The Best Undershirts are Gray

When dealing with undershirts, it is important to understand how the shirt going over the undershirt is being worn. For most men there are three options, with a tie, one button undone and two buttons undone. To best accommodate each style of shirt there are a few different style of dress shirts. To start off lets look at the most common solution, and the one I prefer.

Gray V-Neck Undershirt -

This is the most versatile undershirt in your closet and will work for most guys with most outfits. A gray undershirt is superior to a white undershirt since it will not show through from under a white dress shirt. The gray undershirt provides no visible undershirt lines (the male version of pantie lines). Since gray will not show through any light colored shirt, it makes it the most versatile color in the wardrobe. As a V-neck, the shirt allows for the top button to be undone without showing a t-shirt underneath. If the shirt has a deep enough V-neck, two buttons can be undone with a shirt being seen.

When I want a more casual look I appreciate the layered look of showing a gray v-neck shirt from under a button-down shirt. If the button-down shirt has two or three buttons undone and the gray shirt underneath, the look can be quite cool, it is a very sprezzatura and nonchalant look. 

For those that do not like to have a shirt showing underneath, ever, the best option is a deep V-neck undershirt.  Depending on the amount of buttons that you typically have unbuttoned, the best option I have found is the Alternative Apparel V-neck shirts. The Eco Boss V-neck is a deeper than normal V-neck and comes in two great heather gray colors.  It is also extremely comfortable cotton and is nice enough to be worn all by itself as a shirt.  The Alternative Apparel Eco Boss runs for about $28 direct or for only $15 thru Urban Outfitters.

For the people that demand an even deeper V-neck shirt I recommend the Alternative Apparel deep V-neck burnout shirt. It comes in a few extra washed colors and fabrics. It is a very soft cotton fabric and runs for about $30-$40, and featured below.

Lastly, for those that don't care about the depth of the V-neck and do not want to pay so much for an undershirt, Gap is a great option. The Gap sells two heather gray shirts for under $20, these shirts are quite comfortable and fit well. I also recommend the Uniqlo undershirt. It runs for about $10 per shirt and has fuller body than the Gap shirt.

Depending on your preference, think about gray... it makes for a great versatile alternative to white.

New York City Trip Recap - Part 1

On my NYC shopping trip that was discussed so much before the trip, here is how the trip went.

My first stop of the day was to Uniqlo, which I went into detail already.  I arrived at the shop at 11a and was there about an hour.  From Uniqlo I went to Rag & Bone and then to Jack Olive.  Read about those stores by clicking the links.  By that time it was half past one and my stomach was growling loudly.

 

On my way to Delicatessen I passed through Canal st., New York City’s Tijuana or the “Fashion” district in Los Angeles.  Anything can be bought on that street, fake designer bags, colored contacts, fake Rolex watches and of course Obama Condoms.  That’s right, Obama Condoms.

Hawked by a woman with a giant shiny sign above her head Obama Condoms are the “ultimate stimulus package”.  They are “hope flavored” and a perfect way to “remember the election with your next erection”.   They even have McCain condoms as well, but there were no catchy slogans accompanying the McCain condoms.  I would be a miss not to mention that you can buy Obama Condoms online.

Finally I made it to Delicatessen for lunch.  What a nice trendy spot in the Village.  It has good food, beautiful women, a nice décor and a fine bar staff.  I recommend stopping by the establishment for lunch during a shopping excursion, sitting at the bar and ordering from Victor.  He has a great sense of humor, comments on the beautiful woman, has a great grasp of the menu and for making drinks, and will flirt with the woman non-stop.  Compared to him you will look like a saint, a perfect compliment to lunch experience.  I recommend you try the Tuna Tartar, which is among the best I have ever had.  I enjoyed the Cheeseburger spring rolls for there uniqueness but wouldn’t get them again.  Above is a picture of the Fried Chicken with Jalapeno-Cheddar Cornbread.

After lunch I strolled over to the Liquor Store, as it is called.  It is the J. Crew directional flagship store in Tribeca.  It certainly is not your standard J. Crew retailer but instead a destination store that sells all of the special J. Crew men’s items.  The store holds inventory for the items that generally sold only online and via catalogue, no matter the size of your local J. Crew retailer.  They carry Alden shoes, Red Wing Boots, the special edition Levis and Globe Trotter luggage.  They carry the Burbour jackets, Mackintosh top coats, and Ludlow suits.  They even carry things that can’t be bought online or via the catalogue like vintage Rolex watches, tie-clips and vintage belts.

All and all the store is quite unique and interesting experience.  It is the J. Crew ideal in store form, certainly worth the visit.  As for making the store a normal shopping destination, probably not, but I would stop by for inspirational ideas and to try on unique items.  Few other places can you try on the Mackintosh coat to make sure the size fits just right or the pair of Alden oxblood loafers.  I also have to commend the store for having a selection of items sold only at the Liquor Store.  Most people notice the tie-clips, Rolexs and belts, but I took note of the bags and books.

The Liquor Store by J. Crew had a nice selection of Weekender Bags and over the shoulder totes that are not yet sold online.  They also have a selection of books, which seemed quite interesting.  It seemed to me that someone had taken as much time choosing the books as they had choosing the clothes.  For me those details do not go unrecognized.  In the photo above you can see the black leather weekender, it has clean lines and a cool classic shape.  Quite a handsome and smart looking bag.

On my way to my next store I encountered a group of street performers singing outside of yet another J. Crew down the street.  They were quite fun to watch and listen to.  Tomorrow I will post Part 2 of this journey.

Uniqlo - A Visit to New York

The New York trip is finally done and I am finally posting again.  You'll just have to get over the little break I had (I am sorry).  But I am back with a vengence.

The store is 3 stories - the main floor is men and women, the upstairs is for men and cellar is for women.  Every wall was lined with colorful and folded clothing from floor to ceiling.  It is almost a daunting amount of clothing, quite impressive.

In the front of the store Uniqlo is pushing their Heat Tech clothing.  The water wicking under clothing that is also meant to keep you warm.  Very similar to the same stuff that Nike & Under Armor promote.

Past that display the store opened up to a main show room showing off the cashmere sweaters, wool peacoats and outerwear.  The cashmere sweaters were ultra soft available in every color imaginable and only $99 for the V-neck and $129 for the cardigan.  The Peacoats, which came in gray, black, navy and light gray glen check were only $99 and a great way to supplement a winter coat collection.  I wouldn't use Unqilo coats for the coldest weather, but they certain will keep you warm on cold and snowy days.

Upstairs I went to the plethora of clothing upstairs.  More cashmere sweaters, more Peacoats as well as plenty of essentials and non-essentials a like.  The essentials collection was great and something I would utilize more if I lived in NYC.  They were selling a great collection of socks, 4 for $9.  The socks were in the best colors: gray, navy & khaki.  The boxer briefs were 2 for $9 and a nice selection of patterns and colors.  They also were not covered in half naked men staring at you, which was a very pleasant change when shopping for under garments.  The under shirts were in every color and were $4 a shirt.  I went with light heather gray shirts, as they are less visible under plain white dress shirts.

They also had a jeans in various colors, washes, fits and prices.  The jeans ranged from skinny to relaxed and ranged in price from $39 to $79.  The selvedge denim was the more expensive jeans while the normal denim was only $39.  I would have opted for the regular denim in slim straight cut.  I would buy my selvedge from a top manufacturer like APC or Stronghold.

I was very impressed by the Lambswool sweaters in V-Neck, Crew neck & Cardigan at $19.99 to $29.99 for the latter.  They had the basic selection of colors for the sweaters and they were good weight, not too bulky or too fine.  I would highly recommend the sweaters as a way to supplement your closet with colors that you might not otherwise purchase, like purple & yellow.

I also highly enjoyed the collection of oxford shirts.  They had white, light blue, dark blue, light red and a gray all for only $19.99 a shirt.  A great deal.

The flannels were also nice.  They came in either heavy weight or light weight and in a bunch of nice color combinations including red and black buffalo check.  The off white with window pane navy blue check was very appealing and reminded me of my favorite shirt from high school.

As for pants, they had a nice collection of chinos, both washed and dressier versions; $29 and $39, respectively.  All of the pants in the entire store came in either 32 or 34 inch inseam.  The good news Uniqlo would tailor them free of charge, the bad news it would take a minimum of a week for them to complete the job.  I do like the idea and would encourage the practice for more stores.

The selection of wool pants was slim pickings but I found a pair I loved in light gray brushed wool for only $49.  They are slim straight and will have to be hemmed.

Uniqlo also had an encouragingly large selection of non-iron dress shirts and a disappointingly small selection of suit coats.  When I was there, the only coats were tuxedo trimmed velvet jackets in burgundy, black, olive and navy.  I am still deciding if they are cool for a night out or just plain cheesy.

The store also offered a bag to carry all of the goodies, which means that more people than just make a large purchase of clothing at the store.  Next time you are in NYC check out Uniqlo and let me know if you have the same experience or not. 

New York Awaits...

My free time in New York City is limited, but I am still determined to make a few spots at retail havens. I have Saturday free, and will make the most of it. Here is my itinerary, but email me suggestions, if you have them (mdignified@gmail.com).

Stop one: Uniqlo - the only store in the USA and a masterpiece from what I understand.

Stop two: J Crew - while I am in the area I want to stop by the Tribeca flagship store for JCrew. It looks like a creative use of the retail space.

Hopefully, there will be a few small stops along the way as NYC is filled with fun shops of all kinds.

Stop three: Delicatessen - the lunch here has come highly recommended. It was also cool enough for Madonna's spawn's birthday party, it has to be good, right?

Stop four: Berluti - I have to stop by the Berluti store in Manhattan and get a feel for their representation of style in a retail location. I am also curious to see which styles they are pushing as the best representations of the Berluti line.

Again, I will try out a bunch of different stores around this area, how bad can the luxe get? It is Madison avenue after all.

New York City Awaits...

At the end of October I will be traveling to New York for the weekend.  Part business, part pleasure.  I am certainly looking forward to shopping in NYC.  One of the stores that I am really excited to check out is Uniqlo.  I want to see the quality and fit of the clothes up close and personal, as well as pick up a few items if the clothes hold up to my standards.  From pictures alone, they certainly do.

Uniqlo is kind of like H&M, inexpensive clothes made in Europe.  They carry everything from casual t-shirts to wool suits.  I am very interested in checking out the no wale corduroy jacket that they are selling for $69.95.  I love the idea of a no wale cord, I hope it lives up to my expectations.  I also want to check out their trench coat, which is only $99.  Both seem like a good deal to me.  Finally, I am interested in their buffalo check flannel shirt for only $39.  Hopefully, the shirt fits nicely as I would rather get that shirt for $39 from Uniqlo than for $69 from J Crew or $85 from Woolrich, essentially they are the same shirt, at least in pictures.  I will know more once I am there.

I am certainly going to be checking out additional stores in New York, let me know if you have any suggestions on cool stores to check out.  I will also keep you posted on my Uniqlo finds.

Fall Essentials - Tweed Herringbone Jacket

My favorite odd jacket for this or any fall/winter season is a gray tweed herringbone jacket. I have had one for about 2 or 3 years now and love when the weather turns cold enough to wear it. It is the perfect jacket for jeans, chinos or accessory for your normal work slacks (black, navy or heather gray work best from a color stand point).

The jacket is sophisticated casual. It has a very English countryman heritage so it has the old elegant sophistication that comes with such a heritage. Historically this jacket would have leather elbow patches for hunters. Hence the jackets heritage is casual, due to this it is typically made only as an odd jacket. (But I would highly encourage making a slim fit tweed herringbone suit with bit 2 inch cuffs on the pants, but that is my personal style and not something everyone can pull off.)

This season stick with a beautifully tailored slim fit gray herringbone tweed. Rugby (by Ralph Lauren) has my favorite version of the jacket this season (top picture). Rugby makes a very casual, cool and aggressive version of the jacket with details like: stitched patches instead of the English style leather elbow patches, colored lining under the lapels and a hidden stitched skull and crossbones under the left lapel. Fashion is often in the subtle details and Rugby nailed it with this version of the jacket ($350 or so).

Theory & JCrew both have more traditional but modern versions of the jacket, so you will not have to worry about looking like your Grandpa, but you can still look hip on your date (JCrew & Theory pictured above: JCrew has the tie). Uniqlo also has a version of the jacket that will be coming out in the next month or so, this might be the best financial option as long as you live in New York or have a friend in New York who can ship it to you (Uniqlo only has one store in the US, in New York, and they don't take online orders).

Rock the tweed herringbone as one of your go-to-jackets, this fall. Leave the leather jacket at home and instead rock the herringbone, it will keep you just as warm and you will have classic and sophisticated alternative to leather. The ladies & the fashionably aware men will appreciate your sartorial decision.

Uniqlo - We need more

I recently found Uniqlo and I want more.  After spending too much time on the website, I have created a resentment that there is only one Uniqlo store in the US, in Manhattan.  I want Uniqlo in Los Angeles and I want it now.  From what I could tell by the website, it is a even less expensive version of H&M.  Who doesn't need quality clothes for less money?  I know you don't have your hands up.

I love the slim fit suit jackets, especially the blue cordlane jacket.  To think this jacket is only $79.95!  I might need to fly to NYC, just for this jacket.  The matching trousers are only $39.50.  Less than $120 for a great summer suit, even if you only wear it a few times this summer it is worth the investment.

I will be visiting Uniqlo soon.  That is for sure!