Catching Up IV -- May 20 through May 23

There really aren't any overly notable ties in this set of conglomerations. The bottom two are Jos A Bank Signatures. The second one up may actually be a Signature Gold model but I can't quite remember. Only four? Yes! It was the week before vacation and by the time Friday rolled around I was already on vacation mentally so I took Friday off too. That's also the reason for the simple conglomerations. I was thinking more about conglomerating shorts and t-shirts.

Catching Up III -- May 13 through May 20

Two neckties of note in this series -- second up from the bottom and second down from the top. Both are Ferrell Reed City of London. Both are skinnier than I tend to like and both have a somewhat vintage feel to them. The bottom one of the two was mistakenly sent to New York first by the Ebay seller. She apologized and sent a decidedly vintage tie along as well. I'm not quite sure I'm up for a tie that wild but I may give it a shot anyway. What have I got to lose?

The other ties are pretty standard fair. The third conglomeration down from the top is one I'll be wearing again. I really like how it turned out. I like the colors and stained glass pattern of the top tie but the tie itself has seen better days. It's an older Jos A Bank Signature.

Catching Up II -- May 6 through May 11

There are a few things to note for this week. My specific necktie searching finally paid off a bit. The bottom picture in this conglomeration of conglomerations is the first tie I was looking for -- something different to pair up with my charcoal pinstripe suit. I visited with a salesman at a local menswear shop -- the only non chain in the area -- and he helped me select this tie based on my description of the suit. I think he nailed it pretty well, sight unseen, and even suggested the dress shirt color too. It's a JZ Richards necktie and cost as much as about 10 Ebay ties! I have not ever spent that much on a tie before. Yes, I did have buyer's remorse but when I conglomerated it all together, it subsided. A little.

The interesting thing about JZ Richards is that the ties are manufactured very near me in Boulder, Colorado. Boulder is known as "The People's Republic of Boulder" and "Eastern California" thanks to their fairly liberal views in an otherwise fairly conservative state. One would be more likely to see tie dye rather than a necktie. Maybe next time I visit I should sport a tie dyed necktie!

Personally, I really like the town as a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there -- it's too expensive because they've really clamped down on growth. If I had the money, though, I would live there. Boulder is nestled up against the foothills of Front Range of the Rockies and next to the Flatirons. Gorgeous! The bike trails are extensive and have very nice scenery to entertain. The Pearl Street Mall is full of street performers at any given time, has several very cool bookstores, one of the best toy stores I've ever visited, a kite store, and the best burritos in the area. I couldn't find specific pictures of some of those places but this link has a general overview of Boulder that's fairly good.

The next conglomeration up from that is also the next necktie for which I was searching. Yes, a simple navy, red "regimental stripe". I liked the blue, navy, white stripe tie on my blue and navy windowpane dress shirt so well that I thought a navy and red would look as good on the navy and red windowpane. I don't like it as much so I may try and find a navy, red, white stripe. It shouldn't be too difficult to find.

The third up from the bottom is the also another specific search necktie. I had been trying to find another tie to conglomerate with the "orchid" Lands End dress shirt. It ended up being more difficult than I thought it would. And again, I ended up with another striped tie. I was really trying to avoid a stripe. I did get many compliments on the conglomeration so it must not be too terribly bad.

The remaining three ties are really nothing special. The first, going from bottom to top, is another Ferrell Reed City of London. It's actually a favorite of mine and one that I can put on anytime on mornings I don't feel like deciding on neckwear. The next up is another Jos A Bank Signature. It's a fairly difficult tie to conglomerate so it's saved for mornings when I've planned to wear it the night before. Last, but not least, a black and gold Robert Talbott Studio. This is actually my funeral tie. Seems to be anyway. No, it was not a funeral tie that day, thank goodness. Personally I think funerals should be colorful and celebratory.

Catching Up I -- May 1 through May 4

I'm playing catch up today. I have been coated and tied and conglomerated and I have the pictures to prove it! There's nothing really special about the first week of May's conglomerations so it's probably better that they get grouped together in one post. There are only four conglomerations because I took Monday off that week to recover from a very late (for me) night the Sunday before. I went to see the re-re-incarnation of the second incarnation of Black Sabbath (Ronnie James Dio on lead vox) and relive a bit of my youth. It's amazing to see Ronnie, at 60+, still able to belt out the songs and play the perfect front man. I conglomerated jeans and a t-shirt for the concert.

Simple Friday

Another plain, simple, easy white dress shirt. With a straight collar to make it even easier. A solid black sport coat to ease the conglomerating even more. Work has been busy so my mind has been elsewhere? Maybe?

The necktie is another Ferrell Reed City of London. When I find something I like, I stick with it. Maybe a little too much, too rutted, too safe.

The tie has a gold background with black accents. The geometry may look like curved lines but I assure you, they are all quite straight. Except where the dimple curves the fabric. Up close the boxes look three dimensional. This is another somewhat Escher type pattern, somewhat optically delusional.

Brown on Blue

Rather than blue on black. Kenny Wayne Shepherd's latest is pretty good.

French blue, straight collar broadcloth dress shirt for the on blue part. The brown on part is a another necktie by Jos A. Bank Signature. It's not as hefty as the others that I have so I ended up using a Prince Albert knot to fill in the tie space a bit. It's got little French blue and rust paislies. The center of the French blue ones is blue and the rust, white. Each is outlined in navy. The brown sport coat completes the other portion of the brown on.

I had acquired a pair of rust colored trousers with just this conglomeration in mind but they are too small. Evidently I haven't lost as much weight as I thought. It could be because my eyes are often bigger than my stomach.

Conservative!

Today's conglomeration is simple, to say the least. When I start out with a white dress shirt, the result is more often than not going to be simple.

Not really a whole lot to say about this one. The necktie is another of my favorite Ferrell Reed City of London line. Burgundy, black and gray in a geometric. This particular tie doesn't make a very big knot so I usually wear it with a tab collar, like today. It does make a little bit too big a knot for a tab though. Yet another conundrum -- to tab or not to tab.

I had my choice between the gray and the black sport coat. I chose the gray today.