On this worldwide web, there are as many as a dozen stores. While surfing around, you may find one or two items that catch your eye. It may be because the item is in that perfect color or cut, or because it’s a rare piece in an archival, deadstock collection. Or maybe it’s just located in Japan. The question is, how can you tell if this is your grail or if you just need to take a nap? Here are four tips.
This Albini red-striped shirt looks a lot like that mauve striped button-down Luciano Barbera posted a few years ago. His combo included a tweed sport coat, a paisley tie, and some flannel trousers — all of which are easy enough to find, but this shirt, inexplicably, is hard to track down. This season, Proper Cloth, a sponsor on this site, is carrying something similar (the site says “only a few left!”). If you feel your heart racing, ask yourself: “did I wake up last night at 4 am filled with dread and anxiety about my future?” If so, your heart palpitations could be because you’re exhausted from lack of sleep.
Indigo & Cotton started their mid-season sale this morning, where you can take 20% off with the checkout code MID20. Included are these off-white socks from Howlin by Morrison. They’re just distinguished enough from bright white to not look like the everyday socks you can find at Costco, but could allow you to dip your toes in that white sock look we wrote about a few weeks ago. Or, should you just stick to bright white? Before you pull the trigger, consider how long you’ve been mulling over this decision. If you make $20 an hour and have been staring at this $20 purchase for more than an hour, then maybe it’s time to take a nap.
Lemaire’s twisted trousers, named so for their twisted outseam, come in a tan washed cotton this season. They seem like the perfect thing to pair with oversized sweaters and loose topcoats (StyleForum member OccultaVexillum, pictured above, looks terrific in them). But they’re also a whopping $600 at SSENSE. If you feel anxious, ask yourself if it’s because of the price and potentially challenging cut. Or if it’s because you’re overwhelmed by work deadlines and suffer from lack of rest and relaxation?
These black cords from Kaptain Sunshine seem like they could be the perfect alternative to black denim. You can already imagine how good they’d look with a black turtleneck and an oversized charcoal topcoat, or with a white tee, black boots, and black tux jacket (imagine the parties!). Or maybe with a speckled sweater and rounded bomber for that cozy winter look. Before you get lost in the shape of the pockets and all this fantasy storytelling, take a look at the time. Is it 3 am and have you gotten lost on the internet again? If so, maybe you should go to sleep.
* Note: Everything above is something I’ve been mulling over this season, and I should definitely take a nap.
