Old Habits Die Hard

If there is one item of clothing I have an intemperance for, it's fleece pants. Yes, fleece pants. Those track suit pants commonly made from cotton, that come in a two piece comprising a bottom and a top. In the sporting fraternity they are ubiquitous, and the standard colour they are mass produced in is grey. However they are also produced in a plethora of colours and, in equally the same amount of fabrics and materials. What prompted this posit, however, is the fact that I have been thinking about stylishly and aesthetically incorporating fleece pants into casual wear. For now I have it in theory. I hope next autumn and winter I can bring it to life. Recently, I 'm spending a lot of time at home and I find that I hardly get out. And if I do get out, it's to hang up clothes on the washing line or to buy bread or other daily dietary staples. And I do all this in, mostly, fleece pants, a t-shirt and some slides or old driving mocs that have supplanted my fluffy, old slippers as house shoes. Sometimes this combination doesn't make for a stylish appearance, which is why I think that these two pieces of casual knitwear befit the laid back milieu I currently find myself in and, am trying to project.

This wool/ cashmere blend, cable-knit hoodie by Energie, is exactly what I'm talking about. For me, it is the perfect complement to fleece pants in black or charcoal and a v-neck t-shirt. The cardinal rule, with this kind of ensemble, is fit. As much as baggy fleece pants and a hoody have been legally married for the longest time, it would behoove any gent who strays into such sartorial territory, to adhere to the right fit and proportion. Believe me, a pair of fitted fleece pants and a hoody works. I've thought about the right shoe for this ensemble and, I can only focus on a pair of boat shoes. In suede, no less. Boat shoes, in a bright hue, would bring a dash of sobriety to an otherwise "sloppy" presentation.

This cable knit, shawl collar cardigan by GANT, espouses exactly the same characteristics regarding the cable knit hoody. Navy is a colour that opens one up to a plethora of colour schemes and combinations, and therefore, a stylish presentation would not be a hurdle. A navy on navy combination tempered with a grey t-shirt and some boat shoes. Remember this combination is kept within the bounds of laid-back Sunday newspaper reading, when one is lounging around the house.

I feel that before this explication I should've prefaced this post with a caveat, that: this post is mainly a sporty one and therefore is not everyone's cup of tea. I say this because my brother, our circle of friends and sporting activity buddies, all believe in the importance of fleece pants as part of our ever evolving wardrobes. Whenever we come from basketball pickup games or practice, after a shower the obligatory dress code is a t-shirt, sneakers and fleece pants. When it comes to fleece pants each and everyone of us is given to excess.

PG: Man to man, generation to generation.