Puttin' on the Ritz

Yesterday I went north in the hopes of completing my tuxedo ensemble. The day turned into a nice day with my wife. We went to the thrift store, then out to lunch at a sushi restaurant with our oldest son, then to the tux place, and finally to a movie before heading home.

     

A couple of months ago, I found a rather nice jacket at a northern thrift store. It is double- breasted, which is my preferred style in suit coats. The only problem with it was that there were no pants with it in my size. I thought I could just wear a pair of black pants and I would be fine. That's what I did with the last tux jacket I had (also a DB style). After doing this, I was informed by my lovely wife that my pants looked brown by comparison. Oops.

      

Hence, the trip north. I found a tux store that was selling used pieces, and bought a pair of pants that match my jacket, and a new tux shirt, though I was taken back by the sizes needed in both (time to start exercising!). The result is that this Tues., when we travel south for Choir festival, I will have a full tux for the first time since I was in college.

   

That tux was used also. In fact, it had been brown, and they dyed it black. I used it in my University Choir. It cost $50 complete. It would now probably fit around one of my legs. I was quite a bit skinnier back then (that was over 20 years ago). 

    

I still want a set of tails some day, but this tux will do just fine in the mean time. And the pants are adjustable if my weight changes in either direction. Let's hope I have to adjust them INWARD!