Crackpots #37: My Favorite Things (Part 2) (Patreon)

Hello friends,

Yung Chomsky here with some lighter fare. This is a followup to a prior entry in which I discussed some of my favorite articles of clothing; this time I’m focusing on warm-weather items. 

Pants

First is my favorite pair of pants: the classic wide-leg trousers from Scott Fraser Collection, a small, London-based label I've been a fan of for a while.

Mine are made in a charcoal tropical wool (more on that in a moment). I bought them in 2017 and have worn them quite often ever since. These measure 10” across the hem, which probably seems a little less of a bold statement than it did in 2017. They aren’t the widest trousers that Scott makes these days, but I think they’re just right. Of course, proportion is one of the key ingredients of style, and as a large-footed individual (I wear a US 13D), a relatively wide hem suits me well. While I don’t believe rules like this need to be followed slavishly, a guideline that you'll sometimes see is that the hem width should be ⅔ the length of the shoe. That’s a pretty good rule of thumb if you're going for “classic” proportions. These have double forward pleats and a high waist, which lends something of a midcentury vibe, but I think they can be made to fit in a variety of contexts, especially in a shade like this.

These are strictly made to order, which can be a bit daunting; I certainly prefer to handle things in person before buying, if at all possible. That said, Scott is very friendly and responsive, so if you're thinking of ordering a pair and unsure about fabric or sizing, I'd recommend dropping him a line. Scott has also been doing regular pop-ups across the US (and recently in Italy), so keep an eye out for more if that interests you.

Some additional thoughts about the fabric: when we’re talking warm-weather options, the mind often turns first to linen. Linen can be great, but I think the reality of linen is sometimes quite different from what we imagine. It’s true that linen can be very lightweight and breezy, which makes it nice for spring and summer. But 100% linen can also be quite stiff and scratchy. And most significantly, linen is extremely wrinkle-prone, and doesn’t tend to drape or hold its shape well. I think this is all part of linen’s charm, but it ought to be kept in mind when looking at meticulously styled lookbook photos and the like. You might think you’ll put on a linen suit and look like this:

But the reality after a few minutes of wear will look more like this:

Some tailors will add a little bit of extra length in the sleeves and pants of a linen suit in order to account for the “accordioning” of the fabric seen here, lest they start to look too short after a while. I have some 100% linen garments, but I tend to prefer linen blends. A 30% blend of cotton (or silk) goes a long way in taming some of linen’s more unruly qualities.

Wool, on the other hand, is often associated with heavy-weight, cold-weather fabrics. But wool can also be very lightweight and breathable. This type of fabric goes by a few different names: tropical wool, high-twist wool, or brand names like “Crispaire” and “Fox air.” Its open weave allows for air circulation, but it still holds a crease and resists wrinkling, which also makes it great for travel. So while there’s no need to avoid linen, give tropical wool some consideration, too.

Next up is the quintessential fatigue pant, the OG-107.

These were developed by the US Army and first introduced in 1952; the “OG” in the name stands for “olive green.” There are a few different variations of these: being 100% cotton and having no side tabs means my pair are Type III, produced in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s. Sometimes referred to as “baker pants,” the most distinctive feature is the external front pockets. These pants are rugged, comfortable, and can work in a variety of contexts.

I got mine several years ago from Wooden Sleepers, whose proprietor, Brian, is a nice guy and an excellent curator of vintage workwear and militaria. You’ll pay a premium for that curation, but as I discussed in my last post, you can either put in the time and effort scrounging, or you can pay someone else to do it for you. There are tons of brands making reproductions of these with various degrees of authenticity and reinterpretation. They’re still easy enough to find on eBay, etsy, and what have you, and I prefer the straight proportions of the originals, so that’s what I’d go with.

Fun shirts

Legend has it that in the 1970s, during a factory visit, Ash Wall (then vice-president of BB) noticed multi-colored patchwork test shirts lying around. Out of curiosity, he grabbed one of them and put it on, saying "these are some fun shirts” - the words that were to go down in history.

Although many brands have since offered reproductions or variations, the “fun shirt,” or color-block shirt, was popularized by venerable American clothier Brooks Brothers. The prototypical version is an oxford cloth, which I don’t think of as a summer fabric, but I nonetheless associate these shirts with warmer weather; besides, they’ve been made in all sorts of fabrics and configurations, including the short-sleeve seersucker version pictured in the center here. The one on the left is a lightweight cotton twill, and the one on the right is oxford. The pictured shirts were made in Malaysia and Vietnam; they're not as coveted as the made-in-USA versions, but still perfectly good. I found the first two on eBay and got the third from a friend on instagram.

Footwear

From left to right: vintage GH Bass Weejuns, Rancourt Penny Loafers in calfskin, Alden Leisure Handsewn in shell cordovan, and fisherman sandals from Aime Leon Dore.

Loafers are my most-worn shoe at any time of year. I have a couple pairs of tassel loafers, but penny loafers are my favorite. They’re comfortable, practical, can span a range of formalities, and add a distinctly American flavor when the design is right (as it is in these examples). The Bass Weejun is said to have been the first ever penny loafer. They're no longer made in the US, although I think this vintage pair was, and the quality of the current offering has fallen quite a bit from their heyday, but they are more budget-friendly than other options. I got mine from Mask Santa Fe, who is a great vintage curator with affordable prices and an appropriately southwestern vibe. I'm generally quite reticent to roll the dice on vintage shoes, but I lucked out with these. I treat them as my beaters and probably wear them more than any shoes I own.

Rancourts are still manufactured in Maine, and quite well priced given that fact. I didn't used to be drawn to black shoes of any kind, but I like having these in the rotation. They're Goodyear welted, like the Aldens, which means they can be resoled. I've had these Aldens for almost a decade now and have had them resoled once so far. Aldens are also still made in the US, and quite expensive, but their looks are classic and they're made to last. Shell cordovan is made from horse, rather than the more common calf, and is prized for its durability, luster, and resistance to wrinkling. Alden's cordovan comes from the Horween Tannery in Illinois. I bought these in person at the San Francisco Alden shop, which is one of only two stores owned directly by the company. I felt like I was going out on a limb getting the fisherman sandals from ALD, but they've been a welcome addition. They're comfortable and have held up well on long walks thanks to their Vibram soles. These have been somewhat trendy over the past few years, and you can find them at various price points from many brands.

Tank tops

I’m not overly partisan on the subject of undershirts — I’ve seen arguments that they should either never or always be worn, but I think it depends. An undershirt can have a practical role, even in warm weather; chances are you’re going to sweat one way or another, and they can keep that sweat from soaking through your outer layer.

I’ll sometimes wear them under an outer layer left open, which I find to be a nice way to incorporate a little bit of layering in the heat. But when it gets crazy hot, like it was here in NYC last week, I’ll wear a tank and nothing else.

My mainstays are deadstock military surplus that I got from Broadway and Sons, who are excellent curators of that sort of thing (although the shipping is expensive if you’re not in Europe). I bought a handful of these years ago and they’ve held up well. These are what I think of as classic undershirts — 100% cotton, ribbed, white.

I also have a few from Scott Fraser Collection, which are both a bit breezier and chicer thanks to their perforated knit. But if I’m going to wear one of these as my only top, rather than as an undershirt, I like Wythe’s offerings; I think the colors these come in make them look a bit less like underwear. These are tubular knit, which means they have no side seams.

That's all for now. Keep it breezy,

YC