The Shirt on My Back, and about Thirty-Plus More

 I wouldn't call myself a "clothes-horse" or a "fashion-maven," but it might be possible that I am both of those things.  To be honest, I used to not like looking for clothes at all.  It was sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s that I really started to appreciate looking for clothes, as opposed to having it be a chore.  Well, at least for some things.  As I have mentioned before, I have always had problems with pants.  Weird measurements and little backside development make pants shopping less than pleasurable.   Everything else is great.  I guess it started with socks.  One of the few fashion rules I always try to follow is that my socks match my shirt as closely as they can.  For awhile, I was obsessed with argyles.  I got many pairs in stranger color combinations, but they matched my shirts.  I then got into the bright color trend as it just started.  I wound up with over a dozen of pairs in very bright colors, but they still worked with my shirts.  It's too bad that the trend has started to peter out.  I haven't seen as many new colors as I used to, just bizarre patterns, which are not my thing.  Socks led to shirt shopping.  I currently have over thirty short-sleeved shirts, at least three rainbows worth.  Literally, I have every color and shade from red to violet and back, with a few neutrals to break up the monotony.  Mostly tees, but a few polos and others mixed in.  I have another two dozen or so long-sleeved shirts for the cooler parts of the year.  Not as many colors, but many more styles.  Strangely enough, many have more than one color, blocking or stripes and designs, as opposed to the short-sleeved ones, which are overwhelmingly solids.  I actually had more, but I retired a few last year.  I also have a few dress shirts, mostly solids but a few striped ones too.  I don't wear them as often, as I lead a fairly casual lifestyle nowadays.  I also get to write my own dress code, and I say I don't need to be so formal so often.  When I got into shirt buying, I didn't have one favored brand or store.  Ultimately, Macy's became the go-to place.  Club Room, INC, John Ashford, and Alfanti were prime choices.  I usually get two or three shirts at a time, frequently different colors of the same style.  Sometimes a different one in the same brand, just so I wouldn't always look the same.  A few years ago, something changed.  I was looking around Dillards, when I discovered this one shirt that rocked me to the core.  Murano liquid cotton.  It is a higher end brand, but the feel of the shirts and the color selection just blew my mind.  My first one was a light silvery gray, a color a never had before, but fit right into my wardrobe.  The cut was a little slimmer than usual for me, but it still looked great on me, with my slightly defined muscles and almost flat stomach paunch.  I try to get one or two every year, when I can.  I mostly get tees, but I did get a light yellow polo one time.  Great color, but polos aren't the best choice more the fabric.  Murano also makes long-sleeved shirts, but I have yet to find a color and style I like.  While I like my UK blue, my favorite has to be the navy-to-salmon ombré V-neck.  The only problem with it is that the tail is so long, you can only see it if I untuck the shirt.  It all but goes past my crotch, it's so long.  Still, great shirt. On the other side of Dillards men's department is Roundtree and Yorke.  Their brand is more casual, and affordable, usually.  They also have more styles for both short- and long-sleeves.  I am prone to get different styles whenever I buy two or more, as the color overlaps between styles in the brand is quite frequent.  My favorite here is what I like to call my "sport shirt."  The shoulders are in UK blue, again, as are the sleeves.  The rest of the shirt is white.  It has some buttons, so it is not exactly a tee, but it does have a strong athletic feel to it.  Like the ombré, I was only able to get one in that style that day, but I wish I could've gotten a second one as well.  While I think Murano still makes their style, I haven't seen Roundtree and Yorke bring their style back yet.  It was only about two years ago, so there is still I chance for a second go,  Now, if I could only find pants, other than some jeans, that I would like shopping for.