Fashion - Men's Attire

Guys. You have it so good. Women's fashion is in constant flux - which is probably why we are always a little insane. But men's fashion is constant, reliable and adaptable. You have fundamentals that can be accessorized easily. What you need to know is minimal. It just takes a little practice.

Neckties

(neckties from the 1940's, 1950's and 1960's)

(neckties from the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's and 2000's)

These are normally worn as part of regular office wear and formal wear. However, they can be worn as everyday attire. Like practically everything in fashion, styles have varied throughout the years. These days ties are slender with a ride range of colors and designs. There are also clip on ties but they should only be worn by children.


( ... ladies? )

Color:
Ties should always be darker than the dress shirt. The background color of the tie should not match the shirt. The foreground or pattern of the tie may contain the color of the shirt. Simple or subdued patterns are preferred.



Knot:
The most common are Four-in-Hand, Half-Windsor, Windsor (or Full-Windsor) and the Shelby or Pratt. Once properly done, the bottom of the tie can extend from the naval level to slightly below the waistband. The thin end should not extend below the wide end. Ascots are fun but can look a little costume-y and not appropriate for the workplace.


(The Four-in-Hand and Half-Windsor)


(The Windsor Knott and The Shelby Knott)


Shoes
The shoes you wear with a shoot should always be smart; Oxford, Derbies and slip-ons are fine. The slip-on is a modern and informal shoe that is very common these days. Black shoes are always smart for business attire. Lighter browns are fine for less formal and summer attire.


(Oxford, Derby and Slip-ons)


Up Next: Dress shirts!

Fashion - Men's Attire

Guys. You have it so good. Women's fashion is in constant flux - which is probably why we are always a little insane. But men's fashion is constant, reliable and adaptable. You have fundamentals that can be accessorized easily. What you need to know is minimal. It just takes a little practice.

Jackets

Every jacket has a lapel; there are three types of lapels:

Notched (in American English)/Step Lapel or Step Collar (in British English) - this is the standard on Single-breasted suits and is used on nearly all jackets. It's sewn to the collar at an angle, creating a "step" effect. I like it for it's solid, masculine cut.

Peaked Lapel (American English)/Double-breasted style lapel or Pointed Lapel (British English) - the most formal. It's usually featured on Double-breasted jackets. This is not my favorite lapel but it looks good on Double-breasted jackets because it's so stylized. 

Shawl Lapel, Rool Collar, or Shawl Collar - a simple continuous curve and is common on a dinner jacket (also called a tuxedo); they are rarely seen on other jackets. Most modern tuxedos have Peaked collars nowadays but the Shawl Lapel has a real sleek design. 

It's important to take notice of your suit jacket's lining. The lining, or canvas, is a layer of sturdy fabric that prevents the wool of the jacket from stretching out of shape. Floating Canvas is the most expensive; Fused (or glued) Canvas is usually found in cheaply manufactured suits, it's less soft and is less durable. All bespoke suits have Floating Canvas. Most jackets have Canvas in either the same color as the jacket or a slightly lighter shade. You can find many jackets with wildly different colors in the Canvas; the splash of color is fun and can even be sharp looking.

Lapels have buttonholes on the left, intended to hold a boutonniere. The only time you'll need to put something in that buttonhole is when you're getting married or someone you know is getting married. So, don't sweat the small stuff.

The width of the lapel has varied over the years but nowadays fashion leans back to the narrower. (For more details on various lapel widths, see the section below on Trousers.)

 

Buttons of jacket cuffs are normally decorative; bespoke suits have functional buttons. All styles of suits have three to four buttons, though a modern twist is five buttons.

Waistcoats were almost always worn with suits prior to the 1940's. They are not very common now - though they do look pretty slick.

Trousers

Also known as "slacks, they are made from the same fabric as the jacket. Trouser styles have varied over the years:

Throughout the 20's, 30's and 40's the pant leg was pretty wide. 

By the 1950's and 60's the slim leg became popular. 

And besides the slight hiccup that was the 1970's, the slim-legged trouser has remained popular.

Originally, no suit was worn with a belt, but wartime shortages on elastic contributed to their rise in popularity. Braces (or suspenders for all us Yanks!) are worn by attaching them to the outside of the waistband with buttons. Nowadays most braces are affixed by a button on the inside of the trouser. Most trousers are not cut with braces in mind and have to be altered for that.

It's easier to find a belt and most belts are sleek and fashionable. Braces are a nice, eccentric touch. You don't have to go super goofy and wear rainbow-smiley face suspenders. Plain black or darker colors are just fine.

 

Next Up: Neckties and Shoes

Fashion - Men's Attire

Guys. You have it so good. Women's fashion is always in flux - which is probably why we are always a little insane. But men's fashion is constant, reliable and adaptable. You have fundamentals that can be accessorized easily. What you need to know is minimal. It just takes a little practice.


The Suit - Man's Best Friend  

The suit is a very versatile part of a man's wardrobe; Western dress code doesn't insist on a suit for every day activity anymore but at one point in time men wore them practically each day of the week. For the most part, dress code is a fairly loose term used for workplace or special events. "Back in the day" there were varying levels of dress code, including, by rank: Court Dress, Formal, Semi-formal, and Informal. As for casual codes: Smart casual, Business casual, Leisure attire, Active attire.  

Today we will look more at casual codes, specifically Smart casual. A loose definition goes something like: Used for business purposes, church events, "night on the town" and everyday wear. When picturing a suit that falls under "smart casual", think of a blazer or sports jacket, collard shirt and dress trousers. Footwear includes loafers and dress shoes but never "sneakers" or men's sandals. Please don't wear sandals - men's toes should never be seen.

Smart casual is kind of interchangeable with Business casual since both incorporate similar articles of clothing.  An important note: both Smart and Business casual do not allow jeans. Only Dr. House can get away with that. Neither requires neckties or cuff links, but are acceptable. Hell, more than acceptable! 

It's very important to look put together; keep all your clothing clean and rumple-free and dry clean when possible.

The Suit

The simplest definition of a suit: a garment made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a coat and trouser. For the most part, you will put together trousers, jacket, dress shirt and a necktie when you wear a suit; but these items are not always sold together. When you purchase a two-piece suit you get the trousers and jacket; when you purchase a three-piece suit you get a waistcoat (or vest) included.

Three common forms of suits are:

Bespoke - a garment made by a tailor ("tailor made") out of cloth chosen by the client. The tailor will make the garment to the measurements, taste and style of the wearer. This isn't really common practice anymore since it's pretty expensive and most suits are mass produced. But if you can splurge on one really good suit, you might as well; a Bespoke can be used for most formal occasions and special situations.

 

(these images illustrate the suit as it's being made by a professional tailor)

Made to Measure - a pre-made pattern is altered to fit the client, though options and fabric are limited. While these aren't as expensive as a Bespoke, they are a little on the pricey side. However, having one or two in your closet will help boost your wardrobe considerably. 

(this image illustrates the suit being tailored by a professional)

Ready to Wear - the least expensive and most common suit. They are not of the highest quality but can be altered by a tailor to fit the wearer; alterations are always suggested if you are purchasing a Ready to Wear suit.

(this is an image of a Ready to Wear, which, as you can see is totally inferior)

No suit should be skin-tight. Instead, it should hang from the body in a flattering way. You will achieve this by choosing a flattering cut; there are a few variations (all of these are acceptable in current fashion):

Double-breasted - a conservative design with two vertical rows of buttons. Though not really considered "fussy", this is not as common among modern suit-wearers. But a Double-breasted jacket always looks sharp and impressive.

(behold!)

Single-breasted - has a single row of buttons. This is a classic design and will fit right in to any work environment. 

(a classic)

British suit - tapered sides, minimal shoulder padding and two vents (a vent is a slit in the bottom rear of the jacket; originally designed for sporting jackets, they were kept for practical reasons: they made it easier to sit down and often improve the hang of the jacket). British suits are slightly boxy and tend to look very formal.

 

(Prince Charles, remembering he's never going to be King and a few selections of British suits)

Italian suit - strongly padded shoulders, minimally tapered and no vents. These suits are usually very slender and look "modern." The trousers are slim and, occasionally, tapered. 

 

(some variations on the Italian suit - both very sexy)

American suit - much more casual. They have moderate shoulder padding, moderately tapered sides and a single vent. This is a very masculine suit; it hangs from the body in a slightly looser way than the British, which is why it's considered "casual."

 

(sort of like Wall Street, but less douche-y)

The most common fabric used in suits is wool, which can be made into a variety of yarns. Wool is often associated with bulky, warm-weather clothing but many advances have been made in making a finer fiber from wool. Traditionally, linen is used in hot weather; North American fashion is fond of seersucker. Cashmere is popular but expensive - as is silk or silk blended with wool. There is the option of synthetic materials but they are cheap and very rarely recommended - they don't feel very nice, either.

When it comes to color, conservative is always a good bet. Look to black, light grey, dark grey and navy; brown and olive are also acceptable, as are lighter shades, in summer, such as tan and cream. Black isn't recommended for day-to-day wear, but for more formal occasions and funerals.

Patterns are a great way to express yourself. Solid colors are traditional, but pin stripes are classic. Plaid is a fun pattern and herringbone is pretty slick looking.

A good rule of thumb is to try to look like Don Draper any chance you get.

 

Up next: The Jacket and Trousers