Up to this point in Fit Battle, the entries I submitted for fit battle felt like “me” in the sense that they were clothes I wore and wore quite often (even the Round of 16 entry), but there was also an element of being a character - a boarding school student, a punk, a nomad - and the submissions were in service of what that person would wear. With that, there was a lack of levity that I tended to bring to my usual style of fits. While I did want to be successful and creatively invigorated, I also wanted to have fun first and foremost and, especially after the previous round, there was a deficit of fun involved.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb3c07e0c-a413-4ac2-a1ba-ef4ad1f057bd_539x244.png)
In the process of purchasing other things on eBay for fit battle and in general, I bought a pair of pajamas because a) I wanted pajamas, b) they were cool, and c) because maybe they would be a cool backup in case I couldn't destroy my clothes to my liking (mentioned above). I grew up liking newspaper serials (Archie and Calvin & Hobbes when in school, and later Box Office Poison by Alex Robinson or Blankets by Craig Thompson. Similarly, I like the latent humor in midcentury Americana - kitsch decor, advertising with a wink and nudge, the use of vivid colors like pinks or teals as neutrals - it's good spirited and unserious yet has additional thought for those willing to put the effort in, which describes a lot of my style. After how much effort the previous fit took, I felt I needed something less serious, especially if I was going to be eliminated after this round and I found myself drawn to using the pajamas as an actual entry.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F29974ad3-8429-4c77-b73a-fba09cf7f082_421x173.png)
I am not a baseball fan but I *am* a fan of irony and so I was drawn to them on that level – though this plan did not materialize, at one point I was planning to take the photos at Nats Stadium on a home game. While I initially was going to just wear the pajamas under a jacket of some sort and call it a day, I noticed a few details in the pajama shirt that called to mind a typical 3 button suit jacket or sport coat and led with that for the submission.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7a98817d-2745-4a81-910b-6792e79645c5_353x235.png)
There were some clear differences between that day and the final outcome:
The most time intensive was re-ironing the top; the fabric was both pliable enough to have its collar ironed out and rigid enough (with some starch spray) to hold a more traditional "lapel" shape. It also allowed me to turn this into a 2-button jacket of sorts, which I generally prefer wearing.
At one point, I intended to wear a different OCBD by J. Press, however the collar on it is significantly pronounced and threatened to distort the shape of the newly-formed lapel. I instead wore a shirt with a smaller collar which was more contained within the “jacket”.
Originally, I wore a red printed tie as a more "traditional" element, then switched it for a red knit tie that would echo the 50s and 60s vibes of the comic print, then switched again to a vintage paisley print tie. Both the tie and the print are a yellow base with flecks of red and turquoise, a nice bit of cohesion.
I was going to wear the brown loafers, again, to give the effect of a suit, but after some quality thoughts from LeisurelyLoafing (apparently all of Washington DC is colluding here haha) was all set to buy a pair of dingy PF Flyers like in The Sandlot. In my pursuit, I found a pair of suede LL Bean loafers instead and figured I'd take my chance. They’re a light green but read closer to off-white in-store, and yields a slightly different energy than sneakers (shifting from ivy to more traditional menswear). While I was prepared to switch out for the Vans from the previous fit again, I didn’t need to.
I did not own any baseball teams’ hats (at the time) and was prepared to wear an unrelated red hat, but I borrowed kstocks's hat, and in my opinion the green works better to not pull focus from the suit.
I really wanted to lean into kitsch with some of the other details: the umbrella as a bat, the Baby Ruth bar, a newspaper, and even the backwards baseball cap. These are more overtly funny details than the pen in vote in 1 or even the lapel pin in vote in 2 and worked better overall.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffd354396-41d4-4bc8-8cee-c7b5fb7d4818_2928x1336.png)
One final last-minute detail: the tie loop is partially hanging *over* the collar. While the choice in OCBD was intentional as I didn’t want something with a larger collar to ruin the crease in the ‘jacket’ that I ironed in earlier, the method of tying was a happy accident. I saw the first pictures came out looking cool and figured I’d go with it. The overall scene is less serious and that’s just one extra way that’s conveyed.
Submitted entry
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4be40ca-f19d-4851-991c-3cdfcbf2a152_2836x1938.png)
I really like this - it's fun, it's funny, and I enjoyed wearing it, even if I felt like throwing up while taking these pictures (shout out again to discord solipsist z). This feels the most like me in spirit, as I enjoy subverting traditional expectations of ivy, tailoring and sometimes clothing in general, and I'm glad I could show it. I’m not sure I would wear this exact fit in this way again anytime soon, but who knows?
Item Breakdown
Most items were purchased secondhand (eBay, Goodwill, and flea markets most often). Things bought intentionally for fit battle are denoted with asterisks (***) while things bought shortly before/during that were worn are denoted with carats (^^^).
Cap: J.Press baseball cap (green) from @kstocks
"Suit": vintage comic print pajamas, brand Charles Goodnight (yellow print) (***)
Shirt: J. Crew flap pocket OCBD (white)
Tie: vintage PRL paisley print (yellow)
Shoes: vintage L.L. Bean suede loafers (mint green) (***)
Umbrella: shedrain, from amazon (black)
Bag in alt. shot: J. Crew tote (similar to the L.L. Bean Boat & Tote bag) (^^^)
Socks: white Hanes/off-white Uniqlo color socks
Sunglasses: old pair from thrift store in Maryland
Watch: Timex Weekender (black strap, white face)
Thank you for reading! You can click below for the Round of 4 (semifinals) entry:
You can find also me on MFA Discord or Instagram to see more of my fits, to ask any questions about this essay, or to connect about clothes, comics, or life in general.