L.L. Bean’s grandson Leon Gorman is retiring as company chairman...

Here is something rarely copied from the L.L. Bean archives.

According to the Associated Press  (and featured in The Times Record), L.L. Bean's grandson, Leon Gorman, is retiring as chairman.  The founder's great-grandson, Shawn Gorman, will be the new chairman.

I suspect that the various newspapers will run stories on Leon Gorman's record.  I will be genuinely curious if any reporters decide to dig beyond the PR press releases and consider the changes that have happened to the American clothing industry during, and in part driven by, his tenure.

However, any facts contained in this comment section may help some overworked and underpaid reporter on a tight deadline.

While Shawn Gorman will no doubt receive a lot of advice, he could do worse than add Is L.L. Bean on the right track? to his reading list.

Additional Reading:

• Bangor Daily News (Repurposed press release?) : http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/20/business/leon-gorman-l-l-beans-leader-for-45-years-steps-down-as-chairman/

Some of our Bean's items from about 40 years ago.  How many companies produced clothes in the 1970's that are still wearable today?  

** Added after the original post **

Dave T asked in the comments section what kind of jacket was in the photo above.   It is their Warden Jacket, and we all had one in my family.   So I have added a few photographs.  

Below is a photograph of my mother in the late 70s in Damariscotta in hers, along with her sailboat wrap around skirt and her Jacques Cohen espadrilles.

Below are two photographs of my father in his, in Kenya, along with his chukka boots from Barrie (which was adjacent to the J. Press store in New Haven).

The Lacoste Shirt, 1962

Both Photographs Taken in 1962 By My Father

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“The sports shirt of choice is the Lacoste.  Only the all-cotton model will do, the one with the cap sleeves with the ribbed edging, narrow collar, and two button placket (never buttoned).”  

- The Official Preppy Handbook, 1980

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I prefer two button over three button plackets, and in contrast to the advice of the authors of The Official Preppy Handbook, the bottom button fastened for men.  I always wear mine with both unbuttoned.

For contrast, here is a three button (non-Lacoste) shirt.

Who Made these Ties?

My father always wore these ties with his Orvis Battenkill tattersall shirts, such as this one.  The company that made them (in the late 1970's) might surprise some.

*** Update ***

The answer to the question is Sero.

I found this interesting for a few reasons.

• First, there is some renewed interest in Sero today.
• Second, few knew that Sero made ties.  
• Third, it seemed amusing to have the only two "What made this..." entries have exactly the same answer (the other is Who Made this Shirt with the follow up Sero Shirts).  

The Red Lion Inn and Stockbridge, Massachusetts

(We were again in Stockbridge today on our annual trip, enjoying the beautiful weather and spectacular Berkshires, so I thought I would re-post this entry. I thank the owner of the Red Lion Inn for providing the picture captions.)

A business trip brought us to the Stockbridge area and the Red Lion Inn.

Tiffany lamp and Steinway baby grand piano are tucked into the stairwell.

A Corner of the Side Parlor

The Plumb Room - one of several private rooms for meetings or family dinners (with old switchboard in the back).

The lobby stairway has the original old elevator from 1897.

The feel of the lovely Red Lion Inn has changed so little since my first visit 40 years ago.

The First Congregational Church. Jonathan Edwards preached to this congregation in the 1700s.

We went to Berkshire Botanical Garden's Annual Plant Sale.

Then we dropped by the Normal Rockwell Museum.

(These pictures taken by my father always reminded me of Normal Rockwell.)

Linwood House, boyhood home of astronaut Story Musgrave and currently part of the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

And we were able to enjoy more of the beautiful Berkshires.