Men’s Style – Page 4

Wednesday Weigh In: Danger and Play

3 October, 2012

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Casual Friday: Boots and All

28 September, 2012

Like:

The jacket. That olive-green has military roots and it makes a casual jacket like this look very masculine. And yes, you can “pop” the collar of your outerwear as it’s designed to sit up against your neck to keep you warm.
The sweater. A crew neck dresses this whole look down and gives it the right High/Low look he wants. A V-neck would still be good, but it would dress it up more.
The bag. A more streamlined or classy weekender doesn’t fit with jeans and boots. You need a canvas or nylon duffel like this.
The boots. One of the best things about fall and winter is the embrace of substantial footwear. I like keeping things slim on my feet during the warmer months, but you need some physical and visual weight on your feet in the winter.

Fence:

The colors. They’re all really good for his complexion, but he needs something with a bit more contrast. The bag helps provide that, but you don’t want to carry that around all the time to get the right contrast to keep people focused on your face instead of your clothes.
The jeans. The color is awesome and I like slimmer jeans. However, these look a bit too skinny with boots on. It helps that he has them cuffed, but if they were an inch wider in the legs they’d be perfect. That same visual weight you want in your boots in the winter also applies to your jeans and cords.

Don’t Like:

The beard. Dainty chin straps usually look too urban or too metrosexual. Neither one of those is appropriate for the rugged vibe the rest of his outfit puts off. Most white guys can’t pull off the chin strap anyway. He would look much better if he let his cheeks grow in and still kept it all trim.

PS. Have you gotten your Style Evaluation? It’s a great way to know the strengths and weaknesses of your current wardrobe.

Warm Yellow

25 September, 2012

Here’s another example of a solid fall setup.

Darker suedes definitely have an autumn vibe to them and these chocolate wingtips are a great example. Pair them with the golden-toned socks and the dark jeans and you have an example of something that is perfect for fall. It’s not heavy enough to be worn in winter and the color combinations are too warm for summer. Half of dressing appropriately this time of year is learning to balance color with material.

PS. Have you gotten your Style Evaluation? It’s a great way to know the strengths and weaknesses of your current wardrobe.

Wear Your Clothes. Don’t Be Worn by Them

24 September, 2012

If you go through my archives you’ll see a lot of pictures of men wearing unique clothing that makes them stand out. Typically I operate on the assumption that this is the goal of most my readers in dressing well. Of course, even choosing to dress well without adding in loud colors or other items designed to draw the eye will make the average man stand out. It can’t be avoided in the sea of mediocrity you find yourself swimming in whenever you’re in public. However, the risk the budding sartorialist will run by choosing to dress like he stepped off the pages off Tommy Ton is that he will be worn by his clothing, instead of being the one to wear his clothes.

The ultimate goal of dressing well is to help people see you as a man. I recommend undoing two buttons on your button-up shirts because the extra skin shown and the resulting V-shape of the collar will draw the viewer’s eye upwards toward your face. Same goes for recommending peak lapels and two-button suits on a shorter man. The general rules of men’s style all point toward that one end, and sometimes we lose sight of that by trying to out peacock each other.

Flattering cuts, simple patterns, the right colors, and activity-appropriate materials may not land you on the front page of the Sartorialist, but they will make it so your boss, your wife, your client, or your date will see you – not just your wardrobe.

PS. Have you gotten your Style Evaluation? It’s a great way to know the strengths and weaknesses of your current wardrobe.

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Casual Friday: End of Summer

21 September, 2012

Like:

The shirt. It has a subtle pattern that’s going to give it some contrast without being too crazy. He also has the right number of buttons undone.
The shoes. Suede loafers in a natural color are an awesome late-summer shoe. They’re still appropriate to wear without socks, but will transition well into fall. Natural suede is just a good color all around anyway.
The belt. There’s been a big push in the last year to return to braided belts. For the most part, they conjure up images of mid-90’s fashions of extra-long belts, baggy clothes, and awful hair. This is a great way to resurrect the braid though. It’s subtle and he uses it to cap off the look instead of it being the focal point.
The jewelry. Whether it’s politically correct or not, most black men tend to have more Danger than Play in their overall appearance. By adding the jewelry it ups the level of Play and provides some good contrast.
The beard and haircut. He keeps everything tight and modern but still has some inherent masculinity in his beard and a nod toward tradition with the part.

Fence:

The jacket. Although it’s current to have a jacket that’s smaller in its overall proportions, I think this is something we’re going to look back on and see as silly. The body of the jacket and the sleeves are too short. Everything else about it is great though. It fits him well in every aspect besides length, the material looks like a linen – which is a good contrast against jeans for a late-summer look, and the color goes well with everything else he has on.
The jeans. The color is exactly what men should be looking for when they want a pair of everyday-wear jeans. Unfortunately, it looks like they’re just a bit too small. They look tight enough in his thighs and calves that I’m betting they restrict his movement. They also would look better with only one roll. I like exposed ankle in the summer, but the extra roll paired with the smaller proportions of the jacket just make him look like a giant who couldn’t find clothes in the right size.

Don’t Like:

The bag. The concept is cool and I’m digging the wooden handles, but it’s too purse-like. Sometimes you have to be willing to abandon a cool idea because the end picture isn’t what you were hoping for.
Too much. He has a bit too much going on. Instead he should have followed the rule of removing one thing. Whether it’s rolling the pants down, getting rid of one arm’s bracelets, or ditching the pocket square, he should have gone a bit more traditional in at least one more aspect.

PS. Have you gotten your Style Evaluation? It’s a great way to know the strengths and weaknesses of your current wardrobe.

Tag: Men’s Style