Outfit Of The Week 11/5/23 – 11/11/23
If you read many “style” sites or follow menswear social media accounts, you might get used to seeing people like me (internet clothing weirdos) in expertly staged photo sessions with perfectly curated outfits.
Luckily, today’s post in our OOTW series isn’t one of them!
As you all know, in this series I highlight outfits I ACTUALLY wore. There are no filters. No trickery. I don’t put something on to take a bunch of pictures and then take it off and put on my actual outfit for the day.
The whole point of this series is to show that I walk the walk when it comes to the advice I give on this site.
Which is why I felt it was important to show an outfit for lounging at home after a long week!
Because, let’s face it, as stylish as we all are during the day, don’t we all let our hair down a bit once the kids are asleep, dinner’s done, and the last beer has been poured?
My wife and I both had very long and tiring work weeks. We were both very happy to relax. Also, the weather has been much colder this week. The kids had a two-hour delay the other day! So, the season is definitely charging full-tilt towards winter (which I love).
Here is my quintessential “cold weather lounge wear”.
I’ll start with my sweater. I’ve written before about how this sweater has gone beyond “wardrobe staple” and is now one of my “tools”. It’s a “ragg wool” sweater from L.L. Bean. The size is a medium and I can still layer under it, which tells you how deranged the sizing is over in Freeport. I’m a large in everything except L.L. Bean and Orvis.
The sweater has been a true workhorse for the four or so years I’ve had it. It’s never been dry-cleaned, as evidenced by the wine stains and the smell of woodsmoke.
The front zipper makes it easy to pop on and off and the cotton flannel lining extends all the way down the sleeves making this sweater very comfortable to wear over a t-shirt, which I have done here.
For anyone who says, “I don’t wear wool sweaters because they are itchy”, this sweater is a good choice. Granted, the collar is not lined so you WILL feel the wool against your neck. I don’t mind this, as I like the feel of wool, but it bothers some people.
Under the sweater was one half of my two-piece pajama set from Vermont Flannel Company. My wife got me this set of pajamas for my birthday. The t-shirt is a regular cotton t-shirt with a flannel pocket on the breast. The pants, though, are incredibly thick and soft. Easily the most luxurious pajama pants I own and perfect for the recent chilly nights.
Moving on down, I wore my trusty Ugg slippers. I was never a “slipper guy” until my wife bought me my first pair of shearling-lined slippers about twelve years ago when we were living in upstate New York.
Anyone who is familiar with that area of the country knows that the winters are very cold and snowy. Once I dipped my toes (literally) into the world of fur slippers, I never looked back. Now, the only time I am barefoot is when I am in bed. When I’m home I am ALWAYS wearing slippers, even in summer. I wear through one pair of slippers every two years, on average, so I think I am on my fifth or sixth pair.
If you don’t usually wear slippers, I encourage you to give them a try. And opt for wool slippers instead of cotton-lined. Your feet won’t smell if you wear wool slippers.
I’ve tried both Ugg and L.L. Bean’s “Wicked Good” slippers and the Ugg slippers are far superior, although I feel that quality has gone down in recent years.
The best thing about these slippers, other than the fur lining, is the thick rubber sole. These work perfectly fine for stepping outside in inclement weather for a few minutes to warm up the truck or retrieve a UPS package. Just don’t wear them in public and try to pass them off as regular shoes.
No end-of-week-lounge-fit is complete without an alcoholic beverage consumed by a roaring fire! Unfortunately, I live in the land of delicious-but-stupidly-expensive beer.
Oh well. I’ve earned it. And I’m sure you have, too.
Have a wonderful weekend!
