voxsart:

Measure Up 1.

Jeffery Diduch tells you how to measure your clothes for online MTM, but will you listen?

MeA

voxsart:

Measure Up 2.

Jeffery Diduch tells you how to measure your clothes for online MTM, but will you listen?

fromsqualortoballer:

Business Casual Basics, Part II: Dress Pants 

After some positive feedback from my first business casual post (I see you, Reddit) I’ve decided to continue the series for my fellow white collar ballers (being a baller is not actually required). Again, this may be old hat to some, but for those that are interested – read on. 

1. Please stop buying black dress pants.

Just stop it. Right now. Unless you’re a classical musician or a waiter there’s really no need to go there. 

2. Assess your needs.

First, learn how people in your office dress and what the official stance on business attire is (if there is one). Some easy questions to ask yourself: does everyone have their pants creased or are they unpressed? Do you see wool slacks or cotton chinos or denim? If your office is anything like mine then all of these are perfectly acceptable, leaving the decisions to you. In my mind, business casual pants fall into three broad categories:

• “Trousers.” This is a bit of a catch-all term, but in my mind it signifies pants made from a dressy fabric (usually some weave of wool, but any fiber will do) and with creases running up the legs. They will also have more formal details like slanted pockets, buttoned back pockets and hidden seams. These would be the equivalent of the bottom half of your suit, but without a matching jacket (you have a suit, right?).
• Chinos. Named after the twill fabric that they are usually manufactured from, these bad boys are casual in nature but have become perfectly acceptable in most offices. These feature external stiching, rugged fabric, and a lack of creasing (or any pressing).
•  Denim. Now before you get too excited, this isn’t a free pass for jeans in the office. I’m talking about dark, unadorned, slim/straight denim with no rips and holes. When done right this can work well with casual fabrics like oxford cloth and tweed.

Once you figure out what your office’s feel is and where your personal tastes lie you can start looking to purchase. Try to keep things consistent with the rest of your outfit; if you wear spread collars, ties and blazers you’re going to need trousers for just about every day. If you wear button down oxford shirts, sweaters, and loafers then you can roll with just chinos and denim. 

3. Figure out how these things should fit.

Now, this will depend on several things, namely your body shape, the pant style and your personal preferences. Much like shirts, the general concept is to find something that flatters your shape without pulling or looking constrictive. However, I believe that the fit should vary between the type of pants.

• Trousers: due to their formal nature, I tend to lean towards classic proportions here. The nicer fabric will allow them to drape in an attractive manner and this is lost when they become overly snug. I don’t wear trousers tapered past 8” and I look for a rise that will allow them to sit above my hips.
• As the intermediate choice, chinos can land anywhere on the spectrum. I prefer to keep mine on the slim side but make sure that my legs aren’t tapered past 7.5-8” (and I’m a lanky guy).
• Denim can be worn slimmer than the other two styles, but within reason. I keep my denim snug in the thigh and waist as it tends to stretch with wear. I usually have a taper of about 7.5”.

Learning what pant fit suits you best will take some time and experimentation, but at the very least be conscious of the choices you make in this area so you can adjust in the future if need be. More information on fit can be found here and here. 

4. Gray, gray, gray, and then something close to gray (but still not black).

Gray is a great (gray-t?) color for trousers because it provides a solid foundation for the rest of your outfit without detracting from it. It’s hard to think of a traditional shirt or blazer color that won’t look good with gray pants (with the exception of gray, of course). Embrace the color and make it the cornerstone of your collection; your brown, tan and navy blazers will thank you. Add variety by using different shades and fabrics. Of course, denim is best in navy and chinos are classic in khaki, but stick with gray trousers until you’re well on your way to a full wardrobe.

5. Experiment with materials and texture rather than colors.

Wild colors can be fun but I find that diversifying with different fabrics is a more versatile way to expand your daily choices. Worsted wool is a standby for trousers, but consider flannel, tweed, moleskin, linen, tropical wool or cotton canvas depending on your climate.

6. Pleats: the ultimate divider

Pleats got a bad reputation when they became the go-to for guys giving PowerPoint presentations. I grew up in a world of relaxed fit triple-pleat Dockers and it was not pretty. However, there is a time and place for pleats. When worn correctly (up on your hips and not pulled open) they can help create a smoother appearance of the lines in your pants, especially for men with larger seats and thighs. However, if you don’t know much about how pleats operate I would suggest avoiding them until you know if they’ll be beneficial to you. More information can be found here.

7. Break it up.

The break of a pant leg is a crucial but often ignored aspect of fit. The term “break” refers to how far the pants extend down your leg before ending. A “full break” will involve the pant leg folding upon itself several times over the shoe, whereas no break implies that the pants end before even touching your feet. A medium break is an easy choice, but current trends favor slight/no break (as do I). Narrower pant legs will look best a bit shorter, and vice versa. More information here and here. 

8. Care for your clothes.

Take care of your clothes. Trousers should be hung and aired out before thrown in a closet. Dry clean only and do it as little as necessary. Chinos can usually be washed in a machine, and I prefer to hang dry mine. Iron if needed. Denim should stay out of the dryer and washed infrequently; the specifics beyond that vary depending on who you ask.

9. Make a list and stock up.

Pants for work can be found almost anywhere, but here is a short list (not complete by any means) that may help narrow your search.

Trousers: Howard Yount, Epaulet, Brooks Brothers, Land’s End

Chinos: Epaulet, Bonobos, J. Crew, Land’s End Canvas, Ralph Lauren

Denim: Levi’s, Bonobos, 3Sixteen, A.P.C.

Part I of “Business Casual Basics” can be found here.

fromsqualortoballer:

Business Casual Basics, Part I: The Dress Shirt

Like many Americans, I work in a ‘business casual’ setting. This vague definition means different things to different people and companies, but you can be sure of one thing: you will be wearing a shirt, and that shirt will (hopefully) have buttons up the front. Since so many men eschew ties and blazers nowadays, the shirt often attracts a disproportional amount of attention in the business casual setting. Moreover, the shirt is generally not something that can be slowly accumulated over time, like blazers and shoes; when you get your first job, you’ll need a wardrobe full of them, and fast. For these reasons it seems that the dress shirt is a point of stress for many young professionals. I’ve put together a primer which will hopefully help some young men out; this may be old news to many, but it is a topic I am often asked about by friends and coworkers, and this seems like a good place for it.

1. Fit is Paramount.

I won’t go in to too much detail here since this is covered extensively elsewhere. Just make sure your collar is snug, your unbuttoned sleeves reach your first thumb joint, the yoke sits on your shoulders, and the overall silhouette follows your own without pulling during movement or sitting. Know your measurements. Take some time to find a maker that fits your body. Unlike shoes and blazers, high quality construction and materials are not as imperative; find a good fit, stay away from synthetics and factor in the cost of alterations if need be. Brooks Brothers shirts are a classic and often on sale. Many seem to have good luck with Charles Tyrwhitt, Land’s End, and TM Lewin, although I personally do not have experience with these makers. Consider going the made-to-measure route if you have a hard-to-fit body type or are obsessive about details; I highly recommend both Ratio and Proper Cloth (refer to my previous posts for more information).

2. Know your collar styles, and ignore most of them.

Most men don’t think about collar styles when dressing or shopping, but they play a large role in the presentation of your face (which is hopefully what people are focusing on). There are lots of styles out there, but you only really need to know two: the button down point collar and the spread (or semi-spread). They both have their place in the American coporate setting; the button-down works beautifully with more casual fabrics and the spread is a great backdrop for ties and jackets. Avoid shirts with the following collar terms: club, point (non-button down), cutaway, wing, and anything with the word “mini.” These collars are not bad, per se, but they will not lend themselves to building an accessible and versatile introductory wardrobe. Shoot for 2.75-3.25” point lengths, with 4-5.5” spread for the spread collars and around 3” for the button downs (these number may not always be available but they provide a good point of reference). Find what flatters you the most and stick with it. Make sure that the spread collar is wide enough and spread-y enough to tuck neatly under your jacket (in other words, avoid this).

3a. Follow the one-color rule.

Getting crazy with colors can be cool, but is by no means a necessity for dressing well. I personally follow the one-color rule: all my dress shirts are either comprised of one solid color or a pattern with one color (besides white). I’m always amazed at how many men wear shirts with furious, colorful checks and stripes to the office. Tone it down. Following this rule is not limiting; beyond solids there are various stripes, graph checks and ginghams, to name just a few.

3b. Avoid dark and oversaturated colors.

Nothing says “I got all my shirts at Express” like wearing cyan, tangerine, emerald or heliotrope (look it up) shirts. Avoid black shirts unless you’re Johnny Cash.

4. Hide your underwear.

Undershirts are a personal choice, but just remember that showing them is only a few steps above showing your briefs. If you have always worn one (like many in my generation), try going without. You may find that it really wasn’t doing anything for you in the first place. If you do want to wear one, spring for a V-neck if you want to go tie-less and consider gray instead of white to avoid them showing through.

5. Make a list and stock up.

There will be many variants in what your shirt wardrobe could entail because ‘business casual’ is such a vague term. Some may focus more on rugged fabrics and button-down collars, while other will spring for spread collars and ties. Assess your own needs and go from there. Here’s a list of what I see as my ideal shirt wardrobe:

Broadcloth, twill or pinpoint with spread or semi-spread collar

2x white (one barrel cuff, one french cuff)

2x pale/light blue (two different shades)

1x pale pink

1x  lavender

1x blue/white candy stripe

1x graph check

2x blue/white gingham (different shades and check sizes)

Oxford cloth, button-down collar

2x blue

2x white

1x blue/white stripe

TOTAL: 15 shirts. 3 week’s worth. Endless combinations and hardly boring or repetitive. Once the basics are covered, feel free to start experimenting with more fabrics, patterns, and collar styles. As long as you have a core of well-fitting, versatile shirts, you’ll never be stumped when getting dressed in the morning.

fromsqualortoballer:

Business Casual Basics, Part III: Shoes

Previously: Part I, Part II. This is the third installment for my fellow white collar ballers.

If you’ve spent any time learning about men’s clothing (be it from family, friends, or the internet) you’ve probably heard a disproportional amount of talk about shoes. Shoes are a huge part of what dressing well is about (both in cost and importance), even though they take up a fairly small amount of space on your body. It can’t be stressed enough; shoes are often what separate the men from the boys, and business casual workplaces are notorious for bad shoe choices. A little bit of knowledge here will go a long way. Shoes are also the foundation of your outfit in stylistic and structural terms; if you buy well and take care of your purchases they will in turn keep you comfortable and stylish for decades.

1. Save up some money.

This one has the potential to get expensive. Accept the fact that high-quality shoes will be expensive if bought new, and can even be pricey when bought secondhand. Thrifting can be a good option here as well.

2. Learn the differences between “real shoes” and bad shoes.

High-quality shoes are expensive for many reasons, but the biggest two are material quality and construction. These qualities are much more important with shoes than they are in a shirt or pair of pants because shoes need to stand up to a tremendous amount of wear. Read Kiyoshi’s post and Put This On’s article to get a sense for what I’m talking about. If you buy a high-quality welted shoe that fits well and is well taken care of it will last for decades. Trust me.

Need some help finding out which brands can be trusted for high quality shoes and which can’t? I’ve included a short list at the bottom of this post, but my rule of thumb (toe?) is this: don’t buy shoes from any manufacturer that can’t tell you what last their shoes are made on. Any respectable shoe maker will have products on a range of last choices and will be able to tell you about them.

3. Understand the different styles and their applications.

Ready for some shoe terminology? This should be enough to get you started.

Read More

lacasuarina:

Lets play the everyone reblog this Panta tie game. 

(well deserved)

putthison:

Q & Answer: If You Can Only Pick Three…

I received this question from Tumblr user “enjoynicethings” about where to start with pocket squares:

Slowly coming around to the idea of pocket squares, but want to keep it simple. If you were only going to have three pockets squares in your selection, what three would you choose?

I suspect my answers will vary quite differently from both Jesse and Derek, but I can only look at what squares I’ve worn most often in my rather modest collection. 

A safe first bet for the start of any collection is a solid white linen square. It’s conservative and goes well with any occasion in which you would wear a suit and all the way up to black tie. I also wear it quite often with a navy blazer. It’s my default in a rush, but also a bit boring perhaps too conservative when you’re wearing a sport jacket. 

I would suggest finding two squares — likely silk, but potentially blended with another material like wool or cotton — with two types of prints. One print ought to have some sort of medium to small scale repeating pattern on it. Look for dots, geometric shapes or something like the paisleys I have above. Ideally, the colors in the square should compliment a good number of your sport coats or more casual suits you plan to wear it with. Because it’s a pattern, the eye will be drawn toward its recognizable repetition. If you want to play it safe, consider navy dots on a white ground. 

Finally, the other print should be a large-scale design with a lot of colors. When folded up, you won’t see what’s on it, but it’ll blend the colors nicely as it peeks out from the breast pocket. Huge paisleys, giant florals or intriguing prints that one might find otherwise on a Hermes-style silk scarf work quite well. Try to find something unique that you feel a connection to and think you could stuff into your pocket in various way to express the multitude of colors. These tend to go well with solid sport coats, especially when you’re not wearing a tie, to bring some color variety.

This is where I’d start, but I think as you build a wardrobe of various textures and colors in your ties and jackets, you’ll likely want to start exploring more options. Derek wrote a great primer on how to wear a pocket square that’s worth reviewing if you’ve never worn one before. 

(Of course, at the Put This On Etsy store, Jesse has a solid white linen square and prints large and small worth checking out.) 

-Kiyoshi

dieworkwear:

I’ve wanted a nice shoeshine box for some time now, but almost everything desirable on the market is outside of my budget. The Hanger Project and A Suitable Wardrobe both carry models by La Cordonnerie Anglaise, a French company that makes an impressive range of boxes, which you can see here. There’s also Ephtée, who can make custom trunks for footwear, but if one can hardly afford a small ready-to-use box, one can hardly expect to get a custom trunk made.

Another company I really like is Turms, a small, family-owned company based in Montegranaro, Italy. For much of their history, they’ve made wooden shoe lasts for Italian shoe manufacturers, but at some point, they also created a line of shoe care products for consumers. Their handsome walnut shoebox, for example, has little compartments to store horsehair brushes, suede erasers, and leather conditioners, and near the bottom is a pullout drawer for creams, waxes, and soft polishing cloths.

Read More

fromsqualortoballer:

Restoring Old Shoes

As I’ve mentioned before, I recently inherited a few pairs of wonderful vintage shoes from my uncle and late grandfather. They are all high quality and have been taken care of well, but they’re 20-30 years old and are a bit rough around the edges. This pair is a nice burgundy wholecut by Ferragamo that my uncle describes as his “dancing shoes.” Needless to say, they’ve seen some serious action. They still have some life in them but needed a bit of maintenance before they were going to look their best again. 

Things you’ll need:

• an old, tired pair of high-quality shoes (no product can make cheap shoes look good)
• a clean cotton cloth (old shirts work well)
• Horsehair brush (or two)
• Leather cleaner
• Leather conditioner
• creme polish with a pigment that will resemble (or complement) your shoe’s color
• Sole edge dressing

Ready? Let’s get started.

Read More

putthison:

Finding Affordable Shoes

Shoes may or may not be the most important part of a man’s ensemble, but they can certainly be the veto point. A man can look sharp as a tack in a well-tailored suit, but if he’s wearing dull, square toe shoes, everything was for naught. Unfortunately, nice shoes are expensive. Even the ones commonly recommended as “entry level” brands will retail for $350 or more. So, in an effort to direct readers to where they can find well-made shoes for less, I’ve compiled a list of every place that I know of.

eBay: The most obvious is eBay. We have a customized search link you can use, but you can also employ other methods. Last week, for example, I talked about how Ralph Lauren shoes are some of the hidden gems on eBay, so long as you know how to look for them. The same goes for shoes made by Brooks Brothers. Theirs don’t get as bad as some in Ralph Lauren’s range, but you would still be wise to look for indicators of quality. You can also check out sausages234, an eBay seller who specializes in footwear.

Thrift stores: These will take a little more work than doing a search on eBay, but you could potentially walk away with some better deals. The key is in knowing where to thrift and how to spot quality. Use Jesse’s series on thrifting as a guide.

Good online retailers: There are two online retailers who consistently have some of the most competitive prices around - Pediwear and P.Lal. It would be smart to check with them before you purchase anything, as they’ll often offer price-matching guarantees. You can also check out A Fine Pair of Shoes. They sell really nice English models, and will discount much of their stock at the end of each season. Finally, Franco’s will often have shoes on sale. Right now there are a bunch of Rider Boots, which are very well made.

Online discount houses: Likewise, there are a bunch of online discount sites. Classic Shoes for Men, Shop the Finest, and Virtual Clotheshorse come to mind (though the last two focus more on the Italian variety). Sierra Trading Post also regularly stocks Trickers. You can knock 30% off or more if you sign up for their DealFlyer newsletter. Different coupons are released every day.

Affordable brands: There are probably more brands than ever before selling well-made, affordable shoes. Here’s a list:

• Loake: Loake makes a few different lines, but the one that’s generally worth buying is their 1880 range, particularly the ones that are Goodyear welted and made with hard-bottom leather soles.
• Charles Tyrwhitt: Many of Charles Tyrwhitt’s shoes are made by Loake or equivalent factories. Ignore the lure of sale prices, however. Charles Tyrwhitt’s stuff is always on sale.
• Herring: I have no first hand experience with the line, but my understanding is that many of their shoes are also made by Loake (or, again, equivalent factories).
• Meermin: One of my favorites of the lot. Their shoes are handwelted, which is believed to be a better construction method than Goodyear welting, and they have a semi-affordable made-to-order program. You can read a review I did of them here.
• Shipton & Heneage: Shipton & Heneage sells shoes made by various well-respected manufacturers in England and Italy. Sometimes you’ll find shoes here selling for less than what the original manufacturers would have you pay. Sign up for their Discount Club to receive coupons.
• Made in Maine: There are a bunch of quality shoe manufacturers in Maine. The first that comes to mind is Rancourt, who sells handsewn shoes at a very reasonable price. There’s also Town View Leather and Arrow Moccasins, both of whom also sell handsewn shoes, but mostly of the moccasin variety. Those give less foot support, but they can be good for short walks. Additionally, there’s Eastland’s Made in Maine collection. I bought one of their boots last year, and on the inside, there was a strip of reconstituted leather covering the back (where the heel cup would normally go). The leather fell apart after my third wear, and customer service wasn’t terribly helpful, but to be fair, the shoes still wear fine. Finally, a reader of ours suggested Dexter 1957, but I have no first hand experience with them. Reviews online are scant and mixed.
• Kent Wang and Howard Yount: Both these companies can usually be relied upon for selling decently made things at lower-than-average prices.
• Markowski: I have no first hand experience with this line, but their customers have given positive reports on StyleForum. The shop is based in Paris, but the shopkeepers speak decent English. They also hold sales, which knocks their prices down somewhat even further.
• Andrew Lock: Jesse gave a good review of them here (he even had a shoe expert take them apart).

Allen Edmonds factory seconds: The term factory seconds just means shoes that haven’t passed the quality control process, but often the “defects” are incredibly minor (like a very small nick). You can contact Allen Edmonds’ “shoe bank” store in Brookfield, Wisconsin to make a purchase. Their number is (262) 785-6666. 

Suede: Let’s say all the above are still out of range to you. If you can’t afford higher-quality shoes, at least aim for suede. They’ll generally look better with age than a pair made from corrected grain. Perhaps the most affordable suede shoes I know of are Clarks’ desert boots, which sometimes go for as little as $60 on sale. Once you get them, know how to take care of them well, so that you get as much out of your purchase as possible.