I'm wearing; I prefer a sack cut when I have the opportunity to wear one, but I wore a darted 2b charcoal suit last Friday evening (to a business casual dress dinner) and received a number of compliments. I also don't feel awkward when appearing without a jacket on a day-to-day basis; I enjoy them, but if it's too warm and humid, I'll dispense with the jacket. I wear a tie when the mood strikes, but I'm more comfortable in the heat with the first button of my collar undone.

I wear an OCBD and plain front khaki trousers on a daily basis. They look good; I can meet with students and administrators informally dressed this way. I don't have to spend too much time considering what I'll wear in the morning; I own 14 OCBD shirts, one polo, a pair of loafers, a pair of slip on Sketcher's, and a pair of captoe oxfords. I rarely experience a moment of indecision when the available choices are light blue, French blue, white, ecru, and pink.

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101 - 119 of 119 Posts

Thomas Hart

· #101 · Dec 18, 2008

Beefeater said:
Just a very casual city, probably no more or less than any other university town. It's still got strains of alternative ethos that make it ok to wear Birkenstocks to a nice restaurant and no one seems to mind (I saw this at Trio, the restaurant inside the Four Seasons, where we stayed).

It was this way during my undergrad days at UT and most of the 90s when I lived there. Wearing a decent suit and accoutrements is definitely an exception there rather than the rule. But it's ok, I don't take it that seriously as I'm usually too nostalgic when I'm back, which is rare. . .

It is very much a problem for liberal trads, such as I, to find a place where the populace is well dressed and share your views. Civilization is on the decline...

eagle2250

· #102 · Dec 18, 2008

Let the record show that my sartorial heritage is purely "poor house threads", which evolved to and presently remains what most in these fora might call TRAD. I honestly don't buy and wear what I do because it's TRAD but rather, because it's comfortable, it's stylishly stable (meaning it won't seem garishly out of place, next year!), and it remains wearable long enough to represent good value. An onlooker could easily conclude that I am better dressed than my parents, grandparents and great grandparents (beyond that, I really don't know) and that I have passed this "Preppy" style on to my children and am working on the grand kids. However, I sincerely hope I haven't inadvertently victimized my progeny with the twisted sense of privilege/elitism that seems reflected in a number of the earlier posts to this thread. Some of us might do well by taking a look in the mirror and saying to ourselves, "get over it!"

wnh

· #103 · Dec 18, 2008

globetrotter said:
my own personal opinion. I get the feeling that most of the people who want to dress trad here deep down wish that they had been born into it. but of course I may be wrong.

Fair enough. I feel that way to a certain extent, if only so I'd have started with a decent wardrobe instead of having to build one from the ground up.

paper clip

· #104 · Dec 18, 2008

wnh said:
Fair enough. I feel that way to a certain extent, if only so I'd have started with a decent wardrobe instead of having to build one from the ground up.

I sort of feel this way as well, however, I feel that I've 'earned' and 'owned' my current (and future) wardrobe choices by coming to them through a process of trial, error and natural selection, brought on by membership on this board.

jpeirpont

· #105 · Dec 18, 2008 (Edited)

Nothing wrong with trying hard as long as no one can tell. One has to put in some effort when wearing an internet developed style.

Sartre

· #106 · Dec 18, 2008

eagle2250 said:
...However, I sincerely hope I haven't inadvertently victimized my progeny with the twisted sense of privilege/elitism that seems reflected in a number of the earlier posts to this thread. Some of us might do well by taking a look in the mirror and saying to ourselves, "get over it!"

With respect, I can find only two people in this thread who referred to their backgrounds, and only one of those two could be perceived to have been obnoxious.

I like it when posters provide some context for their opinions. Not in an obnoxious way, of course.

eagle2250

· #107 · Dec 19, 2008

^Thank-you Sartre, you raise a good point. My post, that you reference, was offered in response to perhaps a half dozen posts, out of the 100 or so that comprised this thread (at that point). While my gut feeling is similar to that expressed by SC sailors comments regarding the opposing tensions that seem inherent in this forum, the vast majority of posts, herein, have been constructive and quite interesting. As another poster intimated, the fact some feel it necessary to present their "bona fides/credentials" as a precondition to achieving effortless Tradliness (my words, not the other guy's!), just pushes all my hot buttons...perhaps an over reaction on my part. Thanks again Sartre and apologies to all, if you feel I over reacted.

Bog

· #108 · Jan 2, 2009

PorterSq said:
FWIW, I'm a graduate of UPenn, then went on to grad school at Georgetown.

You need to look at the elementary school level rather than the college level. Harvard has not been a particularly trad place for quite some time.

PorterSq said:
The "inspiration" for the trad look is an image that I suspect no one here has experienced. Therefore, folks create a mythology to fill the gaps.

Just minutes away from Porter Square... Hundreds and hundreds of people come together for certain alumni reunions and believe me, 90% are wearing trad, no inspiration or mythology needed.

Zot!

· #109 · Jan 2, 2009

Bogdanoff said:
You need to look at the elementary school level rather than the college level. Harvard has not been a particularly trad place for quite some time.

This reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Annie Hall:

"Harvard makes mistakes too, you know. Kissinger taught there."

PorterSq

· #110 · Jan 2, 2009 (Edited)

Bogdanoff said:
Just minutes away from Porter Square... Hundreds and hundreds of people come together for certain alumni reunions and believe me, 90% are wearing trad, no inspiration or mythology needed.

No, believe ME: if you think 90% of the people at Harvard reunions or graduation are wearing trad, you're 100% wrong. I know this from personal experience, having attended some of each variety of celebration as a guest. This is not to say that there's not some trad at these events - in fact, I believe I've personally posted about having observed Harvard reunions and how there was *some* trad. But if you think it's what everyone, nearly everyone, or even a majority of Harvard alums wear, then I guess we attended different Harvard reunions/commencements.

Joe Beamish

· #111 · Jan 2, 2009

I wonder if certain board members have disappeared due to this type of sniping, which seems to be on the increase here.

I know I'm getting tired of it.

heimskringla

Discussion Starter · #112 · Jan 2, 2009

The sniping is pretty ridiculous at this point; I certainly had no intention of starting a row. It was never a question of whether or not I had "trad credentials" or "I'm more trad than you are," but more a comment from someone who is essentially an outsider looking in about the sheer amount of effort that went in to what appeared to be a simple, minimalist style.

Bog

· #113 · Jan 2, 2009 (Edited)

PorterSq said:
No, believe ME: if you think 90% of the people at Harvard reunions or graduation are wearing trad, you're 100% wrong. I know this from personal experience, having attended some of each variety o

Did you read my posts above? I repeat, Harvard has not been trad for quite some time, look at the elementary or secondary school level.

PorterSq

· #114 · Jan 2, 2009 (Edited)

Bogdanoff said:
Did you read my posts above? I repeat, Harvard has not been trad for quite some time, look at the elementary or secondary school level.

I did read your post, but I have to ask: did you? Here's your quote:

"Just minutes away from Porter Square... Hundreds and hundreds of people come together for certain alumni reunions and believe me, 90% are wearing trad, no inspiration or mythology needed."

So, when I was writing, I was specifically responding to your post where you said that said that at Harvard reunions, it's 90% trad.

Look, it's clear to me that you're trying to pick a fight, so I'll let it go. All I'm saying is that from personal experience, I disagree. I've actually been to Harvard reunions and I've actually seen how fellows from the so-called glory years of trad dress. If you disagree, then so be it, but don't tell me my first-hand observations are incorrect just because you say so.

Bog

· #115 · Jan 4, 2009 (Edited)

PorterSq said:
So, when I was writing, I was specifically responding to your post where you said that said that at Harvard reunions, it's 90% trad.

Well, nowhere did I say these were Harvard reunions. I spoke of reunions of people that went to school together since the first grades of elementary school, that are more than 99.99% pure trad.

Now, since you are obsessed with Harvard, take a look around at club alumni dinners. Some of those dress codes ensure that there is a certain final word on subject.

PorterSq

· #116 · Jan 4, 2009 (Edited)

Come on, Bogdanoff, don't be a jerk.

Bog

· #117 · Jan 4, 2009

PorterSq said:
Come on, Bogdanoff, don't be a jerk.

I beg your pardon? You insist, after being told repeatedly, not to read in the word 'Harvard' into my posts, and then proceed to insult me? A very charming individual you are indeed.

eagle2250

· #118 · Jan 4, 2009

Bogdanoff and PorterSq: Gentlemen, stand at ease...please! Such acrimony is unproductive.

heimskringla

Discussion Starter · #119 · Jan 4, 2009

I think this thread has run its course and perhaps it should be closed.

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