Wish I'd Said It

Weeds are flowers too - once you get to know them.

- A. A. Milne

Monday, December 12, 2005

Sartorial Splendour

That's not a description many would use when describing how I dress. I'm a jeans and t-shirt guy who adds a sweater or sweatshirt in winter. When it comes to sweaters and shirts, I'm fond of colourful jobbies. Colourful, but tasteful.

A year or so ago, I sent a few online friends a picture of me in my favourite sweater. To my dismay, their reaction was horrified amusement. Across the board. Much mockery ensued. To the extent that a contest was started, asking people to buy, and send to me, the "ugliest" sweaters they could find. There was a $5 limit which restricted folks somewhat from the more upscale shops.

Anyway, I was reading Dawno's blog, her December 10th entry, and she showed a couple of pics of very spiffy Christmas sweaters. I wanted them. Not the pics, the sweaters. Unfortunately, they weren't my size (XL) otherwise I'm sure Dawno would have happily turned them over to me. I told her if I could figure out how, (thanks Mac) I'd post a couple of pics of my sweaters here.

Here's the one that started the whole mocking thing.



Hard to figger ain't it? Sure it's colourful, but in a refined, non-senses-assaulting sort of a way.



Here's the first entrant in the Find Frank An Ugly Sweater Challenge.





I liked this one just fine, despite its colour-impairedness. It's just a wee bit bland.




I much prefer this later, and thus far, winning entry.



Now this is a sweater! With pretty much every colour in the visible spectrum (and quite possibly a couple which aren't) represented, it doesn't matter what colour of pants I grab that day. This one, like my original fave, goes with anything.

I'm honestly perplexed that most of my friends consider these sweaters to be ugly. I guess there's just no accounting for taste.


13 comments:

Anonymous said...

That first sweater - the one that inspired the "Ugly Sweater Challenge" prompted a lot of fun reactions from folks in our trivia room. Borrowed from a past newsletter, I thought I'd share them with the rest of you. Enjoy! (From time to time, eraser is also known as LoneDeranger and Troutguy)

By the way, Dawno.. YOUR sweaters are cute!

Hilary :) <--- defying the "smiley-free zone."

***********************************************
eraser: anybody want to see a pick of me wearing my favourite sweater?
eraser: q seems to think it's NOT a wonderful sweater
eraser: but what does she know?
KityKat78 gets blinded by the colours
Kelster: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEe
Kelster: I AM BLIND
KityKat78: SOOOOOOO BRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHTTTTTTTT
Kelster: eraser...is this the sweater that can be seen from space?
Kelster: my GAWD
eraser: so it's a titch colourful......
Kelster: hard to tell...i cant look directly at it for long


essponda: i saw a sweater like that at marshall's. it was on a rack that said,
"buy one , get ten free"
R0siecatt: easer i have made afghans like that sweater
essponda: gotta go. see u guys soon. thanks for the test pattern photo


eraser: gonna send you a pic of me in my favourite sweater..tell me what you
think of the sweater..been getting, um...mixed reactions
Kelster: mixed?
dejablues: mixed?
Kelster: i think the unanimous spontaneous shrieking is a good indicator
twipsta: looks like something similar to what i saw on the side of the road on new years eve :)
jewelzzz: oh my eraser who got you that sweater ?????
eraser: i did j....found at the salvation army store for $2
eraser: what a deal eh?
jewelzzz: you been robbed hun


minerva_: omg look at the colours on that!
VanHelsing: when i look at it i feel like i took acid


Obsidiac: you had the sweater, I had the same carpet in my VW microbus
eraser: i've been getting LOTS of compliments like that


LoneDeranger: i don't think slick has seen The Sweater
Slick2097: it looks like the stripes on jupiter only sideways
dejablues: with little cocktail sausages dancing up the side ;)
Slick2097 adds in a skilled "well it suits you" comment ... knowing damn well he
himself would never wear it
LoneDeranger makes a note: "slick says sweater is out of this world"
Kelster: slick.....did you see it?
Slick2097: I can still see it, and i've closed the jpg down
dejablues: yup.. out of this world all right.. looks like it came out of uranus


VanHelsing: i cant understand how he feels encouraged to show that abomination
to other people after all of our comments about it
LoneDeranger: because eventually, DUH!, i have to come across someone with
good taste
LoneDeranger: face it, you guys are all fashion duds
LoneDeranger: you're haute-couture-challenged
LoneDeranger: runway-impaired
VanHelsing: ok twiggy
LoneDeranger struts


eraser: chup, let me know what you think of this sweater....HONEST opinion now
VanHelsing: oh god
minerva_: uh oh
chup_re: what sweater?
minerva_: sunglasses first chup
minerva_: WEAR YOUR SUNGLASSES
VanHelsing: and then you die
eraser: no hinting!
VanHelsing: "The Sweater" at a theatre near you
chup_re: looks like something my grandmother would knit
VanHelsing: poor woman
eraser kicks van's pudgy brazilian behind
eraser: you meant that in a good way right?
chup_re: let me put it this way... it LOOKS hideous. but it also looks comfy, which
is probably more important
eraser: >8-(
eraser: you meant hideous in the good way right?
chup_re: no
eraser: dang


Tallayne has motion sickness - E should never send that kind of pic again
Tallayne gets the barf bucket
eraser: you WANT The Sweater
Tallayne: just to unravel it!
Kelster: want that sweater?????
Kelster: maybe for when i am walking at night....
Kelster: ....through fog
Kelster: ...and a snowstorm
Kelster: and stevie wonder drives by
Kelster: in the driver seat
Kelster: but other than that......no. not wanting that sweater
Kelster: e has sweaters that even jerry garcia would stop and say "dude, that is BRIGHT"


VanHelsing: thats not a sweater... thats an enlarged picture of a cell....
Obsidiac: the only motels I can afford have wallpaper like that sweater


eraser: HAY! i don't think rol was *lucky* enough to see my sweater pic!
Kelster: NO ROLLICK
Kelster: SPARE YOURSELF....YOUR CHILDREN, PETS, NEIGHBORHOOD
Kelster: DONT GO INTO THE LIIIIIIIGHT
Obsidiac: the sweater: kinda like if salvador dali had been born in alabama


dejablues: i think i understand why e likes that sweater. .it's like a Rorschach test..
he sees things nobody else does
Tallayne: its a cheap high
eraser: if you're both nice to me i might let you each wear it for a few minutes some time
eraser: i bet you won't want to give it back
Tallayne: no i would burn it :)
dejablues: i'll take my turn wearing it over to the fireplace
Tallayne: gmta Q
Tallayne: should be unraveled and sold as just wool
eraser: you guys are such kidders :)
dejablues: are you kidding? that would mean rolling it into 37 different coloured skeins

Slick2097: if we all liked the same stuff we'd all have to have sweaters like e :/ ...
thats a chance i'm not prepared to take
VanHelsing: didnt Lucy get frightened by the abominable sweater?
dejablues: she should have.. it looks just like a parrot exploded


eraser: zia...YOU have not seen the sweater pic yet
eraser: NOBODY pre-judge it for her!
eraser: let her make up her own mind about how wonderful it is
^Ziandra is blinded !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kelster: i wonder if george clinton's hair stylist designed that sweater
^Ziandra: I have printed off the pic of e in his sweater and added it to my
chatmates board !
KityKat78: u are joking....you want to inflict pain on hundreds of other people too !!
^Ziandra: shhhhhhhhhhhh they are giggling !


eraser: slick did you see The Sweater pic?
Slick2097: I still see it when I close my eyes at night e
eraser was hopeful that there might be ONE weirdo who liked it
eraser: maybe i'll go to #colourblind_sickoes and try there
R0siecatt: e i have a kind of wall hanging i made that would make your sweater
look blah
eraser: that's the spirit rose!


Kelster: him in that sweater must be like the guy who comes out of the bathroom
with toilet paper on his shoe and his shirt tail sticking out of the top of his fly
and no one tells him


Kelster: dejablues....you do realize that we have doomed ourselves to seeing him
in that sweater from now on when we meet
eraser: you can be sure i'll wear it too, unless it's summer
Kelster plans to be in canada in august
dejablues: i've already met him.. and seen him in more stylish clothing, kels.. like
a hospital gown
eraser: lol
Kelster: lol dejablues
dejablues: :)
eraser: i looked cute
**************************************************

ohdawno said...

Frank, those are lovely. Intense and inspirational.

That type of pattern, shown in pix one and three, btw, was very popular in Australia the year I was there - that would be 2002.

I feel a teensy bit competitive. I think I'm going to have to post more of my sweaters now.

It's gonna make folks wish we were posting cute cat pictures, isn't it?

Frank Baron said...

Hilary, thanks for providing proof positive that none of my friends have any fashion sense.

;)

(Smileys are allowed in responses.)

Dawno, you are perceptive, wise and have impeccable taste. If you're in Paris this spring for Dior's show - call me. We'll have lunch.

Anonymous said...

Ahh the great sweater incident of 2005 ... I remember it well. I still remember it even after taking the medication.

Ste.

Frank Baron said...

Slick, you're just looking for any old excuse to up the dosage. Again. ;)

Paprikapink said...

Frank, I wanted to drop in here and say hi, nice blog, etc. But I can't now. I'll wait till this whole sweater thing has scrolled off the scrollable universe.

Anonymous said...

I have a jumper with similar styling .... but not quite so ..... colourful :)

I think it's sitting at the back of my closet somewhere hehe ....

Don't worry e ... as much as I bagged ya, I used to where not just tops, but also pants that would put ya sweaters to shame :)

I'll see if i still got some, and see if I still fit. If I can I'll try and take pics (as long as the lens doesn't crack :)
hehehe :)

Frank Baron said...

Pkpk, thanks for dropping by (even though you seem to be fashion-impaired too). :)

Twip, looking forward to those pics.

It's about time somebody else got mocked....

Anonymous said...

I like all those sweaters, Frank. I really do.

Frank Baron said...

Sandra, bless your heart. Come join Dawno and me in Paris this spring.

Ray Wong said...

Goodness, Frank. Those makes my mostly black sweaters look like...

Frank Baron said...

"Crud" Ray? "Boring" maybe? How about "blah?"

What?

"Stylish and elegant?"

Eye of the beholder and all that I suppose....

;)

Grayquill said...

I almost fell out of my chair laughing. This post so reminds me of how over the years my kids have laughed at me. It can be really quite disconcerting when all at once they all are laughing at me and I am left with only one thing..."What? What? What?
My son has narrowed his description of me down to one adjective 'Quirky'. Hmmmm...