rediscovering the magic of things before my time

recently i decided that all the skinny jeans in my wardrobe might perhaps be lowering my sperm count. functionally this is something i take no particular issue - i'm not terribly keen on pregnancies and those closest to me know this very, very well (i'm looking at you, koala). as a condition, however, it is something totally different and it has caused me to reevaluate my wardrobe and my daily wearings. along with rediscovering my active-lifestyle roots and this, admittedly, thinly veiled previous excuse, i have found myself in a bit of a fashion/lifestyle paradox.

i should stop here and add a But. a healthy, well-rounded, enthusiastic But.

But, despite using the word paradox, i am completely happy. at one point i would have considered myself a hipster. at one point i would have considered myself a mindless outdoor enthusiast. neither fit and i have been rediscovering the magic of things before my time. (and now, since the title has appeared in the body, just like a novel, this entry should end - but it won't. sorry.)

henley t-shirts. herringbone trousers. birkenstock london clogs. a 1966 alfa romeo spyder. a 1973 lancia 2000 coupe. sure, in their times most of these things were complete rubbish. the cars couldn't have had more character but they also would have been hard pressed to be of poorer quality. most henleys and herringbone trousers are poorly cut and do less to make a gentleman look good than a broken bottle scar on the face from a bar fight.

and that phrase "in their times..." brings me to my point. i have found that it is possible to make a pair of birkenstock clogs look good in the 21st century. unlike my trusty old taupe suede arizonas, a sandal as exciting as a poorly stacked pile of rocks, these new londons of mine are rather special looking with decent trousers cleanly draping over the top. and, as far as comfort is concerned, they thrash my roughed up brown brogues seven ways to sunday.

i purchased my only henley t-shirt last year because angela told me she really liked them. never had i considered even trying one on before hearing this - they're too frumpy and plebeian, something a haggard old rancher would wear until the day he shot himself because of a freak early frost that ruined his crops for that last time. they're rarely flattering...until you find the right one. paired with nice trousers and those birks i was on about one ends up with a rather nice little sunday afternoon outfit. it's nothing i would consider taking out to dinner but then neither would i take that alfa on a cross-country trip without a support vehicle and a credit card with no limit.

but then that's not what we're talking about. we're not talking about driving across the states and we're certainly not talking about heading out to a ruth's chris. we're talking about being comfortable, confident and, most of all, very, very entertained. to bring a little smile into your life doesn't mean labeling yourself a hipster or outdoor junkie - it means discovering the magic of things in your time and sometimes that means leaving your time.

-e