The · Affected · Provincial’s · Almanack

Because I consider myself to be more of an aesthete rather than a connoisseur (read: an insufferably snobbish cloth-prig no one wants to know), I am somewhat promiscuous about mixing my bespoke, off-the-rack and thrift items. Such a practice is born of necessity, but I also enjoy the challenge of putting together ensembles that are unique yet affordable, if not always successful (wouldn't be very fun if one hit the mark every time, now would it?)
Pictured is an inexpensive retail linen summer suit, a thrift tie, a bespoke shirt made for me by Simone Abbarchi of Florence, and a pocket square of my own design. The suit is a decent fit, even though the photo above shows a gap between my chest and lapel (I had my arm raised at the time). A couple slight alterations can go a long way with thrift and off-the-rack suits, provided the fit in the chest, shoulders and trunk are where they should be. To a diasporic Kentuckian such as myself, an absolutely impeccable fit is beside the point when it comes to a linen suit--although a baggy, sloppy fit is always to be avoided. I think a slight rumple here and there exudes a certain charm in the more casual summer months. Mint julep, please.

Peggy Jean-Louis and Martha Camarillo have put together a book about a little-known aspect of Philadelphia:

"Deep in the heart of Philadelphia, past row houses and vacant lots, run-down playgrounds and dilapidated schools, is a little place called Fletcher Street. It has everything one would expect to find down an alley in the ghetto, with one addition: horses. The men and boys of Fletcher Street have used their passion for riding and bonds with their rides to build their and their community’s sense of worth. They describe their passion for horses as having kept them from the temptations of street life. Fletcher Street by Martha Camarillo documents the lives of these men and the boys they mentor, who board their horses in abandoned houses or makeshift stables, and ride them through the streets of Philly.

"Camarillo’s work is valuable not only because it illuminates a fascinating new aspect of culture, but also because it challenges those who see it. Her photographs force viewers to confront their own preconceptions of sport as representative of social status, and race as a demarcation of class. The power of Camarillo’s exploration of this underrepresented community is based on the strength of the men themselves: urban horsemen who have ridden away from the ’hood and toward a better future."

Amazon Link

I see these gentlemen from time to time in the streets of Philly. There are some matters afoot that might involve me in a project with these urban horsemen, but I cannot say more than this at the moment.

~W