The Perfect Chambray Work Shirt

For years and years, I searched for the indigo navy surplus work shirts that used to be found in Army Navy surplus stores. I remembered them as a kid. Picture the gentleman architect from Charlottesville who grew up on the family's ancestral farm (but was schooled at Woodberry and finished in Chapel Hill) who wore them while drafting in his study before getting some horticultural chore done in the back fourteen hundred. Like most awesome things, the more used, sun-drenched, and washed it got, the better it became. 

While their civilian life was pastoral and perhaps a little cerebral, the chambray work shirt's naval life was anything but. I found this example of a chambray navy work shirt getting the most out a Douglas Dauntless. 

 

I finally found a very nice reproduction of those old, vintage chambray work shirts. Uniqlo, with their famous denim lab in Los Angeles, developed a number of great vintage work wear items at a cut-rate price. I've purchased a number of their chambray work shirts as well as their 'hickory stripe' work shirts. The hickories are actually like wonderful OCBD--wonderful cotton oxford cloth dirt cheap. I've tried to do the 'Tucker Carlson' stripe OCBD shirt and repp stripe combo but my neck size is a little off. Looks great with a repp bow tie though. What is more Tucker Carlson than that?

 

Trailer Trad Tunes: Best Trad Band Name Ever - Seeking Madras

I learned about a delightful new band out of Wilmington, NC on a recent trip to Pinehurst with Lil' Bean. A great mix of surf with 90's brit mod and shoe gaze (the Stone Roses, The Byrds)

Richmond Pump House

Constructed in 1882, the Richmond pump house was built to pump water uphill from the canals to the Byrd Park Reservoir, the city’s main water supply. 

 

Why was such a utilitarian structure built in such an ornate style? It looks like a medieval monastery with an open air ball room on top. This was built to pump water, for goodness sake! I asked an old veteran builder familiar with Richmond's past and his answer underwhelmed me at first. "Its just the way they did it back then." But, you know, that's true. During Reconstruction, I am convinced that it was decided that no expense would be spared to plant impressive civic structures to salve old wounds. Like Monument Boulevard, but many other parts of the city as well.

For many years, this complex has sat abandoned, taking on undergrowth and adding to its mystery. However, there has been growing interest in preserving and restoring the structure. But I happen to like its disheveled appearance, waiting to be explored (with a hard hat).

Kick the Tragedy - A Song for Friday the 11th of December, 2020