RECTOVERSO: Friday Night Date Night

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Friday Night Date Night—What To Wear

The middle aged dating world continues to be an interesting one. Wait…that’s an understatement…it’s crazy. Having been recently kicked to the curb, I dusted myself off and made public my once-again availability. After the usual Old Town guffaws and heckles, my amour constituency made themselves known.

But what to wear on date number two with said lucky constituent? Le Refuge warrants a sport coat even though it’s a bit down-market but still fun...in a tacky bistro kind of way. As I think of it, most every situation warrants, at least for me, a sport coat.

So here’s the Friday night rig. Flusser navy blazer…the old three/two open patch single breasted peak. Sounds kinda like an extinct falcon.

Brooks Brothers Peale spectators. These are getting better with each season but they've been a _itch to break-in.

If the house was on fire what belt would I take LFG Father’s Day 2010 Tiffany buckled strap kept everything reined in. Till later.

Flusser pink diagonal tone-on-tone button down with monogrammed irrelevance…

Two button barrel “cowboy cuffs” as I call them. I think I've mentioned before that there was a time when I’d simply see something that Alan was wearing and I’d say…”make that for me please”. My navy linen blazer with the striped sleeve lining is an example of me aping Flusser’s personal idiosyncrasies. So why didn't I wear said blazer on Friday night? I wore it on the first date with this lucky, lucky gal.

We were at dinner one night in DC and Alan had on said navy linen blazer with the sleeves turned back, a striped sleeve lining exposed and showcasing this odd looking barrel cuff. And lookie here. I found (…and for the life of me can’t relocate where I found this picture or I’d give attribution…and I’ll do so when I track down the source) this picture of Alan kitted out in exactly what I’m trying to articulate here. Butcept the linen coat he’s wearing is a lighter color. Might have to be my next Fluss-procurement.

Difficult to see the uniqueness of the cuff unless it’s on the wrist and this Flusser shot captures the cuff oddity perfecto. 2011—A Cuff Oddity. Shut the ….

The man has no equal…style wise. Do not argue this with me.

Berle…formerly a Charleston, South Carolina pant maker…slightly narrower seersucker…hemmed a little too short…on purpose…no cuffs. Washed-Stoned and Beaten…the Berle trouser prep process sounds a bit like some Masonic Ritual or a level of kink that flat-out wouldn't interest me. Whatever.

So my kit was tight. The night was fun. What I can’t remember is how all of my clothes ended up outside…on the Minimus Veranda.

Which leads me to last night. Dinner at home. I’m a decent cook but I don’t seek style points. So unlike Elegantologist and occasionally G-Man over at An Affordable Wardrobe, I don’t photograph my culinary efforts. And before you ask…yes, it was another date. But last night’s visitor is an old friend who likes my cooking and is never too critical about my lack of culinary aesthetics.

And I was still hurting from Friday night’s amnestic twilight veranda tussle so it was a miracle that I concocted anything. But my brand new, Summer 2011 Go-To-Hell trousers seemed to compensate for my being slightly off the proverbial game.

Swordfish…damned expensive these days and certainly not the bargain that LFG and I manifest when we eat mid-week pedestrian tilapia.

Garlic, basil, coriander, red pepper, black and green olives, capers, tomatoes, scallions…let it sweat amidst olive oil and just a smidge of caper brine. Sear the swordfish…no salt-no pepper-no nothing on the fish steaks. The acidic mélange offers enough flavor. Smother the fish with the Maxminimus Mélange and bake for twenty minutes at about 350 degrees.