Holiday Office Party

First and Foremost, I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday.

Pictures are in from the Holiday Office Party.  I wore a gray charcoal Hugo Boss suit, a white bespoke shirt and an Express wool plaid tie.  The tie is mainly gray and black with highlights of red and white.  This is paired with a red silk pocket square.  The silk compliments the wool tie well, as the different fabric add interest to the outfit.  The red in the square picks up the same color in the tie, helping to accent it, without being too much red, or looking too thought out.

A man never wants the outfit to look too planned, accidentally color coordinated and planned is the goal.  What I choose to call sprezzatura. 

Suit: The three kinds of Lapels

For any suit that I would recommend wearing, there are only three appropriate collars: notched, peaked & shawl. Each lapel has its place on a jacket, each lapel works with the suit, the occasion and your body to provide the proper or improper look.

Notched Lapels - these are the classic lapel on most suits. They are the most common and basic lapel on a suit. The lapel works great for any body type and compliments men of all shapes and sizes. Notched lapels look great on single breasted two button and three button suits. Keep in mind the width of the lapel, too wide the lapel and you will look like a gangster, too skinny the lapel and you will look like a hipster trying to be cool. Stick to a medium to narrow lapel, a width that is classic and timeless.

Peaked Lapels - this lapel is most commonly found on double breasted suits. When buying a double breasted suit, do not purchase it unless it has a peaked lapel. A notched lapel should never grace a double breasted suit. Peaked lapels can work on single breasted suits and formal wear as well. A peaked lapel on a single breasted suit is more formal than a notched lapel, because it has the same lines as a tuxedo. A peaked lapel adds width to the shoulders, so it should be worn on slighter men and men who want to accentuate the shoulders. Men with more girth and size should be cautious employing the peaked lapel.

Shawl Collar Lapels - typically is only used on formal wear. It is always used on one, two or three button tuxedos. I prefer it with a one or two button tux and really recommend sticking with the one button look. Shawl collars are also seen in sweaters, but rarely seen in non-formal suit.

Know your lapels and avoid faux pas like notched lapels on a double breasted suit.

Navy Blue Blazer, American Made

Looking for a nice Navy Blue Blazer? Check out Anderson Little. They are an American company with an American made Navy Blazer for only $159 and free shipping. It is a classic navy blazer, with brass buttons and classic styling. Perfectly classic version of the essential blazer.

Anderson Little is an old school company with a long American history. The history is detailed on the website as:

Anderson-Little was founded in 1933 by Morris B. Anderson, and began as a manufacturer of fine men’s clothing in Fall River, Massachusetts, and pioneered the concept of “factory direct to you” following World War II, when it opened its factory showroom directly to the public, for retail sales.

Driven by the strength of this concept, by 1960 Anderson-Little had 11 retail outlets selling “factory direct to you” in Fall River, New Bedford, Providence, Hartford, Worcester, Springfield, New Haven, Bridgeport and other major markets in New England.

Stuart Anderson, Morris’ grandson, joined the management team after his graduation from the Wharton School of Finance. By 1966, this family business had grown to 40 outlets and had become one of the most recognizable brand names in New England, and the company was sold to Richman Brothers, a national chain headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

Certainly glad that we can still find well made inexpensive clothes that are made in the states. This looks like a good start.

Always List - Gray Suit

Gray Suit - Having a suit is crucial for any man, but if you don't have one make sure you get a Charcoal Gray Suit or Dark Gray Suit. The fit of a good suit is essential to making the suit look good. A badly fitting expensive suit will make you look sloppy, while a well tailored inexpensive suit will make you look like a million bucks. The suit needs to fit differently depending on if it is a two-button or three-button suits.

The best way to find the right suit is to go to a place that will have multiple brands and cuts for you to try on like, Macys, Bloomingdales or Nordstroms. For your first suit, stay away from the pinstripes, window pane checks and keep it a plain simple charcoal gray. This suit will be accented by the shirt and tie and you can have more fun with the combination if the suit is plain. Also a pinstripe suit is hard to wear for a wedding, interview or funeral. Dark Gray will go well with brown shoes or black shoes. It will also go well with any color combination of tie and shirt.


So buy a plain charcoal gray suit. Make sure it is well tailored, slim fit. Make sure you are comfortable in the suit and you will have it for the next 5 years (at least).

Fashion Rules

Do you know the fashion rules?

You have to be aware of the fashion dos and don'ts to properly break them, or else you risk looking like idiot. Ever talk the law with a career criminal? Trust me they know the law better than a lawyer does. A style expert, or just a well dressed man, has to be the same way, the laws of fashion need to be second nature to him.

The Rules: Abridged version

White is only acceptable between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which has been expanded to include Easter, thankfully.

• Never wear linen in the winter and tweed in the summer.
• Always match the color of your belt and your shoes, unless it is a web belt.
• Wear a conservative tie and suit to a job interview.
• Don't wear pleats EVER, plain front pants only.
• Wear a dark tie with a tan suit.
• Patent leather shoes are for black tie affairs only.
• For Formal events wear Oxfords not Bluchers. Bluchers are a casual shoes masquerading as a formal shoe.
• Go with a Four-in-Hand knot, instead of the stuffy Full Windsor (By the way, those might be the most boring videos of all time, good sleeping material).
• The tie is supposed to reach your belt, not above or below it.
• A button-down collared shirt is an informal shirt or sport shirt. A point collar is a formal shirt.
• A blazer is less formal than a suit, but is still appropriate with a tie.
• On a two button suit - button the top button and not the bottom button. On a three button suit - only button the middle button. On a double breasted suit - Keep the top button buttoned, never button the bottom one.
• Do crease your suit slacks, don't crease your chinos or jeans.
• A hat is to be worn outside and inside only until you sit down... And never inside in the presence of a lady (this is a really old school rule).

These go on and on and on.

Do you know the rules?

If not keep reading this blog for the modern day tips and read a suitable wardrobe and blogs like it for the classic rules of dress. Learn them, get familiar with them, and then break them. Its a valuable lesson and one that will save you embarrassment in the future and allow you to confidently know that the rule you are breaking that day is damn cool (and all your own).

Suit: Two Button Suit - Proper Buttoning Technique

The popular style right now, and for good reason, is the two button suit. It is a modern cut with its roots in classic style. It allows for more shirt and tie to be shown, which makes men look taller and slimmer. It also is the style suit that our President prefers and is definitely a good thing, the man knows how to dress.

He always buttons his jackets correctly, top button only. And because he has perfectly tailored suits that always means you can see a little bit of the tie under the button. This is a classic look and one I try to emulate.

I also like that President Obama never has a tie that is too perfectly tied. The dimple is always a little off center. He also wear plain front pants with his suit, a great touch for a man in as good of shape as President Obama. Considering he is the leader of the free world I appreciate that he shows as much artful dishevelment and modern style as is appropriate for a man in his position.

Remember, keep the top button done, the bottom one left open.