The Regionalized Polo Shirt

Much has been written on the venerable  Polo-style shirt, both here and throughout the blogosphere, so I will try not to be too redundant. Of late, I’ve observed that around the country, companies have been sprouting up that seem to base much of their business effort on the Polo, or more exactly, the Polo, the cap, and small accessories.

The strategy seems to be based around the logo – typically using a highly regionalized theme, which evokes a certain lifestyle in a given region.  Here are just a few:

The South

Southern Tide – with Skipjack (fish) motif

http://www.southerntide.com/products/Skipjack-Polo-%252d-Classic.html

Southern Proper – with bow-tied Lab motif

http://www.southernproper.com/store/gentlemen/proper-polo.html

Southern Point – with Pointer motif

http://www.southernpointco.com/category.php?cat=polo

Cash Robinson Clothing Co. - with horse racing theme

http://www.cashrobinson.com/small_batch_apparel/silks_reserve_polos?product_id=63

The Northeast

Green Lobster USA – with Green Lobster motif

http://www.greenlobsterusa.com/menspolos.html

Castaway Clothing – with Life ring motif
http://www.castawayclothing.com/classic-polo-shirts.html

Vineyard Vines – with whale motif

http://www.vineyardvines.com/product__129756_____13068_13050

In my brief Internet search, I didn’t turn up anything for the Midwest, the Rocky Mountain Region or the West Coast, so I apologize in advance for possibly overlooking. But as you can see above, the Northeast and The South are well represented with companies.   I understand that Polos are both a tradition and a traditional shirt in those regions, but is there any reason why other parts of the US can’t have a successful regionalized Polo shirt?  For the Rockies, I could see a pair of crossed skis as a nice motif, for California, perhaps a surfboard or wine bottle motif.  Here in Cascadia, I could see a mountain, an umbrella, a sailboat, or perhaps, a meth lab motif.

But seriously, if there are any venture capitalists reading this, contact me.  Let’s work up a business plan, do a feasibility study, and hopefully represent the West in the regionalization of the Polo shirt.

(by the way, I do like all of the clothing companies shown above... except for one.)

Doin' lines at lunch, part II

(For Part I, click here.)



Crystal Mountain

Hers - tight turns right. His - big turns left.

On Hating Walmart and Other Ruminations

Hating Walmart is not a new concept. Their treatment of suppliers, employees, and the towns and environs in which they operate haven't earned them too many accolades. Yet, business classes across the land caution students not to rush to judgment. Much may be learned from Walmart's business practices and much can be learned from observing their typical store patron.

Our former Dutch foreign exchange student asked me if we could really get bananas, paper towels, shoes, and guns in the same store, to which I shamefully had to reply, "Yes."  I mean, I've heard of lawyers, guns, and money, but WTF?! And then she also asked if there were whole supermarket aisles dedicated to breakfast cereal, to salad dressing, and to frozen pizza. Alas, I had to say "Yes."

People of Cascadian Walmart (use extreme caution)

I thought that by being a "Host Parent" to an exchange student, I would get to play tour guide for ten months or try out some parenting techniques on her, so that when my own daughter reached that age, I would have an idea of what works and what doesn't. I had no idea that on Day One of her living in the USA, I'd have to go into how having an infinite amount of choices is, in part, what it means being  American, and that if one doesn't have the discipline to manage the choices, financial (and other forms of) ruin could be right around the corner.

Often called "The Disease of More" (see The Paradox of Choice), this disorder has the basic premise that if we had to chose between three of four similar items, we would be much more happy than having to choose between five and fifteen items. I believe this is why authentic preps tend to gravitate to the same disciplined style and quality brands. Be it via "nurture" or "nature", we have transcended the need to chase fads, to want what's new, and other compulsions which we think will make us relevant to society.

Now if you will excuse me, I have some men's style blogs to peruse.

Nantucket Reds in Cascadia

Just a quick little posting to say that my faith in Cascadians is restored... at least temporarily.  I donned my relatively new Nantucket Reds at the U2 concert at Qwest Field (Seattle) Saturday night and was met with compliment after compliment. Most kudos came from drunken rabble-rousers, but their words were positive, nonetheless.  Giant-sized grunge guys, middle-aged suburban women on a "Girls Night Out," and Vancouver Canucks fans down for the show all paid tribute to the "Reds." (Congrats to the Canucks who won Saturday's game of the Stanley Cup.)

U2's 360 screen from the floor of Qwest Field

a surreal experience

Since the Mrs. and I had general admission floor tickets (putting us on the crowded field), she appreciated my wearing them since she could see me a mile away - I easily stood out in a sea of blue jeans, baggy brown cargo shorts, and fully-tattooed legs.  There must be something about U2 which causes one to have an open mind because I really thought I would be jeered, not high-fived by my fellow Cascadians.

The pants are great, but you have to choose your venue wisely.  The U2 show was absolutely incredible, and they chose their venue wisely - a metropolitan Cascadian night. 70 degrees F, not a cloud in the sky... only stars and the dulcet tones of The Edge's guitar.

J. Press Your Luck

I just recieved this shirt in the mail a few days ago (the actual pictured below).  It's my first foray into J. Press. I ordered it in a drunken frenzy while on vacation with too much time on my hands (fun but dangerous). I read too many style blogs with writers from "Back East" not to notice that J. Press is Mecca for men's traditional/preppy clothing. So I just had to bring one home.

For some living in Greater Cascadia, wearing a tailor/institution like J. Press poses problems - the utter lack of recognition here being of chief concern. Downtown Joe, if asked, "What's J. Press?" would probably reply with, "Uh, um, is it some kind of device for rolling joints?"  Seriously, outside of those few Cascadians who went to school in NY or the surrounding states, or did a stint on Wall Street, or heaven forbid, like me, regularly muse in the writings of fashion bloggers, no one here knows J. Press.  



cotton madras short sleeve

Well, I aim to change that, so I started with Mrs. Cascadian Prep. Remember, a prep of any type, she is not, but she does love this madras shirt and hinted at my needing to get more. Get more, I will, and I will wear them proudly through the streets and in the offices of Pugetropolis, Portlandia, and "The Van."  I will push the envelope and Press my luck. For those of you out there who already know the joys of J. Press ownership and who travel to the Pacific Northwest or the Lower Mainland, join me and take up arms... wear your J. Press and wear it proudly.

The [Boeing] Tailspin - a localized cocktail

The Pacific Northwest possesses rich aviation history and it just got richer with this localized version of an excellent gin-based cocktail. I used Cascade Mountain Gin out of Oregon as a "shout-out" to Southern Cascadia. This gin is deeply infused with juniper berries - maybe too much so. But after I mixed up this concoction, I really didn't care. One can see why it has the name that it does. A few of these and you wouldn't care if the jack screw malfunctioned on the 737 you unenthusiastically got on so that you could pedal your product in Pittsburgh.

The Tailspin

1 oz. Gin

1 oz. Green Chartreuse

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

2-3 dashes of Campari or Orange bitters

Stir all the ingredients with ice and strain into your glass.



Sunday night mixology

The Cascadian Prep Manifesto

• It is NOT about money, nor about those with a substantial amount of it or those who pretend to have a substantial amount of it, and it does not exclude, necessarily, those without a substantial amount of it.

• It is NOT about wearing a brand or possessing a wardrobe in which the intention is to feel superior to another.

• It is NOT trendy, yet it may have a style which appears/reappears as a revolving fashion trend.

• It is NOT a place or an institution, yet it respects and pays tribute to its origins.

• It is a mindset and a lifestyle, steeped in American and Northwestern traditions.

• It is quiet confidence.

• It is a world view seen through an ever-positive lens.

• Membership will be granted only to those who honor and respect all that Cascadia has to offer.

Disclaimer:  The author is not a native of one of "The Thirteen Originals" nor did he attend a prep school in that region or an Ivy League school. He is a native Texan who has spent the last several years in the beautiful Puget Sound region.  This blog contains observations and accounts of the struggles one may encounter along the way to cultivating, maintaining, and preserving a prep(py) lifestyle in the Pacific NW... or anywhere else for that matter.