The gentleman’s three piece

Hello there,

As a gentleman you will of course have a vast array of suits, evening wear and tuxedos.  However within the realm of your suits you should of course cater for the three piece suit.

Sean Connery bears his waistcoat to seal the deal whilst asking this lady to dinner. She said yes.

The third piece of the suit is, as you know, the waistcoat.  The waistcoat was invented by cavemen and was originally a secondary pelt worn underneath their main pelt.

Raquel Welch fights a cavewoman over a three piece pelt wearing alpha male.

Since these humble beginnings though the three piece suit has brought an air of dignity to the simple suits that we wear for our day to day pleasure.

These two gentlemen wallow in gentlemanly elegance whilst reading each others manuscripts.

You can mix and match your waistcoat with  your suit.  Why not wear a double breasted waistcoat with a single breasted suit? They did it in the 1920s, soon after the dawn of the modern gentleman.

Steve McQueen toasts the gentlemen of yesteryear for their sartorial splendor.

The three piece suit is an asset for the gentleman wanting to look more worldly, wise and learned.  Nothing goes better with a leather bound journal, globe of the world and a pipe than a good three piece suit.

Cary Grant makes himself look older and wiser by donning a three piece suit. Don't let this mugshot fool you, after this collected pose the Policemen let him off and he autographed the picture for them.

However there is a downside to the waistcoat and that is the anti-gentleman.  Many anti-gentlemen have adopted the waistcoat for their ‘trendy’ style of dress.  Unaccompanied by a well starched shirt and suit, the waistcoat loses all it’s style and finesse.

The anti-gentleman. With his unkempt hair, V-neck shirt, terrible waistcoat and penchant for hurting small, defenseless animals it's no wonder no-one likes him.

It’s these types of people who have besmirched the good name of the waistcoat and hence the three piece suit.  Luckily, we gentleman are still around to uphold the ideals of our forefathers by donning a three piece suit in all it’s glory.

Roger Sterling (looking very good in a three piece suit) and Don Draper stare daggers at a couple of anti-gentlemen. Sufficed to say those anti-gentlemen were escorted from the restaurant forthwith.

So there you have it,

G.O. Brixley

Gentlemen and tweed

Hello,

Winter has just passed us by, and the spring evenings are perfect for a light jacket or cardigan. It is a perfect time to rekindle (or just kindle, if you’re already wearing it) a gentleman’s love for tweed.

Paul McCartney put on his tweed jacket once he realised the candle didn’t supply as much warmth as he had expected.

There are many (three) different kinds of tweed; they include Harris Tweed, Donegal Tweed and Silk Tweed. For that genuine gentlemanly look, you need look no further than Harris Tweed.

Confusingly, Donegal and Silk Tweed also have this label.

Peculiarly, there is an abundance of tweed in second hand or opportunity shops. So the pickings are ripe to get a deal on the fashion of the past, present and future. It also means that many homeless people are better dressed than the entire queue of any local discothèques.

A well-dressed wooden-pole.

So remember, if it’s a bit chilly outside, look no further than a tweed jacket or cardigan to complement your other gentlemanly vestments.

Dr. Ross trades his scrubs for a tweed jacket.

And with that, I leave it to you to discover the magic of tweed.

H.L. Griffith

A gentleman’s eye protection

Hello there,

If you find yourself squinting when relaxing on a sunny balcony with a single malt and a fine cuban, maybe it’s time to invest in some eye protection.

JFK practices holding his breath whilst wearing some wayfarer sunglasses.

Eye protection can come in many forms but forget the blindfold and instead go and purchase a gentlemanly pair of sunglasses.

John Lennon shades his eyes from the harsh rays of the blistering English sun.

Although glasses have been around ever since gentlemen ruined their eyesight by trying to read leather books by firelight, the sunglasses are a more recent invention initially created so that the gentleman could take a sneaky nap during church.

Don Draper sports the RE Aviator sunglasses whilst snoozing during an open air mass.

Since these humble beginnings sunglasses have thrived and now can be the perfect accessory for the squinting gentleman.

Robert Redford tries to see who is pointing a laser pointer at his face using his mirrored aviator glasses.

When choosing a style of sunglasses a gentleman must use his common sense and style to determine what is for him.  Typically a gentleman’s sunglasses will be of a dark colour  (black or tortoiseshell) or metal (a soft gold or silver).

Cary Grant tries to hide his identity using sunglasses. Unfortunately Cary Grant is the most recognisable person in the world and his disguise has failed.

Although there are many styles of sunglasses a gentleman can wear, a gentleman would never and will never wear wrap around glasses with large, generally women’s brands, slapped across the bands.

Unfortunately for these guys their terrible glasses are only a small part of the problem.

So if you don’t want to look like an ungentlemanly philistine, who looks like they didn’t get the memo about evolution, then choose your sunglasses carefully.

Correct. Full marks.

Now that you have chosen wisely you can sport your newly protected eyes around town.  But don’t forget, just because your eyes are covered doesn’t mean you can’t give a suggestive look to the special lady you are courting.

Sinatra demonstrates the courtship process whilst wearing sunglasses.

So there you have it.

G.O. Brixley

The gentleman’s polo shirt.

Hello there,

As you might be aware, it is getting rather hot outside.  This is due to science and something we colloquially refer to as the ‘seasons’.

So as we head towards summer the gentleman may find himself sweating up his shirts quicker than usual due to his active lifestyle and may want an alternative to ease the washing.

Sean Connery feels a nice seaside breeze through his polo. Notice how he matches his polo to his blue slacks.

The answer comes in the form of the polo shirt, also known as the tennis shirt or golf shirt (all gentlemanly past times).

Clint Eastwood accessorises his polo with a jumper over his shoulder in case of a possible cool front.

The original polo shirt was created by Rene Lacoste and was known then as the tennis shirt.  He created it to give tennis players a break from the long-sleeved white shirt with tie combination that they had to play in.

Rene Lacoste in some clothes he invented.

Soon thereafter the sports of polo and golf adopted this design and thanks to Ralph Lauren we now know it as a polo shirt (good one Ralph).

Arnold Palmer wears a polo while playing golf and using the force to sink a put.

Now, the polo shirt design is good for a gentleman during the hotter months due to it’s short sleeves and fabric that breaths easily.

Jimmy Stewart (far left) shows how to wear a polo while Bob Hope and Richard Nixon (Second from Right and Right) show how not to wear a polo.

So now you can retire some of your shirts for a while and say hello to the polo shirt.

Please note that a gentleman’s polo should not have designer tears on it, should not have patches stuck all over it, should not have any sort of insignia or paraphernalia on it at all except that of the maker’s mark.

If you are wearing a polo that has any of this on it, I’m afraid you may be a bogan.

So there you have it.

G.O. Brixley

The gentlemanly jumper

Hello there,

I was recently fooled into thinking that the weather was getting warmer.  This was my mistake and I’ll admit that (a gentleman always admits when he’s wrong).  But it has given me a topic to write about.  The humble jumper.

 

Cary Grant runs out of his cigarette while wearing a jumper and one slick haircut.

 

After a long winter of jackets and coats it’s nice to retreat to the jumper when the season is having trouble deciding on a climate.

 

Michael Caine dons the jumper and just look how popular he is with the fairer sex. Very.

 

The jumper can keep one nice and warm and can look less formal than your typical jacket, but don’t let that stop you going the jacket/jumper combination for a frosty morning.

 

Clint Eastwood sports the jumper/jacket combination to good effect.

 

Jumpers come in a range of styles including round neck and v-neck.  Actually those are the only styles but what more could a gentleman want?

 

Paul Newman chooses the v-neck for his long day of standing around looking nonchalant.

 

And with the less formal look you can retire your tie for a day and let your neck breathe the sweet scent of spring.

 

Sean Connery matches his jumper to his golf bag before defeating the Third Reich over 18 holes.

 

The flexibility that a gentleman has in a jumper also makes it ideal for sports including golf and tennis.

 

Rene Lacoste never actually won a match but made his name by out-dressing his opponents. Here we see him modeling a jumper for the crowd.

 

So there you have it.

G.O. Brixley

The gentleman’s umbrella

Hello there,

I woke up this morning (a habit that I picked up in the far East) and was met by another rainy day.  However the rain is no match for the adequately prepared gentleman, for every gentlaman has his trusty umbrella to protect him.

A gentleman uses his umbrella to defeat the rain

There are many sorts of umbrella that one can buy but for a gentleman the choice is not so big.  A gentleman’s umbrella should be either black, grey or dark blue.  A wooden handle is a must and should preferably have a crook handle.  A gentleman’s umbrella does not comapct in size, it should be the size of a walking stick once collapsed.

The gentleman's umbrella

Now I know what you’re saying.  You don’t like having to carry around an umbrella all day.  Well that’s okay because you can use your full size umbrella as a walking stick when it’s not raining.  Problem solved.

A gentleman uses his umbrella for balance after a few too many Scotches.

Also there is a common misconseption that the umbrella is only used when it rains.  This is wrong.  The umbrella is a vital part of a gentleman’s wet weather utilities.  The umbrella can be used not only as a walking stick but also as an object to duel with when swords arent’ available.

Two gentleman duel using their trusty umbrellas. Luckily it wasn't raining at the time.

Umbrellas can also increase your reach by up to a metre.  No longer will you have to stretch to push the traffic light button or discipline that annoying school student on the train.  Did you know that the umbrella has also been used to defeat Nazis?  Well it has.

Henry Jones defeating Nazis using only his umbrella.

Sometimes the umbrella is so functional people can use it for about anything.  But as it has been raining a lot recently you might as well just use it to keep you dry, the gentlemanly way.

The Beatles substitute their instruments for umbrellas during their 'umbrella phase'. What can't an umbrella do?

So there you have it.

G.O. Brixley

The gentleman at home

Hello there,

As you are probably asking yourself at this stage of your gentlemanly activities “When will I get to unwind and take my tie off?”, and the answer is: at home.

A gentleman’s home is his castle, or in my case, it actually is a castle.  However even if your house lacks a moat, turrets and throne it is still your place to unwind from the days activities and take your tie off.

Castle Brixley

Now the most important part of unwinding is comfortable attire.  We may be at home but we gentlemen are still civilized.

Left: The shorter smoking jacket. Right: The full length robe.

Homely attire should combine comfortable pants (suitable pajama pants can suffice as long as they have creases ironed into them) with a warm slipper or soft loafer.

Here we see the the winter gentleman compared with the carefree, poolside summer gentleman.

Now you are meant to be relaxed so take the tie off but maintain the collared shirt.  Around this a gentleman should typically wear  either a dressing gown or smoking jacket.

Make your look unique but within reason. Variety is the spice of life.

It’s that simple.  Now you can pour yourself a healthy glass of Scotch, light up your pipe and relax, safe in the knowledge that you are still upholding the lofty requirements that make you a gentleman.

So there you have it.

G.O. Brixley

The casual foot.

Hello there,

In these cold times it can be hard to put on your usual summer plimsolls without getting home after a long day of gentlemanly activities with sodden, dirty shoes and cold toes.

 

A fine pair of brown leather shoes

 

However there is an solution to your problems.  Not wanting to look too formal (having to wear your nice black Italian leather suit shoes), too informal (having to wear your tennis volleys) or too bogan (trainers) the answer comes in the form of a nice brown leather shoe.

 

A fine pair of brogues.

 

Nothing says comfort, warmth and leisurely elegance like a good pair of brown leather shoes.  So when you’re not playing golf, tennis, or attending a winter ball say hello to your new water-proof, dirt-proof and bogan-proof footwear.

G.O. Brixley

Gentlemen wear watches.

Hello there,

Today I’m going to talk about watches.  The watch is an essential instrument for the gentleman, without which he would not be able to know what time he arranged a smoke for, when to tee off, or when supper technically starts.

 

G.O. Brixley's timepiece

 

I should point out that just wearing a watch does not a gentleman make.  However to truly be a gentleman one should invest in this nifty time piece.  The fob is an adequate substitute but one should probably wait until they have gray hair before they start to carry one.

 

An adequate watch-substitute for the 40+

 

The earliest form of time keeping came from savages using sun dials about 3500 years ago.  In these tribes the more noble and educated savages would sport portable sun dials with which to tell the time.  Needless to say, these gentleman savages were the ones placing their animal pelts over puddles for lady savages and standing up at the dinner log when a lady savage either arrived or left the devouring of the days kill.

 

Early gentleman showing off his wristwatch.

 

Now I know these days people have the time on their mobile phones but this does not and shall not be a replacement for the gentleman.  If someone asks you for the time, they don’t want you to get your phone out, they could have done the same thing, but you literally have the time on your wrist, you can’t buy efficiency like that, unless you purchase a watch.

G.O. Brixley

Inspiration

Hello all,

As you know, or as you shall know, this blog will be including gentlemen’s fashion.

Because of this I thought I would give you some inspiration to help you dress yourself whilst this blog is still under construction.

 

You can't go wrong with a tux.

 

The tuxedo is to gentlemen’s clothing as a diamond is to a lady’s hand.  It is a fail-safe.  The tuxedo is the ultimate gentleman getup.

However the tuxedo cannot and probably shouldn’t be deployed at all times.  If you were called to an emergency gentleman’s stroll along the beach front what would you wear?  Have a guess.

 

Correct. A good guess.

 

But wait, you get a telegram calling you into the office.  Better swing past your abode and change into some more fitting attire.

 

More fitting attire.

 

So there you have it.  Some simple sketches to help you in your pursuit for that gentleman style.

Soon you and your friends will be looking like these three gentlemen.

 

This could be you.

 

Happy shopping.

G.O. Brixley