Esquire magazine subscription: Am I hip yet?

The first issue of my new magazine subscription arrived. http://archive.esquire.com/issue/20170301

Inside I found articles and visuals to post about later: the art of tipping, minimalism, and smut literature. And some that you won't find in my dandy blog: camo clothing, and penis transplants.

Cheers!

Acting Grown-up: Thank you cards written by men

Trying an idea for a new series, and it’s about being better at acting my age.

Valentine’s Day has just past so I was like many people in the card story in search of the perfect combination of beautiful graphics enclosing poignant Hallmark wisdom written by strangers to describe your feels towards someone so special to you. It was inside one card I did not chose that said an important phase “Thank you”. I say it all the time. I said it after I was handed the salt at dinner. I said it to a colleague who once again answered a question I have asked many time before. And when I received it, I said “no problem” which is not the way I really felt about what I had done, since it REALLY was a problem that I was interrupted to help out the requester.

I do not write Thank you cards. When I think about it, it seems so easy to do, so why the F*ck does it feel so impossible to do. To the Internet for guidance and support! I did research on Art of Manliness, Career Rocketeer, and Men’s Journal to come up with the best insight into doing it right.

Maybe you haven’t written, I mean hand written, a Thank you card since you received $20 from your Grandma on your 10^th birthday. Back then, you might have complained to your parents for days about being forced to do it , so that the next year your parents accepted you just calling Grandma. Even though I am going to explain all the wondrous reasons to write cards, we must accept that the custom is long outdated, and unnecessary since we all accept that everyone we know is too busy to take the time, so we assume that they are grateful or just maybe they will remember to mention it when we see them again. But these are exactly the reason we, as those of us seeking dandyism, should stand out from the crowd by bringing pen to paper.

To begin, we need to assess the best reasons why a card needs to be written.

• The simplest to understand case is when you receive a gift; just like the $20 from Granny.
• If you receive a favour, which is a type of a gift. This one I thought about and wondered if I would have to establish a threshold which the favour must exceed in order to initiate my search for a pen. Before I become an automatic card writer I figure that the favour must be above and beyond “just being neighbourly”. This should apply to friends, co-workers, and of course neighbours.
• Free accommodations with friends has long been the case when I have been lulled into believing a hug and offer of reciprocation is enough. I am wrong. You sleeping on your mate’s couch after a long night of drinking might be the exception from card writing, but when you and your kids finally clear out of your college friend’s apartment then that definitely warrants sending a card. If they showed you around town as well, a gift could be included in the card
•  Career Rocketeer was big on the post-interview Thank you card. I’d have to add that this also applies to very important business meetings that (could) have helped you reach your goals for promotion or financial gains.
•  If what the person did made you feel special or especially loved, then don’t hold back; tell them!

How you go about the activities of Thank you cards will come with some rules or guidance for your message and the process.

• I am a proponent for hand written although Men’s Journal was pretty clear that not everyone needs to be thanked, and not every Thank you needs to be hand written. If you do go with setting your limits then come up with what works for you. I’m going with hand written.
• Use a card or better yet use stationary. If you choose to buy a package of cards for your desk to make it easier and quicker to get the card out then do so with a style and look to suit you. Be choosey.
• Don’t wait. The importance a person can feel from your appreciation should not be delayed. Etiquette experts give acceptable periods when the Thank you is related to wedding gifts or condolences, but I’d say get the message out within the week following. Remember you’ll need to add a day or two to find a stamp.
• Try not to follow a formula in your message. Remember that after you thank a person they will understand you appreciate it and they will do more for you more often. 
• Don’t gush. Be professional. Be enthusiastic. 
• Be clear and concise.  Keep it under three sentences. If you feel you need to say more then you might be trying to say more than just Thank you. You might be in need of writing a letter about yourself more than making this about the other person and what they did for you.
• Your opener is simple: “Thank you very much for ______________.” If the gift was money, use a euphemism for it. Instead of “thank you for the dough,” say “thank you for your kindness/generosity/gift/business.”
• For closing: If the exchange (gift or favour) was at an event, write, “It was great to see you at ______”. Then say, “I hope we can get together again at ______”. Bringing up the possibilities in the future is important even when you do not see the person often.
• As for the Valediction (word for the day!) you will need to choose one that best conveys the meaning of your relationship. “Love” or even “Sincerely” does not work for the person who shoveled the sidewalk in front of your house. Consider these options: Yours Truly, Kindest Regards, Respectfully, or Best Regards.

I intended this post to focus on the Thank you card, I will still mention a part of expressing thanks and gratitude which could be the offering of a gift from you. Ask yourself, what would you like if the situation was reversed? Do you need to send a gift certificate for carpet cleaning after you brought your dog to your ex-girlfriend’s place for the weekend? Does the favour or gift you received exceed a personal limit you have that should in turn generate a gift exchange? For example, was the dinner check your colleague picked up pricey enough that you should leave a bottle of wine for them on Monday? Be aware of the relationship and the sentiment you are attempting to provide.

Finally, it is a common belief that people are not expecting hand-written notes. Email is a great tool for communication, but it is commonplace. I receive 60 to 80 emails per day; if you do too then you are unlikely to receive a Thank you email that stops you from churning though it to get to the next email. The act of touching an envelop, holding the card as you read is such a rare experience that we should give those who we appreciate a special feeling like the one they have given us.

Best Regards,
William A. Sanderson

I've thought of this product, but never dreamed there was a business for it

I was doing some research today, and happened across a post that led me down the internet rabbit hole until I landed here: http://www.kkandjay.com/shop/freetown

Now that you're thinking, "ya they are suspenders", just take a moment and click on the third thumbnail from the left. And boom you get to see exactly what they are: Socks to shirt tail suspenders!

btw - don't let the Mrs see the site. This model dude "is packing!"

Cheers!

A dandy cocktail good enough to make you consider it

For a first time, it’s a lifestyle post from me. This true story came to me while I was comparing business travel tales with a colleague about Portland. Of course, Portland is a really cool and hip city which, at the time, I was not hip nor cool when I traveled there for the first time.

The story on why I was there is not much of an interesting one since it was a week long session of marketing meetings about how well our group had been doing the past year, woven in with hours of sessions on how we were going to do better in the coming year. That is not to say that the time there was all work. Our evenings as a group were plenty of fun as we explored the easy going downtown streets with stops for unique dinners and samples of Oregon beer and wine.

The group of us was very nicely accommodated at the Hotel Vintage right downtown. It is a renovated old stone hotel done in a retro-modern style. Every appointment in the rooms were covered including the complimentary “intimacy kits” next to the soaps and shampoos in the bathroom. Each day after the meetings, our group of twelve met for cocktails in the lobby before heading to dinner.  On the last evening our group was together the lobby bar was offering a cocktail special call the Black Negrino. Myself and a couple others in the group order the drink which I found to be quite intriguing in that it met my taste by being a touch bitter. I had completely forgotten about the drink the next day as I was very hung over from all the drinking that traditionally occurs on “the last night out” with this particular (OK every) group of marketing people.

That night out with them was not my last night as I remained in town for an additional full day of meetings. Still at the same hotel in the city core on a Friday night I decided to explore the area on my own followed by a late dinner. While I was out I came across a haberdashery displaying a SALE sign in the window. In I strolled with an unusual instinct to do some shopping. It wasn’t long before I walked out confidently with two new shirts; pressed and ready to be worn to my dinner alone. I detoured back to my hotel room to change. The shirt I chose was a bird’s eye weave in Persian blue and black. Of the two shirts, it was the one that best suited my dark denim, brown belt and chestnut wingtips.

I was charged up with the confidence that wearing a new outfit will give you. When the elevator doors opened in the lobby, I heard the smooth jazz stylings of a duo of electric keyboards and female vocals. The selection was jazz standards by Sinatra and Bennett, so I slipped onto the end stool at the bar to enjoy some lobby people watching. Before the bartender turned to acknowledge me, I spotted that this lobby bar’s specialty was Negroni cocktails and the small menu sign displayed “today’s special” which as not the Black Negrino. The young, clean cut bartender made eye contact with me while wiping the wet bar top areas around me.

“Good evening. What can I get for you?” he asked in a programed tone

I asked if I could get the special cocktail from the night before. He answered my question with a puzzled look as he explained this evening was his first day back after a week off. Previously, I had not asked for the ingredients in the drink I so enjoyed, so I used descriptive words and hand motions to best illustrate the look and flavour of the beverage. He was not deterred by the moments of low value miscommunication we exchanged, but instead was inspired to discover the drink himself. It must have been my week in the company of salesmen that made me persuasive enough for him to act.

Since I was alone at the bar that moment, he excused himself to rush over to the restaurant to ask the bartender there if they could help us out. I enjoyed the music by the duo who had moved forward a few decades to be performing a rendition of Sweet Dreams by the Eurhythmics. They were not very good. Before their tune ended I was willing to drink liquid nitrogen, but to my rescue the bartender returned with the recipe.

“It has Old Tom Gin in it” he remarked and followed that with an explanation that it is a sweeter, less dry, version of a London gin. There were a few moments when his head under the bar, and the sound of rattling glassware ended with all the bottles before him; and then began his description of the drink as he measured. The drink was offered in a rocks glass with a large square block of ice surrounded by the black mixture and a long lemon peel rind. I was disappointed that this evening’s version had so much ice in it when the previous one was well balanced. That made for longer sipping quite enjoyable. I felt that he had put so much effort into the investigation and preparation that I would not complain. I raised the glass in a cheers as thanks, then swiftly drank it before the duo made their way to what was the inevitable ballad version of the Ramones.

My new shirt and I were next out on the town. It took less than twenty steps to find a super happening restaurant with a single remaining seat at the bar for me to grab something to eat. Without any encouragement the young lady on the stool next to mine recommended the house specialty, duck meatballs. She made the right choice for me as the two large meatballs served with a dark, thick, sweet sauce matched perfectly with my masterfully made Old Fashioned cocktail. The young lady’s male dinner companion arrived while I ate, and the three of us exchanged all the must see sights in Portland and Victoria. It wasn’t long before my drinks were getting to my brain, so I headed back to my hotel.

Before I headed to my room, I figured a third drink was needed so I returned to “my seat” at the Vintage lobby bar and was welcomed by the same accommodating bartender.

“You’re back. So is it the beginning of your night or the end?”

It was the end I told him so I placed an order for a White Russian which I find to be a wonderful “go nite-night drink”. When he placed the drink in front of me, I asked if he would do me the favour of writing down the recipe for the Black Negrino. He pulled off a slip of paper from the till printer. I watched as he transferred the ingredients list from his coworkers notes to the slip of paper for me. Besides the Old Tom Gin there were other ingredients I had not heard of. His note read:

Black Negrino

1 oz Old Tom gin

¾ oz Carpano Punt e Mes

½ oz Campari

¼ oz Fernet-Branca

1 long twist of lemon peel

Stir & strain over fresh ice in Old Fashioned glass. Twist and drop lemon peel.

I thanked him for the recipe while I placed it in my wallet. Realizing the time was still early, but I was tired I said good night with a cash tip and headed to the elevator a little after 10pm.

The next day I had an early flight home so I could be back by lunch for what would be some family time the rest of the weekend. That evening after I had shared all the excitement of the week in Portland with Mrs, I was describing the drink and the discussion I had had with the bartender. I told her I wanted to see if I could get the ingredients or adequate substitutes to make the drink for our friends. I retrieved my laptop from my bags and the note from my wallet.

“See honey, I have never heard of these before. What is Fernet-Branca?” I put the paper down on the counter when I began tapping in the words into Google.

“Ah..what’s this?” she asked holding the paper.

“Here, let me see.” I squinted at the messing hand writing. “Ya, Punt e Mas? I don’t know”

“No Bill, look on the other side.”

I turned the small slip of paper over to silently read “Thanks. Call lobby bar @ 11:30. Sean”. I could imagine that the look on my face told her that the hamster that usually runs my brain had fallen of its wheel and lay twitching in the bed of straw. After a silent moment he did recover,

“You know Honey. I don’t know. Maybe it was my new shirt!”

Cheers!

February Menswear Essential

It’s mid-month so time for the next monthly installment in the learning what every man’s wardrobe should contain. For February let’s not look at a single item, but this time have a look at a pairing that we should all know how to master. The sport coat and denim look is one that might not meet every stylist’s approval, however it is a practical look to be above the crowd. By going slightly upscale compared to the rest of the guys you’re meeting for a drink you will improve your look and shoot a little confidence your way. A quick word of warning though; and that is to wear this style where it’s appropriate and for god’s sake “keep it classy”.

Since the 1980’s, the blazer and jeans look has been a round. Back then it was Avant Garde to wear a skinny black leather tie with a heavy shoulder padded blazer that glowed in neon pink or green. The look wouldn’t be MTV Music Award night ready without a pair of ripped jeans. Today your look should be tailored properly. That means a jacket that looks like it is yours and not your big brothers. Dark denim that end right at the shoe are to match in their fit.

For consultation, I used Brian Sacawa at hespokestyle.com. Brian is an elite athlete, a writer for the Robb Report and a sharp dresser. From my review of his site, I found Brain to definitely be in favour of dressing up jeans with a number of posts he has on the topic.

The diversity of the sport coat fabrics will give you the opportunity to execute this look for any season. Starting with the Fall and Winter the jacket should heavy texture like a tweed or flannel. Choosing colours of brown through grey and even green will work with a dark navy denim. The shirt would need to line up with the occasion. Pints and nachos after work, then try a neutral solid polo, or t-shirt with a v-neck cashmere. That white button down collard shirt you rarely wear will give a preppy look when needed.

Meeting your lady friend for ice cream while walking in the park? Then double down with a patterned shirt and patterned jacket.

Trying to dress down (or up in the tech industry) for a Friday? Then go with a tie and a wolf.

Don’t forget to add brown boots on your feet. 

In the Spring, a smoother wool jacket would work and try going lighter for the summer. The  denim you slip on your legs would have to lighten up as well, but here too, you need to think a lot about the occasion. If it is going to be dinner out on the patio, then a super jet black jean will give you a James Bond weekend look, but please no tie. Remember it’s Summer so you'll be talking about the Riviera and not your river of mutual funds.

Personally, I think that going all the way to a white jacket is too bold for a short guy like me. Linen, fabric as well, is off my acceptability spectrum, but if you're tall and have access to a clothing steamer everywhere you go throughout the evening then you can keep your jacket looking great.

Shoes, again, should be right for the season and occasion. No boots in July! A suede loafer is top notch. I’d avoid lace-ups unless you are truly coming direct from the office.

Currently, I am shopping obsessed with putting together the right jacket and jeans look. Working it with my navy blazer now is only marginally acceptable, and I’d say completely off limits if your blazer has brass buttons. However, if you own a boat then give it a try with Bermuda short and top-siders, but you will look like the douche-bag from a Molly Ringwald movie.

Now that I have covered the right ways to pull off the look, I will mention the potential doucheyness of doing it wrong. Make sure you understand at what height above the crowd you are going for. You look dickish when your wearing a sport coat with a pocket square and patent leather loafers on a pub crawl. No one will take you serious. No velvet jackets either, unless your name is Bruno Mars!

In the opposite direction towards casual, remember jeans are not an equivalent for semi-formal so under-dressing for a lounge will give others a slob like impression of you. (note: watch for a future post on what “semi-formal” really means).

Sport coat and denim. Do it. But do it right.

Cheers!

Dandy diversions 1

Devonte and the Giant  

As he looked across the alleyway, back towards the rear exit of the Edge Club, Devonte saw LaStephanie’s eyes full of tears. Her mouth was open and twisting in a slow silent yell. His ears rang with a deafening buzz after his head had made impact with the ground. Slowly his beautiful, young girlfriend disappeared behind the shadow and then the broad body of a hulk only identified by the word STAFF worn on his purple employee shirt. The man paused staring down at Devonte. His grin stretched across his square white face displaying his eagerness to engage Devonte in an overmatched physical challenge. Devonte turned his panicked face slightly while still watching the giant through the corners of his eyes. Suddenly, as if cured from his malaise the time continuum shifted in the opposite direction for Devonte. The speed of his movements accelerated instantly. Scanning the techno-colour graffiti layering brick corridor in which the three people stood, his eye fastened on an object propped up against the garbage buckets. Within his reach he leaned to his right to wrap his slender fingers around the middle of the iron pipe. Its wet stickiness did not deter the young man in fact he saw the odds shift towards his favour. The bouncer felt the same as their expressions swapped faces.

Raising the pipe in his right hand above his head and pointing his left hand fingers at his opponent. “Oh ya. You ain’t shit now.” Devonte announced proudly.

“Come on boy. You still a foot shorter than me with that pipe”

Devonte’s tribal yell echoed up through the alleyway as he made long strides accelerating quickly. His eyes narrowed in on the bouncer’s features who was unfazed even under attack by remaining firm in his position. The impact shook Devonte when he felt the perfectly placed punch crush into his ribs. His eyes closed with the feeling of time once again slowing seconds into minutes. His motion was reversed causing his feet to rise up off the ground. Crashing sounds of his back striking the garbage woke him. The pipe had dropped from his hand.

“Listen he’r boy. Take your skank girl ‘nd get the fuck home. I ain’t taken your shit in the club or out here. Get goin!” Devonte sat silently paralyzed in defeat.

“SKANK?” Devonte hear LaStephanie yell in defence of herself and for her man. She appeared so tiny as she clung on the bouncer’s back with her newly French manicured nails dug into his eye sockets. Obviously, no match for him LaStephanie was dispatched to the pavement with a mere shake of his shoulders. Now energized by the risky display of courage by his love, Devonte jumped upon the pipe laying between the men. With is weapon raised ready above his head he slowly came at the crouching injured bouncer.

“Muther fucker?” LaStephanie’s questioning screech broke the moment from the anticipated next step in the battle. “Din’t you Mama tell you not to wear your slippers outside?” Simultaneously as the bouncer uncovered his scratched face, Devonte leaned to the left to see the man had made a curious shoe selection for the evening.

The tussled and wet woman continued her impromptu analysis “Thems looks like Pelle Santina’s. You won’t be catching my Devonte here in no fuckin’ velvet slippers outta his master’s chambers, that for fuck sure!!”

The vibration of the pipe as it entered the unsuspecting man’s skull upon the first strike forced Devonte to tighten his grip whitening his knuckles. Screams from LaStephanie rang in his ears when he watched the giant’s limp body hit the ground bludgeoned, wasted. Clanging of the pipe as it rattled on the other end of the alley. Devonte and LaStephanie ran toward the lights of the street in search of sanctuary, crying away their innocence.

- W. Sanderson.

- Inspired by link

What’s wrong with my watch?

The answer to that question is: it’s not a watch. It’s a fitness tracking device. It is for fitness, and step counting! I’ve owned it for nearly two years and there are two things I have proven with it. First, it has given me proof that my heart’s pacemaker is keeping me at a perfectly chilled and controlled 70 bpm while I am doing nothing. And secondly, I do nothing; a lot. On any weekday at the office It is near impossible to push back from the desk to punch out five thousand steps, so what is the point to know that on Tuesdays past I set a monthly high watermark of 4,568 steps. Decision was made today that the fitbit is for weekends and a watch is for weekdays and evenings.

Now I had to go find my watch. After 10 minutes of serious searching I found it. Onto my wrist it slipped; only to see that it was no longer fitting my wrist. With a pair of pliers and the determination not to spend $40 at a jeweller I had a watch that fit again. It’s an old one and maybe an upgrade is needed. Research was on!

(Before I get to that, I will acknowledge your snickers about the daintiness of my bone structure. Go ahead and have your fun as I will have the last laugh since science has proven I will live longer than all you husky brutes. On to the watch hunt!)

My consultative research came between Jo at www.dappered.com and the amazing women at www.stylegirlfriend.com. First, I needed to know if the old Casio I was now rocking would pass off as an uber budget substitute.

Both sources of information, point out that the cost of a timepiece can do major damage to your budget that would (should) be going towards the shirt and suit that the watch is hiding under 90% of its time. The tips on making a solid choice for a cheap watch are here thanks to Jo.

The make could be the simplest decision on how you decided, since stating the brand might be the first response to the comment you receive “I like that watch”. But be careful, Megan makes plenty of arguments why it might not matter that much (http://www.stylegirlfriend.com/i-dont-care-about-your-watch-good-thing/). Her response to the watch aficionados who have chewed her out for suggesting “less than stellar” watches in the past seems to sooth my concerns about being too cheap: “I don’t claim to be an expert in men’s watches. I just know what, as a woman, I like to see guys wearing. I want to see you in slim suits. I want to see you in chukka boots. I want to see you tuck your shirt into your pants every now and then. What I don’t want? I don’t want to hear about the details of a watch that costs as much (or cough*more*cough) than my rent.”

The choice on style is another thing for me to notice. The watch is a valuable accessory to the wardrobe, but maybe it is more equal to the accompaniment to the suit or style. Traditional style in what I wear should steer me towards a slim piece on a leather band. Maybe a classic piece that looks and feels like a new version of that heirloom watch your grandfather passed on to you. (My grandfather gave me a Playboy pen that when you turn upside down the bathing suits fall off the models. To this once 9 year old, it was way f*cking better than a watch).  Annnnny way...If I’m swinging a modern look in a crisp suit I would need some man-bling which a metal band and broader face would give me.

With my dainty features and all, I won’t be off to ebay for this purchase and likely I will need to come up with two that I like for all the styles that I need matching. Having two watches doesn’t seem like a big deal when I look at the pile of brown shoes that the Mrs has for every occasion. Am I right?

Cheers!

I think I’m on The Spectrum

What do you know, there are spectrums and they are every where. Sexuality spectrum. Autism spectrum. The Dandyism Spectrum.

OK, it’s not a common term yet, so we’ll see how far I can stretch this into the need for formalizing the concept. The hard coded term definition for a dandy is a man unduly devoted to style, neatness, and fashion in dress and appearance.  The inclusion of the word unduly (def: to an unwarranted degree) is not well placed as it implies that the devotion to style is unnecessary, when in fact for some this devotion is quite necessary to the individual. In ways one needs to be unique and to be an individual above or outside the crowd. A dandy is therefore one who is outside the norm. It is through this uniqueness that the dandy expresses their personal needs to be their own individual, a sub-culture of one.

Since my declaration is that dandyism exists across a broad spectrum of style and then uniqueness, it is possible that my goal of improved personal style might not meet the target of coming “short of a dandy”. I might be able to achieve dandyism after all.

Writing this post in the aftermath of studying the Pete Burrows’ July 2014 post The Elements of Dandy Fashion for Modern Gentlemen (link) has brought some realization of the spectrum. Burrows points out that some dandy gentlemen appear flamboyant while other side to the dapper end of the spectrum. “Some dandies dress to stand out from the crowd, while others opt for a more understated sort of elegance with muted colors and minimal ornamentation.”

The modern dandy has so many choices and in the right environments, or crowds, the respect of their uniqueness. Being influenced by historically “over the top style” can be equally accepted (or unaccepted) as “a dandy dresser sporting an impressive (but well-groomed) beard, gauged earrings, or a tasteful and meaningful tattoo”. If you want your style to be unique and outside the crowd’s norms you too could be, intentionally or not, a dandy. Congratulations and welcome to the Spectrum!

January Menswear Essentials

To begin a twelve part piece (one can dream can’t they?) on men’s fashion essentials, I have chosen to discuss my latest purchase. But before I begin the essay on ebay purchases, I will ask the reader to go deep into their beatnik-self with an exert of an exert:

David Mamet on The Black Cashmere Sweater from The Handbook of Style, Esquire 2009

Like the black beret (which one is always told is blue, but mine is black), the black cashmere turtleneck is a perfect garment (cf Horst, Avedon, Irving Penn, et. Al.)

It accentuates the jawline, or in its absence, suggests it and, by extension, character.

It frames the face; it renders the torso more unitary and shapely; it warms; it can be worn casually or under the sport coat or suit as the closest approximation to the required-but-absent shirt and tie in that contest one will likely but not necessarily lose to the maître-d’…I have tucked the sweater into my jeans, clinched the belt tight, turned the tweed cap brim-to-the-back, and felt the complete Martin Eden.

Such an ensemble will make one look good, or as good as one is ever going to look, and, therefore make one feel good. No wonder I associate the sweater with love: It shares its job description…

We were plagued in philosophy class by the question of the Hammer: The handle breaks, and we replace the handle. Later, the head breaks, and we replace the head. Is it the same hammer? The question of the Hamer could be argued yea or nay, and when the new one comes out of the box, it will be, by acclamation, by courtesy, and in fact, my same clack cashmere turtleneck.

So doth the philosophy serve Humankind. Shantih

Originally published in full as “Diary of a Sweater,” Esquire, May 1996

I determined that the way to avoid the $300+ crush of a true cashmere sweater was to buy for look and not feel. Merino comes in as an adequate substitute of wool and if your lady friend(s) is intrigued enough by your handsomeness to lay her softly manicured fingers on your chest she will not pay attention to the server discounted price the merino gives you over the cashmere. And besides that money saved could go into the bank to offset the price of that dinner you just shared with her; or them.

Turtleneck sweaters and the shorter man do not always mate well. A mock neck would be good for me, but with my recent purchase I went crew neck. In fact, I pulled a new J. Crew black merino off ebay with shipping for C$80. That ended up a squeak over my $75 budget, but worth it when I got my hands on it.

The first wearing was a casual function with a jeans and the collar of a white T shirt peaking out the top. The thickness of the knit would work, as Mamet describes, under a jacket, and that evening it sure made my dark Levi’s look better. Brown belt and brown lace up shoes capped off the look.

Going upscale with the sweater is easy as Mr. Craig does it with his jeans and a tie. Personally, not for me unless the jeans were dropped for some crisp trousers. I can’t get the tie and jeans thing together.

In general, and over my fashion history, merino is great. I also slip myself into a black cardigan when feeling the fall or early spring chill come across me. In the drawers of my dressers there have been many so well loved sweaters. A holiday red was worn every fashion possible before it met the demise of not following the laundry instructions; and should the need come again it will be happily replaced.

Next month’s essential…Sport coats and jeans.

“Hashtag: What is this all about”

Short of a Dandy is a lifestyle blog for me and all of the people I never expected to read it. The initial direction is to write about men’s style, men’s health, and men’s lifestyle although the eyes, ears and fingers (typing) of me, a man with little qualification to be an expert. So maybe it’s a journal of growth, and adventure for me more than a how-to guide for others.

I’m planning to borrow and steal from bloggers, sites and writers (with full credit given) before I repackage it into my own brand of “advice”. If someone does read from these posts, they’ll likely learn more about my tangled internal workings than I care anyone to know; so be warned it will be a ride of mystery, discovery and soul shaking internal strife.  But it will be fun along the way.

The blog’s name is simple. I’m short. I’m feeling too old and too budget strapped to set a goal of becoming a full on dandy. Put the two together and there’s not only the title, but a sense of where all the writing will take us. The rest of the non-style content all comes from the periphery of being a man. Which means in addition to reading about the best tie pattern to wear with a bold striped shirt, watch for posts on sports, fitness, parenting, women and all sorts of manly things.

Shall we begin?