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Back to School: The Jacket

6 August, 2012

It may not seem like it now, but the weather is eventually going to get cooler and one of the best style upgrades you can make is trading in your hoodie for a decent jacket.

I’m not talking about winter coats – though you’ll eventually want one of those too. I’m talking about a jacket that you can wear when things are cool without being cold. Something that will look good at homecoming games and when you’re tailgating.

Just like I did with the post on shoe upgrades, we’ll start with the most casual option first and then work our way up from there.

Baseball Jacket

A baseball jacket is fitted on the waist and the cuffs, can button or zip, usually has a fitted collar, and traditionally had sleeves that contrasted with the body of the jacket. These are still worn by coaches and have a very distinct Americana feel to them. They’re also going to skew a lot younger so I suggest a high-school guy who wants to upgrade from a hoodie but isn’t ready for a sport coat go this route.

Barracuda Jacket

These are similar to baseball jackets but have a few small differences. Traditionally they had flaps on the pockets, they aren’t as fitted in the waist and cuffs, and they have a double-latch throat closure which also gives them a bit more of a collar. They also look a bit older and I would recommend them for someone who’s a junior in college or older. You’ll look too old if you wear one of these in high school.

Military Jacket

The roots of this style of jacket should be fairly obvious. They’re typically made of nylon and have cargo pockets. Some come with detachable hoods and others just have a collar. Anything military is going to look rugged, masculine, and High/Low so a military jacket is a great bet. No age range on these. You can get them in junior high and wear them when you’re 80.

Biker Jacket

For the well-dressed rebel, there are few things better than a form-fitting moto jacket. These fit like a glove in order to cut out any drag on when you’re on your bike and it gives them a rakish aesthetic. Obviously the price point on something like this is going to be a lot higher but it’s worth the investment – especially if you do ride a motorcycle. The best way to find a deal on these is through eBay or your local craigslist ads. You should also know that a good tailor is just as capable of altering the fit of a leather jacket as he is with something of a different material.

Navy Blazer

I’ve already covered this in one of my Staples posts. Basically, if you’re done with high school, buy one of these. You will wear it all the time and it will help you transition from looking like a boy to looking like a man better than almost any other article of clothing can.

Tweed Blazer

This is the last one on the list. Obviously a tweed jacket is going to be very seasonal. It’s Autumn and Winter only. The cool thing about this material is it looks very collegiate and it wears warmly so you can go much later into Fall without having to throw on an overcoat. If you don’t want to look like a history professor, make sure you pair it with a pair of dark, slim jeans and some good boots or any of the other casual shoes I brought up last week. Don’t be afraid to wear this thing hard as they were originally made as sportswear for when men were out in the British countryside hunting.

Yes you can still wear your hoodie to the laundromat or the grocery store. But when you’re one your way to class, the game, or out with friends throw on one of these. You’ll look better.

PS. Don’t forget I’m running a deal on Basic Consultations all month this month as a back-to-school special

Baseball Henley

6 August, 2012

A baseball shirt is something that leans a little younger but still looks on most men in college too. I’d target it to high-school guys though. It has its history in baseball and most clothing that is sports specific comes pre-qualified as masculine. That subconscious visual association between the wearer and an activity that’s consider modern and manly are why so many guys are happy to wear jerseys or even T-shirts with the logo of their favorite teams on them.

The great thing about a baseball T though is that it isn’t as in your face as a basketball jersey and it’s not as tacky as a football T-shirt. It’s an item that straddles the line between form and function very well.

It’s also a shirt that will play to your skin tone and contrast. Have blue eyes? Get one with blue sleeves. Have a very stark contrast? Buy one that’s black and white so it will draw more attention to your face.

The rules of fit follow the same fit principles as a regular T-shirt, except the sleeves will obviously come a quarter length down your forearms and overall body length will be more.

For you guys in high school I’d recommend going to your local sporting goods store and picking one or two up. If you’re wanting to wear one of these in college, I suggest picking up one like the henley version below.

Wear it deliberately like you would a T-shirt and not as a default and it will see some good, functional rotation in your wardrobe.

PS. Don’t forget I’m running a deal on Basic Consultations all month this month as a back-to-school special

Casual Friday: White and Grey

3 August, 2012

Like:

The shoes – I can’t tell if they’re bucks or boots, but they’re more dressed up than the rest of the outfit and it gives him a better High/Low look
The scoop-neck T – It’s like a V-neck but more rare and unique. I would love to be able to find these somewhere that doesn’t charge $60 for a T-shirt
The shaved head – There’s a go-to-hell attitude that comes with a man who has a full head of hair deciding to shave it. Not advisable in winter
The cardigan – Adds an extra layer and frames him like a jacket but it’s still casual because it’s only a sweater.
The coloring – A lot of neutrals but there is still some moderate contrast to work with his complexion. The shoes stand out but not enough to distract from his face.
The leather – Both the watch and the belt add some darker brown and play off each other.

Fence:

The fit – The shirt looks good in that position but will most likely be too short if he moves at all.

Don’t Like:

The jeans – Not a big fan of the washed look.

PS. Don’t forget I’m running a deal on Basic Consultations all month this month as a back-to-school special.

Shark Bookends

3 August, 2012

For all those STEM textbooks you’ll have.

PS. Don’t forget I’m running a deal on Basic Consultations all month this month as a back-to-school special.

Back to School: The Kicks

2 August, 2012

One of the most important things a man can do to up his style game is to get a decent pair of shoes and today I’m going to outline some good, casual shoe options for the young guy heading back to school. This post is going to have a lot of different options so you can find something regardless of what your personal taste is. At the same time, we’ll stick with classics within those options so you don’t look back and regret buying something too trendy Let’s start more casual and work our way up from there.

Vans

You don’t get much more classic than Vans. These things have been around forever and there are plenty of options to choose from. There’s been a revitalization with the classic styles instead of just the skate/BMX shoes they were pushing so hard a few years ago. I can recommend these for guys who are still in high school, or college men who find themselves in the most casual of situations. These are what you want to wear when everyone else rolls into class in flip-flops and sweatpants. You won’t be overdressed, but you’ll still be a step above everyone else.

Chuck Taylors

You saw the Sandlot right? These were ubiquitous in the 50’s and 60’s. They were the original athletic shoe and are still worn by style-conscious athletes today. Just like the Vans above, Chucks come in multiple colors. However, I recommend you stick with white or grey. Anything else is going to look too Hot Topic.

Jack Purcells

A bit more dressed up than the Chuck Tailors, these are the classic white sneaker that will look good on almost any guy during any time frame. They are the wayfarer’s of shoes in that they are never extremely catchy or fashionable, but they are never out of style either. Going with the all-white option is a bit prohibitive in that you really shouldn’t wear them after the weather starts to turn, but through most of the US you can wear these from March through October with no real problems. Wear them sockless with shorts while you’re getting back into the swing of things, or even with wool trousers to get the High/Low effect in class.

Chukkas/Desert Boots

This is where we start to get a bit dressier. Desert boots are acceptable wear on casual Fridays in a business environment, but they still fall into the casual side of things. Aesthetically speaking, there isn’t a shoe more autumn appropriate than a pair of chukkas. The other benefit to these is they’ll wear a lot further into winter than the other shoes on this list because they’re actual boots. Chukkas come in both suede and traditional leathers but the suede looks much more casual therefore, for anyone going back to school, I’d recommend sticking with suede.

Bucks

There are few articles of clothing that get to be High/Low in and of themselves, but bucks are one of them. These are dress shoes that look better the more beat up they are. You can go with tan, white, blue (my preference), or really any other color. The key to making these look good is to wear them like you would wear the Vans or Chucks above. Throw them on and embrace the fact that they’re going to get dirty and used. If they start to see major gunking up, just run a suede brush over them a few times and you’re good to go again.

Loafers

Loafers are the only thing on this list I won’t recommend to high-school kids. Even the saddle shoes below are affected enough that a young guy can wear them but loafers are too grown up. In fact, I’d venture to say these are for seniors and grad students only. However, if you do find yourself in that age group, loafers are awesome. They’re honestly as comfortable as a pair of slip-on Vans but you can wear them to a job fair and still look better than everyone else there. I’ve broken in my loafers so much that they’re my go-to-shoes when I’m doing things like making a run to the post office or the grocery store.

Saddle Shoes

These will be the dressiest on the list. In fact, to many of you, these wouldn’t be considered casual shoes at all. I have a pair like those pictured above except they’re white and a cream suede and I love the things. The thing about saddle shoes is that they are the epitome of High/Low. You have to have the right attitude to be able to wear these and that attitude is more difficult to attain the younger you are. I have yet to wear these without getting a couple of compliments from people I bump into. If you’re debating them, know that darker colors will stand out less and also look more casual. The lighter they are, the more you have to be able to wear them without any sense of self-consciousness. Those burgundy and grey guys above would be a perfect first pair of saddle shoes.

A quick note about the shoes listed: I am an affiliate for the companies I have referred to above. That means if you decide to click on the links and buy any of the shoes here, I get a cut of the price. Yes I would love it if you would do that. No that doesn’t mean that’s why I’ve recommended these products. I’ve chosen to work as an affiliate with companies whose products I am already familiar with and was recommending before I started getting a kick back. I own both the bucks and the saddle shoes above and am happy to recommend them because they’ve been such great shoes.

PS. Don’t forget I’m running a deal on Basic Consultations all month this month as a back-to-school special.

Author: Tanner