Chambray Shirts are the new Black

Chambray shirts are everywhere and for good reason, they are comfortable, classic, attractive and don't need to be ironed. Everyone is making chambray shirts from J Crew, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Mr. Freedom and Gitman Vintage.  Chambray shirts worked well for style icons like Steve McQueen, they should work well for you too.

The great thing with a chambray shirt is if worn right, it can be one of the most versatile shirts in your closet, take the looks provided by J Crew for evidence of that. J Crew pairs the chambray shirt with a suit (one of my personal favorites and a look I am sporting today), a chambray with a shawl collar sweater, with a military jacket & with a t-shirt and jeans. J Crew loves chambray so much they are even making a red version for their Spring/Summer collection.

Since I wear a chambray shirt quite often, I love the new colors that companies are making in chambray shirts. Woolrich have tan, black & blue chambray shirts.  J Crew have a gray, blue & now a red chambray.  Gitman Vintage have a full line of bright colored chambray with the bright blue being a personal favorite.

Be sure to jump on this style train and add a chambray shirt to your closet.

Ralph Lauren: 2010 Spring Collection

Ralph Lauren's collection is about colors, which is the essence of Spring clothing.  Bright blues, pastels, white and tan seem to be the key colors that Ralph Lauren want us to be wearing this Spring.  I especially appreciate the blue suits that are so common in this collection.

I also enjoy the yellow shoes in this collection, very sprezzatura.  The entire collection uses colors as a form of sprezzatura.  Hope this is inspiring and provides some ideas for your Spring wardrobe.

Rugby Fall 2009 Collection: Video

I'm on a Rugby by Ralph Lauren kick right now.  Check out the video for the Fall 2009 collection, it is entertaining.  Especially the hot women.

I hate that the guys in the video can't throw a rugby ball in any sort of realistic way.  But what should I expect?

Also, check out the cool skull socks.  They are sold for $15 and would make any suit pop with a real sprezzatura on the ankle.

Rugby by Ralph Lauren: 2010 Spring Collection

The Rugby by Ralph Lauren Spring Collection is considerably nicer than the previous year. With the change in climate in this country designers have brought the fashions back down to earth, which is a good thing, especially for such an edgy brand like Rugby.

The outfit are different, sprezzatura and modern, yet quite wearable and realistic. This 2010 collection is inspirational, while the previous year the outfits felt try hard.

The white cable knit tennis sweater cardigan is outstanding. I have enjoyed the cable knit tennis sweater for a while, but never seen it in a cardigan. What a great twist on the classic menswear staple. It certainly modernizes the piece for a new generation to own. The ripped jeans and tie are also a great choice with a classic banker stripe shirt.

The navy suit is very classic and well tailored. The shirt makes the outfit modern. The shirt has a contrast collar which is very sharp. The collar is shorter than normal, with a vintage cut. It looks like a throw back to the 1920s, the collar is rounded at the tips and held to the neck with a collar pin. This makes for the collar staying only at the neck and not sloped on the shirt. This is quite different from the standard classic look, but has its heritage in the vintage preferences. Another modern element to the navy suit is the tan belt, which pops on the dark background of the suit. I think that the light tan belt and shoes is a must for the spring. Very Italian.

The three piece chino suit feels like something the Great Gatsby would have worn. It is well tailored and comes in a thicker cloth than most of the other cotton suits. It also has a vest on the suit, an additional not commonly seen on suits. I also think the plaid shirt is a nice way to add interest and color to the outfit. More visually appealing than a blue striped shirt would have been. I am still on the fence about the bow tie, but gut tells me to lose it.

The cut on the plaid cotton blazer is perfect. This outfit has great sprezzatura, the unbuttoned and rolled cuffs, the tie tucked into the jeans, the unbuttoned and lose tie.  I think the pattern itself is unexpected and classic.  The white buttons on the blazer are a great touch, as well.

This is my least favorite outfit from Rugby.  It is plain and ordinary, it is also ultra casual.  I never dress this casual, so I really have little feelings about it.  I also do not like the navy blazer with white contrast striping.  As I have discussed before, contrast striped blazers are over done and too try hard.

In New York

I will be traveling on business for the next week.  New York & New Jersey.  So unfortunately I will not be posting on a regular basis during that time.  Hopefully I will be able to post a couple of times, but who knows.  I will be back to regular posting by Wednesday of next week, if all goes as planned.

Before I head off to New York, I wanted to leave you with a cool tie I found the other day.  It is from Rugby.com, a Ralph Lauren brand.  It is a tweed tie and would look great this winter with a Navy suit.  It is 3 1/4 inches wide (I prefer 3", but its close) and a classic pattern that can really stand out in the right outfit.  Please do not wear it with a tweed jacket or black shoes.

Talk with you all soon.