Short Shrifted

What with Russia’s recent invasion of Georgia, just about everybody’s getting in on the saber-rattling act this week: Condi, Putin, that new Russian prez (who?), Poland, NATO — even Gorbachev! Man, it takes me back. I have to admit, as a child of the 70s/80s, I’m a sucker for Cold War-era books and movies. So if we’re about to start up a new deep-freeze, at least I’ve got that to look forward to. And so I’m using these recent Eastern European events as an excuse to go slightly off-topic (but not entirely) this week and talk about one of my favorite Cold War flicks, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

(Watch the first two — entirely wordless — minutes of the video link above. If you aren’t intrigued, the rest of it’s probably not for you.)

Last year, my friend Rachel turned me on to this BBC TV miniseries, a 1979 adaptation of John Le Carre’s novel of the same name. It scratches almost all of my itches. Incredibly dense (ultimately nonsensical) spy-vs-spy plot twists typical of the Cold War (check). Grainy, lovingly rendered 70s-era cinematography filled with super-long tracking shots and plenty of scenes that unfold leisurely, sometimes going several minutes without any dialog (check). Rampant Anglophilia (check). Brilliant acting (Sir Alec Guinness found time to star between appearances in something called Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back). And finally, a range of British fashion, from dumpy to dapper (told you this wasn’t entirely off the subject).

None of the clothing in the series is particularly suited to short men, nor is it anything that I would necessarily consider appropriate to the modern day. But in terms of theatrical costuming, it’s supremely well done: every outfit perfectly evokes its wearer’s character. But more than that, I’m kind of obsessed with the fashion portrayed in the series generally. Particularly the tie knots. Some of the knots are just so big and effortless and beautiful that everything I’ve ever seen on the streets of NYC (or in fashion mags, on The Sartorialist, etc.) just kind of pales by comparison. It all just seems either sad and small and pinched or overwrought and overblown.

Makes me want to spend my life going to knot-tying school. But I think the point here is that maybe you only get to look as subtly dapper as George Smiley and Control et al. if you’re on the wrong side of 60 and you’re washed up, fighting for your job, got a bit of a paunch and just don’t give a damn any more. If that’s the case, here’s hoping that the next cold war is over by the time I start to look that good.

PS: Although Le Carre chose to make the original BBC version a television miniseries because he didn’t think a feature-length format could do the novel justice, looks like Tinker, Tailor’s finally going to make it to the big screen.

Whether you’re having a leisurely romantic dinner, partaking of wine and cheese with friends, or furtively scoffing a microwaved Hot Pocket, you should be as comfortable as possible at your own table. Since most kitchen and dining-room chairs are designed for taller people, the seats are sometimes so large that they cut into the back of your knee. Worse yet, you can end up with your legs dangling above the floor like a six-year-old.

What you need is a smaller chair. And you don’t have to sacrifice one iota of hipness. Apartment Therapy put together a list of a dozen modern chairs that are sleeker or smaller than average. Of course, you should always try before you buy, but this list may help get you started.

Saw a bunch of random stuff on the internet this week that piqued my interest. Here’s a short rundown on each:

Rugby will soon have an e-commerce site, according to Off the Cuff. That’s great news for short men who don’t happen to live within driving distance of one of only a dozen of their brick-and-mortar stores. As long as you have a credit card and high-speed internet.

Less than a year ago, I reviewed Rugby and said their suits had “a beautiful classic American silhouette harking to the ’50s — tasteful and timeless with just a hint of youth and the now ($750).” Probably could have dropped in a Mad Men reference if I was writing it today… Anyway, “I tried on a 36R (they don’t have Shorts in 36) and it fit great: slim, shoulders perfect, sleeves weren’t even too long. I also tried on a 38S just to see what a Short was like, and if your frame is at all larger than mine, you’re in luck because their Shorts are truly nice and short.” They also make short neckties.

Steven Alan’s new line for Urban Outfitters (Lark & Wolff) was reviewed by The Shophound. There’s no mention on sizing. But he’s reporting $58 for shirts. If they fit as well as his usual XXS sizes, you should be able to score some button-downs that can actually be casually untucked — without looking like you’re wearing a mumu.

Check out a short interview with Steven Alan about Lark & Wolff here:

Sticking with the video theme for a moment, Scott Schuman (aka The Sartorialist) special guests on “In the Closet,” a Men.Style.com series. He chats with the hosts about the Paris Spring 09 preview show, which is fine if high fashion’s your thing. I just think it’s interesting to see Schuman in person, since he’s so often behind the camera with his blog. He may be short (5-foot-6), but the guy’s got his own sense of style and he’s powerfully built, too, which probably helps. Note to self: do some push-ups.

A Suitable Wardrobe discusses the importance of high armholes on suit jackets. This is essential for short men, but I guess it’s important for other reasons as well. Apparently, “a high armhole helps keep the jacket collar firmly affixed to the back of a man’s neck throughout a range of movement. A big sloppy one let’s the coat move around.” A fellow short man with the remarkably Wodehousian name of Percy Chatsworth left this comment on the post:

Being a student on a limited budget, I must find clothing which I can afford – which obviously means that I cannot even go for MTM. However, with a lot of searching, I found that Club Monaco makes great suits for a fair price, and with a little tailoring, they can be perfect. The scyes of my seersucker suit from CM fit quite well (I should also add that being 5′6 and slim makes finding clothing which fits properly difficult as well).

Percy, I couldn’t agree more, my good man. Back in June, I sung the praises of Club Monaco’s seersucker suiting, saying: “I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the cut is much shorter than their usual stuff. The Dean blazer has high hems, armholes and pockets.

And finally, Racked turned me on to this. You can watch a video on the Bushwick-based Martin Greenfield Clothiers on Vimeo. I can’t say it’s a documentary so much as a love letter that becomes a bit saccharine and Hallmarky at times (maybe it’s the American flags?). But he’s an interesting man, it’s beautifully shot, and it’s only 8 minutes. What I like about it best is that it’s another opportunity to peer into the MTM/bespoke world of men’s tailoring. As someone who’s still not entirely comfortable at the tailor, and is still learning about custom suiting/shirting, etc., I appreciate any chance to demystify the process. Spending money on a custom suit is a big commitment, and watching stuff like this make me more inspired to do it.

Martin the Tailor from Ed David on Vimeo.