Peacocking

Wednesday Weigh In: Danger and Play

3 October, 2012

PS. Don’t forget to head over to my Facebook page, Like it, and leave a comment telling me who your style idol is to be entered to win either a Basic Consultation or five Style Evaluations.

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: Too Deep

24 August, 2012

Like:

The hat – Fit’s him well and the color is good with his complexion
The watch – it’s simple and the fact that it’s metal makes it more of a dress watch. Wearing it with this gives him a hint of High/Low
The facial hair – I’m not opposed to the mustache/goatee combo but this looks like it’s too-well manicured.

Fence:

The cardigan – color is good and the fact that it doesn’t have a collar or belt makes it a good casual layer. However, it looks like it might be too long
His chest – if it’s naturally clean, he’s fine. If he shaves it, it’s time to abandon the androgynous metrosexual and embrace his chest hair.
The coat – looks like a bomber – which is a very traditionally masculine coat and is great for casual wear. However, I can’t tell the fit details or anything because he’s carrying it instead of wearing it.

Don’t Like:

The V-neck – this is a perfect example of a V that is way too deep. Seriously. It’s twice as deep and open as it needs to be. A little chest is good, cleavage is not.
The pants – faux distressing and light colors are better left in the 90’s. The fit is good but this would look so much better with a pair of inky-blue jeans instead.

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

Casual Friday: Marooned

17 August, 2012

Like:

The color balance – Loud pants need a muted shirt to avoid looking clownish. Balance here is perfect.
The seasonal transition – Maroon is an Autumn color but the rest of his outfit is still very summer appropriate. One of the most difficult things about transition from Summer to Fall is the tendency to put on clothes that are too warm too quickly.
The belt – That’s a perfect walnut color.
The fit of the pants – These are neither too skinny nor too baggy. They look like he can still move in them but they follow the shape of his body.

Fence:

He has three different shades of brown between the belt, the watch, and his shoes. If they were all the same it would be too uniform for a casual look but three might be pushing it. Two would have been better.
The small collar – It comes across as more casual and dresses his shirt down, but it’s too small for his neck.

Don’t Like:

The rise – Pay attention to the visual proportions on this guy. Because he wears his pants so low and his shirt is tucked in, it makes it look like his torso is too long for his legs. This is balanced out a bit by having the pants rolled but it still looks sloppy overall.
The sleeve roll – Sleeves should be rolled past your elbows.
The button – The beach is arguably the best place to undo even a third button so the fact that he only has one undone makes this look more stuffy than it needs to.

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

Wednesday Weigh In: Chalk Stripe

15 August, 2012

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

Tag: Peacocking