clothing inspiration from dad

My dad and I aren't very similar when it comes to clothing preferences.  But there have been a few things over the years that have both impressed me and rubbed off on me.

Corduroy: When I was little, I remember my dad wearing corduroy pants to work a lot.  In his job he was over a chain of restaurants and in that position he did everything from hiring managers to replacing water heaters.  Consequently he had to wear something that could be both rugged for working on the roof as well as clean and classy for meeting with people.  I don't know how others see corduroy; frankly, I don't care how others see them, because that's how they'll always be in my mind.   I've almost always had one pair of them in my wardrobe; probably because they remind me of him.  My last pair died a year ago, and I've been keeping my eyes open for the next pair to come along.

Ties:  My dad has worn his fair share of ties in his life; and they've all been maroon.  As far back as I can remember, he has always preferred them to ties of any other color.  He'll get new ones for Fathers' Day or at other occasions where gifts are appropriate, so they're generally up with current trends in neckwear, but they're always the same color.  Now, I must say that I've never really wanted to go with one color only, but I do respect sticking to something that works for you.  If it ain't broke...


Loafers:  My dad doesn't really wear loafers much, but a few years back he gave me a pair of his shoes that I absolutely loved (as seen in this post).  Normally I would never take a pair of used shoes (yuck!), but for some reason, I was ok with getting some from my dad.  They've been a little under the weather lately, but I'm trying to come up with ways to fix them.  They're a treasure to my closet.


Accessories:  I don't think that he'd like to hear them called accessories, but there are a few things that he is never to be found without: a Victorinox mini pocketknife and a Casio watch.  

(Images from casio.com and swissarmy.com)

He's been through a lot of watches and has probably lost a dozen of those little knives to airport security, but I think that he'll sport them for many years to come.  They're just so blasted practical!  I've tried to carry one of those pocketknives before, but after loosing my third one after 3 days of carrying it, I'm done.

I'll stop there and spare you from any more sentiment, but I think that it's important to grab inspiration from others even if they don't match your personal style.  I don't think that I'll dump out all of my non-maroon ties anytime soon, but I'll definitely hold on to those loafers that he gave me for as long as possible.
Wear it well,
Adam