Sartorial Preferences of a Leica Man? Just for grins...

[dave lackey]

Summer has finally arrived in The Deep South!

A Leica Man does not let 100°F heat and oppressive humidity stop him from shooting. So what does a Leica Man wear? While shopping for summer clothes the other day, this question arose in my mind and I had no answer. So I did nothing but look. I hope to get the sartorial considerations settled soon as I have a couple of road trips planned.

After considering the needs for comfortable clothing, I have a few thoughts.

Shirts. Forget the T-shirt, I was wondering about loose fitting linen shirts. Has anyone tried those while out shooting? Long sleeve?

Shorts. Maybe but it gets downright irritating when dropping to a knee to shoot with shorts on. Levi's seem to still work best. Any thoughts?

Shoes. I am leaning toward Sperry boat shoes for a change.

Bag. Domke Ruggedwear gets my attention, not my black Billingham... for obvious reasons.

Hat/cap. A nice summer-weight flat cap works best for me.

Gear. Special needs like ND filters and such along with a towel or a wet bandana (Cooldana) and a water bottle.

Fun stuff. My 2wt. Orvis Fly rod in an 18" tube with compact fly case and such in a separate bag for therapy along the way.😃
Anything else?

Just curious, whilst stuck in the house this weekend... what are your considerations?😃

 

[michaelwj]

Dave,
You should know not to lower your dress standards for heat (or a riot), however on a hot and humid day you can leave the waistcoat at home, and you suit can be lightweight.

 

[Baipin]

I always wear a light linen shirt with roll-up sleeves; breathable when you need it, but the sleeves are nice when it gets cooler as the sun goes down, or as the mosquitoes come out. In my personal experience, I find shorts a hassle if you're kneeling a lot. Cotton or linen joggers are my go-to. Either way, whatever the weather - winter or summer - I always wear a good pair of high-top sneakers. Leather Converse are nice and rugged, and they won't break the bank (which the Leica probably already did). ;-)

 

[charjohncarter]

Watch William Eggleston on 'You Tube.'

 

[maggieo]

Y'all need long-sleeve, white, linen shirts. Unlined linen, seersucker or light cotton long trousers. Seersucker jacket when needed, make sure you have a silk or cotton pocket square. A small silk bow tie, in a lighter color (no patterns, save small polka dots) for times when a tie is appropriate.

Thigh-high socks and either Clark's Desert Boots or plain Oxfords in either fabric or smooth leather.

Remember, you are a Gentleman and should always carry yourself as such. Avoid excessive fripperies. Wrap your extra lens in a silk scarf and keep it in your Seersucker jacket's pocket or your trousers' pocket. If you are using larger format gear, get a bag that will hold a tripod and carry only that.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I'm usually wearing Levis 514's, a short-sleeved western shirt, pastel colored socks, and a pair of Adidas Sambas or some boat shoes. Current hat is a pink ball cap with the word DETROIT embroidered on it, and my present bag is a Filson Small Field Bag that I just treated with some wax I got with a Domke bag.

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Y'all need long-sleeve, white, linen shirts. Unlined linen, seersucker or light cotton long trousers. Seersucker jacket when needed, make sure you have a silk or cotton pocket square. A small silk bow tie, in a lighter color (no patterns, save small polka dots) for times when a tie is appropriate.

Thigh-high socks and either Clark's Desert Boots or plain Oxfords in either fabric or smooth leather.

Remember, you are a Gentleman and should always carry yourself as such. Avoid excessive fripperies. Wrap your extra lens in a silk scarf and keep it in your Seersucker jacket's pocket or your trousers' pocket. If you are using larger format gear, get a bag that will hold a tripod and carry only that.

HAHAHAHAHA 👍

 

[nasmformyzombie]

...Current hat is a pink ball cap with the word DETROIT embroidered on it...

Pink?

 

[dave lackey]

I'm usually wearing Levis 514's, a short-sleeved western shirt, pastel colored socks, and a pair of Adidas Sambas or some boat shoes. Current hat is a pink ball cap with the word DETROIT embroidered on it, and my present bag is a Filson Small Field Bag that I just treated with some wax I got with a Domke bag.

Hmmm... I have the same wax but never used it on the Domke bag...
How did you put it on and do you like the result?

 

[dave lackey]

Y'all need long-sleeve, white, linen shirts. Unlined linen, seersucker or light cotton long trousers. Seersucker jacket when needed, make sure you have a silk or cotton pocket square. A small silk bow tie, in a lighter color (no patterns, save small polka dots) for times when a tie is appropriate.

Thigh-high socks and either Clark's Desert Boots or plain Oxfords in either fabric or smooth leather.

Remember, you are a Gentleman and should always carry yourself as such. Avoid excessive fripperies. Wrap your extra lens in a silk scarf and keep it in your Seersucker jacket's pocket or your trousers' pocket. If you are using larger format gear, get a bag that will hold a tripod and carry only that.

Matlock!!!

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

Pink?

Indeed, my favorite clothes color!

Hmmm... I have the same wax but never used it on the Domke bag...
How did you put it on and do you like the result?

I wasn't sure why they shipped it with the Domke bag, as it was already waxed! But it feels interesting on the Filson, and it does indeed repel water, and it has made the canvas seem a little more dark and broken in. I like it.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Jeans, or chinos (khaki) or cargo pants (extra pockets), short sleeve cotton shirts or t-shirts, polo shirts for cool weather, serious walking shoes (Mephisto) and a small Domke bag (FX5B, preferably). No head gear. It gets in the way.

Any Leica M around the neck, with a 35mm lens and a yellow filter on it. A spare body or spare lenses and extra film on the bag... With money in my pocket I'm ready for the day!

 

[Henry]

Hiking/tech chino style pants, tshirt, and sneakers. Maybe a light blazer in the fall. It's the digital Leica look.

Jeans in the summer in the south is just crazy talk, the fashion equivalent of letting your camera warm up on the dash of your car.

 

[rscheffler]

Lol, yeah, I couldn't imagine wearing jeans in that kind of weather either.

I just spent a couple weeks in Taiwan where it was typically nearly 30˚C with high humidity. I had a few 'technical' hiking-style breathable pants in the rotation. The one I liked best was the Ferrosi pants by Outdoor Research. IMO they look good without being too 'technical' and are extremely comfortable with great stretch and breathability. The fabric has an interesting fine texture to it. Probably something to do with increasing surface area to speed evaporation and for a comfortable feel against the skin (whereas some nylon fabrics feel like they're going to stick to you). At times it almost felt like I wasn't wearing pants at all.

I also had a Ferrosi jacket along that worked out really well too (though is not water resistant/proof).

For shirts... I guess for me what's most important is the shirt I'm wearing under the shirt. In the case for Taiwan, it was Uniqlo AIRism T-shirts under a variety of button up casual shirts or polos, all in lighter materials, whether cotton, synthetic or linen. The AIRism shirts felt cool against the skin and never got wet/clammy from perspiration the way cotton can. The next alternative IMO would be lightweight marino wool, but those get pricy from the name brands, whereas the AIRism Ts are only ~$10.

 

[peterm1]

Any of the clothing styles shown here would do nicely:

https://au.pinterest.com/peterm1001/my-favorite-fashion/

 

[Greyscale]

Nothing comes between me and my Leica. Nothing.

 

[aizan]

shoes
white canvas: sperry cloud cvo or keds champion cvo
white bucks: bass buckingham, sid mashburn, or brooks brothers
moccasins: quoddy bluchers

socks
white crew: maggie's organics or wigwam king cotton crew

pants
chinos: bill's khakis m1, jack donnelly

belts
surcingle: j. press
canvas d-ring: strait city trading co.

shirts
white linen: orvis
madras: o'connell's

hat
go all the way with a boater hat, ha!

 

[Brian Atherton]

When carrying my Leica, and being the man abaht town wot I am, pale blue shirt with a white collar, maroon silk tie, three-piece chalk stripe suit, bowler hat, black Oxfords – though I find juggling my camera and bag whilst carrying a rolled-up umbrella a bit of a hassle.

 

[Dralowid]

When carrying my Leica, and being the man abaht town wot I am, pale blue shirt with a white collar, maroon silk tie, three-piece chalk stripe suit, bowler hat, black Oxfords – though I find juggling my camera and bag whilst carrying a rolled-up umbrella a bit of a hassle.

I too wear a suit but find the trousers a little tight under the armpits...

 

[Keith]

HCB in 1947 ... smart, dapper and sophisticated!