Wearing Thom Browne is like being in costume. With all his nods to prep and patriotism, and the near-absence of black, it couldn't be more far removed from what I normally wear.Thom Browne cashmere cardigan
The shirts are slim and stiff and the trousers cinched so close at the waist, and most pieces mix terribly with the other things in my wardrobe, but oh, are they a delight to wear! There's something about the restrictiveness---modern-day male corsetry, if you may---that makes you stand up a little straighter and emulate an air of distinction.Thom Browne cardigan, shirt, and trousers, Florsheim shoes
I used to detest longwing brogues but there's something about the heft and clunkiness that stands up to Thom Browne's closely-cut awkward shapes.contrast stitching on the high cuffed Thom Browne trousers and Florsheim Kenmoor longwing brogues
Besides the front placket, the cardigan opens up on the sides and on the cuffs, all trimmed in red-white-blue grosgrain.Navajo wolf ring from New Hampshire and Cartier Roadster on navy alligator
Though I don't ever see myself disposing of my dreary dark drape and tailoring, it is mighty fun to dress up as an ivy league-graduate accountant from the 50's, and as a palate-cleanser for my fashion-ADD self, at least for today, Browne is the new black.
photographs by Hudson Shively