Summer Sportswear for the High-Style Guy

Summer Sportswear for the High-Style Guy

 

Summer is just around the corner here in Fort Wayne, which means it’s the perfect time for sportswear.

 

Now, some of you might have reservations about sportswear. We know. Windbreakers and cargo shorts aren’t the height of fashion. But don’t worry—sportswear in the past several years has adopted a more refined look.

 

As evidence, we present Barbour, a British line of men’s (and women’s) sportswear that exudes the quintessential British countryside sophistication.

 

The brand has in recent years expanded its sport shirt offerings, and we love what they’ve made this season. Their shirts have that well-rounded British class, so they’re perfect for a well-heeled gentleman in Fort Wayne.

 

The fit of their shirts is typically a little more tailored (fittingly British, of course) and the styling is understated. Think simple buttons and chest pockets, and mostly neutral colors. They do several great plaid patterns.

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Barbour also has several great Oxford-woven cotton sport shirts, and these are the ones that make you look like you’re headed for a weekend in Sandringham.

 

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Stop by Christopher James to see our great selection of high quality sport shirts and outdoor wear from Barbour. We also carry several Barbour light summer jackets and vests.

 

We look forward to seeing you.

Terrific Trousers: Meyer Pants

Terrific Trousers: Meyer Pants

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Photo courtesy of Meyer.com

 

Meyer casual pants have been flying off our shelves recently, so we thought we’d share with you, and all the men of Fort Wayne, why these pants are so fantastic.

 

  1. They have the perfect trim fit

 

Nowadays slim is in, but many men still have reservations about the discomfort of close-fitting trousers. With Meyer pants, you needn’t worry about your voice going up an octave—they have the perfect cut: trim enough to be clean and on-trend, but still wide enough to be comfortable.

 

  1. Meyer pants transition well

 

Meyer pants are perfect transition pants. They can be dressy, casual and everything in between. Wear them with a dress shirt and sweater at the office, and then a chambray shirt with rolled up sleeves for a weekend drive.

 

  1. They’re REALLY well made

 

Meyer, a German company, manufacturers all their pants in Europe and use only fair-trade cotton, sourced from vendors throughout the world. Meyer uses a combination of machine and hand to construct their pants, and employs their very own laundry system.

 

Come into Christopher James today and get these pants before they’ve completely flown off our shelves. We’re located here.

Need a Tux for Prom? Rent from Christopher James in Fort Wayne (and Get $40 Off!)

Need a Tux for Prom? Rent from Christopher James in Fort Wayne (and Get $40 Off!)

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Don’t waste time shopping around town for a tux rental—Christopher James has everything you need. Our superb selection, excellent service and competitive prices make our store the one-stop shop for prom.

Also, if you use the coupon below, we’ll take $40 off your prom tuxedo rental package. You can’t beat this deal!

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This offer is valid through May 15, 2016.

Related: Should I wear a suit or tux to prom? Do I have to get her a corsage? Get the answers to these questions and more in our Prom FAQ.

Come by and see us, no appointment needed. Hurry in for the best selection.

Proud to be a Fort Wayne Blue Jacket Drop Off Location

For further information:
Tony Hudson, Executive Director
Blue Jacket, Inc.
(W) 260-744-1900 / (C) 260-437-5071
ahudson@bluejacketinc.org

Clothing Donor Receives $9,000 from a Shocking Source

March 31, 2016, FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

A donor who wishes to remain anonymous gathered her husband’s suits, shirts, and slacks and decided to donate them to a charity that she read about in the newspaper a few years prior.  She drove to the Blue Jacket Clothing Co. on South Calhoun in Fort Wayne on February 26th and donated her husband’s clothes.  She was impressed with the professionalism of the staff and the great care that they took in receiving her donation, until they asked for her contact information.  She wanted to be a silent supporter, not wanting a tax write-off, and was kind of “put off” by their requests.  According to the staff, this was their typical protocol for transparency and efficiency and though reluctant, she agreed to provide her name and email address.  This later turned out to be a wise decision, a $9,000 decision.

The following week would have been their 50th Wedding Anniversary, but her husband passed away in February, 2016 after a three year-long battle with a terminal cancer.  This was another reason why she did not wish to be contacted after the donation of all of his clothes.  She did not notice the number of missed calls from Blue Jacket staff later that afternoon until her daughter informed her that Blue Jacket employees contacted her and had something really important to talk about.  She promptly drove back down to Calhoun Street and met with Blue Jacket employees.  Not only did the amount astonish her, but how he kept it secret for so many years, stuffing it away in a jacket tucked far back in his closet also surprised her.  But the most surprising to her was the extent that Blue Jacket employees and volunteers hunted her down to return the $9,000 to her.

Her husband was a saver, and had been documenting every deposit for at least three years.  He was a detailed gentleman, acquiring that trait from his experience in the military.  What he did not document however, was the intention of the savings stuffed away in a jacket.  According to the donor, it could have been for a cruise on their 50th wedding anniversary, maybe a new dream car, or for the mounting funeral or hospital expenses.  But though she and her family do not know for certain, the timeliness and manner it was found emulated a posthumous, divinely-timed gift to cover the vast funeral expenses.  This is where all the monies were applied.

The donor recalled that, “At first I was not going to give my name when I donated the clothes.  My daughter reminded me that if I decided to donate to any other thrift store, that my name and contact information would not have been collected, or that important.  I am thankful for choosing Blue Jacket.”

What makes this story even more compelling is that $9,000 was found by a Blue Jacket graduate, one that has a criminal record.  Blue Jacket’s commitment to give second chances for someone who made mistakes in the past equally holds him or her accountable to make the right, ethical decisions.  While processing the donation, he noticed an abnormally large bulge in the suit.  Once he found it, he immediately notified the store manager and others working nearby.  Blue Jacket clients day after day prove that a bad decision should not define them, that everybody deserves a second chance at redemption.

Blue Jacket forms the institution of trust, allowing people to regain it through hard work.  But this story started with a person that did it when no one was looking.  He cherishes the trust that he has because there was a point when he did not have it.  Stories like this continue to foster the importance of forgiveness and of becoming redeemable, a story that Blue Jacket continues to press with second chances that are earned as it exhibits artwork for the next month at the Artlink Gallery of 13 stories of redemption told by some of the best artists in Fort Wayne, up until April 13th, 2016.

Jarrod Williams, the Blue Jacket Clothing Co. Manager stated that, “I am just happy to be able to play a part in this incredible ”secret gift”  story in the order of me just doing my job, I got to be the person to inform Patricia of the great find.”

This would have not been a story without an honest person once labelled an “ex-con,” the insistence to record a name for procedure’s sake, the persistence to return lost money to its rightful owner, and most importantly, a loving husband’s gift to his wife of nearly 50 years.  “I was already impressed by the Blue Jacket mission when I read about them in the paper years ago, then I was blown away by the cleanliness and professionalism of this high-end professional thrift store.  But when I met the staff that took such great care to honor me and my privacy, I was floored and would like all of Fort Wayne to know what kind of people they are dealing with at Blue Jacket,” the donor said.

Tony Hudson, Executive Director at Blue Jacket, was just thankful that he was able to meet the donor and take part in the story.  “I was happy to learn more about her husband and how God blessed his final months on Earth with his very sweet wife that he spent two thirds of his life with.  I am so happy that we were able to find her name and number on the newly processed clothing, then find the obituary that eventually lead to the location of her daughter who connected us.  What a cool story.”

Blue Jacket is a 10-year old nonprofit with a mission to provide education, training, and opportunities to any disadvantaged person who is striving to earn a second chance at gainful employment.  It cut its teeth on the hardest-to-employ returning inmates and has since opened its doors to anyone who is disadvantaged in the marketplace.  It has an in-house staffing agency along with the Blue Jacket Clothing Company that sells the high end clothes to fund its clothing bank that gives clothes out for free to the students of the job readiness training called the Career Academy.

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