My View: My vintage wardrobe is fashion-forward - Buffalo News

The other day I, a usually dynamic, dashing gentleman with my own fashion-forward look, found myself wearing clothes that were both timeless and retro. The clothes were very old, but the look was totally acceptable in the world of today.

jim_morabito_for_my_view1 (copy) (copy) — James Morabito insists his 40-year-old clothes are still in style.

The shirt I was wearing was a nice Hathaway button-down dress shirt, white with thin navy blue stripes, in material called “English Poplin.” It was at least 40 years old. It was from a store called Sibley, Lindsay, and Curr Co., “Sibley’s,” from Rochester, a place also known then for its Kodak cameras and film. Sibley’s no longer exists.

My similarly old pants that day were sturdy, navy blue, cotton khaki-type chino pants, with blue and green plaid flannel lining. They were from a Chicago store you may have heard of called Sears, Roebuck and Co. Sears does still exist.

I have been been walking for exercise for a few years now, and, since I started doing about an hour every day, I have lost weight more rapidly, totaling about 80 pounds or so over the years. Now that I am only about 150 pounds, I can fit in clothes that, for a long time, I was too tubby for.

Needless to say, this opens up a lot of clothing options and possibilities that weren’t available to me before. It is fun to wear some of my favorite clothes that were never worn that much and are still in great shape. It is also a commentary on men’s clothes as opposed to women’s clothes.

I am perfectly presentable in society, just as most men would be, wearing clothes from 40 years ago. Admittedly, I am referring to traditional, conservatively styled clothing, the kinds of things that I have. For example, as a real estate agent, I look just fine in suits and sport coats that are nice, but old.

Can you imagine, though, how most women would feel wearing their clothes from 40 years ago? I don’t think the idea would go over too well.

Well, though, why shouldn’t there be equal clothing rights for women to wear decades-old clothing the same way men can? They could get in the back of those closets and find things like big sweaters and embroidered jeans. How about clothes that were in wild bright colors?

Clearly, women have moved on from past fashions and clothing styles, but men, whether dressed well or looking sloppy on a particular day, don’t have to keep up with any kind of look. A white dress shirt or a gray sweatshirt doesn’t change or evolve much.

Walking is also timeless. It is something that I, by myself, can do to help my health situation. I can’t control heredity, luck, etc. While the walking gets most of the credit for my new, skinnier self, I’ve been diligent in other ways as well.

I try to be careful about what I eat. I often say, “I am a magician. I can make food disappear.” However, I am trying to make healthy fruits and vegetables disappear, not just cakes, cookies and candies.

I still have fun with food, like my invention of the “peanut butter and anything sweet” sandwich. Skip the jam or jelly. Try honey or chocolate syrup, etc. My kids saw me eating a peanut butter and applesauce sandwich on whole wheat bread. The look they gave me was, “What a loser!”

OK, fine, but I am also a loser of a lot of pounds, who feels great, and can fit into lots of old clothes. My timeless clothing look could be called “I’m Fit And It Fits.”

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