Pop Yo Collar

The Dos & Don'ts of Collar Popping -

Don'ts:

Hopefully these fashion faux pas are quite evident.

Polos & Shirts - Don't pop the collar on a polo shirt, button down shirt or rugby shirt. At no time, ever, ever, ever.  A collared shirt should not have an erected collar, unless you are at a costume party or you have a nickname that starts with "The" and ends with "Situation".  Keep the collars down and keep the compliments up.

Jacket - Sport coats & suit jackets should have the collars down, creating a sleek, slim look. Only in extreme weather should the collar be popped and only to keep yourself warm, not as a fashion statement.  Otherwise you will look like your hanging with Crockett & Tubbs, which is no bueno.  And please for the love of all that is stylish, do not push up the sleeves of your jacket.  Don't even think about it, it's just wrong.

Dos:

Overcoats & Trench coats - With as much passion as I beg and plead you keep the collars down on your shirts and polos, I beg and plead that you to keep the collars of your overcoats up. Overcoats & Trench coats are meant to have popped collars.

Peacoats - the naval Peacoat has to have the collar popped, it is the only proper way to wear the coat.  Without the collar standing at attention, the jacket looks boring and quite mundane.  Keep it cool and keep the collar popped at all times.

Question on Trenchcoats

Reader's Question - Michael, NYC:

"I recently came across your blog (awesome) when searching for pictures of the Theory Herringbone Trench Coat you featured on August 17th. I picked it up yesterday as a secondary winter coat (my primary winter coat is a navy Burberry cashmere overcoat - it gets COLD in NY!).

How do you suggest I wear the belt? I tied the belt, but the fabric is quite stiff and the belt wouldn't hold. I am also concerned that the belt will look worn out after tying it so much. Do you suggest that I belt it instead (quite formal) or tie it in the back? The jury seems to be out on this one..."

Thanks for the thoughtful question, Michael. You should be commended on your taste in overcoats. I always feel that every man should own at least a Navy overcoat and the secondary overcoat should be Gray or Camel colored. Those colors will go with most every suit in the closet and will look sharp for any occasion. The herringbone adds visual interest to the gray overcoat, helping to stand out in the dreary weather.  Cashmere and Camelhair are the best fabrics for overcoats; warm durable and fashionable.

Personally, I would opt for the belt to be tied, as shown in the picture.  The belt with time will become less stiff and will hold to the knot better.  Damaging the belt should not be a concern, the high quality of the fabric and manufacturing will help hold it together. For more formal events you can use it as a belt, but I would still opt for tying it in every occasion as it is more sprezzatura and care free (a state that should be constantly strived for by every well dressed man).  Please, Michael, do not tie the belt behind you. No trench coat or overcoat should ever have the belt tied in the back. This removes the sartorial benefit that a secured belt adds to the overall look.

One additional note in wearing this and most all other overcoats. Please, for the love of all that is stylish, turn up the collar. Overcoats, trenchcoats and peacoats should have popped collars. In every case, wear it with the collar up, but please always wear your polos with the collars down. 

With those rules followed, you should be able to enjoy the New York weather in warmth and style.

New York City Trip Recap - Part 2

After leaving the Liquor Store I wandered the streets of New York, enjoying the beautiful fall day and looking for a unique and special find.  I wanted more, I wanted one last store to enjoy immensely.  A store that can only be found in New York and would leave me with a feeling that I had a memorable New York City experience, a final note on an amazing day of enjoyable shopping.  I truly am a nerd for shopping, I know, you don’t have to remind me.  But if you want to you can email me at: mdignified@gmail.com.

Just then I wandered across an interesting looking store, Cockpit.  I poked my head in and found exactly what I was looking for, a great find hidden in the maze of city streets.  Cockpit has some of the nicest staff I have seen at a store.  They were competent, knowledgeable, conversational and yet knew the right moment to leave me alone right before I would have had an urge to injure them.  The store looks like a Military service hang out on an American base in Vietnam mixed with a gentleman’s parlor mixed with a retail store in NYC.

Cockpit makes their own military inspired clothes as well as actual military replicas.  The store also has a great selection of well made Over coats, Top coats, leather jackets, boots, leather shoes and casual wear.  They had some very interesting and well cut henleys, sweaters and military inspired shirts.  Cockpit also had unique vintage pieces from previous Wars like the Japanese Kamikaze pilot flight suit and the 1941 American solider Army helmet.  Apparently Cockpit was the company that made the brown leather Bomber jacket Tom Cruise wore in Top Gun.  Next month they are re-releasing the jacket, which will be sold in store.

My favorite piece was a wool herringbone top coat that was inspired by German officers.  The coat was modernized with a trimmer, sleeker, tailored fit.  It has black velvet accents on the collar and sleeve cuffs that can be worn two different ways: rolled up to reveal black velvet or undone for a more simple look.  It is double breasted and garnished with simple black metal buttons.  The details on the coat are fantastic, including the beautiful lining.  The coat is an absolute statement piece.  It can be worn dressed up or dressed down, but it will always get you noticed.  Sometimes, that is just what a man needs.

Next time in town, I am certainly going to visit Cockpit again.

Fall Essentials - Tweed Herringbone Trench Coat

Theory has made a tweed herringbone trench coat for this season. This is a perfect jacket for anyone living with severe weather and needs a great alternative to a cashmere overcoat. I would certainly think about picking it up if our weather was actually cold (Los Angeles has great weather, but that certainly limits the clothing options). What is great about this jacket is that it would easily go with any fall suit in the typical fall colors: navy, heather gray, black, olive and brown. Theory has done it again, a fashionable, practical, yet unique piece. This piece is available at Bloomingdales for only $795, for a jacket of this quality that is quite a good price.

Fall Essentials - Trench Coat

Everywhere you look there are trench coats. Every designer, store and runway show have variations of the jacket. This is one of the looks that I love for the fall, mainly due to it be a utilitarian fashion trend.

Living in Los Angeles, I do not have a use for a full cashmere trench coat (except for the business trips), but I do have a use for a rain trench coat. I think the look is very sophisticated, with or without a full suit and can be very versatile this fall and winter. I do think that the trench coat looks best with a tie, or at a button-down and sweater combo.

Aside from the rain trench coat, the other trench coat that you will see in stores is trench with a large collar and toggle clasps. Burberry makes a cool version of this trench. I think this jacket makes more sense for cool weather cities as it needs to be wool or cashmere to look good.

When picking out a trench, be sure it is tailored and slim. Make sure it has large lapels and plenty of buttons or toggles. It should have a nice modern fit and hit you on your thigh above your knee. In the rain coat version it should be double breasted, in the toggle version the toggles should be interesting, large and wooden.

This is a fall fashion that will be cool to wear now and useful to wear in all future seasons.