Outfit Of The Week 9/8/24 – 9/14/24

The outfit I am highlighting for this week’s “OOTW” is a departure from the more business-casual ensembles I have featured over the past month.

No tie. No navy blazer. And no khakis and loafers! I know, I know… “Who are you and what have you done with Richard?!”

This outfit is just about as casual as it gets. I wanted to feature it because I think the pieces really speak to how durability, utility, and practicality can translate into handsomeness and stylishness.

I wore this outfit on Sunday. This past weekend was one of the first weekends in a while that the family didn’t have plans. We packed our summer with activities (and long drives) but it meant that we were away (or busy) every single weekend since June. So, it was nice to have a weekend where we could all just veg out.

I took the opportunity to tend to my woodpiles. As you guys know, I have been chopping through the huge pile of logs on my property since last November. I can happily say that, almost one year later, I am almost completely through them all (and they included some massive trees)! The only logs left are the ones that are buried underneath the piles of stumps I created.

And those stump piles are large. Since I enjoyed the chopping so much, I didn’t bother doing much splitting and stacking. Well, winter is fast approaching and I want to have a healthy stock of wood for the chilly nights and inevitable power-outages.

So last week I decided that I was determined to split and stack all the wood I’ve already chopped by the end of November. It will be a big task, but I’m excited to see if I can do it. I imagine there are several cords-worth.

My boys even got in on the splitting action!

Yes, those are real hatchets. I think it’s important for kids to get comfortable using tools that can actually hurt them if they are not careful. I think it teaches them a level of responsibility and care. Also, I make sure to tell them that the reason I permit them to use the hatchets is because I trust them. And I trust them because THEY have worked hard to build that trust (by always being well-behaved with the hatchets).

It also gets some of their energy out and allows us all to spend time together!

For splitting/stacking, I pulled on my olive, 5-pocket chinos from Lands’ End. These have become almost exclusively work pants since I blew out the knee on them some months ago. They’re good for yard work though, since they are pretty lightweight and stretchy enough to not restrict movement. The hems also don’t bunch up inside my boots.

Speaking of boots, I always wear my black, fleece-lined Hunter boots for any and all work outside. They are more than adequate for the type of stuff I do and they keep my feet dry and (mostly) warm. When the weather gets icy, I strap some spikes to the bottoms so I don’t slip on the wood. I know I should probably invest in some proper boots with an aggressive lug sole and safety-toe (especially for chopping), but I just haven’t felt like dropping that kind of money when these boots serve their purpose well. Maybe I’ll do it when these boots wear out, but I feel like they have a long way to go.

Over a t-shirt I tossed a Lands’ End Flagship Flannel shirt. I was excited as this was the first time in months I felt the need to layer while working outside! I get roasty-toasty pretty quickly when I’m swinging an axe but the morning was just a little too chilly for comfort without some sort of light layer.

I know Lands’ End might garner some eye-rolls from the internet menswear community (outside their iconic Hyde Park oxfords which are, sadly, gone) but their Flagship Flannel shirts are tremendous bang-for-your-buck. While they aren’t as luxurious as something like the L.L. Bean organic flannels, they are very comfortable and can be had for under $20 on sale. If you do consistent outdoor work, you might want to pick up a few of them to have on hand.

The hat I donned for the day was my brown, Akubra Federation IV fedora. I love this hat. Akubras are so tough and they look fantastic. The best part, though, is that they are insanely priced for their quality. I think I picked up this Fed IV for like $150 and it’s the premium-quality version. The Fed IV, like the Campdraft (which is another stellar hat), comes open-crown which means that you, the customer, shape the hat as you want when you buy it. So, you could do a center crease, or a teardrop, or a cattleman, or whatever you want. I like open-crown hats because I can shape them however I want in order to fit properly. Sometimes the factory crease in a hat means it doesn’t sit as perfectly on your head as you would want. You won’t have that problem with an open-crown hat. All you need to do is just heat up some water in a kettle, hold the hat over the steam for ten seconds or so and then shape it to your liking. If you screw up, just repeat the process until you’re satisfied.

There are two things to keep in mind with Akubras. While they fit perfectly out of the box, they tend to shrink a bit once you’ve worn the hat for a while (so keep that in mind when purchasing). They also stay rather stiff throughout their lives. That might be a good thing or bag thing depending on your preference. By contrast, my Stetsons all get pretty floppy and supple after a few years (which I like). The brims of my Akubras are still pretty inflexible.

The best thing about this hat is the versatility. Yes, I use it as a work hat, but it absolutely works in more formal settings, like with a jacket and tie. It’s one of the best all-around hats you can buy.

Once I finished splitting and stacking for the day, my wife and I had our customary Sunday mid-day date while the boys watched a movie and ate their lunches. Afterwards, because it was still a little chilly out, my son suggested we build a fire in the firepit and toast marshmallows, so that’s what we did!

As the fire got going and the boys played in the yard, it started to lightly drizzle. Nothing major. Just a little moisture. I put on my wool-lined Barbour jacket. It wasn’t cold enough to need anything heavier than that and I just needed something to keep me dry and warm as I sat still waiting for the fire to be marshmallow-ready.

This Barbour is cut slimmer and shorter than most Barbours. While that limits its ability to be layered over anything more than a sweater (like a sport coat), it makes it a very good work jacket, as there isn’t a ton of excess material flopping around. With the wool liner, it makes it a bit heavier than my Harrington (which is my go-to early fall jacket) but not as heavy as my leather biker jacket.

As you can see, all the pieces I wore that day were chosen mostly for their utility. But together, they form something really nice! Sure, it’s undeniably casual, but still very handsome. It shows that when you fortify your wardrobe with quality pieces, you can throw them together quickly and easily and you are bound to look good.

The following weeks are forecasted to be quite warm (what I consider warm, being from the north) so I imagine I’ll still be in boat shoes and madras for some time to come.

Have a wonderful weekend!