Around the office, it has just been brought to my attention, I am known for wearing what has been dubbed a 'Gordon Gekko shirt,' named after a character in the movie Wall Street (1987). A light blue shirt with contrasting white spread collar, it looks like the Ben Silver shirt in the photograph. Mine, however, is a Land's End Custom experiment from two years ago. The cuffs, it should be noted, match the rest of the body. This is crucial. I avoid dress shirts with both contrasting white collar and cuffs, as I find the look too formal and pretentious; in fact I believe that such shirts, like cufflinks in general, should not be worn by men under the age of 50. I wear the 'Gordon Gekko shirt' with stand-out, brightly-coloured foulard and repp ties from Brooks Brothers and the overall effect combined with my bearing evidently remind young observers of a chap from Wall Street. Which, I suppose, is better than being mistaken for an Army officer, cop, or Russian gangster, which happens to me outside of the office rather more often than you would think. Speaking of Wall Street the movie, the upcoming sequel is all the buzz on trading floors and offices from New York to Los Angeles:Photograph © Ben Silver
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I got taken for an army officer the other day by a butcher. When I asked him why he thought so, he said it was my clean-cut appearance and my enunciation. (Yes, a butcher who uses the word "enunciation"). There was a time when that appearance and manner of speaking would have been associated with a teacher.
Hello Laguna Beach Trad,
and greetings from Finland.
You don't need to publish this comment, this is just to let you know that the Aesthetic Traditionalist blog is updated again after a needed hiatus. If you see fit, add the AT to your links.
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Markku
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I agree with your assessment on contrasting cuffs and collars in modern suiting for the most part. They can look good, but like pocket squares on suits, I believe that they are best worn by seasoned professionals as they confer a sense seniority and accomplishment. Soft ceiling of mid-forties or some serious management street-creed to substitute. I was gifted a very nice Robert Talbot shirt, light blue, with white pencil stripes, along with a medium spread contrasting collar and white French cuffs. I sported once with a suit to work and felt like an used tampon. Never again. However, I do wear it with jeans for casual nights spent bar hopping, because it is too nice of shirt to be neglected. The tension of an uber nice dress shirt intended for arrogant bankers paired with some well-worn jeans and scuffed loafers seems to be the only it can be worn by me. Plus, I don't get it pressed anymore.
I do diverge with you on cufflinks. Watches, cufflinks, belt buckles, and a wedding bands are the only acceptable forms of jewelry a self-respecting man can wear. I happen to vacillate on how often I wear them, but I think an understated pair of cufflinks can make a young aspiring buck look more professional and can lend him a sense of sartorial competence. Assuming they aren’t to decorative or snazzy. I’ll maintain to right to sport them on occasion.
As for Wall Street II, while I welcome the revival of Gordon Gecko, there is something I find infinitely annoying about that Shia LoBoeff character. Thus far, the jury is out. I’ll probably need a drink or two to get in the theater.
I became obsessed with finding a horizontal striped spread collar shirt after seeing Wall Street.
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