J. Crew 2010 Spring Collection

J. Crew in my opinion is the one of the best brands for presenting Sprezzatura style.  Thanks to Frank Muytjens, J. Crew has created a very uniform style over the last few years.  Especially in the last year or so.  I feel that the brand represents the modern male fashion, preppy, tailored, sprezzatura, elegant, classic, cool while not being try hard.  They seem to be blazing the trail, while the other brands are trying to keep up with their brand representation.  I personally love the look and find quite a bit of inspiration in it.

Here is how J. Crew sees the 2010 Spring/Summer.

Navy Suit - The most classic suit in the classic American wardrobe, a navy suit.  This is a lighter navy, which makes it stand-out from the crowd.  It also prevents it from being misdiagnosed as a black suit.  It has a modern slim fit without looking ridiculous.  It also has the appropriate level of Sprezzatura: no socks, chambray shirt, slightly rolled cuff.  It also has the appropriate level of classic elements: rounded toe wingtips, pocket square and navy suit.  A great outfit.

This outfit looks like something worn by a Kennedy on Holiday in Cape Cod.  Classic sunglasses, Sperry Topsiders, chinos and a button-down.  A very casual cool weekend uniform.

The best part of this outfit is the tan shoes.  I prefer the shoes to be oxfords and not bluchers, but I do like the bulk of the blucher, especially for a casual outfit.  I also like the tie for this outfit is light colored and almost gets lost in the outfit.  It is very Sprezzatura to wear the tie lose with a tie bar, very cool.

Tan suede desert boots, slim straight destructed jeans and a red chambray shirt.  It doesn't get much more casual than this outfit, yet due to the color and textures it is still stylish.  This outfit is appropriate for errands on a Sunday, but can still be worn on a casual date.

This is my favorite outfit of the J. Crew collection.  This outfit would be cool in 50s or 60s or today.  The outfit is a great representation of the American style while not looking cliche or overplayed.  The green jacket with red plaid lining is a standout piece, without being over whelming.  The blue shirt, gray sweater and chinos is classic and stylish and cool.  The washed chinos make it sprezzatura and the slim lines make it modern.  Also, the outfit is much more casual with the shoes, a more formal.

Chino suits are great for the summer, so are topsiders.  The combination is classic and contradictory, a good thing for any outfit.  I would lose the bow tie though.

Nice weekender bag, it looks like his father owned it, exactly the right look.  A denim shirt and denim jeans can look horrible and the epitome of style, but due to the shoes, the Sprezzatura way the shirt is haphazardly worn and tucked in and the slim fit jeans, the outfit looks modern.

Who doesn't like a sweater with shorts?  I always love a gray undershirt, that look never gets old.  Throw on topsiders and the outfit is complete.  I would lose the ugly ass big bag though.  For the love of all that is manly, leave the purse carrying to the women.

Shawl collar cardigan fantastically classic and modern.  It is a look that never leaves the closet of the stylish but is now being added to the closet of the fashionable.  I still think you should wear it, I know Steve McQueen did.  The chambray shirt adds depth to the outfit.  Also, shorts with desert boots is the sartorial contradiction that is both modern and Sprezzatura, it is completely unexpected and appropriate.

In this photo I really dig the white blazer.  It is a look that is perfect for the Spring/Summer.  Make the blazer a shawl collar, slim fit and washed, and no one will think you just walked out of Saturday Night Fever.  I also appreciate the chino suit jacket paired with the navy suit pants, it is a nice color combination.

The blue chino slim fit pants in this picture (on the left) are great.  The color and the fit make them enormously useful.  They go with almost any color in a closet and make an outfit standout.  All that while still being classic and not standing out and making you look like a jackass.

Here is a close-up of the chambray shirt.  It is an interesting shirt a good color and has depth since it has multiple levels of blue in the fabric.  The tab color also makes it more interesting than the standard shirt.  The military green belt is also a great touch.  It is rugged and aggressive but also very stylish, especially when worn with a nice pair of chinos.

Could you add any more colors or patterns?  Probably not, but the outfit still works.  This is the ultimate Sprezzatura, it looks like he dressed himself in the dark, yet still "luckily" got it right.  This is modern fashion at its best, unexpected, daring, classic and incredibly interesting.

J. Crew inpires me.  Good job Frank Muytjens.  By the way, Frank Muytjens personal style is also quite interesting.  The shoes and purple socks are fantastic.  I love that the socks match nothing on the outfit.

Traditional Design in a Unique Fabric

While at Michael's Custom Clothiers this weekend I stumbled across a beautiful fabric made out of Worsted Wool (50%), Linen (30%) & Silk (20%).  The fabric came in a multitude of designs and colors but my favorite were the houndstooth and herringbone.  They were both tan and navy a striking combination.  Perfect for warm weather, or year around in a warm weather city like Los Angeles.

Personally, I would opt for the herringbone design to be made into a suit and the houndstooth to be made into an odd jacket.  Either option would be quite fun to be seen made into a finished piece.  The fabrics were part of a Savile Row "Island" collection.  Neither textile would be seen in on the rack made to wear clothing.  Yet another reason to get your suits & jackets made bespoke, selection.

Suit: Three kind of Vents

When looking to buy a suit, you should notice the kind of vents the suit has. The vents are often forgotten but can either help out your physique or hurt it. They are also a signal for how dressy a suit is. Don't over look the vents. The three kinds of vents are: Center Vent, Side Vents and No Vent.

Center Vent - This is the cut up the middle of the jacket. It is typically found on the more casual blazer and suits. It is a very American cut, but offers little benefit to your figure. Center vents are the most common vent, so every closet will have them. Despite the commonality, they offer no benefit to the physique of the wearer. Just make sure that when the jacket is on that the center vent is closed. An open vent means that the jacket does not fit right.

Side Vents - are found on either side of the back panel of the jacket. Side vents offer a great range of motion and typically found on more modern suits. The English prefer the side vents as they are considered more proper and formal. Side vents also benefit most men's physique. Men with extra girth should always opt for side vents as the two vertical lines in the back of the suit are slimming. Side vents also allow the back of the suit to lay flat, no matter the body type. I always try to buy my full suits with side vents.

No Vent or Ventless - Jackets with no vents provide a very slimming shape to the wearer, but limit the range of motion. The look when standing is clean and sleek. It is a formal look, often used in Tuxedos. If you don't mind the restricted movement, then a ventless jacket can help any man look slimmer, especially a hefty man. That being said, I will always opt for the side vents as the range of motion is an important factor to me.

Remember to check the vents before buying your next suit.

Day at the Ponies

A day at the race track is a perfect opportunity to wear a summer suit, linen or seersucker, a straw fedora or panama hat and country shoes (saddle shoes, bucks, etc.) or loafers.

The track is a great place to flaunt the ridiculous, yet make it seem normal. Once again, confidence is the key to pulling off a look that in the city would receive snickers and whispers. But at the track the outfit feels natural and fits into the environment just like blondes in Orange County.

I have to confess, I am in the gray hat and navy blazer (pictured). Not captured in this photo, I am also wearing tan and white seersucker slacks and a blue & white web belt.

I will be posting some more stellar outfits, as I see them. The rest of the outfits will be stellar, I am certainly not saying that mine is stellar.