Men Style

A little background...I was a college basketball player and grew up mostly around "man's mans" who are not necessarily interested in fashion. So the other day we were watching the NCAA tournament when I made an interesting observation...

For about 20 minutes the topic of conversation was team uniforms. From color schemes, to how tight they fit, to shoulder widths, to letter font, etc... The guys were saying things like "I don't like those colors at all" or "I don't like that slim jersey look". It dawned on me that this is the outlet used by "real man's mans" to talk about fashion. These same guys who generally don't care about clothing or fashion, would go on and on for half an hour about their preferences in team uniforms. I though it was fascinating, or at least kinda funny. Maybe it's just me...

Reader:

I would love to hear some tips of how I can judge whether a suit is a good fit or not. I am working on a pretty tight budget, thus the stores in which I am shopping at do not have the best tailors. Thanks!

Style Blogger:

Hello, thanks for reading. I am currently working on a post regarding buying suits, a sort of 'how to' guide to buying the right suit. But for now, check out this great guide by GQ, with pictures, explanations, and different price points. Hope that helps! Yours in style, Style Blogger.

Reader:

Love the blog, your insight is spectacular. I currently am suffering from this baggy suit disease. The pants fit fine, but the jacket is ginormous. It is a standard black suit, so would you recommend buying a sport coat separately and keep the pants?

Style Blogger:

Hello reader, thanks for your question. I understand your problem and have come across this issue before. I don't know your proportions, but I can assume that a standard jacket-pant suit ratio does not work for you. In this case I would recommend buying 'separates' rather than a suit - basically its a jacket and matching pants that you purchase separately, in whatever size you need. As far as buying a new jacket to go with the pants you already own...I wouldn't recommend it. There are a thousand different shades and hues and shines to wool that make it very hard to find a perfect match. Instead, keep the pants you already have, you can still wear them as slacks...but buy new suit that match correctly in color. Any department store like macys would work. Thanks again for reading, good luck! Yours in style, Style Blogger.

It always blows me away when I walk into a high-end store (lets say Louis Vuitton for example) and I see a guy spending thousands of dollars on a blazer or a couple of dress shirts and when I look at him he does not look well-dressed at all. Although his clothes may look expensive (which is actually only noticeable to those who care enough to notice things like hand finished button holes, working cuffs, high armholes, etc.) the man himself does not look stylish or suave in any way.

Ninety five percent of the time (in America at least) the reason that this guy at the cash register does not look like a million bucks (or at least the thousands that he spent) is because his clothes are ill-fitted, more specifically, too big. His jacket is one or two sizes too big, he is wearing a 42 Long instead of a 40 Regular and his sleeves are eating his hands.

Every time I see this I am tempted to bring the guy to a store like H&M and buy him a $150 suit in the correct size, maybe bring it to a tailor for minor adjustments, and ultimately show him not only how much money he can save but also how much better he can look in his clothing, regardless of the label or the price tag.

Check out the before and after pics below...its all about fit.

Your in style, Style Blogger.

A pocket square, so small and so simple, can completely transform an outfit. It is one of the few areas where even the most conservative man can have fun with his wardrobe.

A few guidelines:

- If you are bold (and experienced) try a flash of color with a unique pattern to compliment the rest of your outfit. It can play off another subtle color in your outfit, or it can just be a random pop of color

- If you are a beginner, or more conservative, or 007, go with the most classic: solid white cotton or linen folded square, not puffy. It never fails.

- Cotton and linen usually are easier to pull off than silk.

- Going puffy is adventurous, but can blow up in your face. When in doubt, fold it square and only show about a quarter inch (like your shirt cuffs under your jacket)

- White goes with everything

- If your shirt and tie are already loud (bold color, strong check or stripe...) then you probably don't want to wear a loud pocket square...you risk looking like you are trying to hard

- Never say never, but NEVER wear a matching tie and pocket square

- Lastly, when in a jam, be creative (see Tip-of-the-day March 11th)

Yours in style, Style Blogger.

If there is one piece of clothing that every man should own it's a pair of A.P.C. New Standard jeans. They are the closest thing you can find to the perfect jeans. What makes them so great:

- Perfect fit. Straight leg. Slim but not tight. Loose but not baggy.

- Dark rinse that ages with you. The standard dark blue wash is the perfect blue jeans color...and if you don't think so, you can modify it by wshing them to a rinse of your liking.

- They get better with age, like fine wine.

- They are simple. No-nonsense medium sized back pockets. No over-the-top pocket details, no paint splattering, no beading, no super heavy stitching.

- They can be worn with anything - including a t-shirt and jeans or a tailored jacket and tie (as always. keep it on the slim side).

- They are plain enough that you can wear them everyday and nobody will notice. You literally only need one pair of jeans

In these tough economic time we are all turning to pieces that have great use value.
At around $150, these are a great investment considering how much you can - and will - wear them.

Yours in style, Style Blogger

A man should dress in a way that can be defined as classic. The most stylish men (including the Robert Redfords, Paul Newmans, and Brad Pitts of the world) consistently wear pieces that will never go out of style, pieces that can be worn often and pieces that can be mixed with different outfits - a classic white dress shirt, a dark tailored two button jacket, aviator shades, simple non-embellished straight leg jeans, etc.). When you really think about it, the clothing that Redford and Newman wore (in the era of "The Sting", for example) could be worn just as effectively in the modern day by equaly stylish guys like Pitt.

The take away message here is to be classic, wear things that will last the test of time, and ultimataly avoid looking "trendy".

Coming soon: alist of the classic essentials that every man should own. Stay Tuned.

Yours in style, Style Blogger.

In some recent posts I've written about the sockless trend that is very popular right now. While I do think it is a great look, it should come with some precautions:

- Save it for the summer - or at least when the sun is shinning; nobody wants to see your pale, red-spotted ankles freezing in the middle of winter

- Slide on some quality shoes. If you were to ask a traditonal Italian he would say that the reason he goes bare in his loafers is because he likes the feel of quality (often hand-worked) leather on his feet. With that said, if you are going to have the hutspa to go sockless, make sure you have some quality shoes to finish the look. After all, a bare ankle will definitely draw attention to your footwear.

- Have the right ankles for the job. Like anything else (especially with new trends) a man should ask himself "is this for me?". Chances are, if you are a heavy man with hairy ankles, going sockless is not a good look for you. (But luckily: see March 14th "Tip-of-the-day: Sock it to 'em")

Yours in style, Style Blogger.

I am often asked how I feel about cuffs on a pair of trousers. As usual, I have a general rule about this too.

It looks better, and seems more appropriate, to have cuffs on a pair of pants made of heavier fabric (flannel, tweed, herringbone, heavy wool, etc.) and worn in the winter. Not only does it add the likeness of wearing an extra 'layer' which is best suited for colder months, but it also adds weight to the bottom of your wool trousers causing them to drape better as they fall. To add a more stylish element, make your cuffs a little wider than your average Joe. Go with 1 3/4" or 2", a look that is popular among fashionistos rights now.

On the other hand, the warmer and more nonchalant months of summer call for a regular hem, a little shorter to show a hint of ankle. Summer clothing, besides being more casual in general, can be simpler and have less details. Therefore, light-weight wools, linens and definitely cottons should not be cuffed.

Hope this helps.

Yours in style, Style Blogger.

There are few areas of a (even conservative) man's wardrobe that he can safely play with loud color - a pocket square, a tie, and, most stylishly, socks! Don't get me wrong, the sockless trend is awesome - one that I have subscribe to on a regular basis - but as an alternative to a cool look south of your hemline, try some colorful socks. You can use them to bring out some other color in your outfit or they can be completely random to add a 'pop' to your outfit.

As a general guideline, just as socklessness meshes better with loafers, I would say colorful (especially striped) socks works better with lace-ups.

For some great 'express-yourself' socks check out Paul Smith.

Yours in style, Style Blogger

It breaks my heart to see a traveling man dressed-to-the-nines carrying a Nike gymbag or (even worse) a backpack. There should be just as much thought and effort put into the bag you carry as the rest of your outfit. After all, it is part of your outfit. For the record, gymbags are for kids on their way to the soccer field and backpacks are for your 4th grade nephew - or your neighborhood drug dealer.

For a great, easy-carrying brand of men's bags and similar goods check out Filson - think heavy-duty construction with thick canvas and genuine bridle leather handles. Also, they are a century old hunting and camping goods company so your bag will look manly and won't have that man-purse or over-the-top-designer feel. My top pick for a quick getaway: Filson's large travel bag:

Your in style, Style Blogger.

Check out this youngster with incredible style! Believe it or not he's only 8 years old.

See him featured in GQ here.

Ever wonder why your college professors are always wearing tweed blazers and shetland sweaters? Check out this awesome (and quite long) interview with Bruce Boyer on ivy-style. Boyer gives a great historical perspective of the evolution (or lack thereof) of men's fashion through time.

Check it out here.

A guy can wear almost anything (within reason) as long as he wears it with confidence. Granted you have some basic sense of style, and I assume you do since you are reading this, you shouldn’t be afraid to take risks. As long as you are comfortable in it and wear it confidently you should be fine. With that said, however, if there is a certain something that you've been itching to try but you think it may look ridiculous, you may want to consult a close friend before walking out the door. Nevertheless, the take-away message here is that if you walk down the street thinking you look silly; chances are that other people are thinking the same.

I once wore a pair of pink linen pants with a short sleeve shirt and a bow tie to a ‘business casual’ event and only got compliments on my unique sense of style (it was in the summer, of course). In a related story, a friend of mine (who’s name will remain anonymous for obvious reasons) after a night out on the town, was about to leave his girlfriend's apartment when he realized that he had lost his pocket square. As a replacement he stole a pair of lace panties out of her drawer and stuffed them into his breast pocket. They were the perfect shade of turquoise and it made his outfit. No one was the wiser and he actually got some compliments at work that day. Genius.

Please note that this post, nor any part of this blog, encourages the theft or wearing of women's undergarments. Thanks.

Yours in style, Style Blogger.