Welcome to the 3rd edition of SM. This week we’ll steer away from the shows and head over for a quick stop with some iconic Americana retailers. Over the years I’ve squirreled over my position in terms of what they bring to clothing design. Honestly, not a whole lot. If you’re looking in terms of assembling functional daily wear for your business casual workplace or a day at the park…then this is your gig. 50 different versions of khaki pants and blue shirts. Need a sweatshirt or a hoodie with a brand name and logo all over it for a cool weekend...yep...this is the place for that. Looking for that perfect suit for big dinner meeting that states power by walking in the door...you turned right to early. These stores at their essence bring what Ford Taurus brought to automobiles...a car that gets you from point A to point B. The car was not something that brought out humiliation when you drove it, nor was ever going to be that car that you told others that you rewarded yourself with for a milestone achievement. A working man’s Polo Purple. While BR and J Crew are pushing a bit higher end label and offer a larger tier of product (casual wear to suits) in my view they all fall under that giant Mickey Drexler umbrella that embraces safety first. I don’t begrudge them their niche in the market place. In fact, I own a handful of their product. It’s not the first thing that I think of when I head out for a night on the town, but it’s also not going to be the clothes I grab when it’s time for the weekend yard work. Sometimes something that I put on that allows me to blend into the scenery is all I want and need.

SM gives them an A for functionality and a B- for style and originality. I’d love to see them take a risk someday...but I’m not holding my breath for that to happen anytime soon.

Fashion Tip of the Week

One of the things that I’ve run into over the years is finding a color that I suddenly like and then doing it to death. As pointed out by my ever so subtle wife many years ago….”Dude….how many blue shirts do you have to have?” Its beauty was its cutthroat simplicity. Vary it up. Do you really need 50 men’s polo shirts and khaki shorts? Pick some colors, patterns, styles that fall outside your comfort level. No one says you have to come out looking like Liberace, but terminal blandness is a lingering social downer. Spice it up.