I guess we all have favorite articles of clothing. It’s more than liking the look of the garment itself. It’s really about feeling good when you wear it. In small or large ways perhaps, this special piece of clothes has power to transform us… make us more confident. Sort of like Clark Kent donning tights and a cape (and you thought it was the kryptonite).
I got to thinking about this the other day. I had just inherited a “hand-me-up” from Zack. A simple tan cotton broadcloth shirt with short sleeves from Old Navy or the Gap (or a place like one of those places).
What can I say? I like it.
Perhaps you have heard of “Dressed Down Fridays”? Real popular in Corporate America, I’m told… Well I’m living a “dressed down decade (or two). I have gone from tailor-made suits and jackets to wearing Docker’s khakis (tan or olive), sweat shirts in winter, t-shirts (or polo shirts) in summer and boat shoes. Sartorially speaking, my life got real simple.
Because of the near refrigerator quality of our air conditioning at Grapes, in the summer I like to wear an “over shirt” with my assorted Ts. This over shirt is always worn un-tucked with front and sleeves unbuttoned. The over shirt can be of denim, or from the stable of shirts from my custom tailoring days.
Zack’s shirt, albeit short sleeve, has been added to the mix & has been elevated to “first violin” status..
But the manner in which these shirts are worn contributes to my reputation of having that “castaway” look. It has also been advanced that I “need” an over shirt to hide my increasing middle (which, in private, I will admit to). But it has also been noted that as we age we become more sensitive to the cold, and the over shirt is really a “senior” thing… as if on a July day I will show up at Grapes with a cashmere scarf! And to this latter notion, let me issue a simple “pah”! And maybe also a full moon!
I think it must have been on my third or fourth day in a row of wearing this tan shirt when I clearly recognized that this simple accessory was well on its way to a wardrobe favorite.
I happened to be at Ash Creek at the time… Mags had put in an urgent call to me… I was advised that there was an unfortunate surplus of Wild Turkey at my other Office. I responded to the call directly after work.
I was in the process of reviewing their 101 when a character from the kids show Fraggle Rock came into my mind. By the by, this is what happens when you sip straight rye whisky. I don’t even know if the show is aired anymore… it was an old Jim Henson creation.
Zack would later supply the character’s name (Wembley), and in broad strokes, the basics of the show. I don’t think I ever saw the show; but I can remember reading the books to the kids (actually, I think it was just one book).
It was Wembley who I was interested in. There was something about him that must have struck a resonant chord… even the best from Kentucky can’t dredge up a memory from 20 years ago… a memory sourced from a single kids book.
But this is for sure… Wembley wore a colourful Hawaiian shirt (something that set him completely apart from all the other Fraggles), and this shirt became the signature of his appearance. But there is more… if he misplaced it, say… or perhaps it was in the wash, it would put him on edge… as if some of his persona had been depleted… as if his inherent vulnerability had been laid bare.
And then miraculously, when the shirt was found, slipped on, a sigh heaved… the balance of the universe was restored… at least as far as Wembley was concerned.
Let me quickly say that I am not keen on Hawaiian shirts. But I am a fan of Wembley… even though I know so little about him, or the world he inhabited. I like his scruffy appearance, his friendly nature. I like the pride he put into something that might seem insignificant to others. I like that he draws comfort and strength from a “special shirt”.
Nope. Wembley and I don’t need a cape or tights to feel like Superman.