18 December 2013

Free Stuff: Accessories from Gentleman's Gazette

Firstly, my apologies for the long gaps between posts, and also for returning with a review of free goods. Ye Olde Holiday Tyme doth keep a man of my ilk, that being he of two jobs (both retail) and two wee children, more than awfully busy. But alas, I do digress.

Readers of this blog may well be familiar with the internet presence of Gentleman's Gazette, a men's style blog authored by Sven Raphael Schneider. He has recently parlayed his blog notoriety into an online shop selling fine men's accessories; neckties, pocket squares, et cetera. I was recently asked to review a few of his products, as well as the shopping experience at the web site.
First up is this two tone knitted silk tie. Available in a variety of colors, I chose brown/orange to complement a tweed jacket that has an orange line in the overcheck. The tie is well constructed and soft, with a nice delicate sheen to it. I also dig the contrasting end weave of the front and back blades. 

Let me here admit the difficulty I face in writing an article such as this. As an inveterate thrift shopper and therefore cheapskate, I have amassed over the years a wide selection of excellent ties for little more than $2.99 apiece or so. This tie sells for $85. I am certainly not in the habit of spending anything like that for neck wear, but it helps to remember that as things go, a tie of this quality usually sells for more than this. In that regard, it has merit. Also, it's a really nice tie and I like it.
Next, a linen square with a hand rolled edge and trim stripe in green. The linen is high quality and the construction very good, and I will likely get a lot of use from this piece. Again, not in my usual price range, but at $35, well in line with the current scene. ( or so I'm told. I generally get pocket squares in a bin full of ladies scarves in a thrift shop for a dollar or two)
Lastly, a yellow silk "carnation". Gentleman's Gazette offers a number of these silk lapel flowers in all types. At $30 a pop, this is the one item I'd most likely splurge on. From a step or two back it looks real enough, it's crazy dandy, and it doesn't get killed under an overcoat like a real flower would. I may not be one to wear a lapel flower often, but I suppose that if it were a daily habit, having a few good silk numbers like these would be a huge advantage.

As I said before, these things are expensive and given that this is mostly a blog about High Cheap, reviewing items like these while keeping in the spirit of the blog can be difficult. But it helps to remember that I couldn't thrift shop so well if I didn't know what the good stuff was. This is some of the good stuff, at a fair version of good stuff price. 

As for the shopping experience, the website work pretty seamlessly and the items arrived in less than a week. I give Sven points for running a tight operation and offering a fun selection that is clearly of consistent high quality.

5 comments:

Pigtown*Design said...

"I couldn't thrift shop so well if I didn't know what the good stuff was" Got it in one! That's how I get such great things at thrift shops that others just pass right by!

Young Fogey said...

"I couldn't thrift shop so well if I didn't know what the good stuff was."

Well said, indeed!

One of the volunteers at a thrift store I frequent said much the same thing to me the other day. She noted that I always got the good stuff before anyone else did. Well, I'm sure I miss some things, but I'm just as sure that I'm doing a better job of sorting the wheat from the chaff than most. A large part of the reason is the fine work that you do here, G. Thank you.

Andy Gilchrist said...

Looking very dapper Joe!! I wish you would post over on our Ask Andy forums, you would be made very welcome. If any of your readers need to know more about ties I have a chapter that they could read in my Ask Andy Encyclopedia. Regards, Andy.

Anonymous said...

Hate to say this, with Xmas a sniff away, but through the many years I have read your posts, this ranks amongst the most boring. Sorry. I know it's nice getting new stuff (I love it too), but this one was ditchwater dull.

But of course one bad apple...

Sam

Joe said...

Sam.

Your comment is appreciated. I find that while I do enjoy the occasional free gift as a result of this blog, writing about it can be the most difficult thing for me to do. Given the overall tone of the blog, it's not easy to say good things about pricey new stuff.

Dissenting comment is always welcome, so long as the language is not offensive. I thank you Sam for speaking your mind. Truth be told, I'm inclined to agree with you on this one.