Saturday, December 5, 2009

Who says coats have to be black and bland?

Check out these interesting coats for inspiration on what to rock this winter.


Saturday, October 17, 2009

How to look cool on a bicycle - a la Adrian Grenier

It may be hard to look cool on a bike but Adrian Grenier (better known as Vincent Chase) makes it look easy. Note the blue-on-blue-on-blue look.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The double breasted suit makes a comeback

Back from the dead, the double breasted suit has been resurrected. But there are some guidelines that I would suggest be followed so as to make the most of this once glorified jacket style.
  1. Make sure the jacket has the more svelt 6-button look
  2. Peak lapels (instead of the traditional notch lapel) will add to the formality of the jacket
  3. All other previous recommendations on suit tailoring apply (see earlier posts for guidelines)
Here's an example of well tailored double breasted suit (courtesy the Sartorialist Blog). (N.B.: You could choose a slimmer lapel than the one in the picture below.)

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Denim done right

Denim's been relegated of late to play the role of fabric for trousers and jackets. It's a shame because they make great shirts, not when they're loose, long, and untucked, but rather when they've been well tailored and worn properly. Check out these two looks for fresh new ideas on how to wear denim shirts. (N.B.: sleeves that have been rolled up past the elbows.) I did notice a nice denim shirt being retailed at Club Monaco stores if this post has peaked your curiosity.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Switch it up: mix-n-match your suit jackets

Break up your suits by mixing your suit jackets with your dress pants. Here are some of the looks that I liked and picked out from The Sartorialist blog.















































Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Dress shirts, ties, and dark suits

Worried about 'matching' your dress shirts and ties with that dark suit? Read on to see how you can find outfits that you may not have thought of.

Bold shirts call for dark ties

The key to pulling off a boldly colored dress shirt is to anchor it not only with a dark suit but with a dark tie as well. Let the shirt shine (see below).





















Check your stripes
Striped tie, checked shirt? No problem. Just make sure one of the base colors in the tie (black stripe, below) syncs up with the shirt checks.




















If you’re going to sport a striped shirt with a striped tie, think about balance. One of the stripe patterns should be wide (in the case below, it’s the shirt’s), while the other should be narrow. And either the shirt or the tie should be neutral—they both don’t need to be vibrantly colored.




















Printed shirts
A printed dress shirt, in a unique pattern like the one in the picture below, makes a statement. Match with a plain tie that pulls one color from the shirt's pattern.


















Basics on wearing a black dress shirt

  1. Wear at night only.
  2. Do not pair it with a white tie — you are not a mobster.
  3. Reach for a graphic, colorful tie (note: not white, see point 2 above).

Friday, June 26, 2009

My recent NYC purchase - Lacoste Ion sport shoes

I've been meaning to replace my puma running shoes for a while now, and what better an opportunity than a trip to NYC!

After a lengthy search that led me through the shoe halls of Macy's and Lord & Taylor, I finally settled on a pair of Lacoste Ion sneakers (below). Check them out and other sneakers at these stores.



















The lace-ups are a good change from the slip on shoes I've had for a while. I also like the white color with green and red accent.

There's also a huge Lacoste collection online at Zappos.com in case you're interested.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

How to have your suits tailored

One doesn't need to spend a lot of money to wear a suit that looks expensive. You can do it by buying a suit off the rack and having it tailored to your fit. Here're how my suits fit me:

Jacket:
  1. Shoulders should be snug around yours and should not hang or fall over
  2. Button stance should be comfortable (not too high or low). I prefer the classic two button look.
  3. Silhouette should be fitted with only a fists worth of space between your chest and the jacket when it's buttoned up
  4. Length of the jacket should be long enough so that you are able to cup your hands underneath its sides
  5. Arms will need to be slimmed down as well and length shortened so that a quarter an inch of the shirt cuff is showing.
  6. Vents can be either center or side, but I prefer the more contemporary side vents.
  7. Lapels are hardest bit to pick out, but I prefer slimmer, higher cut notch/peak lapels.
Pants:
  1. Slim fit around the legs
  2. No pleats
  3. Worn at the hips and don't have to wear a belt to support them
  4. No longer than one break at the feet
Have 8 minutes? Then check out this video from GQ on how to buy and fit a suit.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Tie knot that's classic and looks simple

There's way too many tie knots out there to try so here's a recommendation based on how I tie my ties. The instructions may seem, probably are, complicated but once you get the hang of it you should fly through it.

So here goes:
  1. Bring tie over your shoulder with wide end to your right
  2. Bring wide end to your left crossing over the narrow end
  3. Bring wide end underneath narrow end, through the middle of the loop and to front
  4. Bring wide end of the tie to your right, around the back to the front, through the middle of the loop to the back
  5. Bring wide end from back to your right loosely around the front to your left, back underneath
  6. Bring wide end from the back through middle of loop to front underneath loose front
  7. Pull wide end toward bottom to tighten knot at same time create a dimple using your index finger
  8. Bottom of the wide end should come at least 2 inches below your belly button


End result should look something like this (note the dimple and length of tie). And BTW - when tied correctly the knot should come undone by pulling on the ends of the tie.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Pocket square dos and donts

A pocket square is a great way to accessorize your suit but there are a few things I do and don't do to make sure it doesn't look over the top.

I do:
Use a white handkerchief. Nothing like using a white cotton handkerchief as a pocket square because you can pull it out when you need it. It's more than an accessory and becomes functional.
Make a square. To fold a flat pocket square: 1) Lay the handkerchief on a flat surface, 2) Fold in half or third (depending on width of pocket), 3) Fold in (depending on depth of pocket). The pocket square should stick about 1/4 to 1/2 inches out of the pocket.












I don't:

Match it to my tie or shirt. Just as I try not to match my shirt and tie, I always only wear a white handkerchief as a pocket square.
Turn it into an origami diagram. There's a temptation to go over the top when you're using a pocket square such as the mountain peaks, but I keep it simple with a flat pocket square that's versatile and classic.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer from your neighborhood friendly blogger.

I hope you don't come to this blog expecting an expert's opinion on men's fashion, clothing and lifestyle because that's not what you're going to get. What you are going to get is what I prefer to do as far as clothing is concerned. Happy browsing!