Requiem for a Jacket

It’s time to get rid of a jacket I’ve had for a long time.

Pouring beer in the jacket in 2009 at Indyhall.

I don’t remember exactly when I got it. Sometime between 2006 and 2009. Maybe at the Cherry Hill Mall Macy’s.

The jacket has been with me almost my entire adult life. It’s still in pretty good shape, too, but just doesn’t fit me like it used to. We’ve drifted apart but had our adventures.

Wearing it at a kid’s birthday party.

I remember wearing it in Toronto in 2009, absurdly underdressed for the cold weather, but it got me back to my hotel. Sleeping in it at the Newark airport when I missed my connection. Vegas karaoke with strangers. The confidence it brought me countless times I didn’t know where I was going.

It fit so many occasions. Going to work, bar hangs, grocery stores, PTA meetings, nature hikes. If you know me you’ve seen me wear it and if you’ve seen me wear it then you’ve seen me.

The jacket solidified my style at the time which was about 63% dressy and 37% casual. My current fashion thinking is fit rules everything. Nothing in the color, material, or pattern matters more than fit and if it fits you, it will look good. As much as I love this jacket, it doesn’t fit anymore.

Despite the dramatic title I’m not throwing it away. I’m donating it to Peak Secondhand, so if you need a new jacket maybe try it on and give it a second life.

Newsweek Slams Crocs

I love this.

I like to play a game with my son, Joseph. We sit on a bench in touristy Old Town, Alexandria, Va., and we’re not allowed to get up until we see a dozen pairs of Crocs. It usually doesn’t take long. But the other day we were stuck at eight after a few minutes, and I was getting a little concerned. Just then my boy leaned over and said, “Don’t worry, Dad. A family of dorks will come along any minute.”