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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Appearance matters, even for government buildings ... Head and boulders above the rest ... J'ville planner at 'flash point' turns in resignation ... Our View: Appearance matters, even for government buildings ... Head and boulders above the rest ... J'ville planner at 'flash point' turns in resignation ... Barry Lewis: The joys of autumn and corduroy Comment By Barry Lewis More Content Now MailTribune.com By Barry Lewis More Content Now Posted Oct. 16, 2014 at 10:57 AM By Barry Lewis More Content Now Posted Oct. 16, 2014 at 10:57 AM » Social News Ahh, fall. Time for the corduroy. Followers of this column know I’m no fan of winter. I hate scraping ice, shoveling snow and always feeling cold. I enjoy summer because of the warm weather, but the humidity can be draining. Spring’s fine, but around here, it’s too short. Seems like we go from snow to summer. Then there’s fall. And corduroy. There are many reasons to love fall. Some folks like to use the word “autumn.” I say fall. It seems a bit pretentious to say “autumn” unless you’re singing “Autumn in New York.” What’s not to love about fall? Leaves turn gorgeous colors and then you get to jump into a pile of them. Folks hand you candy. A crisp nip fills the air (but not as nippy as when Jack Frost nips at your nose). Football is in overdrive. Baseball is in crunch time. You get to breathe in that first whiff of burning wood. Drink apple cider and eat roasted pumpkin seeds. That’s all nice. But I contend what’s really best about fall is corduroy. The cloth of fall. Or more specifically, the “cloth of the king,” when workers in England discovered that the ribbed cotton fabric was tough yet lightweight. The name derives from “cord du roi,” fashioned for the sporting use of the French royal court in the 1600s — although the connection to the king of France remains a bit ambiguous. Don’t worry, there’s no test. But I’ve done some extensive research over the last several months and found that in survey after survey, most people, like myself, say their favorite season is fall. Not even close. By more than 2-to-1 over spring. I don’t know if the wearing of corduroy came up in the surveys, but I say it’s not a coincidence that folks love both the ribbed garment and fall. (If you’re keeping score at home, 3 percent of folks say they love winter. While I back free speech, I say we round up that 3 percent — you know who you are — and ship them in ice to Siberia. Or Plattsburgh.) It kills me that on a cool summer day, I’ll think nothing about pushing my head through my winter turtleneck. Yet I’ll intentionally stay away from the wale. You know, the wale. The wale is the ribs or cords. The size of corduroy wales range from 1.5 to 21 (i.e., the number of ridges per inch). The low number are referred to as wide wales and the higher numbers as fine or pinwales. Mid-anges are the most commonly worn wales. The garment also affects the choice of wales. Understand? But if you’re like me, the appeal of corduroy has less to do with either its rich history or the fact that soft and velvety fabric is one of the marvels of everyday apparel. Shirts, pants, hats, vests, jackets, suits, ties. Whatever. You wear it because it makes you feel good and look good. Cozy, yet unconceited. Like a fall afternoon full of pretty leaves that you can admire from afar and yet toss into the air, in your cords. Enjoy the fall. Feel the wale. Barry Lewis is executive editor of the Times Herald-Record. [email protected] By Barry Lewis More Content Now MailTribune.com By Barry Lewis More Content Now Posted Oct. 16, 2014 at 10:57 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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