More from Ralph

[eagle2250]

What!!??? No more Strategic Air Command? LOL, are we open to attack from the dreaded Russkies? Or the Chinese?

I read a fascinating article some time ago in the Sunday New York Times Magazine about how one of the unused silos for the ICBMs had been converted into multi-level residential flats for the very wealthy, as hideouts in case of nuclear catastrophe. They were actually small communities built into the silos, with schools, libraries and shops, even a bar and a cinema built in! A two-bedroom flat could cost a cool two million. As soon as the catastrophe struck, you could fly into the area and be helicoptered to the silo location. I have always loved architecture and unique homes, and the whole idea appealed to me from that perspective. But who would want to live in a world that bleak? Here is a website:

https://survivalcondo.com/

You have to admit that there is a bit of poetic irony here -- a survival condo in a disused missile silo! Nice touch. And now, you can have a taste of this style of living for $49 per night, in Kansas:

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/248469...1613313324_V4gV22f3DCJpBDRK&guests=1&adults=1

Having pulled 408 Strategic Alert Tours with the 509th SMS and with three years of those tours performed when two day alerts were the order of the day, I'm guessing I've spent something in the neighborhood of 720 days living approximately 100 feet under the Missouri countryside, behind 8 and 5 ton blast doors in little bits of domestic heaven as you see pictured below. The paint schemes left a lot to be desired ("there are green ones and green ones and green ones; and theyre all made out of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same!") and the sound of the cooling air coming off all those equipment racks could be distracting, but the space was small enough to be described as decidedly cozy and the USAF paid me to do it! Can't get much better than that.

However, having done that I would never pay $2M for a two bedroom apt in a decommissioned silo or even a modest $49 to stay in one for even a single night. LOL.

PS: This picture was taken more that 30 years after I completed that assignment. The weapon system had been decommissioned as part of one of the Salt Agreements, the 509th SMS had been deactivated and the control center you are looking at was turned into a museum tour at Whiteman AFB, MO. There is nothing classified about the picture you were looking at

 

[drpeter]

Finally, we get to take a good look at all of you, my dear friend! I often wonder what members of our group here actually look like.

I can understand your reluctance about one of those apartments, but I confess I am a bit of a claustrophile when it comes to living spaces. I enjoy the idea of being able to fit essential things into small spaces. But my own habits of excess (books, stamps, clothes, even bicycles) require not one but two apartments. If I had the resources, I would rent a second flat just to house the overflow, LOL.

 

[Fading Fast]

 

[eagle2250]

View attachment 54694

A workable look for Ralph, but I seriously doubt that many of the rest of us could pull it off. That is a pinstriped suit coat he is wearing? Just thinkin!

 

[Vecchio Vespa]

A workable look for Ralph, but I seriously doubt that many of the rest of us could pull it off. That is a pinstriped suit coat he is wearing? Just thinkin!

I am not convinced he pulled it off.

 

[drpeter]

@eagle2250 Of course we can pull it off. I don't think Ralph looks that good in this picture. I am sure, having seen your photograph, that you could pull it off and look better than Ralph.

I think the trouble is that we create an aura around a human being that blows his image (and his ego, perhaps) all out of proportion. We see the Ralph in our heads, not the Ralph in the street, with shabby jeans and a suit coat. The other day, I put on a pair of old, but still crisp khakis and a white oxford cloth shirt, and topped it with a single-breasted black dinner jacket I'd thrifted from somewhere for a song. That ensemble, equally transgressive (if that's the right word) looked perfectly fine. And I am an unknown person, not Ralph Lauren.

 

[Fading Fast]

Beyond that I hate the obvious pinstripe suit jacket being used as a sport coat (a heavy-flannel wide-spaced chalk-stripe one could work as a stand-alone sport coat), the jacket and striped T-shirt don't work well together at all.

That said, as noted by others, "fashion" people can get away with things we mere mortals cannot because they are expected to be outre. I have a friend in fashion and she does some extreme stuff to my eye, but then I've met her with her co-workers and they all do it so it looks almost normal in that context.

I also think Ralph is a bit old for some of the stuff he tries. It's not that he has to dress like a granddad, but he could leave the more youthful push-the-envelope stuff to the younger guys. How cool would Ralph look if he fully embraced his own Purple Label line and became an elegant dresser who looked like one of those 1930s Esquire illustrations, which clearly inspired his Purple Label line anyway.

He could play in that sandbox - do some fresh or unique things there, but in the context of a well-dressed by traditional standards man.

 

[Tweedlover]

Nope, the look doesn't work for me. Seems like nearly every photo I see of him in some sport coat or even suit jacket, he's wearing jeans. I think the jeans and jacket look only works with some jackets and only with a darker jean hue.

 

[Old Road Dog]

I would hazard that RL doesn't care what we think. We are not his customer, as he clearly shows in his advertising.

 

[Fading Fast]

I've been a Ralph customer for over thirty years now, but always selectively as he has some great items and some odd ones as we see in this thread regularly.

When I was a regular suit buyer, I bought from his MTM program almost every year as the Blue Label MTM is decent value, has outstanding tailoring and the suits all but never wore out.

I have sport coats, shirts, suits (as noted), overcoats, sweaters, trousers, chinos, shoes, boots, ties and this and that item all from Ralph. Overall, I've been very happy with his merchandise. At full price (blue label in particular), it's not a steal, but usually is fair value and on sale it's usually very good value.

The funny thing is, most of the clothes in the stores - even his flagship, which is only a few blocks from my apartment - are more normal than a lot of the things we see in his advertisements and in this thread.

 

[Vecchio Vespa]

I've been a Ralph customer for over thirty years now, but always selectively as he has some great items and some odd ones as we see in this thread regularly.

When I was a regular suit buyer, I bought from his MTM program almost every year as the Blue Label MTM is decent value, has outstanding tailoring and the suits all but never wore out.

I have sport coats, shirts, suits (as noted), overcoats, sweaters, trousers, chinos, shoes, boots, ties and this and that item all from Ralph. Overall, I've been very happy with his merchandise. At full price (blue label in particular), it's not a steal, but usually is fair value and on sale it's usually very good value.

The funny thing is, most of the clothes in the stores - even his flagship, which is only a few blocks from my apartment - are more normal than a lot of the things we see in his advertisement and in this thread.

My son is both tall and long waisted. He has several XLT polos from Ralph, and they are quite nice. Great colors. He had a pair of RL jeans that were quite nice, too. In the early nineties I had some RL suits, shirts, and ties. They were the nicest stuff I saw in Austin. I used to love his store in the Houston Galleria. He always had beautiful goods that were quite in line with TNSIL tastes along with the goofy items like Teddy bear sweaters. His shoes were gorgeous. He offered a tassel loafer with braided trim. If I hadn't been loaded up with Aldens that were only a few years old, they would have lured me in for sure!

 

[Tweedlover]

I've been a Ralph customer for over thirty years now, but always selectively as he has some great items and some odd ones as we see in this thread regularly.

When I was a regular suit buyer, I bought from his MTM program almost every year as the Blue Label MTM is decent value, has outstanding tailoring and the suits all but never wore out.

I have sport coats, shirts, suits (as noted), overcoats, sweaters, trousers, chinos, shoes, boots, ties and this and that item all from Ralph. Overall, I've been very happy with his merchandise. At full price (blue label in particular), it's not a steal, but usually is fair value and on sale it's usually very good value.

The funny thing is, most of the clothes in the stores - even his flagship, which is only a few blocks from my apartment - are more normal than a lot of the things we see in his advertisements and in this thread.

I'd love to afford RL, but have only 3 pieces of Polo-2 dressier shirts, (a lovely and unique gray glen plaid and a white with medium blue stripes), and a very nice green tartan scarf. 1 of the shirts was passed along to me by a friend and the other 2 items were thrifted. So, none were bought new. All 3 have a much smaller and therefore more tasteful polo player logo on them

 

[Fading Fast]

 

[eagle2250]

I'd love to afford RL, but have only 3 pieces of Polo-2 dressier shirts, (a lovely and unique gray glen plaid and a white with medium blue stripes), and a very nice green tartan scarf. 1 of the shirts was passed along to me by a friend and the other 2 items were thrifted. So, none were bought new. All 3 have a much smaller and therefore more tasteful polo player logo on them

Twedlovers experience with Ralph seems closer to my own experience. Over the years I've bought a fair number of sport shirts, chinos, a couple of their storm coats (you know, those Oh-so-gaudy/noticeable bright yellow or orange foul weather gear!), and a variety of accessories. But I have never bought one of their suits. For me, those came from Brooks Brothers and Hart Shaffner and Marx.

 

[Tweedlover]

Twedlovers experience with Ralph seems closer to my own experience. Over the years I've bought a fair number of sport shirts, chinos, a couple of their storm coats (you know, those Oh-so-gaudy/noticeable bright yellow or orange foul weather gear!), and a variety of accessories. But I have never bought one of their suits. For me, those came from Brooks Brothers and Hart Shaffner and Marx.

I've had a couple of Hart, Shaffner, and Marx sport coats, 1 being a thrifted camel hair jacket with such soft fabric. When I retired I kept the latter jacket.

 

[Vecchio Vespa]

Twedlovers experience with Ralph seems closer to my own experience. Over the years I've bought a fair number of sport shirts, chinos, a couple of their storm coats (you know, those Oh-so-gaudy/noticeable bright yellow or orange foul weather gear!), and a variety of accessories. But I have never bought one of their suits. For me, those came from Brooks Brothers and Hart Shaffner and Marx.

Back in the height of my suit days I was generally a completely Brooks customer, but I bought one olive worsted Polo. It did not have the comfort of a Golden Fleece or even a 346 and got very little wear. Fast forward to the nineties and moving to Austin. Brooks was, for the hard core Trad, already dead. A little shop here offered Corbin and some Polo items. There was no other way short of mail order. I quickly resorted to telephoning J. Press when I needed suits or odd jackets (or most anything else). Their sales were wonderful. I still love them despite their MIC twist (caveat emptor). I prefer O'Connell's. The only PRL I see is a marked out section in stores like Macy's or Dillard's, and the offerings are mainly casual wear like polos, shorts, swim trunks, sweaters, caps, and a few items of outerwear. No tailored items and no shoes seem to show up there.

 

[Tweedlover]

Back in the height of my suit days I was generally a completely Brooks customer, but I bought one olive worsted Polo. It did not have the comfort of a Golden Fleece or even a 346 and got very little wear. Fast forward to the nineties and moving to Austin. Brooks was, for the hard core Trad, already dead. A little shop here offered Corbin and some Polo items. There was no other way short of mail order. I quickly resorted to telephoning J. Press when I needed suits or odd jackets (or most anything else). Their sales were wonderful. Instill love them despite their MIC twist (caveat emptor). I prefer O'Connell's. The only PRL I see is a marked out section in stores like Macy's or Dillard's, and the offerings are mainly casual wear like polos, shorts, swim trunks, sweaters, caps, and a few items of outerwear. No tailored items and no shoes seem to show up there.

I'd never heard of O'Connells til I joined up here. Have since perused their site and they do have wonderful pieces-but way too "rich for my blood." Then, again, I'm not in the market for clothes as I have closets- full stuffed with them. Other than a pair of jeans bought last fall, haven't bought any clothing items for some years, new or thrifted. Probably won't buy any unless I find a really interesting piece thrifting. Though, when my undies give way again, guess I'll need more of them.

 

[fred johnson]

For years I too was a PRL man, buying everything from that label I could afford, including my first forward pleated trousers. I have since gone back to J Press for anything needed beyond the basics and have gotten rid of all the RL stuff except for some older khakis, some socks, a few ties and some plain point dress shirts. I don't even thrift his stuff anymore.

 

[Tweedlover]

Guess I should qualify that when I said I wasn't in the market for clothes. The 1 item of clothing I've long coveted and still do is a waistcoat made entirely of tweed. Certainly can find them online, but cannot and would not shell out the hundreds needed to obtain it. Now, if that thrifting unicorn ever showed up in good condition, I'd be all over it in a nanosecond.

 

[Vecchio Vespa]

Guess I should qualify that when I said I wasn't in the market for clothes. The 1 item of clothing I've long coveted and still do is a waistcoat made entirely of tweed. Certainly can find them online, but cannot and would not shell out the hundreds needed to obtain it. Now, if that thrifting unicorn ever showed up in good condition, I'd be all over it in a nanosecond.

I rather liked the tattersall one on sale at J. Peterman.