Rugby Fall 2009 Collection: Video

I'm on a Rugby by Ralph Lauren kick right now.  Check out the video for the Fall 2009 collection, it is entertaining.  Especially the hot women.

I hate that the guys in the video can't throw a rugby ball in any sort of realistic way.  But what should I expect?

Also, check out the cool skull socks.  They are sold for $15 and would make any suit pop with a real sprezzatura on the ankle.

Rugby by Ralph Lauren: 2010 Spring Collection

The Rugby by Ralph Lauren Spring Collection is considerably nicer than the previous year. With the change in climate in this country designers have brought the fashions back down to earth, which is a good thing, especially for such an edgy brand like Rugby.

The outfit are different, sprezzatura and modern, yet quite wearable and realistic. This 2010 collection is inspirational, while the previous year the outfits felt try hard.

The white cable knit tennis sweater cardigan is outstanding. I have enjoyed the cable knit tennis sweater for a while, but never seen it in a cardigan. What a great twist on the classic menswear staple. It certainly modernizes the piece for a new generation to own. The ripped jeans and tie are also a great choice with a classic banker stripe shirt.

The navy suit is very classic and well tailored. The shirt makes the outfit modern. The shirt has a contrast collar which is very sharp. The collar is shorter than normal, with a vintage cut. It looks like a throw back to the 1920s, the collar is rounded at the tips and held to the neck with a collar pin. This makes for the collar staying only at the neck and not sloped on the shirt. This is quite different from the standard classic look, but has its heritage in the vintage preferences. Another modern element to the navy suit is the tan belt, which pops on the dark background of the suit. I think that the light tan belt and shoes is a must for the spring. Very Italian.

The three piece chino suit feels like something the Great Gatsby would have worn. It is well tailored and comes in a thicker cloth than most of the other cotton suits. It also has a vest on the suit, an additional not commonly seen on suits. I also think the plaid shirt is a nice way to add interest and color to the outfit. More visually appealing than a blue striped shirt would have been. I am still on the fence about the bow tie, but gut tells me to lose it.

The cut on the plaid cotton blazer is perfect. This outfit has great sprezzatura, the unbuttoned and rolled cuffs, the tie tucked into the jeans, the unbuttoned and lose tie.  I think the pattern itself is unexpected and classic.  The white buttons on the blazer are a great touch, as well.

This is my least favorite outfit from Rugby.  It is plain and ordinary, it is also ultra casual.  I never dress this casual, so I really have little feelings about it.  I also do not like the navy blazer with white contrast striping.  As I have discussed before, contrast striped blazers are over done and too try hard.

In New York

I will be traveling on business for the next week.  New York & New Jersey.  So unfortunately I will not be posting on a regular basis during that time.  Hopefully I will be able to post a couple of times, but who knows.  I will be back to regular posting by Wednesday of next week, if all goes as planned.

Before I head off to New York, I wanted to leave you with a cool tie I found the other day.  It is from Rugby.com, a Ralph Lauren brand.  It is a tweed tie and would look great this winter with a Navy suit.  It is 3 1/4 inches wide (I prefer 3", but its close) and a classic pattern that can really stand out in the right outfit.  Please do not wear it with a tweed jacket or black shoes.

Talk with you all soon.

Fall Essentials - Tweed Herringbone Jacket

My favorite odd jacket for this or any fall/winter season is a gray tweed herringbone jacket. I have had one for about 2 or 3 years now and love when the weather turns cold enough to wear it. It is the perfect jacket for jeans, chinos or accessory for your normal work slacks (black, navy or heather gray work best from a color stand point).

The jacket is sophisticated casual. It has a very English countryman heritage so it has the old elegant sophistication that comes with such a heritage. Historically this jacket would have leather elbow patches for hunters. Hence the jackets heritage is casual, due to this it is typically made only as an odd jacket. (But I would highly encourage making a slim fit tweed herringbone suit with bit 2 inch cuffs on the pants, but that is my personal style and not something everyone can pull off.)

This season stick with a beautifully tailored slim fit gray herringbone tweed. Rugby (by Ralph Lauren) has my favorite version of the jacket this season (top picture). Rugby makes a very casual, cool and aggressive version of the jacket with details like: stitched patches instead of the English style leather elbow patches, colored lining under the lapels and a hidden stitched skull and crossbones under the left lapel. Fashion is often in the subtle details and Rugby nailed it with this version of the jacket ($350 or so).

Theory & JCrew both have more traditional but modern versions of the jacket, so you will not have to worry about looking like your Grandpa, but you can still look hip on your date (JCrew & Theory pictured above: JCrew has the tie). Uniqlo also has a version of the jacket that will be coming out in the next month or so, this might be the best financial option as long as you live in New York or have a friend in New York who can ship it to you (Uniqlo only has one store in the US, in New York, and they don't take online orders).

Rock the tweed herringbone as one of your go-to-jackets, this fall. Leave the leather jacket at home and instead rock the herringbone, it will keep you just as warm and you will have classic and sophisticated alternative to leather. The ladies & the fashionably aware men will appreciate your sartorial decision.