menswear – Page 7

Casual Friday: Summer Sweater

31 August, 2012

Like:

The sweater – it’s light and a bit looser than what you would want to wear under a suit but still fits well. Makes it a perfect casual sweater. The light blue is a summer color but contrasting it against the darker pants helps make this whole outfit look like a seasonably-transitional ensemble.
The pants – They’re colored but they’re not too loud. Not only does this work better with his complexion, it helps them have more of an Autumn appearance. The fact that he still has them rolled up means it’s still summer and he’s not jumping too quickly into cooler-weather wear.
The shoes – saddle shoes are the epitome of High/Low in footwear. They’re traditional and they’re dress shoes, but they’re so loud that they have to be casual. The off white color against the red means these can be worn well into fall and the red itself picks up on the red in his skin to make it look healthier.
The bracelet – The red has the same effect as the red in his shoes. It’s also there and casual but still minimal.

Fence:

The shirt – It looks good matched with this but I can’t tell much about the pattern and whether or not it would flatter him on its own.

Don’t Like:

The hair – It’s a bit boyish and needs to be longer on the top.
The beard/scruff – I like the scruff look but his is too long to be scruff and too thin to be a good beard. He should trim it down a bit.

PS. Today is the last day to get the discount on Basic Consultations. Jump on it.

Making the Transition

30 August, 2012

Was working with a client this week who said this in one of his emails

Also, dressing well isn’t an easy thing to do at first, is it? It takes balls and conviction to really get what you want and say no to things that may not be the best for your fit/personality/ even budget. Building a wardrobe SHOULD take time. In the past year, with lots of help from your blog, I’ve been able to get away from the graphic Ts, ill-fitting pants/shorts/dress shirts.

We’ve exchanged a few emails back and forth over the months and he really is making improvements. Not only he is wearing better clothing, he’s wearing it more comfortably and it’s looking more natural on him. His whole countenance has changed and the nervous smile I saw in earlier pictures has turned into a confident smirk.

Take your time, learn the rules, make mistakes, experiment – these are all masculine ways of approaching things and there’s no reason this shouldn’t apply to improving your wardrobe as well.

PS. Tomorrow’s the last day to get a Basic Consultation for only $15.

Wednesday Weigh In: Reader Submission

29 August, 2012

This is from a reader named Tom and I give him props for being willing to submit his own stuff and specifically ask for a WWI. Since this is a reader and not just a photo I found online, I’m going to institute a civility rule. I don’t care if you have legitimate criticisms to make, but do so as if he’s standing in front of you.

PS. The month is more than halfway over so take advantage of the reduced price on Basic Consultations before they go back up.

Square and Round

29 August, 2012

For some reason, I’ve had a lot of clients this week who have square jaws. I’m glad to see that much testosterone pulsing through the veins of so many (not that those of us with weaker jaws can’t be manly men too). While most men want that strong, square jaw, the downside is that it can be hard to find glasses and sunglasses that work well. Like I addressed in my post on glasses, a square jaw needs to be balanced out with some round frames. When most men think of round frames, they think of the bookish Andy Warhol and not a strong, masculine image. Here’s a great example to counter that.

Notice how he still wears them with the proper fit. They’re not too narrow or too wide, and even though they’re round, the thicker frames work with his harder features. This man doesn’t look like a hipster, or a limp-wristed whiner – just masculine.

PS. The month is more than halfway over so take advantage of the reduced price on Basic Consultations before they go back up.

Danger and Play: Part 2

28 August, 2012

In Part 1 I talked about the sartorial difference between Danger and Play. These are two elements that will contrast in a wardrobe and usually Play will dominate over Danger if you are trying to mix the two.

Today I’m going to talk about how both of these elements are used to ideally dress a man compared to a woman.

Men and women are both benefitted by appearing better through things like clothing, working out, and eating right. However, a man should seek to look better for different reasons than a woman as that improved aesthetic is designed to communicate two entirely different things.

Women dress better to be more visually appealing and more sexual. Men dress better to convey more power and demand more respect.

Think about why certain articles of clothing or things like makeup look great on a woman and are silly on a man. High heels? There’s nothing powerful or dangerous about those from a male perspective. They communicate a daintiness or even a sultriness but never a sense of power. You can’t run, hunt, or fight in a pair of heels.

Your ultimate goal in improving your wardrobe is should not be to improve your visual appeal but your visual power. That’s not to say that visual appeal doesn’t matter, just that it’s not as important as power.

For women visual appeal > visual power

For men visual power > visual appeal

Both men and women will arguably be better off with an element of both, but the priorities are different.

This corresponds with the balance between Danger and Play in that, a man who communicates Danger in his look is really communicating power. However, a masculine man who communicates Play is also communicating power.

The difference between the two is direct communication vs indirect.

We can look at it like this. A man who’s standing with a gun in your face is directly communicating power. His actions are expressly showing you the power he wields and his intentions. However, a man who unflinchingly stares back at the man with the gun in his hand is also communicating power. The only difference is that his communication is more indirect in that it is a refusal to submit to the direct communication of the first man. Both are powerful, both communicate that effectively, but both do so through different means.

Neither method of communication is good or bad. Both are effective depending on the type of man, and this same principle applies to the way men dress. This is why the preppy, Ivy-league student in his bright colors, tight fits, and outlandish cuts can still come across as masculine. If he has the right frame, his clothing will communicate that he refuses to flinch to the Danger of men around him. He can wear loud, attention-seeking clothes because he has the power to effectively handle all the extra attention his clothing will bring. It’s the indirect communication of a dare that makes a Play-based wardrobe still effective in communicating masculinity.

The key to this is having the proper frame. As noted above, women dress well primarily to increase their visual appeal. Gay men will do the same because men are more attracted to visual cues and they are wanting to attract other men through their own visual appeal. This is also why a lot of straight men are uncomfortable with the idea of dressing better. They confuse visual appeal with visual power and immediately think that dressing better equates to them looking gay. But, two men can be built the same, wear the same clothing, and communicate entirely different things through other mannerisms and their overall frame of mind. The clothing is just a tool that can be used to communicate visual appeal, visual power, or a complete lack of both.

Read Part 3

Tag: menswear