RP: Off the Racks Who: Robb McLellan and Jon Snow When: 18 May 2013 Where:Joyride: Vintage for Men, Orange. Ca. Status: Complete Word Status: 6,372
Having decided that Robb needed to add a little certain something to an already bulging wardrobe, Jon dragged his ginger-haired boyfriend - well, hardly dragged, more of a casual lead by the elbow - into Joyride.
Situated on the corner of Chapman Avenue in downtown Orange, the little shop with the big black awning was truly a step back in time. Every available inch of wall space covered with old period adverts for shaving creams and straight razors, shelves filled with old fly fishing gear and hardwood-framed snowshoes with rawhide lacings. Pre-World War II memorabilia filled up the remainder, harkening back to a much simpler era, when everyone dressed the part of a Hollywood star, complete with dapper chapeau, handkerchief artfully placed in the top pocket of their double breasted and well-polished wingtips.
There were racks and racks of clothing to go through, of course. And so many ties! Every color and pattern you could possibly imagine. Stripes and paisley, nubby tweed and polka dots. All silk, naturally. People didn't fool around back then.
And while Robb was certainly not a fan of the garish 1940s Aloha print Hawaiian shirts modeled on display forms in the center of the shop, he did like all the waistcoats and watch fobs and the three-button gabardine shirt with the wee hunting motif embroidered down the right front panel.
Directed to a dressing room at the end of a tiny hallway by Robert, Joyride's proprietor, Robb was told "Try on everything, do not pull a face and trust me on this," by Jon before he got a heavy stack of clothing unceremoniously shoved into his arms and the door shut behind quickly after.
Right, then, he thought, dumping the pile onto a low chair before wriggling out of his gear. At least the lighting wasn't the unforgiving sort like in the high-end boutiques he was more used to frequenting. Nine thousand watts of extreme cold and monied calculating.
Everything had a soft glow to it here. Sunshine filtered through large front windows, this 'vintage outpost' as Jon so loved calling them, did have a certain appeal, he supposed.
Perhaps he even might find something worth buying today.