Words of Wisdom

"Style fills the gap between how you see yourself and how you want other people to see you."

-Scott Sternberg, Band of Outsiders

Photos from the Depression: Part Five

Simple. And honest.

I'm not sure why, but the unbuttoned cuff caught my eye.

Photos from the Depression: Part Four

If you've ever wondered where much of men's clothing today takes its cues from, look no further.

Sometimes it's hard to believe that this picture is from the 1930s, but then I remind myself that few men today are as tough as this guy.

Is it me, or does that hat have a bullet hole in it?

Photos from the Depression: Part Three

The kid on the left is wearing braces long before parents dressed their kids like little adults.

This is around the time kids had to wear braces to fit into their hand-me-downs. Still, he looks a whole lot better than most kids today.

Photos from the Depression: Part Two

These men worked the rail roads in Chicago. Now that's a tough-as-nails job.

Working in those conditions doesn't afford many opportunities for style, but you can can see where style met function in the 1930s.

The scarves & hankerchiefs these men are wearing kept the cold out, and probably reminded them of the more civilized life they hoped their kids would enjoy.

Photos from the Depression: Part One

I recently found the Library of Congress' flickr account. It's full of great photos from the depression era.

The men in these photos all had it tough. Not, I-don't-have-health-care tough, but, I-might-not-have-a-place-to-sleep tough. Living through that is something to respect.

These guys are wearing clothes that work for them, not out of vanity but out of necessity. I also imagine that they tried to make what they wore reflect their personality - in short, I think it's clear these guys have style.

This gentleman was a migratory farmer in New Mexico. Today, the only place you'd see blue and white stripes on a shirt is in an office. I see a lot of bankers wearing them.

My point is, this guy worked in the field day after day, but he looked damn good doing it. And that's also something to respect.

White House Style

[via White House flickr]

Popular opinion says the White House hasn't been stylish since Kennedy.

Whether or not you like the traditional style personified by some of our more recent Presidents and their staff, you have to tip your hat (if you've got one) to Eugene Kang, Special Assistant to the President. He's got a sense of style.

This is the first modern-cut suit I've seen in the White House, and one of the rare ones in D.C., a town dominated by sack-suit stores such as Brooks Brothers and J.Press.

There is nothing amazing about his tie & shirt selection, but the suit cut speaks loudly enough.