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


 <><><><>

<>

<><><><>

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........