Changing Of The Guard

Changing Of The Guard

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fall winter suits

Summer is over.

Our delusions of a perpetual Indian Summer come to an end.  The reality that the chill of fall and winter is upon us sets in.  This brings joy, sadness and transformation.

I personally favor warmer weather.  But not so warm that the wearing of a suit is nearly prohibited because of the discomfort of excessive sweating (I took the month of August off from suit wearing).  Anyway, something about freezing temperatures just doesn’t get my blood flowing.  However, there are a few saving graces of this coldness.  First, it is prime weather for chunky sweaters as well as flannel and tweed suits.  Second, fur.  Third, although smores are a year around delicacy, taking shelter from the cold while sitting fireside with some smores and a James Bond movie just cannot be beat (more on my obsession with both Bond and smores at a later time).  Ideally this is done with the company of a girl.  Or two.

For the purposes of this post I’d like to focus on the first of those three things.  If you have been listening to my ranting the past few years on the importance and appropriateness of seasonal suiting fabrics you will also recognize the importance of off season storage (I know some of the mtm suiting brands have been listening, thankfully).  In short, for the off season you should make sure your suits and shirts are clean and then put them into protected storage.  I have found the best way to do so is to keep the items on hangers (like those from Butler Luxury) and place them in some type of hanging garment bag.  You want something that lets air, but nothing else, pass through.  The idea is to keep moths, moisture, dust and other unfavorable elements away from your garments.  I have purchased such bags from Wal-Mart and Bed Bath & Beyond; among other places.  Although the cost of doing this can be a nuisance, it greatly outweighs the risk of having your suits ruined by any number of malicious factors.  For the more frugal amongst us, the suit bags than many brands will include with your purchase may be a preferable option.

fall garment storage 2

Last week I took the liberty of changing my suits from summer to winter.  You will see how my off season garments are stored in hanging bags above.  And below you will see the before and after of my beloved Z Rack.  You will see some crossover, some suits are wearable in 3 or 4 seasons.  As such, they never go into storage.

z rack garment storage
Before (spring/summer)
fall garment storage
After (fall/winter)

Note the cashmere, flannel, velvet and tweed.  Perhaps the cold isn’t that bad after all.

JLJ

 

4 COMMENTS

  1. Nice post but rather depressing for me. All you guys are talking about cooler weather and a change in wardrobe… meanwhile this weekend in Los Angeles we hit 105° and today, wearing my lightest wool-linen-silk blend suit in a roasty 95° I’d love be somewhere that actually has a hope of cooler weather before Christmas. Can’t wait to move out of this oven to a more moderate climate.

  2. You have a quite impressive wordrobe which justifies protecting it from mothholes. My impression of your sensitivity makes me think you are astrologically a native of Cancer, with strong Venus influence which is easily recognizable in the case of Scorpion native HRH Charles. Sweat damages lightweight flannel, and I wonder what you think about wool & linen 50% – 50%, like one of those Cordings’ jackets? Have you ever worn such a mix? It’s described as non-kosher on Internet, but the Jewish scholars and rabbis cannot say more than such mixture of plant and anomal. I wonder if such a jacket could be worn to dance in the disco without getting damaged by sweat?

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