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.

The Versatile Brown Shoes

Most men wear black shoes with dark colors and brown shoes with light colors.  While a black cap toe Oxford is needed in every closet, since it is the most formal and serious shoe made for a suit, brown is most versatile.

 

It is common that men under utilize the brown oxford shoe.  Black shoes are commonly seen and worn almost as a rule where a brown shoe can add style, flair and make the outfit look smarter.  Never fear wearing brown with dark colors, no matter the shade of brown, it goes well with any color suit.

The men that do wear brown with darker colors, usually wear a dark brown shoe.  This is quite acceptable and looks good, but personally I prefer the light brown or tan shoe.  I especially enjoy a modeled brown shoe with colors ranging from tan to dark brown.  I think a modeled brown shoe is the most versatile shoe made since it picks up all shades so well and it visually interesting.  It is also a shoe that improves with age and time, growing character and becoming more personal.

Gray suits, no matter the shade, are benefited tremendously from the brown shoes.  It brings out the richness of the suits fabric.  Enhancing the colors and adding an interesting pop of color at the waist and at the shoe.

Navy or Blue suits and brown shoes are a natural, in my opinion.  Blue and Brown go well together and the colors enhance each other well.  I think that black shoes actually take away some of the color and beauty found in a navy blue suit.  I would only suggest wearing black suits with a blue suit in only the rarest occasions when formality is mandatory.

Brown shoes even work with black.  Brown shoes and a belt pop with a black suit, highlighting the craftsmanship of both.  While I generally do not condone a black suit, this is a great technique to send focus to the shoes and belt.

Keep the brown shoes with only minor brogue work and a beautiful and sleek last (a term referring to the shoes silhouette) and they can be worn for almost any occasion with any suit.  Brown is much better than black.

Good shoppers find good deals

Priding myself on being a good shopper is not always about finding sales on items at J Crew, Ben Silver and Nordstroms, but sometimes it is about finding the right piece at a discount store. Most of the clothes at discount stores do not fit right or are out of style, but sometimes they get it just right and for a really good price. My two favorite stores to watch for deals are Target & American Eagle Outfitters. Take a look at the items I found at American Eagle, really cool stuff for great prices.

American Eagle Trench Coat - $99 - It has the same style as all the top designers for considerably less. Most of the designer Trench Coats are between $800 - $200 a coat, this one for only $100 is a great deal.

American Eagle Brown Leather Oxfords - $54 - As any faithful reader of this blog knows these are not Oxfords but instead Bluchers. But whatever you call them they are a good shoe for casual wear. They are useful for a night at the bar or any sporting event, and considering the circumstance could be great for a date or a casual Friday at work. I think the silhouette on these shoes are very cool, chunky where it counts and slender everywhere else. I of course love the patina and distressing, which will only improve with time. Not to mention the great price for shoes that have a wooden sole.

American Eagle Desert Shoes - $34 - These are exactly the same look as the desert shoes you will find made by Clarks, but a lot cheaper. We all know how important boots are this fall and these are a great deal on a classic shoe. Why pay more when you can get the same shoe for considerably less?

American Eagle Shawl Collar Sweater - $59 - I do like the sweaters at American Eagle quite a bit. This Shawl Collar sweater fits in with the current fall fashions and has a great accessory in the leather buttons. I would definitely think about adding this sweater to the collection.

American Eagle Woodsman Boots - $79 - These boots have a very similar look as the Red Wing boots made for J Crew, but are a lot less expensive. If you are buying boots because you need them to trudge through snow and rain and really test them in extreme conditions, go with the Red Wing boots, they are some of the best made. But if you are buying boots for fashion purposes, plus they are useful on a rainy day, these might be the boots for you. They are nearly $200 less expensive then the really nice Red Wing or Frye boots and they look pretty damn cool.

American Eagle Boat Shoes - $39 - Boat shoes never go out of style. The ones made by AE are very cool looking and significantly less than Sperry Topsiders. While I think everyman should eventually own a pair of Topsiders, these suede boat shoes are a great addition to the closet.
American Eagle College Cardigan - $49 - Cardigan's are great, they are versatile sweater that can be worn over a t-shirt or a button down, can be worn with a tie and slacks or jeans. This cardigan from AE has a cool accent of double stripes on the sleeve. It comes in Navy or Gray. For the price it is definitely worth picking up.