Off Season: A Family of Orphans

It's the middle of July, and as I sit on the front porch with the laptop drinking canned beer, it's pretty damned humid, even at a quarter past twelve. Here in Boston, it's something of a local sport to complain about the weather, which infuriates me, so I won't. Allow me only to apologize in advance for discussing tweed at such a time. But the following has been in my house three weeks already, and weren't no way I could sit on this till November...

A three piece tweed suit. This is something I've wanted for a long time, but since it's not the 1940s and we have reasonable heating most places, and I definitely do not lead the sort of life that asks for any kind of suit, let alone a three piece, let alone one in a "country" style, I had all but given up on the idea. Then this beauty turns up in a 40 short, for $7.49, all three pieces.

One Hell of a piece of cloth, thick and warm, but with a soft hand. The perfect shade of brown/grey for tweed, with an over plaid in orange, blue and green that my cheap camera doesn't do justice. In short, this suit goes wit every color shirt, tie or shoe you can throw at it.

Yikes, Paul Stuart? Ooh, la la. I don't mean to label drop, but these guys currently offer a cotton seersucker jacket for over $1200. Not a bad deal for under ten bucks.

The styling of the vest is perhaps a bit odd, what with the groupings of two buttons, but I think I can make it work.

Side tabs and brace buttons on the pants, sans belt loops. C'mon, we've got some pretty hot detailing going on here.

I imagine this suit will be a real killer on a cold day with a thick white oxford button down and wool knit tie, topped by a tan cashmere coat. If I only I had a train to catch...in England...pulled by a steam engine...

But this suit is almost less of a suit and more a Family of Orphans. You see, I run across so many parts of suits that simply cannot exist without their counterparts. But this suit will likely serve me better as three separate garments. The pants will be stunning with a big fat cable knit sweater and a Barbour jacket, Bean boots on my feet. The vest I'm seeing with wide wale cords and a heavy cardigan. The jacket will go with khakis, jeans, grey flannels and who knows what else.

Don't worry , I'm not about to go wishing it was cold outside, because my current uniform of brightly hued pants and white tennis shirts has been treating me just fine. But it nice to have something to look forward to.