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Hawaiian shirts and fedoras

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,350
Location
New Forest
Safety Fast!
Whose the clever fellow who knows the name of The MG Car Club's owners magazine? I'm seriously impressed.
Almost forgot, thank you, all of you, it's a great community here, I'm humbled by your compliments and the good lady is too. Aw shucks is about all I can get out of her when I passed on your comments.
 
Messages
11,912
Location
Southern California
...I'm humbled by your compliments and the good lady is too. Aw shucks is about all I can get out of her when I passed on your comments.
The quality of her work, and the pride she takes in it, is apparent in the way she makes the extra effort to match the patterns at the pocket seams and the button-up front panels. If you find that on a production-made shirt, it's a fluke. Converting lapel pins into buttons must surely have been painstaking work, but it also speaks to the pride she has in her work (whether she admits to it or not). Absolutely brilliant! And to top it off with one of Esther's wonderful hats, which is a perfect match to the shirt--it just doesn't get any better than that.
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
Whose the clever fellow who knows the name of The MG Car Club's owners magazine? I'm seriously impressed.
Almost forgot, thank you, all of you, it's a great community here, I'm humbled by your compliments and the good lady is too. Aw shucks is about all I can get out of her when I passed on your comments.
Its me, Mike (Redfokker) from the Great Pacific Northwest! I am a recovering MG nut. I didn't get custody of my 73 MGB in the last divorce, she sold it. Never to be seen again. Prices of chrome bumper MGs have risen since I had mine in the 1980s, kind of like buying an American muscle car! I have a new passion today, Mercedes. But my hart is still octogon!
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,350
Location
New Forest
I have a new passion today, Mercedes. But my hart is still octogon!
For you Mike: the octagon pins that I found in The MG Owners Catalogue, you will need to scroll down about half a page. You can buy one for your lapel.
Hand on heart, ever since I saw Richard Geer in American Gigolo I have wanted one of these:
merc sl.jpg
If you type into search: MG Enthusiast, you will see the magazine website. You will probably have to subscribe for this story, but you can buy the copy individually without having to fork out for a year's subscription. The story is of Kenneth Keljack from Indiana, who bought and restored, an MGA. The first owner was The Lancashire Constabulary, so Kenneth restored it to an authentic, right hand drive, British police car of the 1950's. Only trouble was, he ran into the long arm of the Indiana law enforcers. One officer in particular was so incensed that he called for back up, all the time keeping his hand on his pistol. Five additional police cars arrived. The story is very convoluted and ends up in court, with the judge apologising to Kenneth. It's a great read and an absolutely gorgeous restoration. I do hope you get to see it.
 
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GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,350
Location
New Forest
The quality of her work, and the pride she takes in it, is apparent in the way she makes the extra effort to match the patterns at the pocket seams and the button-up front panels. If you find that on a production-made shirt, it's a fluke. Converting lapel pins into buttons must surely have been painstaking work, but it also speaks to the pride she has in her work (whether she admits to it or not). Absolutely brilliant! And to top it off with one of Esther's wonderful hats, which is a perfect match to the shirt--it just doesn't get any better than that.
That's a very generous compliment, and it speaks volumes of the way you, and others, actually look and appreciate the effort that goes into a quality garment. It's true, all the panels line up and the breast pocket matches exactly. To do that involves more waste than if a garment was made to an exact amount of material, which means the cost is higher. The material that Tina buys already costs top dollar, so to buy extra to get that perfection look, makes the cost increase. The reason that I have explained that is so that people understand why, talented though my lady is, she's not interested in doing what she does for a business. People would make too many gripes about justifying the cost.
Dressmaking has been her lifelong hobby, it relaxed her, it helped her during her working days in the ambulance service. Especially during the times she had to deal with traumatic events that she attended, then come home and try to switch off.
I will share an amusing anecdote with you about her work. She was put on light duties at the central office, following an assault. It was at the time when UK Ambulance services were ditching their military coloured uniforms for a green one. The first green uniform to arrive was the head honcho's, it had all the usual scrambled egg insignia all over it, all very regal, yet despite that, it didn't fit comfortably. Her top boss was in obvious discomfort with his nuts being strangled. So my lady took the uniform, measured her boss, brought the uniform home, unstitched it, reshaped it and finally sewed it back together. Just before he tried it on, she asked which side he wore the trouser furniture. "Why?" he asked, rather indignantly. "Just being nosey," she quipped. The guy had to laugh, and he was delighted that his new uniform fitted him perfectly. So pleased was he that he gave her the task of visiting all the ambulance stations to ensure that all staff received their new uniform issue, and that it fitted. It was just the therapy that she needed to get over that attack.
 
Messages
12,384
Location
Albany Oregon
For you Mike: the octagon pins that I found in The MG Owners Catalogue, you will need to scroll down about half a page. You can buy one for your lapel.
Hand on heart, ever since I saw Richard Geer in American Gigolo I have wanted one of these:
View attachment 58331
If you type into search: MG Enthusiast, you will see the magazine website. You will probably have to subscribe for this story, but you can buy the copy individually without having to fork out for a year's subscription. The story is of Kenneth Keljack from Indiana, who bought and restored, an MGA. The first owner was The Lancashire Constabulary, so Kenneth restored it to an authentic, right hand drive, British police car of the 1950's. Only trouble was, he ran into the long arm of the Indiana law enforcers. One officer in particular was so incensed that he called for back up, all the time keeping his hand on his pistol. Five additional police cars arrived. The story is very convoluted and ends up in court, with the judge apologising to Kenneth. It's a great read and an absolutely gorgeous restoration. I do hope you get to see it.
It has been years since I had a subscription, but I'll look this one up! I do have a vintage MG lapel pin, that I wear proudly. Once an MG person, it stays in your blood! I should post my "Eleanor" CLK on the lounge. I think there is a thread somewhere...
 

FedOregon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,134
Location
Oregon
Cindy, you are always so gracious with your compliments, thank you, much appreciated.
You are right, the car does have that wonderful leather/walnut perfume. Everyone, even youngsters, will put their head through the door and say: "Oh wow, I love that wonderful smell of 'old' car." It's the mixture of walnut and leather. Shame I can't bottle it.
We do love dressing up and try to look the part, but whatever we wear, we can never upstage the old MG.
Hey, GHT, I ran across this hat from BSHW and I thought of you and the Mrs all dressed to the 9's with the MG at your side...

https://www.facebook.com/3868330766...86833076678/10155325055491679/?type=3&theater

i-qp5Zsbt-L.jpg
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,350
Location
New Forest
This back to work malarky, especially working nights, gets in the way of a social life. But we do have a busy weekend coming up. There's a lovely lady we know, whose partner has planned a 40's style, surprise celebration. That's on Saturday, an afternoon party with a band and dancing in the evening,that's sure to rock on until the early hours. Sunday will see us at a Halloween burlesque/swing-jive/outrageous (if last year is anything to go by,) fancy dress ball. There will be witches, Draculas, Frankenstein's fiend with bolts in the neck. Every character from Rocky Horror and much more. But there won't be a shirt like mine. I'm planning to wear Esther's Strat-like felt to the gig, and change into the fabulous straw once there. Must remember to take a hat box .
aloha 165.JPG aloha 164.JPG
 

FedOregon

I'll Lock Up
Messages
5,134
Location
Oregon
No matter the weather, I still grab a Hawaiian shirt once or twice a week.... summer will come back eventually! We went to the church holiday brunch Saturday morning, and while most people were rocking their Christmas sweaters, I went with a Mele Kalikimaka theme for my digs. My newest Hawaiian shirt, paired with a Falcon Park Silverbelly/Navy fedora, jeans, wild socks from my nephew in Ecuador and Vans Aloha slip-ons:

i-vhxMfMB-XL.jpg


i-xvbqxGL-L.jpg
 
Messages
15,239
Location
Somewhere south of crazy
No matter the weather, I still grab a Hawaiian shirt once or twice a week.... summer will come back eventually! We went to the church holiday brunch Saturday morning, and while most people were rocking their Christmas sweaters, I went with a Mele Kalikimaka theme for my digs. My newest Hawaiian shirt, paired with a Falcon Park Silverbelly/Navy fedora, jeans, wild socks from my nephew in Ecuador and Vans Aloha slip-ons:

i-vhxMfMB-XL.jpg


i-xvbqxGL-L.jpg
Sweet!
 
Messages
11,912
Location
Southern California
No matter the weather, I still grab a Hawaiian shirt once or twice a week.... summer will come back eventually! We went to the church holiday brunch Saturday morning, and while most people were rocking their Christmas sweaters, I went with a Mele Kalikimaka theme for my digs. My newest Hawaiian shirt, paired with a Falcon Park Silverbelly/Navy fedora, jeans, wild socks from my nephew in Ecuador and Vans Aloha slip-ons...
That pairing of hat and shirt...and, uhhh, shoes...is just about as good as it gets. The colors complement each other brilliantly!
 

GHT

I'll Lock Up
Messages
9,350
Location
New Forest
No matter the weather, I still grab a Hawaiian shirt once or twice a week.... summer will come back eventually!
You're the man, great to see someone who wears a bright shirt throughout the year, cocking a snook at Mother nature.
We went to a 1920's jolly last night, featuring a band called The Red Fez Orchestra. They are an eleven piece band who play mostly from The Charleston period, although they will don their zoot suits for a 30's night. Everyone was dressed to the nines, I wore my white tux, but thinking about it, I took the shirt and tie off and wore one of my art deco shirts, it teamed up great with the tux. But I did swap the tux trousers with the black satin sash for a pair of high waisted, fish tail style trousers, in black of course. (My spell checker has got one on it for not correcting waisted to wasted.)
black 001.JPG
 

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