MASTER OF YOUR DOMAIN: DRESSING AT HOME
Now that we’ve been ensconced (against our collective will) in our homes, we all have interior dressing strategies. I hope this strategy does not involve sweatpants or anything with an elastic waistband. There’s a way to be comfortable without being sartorially depraved. Even on the inside you have to keep up appearances, for the sake of morale.
I like clothing that feels domestic. Perhaps a sweater or shirt has had its time in the sun, and now it’s retired to the fireside. There’s nothing wrong with that. Wear it while you read Cheever’s diaries and enjoy Darjeeling tea from a favorite chipped cup (the equivalent of a sweater with worn-out elbows). That’s what we’re talking about here. Not only are you the duke of domesticity, you might also learn about what clothes work when you reemerge vaccinated to meet with your adoring public.
So what’s good at home?
-The Big Cardigan. I don’t know if this happened as I got older, but there is nothing more important than a big, and I mean big, cardigan. It really functions more like a robe. Generally, I don’t like wearing robes, in a robe you’re not dressed and I like being dressed. The cardigan is the enlightened alternative. A huge shawl collar, preferably with some length to it so it goes below your waist. Polo used to make great cable-knit cardigans about every other year, they don’t do that so much any more, but keep you eye out on eBay or if you visit Crowley Vintage. I’m thinking burgundy or hunter green, but you might even try pale yellow if you’re feeling sinister. Drake’s makes them every season to great effect.
-Roomy Corduroys. I don’t want to get distracted by the pure evil that are sweatpants. I’d rather focus on the positive. There are plenty of generously cut cords and chinos that are very comfortable in the upright or lying down positions. I have been enjoying these hearty J. Press cordsthat are cut on the full side (made in America and currently on sale). This is not a tailored silhouette if you’re promenading across Florence. But it’s ideal for the home front.
-Retired Flannel. Sometimes your trousers wear out or suffer some other injury and have to be retired from active duty. But that doesn’t mean you cast them off—on the contrary! They can be patched, re-sewn or lovingly mended in some ingenious way. I think it’s very elegant for the next life a pair of flannels to be worn around the home. A few scars give them personality, which is for the good.
-An Experimental Shirt. While scouring eBay, have you found an L.L. Bean chamois shirt in a curious discontinued color? Or an ancient Polo Country chambray with an aggressively large collar? Maybe a gingham shirt with an intriguing burgundy check? This is your chance to get comfortable with something old that might become your next new love.
-Destroyed Velvet Slippers. Wearing slippers for the first time or any sort of Belgian shoe is generally going to be a leap—that’s why they communicate a sense of fearlessness. Sometimes you need to get your courage up in private, which makes perfect sense. I’m not a big fan of monograms or images on slippers, they seem too precious or thematic (I am against precious and thematic dressing). If they’re completely worn in, however, that’s a different matter. You can break a new pair in yourself, like these beauties. But if you find a pair of old green velvet slippers give them a shot. You’re joining a great tradition of velvet footwear from prime ministers to generals to poets. You never know, it might be the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
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Thanks!
DC.