Ralph Lauren Holiday

My favorite thing about the Ralph Lauren holiday collection is the amount of plaid, simply because he doesn't just stop with shirts, but rather he comes up with plaid everything, i.e. picture frames, iPad cases, bags, etc. I don't know where or how my love for plaid developed but it's definitely present.

[Again] I am in the process of unwinding after another stressful week with classes so I decided I would buy myself something nice, which happens far too often. After looking through the holiday collection I was hit with the idea of publishing a post on what I found.

Here on the west coast plaid is an effortless surfer look, which works great. I can't say that I haven't bought plaids from the likes of Quiksilver and Insight but there's definitely a difference in functionality when looking at something picked up at Becker and one from Ralph Lauren or J. Crew. The look achieved by the latter two brands is a more classic, casual get together look that's exactly what you need for a holiday themed party or a fall/winter dinner party. On cold nights, like those I am about to experience when I'm home, a flannel button-down is typically what I go for when I'm getting ready to meet up with my friends.

I feel as though I can form such an opinion of the superiority of RL or J. Crew over the more laid back brands simply because I own enough of both to know the difference. Nothing is better to me than lacing up my Red Wing boots (see "Eyecatchers Cont.."), throwing on a pair of J. Crew jeans, a nice plaid shirt and a peacoat for a dinner party or just going to hang out at a friend's house.

I never dig for compliments from people and I suggest every guy do the same. My big thing is that I wear things because I like them, not because I want others to notice. If they so happen to notice, it's out of your control (aka--nice work).  I always dress the part for where I am but I'm definitely not overdressed. People also make the assumption that I have taken hours to get ready when I legit put it all together within minutes. And this is how I've come full circle with this post. Plaids are my favorite in the winter because they're something to throw on and still stay warm without looking like you sacrificed necessary body heat in order to achieve a certain look.

Here are just a few things I found on the RL Holiday website:

 
I couldn't help but pick out a few accessories (I hate the lack of masculinity in that word) that carried out the plaid idea. Basically, you just can't go wrong with plaid (madras is obviously one of my go-to shirts in summer), especially in winter: