Always dress well

This isn't a fashion blog, but I do on occasion write on the topics of gentlemanliness, chappism, and such. Quite some time back I commented on an article on A Suitable Wardrobe, and referenced a Mises article titled Dress Like its the Great Depression. I'd like to follow up with a brief commentary on the Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes.

I'd never heard of "sapeurs" until a recent bit on NPR, but I am fascinated by them. Aside from the absolute bombast of some of their attire, I am captivated that in the midst of the poverty that surrounds them, they choose to dress to the nines.

Hector Mediavilla/Picturetank
(http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/05/07/181704510/the-surprising-sartorial-culture-of-congolese-sapeurs)

Now, given the examples one can find from an Internet search, some of the younger gents are a little too dandy for my tastes, but the older gentlemen dress quite well.

I understand the rebellion aspect of these Congolese gents, but I think it's a great example of dressing well, even when the environment one finds himself in is in diametric opposition. Compare that to the United States, where even our poor are rich compared to the rest of the world, and we have people of all social strata walking around like this (I'll not debase my site by actually posting any of these preposterous images).

Quality British hats

One (of many) of my quirks is a penchant for wearing hats, and admiring quality hats, so I found the article below quite interesting:

Christys' hats, Witney:

Christys is one of a handful of hat makers left in the UK. It supplies Lock & Co and Bates (neither of whom make their own hats) as well as having its own label. For much of its history Christys was the largest hat maker in the UK, with over 3000 staff at one point. (Today it is 30.)

Some of the Christys flanges are over 150 years old

Christys is also one of around 10 makers in the world that does both its own felting and blocking. Felting is the creation of the raw material. It involves blowing rabbit fur or sheep wool in a machine the size of a small office, to separate out the finest hairs. A second machine then blows the hairs onto a cone mould, while that mould emits steam. The combination of heat and moisture causes the hairs to bind together, forming felt. It’s a little like putting your merino wool sweater into the washing machine – it comes out shrunken, the hairs densely packed together. The felt is then rolled and compressed, to bind it more tightly.

An old '16 Guinea' - the original sewing machine for hats

The Christys felting (known as the wet side of hatting) is still done in Stockport, while the blocking is done in Witney, just outside Oxford. Christys acquired its Stockport felting facility in 1821. At that point the company was still owned and run by the Christys family, going back to Miller Christy who founded the company in 1773 in London.
With Luton perhaps a close second, Stockport was the traditional centre of the hat industry in England. The football clubs of both towns are still known as The Hatters. The two other big makers, Olney and Failsworth, are headquartered in Luton and Manchester respectively. 

Interestingly, around a third of the Christys business today is making hats for the military and police force. The traditional Metropolitan police helmet has a plastic base but a felted outer layer that is formed on top of it. They also make panama hats and an astounding number of bowlers and toppers – 10,000 this year. That’s a bowler below being steamed before its edge is curled, prior to shipping.

I visited the Christys factory in Witney this week and will do a step-by-step post on the blocking side of the process after Christmas. As with many of the factories I have reported on, the age of the machinery involved makes them unique and fascinating places.  

New Date Set for Eighth Chap Olympiad

I've not had the pleasure of reading a print copy of The Chap, but I very much enjoy their website, especially the section titled "Am I Chap?". Here is an update on their annual sporting event:

New Date Set for Eighth Chap Olympiad: The date for this year’s Chap Olympiad, which will take place over two days instead of one, has now been confirmed as Saturday 7th-Sunday 8th July 2012. Tickets will go on sale on Monday 26th March. This year’s Olympiad is competing with a rival organisation, calling itself simply “The Olympics”, which is attempting to steal [...]

 Having been involved behind the scenes [1] at a previous iteration of the better known quadrennial activity, I think personally I'd much rather attend the Chap Olympiad.

~

[1] I had the great pleasure of serving as military security at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. I spent three weeks living in a classroom of McNair Middle School, my cot being in a coveted position beside the chalkboard (a chalkboard tray makes a great bar to hang clothes from).

The area I was assigned to was where the athletes were taken to be in-processed in after landing in Hotlanta. Most of the time I was watching baggage pass through an X-ray machine, and there were some interesting things to be seen via X-ray. There were competition rifles, scimitars, and most memorable: a pineapple hand grenade. Or at least what appeared to be one. When that bag was ran through the scanner and the "grenade" was detected, the bad was immediately set aside and the owner was called for. No one dared go near the bag. Some time passed before the athlete was found and brought to his bag. I recall him being eastern European, but he was a shot-putter, and the nefarious device in his bag was a hollowed out lead dummy grenade that he used for practice throws. Having had a similar dummy grenade as a child, I can understand his choice. At that location I got to see quite a few athletes, but the only ones I remember are the American baseball team and the American gymnastics team (who I might have missed had I not looked down...).

After the events started, I was assigned to various other details, but they were not so memorable. One of the other things I'll never forget from the experience was the night of the Olympic Park bombing. I was at the "barracks" that night and I recall everyone being called out to formation in the parking lots. None of us knew at that time what was going on. Then the murmur that there had been a bombing swept through the ranks. Several soldiers at that time were unaccounted for. We stayed in formation into the whereabouts of the missing troops were ascertained. Pretty soon, everyone was accounted for. That was a pretty sad event. I had walked past the park a couple days prior, and after the area was cleared I went back to make my survey of the damage. I hope that is as close as I ever get to personally experiencing a terrorist event.

UPTOWN Gentleman: Guide To The Pocket Square

UPTOWN Gentleman: Guide To The Pocket Square: A gentleman’s studied approach to dressing well could be considered by some to be a form of elegant art. And if so considered, the presumed dapper gentleman should fancy himself an artist. And as an artist, it is crucial he utilize every tool at his disposal to render a visual that is both impeccable and stunning. Men’s suits, shoes and shirts are always granted favorable attention, but minute sartorial details are sometimes sorely missed. One of those details often left behind is the gentleman’s pocket square. That changes today. Here are the only pocket squares you will ever need in your arsenal. Read on at UPTOWN Magazine for the rest!