Essentials of a Work Wardrobe - Suits

Every man needs at least two suits in his closet at all times, while to begin no man needs more than six suits in his arsenal. The exact number you settle on should be based around how often a suit is needed in the office. Most offices two suits will suffice. The first two suits need to be a Navy and a Charcoal Gray. The Charcoal Gray suit should be plain, this way it can also be worn to weddings and funerals, as needed. The Navy suit can be plain or for some variation be a herringbone, chalk stripe, pinstripe or
nailhead. The third, fourth & fifth suits should first come in varied shades of gray, from darker to lighter or an additional navy. The patterns should remain conservative: pinstripe, herringbone, chalk stripe, houndstooth or nailhead. With the sixth suit and perhaps with the fifth suit (in only the most liberal environments) can some experimentation take place. This experimentation is in colors or patterns, but not both. Experimentation in colors: Tan or Brown. Experimentation in patterns: Windowpane check, Glenn Check, or multi-stripe.

The suits that are to be worn most often are the conservative ones and the experimental suits the least often. In conservative places of business like Law Firms and Banks, the experimental suits should only be worn on Fridays. All of these suits should be two button or three-roll to two button. They may or may not have a vest. They all must have flat front pants with no cuffs. The lapels should be between 2 ½ inches and 3 ¼ inches in width, with the ideal width at 3".

The best place to buy these suits are: J Crew, Banana Republic, H&M, Men's Wearhouse & Brooks Brothers.

No "Gilt" in Shopping Luxury Brands

Recently, I stumbled across Gilt Groupe an online fashion website that sells luxury brands at steep discounts.  It is true overstocks, sold often for more than half off the sticker price.  Originally the brand started with high-end women's clothes and then branched off into men's (Gilt Man), children's and home decor.  Currently, they are even featuring sales on sunglasses, shoes, Visconti pens and even luxury hotel rooms.

Each sale only lasts for a few days at a time, with limited numbers available at each size.  This means that the items are sold out fast and the most popular sizes are gone quickly.  Gilt Groupe will send an email to members (membership is free) signaling that a sale has started, this means first come better selection.

Logging on for the first time Modern Dignified found a sale for Tommy Hilfiger.  This featured Tommy Hilfiger suits, sport coats and slacks.

The wool pinstripe charcoal suit, which retails for $600 is being sold for only $218.  It is a beautiful suit, slim fit and at a price tag of only $218, well less than half the cost, it is a steal of a deal.  Absolutely worth the price for anyone in need of a great basic suit.  Charcoal pinstripe suits are nearly the most versatile suit a man can own, aside from a plain charcoal suit.

The wool birdseye brown suit is another solid suit.  The suits color makes it right as an extension to the basic suiting options.  Once again, the price is too strong to pass up at $218, discounted from the $600 retail tag.

The Tommy Hilfiger navy plaid double breasted suit is also selling for $218.  The suit has a classic 6x4 button closure in front.  We would recommend leaving the bottom button in the front undone, all of the other buttons should be secured.  For a man that has been reluctant to add a double breasted suit, but still wanted to have one in the collection, this suit is a great compromise.  It is has a good cut, good lines, classic look and a price that can't be beat.  Too bad our size was already taken.  It is certainly a modern day version of the DB suit.

The sport coats and blazers are selling for $138 discounted from $350.  The slacks originally are $125 and are now selling for $58.  The wool herringbone check blazer in brown is a classic look with a modern fit and style.  It is a reasonable price to pay for a well designed wool jacket.

Gilt Groupe and in turn Gilt Man provides three or four photos of each item and allow for zooming, to further examine the garment.  Quite useful for a website with no store locations.

Gilt Groupe provides "Gilt"-free shopping of the top luxury brands.  Enjoy.

Reiss - A UK Brand That Gets it Right

I stumbled across Reiss a brand out of UK and found that they certainly get it right.  Most impressively is the brands suits, that range from $650 to $850 depending on the material.  Mohair is the least expensive and the most expensive is luxury wool.

The suits are slim fit and tapered at the waist as a good suit should.  They come in great colors, but do not come in stripes, checks or houndstooths.  Reiss lets the suits tailoring do the talking.  The suits have slimmer lapels and come in either one or two button options on the single breasted.  This makes for the most flatter look. 

Our favorites include the 4x2 Double Breasted suit.  The long lapels elongate the body and make the man look slimmer.  This is accentuated with the trim fit and modern sized lapels.  This is certainly how a DB suit should look.

The sharkskin gray suit, with a shimmer of blue is a show stopping suit.  The flap pockets are every so slightly slanted for an aggressive look that is further emphasized by the single button design.  Yet it is the color that makes this suit shine.  It is neither blue nor gray but instead a middle ground color that makes for a wonderfully versatile suit.  The navy knit tie, royal blue pocket square and blue oxford complete a perfectly conservative business look.  Stylishly conservative, wonderfully boring.  It really lets the suit do the talking.

The royal blue suit from Reiss is another suit that lets the color do the talking.  It is a much brighter blue than is typically seen with a navy suit, while not being ostentatious or provide flash backs of Miami Vice.  This suit is a strong color for business, but promises that you will not get lost in the shuffle.  A simple shirt and tie combo with a white pocket square complete the outfit, leaving the heavy lifting for the suit.  That's nice for a change.

Finally is the three piece suit with peak lapels.  The vest underneath matches also has lapels which is quite British and formal.  Once the again the color is well designed, a light gray that can be worn year around, since it is not too light or dark.  It is a color that will compliment almost any tie and shirt combination in the closet.  With the addition of the vest, it also gives the suit more life with all the versatile options on how it can be worn.

Burn the Black Suit

You are not a mobster, a kingpin or a part of the uncivilized masses. You are not a badly dressed news anchor, an executioner or a rock star and because of this, you should not dress like one. Stay away from black suits, they have no place in any well dressed man's wardrobe. The only exception being the Tuxedo, which most men do not own. Even a man that wears a suit only for funerals & weddings, should own a nark navy or charcoal gray suit for the occasion.

No black suits, this is a hard and fast rule for any well dressed man's wardrobe. It is one I follow strictly, dismissing even the black odd jacket as improper. Black is a harsh and drastic color, it does not compliment the shirt, tie or the man. Instead it stands apart from the shirt and tie as unit that is separate from the entire outfit. Black being the absence of all color does work very well with many of the great color combinations that men can employ with a shirt and tie. Greens lose their luster, pinks become
a harsh color, yellows looks downright awful and blues are ordinary, when matched against a black suit. While black is an important color to any man's wardrobe, it is just not appropriate in a suit.

Stick to the gray & navy suits as the base to the suit wardrobe, expand then into tans, blues, browns and greens. These additional colors will keep the wardrobe interesting and your style fresh and modern. Leave the black for the unkempt masses and stay the sartorial superior of your peers. Burn the
black suits and stick with the classics.

Style Profile - Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake has a modern hip style.  He balances a look that effortlessly flows between suits and casual wear, while looking equally as sharp in each.  Part of the ease comes from each outfit being situation appropriate, which is key to any free flowing style.

Timberlake has been able to own certain looks which highlight his style while not defining it.  He often wears fedoras, three piece suits and cuffed jeans, but these elements are not needed in each outfit for Timberlake's style to be complete.

Timberlake also utilizes variations on these key pieces, pairing a cardigan sweater with a leather jacket and tie.  This is a great variation on the three piece suit.  The sartorial contradiction in this outfit, is what I personally appreciate.  The cardigan sweater and leather jacket are not typically worn together, it is this unusual pairing that makes the outfit really stand out.

Here are some additional looks from Timberlake for you to enjoy and gain inspiration from.  He may be one of the better dressed young celebrities in Hollywood.  Hopefully, if our youth emulates his style, our next generation will have a cool and good looking sartorial style.

Holiday Office Party Attire, done the right way

The proper Holiday Office Party attire should be able to be accomplished with your current wardrobe. You want to make sure the outfit is professional, classic, modern and fun. It needs to be memorable without standing out and representative of your personal style. To make sure that you fit all the requirements, stick to the mainstay classics in your wardrobe.

Classic Charcoal Gray Suit - Stick with a perfectly tailored and trim fitting suit. Make sure it compliments you and actually fits. Go with a charcoal gray, it will go with anything. You should already know what suit I am describing; yes the "Money Suit". If you live in an area where the weather is appropriate, you might want to break out the flannel suit for this occasion, but remember there will be dancing. Trust me, there will be dancing.

Black Oxford Shoes - Wear the classic black oxford shoes. This is the perfect occasion to breakout the shoes that you wear to interviews, weddings and funerals. Now add Holiday Parties to that list.

Dress Shirt - Keep it classic. The well tailored, white dress shirt with medium spread pin point collar is the perfect call for the occasion.  Think of it as the base for your tie and pocket square selection. It also makes the transition to the after party very well. Just undue the collar roll up the sleeves and you can hang all night without looking like you walked out of a Christmas themed nightmare. Remember, there will be lots of pictures and some sent to your clients and vendors, keep it classic.

Tie - For the tie I would recommend a classic gray tie with hints of red or maroon or burgundy. This will give it a hint of the holidays without making it look like you've been dreaming of a white Christmas since July. I also think a solid dark red tie in a satin or silk would look great. If you are going with a pattern, keep it small and classic. A wool tie or silk knit would also look great, as the fabric would play well against the worsted wool suit. As always make sure the tie is 3" or skinnier. Since it is a party, you can go with a tie skinnier than normal, but please do yourself a favor and do not go down to the 2" tie.

Pocket Square - Have some fun, it is a party after all.  Go with a wool or silk red pocket square, patterned with other colors if it is wool.  If it is silk, go with a dark red and avoid the true red.  Another great option is the always appropriate white linen pocket square, worn off slightly off kilter.

Sprezzatura - Don't look too perfect.  That is an easy way too look like a nancy and have everyone hate you.  Mess something up a little bit.  Unbutton your cuffs, mess up the tie a bit, keep the pocket square sloppy.  No man should ever look perfect.

Socks - Have a lot of fun with your socks.  Make them brightly colored, striped, paisley, or another pattern.  Make them a different color than the suit and shirt.  Wear red, green, whatever.  This is a great opportunity to wear green and red plaid to go with the Christmas spirit, like the one above sold at Ben Silver.  It will be recognized and you will lauded for having pride in the season.

J. Crew 2010 Spring Collection

J. Crew in my opinion is the one of the best brands for presenting Sprezzatura style.  Thanks to Frank Muytjens, J. Crew has created a very uniform style over the last few years.  Especially in the last year or so.  I feel that the brand represents the modern male fashion, preppy, tailored, sprezzatura, elegant, classic, cool while not being try hard.  They seem to be blazing the trail, while the other brands are trying to keep up with their brand representation.  I personally love the look and find quite a bit of inspiration in it.

Here is how J. Crew sees the 2010 Spring/Summer.

Navy Suit - The most classic suit in the classic American wardrobe, a navy suit.  This is a lighter navy, which makes it stand-out from the crowd.  It also prevents it from being misdiagnosed as a black suit.  It has a modern slim fit without looking ridiculous.  It also has the appropriate level of Sprezzatura: no socks, chambray shirt, slightly rolled cuff.  It also has the appropriate level of classic elements: rounded toe wingtips, pocket square and navy suit.  A great outfit.

This outfit looks like something worn by a Kennedy on Holiday in Cape Cod.  Classic sunglasses, Sperry Topsiders, chinos and a button-down.  A very casual cool weekend uniform.

The best part of this outfit is the tan shoes.  I prefer the shoes to be oxfords and not bluchers, but I do like the bulk of the blucher, especially for a casual outfit.  I also like the tie for this outfit is light colored and almost gets lost in the outfit.  It is very Sprezzatura to wear the tie lose with a tie bar, very cool.

Tan suede desert boots, slim straight destructed jeans and a red chambray shirt.  It doesn't get much more casual than this outfit, yet due to the color and textures it is still stylish.  This outfit is appropriate for errands on a Sunday, but can still be worn on a casual date.

This is my favorite outfit of the J. Crew collection.  This outfit would be cool in 50s or 60s or today.  The outfit is a great representation of the American style while not looking cliche or overplayed.  The green jacket with red plaid lining is a standout piece, without being over whelming.  The blue shirt, gray sweater and chinos is classic and stylish and cool.  The washed chinos make it sprezzatura and the slim lines make it modern.  Also, the outfit is much more casual with the shoes, a more formal.

Chino suits are great for the summer, so are topsiders.  The combination is classic and contradictory, a good thing for any outfit.  I would lose the bow tie though.

Nice weekender bag, it looks like his father owned it, exactly the right look.  A denim shirt and denim jeans can look horrible and the epitome of style, but due to the shoes, the Sprezzatura way the shirt is haphazardly worn and tucked in and the slim fit jeans, the outfit looks modern.

Who doesn't like a sweater with shorts?  I always love a gray undershirt, that look never gets old.  Throw on topsiders and the outfit is complete.  I would lose the ugly ass big bag though.  For the love of all that is manly, leave the purse carrying to the women.

Shawl collar cardigan fantastically classic and modern.  It is a look that never leaves the closet of the stylish but is now being added to the closet of the fashionable.  I still think you should wear it, I know Steve McQueen did.  The chambray shirt adds depth to the outfit.  Also, shorts with desert boots is the sartorial contradiction that is both modern and Sprezzatura, it is completely unexpected and appropriate.

In this photo I really dig the white blazer.  It is a look that is perfect for the Spring/Summer.  Make the blazer a shawl collar, slim fit and washed, and no one will think you just walked out of Saturday Night Fever.  I also appreciate the chino suit jacket paired with the navy suit pants, it is a nice color combination.

The blue chino slim fit pants in this picture (on the left) are great.  The color and the fit make them enormously useful.  They go with almost any color in a closet and make an outfit standout.  All that while still being classic and not standing out and making you look like a jackass.

Here is a close-up of the chambray shirt.  It is an interesting shirt a good color and has depth since it has multiple levels of blue in the fabric.  The tab color also makes it more interesting than the standard shirt.  The military green belt is also a great touch.  It is rugged and aggressive but also very stylish, especially when worn with a nice pair of chinos.

Could you add any more colors or patterns?  Probably not, but the outfit still works.  This is the ultimate Sprezzatura, it looks like he dressed himself in the dark, yet still "luckily" got it right.  This is modern fashion at its best, unexpected, daring, classic and incredibly interesting.

J. Crew inpires me.  Good job Frank Muytjens.  By the way, Frank Muytjens personal style is also quite interesting.  The shoes and purple socks are fantastic.  I love that the socks match nothing on the outfit.