Naval gazing
I just bought a pair of jaunty white sailor pants by Ralph Lauren. No big deal, right? Wrong. For me, this is like buying a chiffon blouse for a spin class. Somewhere there's a blueberry with my name on it, a cup of espresso perched next to a rambunctious toddler.
There is white-pant-destroying karma in my life, which explains why I haven't owned a pair in at least 25 years. But they looked so fresh, were a hard to find wide-legged cut and fit like custom tailoring.
I found them on the day our son Jules began his process of enlisting in the Canadian Navy. Le Duc, laughing, pointed out my subconscious support.
Someone else will keep my boy's whites pristine.
I find men in uniform–especially sailors–unbearably handsome. Once, visiting New York during Fleet Week, I delayed my flight home three times just to admire the debonair US Navy and Coast Guard crews striding through Rockefeller Center in their dress whites.
The city looked like one panoramic Norman Parks photo; I could not leave.
As for me, it's a Tide stain stick and crossed fingers.
What do you do when faced with an item of inevitable fragility? Buy it anyway and enjoy it while it lasts, or walk on by?
Update: I noticed a woman whose white pants were splattered all around the hem simply by proximity to the rainy streets. I returned mine and am hunting a café au lait pair.
There is white-pant-destroying karma in my life, which explains why I haven't owned a pair in at least 25 years. But they looked so fresh, were a hard to find wide-legged cut and fit like custom tailoring.
I found them on the day our son Jules began his process of enlisting in the Canadian Navy. Le Duc, laughing, pointed out my subconscious support.
Someone else will keep my boy's whites pristine.
I find men in uniform–especially sailors–unbearably handsome. Once, visiting New York during Fleet Week, I delayed my flight home three times just to admire the debonair US Navy and Coast Guard crews striding through Rockefeller Center in their dress whites.
The city looked like one panoramic Norman Parks photo; I could not leave.
As for me, it's a Tide stain stick and crossed fingers.
What do you do when faced with an item of inevitable fragility? Buy it anyway and enjoy it while it lasts, or walk on by?
Update: I noticed a woman whose white pants were splattered all around the hem simply by proximity to the rainy streets. I returned mine and am hunting a café au lait pair.
Comments
A black cat, work with paint and graphic elements, bad karma for spills and an ample tuchis combine to rule out white trousers for me. Though I still remember the beautiful creamy twills with brown thread my mum sewed for me back in the 60s when I was a young teen. I kept them pretty clean as I was so fond of them. Of course they eventually wore out. They weren't quite full-out bell-bottoms, more like what we'd call a bootcut nowadays.
Hope son doesn't get "In the Navy" inflicted on self too often...
The spring pair was irretrievably stained before the third trip to the washing machine.
On the other hand, I have a pair of lightweight winter white ones that are a bear to keep nice, but I like them anyway.
Best wishes to your son in the Navy!
In my very isolated opinion, life is too short not to wear white pants now and again. I can't pull off a white cashmere suit, but I could do white jeans. When they get dirty, throw them in a machine.
Cafe au lait sounds about right !
Hope your son enjoys his time in the Navy...men in uniform do look handsome.
Where did you find the pants? I'm in Toronto as well and have trouble finding pants long enough as I'm 5'10".
I'm already looking forward to attending the change of command in Rota Spain next June, with the US and Spanish Admirals, Captains, etc. in full dress summer whites....that's going to be such a treat for me. Those men are awesome.
Congratulations on your son's choice of joining the Canadian Navy. It is an incredible career choice and I'm sure that he will get a lot out of the experience.
Congrats to your son! Navy dress blues are marvelous and easy to wear, so be sure to get your hands on some during his tenure!
So stressful do I find white, that I felt a sense of relief when you recounted the return of the pants. Plus, white can be see through in ways that don't show up till you're outside.
I love sailors too! When I worked in the ticket booth at MoMA, I loved Fleet Week and it was my pleasure to let all the sailors in for free.
Jules has not yet been accepted, it's a long process in Canada- he should know by July or early Aug.
I might buy a pair of white jeans, which would take tougher laundering.
As for delicate items, I realised recently that saving them for 'special' meant that I never wore them, so now I wear them when I feel like it, and try to be philosophical about their inevitable demise.
I too do not buy pure whites for the two reasons mentioned - they are often too transparent! and I feel they make me look larger on the bottom.
Good luck to your son getting into the navy.
And a hearty congrats on your son deciding to try to join our armed forces. Two of my uncles served in the Canadian navy during WWII and I have nothing but respect and gratitude for our men and women in uniform. You must be very proud.