Style Inspriations....... The Avengers!!

I don't know why but I tend to look back instead of the present when it comes to style and design, inspiration , it just seems to me , people , cars , homes, and yes our manners were just better, and evoked class and style.  When I was a wee lad  I used to love The Avengers TV show , John Steed and Emma Peel, they were so cool!, great clothes , the lotus and Bentley cars, and of course their epic adventures each episode brought. Emma Peel was way ahead of her time , a confident no nonsense woman, Ha! she'd fit right in today 40 years later. Mr. steeds  suits were impeccable and his signature bowler hat and umbrella so very British. I understand in real life he served in the military and grew to despise guns, so he had his character, use his hat and umbrella as a personal statement against guns . Emma peel was always dressed to thrill , in true 60's style :) and despite her no nonsense self reliance she still needed Mr. Steed sometimes in the end , which was nice to see and together they got job done which is a message seemingly forgotten , in real life and on today's mostly  lousy tv shows. I still watch the show and I still think Emma Peel (Dianna Riggs ) is one cool Lady and Mr. Steed , well , today's Man could benefit from his sense of style and grace in my mind it'sorely missed.......... .

Design Ideas.....

 For me half the battle is coming up with  clothing and accessories that will be classic and fun too wear. I would like to create more men's  items, but I'm afraid most men have zero sense of style or really care anymore! Of course I will continue to seek out great men's things but I am cautious to say the least. As a example take a look at the current Lilly Men's line , A few ties and polo shirts and swim trunks......,



 

1968



1967

I have no idea who these two are ! , but they look pretty snazzy!  and it is nice to see people having fun with clothes.

   I have been thinking about trying some very simple A line ladies skirts and  sleeveless Shift dresses that harken back, in time , I have come across some great fabrics that seem perfect for the  styles I have in mind . I like to look at old ads which I have mentioned before in previous posts, for inspiration , and I have found patterns that are in keeping with my ideas, so I think I will give it a whirl in small doses  . Who knows If I feel brave enough , perhaps some fun wild men's pants are in order for the future!!

Walks, Thoughts and the Tartan Terrier......

I have always enjoyed walking  over the last 4 months combined with diet and fitness training , lost 44 LBS. I guess a big deal, I know I feel great and My bloodwork  has changed so much my doctor first read and cked the name to see if she was reading  some other persons results!!, So I am pleased, and my goal is too stay this way from now on, no simple task.   I  am kinda wound up most of the time , walking really helps to burn some extra energy , and be at home with my thoughts, and I love walking with my little Jack Russel Terrier , Joplin, she likes the walks as much as I do and can match my pace step for step!
     
     I also do alot of thinking about  this little business and my life , creating and selling great clothes and accessories by adding a little twist on classics and putting it all together into the Tartan Terrier theme and brand, It really excites me and my hope is others will see my passion and see the value and quality , and ultimately want to buy and  Wear them!
      As  young boy hanging around  My families clothing store I was intrigued with the fabrics, textures colors and fashions  I enjoyed learning from my grandfather, and dad about how clothes were made, the function of certain styles etc. It has always been interesting for me , and isn't that half the battle , finding something you are passionate about ?
    Doing this is something I have thought about  off and on for 30 years, When I was in College I wanted to finish get out and help my Dad in his store, help grow it and take it to the next level of success. A few Months after my graduation , my Mom died suddenly , needless to say it changed my plans and my life forever.
   I have had a interesting life  ever since, success and yes failure  in business, I"ve learned and grown from both, made many mistakes and come out he other side with my sanity somewhat intact!! I have never been a follower, I do my own thing and scoff at  the Idea that if everybody has one or is doing something it has to be better. I like being surrounded by nice things , clothes , cars, furnature, home decor etc, Not that they have to be expensive or new , just nice, tasteful and make you feel good to be around them., treasured things handed down, with meaning are extra special. These days it's a throw away world , and that is  disappointing . People flock to Target , Walmart, Etc, for god awful junk that just falls apart and you just throw it away, we are raising a generation to believe this is how it is supposed to be! As a country we used to make quality things  with pride , now  we just buy junk from other countries, do people really think this is  the way a country prospers? Sure a few people are making huge money at  the eveyday mans expense and laughing all the way too the bank! My point of all this ? I am trying to buy and work with small companies here and in the U.K. that make quality things and  offer unique products that will last and give a sense of pride of ownership, it is not easy , but having something nice is worth it and I just really hope I can make people feel good about the things I have to offer........  As far as my walking I do it everyday , 9 miles! it is amazing how many ideas you can come up with and how good The excerise can make you feel!!

Sailing Gear

 Having always pretty much been around the water my whole life  , you come to realize you need good foul weather protection! It can make or break you day on or around the water! I have tried just about every brand out there , and they are all pretty good , Alot comes down too brand loyalty. I have noticed since J.P. has been sailing and racing since he was a wee little kid , like sneakers kids want to be on the water in the right gear, even if its inferior if it got the name , wear it!






    I have recently started ordering and stocking a few things from Gul of England , Since 1967 , they have been making wetsuits and keeping English sailors and watermen warm. I like the breathable waterproof ,lightweight outershells, fine fleece linings and the longer tails to keep your backside warm! they make  great spray tops for dingy sailors and offshore jackets and bibs for big boats sailors too. when I 'm just hanging around the water , sometimes its damp or windy its just nice to have the right jacket or vest on , Gul really has it all, in typical tasteful English style of subtle colors and pure function and durability for men ladies and kid sizes too!  Hopefully the website will be functioning soon! I know I am ready to launch Gul to those who want the best.

Vintage sportcar racing

 My great Passion it seems is Vintage sportscar racing , I have been told recently I am a obsessive compulsive person with tendency to be over the top with my energy level, in short this makes  me a pain in the ass to be around for the most part I guess ! my brain never stops thinking I am always moving , while others may be on the ground going about at a perfectly normal pace I seem to be flying around on another plane . I get bored easily and I like change . I have tried all kinds of sports , my least favorite being Golf , Christ is that a frustrating and annoying game.
    I have always loved cars , they way they look the way they sound , smell, and the passion some brands evoke . I have owned so many cars I have lost count , some disappointments , some like a beautiful lady but always temperamental, and a few that were just simply a joy to drive and own.

    Vintage racing just seemed to fit for me , My favorite old cars racing ,like minded people , the challenge , and finally something moving at the same pace as my over the top energy! I explained to others that for me at speed in the racecar  things seem to slow down almost in slow motion , it becomes very graceful and fluid,it may seem violent from afar but in reality the driver , hardly moves the wheel , being smooth is fast , and that's hard at over 100 MPH.

  I have taken a break for various reasons, , I thought for a bit ahh, I don't need it anymore, but simply I miss it. I worked at it and there was a sense of pride in my getting better and better , and being respected for my driving skill and the level of preparation I put into my cars, they became a reflection  of me and a extension of who I am. I have found without this in my life something is missing ,I don't need it like I did a few years back when it was racing or nothing ! But I would like to go a few times a year to my favorite tracks  and see friends and climb into the cockpit , buckle up and tingle the senses and feel the rush of  racing really cool old cars again. I hope somehow in time I can get a sportsracer like the ones pictured here , they are fast , pure racecars and evoke the essence of racing in a bygone era.
  I have also been told I need to save some of my dreams for the future and not live them all in the present !
    I'm really trying to work on that! I love my Elva Curier , but a Elva mark 6 looks like so much fun........
   

  

Fall thoughts and boats

  I must say I love Fall, I have lived in Fl for 25 years , its's pretty much like the movie groundhog day , nothing really changes......
    I miss the leaves, cider, how the shore towns quiet down and sound glistens with a clarity only autumn  can bring. Of course breaking out my favorite shetland sweaters, and cords, the feeling one gets from a brisk walk , which brings a scent of fallen leaves , and the crunch under ones foot.
  I am am reminded that summer must end , and with that boats will be hauled and covered for the winter,  I love to roam the boatyards and look at the hull shapes and underbodies of my favorite sailboats , so powerful on land and so elegant in the water such a contrast. I have stated before I love the shapes of the 60's and very early 70's  Glass boats , CCA rules still dictated long overhangs and yawl rigs , so pretty and the benifits of fiberglass and the great prices on these enduring classics make them so attractive to my eyes!!

  I really love sailing on Long Island sound , for me it is my paradise , yes the season is short ,but maybe thats part of what makes it so special?



 



    Don't get me wrong Fl. in the winter is like a top ten fall day in New england with palm trees, crisp cool and a warm tropical sun  is like therapy for the soul and we get lots of them for 4 months.   I get to expierince both , thats pretty special and I am greatful for that, but I still want fresh cider a corny fallfest, a pumkin patch and one last sail on the sound on a crystal clear late Sept. day and that something to aim toward in the future.....

Classic Style must include classic cars

for the minimalist ! 1967 VW beettle

1962 Volvo P1800

left- Porsche 914 right- classic 72 911

1965 Triumph tr4 with hard top

 Those who know me are aware of the fact that for most of my breathing life there has always been cars. From matchbox to corgi models to the real thing Alfa's , lotus, Mg, Triumph, VW, Porsche , Morgan, Jaguar,Lancia, Fiat , Mini Coopers,  I had to have them, I had to race them , simply I have been obsessed! If I haven't owned them ,I have driven them worked on them and learned in detail everything I could about them . I left my very successful career to live my dream of eating sleeping, racing everything , vintage classic cars. Regrets yes of course , I should have stayed with my career in textiles , and these Economic times have left the vintage car racing scene pretty flat for the most part, and the expense of doing business in the vintage racing world doubled and sometimes tripled far beyond what the customer would pay for our services  resulting in diminished business, and ultimately closing my shop.
 Highlights a few , meeting fantastic people from all over the business world who had the same crazy love affair with cars. Racing  to the best of my ability , doing things with a 50 year old car on the race track that I never thought were possible for the car and myself, finishing a good race ,maybe even winning my class and seeing my little boy , beaming and waiting for me to get out of the car, as he got older  knowing that he knew how demanding the sport could be and his appreciation of  how my driving skill had improved .
  We were building very fast cars and the results from this showed on the track and how far the  shop had come from its humble beginnings.
      Really the time spent with my wife and son at the track , will always be the most important and special part of the whole frustrating business experience.
  Cars can be special, when they are just for your pleasure to drive, to look at , to enjoy , this I wish to experience again at some point . Time is a healer and I need time away from  special cars, I have thought about some fun cars , ones that are on my list  of  classic and stylish and perfect for the traditional preppy man or woman. The list may not be familiar too some , but  having something different , and unique is part of the fun!


1967 MG C GT



1963 Alfa Romeo 2600 , I love All Alfa's but this one with the big 6cyl. and lovely style make this one a jewel!

•   The selected cars are reasonable, fringe exotic , reliable and mostly beautiful, classics that will  make your statement of style , carry over from your wardrobe to your driveway , from the yacht club to  around town errands these cars are simply beautiful and in my mind one of the reasons I have always loved classic cars for the 60's is in today's world they truly have become moving art.......
•   1967 VW Beetle 12 volt , most powerful motor simply perfect!
• 1965 Triunph TR4 love the Italian styling, cues , my favorite TR , great , strong motor
• Alfa  Romeo 2600, wow styling, comfortable powerful 6cyl. engine, VERY underrated,  VERY cool!
• Volvo p1800, the  Saint drove one!, Cool styling, very reliable, motor, different from the norm.
•   1972 Porsche 911 T great car , great engine , so reliable , it's silly,I love the pure styling
• 1972-1974 Porsche 914 , time has been its hero , now considered a great  buy , superb handling car , comfortable, and fun with targa roof, and reliable flat 4 motor its a joy to cruise in these!
•  1967-69 MGC GT love this car ,  different , quirky , a real cruiser, I have always thought of it as a baby Aston Martin, makes a great 6cyl. sound and with wool carpets and leather interior , I've always felt it a special  car for the money, But I LOVE  MG's!

Classic Ads depicting classic mens and ladies styles from the 60's



love the classic Jag and the classic ladies fashion with headband

My first impressions of fashion were thrust upon me in the Middle sixties onward I remember being really comfortable with the colors , styles , fabrics etc. In the 70's as a teenager not so much!, about the only thing I took fro the 70's ? The Levi pin whale cord jeans in a few colors mostly a stone or ivory color the rest could be burned for all I cared and it did! being mostly the "new" Poly blend that were all the rage and the hideous.  Thanks too the web I  searched around and found some really cool ads which do a much better job of visualising the essence of the 60's from a fashion point of view. By 1967-68 things where changing in this country, for a 10 year period , conservative clothing and style ruled, from this really the core of the prep fashions were derived and expanded upon .As a country we were so much more formal and people truly cared about the way they presented themselves , men and women dressed and they dressed well, regardless of social standing!


carried this brand in the store for years




plaids , cable sweaters classic!

 




 

Daper Gent!





Sold BOTANY  suits was a huge line , nice quality and reasonable price point



Another line we carried ,  always loved the tartan logo


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Sportcoats ,hats & ties were always apart of sportscar racing in the 50's and 60's

Sero a great shirt maker from Ct, we were one of the first to put it on our shelves in New London Ct.

 


     These ads tell  the story much better than my words. Many of the brands in these ads were carried in the store my Family owned , even though I was a small boy these images and period of time have shaped my fashion sense from the beginning.

MAD about pants!!



a small sampling of some of the fun pants I have acquired I need to wear them as some still have the tags on them!, seems  as i get older I reach for my khaki's  and madras shirts more and more these day, The Lilly pants are prized  as they are hard to come by now



my old Murray's i think they are at least 20 years old

i As I have stated in the past I grew up  with my dad and Grandfather and Uncle owning a fine mens clothing store, I spent SOOO many hours hanging around and eventually working in the store off and on thru my teen years I absorbed so much information and When thinking back I really enjoyed it , I actually become quite sad when I think of all the beautiful clothes we sold an how much of it does not really exists any more or how many of the great names have been watered down , and a shell of there former selves, I.E. Allen Solly, Cross Creek, most Brooks Brothers Items, A&F, Sero shirts, GT trousers, Halrin , YRI actually used to be In Ma. and made some amazing cotton web belts with big brass D  rings I used to have them monogrammed ,
    Back to the pants.... One thing I  have certainly noticed is since the onslaught of jeans , most men and ladies don't care about quality pants and the fit. When quality pants are made they are cut with a curve through the hips and a roomy seat and proper rise, deep pockets and quality sewn waistbands and good zippers and provision for a center belt loop and 37 inseam to be tailored to the proper length!
  Jeans have caused people to not know how to wear pants! worn too low on the hips , all bunched up at the bottom too tight , in a word pathetic!
  Along comes Dockers by Levi, Kahki pants that fit like jeans GRRRR, no seat room no rise, shallow pockets, jean people love them! and levi's has the resources to convince consumers  this  is what they should wear ,Wake UP People! they are junk!!
   My dads shop had some amazing trousers  embrodiered cords and poplins, lobsters, whales pheasants etc. real wool tartans in lots of colorations and classic  flannels in several weights , wide whale cords in a rainbow of colors, patch cords , four panel pants in chamois cotton, duck in many colors,  twill breton reds , exquisite calvery twills which draped so beautifully kahki's in cotton twill , polin, and madras patch big bold plaids mini cks. really amazing , the selection I took it for granted as a kid , what I would give to shop in a store like that today!
 I see some new companies trying to offer some of these old classics, most times things seem just a little off , fit , motiff seems a little goofy or a tad too big ,  or the colors are just a little off, my conclusion is they really wern't around when the originals were out , I guess you can fool some of the people, some of the time........

Uncle Johns' Garden

    Every summer one of the highlights for me is going back to my Grandmothers house which my Uncle John is now the custodian of  he has for years improved something inside or out each year . John is a multi talented person, a fine artist , interior designer, gardener , and expert on period furnature , and home restoration when  visiting I never feel as though my trip is complete unless I stop by the house and see the latest improvements. The house has a lot of great memories for me growing up, and seeing how Uncle John lovingly cares for the house is really special I hope the house can always remain a part of our family!

Living in Fl. is just so really different , not bad just different , I like  old houses , lots of open spaces and things that don't really change suit me well, shopping malls and  constant building, not so much (well a Little Less right now with the state of economy) I've been around different parts of the country, and always try to find  places that , stir my senses like Coastal, Southern New England , so far I haven't found it  I quess that's why I consider it paridise!

Newport and 420 Youth Championships

Just back from a whirlwind tour of ct. R.I. And MA. and a summer of 420 sailing capped off by a Second place in the U.S. Sailing  Youth Championships the best of the best in there respective classes , We are so proud  of J.P., dedication hard work and a true love of sailing , it's nice to see it all come together at the right time!

 motored up from Mystic to Newport about 5 hours including the ride out the Mystic river, a shake down cruise for the this classic  Hughes 38 S&S sloop, all went well, sailed in and up too the mooring at the NYYC, Harbor Court is amazing , that sloping lawn and and beautiful Architecture picture perfect !

Newport is a busy place and lots of tourists, I'm not that fond of that , but down on the water front and out in the boat looking at the mansions, and some of the great shops and food, it's all forgiven I look at all the special summer homes of the past and wonder to myself , how glorious it must have been in height of the gilded era........