Sunday, August 30, 2009

End Of The Affair

I wanted this suit for years. Every summer edition of the J. Peterman catalog, there it was. Pale tan seersucker. Much more subtle than the blue seersucker suits of my past. I could not imagine any summer suit more elegant. But, rather expensive. So every year I would plan my courtship. Wait until the end of summer sale with its huge reductions. Every year, it sold out before I could make it mine.

Until this year. I took possession of my dream summer suit two days ago. The fabric is marvelous. The tailoring impeccable. The jacket fit me like bespoke. But. When I put on the trousers, there was....well.....just too many stripes. All over me. I gaped at myself in the mirror. How could this happen? This was my ultimate summer suit!

Then an awful epiphany. There apparently comes a time where one is neither young nor old enough to wear seersucker. The brashness of youth is past. The solid confidence of golden years yet to come. With a sigh I took off my long-pursued summer tans. Placed them reverently back in the container. And shipped them right back to Kentucky.

Sometimes, the chase is the thing. Not the capture. At least I have a very dapper black linen suit which remains to carry the Epic sartorial flag until Labor Day.
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11 comments:

  1. MeAugust 30, 2009 at 10:42 AM

    how true... sometimes it is about the chase. and the inevitability of some dreams being just that... dreams. great writing :-)

    on another note: thank you for your kind words on my 6S piece. though, not sure i have the wherewithal/talent for a full novel!

    cheers...r

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  2. TurlingAugust 30, 2009 at 1:09 PM

    I have wanted a seersucker suit for some time. However, I believe you summed up quite well why I should wait. And, by wait, I mean waaaaiiiiittttt.......... a very long time.

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  3. ~Tessa~ScoffsAugust 30, 2009 at 2:11 PM

    This post hit home with me. I can fully understand falling in love with something in a catalog and wanting it for years...only to find it is not meant to be. "A thing of beauty" and all that jazz. I may be out of touch but I'm not surprised the seersucker didn't work for you. The "you" that I have experienced seems like more of a "solid color" man. Make sense?

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  4. M.LaneAugust 30, 2009 at 9:18 PM

    Rashmi, thank you! What a compliment! I hope you enjoy what you find at The Epic. I have an idea to follow up on that 6s piece...

    Turling, good to see your comment! As I recall, you live on the West Coast too, where you may have to be rather old to carry off the look.

    Mrs. Scoffs, you are right. Sigh. I love my solids (dark now that my hair has lost almost all of its auburn hue and gone dark brown/black)and pin stripes. I'm sticking with them. I did have a seersucker suit some years ago, but then I live in the Deep South and it was pretty typical. Oh well...

    ML

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  5. BenAugust 31, 2009 at 8:52 AM

    Respectfully, I must disagree with your final decision. And I don't disagree with you too often.

    New suits always suffer the worst criticisms from its wearer. No one looking at you wearing it is THAT close to notice the stripes. I thought seersucker was mandatory in the south for any gentleman between the age of 14 and 114.

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  6. M.LaneSeptember 1, 2009 at 9:37 PM

    Ben, I thought the same. But I just couldn't handle the way I looked in it and I had to pull the rip cord. Thanks for the comment!!

    ML

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  7. tintinSeptember 2, 2009 at 4:13 PM

    Ben is dead on. As usual.

    It's Seersucker. Not Cocksucker. You have a few more days. Wear it! It's just like marriage. You'll get used to it in no time.

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  8. PetuniaSeptember 2, 2009 at 5:23 PM

    Couldn't you just keep the jacket?
    I could see that possibly the entire suit might have too many stripes, but the jacket alone would be lovely!

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  9. M.LaneSeptember 2, 2009 at 8:16 PM

    I am STILL laughing Tintin.

    But I have to go with Petunia on this as she is the most stylish of ladies. I will keep the jacket on her recommendation.

    I have worn seersucker many times before. I have no fear of seersucker. I once [in a much smaller size] had a VERY natty double breasted blue number of which I was very proud. But I tell one and all that I knew looking at myself that there were just too many elevations of [admittedly very pale] seers in this suit. Or suckers. Or whatever. The time had passed. The affair had to end.

    Thank you my friends for your visits and comments!! As always.

    M

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  10. DAMSeptember 3, 2009 at 4:51 AM

    That is so unfortunate, because as you know, I love seersucker and wish the world to wear it every Thursday between Memorial and Labor Day.

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  11. M.LaneSeptember 5, 2009 at 3:14 PM

    Dickie, thanks so much for the visit and comment! I hope to see you back often since by your profile I can tell we have a LOT in common.

    I was shocked that I hated how I looked in this suit. I just knew I wouldn't wear it.

    ML

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