The Velvet Jacket

This will be quick. For the Fall and Winter seasons, it is imperative to have a velvet jacket at your disposal. The velvet jacket can dress up blue jeans for a casual ensemble, and can serve as the focal point for alternative black tie.

The key is this; with jeans, wear a crisp white dress shirt sans tie. The shirt should be nicely fitted. For alternative black tie, wear a black bow tie, black trousers, and either black cap-toe shoes, velvet loafers, or opera pumps (scratch that... save the pumps for white tie... unless you're in for serious rule breaking).

One should still wear a nicely fitted white dress shirt or a tuxedo shirt, although the look works better without a tuxedo point collar, but rather a spread or traditional point collar. French cuffs look best, and a subtle tactile texture in the shirt comes across very nicely.

For in-betweens (pictured) keep it minimal. White shirt, black neck tie (or solid color complimentary to your jacket color), black trousers, nice black shoes. Go bold if you must, with a brightly colored velvet jacket, such as this red Tom Ford offering with shawl collar (photo 2), but feel free to throw in some pattern to add some nonchalance and to deformalize the look a bit. For more formal occasions, one can never go wrong with midnight blue (left). In all cases, be respectful of the inherent formality of the velvet jacket and allow one 1/2 inch of cuff to show.

Velvet jackets are available from very low to very high prices, from a multitude of designers. I am wearing a customized vintage Hickey Freeman in photo 1. Tom Ford offers something similar today, but for lower prices, check Calvin Klein at Macy's, or just browse. Velvet jackets are big this season and everyone offers them. Get down with it!

Cheers,

 Paul

Layered Look for Fall

I am so incredibly excited that Fall is here. It is, in my opinion, the most opportune of times for men's fashion, and gives us all a chance to amp up our style game. The crisp lines of summer fabrics can be traded out for layers of soft, tactile fabrics like wool, cashmere, and velvet (yes, velvet... but that's for another post!). In the early days of Fall, a day that begins in the 50's or 60's can easily work its way up to the mid to upper 70's, and then drop to the 40's by nightfall. This is why layering should be your secret weapon.

The look depicted today is just an example of layering tactics. Experiment on your own, and as it gets colder, the items will certainly change. What you see here today will almost definitely be accompanied by a trenchcoat when cold rainy days come, and the blat of khaki color will compliment the current ensemble. But don't let me get carried away with myself. Let me explain today's look.

The Shirt: The Oxford Cloth button down is the perfect Fall shirt. A little bit heavier than cotton broadcloth, the OCBD has a little heft to it, which serves well to stifle the cutting effect of a cold breeze.

The Jacket: Some say that everyman's wardrobe needs a navy blazer. I have two; one of a light-weight tropical wool for warmer months, and one (pictured) of a heavier cashmere-wool blend for the cooler months. This jacket goes with everything from jeans to tailored trousers, and works great as a layering piece. In Fall and Winter I tend to go for the more pronounced pocket square, again breaking away from the crisp, pressed lines of summer. The square adds some punch.

The Layer (Cardigan): A cotton cardigan makes for an ideal layering piece, because it is relatively light-weight. In early Fall, between the wool blazer and the OCBD shirt, only a slight bit of extra insulation is needed around the midsection. As you can see in the picture, this one is short-sleeved, which is perfect as the day warms up. At this point, one has the option to ditch the jacket and roll up the sleeves, as shown, or ditch the cardigan and put the blazer back on. I just love having options!

The Tie: I chose a bowtie for this look not just because of the color combinations I am wearing, but because A) Bowties are BIG this season (finally!!!), and B) I enjoy the preppy aesthetic that the bowtie lends to the casual nature of the outfit I chose.

The Jeans: In Fall and winter, a darker jean is preferable. In Spring and Summer one can lighten up a bit to shake the winter blues, but colder months call for a darker, somber color, like these that sport a deep indigo wash. Again, I chose jeans to flirt with the less casual looking, preppy above-waist look.

The Shoes: The brown wingtips. Again, I have two pair of these. One is a deep chocolate brown that I keep immaculate, and the other are these, which are lighter in color, and I let them get a little beat up, just to shake some polish from a casual outfit. Wingtips are great for Fall. Period.

The Extras: This outfit illustrates perfectly the extra flair that a nice umbrella can lend you, as I mentioned in the last post. Here in Charlotte, NC, the weather forecasts have been changing daily. A day that calls for no rain suddenly becomes a sling-fest of cats and dogs. In the particularly fickle early days of Fall, a sweet-looking umbrella just always works.

If one does remove the jacket and roll up the sleeves, one should wear a watch with heft, which compliments a layered look. Chronographs are cool. I tried to keep the color scheme in line with the shoes, since I'm otherwise bathed in reds and blues. Chunky. Brown. Bold. Bitchin' and BadAss.

Enjoy the season for layering. Enjoy the season to kick your style game up a notch. Enjoy soft, luxurious clothing. Enjoy the Fall.

Until next time,

Cheers!

-Paul

Wardrobe Upgrade for Spring, Part 2

I was pleased when I picked up my warm-weather blazer from my tailor last week. In addition to a few fitment tweaks that are occasional necessities from season to season, I had him apply some lovely mother-of-pearl buttons to the jacket in lieu of the traditional polished brass jobbers that I don't exactly fancy. The results are lovely, although the photograph (photo 1) does not exactly capture the subtle nuances of the lustre of the M.O.P.

I put together a casual spring ensemble as well showcasing the jacket (photos 2 & 3) to try and illustrate the versatility of the lighter buttons. The blazer can, of course, also be worn in any other circustance where one would wear a navy blazer, be it with khakis and a button-down collar shirt for an old-school preppy aesthetic, or with dressier grey trousers and a tailored spread collar shirt for more formality. As shown here, the less conventional M.O.P. buttons allow the perfect "reason" for the blazer to accompany a more casual ensemble, and dress up casual wear without appearing too pretentious.

In photo 2, notice the brightly colored shirt under the plaid button-down. This shirt accents some of the color in the plaid, but also allows for a nice layering of colors, an effect achieved by the luminescent buttons first, followed by the colorful plaid, and finally the brightly colored "under" shirt. Note also the pocket square, which, in the wake of the casual wear returns a little bit of "respectablility" to the blazer. This ensemble is not designed necessarily to be the point behind the post, but I'd previously mentioned a follow-up to the last reader's question post about spring-wear and wanted to include some images that might inspire ways to let that blazer with M.O.P. buttons shine this spring. Ultimately, I'd love to see some reader's looks that make use of white buttons as well. Send any pictures of your inspired outfits for spring on to me and we'll get them posted.

Thanks for tuning in.

Cheers!

-Paul

Reader Question: Wardrobe Upgrade for Spring

Paul- Thanks for keeping this blog going. I Enjoy it very much. I am seeing a lot of advertising for the Spring 2010 wardrobe already. I feel like I just got done buying for fall and winter and am a little overwhelmed. Is there a simple way to make some of what I already have more oriented toward spring without buying a whole new wardrobe? I have a navy blazer that I wear a lot, and it's an all-season fabric. What can I wear with this to look like I'm keeping up?
Thanks, Nate P. -Auburn, Georgia
Thank you, Nate, for writing in. You pose a terrific question. I too have my regrets about the dawn of a new season. I always look forward to fall and winter, especially because of the way this time of year lends itself to layering colors and textures. I always find myself excited when spring is around the corner, because I get to break out some of the things that have just been hanging around in my closet for six months, but then I become quickly bored with the warmer weather and feel like I have to buy more stuff.

Now that we are in a recession from hell thanks to frivolous government spending and the transference of the burden onto the American taxpayer, "buying more stuff" is becoming less and less of an option. The nation is stressed and its people are strapped. It's time to "re-purpose" your already existing wardrobe. Here is one thing I have in mind, regarding the navy blazer you mentioned.

I assume when you said that your blazer is constructed of an "all-season" fabric that it is a tropical wool or a cotton blazer. I have one of these, too. Because I have a heavier worsted wool blazer which I wear in colder months, I typically reserve my tropical wool blazer for spring, summer, and early fall. When I got it it was, of course, adorned with shiny brass buttons. I'm not a big fan of brass buttons, as cheap and expensive blazers alike bear them, so I like something a little different to make my jacket more unique. My cool weather blazer sports antique silver buttons. My tailor is currently tweaking my spring wardrobe, and I'm having him add white mother-of-pearl buttons (see photo 1) to my warm weather blazer (yes, the one pictured has a hole in it where the pearl was over-polished. That's why I have it to photograph and my tailor doesn't have it to attach to my jacket!).

I suggest this for you as well. You can always change the buttons back when the weather gets cooler again, or you can leave them as is, but white buttons can be found for little expense and will completely change the look of your blazer. I will post pics of the finished product when I pick the blazer up, but for now, here is a pic (photo 2, borrowed from The Sartorialist) of a gentleman rocking the navy blazer with white buttons. As you can see, this lightens up a wardrobe staple and gears it toward the warmer season.

As far as the advertising for Spring 2010 goes, on this blog I try to focus more on enduring style rather than what is being pushed in the fashion world. Anything that I suggest is going to be geared more towards consistency and timelessness. I will talk about "Spring", but not about a particular year. We want to be able to "build" a wardrobe, and not to cycle things out season after season. Now certain colors, for example, may be used more by designers in a particular year, and at that point, wearing a tie or scarf comprised of "in the now" colors will make all of the timeless elements of your wardrobe look more current. That's cool. But trends should be avoided like the plague. The Day-Glo colors that were popular last spring? Done and gone. Popular when Back to the Future II came out, and then popular last year. Try to focus more on what will look good each spring rather than this spring. The white blazer buttons are a perfect example.

Add light colors to your ensemble by way of ties and pocket squares. A pair of white chinos would be a good thing to invest in for the spring and summer as well, as they will work with every thing from your navy blazer to a t-shirt and boat shoes (photos 3, 4, and 5 attest to their versatility... these photos are also property of The Sartorialist). With maybe one or two new purchases, what you have will work wonders for you. Start by hunting down some new buttons. Let me know how you do! Cheers!

Anniversary Post, January 16th, 2010... (and Sneakers!)

Hello all. Today is the one year anniversary of the creation of this blog! The content has at times drifted from the original idea of providing information and photos of local sartorialists and fashion lovers and has become more dedicated to tips, trends, and staples, but I appreciate those who have stuck with me all year. Nikki: you were my first follower who encouraged me to post often. If you're still reading, thank you. I felt that the anniversary date required a little bit of recognition, but I'm not going to wax sentimental here and wear you all out by turning nostalgic. We have a style blog to write!

Today we're talking sneakers. For a while now, magazines such as Esquire and GQ (and Details, I'm sure) have featured the occasional photo of a suit paired with sneakers. I am often asked by people that I meet, after mentioning that I write and consult about style, what things can be done to bring an edge to otherwise conservative dress. This, my friends, is one of them. Pair sneakers with a suit or sport jacket.

Now, I'm not going to discuss ad nauseum the multitude of ways to pair sneakers with different articles of more formal attire, but be it with a suit, khakis and a blazer, jeans and a sport coat or what have you, I will say this: Think minimalism. Think classic. Think simple. Go for a sneaker with history, like Converse All Stars (pictured) or Jack Purcell's (J. Crew offers a "broken-in" Jack Purcell), Keds Champions, or Adidas Stan Smith's. Each of these models has been around for decades and have remained relatively unchanged. Avoid bright and loud colors. Go for something in a neutral, respectable color, such as navy blue, white, or bisque (leave day-glo to Kanye West). And be respectful... this is not a look for church, business, or funerals, no matter how fancy the sneakers. It's still a sneaker. This is a night out look. A casual Friday look... an MTV music awards look... you get the drift.

Common Projects (favored by well-dressed crooner Justin Timberlake and blatant tool-fop rapper Kanye West) offers a boutique line of sneakers based off of many of the classic designs mentioned above. The Converse All Stars in the picture, however, cost about $300 less than a pair of Common Projects. Buy according to your budget (I sure did)! In terms of pairings, start with khakis and a blazer. Pretend that you are Owen Wilson's character in The Wedding Crashers, enjoying some of Christopher Walken's New England hospitality. Pretend that you have a weekend party in the Hamptons... whatever. If you can make the sneakers work with khakis and a blazer, only then should you move on to suits. REMEMBER THAT, and YOU'LL DO FINE!!!
Thanks for a great year.

Cheers,
-Paul

Getting Good (Sleeve) Head

Many off-the-rack suits feature shoulders that are heavily padded. That's just the way it is. A shoulder pad can hide less than fantastic workmanship, and also provides an artificial structure for a suit maker to build from. Even very high-end off-the-rack suits may feature shoulder pads because of the lack of the buyer being present when the suit is constructed. The same is the case for made-to-measure and semi-bespoke suits. Simply stated, without the customer present it is hard to build a flattering shoulder on a suit jacket or sport coat.

There was a dark age in sartorial history when large shoulder pads were in style, but thank God, we've moved on from those days of yore. I mention frequently the importance of finding a good tailor. A good tailor is one that is not only adept at performing alterations, but one who is also a custom tailor... meaning he can build a custom suit or shirt for you himself if commissioned. I have such a tailor who does fantastic work. The nice thing about having such a resource is that your custom tailor can restructure a jacket shoulder for you as if he were building your suit bespoke.

There are two main types of shoulder sleeve heads that one will encounter (there are more, but in the absence of padding they are all a variation on one of these two) on a jacket. The first (photo 1) is a natural shoulder. The natural shoulder follows the curvature of your actual shoulder beneath the jacket. The line between torso and sleeve is relatively smooth (sometimes the area where the sleeve is attached shows pleating, as in Neapolitan sleeve heads. I will cover the Neapolitan sleeve head on its own in a future post). There is no shoulder padding necessary as the jacket sleeves are fashioned almost like shirt sleeves. This type of sleeve head can be found on Ivy-league, preppy-style clothing as offered by Southwick or J. Press, and can also be found in some Italian tailoring (again, we will cover the clothing of Naples in the near future).

The other main type of sleeve head is the roped shoulder (photo 2). The roped shoulder gets its name because of the bump where the sleeve attaches to the torso, appearing as if a rope lays beneath the fabric of the sleeve. The roped shoulder needs to fall exactly where the picture shows, which is why having the wearer of the suit present when the jacket is being made is exceptionally helpful. This can be done with very accurate measuring in made-to-measure wear, but pads are often still employed since the fabric is not following the lines of an actual body upon construction.

I must say that some guys will be able to get suits or blazers/sport coats off-the-rack that fit them perfectly in the shoulders and the body. All designers use fit models (or an individual on whose form a suit pattern is based) when styling and designing suits, so if a lucky guy's size and stature match up with a fit model, score. For most of us, however, we require skilled tailors to make a suit or jacket look as if it was made for us. My tailor has done it for me, and the pictures on this post are examples. Find one who makes it his personal mission to flatter your form, and stick with him. Visit him often, and keep his fine craft alive.
Cheers,
Paul

Fashionably Functional

Merry Christmas, guys. I hope the holiday shopping is not breaking you this year. With a freshly printed bonus check freshly deposited in my bank account, I am finally prepared to nab a thing or two. Today's post, however, is not a holiday gift guide. In fact, it has nothing to do with shopping at all (unless you're still shopping around for a proper tailor). Today is about little details that work. Function is our topic today, so here goes!

I am a huge proponent of the importance of function when it comes to my clothing. I like things to work the way that they appear they're supposed to. I wear a pocket square or pocket linen in the breast pocket of my sport coats because that's what the pockets are there for; they are designed to be functional and to display either a somber or brightly colored kerchief. I don't like snaps that are cleverly designed to look like buttons (my toddler's closet is riddled with clothing sporting this "feature"), and I really don't like buttons that are just sewn onto the sleeves of my jackets, serving no purpose other than sheer ornamentation.

I have some very nice jackets that have ornamental sleeve buttons, and for the price of some of them, one would think that all of the little details should be functional. This can be fixed, however, and I am in the process of making the correction to all of my jackets that didn't come with functional button holes (or "surgeon cuffs," as they're properly called) to start with. When you're looking for a tailor, find one who can, either by hand or by machine, add functional button holes to your jacket cuffs. I have had this done to about five or six of my blazers or sport coats (see photo), and I just love knowing that they work correctly.

Being a bit of a dandy, I like to leave one or two of my sleeve buttons unfastened (some purists may call this an affectation or a grotesque display of vanity, but I don't like those people anyway), allowing the sleeve to open a little bit more freely, and having the surgeon cuff procedure performed on my jackets gives me the freedom to do so. If it ain't your thing, fine. I don't think that a well made jacket looks like a poorly made jacket if the cuff buttons aren't functional, and conversely, crappy Malaysian-made wares that do have functional button holes don't necessarily look to be well made. Having surgeon cuffs certainly doesn't guarantee quality. But I like mine to work so I'm working it out.

A caution if you plan on having this done, however; make sure you will require no adjustment to the length of your sleeves prior to having the button holes made, or have the length adjusted at the same time. Once the new button holes are made, your length cannot be changed without great expense, if it can be changed at all.
I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas. Someone pass the eggnog!

Cheers,
-Paul

Reconsider the Navy Blazer, Part 2

Not too long ago I posted an article about bringing back the navy blazer, a staple of yesteryear, who's resurgence as of late has been relatively minimal. Ralph Lauren's gotten it right, and so have a few other makers, but the versatility of a navy blazer reigns supreme in my book, especially when cut and fitted properly as mentioned before (and shown here). I would encourage my readers to read my previous post regarding the navy blazer. A link is provided here for your convenience http://tinyurl.com/navyblazer, tying the former post to this one.

My reason for bringing the blazer up again today involves something mentioned in the previous article: the buttons. I mentioned trading out the brass or gold buttons that typify a navy blazer with something different. At the time of the last article I had not found something that caused "my heart to burn within me", but now, I believe I have.
One of the sources I previously mentioned for finding buttons was the Goodwill Store, which is precisely the source of my new accouterments (see photo 2).

These are real silver to boot. The jacket they were formerly attached to was ugly and ill-fitting, but look on eBay for silver blazer buttons and tell me that $4.99 was a bad price to pay for the buttons alone, even if I had to scrap the jacket (I actually ripped the buttons off and then re-donated the jacket).
Anyhoo... I thought an after photo would benefit the before, so here it is (photo 1). If you haven't found your blazer (or your buttons) yet, keep looking. They await your discovery.
Cheers!
-Paul

Rethink the Navy Blazer

Classics are hard to faze out. There was a time when a navy blazer was considered a staple for any man's wardrobe; a versatile jacket that could be paired with dress trousers and a tie for a day at the office or a meal at the country club, and worn with jeans and a polo shirt for a more casual approach was just the ticket for bridging the gap between the wearer appearing "dressed up" and "dressed down" (you can dress down an article of clothing. One does not, however, wish to appear dressed down on the whole). When worn with the former, the formality of a navy blazer would fall between that of a suit and a patterned sport coat. When worn with the latter, accessories can formalize or dress the jacket down just about as much as one likes.

When choosing a navy blazer, fit is paramount. The difference between looking like a reject from the masonic lodge and looking like a suave style maven depends on the fit. Slim jacket sleeves, proper shoulder positioning, and a trim-fitting waist are all things that today's navy blazer requires. Buying one as close to one's size as possible and having a good tailor give it a once over is crucial. If one is lucky enough to have a blazer fit properly off the rack, more power to ya, but my slender frame and broad shoulders mean that I almost always have to have the material rolling at the back of the jacket neck corrected. A good tailor is essential to the well-dressed man.

Another consideration that absolutely must be mentioned: the buttons. The traditional blazer buttons are a gold or brass color, and today, this doesn't sit well with many men. Perhaps the gold looks dated, perhaps it looks like one is trying to fake affiliation with an esteemed institution, perhaps you don't have a yacht... in any case, buttons can easily be replaced, and can be found at numerous online sources and fabric shops. Thrift stores, such as Goodwill or Salvation Army, also have blazers that one can buy simply to rob of buttons. 5 bucks for a set of buttons is a deal, even if the jacket they were once attached to doesn't make the cut. For button options, consider silver or pewter, or even mother of pearl (gray mother of pearl looks especially nice). Avoid leather covered buttons, as they can conjure up some of the same dated conceptions of gold or brass.

Photos 1 & 2 depict a navy blazer with proper fit. The buttons on this particular jacket are gold, and will remain so until I find proper replacements. I'm still scouting, and am looking for the absolute perfect set. My heart needs to burn within me. Note the texture of this jacket. The wool used has a soft, even hand, and is not the rougher, courser fabric that you saw on your father's blazer. This is another consideration. To maintain class and distinction, a finer fabric makes the blazer look even more timeless.

Small details are important too. Patch pockets, as shown in photo 1, are "back in style" and are even making appearances on suit jackets from very high-end clothiers. Also, a more narrow lapel, shown in photo 2 (no more than 3 inches at it's widest point), allows for a more modern interpretation of the blazer, after re-emerging from the 1960's style archives (thank you, Mad Men for bringing back the narrow lapel). Too much less than 3 inches is approaching the realm of trendy, so be careful... it may be okay on a suit, but on a navy blazer a somewhat traditional appearance is a good thing.

I hope I've given you some things to consider. Go find a navy blazer and rock it (it works really well with gray flannel trousers now that it's cooler). I will now leave you with a brief synopsis of the inception of the navy blazer, courtesy of www.tomjames.com.

In 1837 the Commander of the frigate H.M.S. Blazer was told that England’s young queen, Victoria, would soon inspect his ship. He took one look at the unsightly condition of his crew’s dress and decreed that they would get new uniforms. He decided on a short jacket with brass Royal Navy buttons.
There is a disagreement as to the color of those first Blazers. In one account, the jackets were striped navy and white; another reports a solid navy serge. In any case, Victoria was so favorably impressed by their attire that she required all the Queen’s sailors to be in similar uniform.

...so there you go.

Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul