Devil in the detail

The night before I put this outfit together I had a dream about my grandfather who passed away 21 years ago.

Before he passed he gave me a small cross which turned out to be a pencil which was used by troops to write notes while in battle (WW1 and WW2).

Also he gave me his pocket watch which he was given by Vauxhall motors upon his retirement from the plant in 1979.

Both items had been sat in boxes tucked away in my closet, I got both pieces out and decided to put them together on a fob chain and make them one item.

I had a big meeting that day so I decided that I would make the watch/cross combo the centre piece of my outfit, here's what I selected:

* Dita glasses

* Tie Clip

* Waitscoat

* Lapel pin (Prostate cancer awareness)

* Knitted tie

* 2 x knitted Pocket square

* White linen shirt

* Trousers

* Jacket

* Socks

* Shoes

* Flat cap

Below is how I decided to piece together the outfit and what I came up with so that I could be smart for my meeting but also honour the items my grandfather gave me.

Why don't I talk you through the outfit I have and the idea's behind it.

1. My pocket watch and cross had to be the focal point of this look.

* Why you ask? Because the dream I had made me want to honour the old fellow and I miss him so what better way.

2. Fitted trouser and linen shirt.

* The fitted Ralph Lauren trouser really gives great shape and they are so comfortable. I also love the comfort and feel I get from a linen shirt, when they are fresh on after being ironed there is nothing better.

3. Woollen Waistcoat and accessories.

* I selected a blue waist coat as I felt that blue would be my primary colour throughout, it is from the Edinburgh Woollen Company and has a fantastic snug fit. I decided to go for a knitted tie and pocket square combo some extra texture to the whole outfit, I also doubled up the pocket squares using one dark blue one and a white one. I finished with a some final touches of a tie clip and a lapel pin.

4. Dog tooth jacket and flat cap.

* I picked the dog tooth jacket and hat to give a dapper finish to my look, they both stand out but are exceptionally smart to boot.

4. The shoes are a plain Loake and are fantastically comfortable with a very smart finish. I paired them with a pair of blue socks to finish the look.

Lets have a closer look at the details up close.

I wanted to make a statement with my look and I feel that the blue throughout the outfit combined with the dog tooth flat cap and jacket really work together. The contrast of light and dark balance each other out well and the textures are layered nicely with the knitted pocket squares and tie.

The detail and finesse of the pocket watch help bring the whole outfit up a level and in my eye's really help escalate the entire look.

I went with a plain shoe as I wanted the pocket watch and cross to be the main focal point.

Above is a close up of the pocket watch and the cross, I had the fob chain set aside in a draw so I combined them to make this very smart accessory.

I think that my grandfather would be happy with how I have used his watch and cross, they are worn in good taste and really help make my outfit work.

Who ever you are do not be afraid to wear anything you want to as it's your choice, it's your style and most importantly it's your expression of your inner self.

Good luck and just go for it!

The Sartorial Yeti xx