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.

Style Profile - Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire is one of the greatest dancers of all time, but he was also a great dresser. The thing to note with his dress is the tailoring and cut. No matter the dance move, jump, pirouette or position Astaire was photographed in, his suit always fit him appropriately. The main reason for this was the tailoring. Astaire always opted for bespoke (handmade specifically for his body) suits. He made sure that the suits had range of motion and were not restricting while still holding their form and style.

The only way that Astaire could find clothes that fit with the level of comfort and style he required was going with a suit style called the "Drape". The Drape allows for the fabric of the suit to move with the wearer without being stiff, but it still holds its form. I will go into this style further at a later time, as it is too important to be glossed over. The important thing to note is the range of movement and comfort the suit had, which allowed Astaire to complete his dance moves in sartorial elegance.

It was stated that Astaire would try on a suit and then jump across his tailors office and stop suddenly to see how the suit was fitting. Making sure that it still held its proper form and fit on his figure. I certainly would not find myself jumping across the dressing room in a suit, but idea that I should be able to perform a complicated tap dance routine in my suit is an important lesson. The suit should be worn by the wearer, instead of vice versa and this is accomplished by making sure the suit fits well, is tailored properly and is comfortable. I personally find ill fitting clothes to be uncomfortable, which in turn ruins my day. Keeping this lesson in mind allows for my clothes to have little affect on my mood.

Astaire also was known for being able to wear great hats. Whether it was a top hat, a derby or a fedora, Astaire could accessorize the appropriate hat for the occasion.

Tuxedos were a specialty of Fred Astaire. Few people have ever worn a top hat and tails with the grace and sophistication that Astaire was able to achieve.

He also paired colors well, while there are few pictures of him in color, his mix of colors was well done. Putting together colors and patterns that worked well together without matching. He stuck with color families and complimentary colors but did not color match, except when it came to black and white.

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.

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: Double Breasted Suit - Proper Buttoning Technique

Double Breasted suits are back, whether you are a fan or not. Personally, I don't like the look, but some men feel great in them and they fit their personal style. If you are going to wear a Double Breasted suit, two rules: Slim Fit & Top Button Only.

Slim Fit - the most important thing is the shoulders. Minimal shoulder pads is key. The shoulder pads should look natural and contour with the arm. Avoid bulky shoulder pads or pads that extend past your natural shoulder. It is a suit for work, not for playing football with Brett Favre.

Slim Fit also goes to the overall fit. It should be snug on your torso, not tight but snug. It should have slimmer arms and legs. Once again you don't want a tappered skinny pant look but instead a slim fit straight leg look. A double breasted suit is a big suit with an over powering look, minimize your profile with a slim cut. Otherwise you will look like a 'roided up power hitter.

Top Button Only - only button the top button, the bottom button is for show. Make sure that you keep the top and inside buttons done at all times, but the bottom button needs to be undone so that you minimize the conservative, over powering look and make it more modern. Remember this suit is very classic and very conservative, you need to keep it modern in fit and style and buttoning technique.

Also, save the double breasted suit for the important business meetings with conservative clients and power brokers. Use the single breasted (two or three button) suits for everyday wear.

Never ever ever, did I say ever, wear the double breasted jacket without the suit pants. It needs to always be a suit, never worn with jeans and never with different colored slacks. It is not as versatile as the single breasted suit which can be worn with jeans or different colored slacks. The double breasted is only used as a suit. Buy your single breasted in all the important colors before buying a double breasted.