In Part II of PinStripeTweed’s interview(here’s Part I for those who missed it) Andy talks about how he’s kept up with the AskAndyAboutClothes forum’s incredible growth and revelas some of his personal clothing preferences. Read the full interview >>
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Holiday Shopping Tips
It’s beginning to look a lot like shopping!
“Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is great if given with affection.”
Pindar (ca. 522 – 443 ? B.C.) Greek lyric poet remembered especially for his Odes.
The fabled Friday after Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday shopping season but is NOT the busiest day. The day after Thanksgiving is usually in the middle of the top ten days. The busiest is the Saturday before Christmas!
Most guys start shopping Christmas Eve and make a party out of it. This year with a little planning you can shop smart and still hit the stores December 24th just for the Holiday atmosphere with all your shopping finished. Shopping efficiently for Holiday gift giving is just a matter of being prepared and disciplined. Here are some shopping tips to help make it easier this year:
Make a list, check it twice, and include a budget limit for the gift!! Mark exactly how much you intend to spend for each person. (See the suggested limits for the service people on your list). If you can objectively purchase the items off your list and leave the store you’ll be less tempted to go hog wild. And speaking of temptation, try not to get wrapped up in the Christmas music, free drinks, the smell of cinnamon and cloves, and red gift displays, all designed to entice you to spend money.
If buying for others, carry updated size information with you. This is especially important for kids, who can shoot up several inches from one year to the next.
And speaking of other people’s kids, when looking for gifts for nieces, nephews, grandkids or your friends’ children, it’s a good idea to talk with the parents first to see what little Tyler and Brianna already have, and what they need. Also ask if there are certain things they’re not allowed to wear, such as belly shirts or baggy pants.
Here are some additional money-saving tips:
Steer clear of “buy now, pay later” deals. Only spend what you can afford today.
Limit yourself to 2 credit cards so that you can keep track of your credit card bills.
Keep all bills and receipts.
Rather than buying Holiday cards, opt for e-cards.
Stuck on the perfect gift? 
Think about the gift; don’t be too personal even with someone you’re very personal with!! Would you want someone else (besides your mother) buying your lingerie, ‘err underwear??
Keep an open mind. There are some perfect gift packages that you never see other times of the year.
People with cats and dogs have a lot of things with cats and dogs on them (sweaters, scarves), given to them by well-meaning people who think they don’t have enough cat and dog things. Trust us, they have enough cat and dog things.
When in doubt, give a gift certificate from a store you’re sure the recipient likes. Yes, it may be a cop-out, but you won’t be met with that pained, forced smile when Aunt Suzy opens your present only to find a pair of bedroom slippers–the seventh pair she’s received that day.
Don’t forget the paper deliverer, hair stylist, insurance person, secretary, and all the “little people” who make your life easier and are expecting a gift from you!
Tips areOK for someone who is in the service industry, but tips may be considered an insult to a professional or salaried (teacher) person, so give a small gift to them.
Some suggested limits:
Cleaning service — small gifts or $5 to $20
Newspaper delivery — $5 to $10
Postal Deliverer — can not accept cash but small gifts (under $20) are OK
Apt. building manager — $20 to $100
Baby sitter – one to three nights pay
Hair Stylist – the cost of a typical session.
Gardner – the cost of a typical session.
Out There!
- Try smaller specialty stores where you might actually be helped before you succumb to the big, busy Department stores. It’s easier to get to know the manager of a small store, which helps for volume discounts, free gift-wrapping and other special treatment.
- Shop in bookstores and large drug stores. Almost everyone on your list would be happy with a book, or calendar and the range of prices will fit your budget. The drug stores are also a great hunting ground. They are filled this time of year with treasures from unique holiday gifts to electronic gadgets.
- Ask for a “gift receipt” which doesn’t show the price but allows the receiver to easily exchange or return your gift.
- Don’t underestimate the drag coefficient. Lots of things can slow you down–backpacks, pets, a bunch of buddies and sometimes your lady.
- Think security. Unfortunately it’s part of the season, so be aware, dress down, leave the Rolex at home, remember where you park your car and walk confidently to it with your key in hand, don’t overload yourself with packages, shop with someone else (70% less chance of problem than when alone), take one credit card and very little cash (keep them in your front pockets). If you Valet Park give up your valet key only, not your house key and take your cell phone with you.
- To beat parking-lot rage, position your car near an elevator. If a driver’s snail-like pace makes you wish a pox on her SUV, her children and her children’s children, valet is OK during the holidays. With the amount of money you’re already spending, you think an extra five bucks is going to make a difference?
- Timing is everything. Avoid Saturdays at all costs. Avoid the lunch hour and the two hours right after work. Early, late and during the dinner hour are good. Check for Holiday hours. Stores may open earlier than normal and most people don’t realize that. You’ll have the store and the salespeople to yourself.
- Use the telephone. If you’ve chosen an item why not call the stores from the comfort of your home or office. Is the item in stock? What’s the best price?
- It’s tough for men, but make it easy on yourself and use the salespeople. Grab one and ask directions to the items for which you’re shopping, ask them for suggestions, make them your personal shopper.
Battle for bargains! Negotiate.
- Retailers really need your business. They can’t afford for you to go to their competition so you may be able to talk your way to even lower prices than advertised. Ask if they can do better than that price. Ask if they have the authority to offer a discount. People don’t like to say they don’t have the authority and may discount to prove it to you!!
You may have the best chance to get a lower price if you go into a store at day’s end, or at the end of the month. If the store needs to get that sale, it’ll be more likely to give you the price that you want.
- Arm yourself with information. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to do your homework, especially when buying big-ticket items. Find out what items are selling for elsewhere and ask your retailer to beat the lowest price.
- Play Dumb. If you think reading the tax code is difficult, try making sense of discount certificates and coupons. Insist to anyone who rings you up anywhere that you have a coupon; you’re just not sure where you left it (the Bentley, the Jag, the Beemer?). If there’s a special offer to be had–and they have even a smidgen of holiday spirit–you’ll get a discount. If a salesperson sees you as an intellectual equal, he or she may feel challenged by your attempt at getting a deal and may feel the need to ‘outwit’ you. It’s usually better to come off as less intelligent to avoid this unwanted competition. Note: this doesn’t mean you should pretend not to be informed. Still mention prices offered by competitors and such, but be humble in your approach.
- Be persistent. Being a ‘broken record’ may wear down wary salespeople eager to make a sale.
The Best Solution may be just to shop from home.
You can wear your pajamas and shop at 3 AM if you like! You can get just about anything on the Internet. Plus you can get it gift-wrapped, include a card and send it directly to the person’s home!
Smart Internet Shopping:
- Deal with companies you know. Buying online requires some extra precautions, simply because anyone can set up a legitimate-looking Web site and dupe people into thinking the site is a real retailer. And even if the business itself is legit, there’s still the matter of whether the company normally delivers orders on time, provides strong customer service, and so on. Avoid web sites that send unsolicited emails.
- Make sure you know the e-tailer’s return policy before you buy.
- The Internet is proving to be quite secure so don’t worry about using your credit card number. Just look for the padlock symbol that indicates you’re on a secure server. Never give your out your social security number or a password. The credit card is your friend when you’re shopping online. Cryptographic technology makes it very safe to transfer a credit card number via the Web. Plus using a credit card helps ensure that your products will be shipped right away, because there’s little waiting time for the merchant to verify payment. Also, if a site makes a billing goof and overcharges you, you can contest the charges with your credit card issuer. And in the unlikely event that someone does get hold of your credit card number and runs up charges on your account, you’re liable for a maximum of only $50 under federal law.
If you’re still worried about fraud, get a separate credit card with a low spending limit for use when shopping online. Some card issuers allow you to set up a special password to shop online, such as Verified by Visa. Others, such as American Express will give you random numbers, good for only one purchase. Most other payment methods are best avoided. Debit cards, or “check cards,” present a special problem, because they behave like credit cards, but they don’t offer the same protections. Your money is deducted from your bank account right away and, even more important, some of these cards don’t have the same liability limits for fraudulent charges that credit cards have.
The emergence of services like PayPal, which lets you pay private sellers using your credit card through an intermediary, has given buyers a much safer choice. Many sites that let private sellers buy directly from each other now offer their own services that let you complete transactions via credit card.
But still check your credit card and bank statements regularly for any unauthorized withdrawals.
- Keep copies of your orders and confirmation numbers.
- The same precautions and advantages go for catalogue sales and most stores will take telephone orders.
- If you’re not doing your purchases online, at least you can use the Internet to research which products are available. Since most retailers have a Web site, you can browse through the products and catalogues online, and be one step ahead of the game once you venture out to the stores.
Remember you’re a man, with the genes of a prehistoric hunter, now get out there and shop!
You aren’t the only one that needs to buy gifts for others. The closer it gets towards the big day, the more the stores will look like a room full of Britney Spears fans.
Enjoy your shopping; even The Grinch ends up enjoying the Holidays after all.
“As the purse is emptied, the heart is filled.” — Victor Hugo
Many Happy Returns
I hope everyone gets exactly what they want for the holidays and in the right size! If you didn’t get what you want, here are some tips for returning and/or exchanging that hideous gift.
First, the bad news! It’s a harsh new world. Even the “easy” stores are getting tough this year with customer returns. After years of cheerfully giving out credit for worn, and even stained clothing, retailers are learning how to say “no”! A less than great retail year means that the stores have to start looking at their profit over customer service.
Of all retail purchases, 6% are returned each year. A growing proportion of returns are from customers trying to pull off a scam, like returning a large screen TV the day after the Super Bowl.
Return policies are being revised to require receipts and many companies are charging a 15% restocking fee!
The superstar in the retail trade for cheerful returns was Nordstrom’s Dept. Store, where legend had it that a clerk called a supervisor to confirm a customer shoplifting. When the customer brazenly brought the goods up to the cashier for credit, the supervisor approved it!!
Most Internet and mail order companies are still doing “no-questions-asked” type of return that may still be necessary as an incentive to do business. Plus if the online/mail order business also has a retail store you can return items to the stores in most cases.
Receipt: If you have a receipt it will be easier, but that’s not always possible especially if it’s from Aunt Sadie who lives three states away.
With no receipt you may be offered a store credit. Be aware that after the sales start you may only get the sale price as a credit, not the original price. You may also have to opt for credit if all the items are sold out even if you only want a different size.
Even if you have your receipt an easy return isn’t a done deal. Some sores Some stores require a return within 30 to 90 days, and/or are mailing refund checks instead of issuing cash at the stores.The credit card con (not really a con, you’re just getting back what is rightfully yours, right?)
If stores only allow a return for store credit only, ask that the credit be put on the stores credit gift returns through their in-store charge accounts. Federal law requires card issuers to pay back positive balances to cardholders who ask!
However, some stores are on to this and disallowing the credit to your in-store card.
- Timing Try to make the return as soon after the Holidays as possible. You’ll have a better chance if the store still recognizes the goods.
- Box: Keep the original box; sometimes the store will have little notes on the inside of the box, which makes their return paperwork easier. If you don’t have the box, please take the item back in a sack, another box, something! The security guys are still hyper; you don’t want to excite them.
- Dress nicely (you’ve been paying attention to this web site haven’t you!). Even wear the symbols of authority (tie and jacket) if you expect a hassle.
- Demeanor: Be pleasant, and charming. The clerks are tired, they often see a return as lost commission or just a paperwork pain, so keep smiling, express your request in quiet, firm tones, repeating if necessary. Ask to see the manager if things aren’t going your way.
If you can’t return the item, don’t despair.
Sell it to your friends on the AskAndy SALES Forum!
OR take the gift to work and put a reasonable price on it. It might be just what one of your co-workers wanted.
– Andy Gilchrist
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Here’s to a Great 2013 !
Hangover Cures and Myths.
A hangover is the one or more unpleasant physical effects following heavy consumption of alcohol such as feelings of extreme thirst, lethargy , nausea, sensitivity to sunlight and noise, and headache.
The origin of the word “hangover” is unclear. The word was first used in 1894 to mean of something left over or an after-effect. It was first used in the sense of the after-effect of alcohol sometime around 1904.
But some suggest that it describes the position of the sufferer the morning after a night of alcoholic excess, their head “hanging over” the toilet bowl.
When Bertie caught his valet Meadowes stealing his silk socks, he sacked him and sent for another valet from the agency. Jeeves, arriving in Jeeves Takes Charge, by P. G. Woodehouse, finds Bertie hungover, mixes him a hangover cure of his own invention and is hired almost immediately.
Jeeves’ “cure” was one yolk of an egg (unbroken) in a tumbler, two spooonfuls of Worcestershire sauce, two dashes of Tabasco, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, one teaspoonful of malt vinegar.
Jeeves explained: “It is a little preparation of my own invention. It is the Worcester Sauce that gives it its colour. The raw egg makes it nutritious. The red pepper gives it its bite.”
Jeeves’ concoction is similar in contents of the “Prairie Oyster”, a drink devised by the late Harry MacElhone, who ran Harry’s Bar in Paris in the Twenties and Thirties, when regulars included Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jean-Paul Sartre.
Harry’s version: “In a small tumbler, drop, without breaking, one yolk of egg, two spoonfuls of Worcestershire sauce, two dashes of Tabasco, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, one teaspoonful of malt vinegar.”
Or this updated version:
Prairie Oyster
a few drops of olive oil 1 egg yolk large dash of Worcestershire sauce large dash of Tabasco 1 teaspoon vinegar pinch of salt freshly ground black pepper
Rinse a cocktail glass with olive oil and without breaking it, slide in the egg yolk. Sprinkle on the seasoning and serve. This is best taken in one go — for obvious reasons.
Bad news from the British
More “cures” below, but first some bad news! Recent British research has found that hangover cures don’t work!!
“No compelling evidence exists to suggest that any conventional or complementary intervention is effective for preventing or treating alcohol hangover,” concludes a team led by Max Pittler, a research fellow in Complementary Medicine at Peninsula Medical
A second study may provide some help with moderation: It found that people tend to consume a smaller amount of liquor from tall, skinny glasses than from short, squat ones — even when the two receptacles are designed to hold the same amount of liquid.
Both reports appeared in the British Medical Journal.
In the first study, Pittler’s team gathered data from eight trials that looked at medical treatment for preventing or treating hangovers.
The trials tested eight different agents: propranolol (an antihypertensive drug), tropisetron (a drug for nausea and vertigo), tolfenamic acid (a painkiller), fructose or glucose sugars, and the dietary supplements borage, artichoke, prickly pear.
Most of these trials found no beneficial effects for these agents on hangover, although borage, a yeast-based preparation, and tolfenamic acid did show some benefit.
“The supply of folklore remedies for hangover is virtually limitless,” said Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine. “The best way to contend with hangover is not to get one, by practicing abstinence or moderation.”
However, many rational approaches to avoiding or reversing hangover have simply not been formally tested, Katz said. “There is some evidence that dehydration is part of the hangover syndrome, so drinking plenty of non-alcoholic beverages, particularly water, before, during and after a holiday indulgence may help.”
“In addition, spacing out alcohol consumption will allow your body’s enzymes a better chance to keep up, and likely reduce toxic side effects,” Katz said. “A simple strategy to accomplish both is to alternate alcoholic beverages with something like seltzer.”
The second study in the same journal finds the shape of the glass helps determine the size of the drink.
A research team led by Brian Wansink, chairman of marketing and applied economics at Cornell University, and his colleagues found that people pour 20 percent to 30 percent more alcohol into short, wide glasses than they do into tall, narrow ones of the same volume.
However, they believe that tall glasses hold more, Wansink said. Even professional bartenders pour more into short, wide glasses than into highball glasses, they found.
“If a person wants to limit how much they consume, it’s better if you pour into a tall, skinny glass,” Wansink said. “If as a host you want to limit what people drink, you better use tall, skinny glasses. You will be less likely to pour too much,” he added.
Tall Glasses!
Well, here’s to your health as I raise my tall narrow glass of seltzer!
But if the research is wrong and they do provide relief, here are some classics.
Causes (first, some basic science):
There are several sources for the symptoms of hangovers.
Ethanol has a dehydrating effect (diuretic), which causes headaches, dry mouth, and lethargy. Dehydration causes the brain to slightly shrink away from the skull, and alcohol’s impact on the stomach lining can account for nausea.
Another factor contributing to a hangover is what results from the breakdown of ethanol via two chemical reactions, aided by enzymes produced by the liver.
Ethanol is converted toacetaldehyde by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, and then from acetaldehyde to acetate by the enzymeacetaldehyde dehydrogenase.Acetaldehyde and acetate are both mildly toxic, contributing to the hangover.
These two reactions also impair the ability of the liver to supply glucose to tissues, especially the brain. Because glucose is the primary energy source of the brain, this lack of glucose contributes to hangover symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, mood disturbances, and decreased attention and concentration.
In addition, it is thought that the presence of congeners, by-products of the alcoholic fermentation exaggerates many of the symptoms.
Congeners are complex molecules containing methanol and acetone. The main problem is thought to be methanol, since the body metabolizes methanol to create formaldehyde and formic acid, which are linked directly to the hangover symptoms of headache, nausea and fatigue. this may accounts for the less hanger effects when distilled alcohol, like vodka, is consumed.
Finally there are various nervous effects. The removal of the depressive effects of alcohol in the brain probably account for the light and noise sensitivity.
More Cures:
Hangover cures seem to range from the obscure to the outrageous, and seem to be a world wide problem.
When in Finland try the Finn’s favorite way of dealing with the after effects? First take a sauna to rid the body of its toxins, then a roll in the snow to shake off residual tiredness.
Pliny, the sage of Ancient Rome suggested “two eels suffocated in wine” along with cabbage and a necklace of parsley to cure the hangover.
In Puerto Rico, they rub the juice of citrus fruits into their armpits.
Indians eat mulligatawny soup, which brings on the sweats and helps to expurgate the toxins present in strong spirits.
The more relaxing Moroccan approach calls for inhaling the smoke of burning fossils to vanquish the demons and restore a state of grace.
Others even go as far as extolling the benefits of drinking a glass of one’s own urine first thing the morning after.
The Japanese take cattle liver and vitamins B15, B2 and E.
Russians just go on drinking.
British chef, Keith Floyd, who has vast experience with hangovers, has written a book on hangover cures, and one of his recommendations is:
Keith Floyd’s “Corpse Reviver”
This one apparently owes it origin to London’s famous Savoy Hotel.
1 shot brandy 1 shot Fernet-Branca (a disgusting Italian concoction of more than 40 different herbs whipped together in a bitter alcoholic ferment). 1 shot white crème de menthe or calvados
Shake the ingredients over ice and strain into a frosted martini glass. And, if you think your corpse will be cheered up by this, garnish with a slice of orange.
Or just use the Fernet-Branca
The original Italian bitters, established in Milano back in 1845 by the brothers Branca, a descendant of whom, Willem Branca, is a talented South African sculptor. This spirit apéritif is based on an infusion of “selected blossoms, rare aromatic herbs and other natural ingredients”. It is recommended to be drunk straight, on the rocks, or with a dash of mineral water, or poured into a double espresso.
Hair of the dog
The phrase referred originally to the belief that placing the hair of a mad dog on a bite inflicted by that dog would heal the bite.
The first recorded use of the phrase in the hangover cure sense dates from 1546, in John Heywood’s Proverbs: “I pray the leat me and my felow haue A heare of the dog that bote us last night.”
The notion that a little bit of what pains one helps to heal the pain was carried over to overindulgence in alcohol, so that “the hair of the dog” now refers to the practice of drinking an alcoholic beverage to recover from a hangover.
Makes sense! The next day after overindulging, you’re suffering from dehydration, low blood sugar and maybe even lower self-esteem. What you really need is a drink, with a good long, sweet mixer! It’s bound to perk you up.
Angostura bitters and ginger ale
Carbonation and the bitters soothe the stomach, plus the bitters contain traces of alcohol, so you’re getting a little bit of the “hair of the dog.”
Underberg
A kind of German “hair of the hund”. This infusion of herbs from 43 countries comes pre-blended with a notable dash of alcohol.
Bloody Mary
2 shots vodka (optional) 1 can chilled tomato juice 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp Tabasco squeeze of lemon juice salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients, mix well and serve in a tall, ice-filled glass. Garnish with a celery stick.
And some serious advice on how to counter the effects of excessive alcohol intake.
The effects of drinking can vary due to many factors.
If you’re dehydrated before you start drinking, or have an empty stomach, your health, medications, etc. So one time you can experience a bad hangover and another time not feel bad the next day at all!
The only certain way to avoid the issue is, of course, to abstain or drink with moderation as mentioned above, but if you ignore that, here are some tips:
Always eat before any serious drinking. Also, try to have some nibbles during the course of the party. Food lines the stomach and slows the absorption of alcohol. Your body recognizes the poison in alcohol and put it on a fast track for removal. In an empty stomach, alcohol is quickly absorbed through the lining of the stomach and the intestines and into the blood, where it is whisked throughout the body and to the brain.
Pace yourself. It puts the damage off for a while and makes the fun last longer. A host of enzymes called alcohol dehydrogenase, specifically engineered to break down alcohol, works to help metabolize the alcohol into components that can be either used or expelled from the body.
While alcohol dehydrogenase generally can metabolize about one alcoholic drink an hour (that’s one 12-ounce can of beer, an ounce and a half of hard liquor or 5 ounces of wine), it comes in limited supplies. Supplies differ from person to person as well.
Try to drink lots of water between alcoholic drinks, especially to avoid the dehydration that will come back to haunt you.
Clear liquors, like gin or vodka, and white wine may be less likely to lead to hangovers. Red wine and brown hard spirits, have more congeners (see above) that can worsen hangovers for some people.
Nicotine can often worsen hangovers, as smokers tend to smoke much more than usual while under the influence of alcohol.
Drink Cola drinks, (known as “Black Aspirin” in Australia, and “The Red Ambulance” in Ireland) might help since the caffeine, bubbles and sugar can be easier to hold down than pure water, and the low pH helps the enzymes in the stomach and the sucrose partially compensates the inhibitation of the gluconeogenesis. But caffeine can worsen effects of dehydration.
Drink lots of water before you go to bed to help flush out your system, and drink water when you wake up.
Drink a sports drink to re-hydrate and replenish lost nutrients in the body.
Drink orange juice for the vitamin C.
Coffee or other caffeinated beverages will increase the effectiveness of analgesics, and therefore may reduce headache severity when used with aspirin or similar medicines. But caffeine is also a diuretic, and will promote dehydration, possibly worsening other hangover symptoms. Plus read the warning about aspirin below.
Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) before bed. This can reduce hangover effects dramatically, however long term (longer than two weeks) use of ibuprofen increases the risk of stomach ulcers when combined with alcohol. Aspirin may increase the risk of a hangover! Aspirin enhances alcohol’s effects and increases it’s absorption in the stomach.
Take a vitamin B1 supplement before going to bed.
Have some chicken or vegetable soup which provides salt, proteins, and electrolytes which help reduce hangover symptoms.
And no matter how brave you feel never, ever drive drunk.
The post Hangover Cures appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
I just got two pairs of pants from iTailor! http://www.itailor.com/
First custom made jeans!! I know, I know I hate jeans but I got the offer to go through the process of designing my own pair of jeans. They really have lots of options so it was fun.
One of the options for the custom jeans is a monogram! Now I have a great pair of jeans to wear when I garden or if I ever decide to change the oil in my car! (Once, three years ago I did open the hood!).
And a pair of trousers. The dress pants are quality wool blend and fit perfectly. I got a tan, again lots of options for designing the elements you want.
I’m friends with the owner of this company and the factory produces 12,000 shirts,4,000 pants and 3,000 jackets monthly. Their deliver to anyplace in the world is fast and efficient.
Custom Jeans start at $49 and Slacks $59, so you can’t beat that for custom.
They have a wide range of custom clothing! Shirts start at $29.95;Suits start from$179; and Women’s Blouses start at $29.95.
I know you’ll be pleased no matter what you order.
They’re on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/iTailorShirts
Make sure you tell them you’re from AskAndy!
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Ribbed Tee Made in the USA Undershirts for Men | Bjorn Borg |
| Fresh Pair | UniversalGear |
Bare Necessities | Champion |
Kabbaz & Kelly Sons |
The post Undershirts, Underwear and Socks Merchants appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
The following clothing merchants have been selected by Andy based on their quality clothing products and their high standards.
| Amazon.com (for everything!) | LS Men's Clothing Read my LS Mens Clothing Review to learn more |
House of Bruar  | My Tailor |
iTailor | Nicholas Joseph |
Ravis Tailor | Studio Suits |
Hiras  | Knot Standard  |
Gino Tailor | Prince Henry |
Anderson Little | Bookster Tweed Jacket |
Fit Custom Shirts | Paul Fredrick  |
Tailored Suits Paris | Modain Style |
YOOX.COM  | Harry Suits |
Mr. Porter | Topman |
| Brooks Brothers | Ledbury |
| Bluefly | Kabbaz & Kelly Sons |
Luxire Dress Shirts by Arnaud Rousseau | Jos. A. Bank Ask Andy Members get 20% off regular price items! Just enter code AAAC8 at checkout. |
Charles Tyrwhitt  | FORZIERI Italia |
| Macy's | Thomas Pink Shirts |
| Nordstrom | Saks Fifth Avenue |
| Bloomingdales | Paul Fredrick |
K. J. Beckett  | Sierra Trading Post |
Costume Limité AskAndy Members can get 10% off the already great discounts with the discount code ASKANDY at Costume Limite | Link Your Shirt  |
| T M Lewin | Indochina |
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Are these G & G shoes the Most Beautiful EVER?
Just got these incredibly beautiful shoes from Tony Gaziano & Dean Girling!
They are Bates loafers, wholecut in Vintage Pine with brogueing on the toe.
Remember they just announced their new revised website and online boutique:
We are pleased to announce that our new website and online boutique is now open offering you a chance to view and purchase from our collections of Bespoke, Deco and Bench Made shoes. 
Visit our Online Boutique to view a selection of our Bench Made collection. Also available is a range of bags, belts and shoe accessories.
Gaziano & Girling made-to-order service is also available, you have the choice of style, last shape, width, leather colour and sole specification, ultimately giving you a personal pair of shoes.
The post G & G Shoes appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
Just received my order from Murphy Underwear – briefs and boxer briefs. I really like the wide waist band. It’s called a “comfort controlled covered waistband”
Available in two styles Briefs and Boxer Briefs. Soon navy and gray will be added to the white available at present.
But they are designed to address a common problem and that’s why the tag line is “Overconfident Underwear”!
Natural, eco-processed cotton holds its shape longer. The body is 100% bio-polished cotton construction
The great thing about bio-polishing is that it enables cotton to retain shape, stop pilling and remain soft to the touch. And this is very comfortable underwear.
Here’s the confidence part – the cup (inner fly) is lined with 100% polyester Quick-Wicking weave designed to absorb unwanted moisture (that last drop!) and the MX-P technology (a proprietary moisture barrier technology) ensures that it stays hidden!
Murphy Underwear is the most comfortable, hygienic product you can wear.
Murphy’s goal is to help men understand that this is underwear designed to do what underwear is purposed to do — protect their fine clothing, be hygienic and comfortable.
The post Murphy Underwear appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
The post iShoes appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
I went with the “yellow” sport jacket from ModainStyle and it was a good choice since it’s more brownish and a great looking jacket! It does have a light yellow glen-plaid pattern with blue window pane.
The fabric, correctly marked as viscose (rayon) from bamboo – same process as normal rayon that is made from wood fibers is really soft and silky. It will be the perfect summer jacket.
The brand,Metamoda Firenze 1970, is a label created by Moda in Style and offers authentic Italian clothing at affordable prices!
Most of the fabrics used with this label come from Biella, manufactured by Luigi Botto,Policarpo, Zignone, etc. They are great fabrics at a lower cost, but on par with bettern know manufacturers like Loro Piana, Zegna, Cerruti 1881.
The made in Italy jacket is half canvassed and half lined (again perfect for spring/summer/autumn wear in Southern California) and has nice looking elbow patches giving it a distinctive sport jacket style element. And it’s well made, including lining up the pattern at the sleeve to the body.
I have not taken this to my alterations tailor before the photos, but it seems to fit fine. Maybe shorten the left sleeve? It’s a notch lapel, two button, double vent, and look at this unique sleeve button treatment.
The jacket has working buttons/holes but very cleverly the two bottom sleeve buttons are left closed so your tailor can shorten the jacket from the sleeve end. When working sleeve buttons are finished many tailors often refuse to do the work or charge more. You can open the button holes by just slitting them, but it’s better to have the tailor do it.
Moda in Style has a special discount for AskAndyMembers — 10% Discount! (use code ANDY10 at checkout).
You’re getting an entirely made in Italy sport Jacket, already a steal at $248 at another 10%off so you have an even better deal,
Might as well fill up your closet with these great suits and sport jackets!
The post Modainstyle appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
Just got these great shoes Cheaney ‘Howard’ in Mahogany Grained Calf.
They are the perfect casual shoes, but with some panache – beautiful color and grain.
Shoehealer, http://www.shoehealer.co.uk and new Website currently under construction www.fineandcountryfootwear.com are suppliers of English Hand Made Shoes by:
Loake, Tricker’s, Alfred Sargent, Barker, Church’s, Cheaney, Crockett and Jones, Sanders and the Australian Boot Ian Harold.
And they are the UK leading specialist in the supply of custom made Tricker’s to your exact requirements.
The Shoe Healer Ltd is a Family run business with over 25 years experience in the shoe care and repair industry. That basis has given them a wealth of knowledge, and combine that with the highest level of Customer Service and Quality possible, they have built a formidable reputation as a ‘Destination Shop’ for aficionados of England’s finest Footwear.
They also have a great lowest price guarantee.If you see the shoes at a lower price just contact them and they will beat the low price on a like for like basis by 5%!
Plus they have a great offer for AskAndy Members. Free Shoe Cleaning Brushes with each order.Just put the Code SHAA2013 when you check out.
Their website, while not showcasing all of the models by the UK Shoemakers they work with (all are available – just contact them), is full of wonderful values, a fantastic selection, shoe care accessories and tips.
Company Director Richard is always ready to offer help and advice at info@shoehealer.co.uk
The post The Shoe Healer Ltd. appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
Had this handsome sport jacket made by Tailor of China!
It’s a two button, peak lapel made of pure wool, working button holes, beautiful wooden buttons, good looking silk lining, handmade armholes, and pick stitching. Brown herringbone with an attractive window pane check pattern of oranges.
Note the wooden buttons undone in the new “golf” style! 
I got this jacket in record time including sending them a jacket to copy!
They have a large number of skilled tailors who have been making clothing for over 20 years. The tailors have experience with both machine made and handmade garments.
They get high quality fabrics at a discount which saves money.
But the advantage is that they can make your design. Whatever you want. Just send them photos of the garment and/or fabrics or choose from their large selection on their website. Or do what I did and send them you’re favorite to copy.
Tailor of China is really easy to work with and respond to e-mails promptly.
Here are some photo of their shop.
The post Tailor of China appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12 !!
For all of you who are mothers, helped make someone a mother, or have a mother… get ready for Mother’s Day.
We all owe our success to Motherly Advice like…
M… is for the million things she gave me,
O… means only that she’s growing old,
T… is for the tears she shed to save me,
H… is for her heart of purest gold;
E… is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
R… means right, and right she’ll always be.
Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER,”
A word that means the world to me.
–Howard Johnson (c. 1915)
“Mother always said that honesty
was the best policy,
and money isn’t everything.
She was wrong about other things too.”
– Gerald Barza
Here are some great gift ideas from:
SEPHORA has great Mother’s Day Gifts from Philosophy, Dolce & Gabbana, Clinique, and
more – plus 3-day free standard shipping
1800FLOWERS has free standard shipping and no service charge
Mother’s Day History
The earliest festivals for honoring the mother figure are pre-Christian in origins, and entwined with the springtime cycle of new life and rebirth. The ancient Greeks celebrated a day in spring to honor in honor of the wife of Cronus, Rhea, the Mother of all of the gods and goddesses.
Early Christians held a springtime festival in honor of Mary the mother of Jesus. As the Christian faith spread through Europe, this practice was carried with it and this celebration of the Mother of Christ was gradually extended to the Mother Church and, eventually, to honor all mothers.
Mothering Sunday has been celebrated in Britain on the fourth Sunday in Lent since at least the 16th century. The custom possibly originated in the church festival of “Refreshment Sunday” when everyone was expected to revisit the church in which they were baptized, their “mother church.”
Many people worked away from home as servants in the homes of the wealthy so had to be given a day off to visit their home church and were encouraged to return to their homes and spend the day with their mothers. Eventually this became the prime purpose of Mothering Sunday.
A special cake, called the mothering cake, was often brought along to provide a festive touch.
In the United States, Boston poet, pacifist and Suffragette Julia Ward Howe, (May 27, 1819 to October 17, 1910) first suggested the idea of Mother’s Day in 1872 soon after the Franco-Prussian War.
Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, was born in New York City into a prominent family. She married American social reformer Samuel Gridley Howe in 1843 and moved to Boston. She wrote poems and plays and helped her husband edit The Commonwealth, an antislavery paper.
In 1861, during the Civil War, Howe visited military camps near Washington, D.C. There she was inspired to write “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” to be sung to the tune of the popular American song “John Brown’s Body.” It was published in the Atlantic Monthly two months later and became the major war song of the Union forces.
Howe envisioned that the day would be dedicated to peace, and would hold organized Mother’s Day meetings in Boston, Mass every year.
Anna Jarvis (1864-1948), born in Grafton, West Virginia is credited with bringing about the official observance of Mother’s Day. She was a spinster who was devoted to her mother, Anna Reese Jarvis who had, in the late 19th century, tried to establish “Mother’s Friendship Days” as a way to heal the scars of the Civil War.
Ms. Jarvis persuaded her mother’s church in Grafton, West Virginia to celebrate Mother’s Day in 1907 on the second anniversary of her mother’s death, the 2nd Sunday of May. Anna took red carnations, which were her mother’s favorite flower, to the church for the special service. She then persuaded the church to continue holding a Mother’s Day observance on the second Sunday of every May.
Ms. Jarvis and her supporters began a campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day by writing to ministers, businessman, and politicians. It was successful. By the next year Mother’s Day was also celebrated in Philadelphia. In 1910, West Virginia became the first state to recognize Mother’s Day and by 1911 the holiday was celebrated in almost every state. In May of the year 1913, the House of Representatives adopted a resolution that requested that the President and all other officials of the federal government wear a carnation on Mother’s Day. President Woodrow Wilson officially proclaimed Mother’s Day as a national holiday in 1914 to be held on the second Sunday of May.
But Jarvis’ accomplishment soon turned bitter for her. Enraged by the commercialization of the holiday, she filed a lawsuit to stop a 1923 Mother’s Day festival and was even arrested for disturbing the peace at a war mothers’ convention where women sold carnations to raise money. “This is not what I intended,” Jarvis said. “I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit!”
When she died in 1948, at age 84, Jarvis had become a woman of great ironies. Never a mother herself, her maternal fortune dissipated by her efforts to stop the commercialization of the holiday she had founded, Jarvis told a reporter shortly before her death that she was sorry she had ever started Mother’s Day. She spoke these words in a nursing home where every Mother’s Day her room had been filled with cards from all over the world.
As the American holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures, the date was changed to fit already existing celebrations honoring motherhood.
– Andy Gilchrist
Here are some great gift ideas.
The post Mother’s Day appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
I ordered these shoes and shirt from Johnston and Murphy.
The Angler Slip On. Tan Water-Resistant Leather/Beige Dri-Lex Mesh $140.00
It features Multiple drainage holes, which allow one-way water dispersal, while carbon mesh wicks water away from the foot to maintain dryness.
· Made of water-resistant leather and mesh with XC4 cushioning, plus a removable insole to adjust width from medium to wide.
· Sheepskin and Dri-Lex® fabric lining.
· Rubber sole. (Don’t know how the Beatles got involved but I always did like them!! )
The perfect shoe for Southern California casual.
The shirt is an easy care (no wrinkles) model in 100% cotton. I got the Blue Triple Check, only $98.00
The versatile pattern works with a necktie or just as a sport shirt.
· Specially finished to emerge from the dryer or suitcase virtually wrinkle free and retain a neatly pressed look throughout the day.
· Point collar, removable stays, chest pocket, two-button cuffs.
· Rounded shirttail hem.
· Machine wash.
As you know Johnston and Murphy is a well established American company started in 1850 in Newark, New Jersey. Originally called the William J. Dudley Shoe Company after the owner.
James Johnston joined the company as partner in 1880. When Dudley died the name was changed to James Johnson Company.
In 1885 William A. Murphy, a businessman bought into the company and it was renamed Johnston and Murphy.
The post Johnston and Murphy (more than shoes)! appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
I ordered a sport jacket, shirt and trousers from Ravi recently on his Los Angles visit.
And then I did the unpardonable to him! 
When I got home I looked in my closet and discovered a sport jacket very similar to the fabric pattern I had just ordered. Just a simple case of the customer not being prepared!!
(And, hey, it’s difficult to get in my closet to see what’s there! )
Well I looked at the Ravis Custom Tailor website and picked out some alternative fabrics, and then e-mailed them. I was afraid that the order was already in or they wouldn’t want to change to something I hadn’t actually looked at.
They could not have been nicer or more effective with their customer service. They immediately e-mailed me with some suggested fabric choices. I picked one and will be happy to share my reviews when the ensemble arrives.
Thanks Ravi for being so customer oriented!
Here are my sport jacket (a light weight plaid – brown and blue – with a spectacular lining!!) gray trousers that are wrinkle resistant and my blue check shirt.
All fit great, excellent attention to detail and I received all of these within a month of ordering! (unlike some recent experiences! ).
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Thank you Ravis Tailors!
The post Ravis Custom Tailor appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
Andy’s Encyclopedia of Men’s Clothes contains complete information on every article of men’s clothing: how to look your best, and garment history. PLUS there are chapters on fabrics, clothing care, foreign size conversions and grooming.
The post The Encyclopedia Of Men’s Clothes appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
Sunday, June 16, 2013 is Father’s Day!!
The celebration of Dad’s special day is credited to Sonora Smart Dodd, Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington State.
The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers came to Mrs. Dodd while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909.
Mrs. Dodd’s father, civil war veteran William Jackson Smart, was widowed when his wife died in childbirth.
Mr. Smart raised the newborn plus his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington State!
When Sonora Dodd became an adult she realized all the parental sacrifices that her father had made for the family.
The original date chosen for the holiday was June 5, her father’s birthday, however for some reason that date didn’t work out so she chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father’s Day, and in 1926, a National Father’s Day Committee was formed in New York City.
Father’s Day was even recognized by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1956, but it never became official until 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson signed the presidential proclamation that set aside the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day.
Father’s Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all to be honored on Father’s Day.
The post Father’s Day appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
What a great concept – you can be your own shoe designer! The process is even fun. There are so many different choices so you can have the exact combination of colors where you want them on your shoes.
Look at the process here http://www.itailor.com/designshoes
And the price of your designed custom shoes is only $119. Want a better deal? For limited time use this coupon and get 30% off Coupon Code : AskAndy30
I went though and came up with these. I was going for a unique fashion forward look, like nothing I had in the shoe wardrobe. I’m pleased with the fit, the quality for such a low price (you can get several). I might have gone for a less pointy toe, but otherwise I’m happy with these.
They arrived quickly in a good looking box with velvet cloth shoe covers.
Why not design some for your friends!
A little hard to see in my photo, but the sole of the shoe says “Designed by Andy Gilchrist”! I think I’m going to order another pair!
The post NEW from iTailor.com — iShoes appeared first on Ask Andy About Clothes.
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