Jim and Dick traveled to The Crescent City for Mardi Gras with only our Armoury Essentials collection.
I've been making somewhat regular trips to New Orleans for almost 15 years now. What keeps drawing me back is the rich mixture of cultural influences, and that blend is most apparent during Mardi Gras.
The high-and-low nature of the city makes it tough to pack for a trip. As you can see, Rick and I attended everything from backyard barbecues to black tie bashes, sometimes in the same day! Hopefully, we've given you a bit of inspiration on how to mix a few essential pieces to navigate a variety of social situations.
After we landed, Rick wanted to take it easy and do a bit of drawing. So, we took the streetcar to one of my favorite spots in Audubon Park.
Taking inspiration from both old English and Spanish hunting jacket styles. We’ve partnered up with a Japanese mill that specializes in knitted jersey fabric. The natural give of the jersey knit fabric and the modern garment construction, our City Hunter 2 makes for the perfect comfortable, casual jacket.
This jacket comes equipped with bellowed pockets, a half belt with side button tabs, and an inverted back pleat for greater movement in the arms. Finished with horn buttons, this safari jacket serves as a cool jacket to wear during the spring and summer.
The next morning we headed to the Rex Den where the Rex Krewe prepares the costumes and floats before the parade rolls at midday.
The Armoury's own Model 3 suit features the same extended, unpadded shoulders and enlarged sleevehead as our Model 3 sport coat. Worn here as a separate, it makes for a great travel piece.
We spent the rest of the afternoon sipping drinks on our friends' porch and occasionally checking in on the parades as they rolled along St. Charles Ave.
The Armoury’s own Summer knit is the perfect weight and weave for Summer and the breezy Spring months. Made up in conjunction with our favorite mill in Scotland, this 100% superfine merino wool sweater is cut on the shorter side for wear with higher rise trousers. Featuring a ribbed crewneck, ribbed cuffs and waistband, and our own slim fit.
Meant to be worn on its own or under a jacket, the collar is constructed the same way a woven shirt is, with a full collar band and light interlining. In a medium weight 100% cotton pique, it's the perfect weight for a polo shirt and has become a new favorite among both our employees and clients.
Before even more parades the following day, I took Rick to enjoy some Southern food staples at High Hat. Catfish, fried chicken, pimento cheese; they do all the classics perfectly.
I wanted Rick to experience the French Quarter during Mardi Gras without feeling too overwhelmed. Luckily, we were able to view it all from a private deck overlooking the floats as they turned onto Canal St.
The Armoury's Model 6 double breasted suit features a lower, more horizontal lapel that sweeps out wide and straight, it's incredibly classic and wearable. The Model B trousers can also be worn on their own.
Our curated formal wear accessories come from Drake's and Codis Maya, combined with our own Tuxedo for a timeless look.
The Armoury's own Tuxedo features a lightly roped shoulder with a clean but generous sleevehead, a lower buttoning point, and wide peak lapels. The inky black wool/mohair fabric is a great weight for most temperatures and is complemented nicely with satin facings. Whether this is your first tuxedo or your fifth, this has a place in every man's wardrobe.
We had a long night ahead of us, and I wanted to make sure we were well fed in advance. So, our friends agreed to meet us at Pascale Manale, a century-old Uptown institution know for seafood. Rick and I got there a bit early to slurp oysters at the old marble bar.
Every Krewe throws an evening formal ball after their respective parade rolls. We were lucky enough to attend the Bacchus Ball, a BYOB black tie extravaganza where thousands of guests cheer on the floats and marching bands as they roll into the convention center.
