My ugly mug

[Oscar Tong]

For anybody wishing to go blind, here are the first of an ongoing series of pictures I like to call "The Misadventures of a Poor Vintage Lover in Slobland" (working title), the continuous attempts of a young fellow who loves early mid-twentieth century fashions to build a wardrobe on a tight budget and using very limited resources (i.e., with no vintage clothing or affordable tailors available to him).

I based the outfit below on what Jack Webb wore as Sgt. Joe Friday in Dragnet, with the addition of a low-grade panama. For some weird reason, my ties always like to scoot over to the side whenever I tie them in a four-in-hand knot.

I took the above pictures using an IBM UltraPort Camera, an overpriced USB netcam, and a reflective high-visibility velcro strap that I normally use when I cycle.

That's it for now.

 

[TommySalieri]

Awesome hat!

 

[PADDY]

Oscar...looking good!!

Very sharp look, the panama suits you sir!! Now what about a grey fedora?

 

[Flitcraft]

Looks great!
As far as building a vintage wardrobe on a budget- keep fighting the good fight, bro'! Its worth it!

 

[Johnnysan]

Man, you've got that "Joe Friday" thing down pat! I had to look twice to realize I wasn't looking at a photo of Jack Webb! I second the comment about the Panama. I have a Dobbs Shantung that is very similar to the one you're wearing and wear it often in the summer months! Very nice look!

 

[Feraud]

Oscar Tong, you look great! That suit and squared off handkerchief fits you very well. You totally have the 50's detective look going on.

The grey blazer and straw hat reminds me of a city detective heading to warmer climates to track down some undesirables...

 

[Mr. Rover]

YAY! Another Asian guy here! Welcome, welcome! Good luck with finding vintage- it sure is great once you find something worth spending the dough on. Your suit looks great- I'm digging the squared off hanky as well. You don't have to pose like Kritios Boy, though! Relax a little!

 

[Chad Sanborn]

Love the suit!
Just the facts mam!

Couldn't resist

Chad

 

[Nathan Flowers]

Sorry Oscar, but I had to edit your post to get rid of the "thumbs down". That look deserves a Thumbs Up

 

[farnham54]

Oscar,

Good to see another Canuck on the Boards. Welcome, and your looking sharp!

Cheers
Craig

 

[Andykev]

Hey there Oscar!

Oscar. you look like an actor in a vintage hollywood film! You pull it all together nicely. Quit beating yourself up. Nice hat too. Welcome to the Lounge!

Send more!!

 

[Thomas Walden]

I don't recommend using a four-in-hand (unless you want a very small, tight knot). It's asymmetrical, as you probably know.

 

[macawber]

Oscar
I have noticed that most folks dont comment on their appearance, stop it, as I don't think any one wants to hear you put yourself down.

 

[Oscar Tong]

In Gastown in December 2004

Hey, folks! Here's a picture I just remembered I had.

Here I am with a friend from Japan in Gastown, a subsection of Downtown Vancouver, in December 2004. (For more information about Gastown, please follow the link in the previous sentence.) I strongly recommend a stroll through Gastown at night if you're ever in Vancouver. Just please watch out for the drunkards, drug addicts, beggars, doggedly persistent beggars, and other unscrupulous types while you're there.

In the background is Gastown's famous steam clock, which blows out hot steam at regular intervals. The clock adds a nice touch to the picture and to Gastown, I think. It's too bad the Starbucks on the left ruins the picture's atmosphere. Oh, well.

I didn't have any particular images in mind for this outfit; I had simply thrown some of my clothes together, and this was the result. The shirt had a button-down collar. The bow tie, a clip-on o), came from a local vintage-clothing shop. It was the only nice dark-brown bow tie of any sort that I could find in Vancouver. (I still can't find a dark-brown bow tie in any shops to this day!) I had neglected my hair somewhat at the time, so my sideburns had grown long. (Thanks to the posters in the "Hair cuts" thread for enlightening me about past hair cuts!)

Before this picture was taken, I had lent my friend my black driver's cap, since driver's caps and poorboy caps had become so popular with young women like her. Unlike me, her interest was in hippie style. Still, I thought the driver's cap worked for her.

It's harder to tell from this picture, but the brim of the fedora I was wearing was actually too narrow for my face. The only reason I wore it was that it was a gift from a longtime elderly acquaintance of mine and it fit much better than my other fedora, a cheap model that I had bought in 2002.

That's it for now.

—Oscar Tong

 

[Matt Deckard]

That shorter brim looks good with the bow tie. great pic.

 

[Incroyable]

In that last bit, I do say you resemble the last Emperor of China, PuYi, in the 1920's.

 

[Mr. Rover]

Winter!

Ah! I can't wait until winter here! It's so hard to dress vintage in the sub-tropic humidity in Taiwan. Just ask el Jefe! I think I'm going to try the bow-tie tomorrow, afterall it's the first day of school! I agree with the PuYi statement. I believe he wore round glasses, too.