For Matt's much-too-young sister. Tiny consolation, to be sure, Phyllo, but we're always here for you.
68 thoughts on “June 13, 2014: Moment of Silence”
Not a tiny consolation at all; this place is huge for me. Thanks to all of youf.
This has been a big chunk of my work the past couple of years or more.
I saw this in the paper this morning and wondered if you were involved. Haven't had time to read the whole article yet, but I did look at the pictures.
They don't really go into it in the article, but a whole lot more lives can be saved and for a lot less money if the emphasis was on rail / road crossing safety and not train/train safety.
Don't usually spend a lot of time on fashion articles, but this reminded me of some of the Father Knows Best discussion here.
No, Dockers are not fashionable. They are not especially attractive. And well, they could have been kinder to a man’s derriere. But buried in that anti-style history, is the reality that Dad Pants — those sad, please-throw-them-out pants — often are representative of a mindset that puts personal vanity at the end of a long list that includes school drop-offs, soccer practice, yard work, saving for college and the grind of a 9 to 5.
I've never failed a job interview while wearing Dockers. Maybe it's good to hide that booty.
Dockers really pissed me off when they terminated their pleated-and-cuffed style line. Some of us really don't want hipster-tight-in-the-crotch, business-casual, dudes.
Really, who the $@*)&#@*(@# decided that pleats and cuffs were "out"?
Also, I tire of having to hunt through all of the short+fat men's pants to find a pair that will fit. /fashionrant
I am a big fan of cargo pants and shorts now. Comfort has long ago passed style in my wardrobe.
sadly, in my line of work, cargo pants and shorts aren't really work-appropriate.
I draw the line at custom suits, however. If my Men's Wearhouse wardrobe isn't good enough, well, then I guess I'll have to lean on the quality of my work product.
"Business casual" is the single thing I dislike about my new(ish) job. My colleagues around campus can wear jeans or cargo/utility pants, but I have to pretend that I'm working in some Big 5 accounting firm because that's where our students our headed (never mind they rarely get as dressed up as the academic staff is every day). I'd rather they internalize that "business casual" is a construct of business in one particular segment of the economy.
Note to self: make your next academic staff gig in Engineering or one of the social sciences.
Pleated pants are a complete nonstarter for me. Blech.
Pleats are awful and do not belong on men's pants.
But who am I to talk? My favorite khakis are the ones Dockers makes that are cut like jeans (5 pocket and all).
So it's like I get to wear jeans and still pass "business casual".
I don't like wearing shorts either, but have to in summer to avoid heat death.
Until my wife said I had to stop, all of my shorts were former full-length jeans where I extended the knee-holes all the way around.
Since then, cargo shorts. She selected but I could veto.
I've surprised myself by getting into … let's call it wardrobe management over the past few months. Basically being intentional with my personal style. The primary motivation was to find what worked for me, find brands that fit well, buy things that last, and then in theory make the whole painful process of clothing myself pretty streamlined for the next 20 years.
It turns out it can get really nerdy, analytical, and dare I say satisfying to build a closet of clothes, shoes, and accessories that can be interchanged with each other. I had no idea! I'd recommend every man who has a mild interest in simplifying the process of clothing himself to go through this process. A lot of the stuff I've learned feels like things that dad should have taught me along with how to shave and how to change oil in my car.
While I cringe at things I've worn even two weeks ago, I don't find myself judging what others are wearing. I do feel a bit self-concious because it's fairly obvious most people I interact with have never went through this process. Hopefully I get over it.
(One other note. The process I'm going through seeks to merge comfort and style. For instance my complete lack of knowledge of fabrics means I didn't realize there tons of clothing options for the summertime that look great and are extremely comfortable.)
My personal style consultants are Costco (button-downs and PLEATED, CUFFED wool casual dress slacks) and Men's Wearhouse. 😉
I've actually been focusing more in this arena as well. Dropping a chunk of weight helped to be sure, and has made the acquiring of clothes a necessity. I kind of like mixing and matching now and being more fashion conscious in general.
On that point, why on earth does anyone spend full price on clothes? I was raised on thrift store shopping, and scoff at the idea of paying any more that $10 for a general piece of clothing now.
Kids clothes are even worse. I work with a woman that insists on buying new brand name clothes for her grandchildren and I've literally laughed in her face and told her, fine, you pay $50 for that outfit, and I'll buy it for $5 after it's been worn twice and discarded.
On that point, why on earth does any one spend full price on clothes? I was raised on thrift store shopping, and scoff at the idea of paying any more that $10 for a general piece of clothing now.
That's an interesting thought. For one I've always been scared of it. How can modern fashions be in a thrift? I think when going into that setting it actually helps to know some style basics, classic styles, and what the classic quality brands are. Now I feel like I could go into such a place and quickly determine if there's anything worth my time.
On a more practical level, I live in outstate Minnesota. I only have a Salvation Army to visit locally. I also am not too keen on wearing used shoes, though you can certainly get some deals on real "lifetime" shoes via thrifts and ebay.
There's no church-related secondhand shops?
New Ulm had the "Treasure Haus".
There's no church-related secondhand shops?
Not that I know of. Back in my hometown, which is 1/5th the size, I think there are two! (Now I googled and there might be one.)
Kids? Secondhand or gifts unless it's formal and nothing good showed up in the secondhand shops.
I know what I like:
1. jean-cut khakis (or jeans)
2. short-sleeved button-down shirts with at least one pocket. Two pockets are better. They are not easy to find if you're not willing to look at industrial clothing. So I've worn a lot of "janitor shirts".
3. athletic socks. Black for dress. "Dress Socks" might as well be women's hosiery to me.
4. hiking boots that look dressy enough. (Solid leather.) I hope I've wiped out on an icy downtown sidewalk for the last time.
I overheat too easily, so that's why #2 and #3.
I overheat too easily, so that's why #2
Yes! I discovered they're called "sport shirts", so looking for that has made the process easier. When I returned to the job force post-college, I got lucky and bought a bunch during a clearance period at Kohl's. Now I target my purchases for roughly the same time to keep things fresh. The unfresh ones are given to hungry joe charity.
I betcha the cotton linen short-sleevs at uniqlo go on sale for < $20 from time to time. A cotton linen blend is a revelation. Almost feels like you're not wearing a shirt. So for those that overheat, it should be perfect! I just bought some polos and long-sleeved shirts there for $14.90, so their sales look to be about 1/3 off the listed price.
I love UNIQLO. When I was in school in Japan, that was pretty much the one place where I could afford clothes (thrift stores aren't really a thing over there).
My work "uniform" has consisted of a short sleeved polo and a pair of cargo pants (big pockets, lots of room - plus, they don't tear so easily when I'm a little abusive on them).
I had a pair of cargos that I absolutely loved for a good six years, then they stopped making them, so now I've been having trouble finding even cargo pants that aren't are hipster skinny-jean style in the thigh area.
Cargo pants! YES! My work uni is exactly that, polo+cargo pants. I have a Constanza wallet, so I need the side pockets, plus it makes a great pocket for my phone. Also, I'm an engineer so I can use "the dirty lab" as an excuse to wear non-trousers or ties. (to hell with ties.)
I do have one suit for interviews, though.
Pretty much all of this.
I wore pretty much the same as a grad student/TA. Cargo pants were an easy adaptation of fatigue trousers.
I should also mention that winter is my time to shine, fashion wise. Once I can start layering, look out, ladies...
You've been a FIB too long. Your winter outfit should be the same as your summer outfit, dammit.
This sounds like a good idea for a WGOM Advice post!
I really want to get a pair or two of linen pants. I don't want to look like a drug runner. I'm concerned I can't make this happen with my limited options for short very fat people.
I would find a fabric you like and a fit that's close, then visit a tailor. Have I visited a tailor in the last 15 years? No, but I probably will sometime this year unless I get really lucky with off-the-rack fits. I don't think it costs as much as you might think.
Working from home, my "work wardrobe" consists of T-shirts or sweatshirts/sweaters and shorts or sweatpants depending on the time of year. I've got one pair of jeans that are somewhat comfortable to wear, so I save them for going out in public when it's not warm enough to wear shorts.
I wear dumb hipster clothes. Skinny corduroys, jeans with the legs rolled up, thrifted t-shirts, snapback hats, etc. I'm the worst.
At least you realize it 🙂 Now I have to go google snapback hat- ah, hell I have a bunch of those. I don't wear anything ironically, though.
I'm function before fashion- blue jeans, t-shirts from high school and college (Class of '97! Woohoo!), various faded and stained baseball caps, usually steel-toed cowboy boots. I've got no use for clothes that I can't get dirty or that I have to keep adjusting all the damn time.
I have to wear a suit pretty much every day to work. Thankfully, I have two summer suits (one is seersucker, and yes, it's beyond awesome) and just bought a third and am waiting for it to get back from the tailor. In high school, I worked in the "mens' accessories" department of JC Penney's which basically meant ties, wallets, belts, and dress shirts. I learned really, really quickly how to match a good shirt and tie, so thankfully I have a pretty decent stable of those clothes. Oh, I also found a pair of seersucker shorts at Marshall's once on clearance for about $7. Best purchase ever. Yes, sometimes I dress like a goofy Southern dandy (I also have a straw boater), but I like the fact that those guys know how to look decent while also wearing really light, comfortable clothes. I've picked up a couple of really fun belts while traveling (a cool carpincho leather belt in Brazil and a green leather belt in Spain last month) that help me feel like I'm having a little more fun when I'm dressed up for court.
Where I struggle is with that range beyond super casual (jeans/shorts) but not quite dressy. I can never find pants that I like and I swear I buy horrendous polo shirts where the collars just don't quite last right and instead get creased in weird ways. I've been needing to lose about 20 pounds for the past 5 years, but can never quite do it, so I'm right between being fat and just fine and can't find clothes that fit just right. Oh well...
one is seersucker, and yes, it's beyond awesome
Used car salesman attire!!!111one111!!!! 😉
That's Southern Gentleman attire to you sir. Now, I say good day.
I just want to say that I'm enjoying this entire discussion. Carry on!
Billy Butler hung out with you guys??!?!?!?!!
That's what I call fashion!
Pirate is throwing off the shorts consistency. Good thing he's in the back.
With the way sean's hidden, I'll assume he was pantsless.
I miss that shirt. It shrank in wash and I have it to my sister. Though with the weigh I've lost lately, maybe I should get it back.
Should the FCC eliminate the Sports Blackout Rule? NCSL says no. Ugh.
MLBAM's president agrees with you. Can't find a link to quote, but he wants blackouts gone.
double OT hockey game going on. game on the NBC mothership
If they awarded half-points for goalposts hit, this game would be 5-5.
If he gets the cup-winning goal, Gaborik would tie Gretzky for most goals by an LA King in a single playoff season.
Hockey organists are the best.
I liked that Hotel California riff.
Indeed.
Ive heard everything from Daft Punk to Pearl Jam during these playoffs.
wow!
Wow is right.
Playoff beards are the best.
In the last what 90 second of that game, the Rangers played so sloppy.
The Conn Smythe trophy is buttugly.
The Cup, on the other hand, has to be the coolest.
Here, have a giant maple leaf! Congrats!
It's cool that Gaborik got a cup. Good on him.
Holy shit, the Manchester airport. It took me a solid hour to get through security and it included a complete pat down. I'm feeling far less shame about the TSA at the moment. Then, after getting through that mess, everyone is forced to walk through the entire duty free shop section like some horrible smelling IKEA. And to top it all off, the is no air conditioning anywhere in this frickin country.
But, I did just see a guy ask where hate 22 was while standing right under a sign that indicated where gates 21-32 are.
Not a tiny consolation at all; this place is huge for me. Thanks to all of youf.
This has been a big chunk of my work the past couple of years or more.
I saw this in the paper this morning and wondered if you were involved. Haven't had time to read the whole article yet, but I did look at the pictures.
They don't really go into it in the article, but a whole lot more lives can be saved and for a lot less money if the emphasis was on rail / road crossing safety and not train/train safety.
Don't usually spend a lot of time on fashion articles, but this reminded me of some of the Father Knows Best discussion here.
I've never failed a job interview while wearing Dockers. Maybe it's good to hide that booty.
Dockers really pissed me off when they terminated their pleated-and-cuffed style line. Some of us really don't want hipster-tight-in-the-crotch, business-casual, dudes.
Really, who the $@*)&#@*(@# decided that pleats and cuffs were "out"?
Also, I tire of having to hunt through all of the short+fat men's pants to find a pair that will fit. /fashionrant
I am a big fan of cargo pants and shorts now. Comfort has long ago passed style in my wardrobe.
sadly, in my line of work, cargo pants and shorts aren't really work-appropriate.
I draw the line at custom suits, however. If my Men's Wearhouse wardrobe isn't good enough, well, then I guess I'll have to lean on the quality of my work product.
"Business casual" is the single thing I dislike about my new(ish) job. My colleagues around campus can wear jeans or cargo/utility pants, but I have to pretend that I'm working in some Big 5 accounting firm because that's where our students our headed (never mind they rarely get as dressed up as the academic staff is every day). I'd rather they internalize that "business casual" is a construct of business in one particular segment of the economy.
Note to self: make your next academic staff gig in Engineering or one of the social sciences.
Pleated pants are a complete nonstarter for me. Blech.
Pleats are awful and do not belong on men's pants.
But who am I to talk? My favorite khakis are the ones Dockers makes that are cut like jeans (5 pocket and all).
So it's like I get to wear jeans and still pass "business casual".
I don't like wearing shorts either, but have to in summer to avoid heat death.
Until my wife said I had to stop, all of my shorts were former full-length jeans where I extended the knee-holes all the way around.
Since then, cargo shorts. She selected but I could veto.
I've surprised myself by getting into … let's call it wardrobe management over the past few months. Basically being intentional with my personal style. The primary motivation was to find what worked for me, find brands that fit well, buy things that last, and then in theory make the whole painful process of clothing myself pretty streamlined for the next 20 years.
It turns out it can get really nerdy, analytical, and dare I say satisfying to build a closet of clothes, shoes, and accessories that can be interchanged with each other. I had no idea! I'd recommend every man who has a mild interest in simplifying the process of clothing himself to go through this process. A lot of the stuff I've learned feels like things that dad should have taught me along with how to shave and how to change oil in my car.
While I cringe at things I've worn even two weeks ago, I don't find myself judging what others are wearing. I do feel a bit self-concious because it's fairly obvious most people I interact with have never went through this process. Hopefully I get over it.
(One other note. The process I'm going through seeks to merge comfort and style. For instance my complete lack of knowledge of fabrics means I didn't realize there tons of clothing options for the summertime that look great and are extremely comfortable.)
My personal style consultants are Costco (button-downs and PLEATED, CUFFED wool casual dress slacks) and Men's Wearhouse. 😉
I've actually been focusing more in this arena as well. Dropping a chunk of weight helped to be sure, and has made the acquiring of clothes a necessity. I kind of like mixing and matching now and being more fashion conscious in general.
On that point, why on earth does anyone spend full price on clothes? I was raised on thrift store shopping, and scoff at the idea of paying any more that $10 for a general piece of clothing now.
Kids clothes are even worse. I work with a woman that insists on buying new brand name clothes for her grandchildren and I've literally laughed in her face and told her, fine, you pay $50 for that outfit, and I'll buy it for $5 after it's been worn twice and discarded.
That's an interesting thought. For one I've always been scared of it. How can modern fashions be in a thrift? I think when going into that setting it actually helps to know some style basics, classic styles, and what the classic quality brands are. Now I feel like I could go into such a place and quickly determine if there's anything worth my time.
On a more practical level, I live in outstate Minnesota. I only have a Salvation Army to visit locally. I also am not too keen on wearing used shoes, though you can certainly get some deals on real "lifetime" shoes via thrifts and ebay.
There's no church-related secondhand shops?
New Ulm had the "Treasure Haus".
There's no church-related secondhand shops?
Not that I know of. Back in my hometown, which is 1/5th the size, I think there are two! (Now I googled and there might be one.)
Kids? Secondhand or gifts unless it's formal and nothing good showed up in the secondhand shops.
I know what I like:
1. jean-cut khakis (or jeans)
2. short-sleeved button-down shirts with at least one pocket. Two pockets are better. They are not easy to find if you're not willing to look at industrial clothing. So I've worn a lot of "janitor shirts".
3. athletic socks. Black for dress. "Dress Socks" might as well be women's hosiery to me.
4. hiking boots that look dressy enough. (Solid leather.) I hope I've wiped out on an icy downtown sidewalk for the last time.
I overheat too easily, so that's why #2 and #3.
Yes! I discovered they're called "sport shirts", so looking for that has made the process easier. When I returned to the job force post-college, I got lucky and bought a bunch during a clearance period at Kohl's. Now I target my purchases for roughly the same time to keep things fresh. The unfresh ones are given
to hungry joecharity.I betcha the cotton linen short-sleevs at uniqlo go on sale for < $20 from time to time. A cotton linen blend is a revelation. Almost feels like you're not wearing a shirt. So for those that overheat, it should be perfect! I just bought some polos and long-sleeved shirts there for $14.90, so their sales look to be about 1/3 off the listed price.
I love UNIQLO. When I was in school in Japan, that was pretty much the one place where I could afford clothes (thrift stores aren't really a thing over there).
My work "uniform" has consisted of a short sleeved polo and a pair of cargo pants (big pockets, lots of room - plus, they don't tear so easily when I'm a little abusive on them).
I had a pair of cargos that I absolutely loved for a good six years, then they stopped making them, so now I've been having trouble finding even cargo pants that aren't are hipster skinny-jean style in the thigh area.
Cargo pants! YES! My work uni is exactly that, polo+cargo pants. I have a Constanza wallet, so I need the side pockets, plus it makes a great pocket for my phone. Also, I'm an engineer so I can use "the dirty lab" as an excuse to wear non-trousers or ties. (to hell with ties.)
I do have one suit for interviews, though.
Pretty much all of this.
I wore pretty much the same as a grad student/TA. Cargo pants were an easy adaptation of fatigue trousers.
I should also mention that winter is my time to shine, fashion wise. Once I can start layering, look out, ladies...
You've been a FIB too long. Your winter outfit should be the same as your summer outfit, dammit.
This sounds like a good idea for a WGOM Advice post!
I really want to get a pair or two of linen pants. I don't want to look like a drug runner. I'm concerned I can't make this happen with my limited options for short very fat people.
I would find a fabric you like and a fit that's close, then visit a tailor. Have I visited a tailor in the last 15 years? No, but I probably will sometime this year unless I get really lucky with off-the-rack fits. I don't think it costs as much as you might think.
Working from home, my "work wardrobe" consists of T-shirts or sweatshirts/sweaters and shorts or sweatpants depending on the time of year. I've got one pair of jeans that are somewhat comfortable to wear, so I save them for going out in public when it's not warm enough to wear shorts.
I wear dumb hipster clothes. Skinny corduroys, jeans with the legs rolled up, thrifted t-shirts, snapback hats, etc. I'm the worst.
At least you realize it 🙂 Now I have to go google snapback hat- ah, hell I have a bunch of those. I don't wear anything ironically, though.
I'm function before fashion- blue jeans, t-shirts from high school and college (Class of '97! Woohoo!), various faded and stained baseball caps, usually steel-toed cowboy boots. I've got no use for clothes that I can't get dirty or that I have to keep adjusting all the damn time.
I have to wear a suit pretty much every day to work. Thankfully, I have two summer suits (one is seersucker, and yes, it's beyond awesome) and just bought a third and am waiting for it to get back from the tailor. In high school, I worked in the "mens' accessories" department of JC Penney's which basically meant ties, wallets, belts, and dress shirts. I learned really, really quickly how to match a good shirt and tie, so thankfully I have a pretty decent stable of those clothes. Oh, I also found a pair of seersucker shorts at Marshall's once on clearance for about $7. Best purchase ever. Yes, sometimes I dress like a goofy Southern dandy (I also have a straw boater), but I like the fact that those guys know how to look decent while also wearing really light, comfortable clothes. I've picked up a couple of really fun belts while traveling (a cool carpincho leather belt in Brazil and a green leather belt in Spain last month) that help me feel like I'm having a little more fun when I'm dressed up for court.
Where I struggle is with that range beyond super casual (jeans/shorts) but not quite dressy. I can never find pants that I like and I swear I buy horrendous polo shirts where the collars just don't quite last right and instead get creased in weird ways. I've been needing to lose about 20 pounds for the past 5 years, but can never quite do it, so I'm right between being fat and just fine and can't find clothes that fit just right. Oh well...
Used car salesman attire!!!111one111!!!! 😉
That's Southern Gentleman attire to you sir. Now, I say good day.
I just want to say that I'm enjoying this entire discussion. Carry on!
Billy Butler hung out with you guys??!?!?!?!!
That's what I call fashion!
Pirate is throwing off the shorts consistency. Good thing he's in the back.
With the way sean's hidden, I'll assume he was pantsless.
I miss that shirt. It shrank in wash and I have it to my sister. Though with the weigh I've lost lately, maybe I should get it back.
Hicks to the DL.
Almost a full week since he last started a game.
Hmm, that should make Hicks the front runner this year then,
And of course he had a pinch-running appearance in there so he can't be retro-DL'ed all the way back to the last time he started.
He was going to be sent down for more than 2 weeks once Fuld returned from the DL anyways, so it didn't matter.
Good point.
that link led me to this awesome one.
Should the FCC eliminate the Sports Blackout Rule? NCSL says no. Ugh.
MLBAM's president agrees with you. Can't find a link to quote, but he wants blackouts gone.
double OT hockey game going on. game on the NBC mothership
If they awarded half-points for goalposts hit, this game would be 5-5.
If he gets the cup-winning goal, Gaborik would tie Gretzky for most goals by an LA King in a single playoff season.
Hockey organists are the best.
I liked that Hotel California riff.
Indeed.
Ive heard everything from Daft Punk to Pearl Jam during these playoffs.
wow!
Wow is right.
Playoff beards are the best.
In the last what 90 second of that game, the Rangers played so sloppy.
The Conn Smythe trophy is buttugly.
The Cup, on the other hand, has to be the coolest.
Here, have a giant maple leaf! Congrats!
It's cool that Gaborik got a cup. Good on him.
Holy shit, the Manchester airport. It took me a solid hour to get through security and it included a complete pat down. I'm feeling far less shame about the TSA at the moment. Then, after getting through that mess, everyone is forced to walk through the entire duty free shop section like some horrible smelling IKEA. And to top it all off, the is no air conditioning anywhere in this frickin country.
But, I did just see a guy ask where hate 22 was while standing right under a sign that indicated where gates 21-32 are.