A Southern Gentleman

Fail

2011-09-30T16:57:00.000-04:00

Dimple Clip

Ralph Lauren

2011-09-29T23:44:00.000-04:00

Mannequins at the Ralph Lauren Factory Outlet in Hilton Head, South Carolina

Brooks Brothers

2011-09-22T12:18:00.000-04:00

Fall Jacket Combinations

2011-09-13T16:42:00.000-04:00

At Ralph Lauren

2011-09-06T07:28:00.002-04:00

Mad Men Collection at Banana Republic

2011-09-04T23:55:00.000-04:00

Banana Republic

2011-07-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

More Jacket Combinations

2011-06-12T11:32:00.000-04:00

Ralph Lauren

2011-06-07T00:15:00.001-04:00

Earth Tones

2011-06-04T21:21:00.002-04:00

Crittenden

2011-06-03T15:34:00.000-04:00

More from Ralph Lauren

2011-06-01T16:47:00.002-04:00

Jacket Combinations

2011-05-31T21:46:00.000-04:00

I bought a new Samuelsohn odd jacket today. While considering the purchase I experimented with some different shirt and tie combinations. I thought it would be interesting to show how you can pair a classic jacket with basic gray trousers and then produce a variety of different looks by merely changing the shirt and tie. I like some of the combinations better than others, but I think the photographs illustrate the point.

J. Crew

2011-05-24T23:42:00.002-04:00

J. Crew

2011-05-23T07:24:00.000-04:00

This wrinkled, sloppy look at J. Crew includes khaki pants, plaid shirt, blue cardigan and a messenger bag.

Polo

2011-05-22T12:26:00.000-04:00

White cotton pants, black braided belt and blue & white windowpane polo.

Snazzy Kid

2011-05-19T22:36:00.000-04:00

This is a cute look for the well-dressed child in your life. Narrow blue and white pinstripe dress shirt, black tie with white skull and crossbones, and a gray cardigan.

Another Outfit from Ralph Lauren

2011-05-18T14:14:00.000-04:00

Here is another mannequin from Ralph Lauren. The mannequin is dressed in plaid shorts, a blue contrast-collar dress shirt, navy tie and tan cardigan sweater.

Linen Suit

2011-05-14T16:39:00.000-04:00

This mannequin, from a local Belk department store, is dressed in a natural-colored linen suit, a turquoise-blue dress shirt and pink striped bow tie. It's a very Southern Preppy outfit.

Casual Outfit

2011-05-08T08:32:00.002-04:00

I found this mannequin in a local Belk department store. The mannequin is dressed in a pink-check slim-fit non-iron shirt from Ralph Lauren. I liked the fit so much I bought six in a variety of colors and patterns. The outfit also includes a tan linen jacket, dark blue jeans, a dark brown belt, aviator-style sunglasses and a Fossil messenger bag.

Ralph Lauren Outfits

2011-05-07T14:38:00.000-04:00

These are mannequins from a Ralph Lauren outlet store in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The outfit up front includes a coral-colored silk sweater over a blue and white striped shirt and madras tie. The pants are white with a red, white and blue ribbon belt. The mannequin in back sports madras pants, a white shirt and blue blazer.

Reader Question

2011-05-06T00:09:00.000-04:00

Why did you quit writing?

I didn't.

Okay, I've been pretty slack lately about putting up any posts here at ASG. Most of my creative energy has been focused into my weekly column at Men's Flair. It has been suggested that I publish those same articles here at ASG (as I have done with a handful of those articles in the past). I'll probably get around to that at some point. Nevertheless, I've decided to do better about posting unique content here at ASG. Lately I've been snapping photographs of interesting outfits on store mannequins. I find that they provide good sartorial inspiration. So, at the least, I plan to occasionally post those pictures. In the meantime, please follow my column at Men's Flair.

Mister Crew

2011-05-05T23:48:00.000-04:00

I discovered a quite interesting blog yesterday called Mister Crew. It is advertised as "a collection of things on men's clothing and culture."

I think one of the most useful aspects of the blog are scans from Japanese style magazines, notably Men's Ex. Although the pages are in Japanese, the photographs and illustrations are very informative. The images remind me of the old Esquire illustrations that showed you how to combine jackets, pants, shirts, ties and other accessories into a cohesive outfit. One memorable scanned page from Men's Ex on the Mister Crew blog shows six different outfits, from casual to business attire, built off of one navy blazer.

Anyway, the Mister Crew blog provides a lot of useful information; it will be added to my favorites.

Gentleman's Gazette

2011-02-06T17:13:00.000-05:00

I have discovered another excellent classic style blog called Gentleman's Gazette. The blog is described as "an award winning online magazine for men who are interested in elegant clothing, accessories, style & savoir vivre in general." Check it out.

The History of the Weejun

2010-10-07T09:39:00.000-04:00

Maine’s G.H. Bass & Co. introduced the Bass Weejun in 1936. The name Weejun is a derivation of Norwegian; the loafer was inspired by moccasins made by Norwegian fishermen in their off-season. The moccasins were discovered after World War I by American and European travelers, and then promoted by Esquire magazine. The most distinctive addition made by Bass was a strip of leather with the now-famous diamond-shaped cutout.

In the 1950s this style of loafer became a staple of the Ivy League style of men’s dress that developed on college campuses. The Weejun was dubbed the “penny loafer” when those students made a fashion statement by placing pennies in the diamond-shaped cutout. Since then they have been worn by the likes of John F. Kennedy, James Dean and Michael Jackson. They are still popular with those who favor the “American Trad” style of dress.

The classic Weejun penny loafer is still available today. Bass has also recently released an updated version of the Weejun called the Dover. According to the Bass website, it is a derivative of the original with a “slimmer profile and modern lines.”

Don't Ruin Your Silhouette

2010-08-07T07:48:00.000-04:00

As recently published on Men's Flair:

A silhouette is the outline of a solid object. When applied to male attire it refers to the (hopefully pleasing) outward appearance of a man’s clothed shape. Michael Anton, writing under the pseudonym Nicholas Antongiavanni, very artfully stated in The Suit that “the virtue of tailored clothing is that it improves a man’s rudimentary shape.” Unfortunately many men seem to consistently and unwittingly sabotage the tailor’s effort to create a pleasing silhouette.

The habit of walking around with an unbuttoned jacket is a quite common sartorial sin. An unbuttoned tailored jacket hangs open like a limp dishtowel. Jackets are tailored to accentuate the narrowness of a man’s waist and then flare out at the hips. The button set near the natural waist holds the jacket closed at this narrowest point. To ensure proper drape and a pleasing silhouette one should always, when standing, fasten the top button of a two-button jacket, or the middle button of a three-button jacket.

Many men seem compelled to fill their trouser pockets full of all sorts of paraphernalia. Common lumpy masses include lighters, knives, huge wads of keys and fat wallets stuffed with three-year-old receipts and expired credit cards. Trousers should hang without any lumps or ripples; filling trouser pockets with all of this kit ruins their elongating line.

I hold a special dislike for those clunky, awful belt-worn cell phone holsters. Unless your name is Bruce Wayne, please don’t wear junk hanging from your belt.

So what to do with all of these trappings? The first thing is to pare them down. Clean out your wallet. How many credit cards do you really need to carry in your pocket? Are you really going to use that coupon for a free round of miniature golf? Get rid of the key to that car you sold last year. Do you really visit the safe deposit box often enough that you need to carry the key with you every day?

Once you have separated the wheat from the chaff, you need to decide how to covertly carry the necessities. You might invest in a nice coat wallet (see Andrew Williams’ recent profile of Ettinger of London) and keep it in an inside jacket pocket. I carry a slim iPhone in one inside jacket pocket and three keys (office, home and car) in an outside jacket pocket; these items are completely unobtrusive. If you must carry more than a few bare essentials then put them in a nice leather briefcase. I’m saving my pennies for a Swaine Adeney Brigg document case…

Warby Parker Interview

2010-08-06T17:12:00.000-04:00

As recently published on Men's Flair:

I recently had the opportunity to interview Neil Blumenthal, one of the founders of Warby Parker.

Andrew Hodges: By offering low-cost boutique-quality glasses directly to consumers, Warby Parker has created a unique niche in the eyewear industry. What led to this idea for a new kind of eyewear company?

Neil Blumenthal: Andy, Dave, Jeff and I were tired of paying $400+ for new glasses every time we scratched a lens or misplaced a pair. Andy had the great idea to sell glasses online, which enabled us to bypass the middlemen (the optical shops and large licensing companies) that charge outrageous amounts for frames and lenses. And, I had experience designing and manufacturing frames from my days at VisionSpring, a non-profit social enterprise that distributes eyeglasses to people in need throughout the world. We set out to transform the optical industry by providing the vintage-inspired, boutique-quality frames we love, at a revolutionary price point.

Hodges: What was the inspiration for the designs in the current Warby Parker eyewear collection?

Blumenthal: All four of us have been lifelong glasses wearers with an eye toward larger, classic shapes and vintage frames. Our first collection is inspired by our lives as recent students at The Wharton School and our time as New Yorkers. The brand is both classically Ivy League and urban hip. Many of the frames are named after literary figures, including the Huxley (Aldous Leonard Huxley) and the Roark (protagonist in the Fountainhead). The name “Warby Parker” actually comes from two characters found in Jack Kerouac’s unpublished journals, Warby Pepper and Zagg Parker.

Hodges: Some potential customers have expressed frustration about delays because of the short supply of frames. Were you surprised by the level of demand, and has the company taken measures to address the supply issue?

Blumenthal: We thought our idea would resonate with our friends, but we had no idea that it would resonate with so many people so quickly. While it was exciting that so many people from all of the country and world were interested in our eyewear, we felt terrible that we couldn’t provide everyone with glasses right away. The four of us would literally stay up all night writing emails to apologize to customers. Thankfully, we’ve now been able to produce additional frames and we are almost through the waitlist that grew during the weeks that we sold out of frames. We’ve now tripled the team’s size and are working hard to quickly produce as many frames as possible.

Hodges: Does Warby Parker have any immediate plans to broaden its collection? Should we expect any new designs or a wider range of sizes?

Blumenthal: Yes, we’re currently designing some great new frames in different colors and sizes. Our new collection will be available in October.

Hodges: Many Men’s Flair readers live overseas. Has the company considered making eyeglasses available for orders and shipping outside the United States?

Blumenthal: Absolutely! We’re working on it as we speak.

A Fine Line

2010-08-04T21:29:00.000-04:00

An article of mine recently published on Men's Flair:

As the current readers of my blog, A Southern Gentleman, already know, and as my new readers here on Men's Flair may soon discover, I am a proponent of classic men’s style. One may trace the roots of most of the best elements of male attire to the first half of the 20th Century, sometimes referred to as “The Golden Age of Style.” I do not mean to romanticize that era or suggest that it represents some utopia of male sartorial splendor. But it is an inescapable truth that, as a general rule, our ancestors dressed more stylishly than we do today.

When incorporating these elements of classic style into one’s daily wardrobe, I believe there is a fine line between dressing with style and merely becoming a caricature of an era. For example, a safari jacket, if woven properly into a summer wardrobe (a vintage Esquire illustration comes to mind), can add a classically stylish element to a man’s attire. One who instead pairs the safari jacket with a pith helmet and gurkha shorts risks being mistaken for an extra from Hatari! or a WWII military reenactor who took a wrong turn somewhere in North Africa.

A couple of years ago I picked up a handful of issues of a new magazine called Classic Style. The name of the magazine was promising, but unfortunately much of the content crossed that line into retro caricature. I recall one advertisement for a leather belt-worn cell phone holster (that’s a rant for another day). The model pictured in the advertisement was dressed in a gray double-breasted suit with high-waisted pleated trousers, a loud geometric-patterned vintage tie with a silver tie bar, a Panama hat and spectator shoes (apparently making spats unnecessary to complete the look). Individually, many of the elements of the model’s attire were quite stylish. Panama hats, spectator shoes and tie bars are all classics. But taken as a whole, the look was fatuous and outdated.

I encourage everyone to incorporate, in moderate doses, elements of classic style into their daily wardrobe, and to aspire to dress better than the t-shirt and flip-flop clad masses. But beware of looking like you just stepped out of a Wellsian time machine. It’s a fine line.

My Impressions of Boston

2010-07-29T00:19:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago my wife and I spent a long weekend in Boston; it was our first visit to that historic city. We stayed at the Omni Parker House, the home of the Parker House roll and Boston cream pie. Interestingly, JFK proposed to Jackie in the hotel restaurant, and Ho Chi Mihn was once a pastry chef in its kitchen.

I traveled to Boston with the preconceived notion that the city was filled with gentleman's shops. I was hoping to find shops filled with leather and wood, wool and cigar smoke. I was sorely disappointed. The hottest shopping spot is Newbury Street where one finds Burberry, Armani, and other similar high-end, high-priced fashion shops. The most interesting store I found was J. Press in Cambridge, but I even left there empty-handed.

Between trips to the local taverns for beer and the World Cup, I did a lot of people watching. I was surprised to discover that the population is largely composed of young, fit individuals; maybe I've grown too used to Southern obesity.

The standard male uniform appeared to be dark, flat-front trousers, a black belt with modern silver buckle, black shoes and a blue striped or checked button-down shirt (sans jacket or tie). Even in the downtown area I rarely saw a man wearing a tie.

I was more perplexed by the attire of the young women in Boston. I saw countless attractive women wearing blouses with a low scallop in the back that completely revealed the back of their bra, including the straps and the fastener. It reminded me of the thugs that wander around with sagging pants and exposed boxers. I'm no expert on women's clothing so I'm not sure what advice I would give those young women. Is it too risqué to wear those blouses without a bra? Maybe. But in my mind underwear should go under ones' clothing.

Notwithstanding its lack of sartorial splendor, I found Boston to be safe, interesting and historical.

Reader Question: Tie Cleaning

2010-07-13T22:22:00.000-04:00

Where should one send a tie to be professionally cleaned?

Although I have never used their service, it appears from a search of the online style forums that Tiecrafters is the consensus favorite. Their tie cleaning service is $10.50 per tie, with a four tie minimum.

By no means should you take a tie to your local dry cleaner. Your neighborhood cleaner is probably clueless about how to properly clean a tie. They would likely press the tie, causing the rolled edges to be cruelly flattened and possibily even damaging the silk.

Men's Flair

2010-07-12T17:13:00.000-04:00

Men's Flair has flattered me with an offer to become a weekly contributor to their online style magazine. I will be joining several other columnists including one of my favorite bloggers, Simon Crompton, who writes at Permanent Style. My first column should appear in the next day or two.

Warby Parker Review

2010-07-05T15:06:00.000-04:00

This weekend I finally got my hands on some Warby Parker eyeglass frames. As part of their free home try-on service, Warby Parker shipped me five frames of my choice. I ordered the Miles (pictured), Fillmore, Zagg (in two colors) and the Langston. They arrived second-day air packaged in a nice black box with "Warby Parker" embroidered in gray on the top. After examining the frames, I find myself quite impressed with the styling, quality and price (only $95).

Unfortunately I was disappointed by the fit. I tried on the Fillmore frames first and was shocked at how narrow they were between the temples. I found the Zagg and Miles to be equally narrow. The Langston was better, but even the temples of that pair splayed apart slightly. I looked back at the Warby Parker website to see if I had somewhere missed a sizing selection. I then discovered that most of the frames are listed as "Width: Medium." A very few, like the Langston, are listed as "Width: Wide." I have a relatively large head (my hat size is 7 3/8), but it's not a watermelon. Yet even the widest available frames (of which the selection is small) are too small for my face. This is somewhat surprising to me; I had assumed that these big, chunky-styled glasses would also be proportionally larger in size. I was mistaken. Hopefully if Warby Parker continues to enjoy success they will decide to offer some of their great styles in a variety of sizes.

If you have narrow or slight features then I would heartily recommend a pair of Warby Parker eyeglasses. Nowhere will you find comparable style and quality for the money. If you have a big head like me I guess, at least for now, you will have to look elsewhere.

Warby Parker Update

2010-06-29T20:20:00.000-04:00

My name finally rose to the top of the Warby Parker home try-on waiting list. I received an email today notifying me that I was now eligible to order up to five pair of glasses. I have placed my order and hope to have some frames within five business days. Stay tuned for a full review.

My Diaper is Full ... of Fashion

2010-06-28T20:37:00.000-04:00

Jeans have always been a Mommy fashion must-have, but now it's time for their little ones to steal the style. HUGGIES gets fashion forward with new denim diaper design to help your baby stay trendy while keeping dry.

Seriously? Are these for the fashion forward Mommy who is too lazy to put pants on her child? I recommend that Mommy pair these with an "all daddy wanted was a blowjob" t-shirt. Then she can send her trendy baby out to play in traffic.

A Stylish Movie: Bugsy

2010-06-27T21:40:00.003-04:00

Set in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Bugsy (1991) tells the story of New York mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel who comes up with a scheme to build a lavish casino in the Nevada desert. The film's star-studded cast includes Warren Beatty (as Siegel), Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley and Elliott Gould. Although the film has been criticised for being factually and historically innaccurate, it won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. Bugsy is replete with double-breasted suits, fedoras, pocket squares and boutonnieres. Even better is Beatty's casual attire of bold odd jackets, button-down shirts, and cravats. For sartorial inspiration I recommend Bugsy.

Vintage Family Photo Contest

2010-06-24T23:46:00.000-04:00

The first photograph is my father, William Clay McGehee, on board the USS Cumberland Sound, somewhere in the Pacific, Spring 1945. The second photo was taken upon his promotion to the rank of Commander.

This photo is of W. Oldemar Blum and was taken in a Russian concentration camp for Latvians, possibly Salaspils. I have always been fascinated by the contrast between the happy, smiling faces and nice clean clothes compared to where they are and what they would soon be facing. This photo was the last anyone in the family ever heard of W. Oldemar Blum and his family.

Garden & Gun: Soul of the New South

2010-06-11T23:51:00.000-04:00

I recently discovered, in a stack of periodicals at the gym, a wonderful magazine called Garden & Gun. I subscribed and received this week my first issue of the bi-monthly magazine. The Charleston-based magazine targets affluent Southerners interested in outdoor and sporting culture, food, music, art and literature. For example, the June/July 2010 issue includes articles on hunting dog art, heritage livestock, a wooden boat craftsman, and a great recipe for fried green tomatoes. The magazine is printed on heavy stock and is full of beautiful photographs. If you are interested in Southern tradition and heritage you should definitely pick up a copy of Garden & Gun.

Newsboy Cap

2010-06-04T07:28:00.000-04:00

The newsboy cap (also known as an Apple cap or Gatsby cap) is a brimmed casual cap made of eight fabric panels that converge at a buttoned top. As the name suggests, the caps are widely associated with newsboys of the early 20th Century. Newsboy caps provide a stylish alternative to the ubiquitous baseball cap.

I recently purchased an excellent green linen newsboy cap from Brett Stiles at the B! Wear Cap Co. in Mariposa, CA. I am impressed with the quality of the cap. It is made from a coarse, open-weaved linen that makes the cap breathable and light as a feather (the B! Wear caps are available in a wide variety of fabrics including wool, leather, cashmere, and linen). The lining is a silky blue material and the hat band is of light brown suede. One nice feature is a wire that runs through the bill that allows you to shape it as you may desire. I was also impressed with the reasonable price, the prompt delivery, and the friendly customer service (the cap arrived with a nice handwritten note). B! Wear has similarly received rave reviews from members of The Fedora Lounge, an online forum dedicated to classic style.

If you are in need of a casual hat, consider the newsboy cap. And consider B! Wear as a good source.

Warby Parker Update

2010-05-25T12:12:00.000-04:00

Back in March I discussed my plan to try on some new eyeglass frames from Warby Parker. I received an email update yesterday stating that "the response to our new organization was far greater than we could have imagined. We have been working as quickly as possible to craft more frames. Several thousand new frames are finally complete and are ready to be sent out to be tried on at home. We are just now starting to fulfill home try on orders, but the waitlist has grown so long that we won't be able to provide glasses to everyone on the waitlist within the next week or two. ... You should receive an email from us as soon as possible letting you know when you can log on and order some frames to try on at home for free."

So anyway, I'll review the frames when I get my hands on a pair. Hopefully more on this topic later.

Porkpie

2010-05-24T19:51:00.000-04:00

A pork pie is a traditional British meat pie made from seasoned pork filling and jelly encased in a pastry crust. The porkpie hat is so called because of the resemblance of its crown to a pork pie. The hat was famously worn by the silent film comedian Buster Keaton, and more recently by Gene Hackman's character Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle in The French Connection (1971). Pork pie hats are now most often associated with blues and jazz musicians.

A Milestone

2010-05-19T22:46:00.000-04:00

A Southern Gentleman received its 5000th visitor today. Thank you to everyone who follows my ramblings. Keep in mind that if you want to follow A Southern Gentleman on Facebook you may click on the fan box in the sidebar. You may similarly wish to subscribe to the blog. Feel free to share entries with friends via email using the envelope icon below each post. Please direct your questions to the email address listed in the sidebar; I'm always looking for new ideas to discuss. I would encourage participation in the Vintage Family Photo Contest that I announced a couple of weeks ago. Finally, thanks again to you, the reader.

Vintage Photo Contest

2010-05-16T21:17:00.000-04:00

Here are the first submissions to the vintage family photography contest:

These are photographs of my maternal grandparents, Clarice and Ottie Willich. The photograph of them together is from their wedding day on May 28, 1937, in Horton, Kansas. At the time he was 25 and she was 23. The other picture was taken in 1958 when my grandfather was on a guided hunt in Kenya.

Reader Question

2010-05-09T19:36:00.000-04:00

What does it mean if a suit jacket is fused?

Suit coats have a layer of cloth between the outer fabric and the inner silk lining that helps give the jacket its shape. On higher quality jackets this layer of cloth is a floating canvas shell made of horsehair combined with other materials. On lower quality jackets the canvas is replaced with much cheaper fusing. Fusing is a synthetic material that essentially turns to glue when heated. Because the fabric is glued together the jacket will not drape as elegantly as one with a canvas shell. A bigger problem with fusing is the potentially disastrous effect of dry cleaning on the jacket. If you have ever seen someone wearing a jacket where the fabric looked "bubbled," then you have witnessed the unwelcome result of dry cleaning on a fused coat.

Why Wear an Ascot?

2010-05-08T00:03:00.000-04:00

Recently, on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart made fun of CNN's Roland Martin for wearing an ascot on national television. I appreciate Roland Martin's impassioned response:

Jon Stewart asked, "Why? Why wear an ascot on national television?" Because this country is going to hell in a hand basket. We're lost. We've succumbed to the insane desires of this new generation that is devoid of the common purpose of Americans. ... Why an ascot? Because I want my America back. I want to reclaim the soul and the style that made us the greatest country on Earth. We have abandoned the stylistic principles of the founding fathers and their wigs and tophats, and their ruffled tops, for the god-awful look of flip flops and t-shirts and baggy pants and sweats. Jackie O. took us to new heights. Now we have the fashion sense of James Carville. Look, I want to help restore the values of America. ... I want us to be great again. I want an ascot for every god-fearing boy and man. And it's time that we reclaim our history. ... It is time that we return to our roots as a leader in fashion. Join me in this fight and accept this call to arms and may we all rediscover what it means to be an American.

Preach on Roland Martin. Can I get an "amen" from the congregation?

Amen.

Vintage Photo Contest

2010-05-07T16:42:00.000-04:00

The early part of the Twentieth Century is sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of Style. It is a sad reality that our recent ancestors exhibited a higher degree of style and deportment than we do today. To illustrate my point, consider the men pictured in the Depression-era photograph above. Those unemployed men, who are waiting in line for free food, are wearing suits, vests, overcoats and hats. Imagine how people might be attired if a similar line formed today.

To further illustrate the point, I have decided to host a vintage photo contest. I am asking that you, the reader, submit classy family photographs from the Golden Age of Style. Let's see those three-piece suits, fedoras, pinned collars, tie bars and flapper dresses. With your help I anticipate we may all see some dapper men and beautiful women, and maybe even gain some sartorial inspiration. You may send your photographs to the blog email address listed in the sidebar. Please also feel free to share a few details about the individuals, circumstances or settings depicted in your family photographs.

As an incentive for your participation, the winner (as voted on by my readers) for the best family photo from the Golden Age of Style will receive a copy of Alan Flusser's newly updated Style & the Man that will be available on shelves May 11.

F. M. Allen

2010-05-02T20:01:00.000-04:00

I received an interesting catalog in the mail this weekend from F. M. Allen. Their offerings appear to be rugged, yet sophisticated, and inspired by outdoor pursuits. I especially like the details (such as the bi-swing, half-belted back) of the pictured brown linen sport coat.

This is the F. M. Allen story as told on their website:

Frank Maurice Allen was born 17 April 1906 in Upton Cum Chumley, Buckinghamshire, England. The son of Sibyl Cooper and Robert Charles Allen, he spent much of his youth hunting in Windsor Forest near his grandfather’s farm.

Allen had no formal training in the field, but was a natural. His early success trapping rabbits earned him the nickname “Bunny” from a gypsy hunter named Piramas Berners, and that endearment stuck with him the rest of his life. Allen continued to hone his skills as an outdoorsman and eventually followed his two brothers to Kenya in 1927.

Following military service during World War II, Allen established himself as a professional safari guide. He would become one of the last great gentleman hunters of Africa, leading safaris for everyone from the Prince of Wales to Mick Jagger. Allen finally retired in 1996 at the age of 90, and passed away in 2002. He led a thrilling life of abounding passion and excitement.

It was his unquenchable sense of adventure, his taste for the fine life and, most importantly, his sensitivity to the people and the places of his time that made him a larger-than-life gentleman guide. Though Allen spent the majority of his life in Africa, he was first and foremost an Englishman. Today, it is that English inspiration and his rugged yet refined spirit and distinguished taste level that serves as our guide as we scour the globe to bring you the very best in gentleman’s sportswear, accessories, and items of uniqueness.

Each F.M. ALLEN product available in our catalog, website and retail stores has been designed with the spirit of the modern gentleman in mind. We’ve taken the very best of classic design and construction and, when called for, blended in a touch of contemporary advancement. The items are crafted by artisans in places like the England, the United States, Scotland, Ireland, and Italy-- places where artistry, workmanship, and attention to the most minute of detail is very much alive and well.

The American Idol Pocket Square Incident

2010-04-21T12:27:00.001-04:00

Last night on American Idol Crystal Bowersox became emotional while singing a lovely version of "People Get Ready." During the post-song interview she attempted to pluck the handkerchief from Ryan Seacrest's breast pocket, but quickly discovered that the pocket square would not budge. Seacrest then said, "actually I think it's taped," while physically jerking the immobilized hank from his pocket. Bowersox then used the dislodged pocket square to dab the tears from her eyes.

Two comments. Don't tape your pocket square into your breast pocket. Just don't. And a properly prepared gentleman will have two handkerchiefs; one goes in his breast pocket for display, and the other in his back pocket for a delicate lady's tears. Or as the old adage goes, "one for showin' and one for blowin'."

Tom James Blazer

2010-04-20T18:19:00.000-04:00

Tom James finally got my pants sorted out and offered me a twenty-percent discount on a blazer for my trouble so I met today with my tailor to pin down the details. I elected to go with a warm-weather version in navy hopsack with a navy lining. I specified that the jacket should be double-breasted in a 4-on-2 buttoning stance. I chose quite plain antique silver buttons. The sleeves will have functioning button holes. The blazer will sport peak lapels, side vents and patch pockets.

Nicholas Antongiavanni in The Suit notes that "the classic blazer is double-breasted, with four instead of six buttons (arranged like a square, so that two can actually button), side vents, and patch pockets, to reflect its naval origins. ... It's shade should be a little lighter than suiting navy, and its weave a little more textured." He also advises that a true blazer should have simple metal buttons in brass, silver or gold. The jacket that I have ordered is in keeping with this classic style.

Antongiavanni warns against the "ubiquitous worsted, two-button, center-vented version; for since odd jackets afford you the chance to wear many stylish details that cannot be worn on suits, it is not reasonable to forgo these in favor of one that looks all but identical to a run-of-the-mill suit jacket." The problem with buying an off-the-rack navy "blazer" is that the vast majority you will find are of this common and vulgar variety. My Tom James tailor commented to me today that what I ordered was both classically stylish and commercially unavailable. It is unsettling and disturbing to me that the mainstream offerings in menswear stores are so bland and tasteless. It makes absolutely no sense to me that the most classically-styled odd jackets, like the double-breasted navy blazer, are unavailable to the masses. Unfortunately, the only alternative is to do what I did today and have one made.

The jacket should be here in about six weeks for a first fitting and I will post an update and some pictures at that time.

Tailor Store Polos

2010-04-16T16:16:00.000-04:00

Three new polo shirts in spring colors arrived in the mail yesterday from The Tailor Store. This is my second order; on both ocassions I have been quite pleased with their product. The only downside is the long wait on shipping from Sweden. But if you are not in a hurry, it's hard to beat a made-to-measure polo for only thirty dollars.

Ponte Rialto Boater

2010-04-11T10:21:00.000-04:00

My new (to me) vintage straw boater arrived in the post last week and I am just now getting around to sharing some photos. As seen in the photograph to the right, the hat has "Ponte Rialto VENICE" printed on the inside lining. The Rialto Bridge (Ponte di Rialto in Italian) is the oldest of four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. On the black leather hat band is printed, in gilt, "Made in Italy." Interestingly, I found for sale online an identical Ponte Rialto straw boater among a group of Bing Crosby collectibles. The description for that sale indicated that the hat was manufactured in the 1940s, but I cannot independently confirm that assertion. Regardless, it is a well made straw hat that I will enjoy wearing this summer.

Stylish Television: Mad Men

2010-04-10T00:24:00.000-04:00

I know I am way behind on the times, but on the recommendation of a friend I just finished watching the first episode of Mad Men. For the uninitiated, Mad Men is an award-winning AMC television series about a fictional 1960s New York City advertising agency. The show completed its third season this past November.

After watching the first episode, I am in stylistic sensory overload! Not only are the props and attitudes (think gender bias and workplace smoking) historically accurate, but the clothes are amazing. In just the first episode I spotted three-piece suits, pinned collars, white linen pocket squares, cufflinks, fountain pens, fedoras, tie bars, an office drawer full of folded white dress shirts, and a great slim-cut single-breasted tan rain coat. Oh that we should all aspire to dress like mad men! I'm hooked!

I wonder if I could get away with having a crystal decanter of rye whiskey on the credenza in my office ......

Straw Boater

2010-04-04T15:23:00.000-04:00

As the weather grows warmer here in the South, my thoughts turn to summer headgear. The Panama hat may be a classic, and more prevalent, choice for protection from the sun's rays; however, I prefer the straw boater.

The boater, also known as a skimmer, is a stiff straw hat with a flat crown and brim. It is typically adorned with a colored ribbon tied around the crown. The boater has its origins in the sennit straw hats issued to midshipmen in the Royal Navy near the end of the nineteenth century. Those sailors would also have worn short blue jackets with brass buttons; therefore, the boater is quite properly worn alongside a blue blazer with gilt buttons. Because the boater is a fairly formal hat, it may also be correctly worn with a lounge suit.

The boater saw its heyday in the early twentieth century when it became a popular form of warm weather headware for the upper middle class. It was also popularized on the silver screen by the likes of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. A surprising number of these vintage boaters remain available on the market today. The quality of these original boaters seems, for the most part, to exceed that of the few that are still produced today. In preparation for the hot weather ahead, I recently ordered my own vintage Italian boater from an online purveyor of antiquarian fashions. I will post pictures when the hat arrives.

Reader Question

2010-03-31T19:19:00.000-04:00

Can you recommend an online resource for affordable pocket squares?

Pocket handkerchiefs are widely available online in the twelve to thirty-five dollar range from suppliers like The Tie Bar, Southern Proper, Howard Yount, Kent Wang and Sam Hober. Pricer squares may be found at Ben Silver, Paul Stuart and Mariano Rubinacci.

Russell Moccasin

2010-03-26T22:27:00.000-04:00

My favorite pair of casual boots are the pictured Chukka Hikers that I had custom made a few years ago by the Russell Moccasin Company. The company has been hand crafting hunting-inspired boots in Berlin, Wisconsin, for over one hundred years. They offer a wide variety of moccasin-style boots and shoes in an array of different leathers and finishes along with many custom options. They can even craft boots and shoes out of your own game hides.

To order a pair of custom boots or shoes from the Russell Moccasin Company, you must provide careful tracings of your feet along with ten different measurements of each foot. Deatiled instructions are provided on their website and in their print catalog. Once you submit your tracings and measurements, they keep them on file for ten years so that you may easily order additional pairs of footware.

My feet are wide at the ball, but narrow at the heel. Because of this oddity I often find off-the-rack shoes to be uncomfortable. Because my Russell Moccasin Chukka Hikers were made to the shape of my foot, fit and comfort are not an issue. And that is the beauty of custom-made footware.

A Stylish Movie: The Thomas Crown Affair

2010-03-21T09:59:00.000-04:00

Widely hailed as one of the most stylish movies of all time, The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) stars Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway. McQueen is a bank executive who orchestrates a bank heist and then plays cat and mouse with a beautiful insurance investigator (Dunaway). Throughout the movie McQueen exudes rugged sportiness and masculinity while wearing an array of three-piece suits with flat-front pants, along with his trademark Persol sunglasses with custom blue-tinted lenses.

Marion Maneker, in Dressing in the Dark: Lessons In Men's Style from the Movies, wrote that the "original Thomas Crown Affair ... remains one of the best movies for learning how to wear a suit and tie. Steve McQueen's pale blue shirt, royal blue tie and classic three-piece Prince of Wales suit conveys his character's old-money background and reckless thrill seeking better than any dialogue."

For sartorial inspiration, I recommend The Thomas Crown Affair.

The Classic Blazer

2010-03-13T21:11:00.000-05:00

It is a linguistic error to refer to all odd jackets as blazers. A blazer is a specific type of odd jacket characterized by details, such as metal buttons, that are steeped in naval heritage. In its most classic form, the blazer is double-breasted, with metal buttons in a 4-on-2 stance, peak lapels, side vents and patch pockets. The fabric is coarse, such as flannel (for cool weather) or hopsack (for warm), and blue in a shade slightly lighter than navy. The buttons are traditionally brass or gold, but men with gray hair or who intend to wear the jacket with gray trousers may instead opt for silver or nickel. A dressier, yet still classic, version of the blazer is often seen in worsted wool, with buttons in a 6-on-2 stance (like the drawing above) and flap pockets. In either variation the combination of double-breasted blazer and odd trousers is less dressy than a lounge suit, but more dressy than a sport coat and trousers.

The Continuing Saga of the Tom James Trousers

2010-03-10T17:20:00.000-05:00

My Tom James tailor arrived at my office first thing this morning for another fitting of the gray trousers with the protruding pockets. He took additional measurements as well as several photographs of the offending problem areas. He promises to return with the altered pants in a week to ten days so that he can ensure they fit perfectly.

I have had a hankering lately for a double-breasted blue blazer with peak lapels, flap pockets, and matte silver buttons. We chatted a bit about looking at fabrics and buttons on his next visit, and he offered a twenty percent discount on the blazer to make up for the trouble I've had with the pants. Although I'm still waiting for the pants to be right, I can't argue with their customer service. More later on the pants (and the blazer).

Styptic Pen

2010-03-08T21:15:00.000-05:00

Have you ever nicked yourself shaving and then had to walk around the house for the next ten minutes with a scrap of toilet paper glued to your face in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding? If so, then you may be unaware of handy toiletry item call a styptic pen (also known as a styptic pencil). A styptic pen works by applying some type of alum, usually aluminum sulfate or titanium dioxide, to a cut. This causes the vessels to constrict and stop the bleeding. To use a styptic pen you simply moisten the tip of the mineral and dab the offending nick. Styptic pens are widely available at drug stores; the one pictured above is available online at The Art of Shaving.

Book Review: Dressing the Man

2010-03-08T00:04:00.000-05:00

When I encounter a sylistic conundrum, I often first refer to Alan Flusser's Dressing the Man. Heavily adorned with photographs of style giants like Fred Astaire, Clark Gable, and the Prince of Wales, and illustrations from Esquire and Apparel Arts, Flusser's Dressing the Man is the ultimate reference on men's style.

In Dressing the Man, Flusser examines the historical development of tailored men's clothing and sets forth the rules for their proper wear based on those origins. He discusses the art of mixing patterns, considerations of proportion for diffferent body shapes, and appropriate colors for varied complexions.

This book will likely not appeal to the casual dresser. With the exception of one chapter (that seems to have been added as an afterthought) on business casual, Dressing the Man focuses mainly on timeless, traditional conservative male attire.

For any man interested in looking his best, Dressing the Man deserves a prominent spot in his library.

Warby Parker

2010-03-07T16:21:00.000-05:00

Warby Parker, an upstart eyewear company started by four students who met at the Wharton School of Business, has come up with an interesting new concept in eyewear sales. They have cut out the middleman and offer vintage-inspired acetate eyeglasses directly to consumers for ... only $95.

Warby Parker offers twenty-seven classic frame styles in black, tortoise, amber, crystal and a variety of other brighter colors. They even offer one monocle, "the perfect accessory for budding robber barons, post-colonial tyrants and super villains."

To see how frames look on your face, you can upload a photograph of yourself to the Warby Parker website and try on frames using their Virtual Try-On service. When you have narrowed your selection you can take advantage of their Home Try-On service. Warby Parker will ship you up to five pair of frames, free of charge, to try on at home for seven days. GQ Magazine has called Warby Parker "the Netflix of eyewear."

The other day I played with the Virtual Try-On service and then decided to order a selection of frames to try on at home. I quickly recieved an email informing me that recent features in GQ, Vogue and Daily Candy had resulted in an unexpected number of orders thereby depleting their home try-on inventory. I have added my name to the waiting list, but have been informed that it may be a month before frames are available. Notwithstanding the delay, this combination of classically-styled frames and an innovative business model has me quite intrigued. More on this later when I get my hands on some frames.

Reader Questions: Women's Attire

2010-02-26T23:49:00.000-05:00

What do you think of women wearing jackets with pocket squares?

I don't see anything wrong with a woman wearing a pocket square, assuming that her tailored jacket has a breast pocket in which to display it. Imagine a winter outfit consisting of a slim-fitting tweed tailored jacket, light blue blouse, charcoal skirt, brown heels and a silk paisley pocket square. I think that would look pretty sharp. An alternative to the pocket square is a silk scarf around the neck. However, I would go with one or the other; a scarf and a pocket square together might be a bit much.

Have you ever considered writing another blog called A Southern Lady?

I certainly pay attention when I see an attractive woman in beautiful clothes. And I have female friends who love to drag me out clothes shopping because I'm not afraid to tell them when an outfit looks atrocious. But I don't pretend to be much of an authority on women's attire. Instead of starting another blog, I might recruit some of the sharply-dressed Southern ladies around me to author guest posts on topics of interest to my female readers. If anyone has an idea for a topic they would like to see covered in a guest post, send me a message at the blog email address listed in the sidebar, or post a comment below.

Tom James Customer Service

2010-02-26T19:34:00.000-05:00

Well I'm impressed. Within 18 hours of my last post, I received an email from the Vice-President of Retail Operations for the Tom James Company who wished to ensure that I am satisfied and that my fit issues are addressed. Since then I have received a call and a follow-up email from my local Tom James representative who assures me that the problem can and will be fixed. I am encouraged. More to follow on this ongoing trouser saga.

Details of Tom James Pants

2010-02-21T15:30:00.001-05:00

My altered Tom James pants arrived at the office a couple of weeks ago. I'm now getting around to providing a few detail shots. As you may see, the trousers are partially lined. The label sewn under the hem at the bottom of the leg is an interesting detail.

On the whole I am pleased with the fabric and construction. I would be completely satisfied if the pants fit properly. And arguably fit is the biggest reason for going bespoke. I have a nice pair of off-the-rack Hiltl pants that still fit better than these Tom James pants that were supposed to be made to my exact measurements. The alterations did not completely solve the fit issue across the front of my thighs so the pockets are still pulling slightly open.

I do not intend to contact Tom James about the fit issues. It's been a couple of weeks since the altered pants arrived via post at my office and there have been no follow-up calls from my Tom James representative to inquire whether the alterations were successful. I won't call becuse I'm curious to test their level of customer service; to see if or when I am contacted about the fit and what if any remedy may be offered.

The Handwritten Note

2010-02-09T11:21:00.001-05:00

I read somewhere that history may look upon us as The Lost Generation because there will be little permament written record of our existence. Our photographs are digital and our correspondence is by text and email. Much of what we know about early civilizations was carved into stone or written on papyrus scrolls. But with the digital revolution I fear our generation has lost the art of the handwritten missive. I am complicit in this cultural shift; this very blog is merely bits of data floating in the ether.

So I have resolved to make a concerted effort to write more notes. I am under no illusion that writing a few notes will change the course of history, but I do believe that in this digital age a handwritten note can be gracious, mannerly and distinctive. A handwritten note is appropriate for expressing many sentiments including thanks, condolence and congratulations.

To follow through with this resolution I have ordered some personalized correspondence cards from a local office supply store. I purchased a new Pelikan fountain pen from Richard Binder and some Diamine ink (manufactured in the UK since 1864) from Swisher Pens. (As an aside, for an outstanding review on a vast array of fountain pen inks check out Glenn's Pens.)

For my daily correspondence I will continue to use email and text. But when it really counts, I resolve to put ink to paper.

Odd Vests

2010-01-31T19:05:00.000-05:00

An odd vest (called a waistcoat by the British) may add an additional layer of warmth and interest to a gentleman's attire. By adding some protection to an exposed shirtfront, an odd vest will extend the usefulness of a lightweight tailored jacket during cooler weather. Wearing an odd vest will also allow one the flexibility to remove one's jacket at the office, yet remain looking natty.

Probably the most useful odd vests for wear with worsted suits are ones in solid cream, light-blue and light-gray linen. For country wear a tattersall vest would be appropriate paired with tweed and flannel. Tattersall is a checked pattern that originated with horse blankets used at Tattersall's horse market in London in the 18th Century.

Odd vests may come in single or double-breasted versions, and with or without lapels. Double-breasted waistcoats are considered more formal. When it comes to the details of an odd vest, common wisdom dictates, as expressed by Alan Flusser in Dressing the Man, that "the louder its hue, the quieter its style should be." Therefore, a tattersall check would be most appropriate in a single-breasted vest.

When wearing a single-breasted vest, one should always leave the bottom button undone. It is said that this practice developed from imitators of portly King Edward VII whose tailors were unable to keep up with his rapidly expanding waistline.

Today's low-rise pants pose a problem when it comes to wearing odd vests. One may note from the illustrations that the vest should cover the waistband of the trousers; there should be no visible belt buckle. Such is a sartorial sin on par with exposed skin at the ankles. The bulk of a buckle under the vest is also problematic. The solution is to wear higher-rise trousers with braces. A side benefit to this practice is that it creates the illusion of a longer leg line.

During these cold winter months, inject a little interest into those navy and charcoal suits. Wear an odd vest.

Reader Question: Rock Concert Attire

2010-01-29T12:37:00.000-05:00

I dress fairly conservatively. With that being said, I am planning to attend a rock concert soon and do not wish to look like a fish out of water. By the same token, I don't want to wear the classic "band t-shirt" or any other type of clothing that is normally associated with fans. How can I keep my style and look "cool" at the same time?

The typical rock concert uniform includes jeans, a black concert tee and black boots or Converse All-Stars. To keep from looking out of place I would use that uniform as a starting place but make it more stylish by elevating each element. Consider dark jeans or trim flat-front charcoal pants. Instead of a concert tee, consider a black button-down shirt or a thin black merino-wool sweater. Instead of sneakers, consider a pair of black dress ankle boots. You could top it off with a black leather jacket; a dark blue or purple velvet jacket would be even better.

A rock concert provides you an opportunity to wear accessories that you might otherwise avoid. I have a black leather belt with a chunky eagle's-head buckle that I got off eBay that I only wear to concerts. A friend of mine has a wild pair of Mark Nason shoes similar to the boots pictured above that he wears to concerts. When it comes to accessorizing, be guided by your own sense of style.

I would caution you to avoid wearing any item of apparel that is prone to stain or that you consider to be a favorite. At a rock concert you are very likely to encounter beer, sweat, vomit, blood and urine. You will not enjoy yourself if you are worried the whole time about the drunk next to you spilling his beer on your suede jacket.

Book Review: Sharp Suits

2010-01-25T00:45:00.000-05:00

I spent a lazy, rainy Sunday afternoon flipping through Sharp Suits, wherein the author, Eric Musgrave, examines the history and evolution of the modern suit and the men who inspired that evolution, from King Edward VII to Elvis, the King of Rock.

I especially appreciated the sentiment expressed by Prince Albert in one quotation from the book:

The appearance, deportment and dress of a gentleman consist perhaps more in the absence of certain offences against good taste, and in careful avoidance of vulgarities and exaggerations of any kind, however generally they may be the fashion of the day, than in the adherence to any rules which can be exactly laid down ... In dress, with scrupulous attention to neatness and good taste, he will never give in to the unfortunately loose and slang style which predominates at the present day. He will borrow nothing from the fashion of the groom or the gamekeeper, and whilst avoiding the frivolity and foolish vanity of dandyism, will take care that his clothes are of the best quality, well-made, and suitable to his rank and position.

In my opinion, the plentiful photographs are the best attribute of Sharp Suits. Unfortunately, many of those photographs are of men on the runway or on the musical stage who are wearing the trendy dress that Prince Albert warns against. I wish there were more photographs of men wearing traditional conservative suits. Nevertheless, the book provides enough such photographs to make it worthy of perusal for sartorial inspiration.

Alden Tassel Loafers

2010-01-23T23:57:00.000-05:00

This week I picked up a new pair of Alden tassel loafers on clearance at David Lindsey Clothier. The shoes should pair well with charcoal trousers and an odd jacket. Although I have seen some men do it, I do not intend to wear these tassel loafers with a suit; loafers are for loafing.

When you get a new pair of dress shoes I would recommend a light protective polish before you wear them the first time. Use cedar shoe trees between wearings to maintain the shape of the shoe, help prevent cracking and creasing, and absorb moisture from the lining. By the same token, rotate your shoes and do not wear the same pair on successive days. If you follow this advice a pair of high quality shoes such as these may last for decades.

Tom James Update

2010-01-21T01:03:00.001-05:00

I met with my representative from Tom James today to take delivery of my new gray pants. Unfortunately I did not have much opportunity to inspect them because they did not fit properly. The waist, rise and inseam were fine, but they were so tight through my thighs that the pockets stuck out like Dumbo's ears. Their plan is to let out the seat by an inch (I'm not sure why this was necessary since they were supposedly tailored to my measurements) and then ship the pants to me next week. I will provide a full review when I have the pants in hand.

ASW Online Haberdashery

2010-01-19T23:50:00.000-05:00

Will at A Suitable Wardrobe has opened his much anticipated online store. He currently offers a very nice selection of belts and bracers, neckware and pocket squares. He indicates on his blog that he will be continually adding new accessories including cufflinks, knitware, hats and polos. It looks like he will be offering a number of high-quality items that are otherwise unavailable online. Check it out.

The Tie Bar

2010-01-17T10:42:00.000-05:00

On the recommendation of a friend I recently placed an order with The Tie Bar for a royal blue tie with white pindots, a twill burgundy bow tie with satin stripes of navy and white, and a burgundy ascot with white fleur de lis. The Tie Bar, started in 2004 by two Chicago attorneys, sells handmade silk ties online for only fifteen dollars each (the ascot was thirty). I am frankly surprised at the quality you get for the money. These ties are as nice as much more expensive ties that I own. They are definitely nicer than the budget-priced ties you may find in a department store. If you are in need of a new tie, check out The Tie Bar.

Reader Questions

2010-01-15T20:49:00.001-05:00

Should I mix stripes in the same outfit?

It is perfectly acceptable to mix patterns. In a tailored wardrobe you may introduce pattern in the suit, shirt, tie or pocket square. While it is possible (and quite challenging) to successfully display pattern in all four articles at once, I would recommend that style novices choose solids in at least two of the four.

When mixing patterns of the same design you should vary the size of the pattern. As an example, compare the narrow stripes of Cary Grant's shirt with the wide block stripes of his tie. Similarly, one could pair a window-pane suit and a tie with small checks. On the other hand, to harmonize two contrasting patterns (i.e., a striped suit worn with a check dress shirt) the two patterns should be kept close in size.

You have used the term bespoke in several of your recent posts. What does bespoke mean?

Bespoke is a British term, used historically in relation to tailored clothing, that means custom-made, or made to individual order. The word derives from the verb bespeak that means to ask for in advance. Bespoke clothing is traditionally cut from a unique pattern made from an individual's measurements and specifications. In contrast, ready-to-wear or off-the-rack clothing is mass produced in standardized sizes. Obviously bespoke clothing will fit an individual much better because it is made to his precise measurements. Having clothing custom-made also provides the individual the opportunity to bespeak the fabrics or details that he may desire. As you might imagine, this customization comes at a premium.

Bespoke Polo Shirts

2010-01-14T00:35:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered a great place to order bespoke polo shirts at a reasonable price. The Tailor Store offers custom pique cotton polo shirts starting at $29.00 (some options, like monogramming, are a few dollars extra). Using an online interface you are able to build a polo shirt to your specifications. Each change you make is reflected in a graphical representation of your shirt. The options include mens and womens shirts, twenty colors of fabric, normal or slim fit, long or short sleeve, button style, contrasting button hole thread or contrasting fabrics, and monograms. You also provide fourteen different measurements for a perfect fit.

I recently ordered two polo shirts from the Tailor Store; one was a normal fit and one was slim fit. Both shirts fit great, but I prefer the slim fit. The slim fit shirt hugs my body without being skin tight. The normal fit shirt is a little looser; however, it fits much better than any off-the-rack shirt I have ever owned. I am very pleased with both shirts, especially considering what I got for the money.

My only complaint would be the length of shipping time. I received an email in early December notifying me that the shirts had been shipped. After two weeks had passed without the shirts arriving I emailed customer support. The response indicated that a delay in customs (the shirts were shipped from Sweden), and a delay during the holidays, were to be expected. They could not provide a tracking number so there was no way to monitor the location of the package. They advised to let them know if I had not received the package by mid-January. I do not know what recourse they would have offered at that point because the shirts arrived after another week.

I will soon be ordering additional polo shirts in spring colors. I would heartily recommend these custom polos over ones from a department store. For about the same money you will get shirts that actually fit. Any delay is a small price to pay.

Dapper Elderly Gentlemen

2010-01-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

I returned yesterday from a week-long Caribbean cruise on the Holland America Line. The vast majority of passengers were quite elderly. During the week I had the opportunity to observe a number of quite stylish older gentlemen. Maybe it's because they were raised in an era of high style. Or maybe it's because they have had decades to refine their own personal style. But it seems that some elderly men exhibit a stylishness not seen in younger generations.

I do not mean to suggest that with age automatically comes style. I saw plenty of ill-fitting tuxedos with too-long sleeves and pant legs puddling on the tops of shoes. But two men stood out to me as being particularly stylish.

The first I noticed was wearing a black beret and smoking a cigar on the rear deck. The look was very Pablo Picasso. We chatted for a while and I learned that he was a retired Italian grocer from upstate New York who enjoyed competition dancing.

The second gentleman I encountered had a slick bald head and an impressive silvery-gray waxed handlebar moustache. Throughout the cruise he paid grandfatherly attention to my young son. At one point he produced a gold dollar coin from his pocket and presented it to my son for his piggy bank. I had the impression that he maintained a supply of those special coins for just such an occassion.

Respect your elders. They have much to teach us about being true gentlemen.

Bespoke Belt

2010-01-01T15:58:00.001-05:00

While shopping the post-Christmas sales last Saturday I bought a new pair of jeans in a size smaller than I had previously been wearing. I decided that I also needed a new casual belt because my current ones were too long. You can tell that a belt fits properly if you are buckling on the center hole. If you are using a hole towards the middle of the belt then there is a bunch of excess leather wrapping around your hip. You end up looking like a twelve-year-old kid wearing his dad's belt. If you're on the last hole then it looks like you enjoyed too many Christmas parties and packed on about fifteen pounds.

There is no real feasible way to lengthen a belt, but it is possible (at some expense) to shorten a belt. I have had one of my alligator dress belts shortened. A leather craftsman basically removes the excess length from the buckle end and reattaches the buckle. If I recall correctly, that service cost me about thirty-five dollars. If your belt is too long and not worth shortening, or if your belt is too short, then it's time to go shopping.

When buying an off-the-rack belt you should typically look for one that is a size larger than the waist of your pants. For example, if you wear a size 34 pant then a size 36 belt will probably fit. The belt must be a size bigger because it's worn over the pants; the fabric of the trouser adds additional bulk that must be taken into consideration.

While shopping on Saturday I had in mind that I wanted a tan casual belt with edge stitching and a silver buckle. I did not think that was an unreasonable item to locate. After checking at Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, J-Crew, Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch, Dillards, Belk, Macy's, and JCPenney I started having some doubts. Department store Made in China belts are absolutely cheap and awful, and at those stores I couldn't even find a poor quality one that matched my mental image. I came close at Smith & James in Greenville. They had a nice seventy-dollar British tan Bills Khakis belt, but in the end I decided it was a little too orange for my taste.

When I arrived home empty-handed I decided to search online for a purveyor of bespoke belts. I was delighted to discover Leather Goods Connection. They offer a number of leather accessories including bespoke leather belts. You get to choose from a multitude of options including length, width, color, buckle style, and edge treatment. With all the options available, there are over 614,400 different belts that can be made. On Saturday evening I ordered the pictured British tan harness leather belt with wheat-colored edge stitching and a silver buckle. I was stunned when this lovely belt arrived in the mail yesterday. I am amazed to have ordered a bespoke belt the day after Christmas and have it arrive before New Years. More importantly, the belt is exactly what I wanted. It was beautifully handmade, in America. It fits perfectly because it was made to my specifications. And it was only fifty-one dollars.

The next time you need a belt, forget about those cheap and limited department store choices. Consider going bespoke. You won't regret it.

Buck the Trend

2009-12-31T15:18:00.000-05:00

As the year and the decade draw to a close it is quite common to reflect on the past and look forward to the future. I hope as you reflect on the past year that you are not feeling remorse about spending your hard-earned dollars on a "daring swashbuckling outfit" or "a military jacket showing a hint of Sgt. Pepper." These were apparently among the trends for mens fashion in the fall of 2009.

Looking ahead, the predicted trends for mens fashion in 2010 include knitted leopard-print shirts, big cotton bags, and multiple belts worn across the torso. I've seen reports that the hot color for spring is orange....

In the new year, resolve to avoid the fashion of the season. Instead resolve to invest in high-quality timeless pieces that flatter your body shape, complexion and personality. Buck the fashion trends and resolve to be stylish.

Hidden Gems at Brooks Brothers Factory Outlet

2009-12-29T18:44:00.000-05:00

I hit the Brooks Brothers Factory Outlet over the weekend to see if I could pick up any good post-Christmas deals. On Saturday everything in the store was forty percent off. Before noon they took an additional ten percent. And I had a AAA coupon worth another ten percent.

When I go to the Brooks Brothers Factory Outlet, I am on the lookout for retail store clothing that has been moved to the outlet store. Factory outlet stores used to stock overruns and seconds from their retail stores. These days most of the factory outlet stores handle their own line of clothing that is of inferior quality and workmanship. You may notice that most of the clothing at the Brooks Brothers Factory Outlet is from the "346" line (a reference to their flagship store at 346 Madison Avenue) that is of lower quality than items from the Brooks Brothers retail stores. However, if you are careful to check the labels it is possible to find a random jacket, sweater or tie from the retail store.

I found about eight retail store ties mixed in with the wide selection of "346" ties. In a side-by-side comparison the difference in quality of fabric and construction is wildly apparent. I selected the two ties pictured above. They are seventy percent cashmere and thirty percent silk. They are identical except for color; one is navy and the other is light blue. The ties were originally priced at $125, but were marked down in the outlet store to $59.50. With the sale and coupon I paid about $29 each.

There are hidden gems to be found at the outlet stores if you know what you are looking for.

Book Review: The Suit

2009-12-28T22:50:00.000-05:00

Michael Anton, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, authored The Suit: A Machiavellian Approach to Men's Style under the pen name Nicholas Antongiavanni. Anton, a regular contributor to the internet style forums under the moniker "manton," drew tongue-in-cheek inspiration for The Suit from Machiavelli's The Prince. This small book is packed full of sartorial minutiae. If you care "Whether Suspenders and Many Other Things Which are Bought and Worn By Dandies Every Day Are Tasteful or Tasteless" then this is absolutely the book for you.

Here is a great interview with Anton about The Suit from Humanities, March/April 2008, Volume 29, Number 2:

A Conversation with Michael Anton

Michael Anton is the author of The Suit, a parody of Machiavelli's The Prince and a ringing defense of old-fashioned dressiness for men, written under the nom de plume Nicholas Antongiavanni. He is also a speechwriter who has worked for Governor Pete Wilson, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, the National Security Council, President Bush, and, more recently, Rupert Murdoch. His articles on men's fashion have appeared in the American, the Wall Street Journal, City Journal, and other publications.

NEH Chairman Bruce Cole: Thanks for coming all the way from New York.

Michael Anton: To me this is an honor. The National Endowment for the Humanities should be reserved, in my mind, for the great figures in American letters. Just to be in their company, in any kind of way, is staggering to me.

Cole: Well, you've been in the company of Tom Wolfe.

Anton: He's one of my heroes. And Harvey Mansfield, who gave the Jefferson Lecture last year, is another.

Cole: Do you know him?

Anton: Yes, a little. My ambition for the book was fulfilled when Mansfield told me he liked it. He said, “I finished your book, I enjoyed it very much. And as soon as I was done, I went shopping.”

Cole: First off, what should we call you?

Anton: You can call me Mike Anton. My pen name, Nicholas Antongiavanni, is not meant to obscure my real identity. It is kind of a two-pronged joke. One is to make the name sound more like Niccolò Machiavelli, who is the inspiration for the book and who gives the architecture for the book and for all kinds of literary devices. Second, it is meant to conjure this imagined figure of authority on men's fashion. I pictured Nicholas Antongiavanni as a very dashing boulevardier who you might think was qualified to give you clothing advice.

He's an alter ego, which I needed because I am kind of a dull person in real life. I have a regular job and a suburban home and all that, but I overdress. I aspire to be a dandy in that sense only. The word "dandy" comes up a lot in the book; it's my term of highest praise. But it's very much a clothing-oriented dandy.

The original conception was taken over by French theorists—surprise—in the mid-nineteenth century. They expanded the idea to encompass an entire lifestyle, including a certain dissoluteness. And I am not like that. But in the sense of somebody who is too into clothes, to the point of it being not exactly respectable, then, yeah, I am.

People have wondered, Why didn't you write the book in your own name? Are you ashamed of writing about clothes? Well, a little. I'd rather be known for some really substantive intellectual achievement, but this is what I wrote. And I do love the subject.

You know, the original title of the book was supposed to be The Dandy. Just one title, no subtitle, and the author's name, Nicholas Antongiavanni. I thought the parallel to The Prince would be a little closer. Also, the dandy, like the prince, is a type of man.

The publisher thought the word would turn off readers, and so they decided to change it. But, to me, the purpose of the book was as much to do Machiavelli pastiche as it was to write about clothes. So I was lucky and grateful to find a publisher that would publish it more or less exactly as I wanted it, even though they made me change the title.

Cole: What led you to write this? In several parts, it is actually more of a how-to-dress book.

Anton: Yes.

Cole: But it's much more than that.

Anton: It is like The Prince. It's meant to be a normative book, and sometimes it has a bullying tone, "Thou shall do this, Thou shall not do that," very categorical, like The Prince. But, also like The Prince, there's usually some trapdoor underneath the categorical rules that the reader who's skimming it will miss. And if you follow the rules too closely, you're led into error.

The inspiration was simply that I love clothes and I love Machiavelli. I came to unite the two by chance when I was in grad school. I was working on a paper about The Prince. And I had this idea. I mean, here's this classic book on how to rule. Wouldn't it be funny if there were such a book on how to dress? And I wrote the table of contents, and later I fiddled with it a little bit, but it mostly stuck.

Then I started to write the easy chapters, the short ones. But I skipped around. I conceived the book in the fall of 1994, and I finished writing it in August of 2002. It took another four years to get it published.

Cole: And published very handsomely. I mean they really did a nice job. Who did your illustrations?

Anton: Edwin Fotheringham. They gave him the manuscript and an idea of what I wanted. My only regret is there weren't more illustrations. I think it would have really enriched the book, but ultimately it was a cost issue.

Cole: You start off with a dedicatory letter, right?

Anton: Yes, exactly like The Prince. It has the same number of chapters as The Prince. It has the same pattern of chapter groupings, although unstated. The reader has to figure it out, and I think it's easier to figure out my book than The Prince. But it's still not made explicit.

And there are any number of passages from The Prince that I borrow from in parody. I tried to keep it as chapter-to-chapter symmetrical as possible, but it wasn't always possible. I also was a little bit loose about stealing things from the Discourses and the Florentine Histories.

Cole: But you have an ulterior motive in this letter, right?

Anton: Sure, the letter is an introduction to the book, and it's a sort of guide to how to read the book.

Cole: And you're also currying favor?

Anton: Right, just like Machiavelli. Scholars to this day debate how seriously Machiavelli meant the dedicatory letter. Was he really trying to get a job from Lorenzo de' Medici? I agree with the school that says he probably would have taken it if offered, but that he wasn't under any illusions that it was going to be offered. So the dedicatory letter really serves another, covert purpose.

Cole: Then you have the last chapter, right, which circles back.

Anton: Right.

Cole: It's an exhortation, right?

Anton: Yes. You can either count the book as a dedicatory letter plus twenty-six chapters, which is one way, or you can count the dedicatory letter and Chapter 26 both as framing material, and the meat of the book as the twenty-five chapters, in which Chapter 13 is the central chapter.

I love the way Machiavelli uses different plans at the same time overlapping one another. And depending on from which angle you look at this plan, it has a different aspect. And every one of them is sort of correct and true to what he's trying to do. I didn't get even a tenth of his complexity, or probably even a hundredth, but everything I could understand and mimic, I tried to do.

Cole: What was the publisher's reaction when you showed them this?

Anton: Well, first I tried agents, and I got numerous replies saying, Gee, I really see the merits in this, but I don't know what I can do with it.

I got a few offers saying, Look, you know a lot, there's lot of history in here, there's a lot of guidelines in here, but the structure is weird, and the writing style will turn everybody off. So let's start over with a new proposal and build a real book.

The first time somebody said that to me, I actually did it. I wrote the proposal, or at least most of it, but my heart was not in it. I came to the conclusion that it had to be this way or not at all.

Cole: The book has a very good balance between Machiavelli and your own interest in contemporary and historical clothing. That makes for an interesting mix.

Anton: Well, that is another thing I borrowed from Machiavelli. He says, in The Prince, that his knowledge of how to rule has two fundamental sources. One is his experience as a high official in the Florentine government for fourteen years. The other is his deep reading of ancient things, by which he means Roman and Greek ancient history. My parallel to that is my own experience as a wearer of clothes and an observer of what I see around me, and, for the historical part, my reading of literature and my study of film and photographs of the greats from the thirties. And, for me, the canonical source, my Livy as it were, is Esquire and Apparel Arts magazine from the 1930s.

Cole: What is Apparel Arts?

Anton: Apparel Arts was a trade magazine for men's clothing stores. It reported on what was being worn at the highest echelons of society, what was popular, and it sort of gave advice on what to stock, and it gave ideas for outfits and displays and things like that.

It was a big hardback quarterly started in the thirties, geared to the clothing trade. It was meant for shop owners, buyers, and the like, and it gave advice on what men wanted, what was fashionable, how to set up displays, and so on.

Apparel Arts gave birth to Esquire. It was so successful with men generally, and not just the trade, that Arnold Gingrich, the founding editor, thought a general interest men's magazine that had a lot of fashion in it would be successful. And, of course, Esquire published Dos Passos and Hemingway and Fitzgerald and everybody. And they had long-form reporting and cartoons. Those Esquires from the thirties are real gold mines.

I look at them, and I marvel that there's no magazine like it today. Every issue had twelve pages of fashion illustrations with captions, usually a one-paragraph caption, most of them written by Gingrich himself, very pithy descriptions of the clothes you were seeing. There were never photographs of models. They never covered brands. They just covered types of clothing pieces.

Here is a blue shantung suit, that kind of thing, worn with this and this, shown at a location to give you a kind of context, all very highfalutin. It was sort of Ralph Lauren before Ralph Lauren. If they wanted to do beachwear, the location would be Palm Beach or Cap d'Antibes. There were great pictures of the Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel, stuff like that.

This was in the middle of the Depression. But very fluffy comedies about the high life were incredibly popular in the middle of the Depression.

Cole: It's kind of escapist.

Anton: Yeah. People down on their luck wanted to go and watch Preston Sturges's comedies about rich people fooling around on a steam cruiser. And that's what Esquire also gave them.

Cole: Apparel Arts came with little swatches in them, right?

Anton: Yes. They would have swatches in them. If you can find them with swatches still in there, those are extremely valuable. But the swatches were just glued on, and they've either been ripped out or they've fallen out.

I first came in contact with Esquire or with Apparel Arts in, of all places, the Santa Cruz County, California, Public Library, which has four of them. This was before I really got into clothing, before I started spending money anyway. I am also inspired by Alan Flusser's books.

Flusser knows everything about clothes, and his books are beautifully done. His Clothes and the Man has a lot of Esquire and Apparel Arts plates at the front, a dozen of them at least.

Cole: I wonder how those magazines got in the Santa Cruz public library.

Anton: I have no idea. But whenever I went home, I would borrow one of my parent's cars, go down to the library, and go back to the stall to study those things, take notes off of them, really look at the pictures and learn from them.

When I moved to New York in the early nineties, I came across a complete set. The Fashion Institute of Technology and the New York Public Library have them all. It's a little complicated to get access, but it can be done.

Cole: Sort of the Holy Grail.

Anton: To people who really get into this to an unhealthy degree like I have, it is the Holy Grail. Apparel Arts offers the sort of beau ideal of a great male wardrobe. Even if everything in there is not something you would do today, like wearing white chamois gloves and carrying a malacca cane.

I have commissioned suits or coats or put together ensembles based on something I saw in Apparel Arts. A friend of mine who lives in Europe has a relationship with cloth mills. He has commissioned mills to copy old patterns. He'll get ten guys to each take 3 or 4 meters and can then justify a run of 30 or 60, because that's usually the minimum these mills will do. This is when you know you've lost it.

Cole: Have you noticed how the fifties have come back after being despised for so many years?

Anton: Every era comes back. The past will be an eternal inspiration for designers, because the burden of coming up with new ideas all the time is sort of unbearable.

Cole: It's also true in the history of art, where the art of your grandfather and grandmother's generation is always being revived. And what's really interesting is not only the culture and style that's being revived, but why they're being revived. It's important too.

Anton: Though it depends on what you mean by "important." In the larger scheme of things, I'd be the first to admit, clothing's not important.

Cole: I think that fashion is one way of understanding what we're about, and it's also one way of understanding what the past is about. What is that great Mark Twain quote in your book?

Anton: “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”

Cole: Exactly.

Anton: I don’t mean to denigrate the subject of clothing. People say to me, Who cares that you wrote a book about fashion? It’s not an important subject like war or peace or high finance or public policy. And all I can say to that is, Right, of course it’s not.

Cole: But it’s not insignificant either.

Anton: Agreed.

Cole: I know you have thought a lot about art and class, and where fashion inspiration comes from.

Anton: Chapter 24 is a mini history of clothing since the French Revolution, a philosophic history the way Machiavelli would do it, very lightly stating underlying reasons and offering sweeping generalities. You are free to say, Oh, you’re just making this up. I want to see a footnote here. And I have gotten a little of that blowback, to which I just say, It’s not that kind of book. I mean, it is a book, like the Discourses or like The Prince, that boldly charges ahead with an argument.

Cole: Talk a little bit about that. What is your argument?

Anton: That basically throughout human history, the tone of society was set by the top, at every level, and that included clothes. The major changes came from the top, and even when a trend was to dress down, that mostly came from the top.

The last big earthquake for us, in men’s clothing was after World War I. The twenties shook everything up. Then things got hammered out in the thirties, and we are still living with those rules.

But all that was based on trends that had arisen decades or even centuries before. First, you had the rise of the country gentleman in Britain, who was sort of conservative and set in his ways, but also contemptuous of or just had no time for court attire and that kind of fanciness. And his clothes became popular. He would wear them to town, in a way that was not done in prior epochs. And then you have this history-making figure in Beau Brummell.

He took the country squire garb, changed it a little, explaining to his tailors exactly what he wanted them to do, and he was copied by everybody in London from the prince regent on down. He revolutionized the way the upper class, and the striving upper middle class, in Britain dressed for the entire nineteenth century.

Brummell put a stake through the heart of peacockery, yet when you think Brummell, you think overdressed dandy. But at the time he was considered ascetic almost, you know, blue coat, buff trousers, black boots, white linen, no ostentation, everything defined. The excellence of clothing was in how well it was cut, and how well it fit.

Cole: As opposed to what?

Anton: As opposed to gold braid and lace and ostentation. Think of pre-1789 French court dress. He was the enemy of all of that.

Brummell’s basic idea of being plain and sober and clean carried throughout the nineteenth century. It gets a new twist with the Victorian era. The Victorians keep the basic premise but change a few things. For some reason blue goes out for coats, and black comes in. The history of black is in itself a very strange and controversial topic. You’d be surprised how much passion it ignites.

But the democratizing force or element of Brummell’s innovation was not intended by him. Well, it was partially intended by him. Try to remember who he was. He was not an upper class kid. His father was a court functionary, who basically stole money from the treasury. He built up a small fortune of several thousand pounds, which was an enormous amount of money in those days.

And so George, or Beau, in his late teens inherits this money and uses it to join an extremely fashionable regiment, which was the regiment of which the prince regent was a colonel. They did nothing. They just camped out near Brighton and had parties all the time. When the regiment was actually posted to do something, Brummell resigned his commission, and said, Well, the party is over, I don’t want to play anymore.

He took his money, moved to London, bought a townhouse in Mayfair, and basically started living a kind of dissolute life, where he’d get up late and take a lot of time to get dressed and go to lunch and come back and dress again and go play cards and dress, et cetera.

One reason that he changed clothing, I think, was to level the playing field. If the rules were going to remain the same, he couldn’t compete. He didn’t have rank, position, or enough money to really spend in that fashion.

Cole: Why did his innovations catch on?

Anton: One, the prince regent loved the style, and he adopted it in total. He worshiped Brummell, until they had a falling-out. And everybody copied the prince as much they copied Brummell. But there was also a certain aesthetic, you know, a purity or perfection of virtue to it. And there was probably also a desire for change.

Cole: Did that make London a fashion capital of the world?

Anton: Yes. London was the men’s fashion capital in the nineteenth century and most of the twentieth century, without question. Apparel Arts would just take for granted, and Esquire too, that it was London for men, Paris for women.

There’s no question that the modern suit as we know it was born in London, refined in London, and perfected in London. Anybody who is wearing a suit with shoulders, lapels, a collar, and front buttons is wearing something that is a direct descendant of what English country squires wore, that was brought to town, perfected by Brummell, and refined in the Victorian era.

The suit that we wear was the track suit of its day. It’s called a “lounge suit.” This term has fallen out of use. You still see it in formal diplomatic invitations, in the U.K. for example. It will say, “Dress: Lounge Suit.” What they mean is a suit with a jacket that matches the trousers. The lounge suit takes a short coat—meaning a coat that doesn’t come down to the knees, either all the way around like a frock coat, or only in the back like a morning coat. When it first started to be worn, it was considered informal.

You were not supposed to wear it for business, or to any kind of ceremony, or to church, certainly not to dinner anywhere. It was to knock around in during the day. It was sort of scandalous to wear it anywhere else.

It eventually pushed aside its peer competitors for daywear at least. Evening wear hung on a lot longer, and it’s still sort of with us. The tailcoat is not quite dead, but it’s almost. Black tie is still doing reasonably well, better in Europe than in the United States.

Cole: But these sort of vestigial remains signify a certain kind of event or a certain kind of gravity, right?

Anton: Yes, there has always been a pyramid or a hierarchy of formality in clothes, and it’s very strict at the top. White tie is the strictest of all, morning coat, et cetera. There is not a whole lot of variation there.

One of the frequent topics that comes up on Internet forums is, I got an invitation to X, and here’s what the dress code says, what does that mean?

People don’t know anymore. And the people giving the invitations don’t quite know what to say. So they’ll just say something like “business casual,” or “dressy contemporary,” and you go, What the heck? But in the old days you knew it.

It said “formal,” and if it was in the daytime, that meant a morning coat, which is a long cutaway coat like Spencer Tracy wore in Father of the Bride. If it said “formal,” and it was in the nighttime, that meant a tailcoat, which is cut very short in front and has the long tails at the back. If it said “semi-formal,” it meant either a stroller, which is a short black coat worn with odd striped trousers for the daytime, or what we call black tie today, a tuxedo.

“Informal” meant what you and I have on, a suit and shirt and tie. And there was no, “Don’t wear a tie” in those days. It was just inconceivable, maybe in your own house, but not if you were going to be seen by other people. In Apparel Arts there are drawings of people skiing in ties, of people fly-fishing in ties. Now there is a debate about how much Apparel Arts actually reflected what was going on, but I don’t doubt that everything they claim to have seen and reported actually happened somewhere.

Cole: When people talk about being a Beau Brummell, does anybody know what that means anymore?

Anton: I think the name still resonates. I just saw an ad for a new store in downtown New York called Beau Brummell.

Cole: Really?

Anton: But they sell duck-billed shoes and other slick stuff that Brummell wouldn’t wear if he suddenly came back to us. But the name still resonates.

Cole: But when people think of Beau Brummell, they think what?

Anton: They think flash. Which he was the antithesis of. Because he’s known as the well-dressed man, the fastidious man, and it’s hard not to think flash, even though he was the antithesis of flash.

Cole: You talked about how fashion used to come from the top, right? Now what’s going on today?

Anton: Well, I don’t pretend to be a general fashion expert. I know little about women’s fashion, for example. And I am actually kind of a weekend slob.

Cole: That’s shocking.

Anton: I mean if I go out to dinner, I will wear trousers and an odd jacket, which is when your jacket doesn’t match your trousers. My wife calls that “dandy casual.” I won’t wear an odd jacket and trousers to work in an office building. Which has become completely acceptable. But not that long ago it was something you were just not supposed to do.

Cole: Okay. What are the sources for today’s fashion, if not the upper echelons of society?

Anton: I would say there are bottom-up fads and top-down fads. The bottom-up fads are things conceived on the street or in the school playgrounds. You don’t know exactly where they come from, but they catch on, and all of a sudden they are everywhere. These are popular with kids, or people pretending to be kids, but they hardly touch grown-up clothes.

Other fads, I think, are just created by designers. They come up with an idea, and it takes the world by storm. Another source of change is the creeping casualization of society.

People don’t want to put up with inconvenience, or any discomfort, and one of the ways that they are pushing refinement out of their lives is through their clothes.

When I was a little kid in the seventies, everybody wore a tie to work. Downtown San Francisco in the mid-1970s looked like a movie of Manhattan in the forties. It was the suit-and-tie capital west of the Mississippi.

I go home every year, and I usually take a walk around. And standing at the corner of Montgomery and California—which is like the Wall and Broad of the West—one morning, I saw one guy in ten minutes go by in a suit and tie. It happened to be a bespoke suit, beautifully done up. I gave him the thumbs up, but everybody else is casual. And it was like 9:00 a.m.

People don’t want to wear the stuff anymore, unless they have to. And as a kind of perk, business began to lighten up the dress codes. But it was also the rise of the more freewheeling, meritocratic industries, particularly Hollywood and the dotcoms. The Silicon Valley guys never wear ties. And as their business became more and more important, and they interacted with big law firms and the big banks and things like that, their casual style spread.

Cole: But when did this all start?

Anton: I think casualization starts in the seventies. The country went a little crazy in the sixties and decided to rein it in in the eighties.

Cole: Do you think of the seventies as the most egregious period in the history of fashion?

Anton: I don’t know about that. I like certain things about the seventies. It was a more dressed-up time than we are in today. Sure, they wore wide ties and wacky lapels, stuff you would never want to see again. But, in aggregate, there were more suits and ties.

There was also an emphasis on fit and silhouette. In tailoring, I prefer a little softer and slouchier style, but I do think the seventies suit had an echo of Brummell’s clean line and the form-fitting aesthetic—even if it looks kind of crazy to our eyes today.

The seventies was also the last great era of the vest, and I like vests. I get them with everything but summer suits. And I’m sort of sad to see the vest go.

Cole: The double-breasted with the vest—that’s rare.

Anton: The double-breasted with the vest is rare, and I used to be one of those who believe that double-breasted should not have a vest.

Cole: I think it should.

Anton: Part of the original conception of the double-breasted suit was that you didn’t have to have the vest. The double-breast keeps your torso covered. For that reason, in England, the double-breasted was considered less formal than a single-breasted three-piece.

Cole: What about the eighties?

Anton: I think there was a kind of comeback for formality in the eighties. It’s no accident that Martha Stewart became huge in the eighties. Preppy came back in the eighties. Was that just a function of the Preppy Handbook? I don’t think so, but the Preppy Handbook was probably both cause and effect in that sense. And the nineties was very bad for clothing.

Not in the sense that you saw all kinds of crazy things that you never want to see again. Instead it was bad because people stopped caring. Clothing became an afterthought, and then the casualization wave really started to roll in the mid-nineties, and through the dotcom bubble, after which you had a bit of a counterreaction. Many of the biggest banks and law firms, which had gone business casual, reverted in ’01, ’02, ’03.

Cole: How do you define business casual?

Anton: Well, the acid definition is you don’t have to wear a suit and tie every day to work in an industry where previously you did, and for the last hundred years it was absolutely expected. There are a lot of problems with it, but one of them is it’s impossible to define, and that has actually caused a lot of confusion and angst among men.

The feeling is, I know how to wear a suit and tie every day, even if I find it boring or if it annoys me, but I know what it is. What is business casual? A jacket but no tie? Is it jeans? Are khakis okay? But I don’t think business casual undermined the suit. I think what undermined the suit are, A, men think it’s uncomfortable and, B, they don’t want the bother.

Now I don’t think it is uncomfortable. As clothing became less important, people concentrated less on fit, and if your clothes don’t really fit well, they aren’t going to be comfortable. If they do fit well, you shouldn’t be that uncomfortable in your suit and tie.

Cole: Is it that clothes no longer denote a kind of status and hierarchy?

Anton: I don’t think that’s actually new. The point of the suit was to rid clothing of status distinction. In Brummell’s London, you’d go into one of those clubs. And everybody in there is above a certain level, but when everybody is wearing that blue coat and buff trousers and the black polished boots, you don’t necessarily know which one’s the duke, which one is the impoverished son of a viscount, and which one has no family connection to a title at all.

During America’s postwar economic expansion, the era from, say, ’45 to ’65, you could not tell by dress the CEO from yesterday’s hire.

The CEO might have French cuffs, while the kid would have buttoned cuffs and a buttoned-down collar, but they would both be wearing the uniform: a very sober dark suit, single-breasted, almost always in that era, a white or blue shirt, you know, a plain sober tie, and black or burgundy shoes.

What’s new is this desire for comfort and to be done with the bother. You will read articles sometimes saying the suit is back. Don’t believe them. The suit is never going to be back as the mass uniform of the everyday worker.

Its last holdout will be government. A certain formality is expected when you’re doing the people’s work. But otherwise I think the suit will be a special occasion garment for client meetings and big-time things in business, and ultimately what may happen is, if the tail coat completely dies, then black tie will move up to become the super ceremonial garment, and most events that today require black tie will become suit and tie.

Cole: Well, what about white tie?

Anton: I don’t think there are even half a dozen white-tie social events left in this country.

Cole: The Gridiron Dinner.

Anton: Right. And there will be maybe one white-tie state dinner in an entire administration. I researched this for a long article in City Journal in ’02. It turns out that Clinton wore white tie three times.

There used to be a diplomatic reception once a term. The president would host the entire diplomatic corps at the White House. And that was always white tie, and Clinton did it white tie. The other time was when they hosted the emperor and empress of Japan.

The Japanese are still more formal than we are. The Japanese still wear morning dress, for instance. When you see a photo of the Japanese Cabinet, from the prime minister on, they’ll all be in morning dress.

Cole: I was in Japan. I was surprised at the level of dress and, first of all, the formality. Everybody is wearing a suit all the time. And if you go into some of these big department stores, Ginza, for instance, they have their own bespoke shops right there. Very impressive.

Anton: There are a lot of dandies over there.

Cole: One thing I love in your book is when you talk about how dressing the wrong way can ruin you. “And thus he was ruined.”

Anton: Right. That’s a Machiavellian phrase. He loves the word “ruined,” and he likes to apply it tongue in cheek. My book is over the top on purpose. You’re not supposed to take it entirely seriously.

Cole: Let’s talk about presidents.

Anton: There are a few passages that I’m really proud of, and that’s one of them. Chapter 19 of The Prince is the longest chapter in the book, and arguably the most important. Machiavelli takes a grand tour of the Roman emperors. I take you through the modern presidents. And that chapter, also 19, is a very important chapter in my book. It’s about formality and dandification as the twin principles that govern dress and how they are often in tension and often complementary, and the best dressers strike the right balance.

Cole: That’s an important point in your book.

Anton: Yes. Formality is dressiness. It means adherence to a strict code, which is more traditional. It’s about dressing appropriately for the occasion and being quiet. It’s about conformity and sobriety.

Dandification is being a little splashy. And there are a number of ways to do it. One is just by being loud, wearing a loud pattern or a bright color. Another is to take liberties in the way you mix things.

For instance, the shoes I wore today are a mid-brown color called chestnut, and I have on a dark blue suit. That’s, strictly speaking, a violation of the rules. If I wore these shoes with this suit in London, and the most proper city gent were to look down and see my feet, he’d think I was naff, that I was really out of it, because I should be wearing black shoes.

So it’s a little dandified to mix this shoe with this suit. But each thing in itself is not terribly dandified. If you want to just be straight-up formal and not get yourself in any trouble at all, you wear a dark suit, grey or blue, definitely not double-breasted, a white shirt, and a very discrete blue tie and black shoes. As soon as you start playing around with that, you are dandifying.

In my book, I use the modern presidents as examples of how they reconciled the dandified and the formal and thus do I explain their political success or failure. Which is of course a joke.

Cole: I kind of believe it, I have to say.

Anton: Well, a politician’s clothing could send certain signals. John Kerry had a problem being seen as a northeasterner, really rich, out of touch, kind of an elite guy. And he was always wearing shirts from Turnbull and Asser. Anybody who knows how Turnbull and Asser makes the shape of their collar or the cuffs could tell. And his ties were from Hermes.

He knew it was a problem. So he started wearing American shirts, and then he got his ties, which looked quite a bit like Hermes ties, from this little company called Vineyard Vines. But they’re Massachusetts-made.

But even then, I don’t think Kerry overcame his problem of appearing to be an effete, elite northeasterner in the American mind.

We Americans don’t like politicians to be too flashy. If you want to make it in national politics, you’ve got to be low-key, formal. You’ve got to look prepared for the job, serious, grown-up.

Cole: And not call attention to your clothes, right?

Anton: Some people can get away with it. FDR dressed like the patrician he was. And occasionally he did really crazy things like wearing that cape at Yalta.

But that was in the pre-television, pre-Internet age. It was probably easier to be a little bit dandified than it would be today. Truman was actually a very spiffy president, double-breasted all the time, bow ties, hats. He had been a haberdasher and was clearly into it. But in the end, I claim, his clothes brought him down. Eisenhower was the absolute epitome of a kind of middle-American, stolid, conservative dresser.

I rank FDR, Kennedy, and Reagan as the most elegant presidents, because all of them combined dandification and formality successfully, though in different ways. And Johnson? There is a wonderful quote that I got from Tom Wolfe where Johnson, who sort of dresses like a hick, becomes Kennedy’s running mate. And Kennedy at the time was getting his suits made in England—this became a controversy by the way, because it suggested a taste for the high life. Any American politician who gets a Savile Row-made suit and tries to run for office will find that it’s a problem because it marks you as an elitist and because you’re not buying American.

In Hatless Jack, Neil Steinberg explains how Kennedy actually had a press conference in which he announced he’d gotten another tailor, a New York tailor, and explained that he was getting his suits made in New York, and that guy charged more than Savile Row charged at the time, but at least the controversy died down.

Cole: Nobody raised the issue that he had a bespoke suit though, right?

Anton: It was more accepted in those days if you were, you know, well-born and a high-ranking official.

Cole: When I first started going to Italy, this was sort of the transitional era when buying something off the rack was something you didn’t do. As an impoverished graduate student, I had all my suits made by a tailor who worked with his wife, parents, and assorted cousins.

Anton: In Italy today, the bespoke industry is thriving as it is nowhere else.

Cole: But you could afford to do that back then. That’s the difference.

Anton: Right.

Cole: But we were talking about Kennedy.

Anton: Yes. He popularized the two-button suit, which was sort of a big deal at the time because Americans had by and large been wearing the three-button suit for fifteen years. He updated the Ivy League look that dominated America from 1945 through the fifties. Kennedy spruced it up, gave it a few English touches, and smartened it a little bit, like what Brummel did for country clothes.

But, as I was saying about Johnson, he dressed off the rack in Texas, and then he becomes Kennedy’s running mate. He sees these suits that fit Kennedy so fabulously well. So Johnson goes to Savile Row and says to the tailor, "Make me look like a British diplomat." And he started getting Savile Row from that point on.

Cole: You know, that’s interesting. I don’t know if you’ve read Caro’s biography.

Anton: No, I haven’t.

Cole: I’m not sure that’s right, because Caro talks about how, once he got into the Senate, Johnson was fanatical about clothes, and he wanted the absolute best clothes he could get and the most expensive clothes and evidently had a big collection of cuff links. But you also have a very interesting passage on Carter.

Anton: A lot of what I say about politicians’ clothing is intended tongue in cheek, but I do think Carter really hurt himself dressing the way he did. It suggested a downgrading of the presidency, of making it smaller. Take the address from the Oval Office in a sweater about how we all need to cut our energy use. Well, the message may have been appropriate at the time, but the clothes didn’t help.

I think he thought he was leading by example. But that undercut his image quite a bit. Reagan won the election for much larger reasons than clothing. But part of it indeed was how presidential Reagan looked in his crisply tailored Hollywood suits.

Cole: Reagan wouldn’t go into the Oval Office without a tie and a jacket.

Anton: Right. I worked for the Bush White House, and this current president is the same way. But Reagan came out of Hollywood and was the first president in a long time to dress not in the quintessential American Ivy League way. His suits were a lot more fitted. They had very strong shoulders as opposed to the more slouchy Ivy League look, very fitted in the waist, tapered, trim, always French-cuffed shirt, and the spread collar, and the big windsor knot, which is something I don’t actually like, but it looked good on him. And always a white handkerchief in the breast pocket of his jacket.

Cole: He could wear clothes, definitely.

Anton: And he famously revived the brown suit, which had become a kind of joke. Sometime in the seventies the brown suit became a mark that you were from the Midwest, a bad marker, not marking you as a good, down-home American, but as a rube. But Reagan brought it back to life.

Cole: And is it thriving, the brown suit?

Anton: Depends on where you go. London has had a prejudice against brown in town from time immemorial, although the Federation of Merchant Tailors, which is the trade association of London tailors, issued a press release in 1993 saying the rule has been repealed. No doubt they were just saying, We want to do anything we can to boost sales. However, brown is still hardly ever seen in London, and in finance and the major industries, you will not see it, and wearing it will be considered a faux pas.

The Italians love brown suits, and my dandy friends also love brown suits. There is a sense that it’s fine for almost everything, except you wouldn’t wear it to a job interview, you wouldn’t wear it to a major presentation where you are the focus of attention. Other than that, I’d say it’s a great alternative.

Cole: Well, this has been terrific.

Anton: Thanks for having me.

Jiffy Steamer

2009-12-27T09:15:00.000-05:00

My days of trying (and failing) to relax wrinkles with a steaming hot shower are over. For Christmas I received the pictured Jiffy personal garment steamer. Steaming is the gentlest method for removing wrinkles from fabric. Ironing crushes and scorches the fibers of fabric; steam relaxes the fibers and causes the wrinkles to release.

Jiffy is the world's oldest manufacturer of garment steamers, having made them in United States since 1940. I received model J-2000M, the model recommended for home use. It is built like a Sherman tank with heavy brass, wood and steel. To use you simply fill the water reservoir with clear water and flip on the switch. Within two or three minutes a steady stream of steam is gushing from the metal steam head. To steam a hanging garment you lightly touch the fabric with the steam head and the wrinkles instantly vanish. I have successfully tested the steamer on wool sweaters, cotton dress shirts and tailored suits. In each case the steam quickly and gently freshened those garments. I would highly recommend a Jiffy steamer.

Southern Proper

2009-12-26T21:28:00.001-05:00

I hope that everyone is enjoying the holidays. Yesterday I received several lovely, thoughtful and stylish gifts that will be fodder for a number of posts in the days to come. I received three pocket handkerchiefs as gifts. Two were white linen hanks that are always appropriate and infinitely useful. Both pocket squares were purchased in South Carolina; one came from Ben Silver in Charleston and the other from Rush Wilson in Greenville. The third is the pictured pheasant-themed plum and olive pocket square from Southern Proper, headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Southern Proper, run by two proper young Southern belles, markets clothing that could best be described as Southern preppy. Here is some background on Southern Proper from their website:

Men of the south have always been noted for their distinguishable décor and dress. Their honey-soaked accents and captivating manners charm women from all parts of the world. However, it's the tradition of sophisticated and influential attire that completes their status as gentlemen; for field or fancy, men of the South are always well-dressed. Furthermore, southern men with their modest but strong sense of style have admittedly been dressed by the daintiest of hands.

With this in mind, and after several years of dressing their own southern beaus, Emilie Claire Henderson (fondly known as Emmie) and Reagan Elizabeth Hardy, decided it was time to take their respect for men and their love for fashion to a new level; combining elements of southern heritage and classic haberdashery, they developed Southern Proper, a southern-inspired line of clothing, neckties, bowties and accessories for men who have a deep appreciation for style and heritage. Complimenting the southern gentlemen's courteous manners and sweet humility, this line of clothing is pleated and tied, crisp and certain.

If women can be described without insult by a recipe, then Emmie has all the ingredients for a cool, glass of lemonade. Her style is classic and refreshing, with a touch of prim sweetness. Born and raised on a farm in Ripley, Tennessee, Emmie's demeanor is as soft and simple as the cotton she helped harvest during her childhood. Whether she's planting or politicking, Emmie casually flips her collars and delicately drapes her sweaters.

With a twist of pearls and a twang of spirit, Reagan is all sass and shag. Her eclectic wardrobe is silky and strawberry, with a little bit of posh tucked in the corners of her closet. Raised in Kinston, North Carolina, Reagan spent most of her time on the front porches of the Carolina Coast. Her graceful and extravagant style is best for walking after midnight, and if you meet her on the path, you realize she might still have a little sand in her too-high heels.

Using elements of their own distinct styles, Reagan and Emmie, women who believe in old-fashioned love and new-fashioned trends, have created a company for the southern men they adore. As the old saying goes, "Look your best, but more importantly, hang your arm on someone who looks his best too." These belles of the barn and beach tie together timeless with down home southern heritage like a well-knotted bow tie. Reagan and Emmie are all things southern, and certainly all things proper.

The Presidential Fold

2009-12-19T16:59:00.001-05:00

There is anecdotal evidence that the Presidential fold of a pocket square got its name around the time that President Harry S. Truman was in office. The sober Presidential fold (also known as the flat fold) is quite similar to the TV fold in that both reveal a straight narrow strip of fabric above the breast pocket. While the end results are similar, the execution differs. As I explained in my last post, the TV fold is done on the diagonal. In contrast, the Presidential fold is done on the square.

To execute the Presidential fold simply fold the square into quarters. Make sure that the hand-rolled edges are at the top and right. Depending on the size of the hank, it may be necessary to fold the left edge under to make the handkerchief narrow enough to fit into your breast pocket. Fold the bottom up an appropriate amount to accomodate the depth of the pocket. Finally, arrange the folded pocket square in your breast pocket so that a straight narrow strip of fabric is revealed.

The TV Fold

2009-12-17T20:31:00.000-05:00

There are quite a number of different ways that a man may fold a pocket square before he stuffs it into his breast pocket. The so-called "TV fold" is one of the more understated (some would say boring) methods of displaying a pocket handkerchief. The fold's roots can be traced to the pioneering broadcasters of the 40s and 50s. Above is an early photograph of Walter Cronkite displaying a white linen pocket square folded in this style.

To execute a TV fold first fold the pocket square in quarters. Then fold the square diagonally to create a triangle. Fold together the two bottom points of the triangle so that they overlap in the center. Flip the handkerchief so that the remaining point is facing downward and the smooth side of the hank is facing out. Arrange the folded handkerchief in your breast pocket so that about a quarter of an inch of straight fabric is visible above the top of the pocket.

Yellow Gloves

2009-12-12T12:40:00.002-05:00

Pictured are my new pair of yellow deerskin dress gloves. They were handcrafted in Wisconsin by the Berlin Glove Company that has operated in Berlin, WI, since 1869. My purchase was inspired by several photographs I saw on The Sartorialist blog of men wearing yellow gloves. As you may see, yellow gloves add a nice splash of bright color to otherwise dreary winter attire.

Styles of Dress

2009-12-09T18:40:00.000-05:00

Compare and contrast these three images from The Sartorialist. Each is good example of a distinct style of dress. Notice that with each style a different piece of colorful attire takes center stage.

The first man is dressed in a style that is typically seen on many American men. The tie is the main focal point. It seems that most men in the United States, myself included, own and wear a wide variety of colorful patterned ties. Those ties add some life and interest to the humdrum white and blue dress shirts available at the local mall.

A brightly-colored shirt is the central focus of the man's attire in the second photograph. Notice how the conservative suit and plain necktie take a back seat to the shirt. This is a characteristic of the English style of dress where flamboyant bespoke shirts are available on London's Jermyn Street. The propensity of Brisitsh men to limit their wardrobe to either solid ties, or rep ties pronouncing allegience to a particular school, club or regiment, left room for the rise of fancy shirts as the dominant article of clothing in English dress.

While the English experiment with colorful shirts, the Italians widely experiment with daring suit cloth and vibrant accessories. This Itialian style requires a subtle canvas, popularly known as the Italian Background, upon which to display these showy items of apparel. The Italian Background is simply a plain black or dark blue necktie on a light blue shirt. Notice in the third picture how this subtle background provides balance for the bright blue coat.

To Cuff or Not to Cuff?

2009-12-08T00:04:00.000-05:00

Some men espouse a rule that pleated pants should have cuffs and that flat-front trousers should remain uncuffed. I do not believe that such a strict rule exists; whether to cuff your pants is more a matter of personal style and preference.

There are some practical considerations that one should contemplate when deciding whether to cuff a pair of pants. Cuffs are appropriate on odd trousers to be worn with blazers and sport jackets. They are equally appropriate on suit pants. However, cuffs are inappropriate for formal wear.

Cuffs add weight to the bottom of the trouser leg; this may help pleats drape more properly. The extra fabric of cuffs at the bottom of the leg also visually balances the added volume of pleats at the top. On the other hand, trousers without cuffs look sleeker because the line of the leg remains unbroken. This fact is especially important for short men. A horiztonal cuff breaks that long visual line and will make a short man's legs look even shorter.

When it comes to cuffs, the choice is yours. You really can't make a wrong decision. But the next time your tailor asks if you want cuffs, give some thoughtful consideration to these factors before making an informed choice based on your own style and preference. At least then there will be some reason behind the decision.

A Classic Jacket

2009-12-06T20:23:00.000-05:00

I have written several times about my appreciation for hunting-inspired clothing. One such item, the Barbour waxed-cotton jacket, is one of the classiest pieces of outerwear that one may own. J. Barbour & Sons was founded by John Barbour in England in 1894. Their classic jacket is woven from long-pile Egyptian cotton that is then impregnated with a weatherproof coating of wax. Over time this wax cracks and sheds to provide an appealing careworn apperance. The substantial zipper has large brass teeth and a strudy ring pull. The roomy pockets provide plenty of space for life's necessities. The collar is hard-wearing corduroy.

Bernhard Roetzel wrote, in Gentleman: A Timeless Fashion, that the Barbour jacket "protects you from bad weather, but also protects you from being improperly dressed. ... The Barbour is neither excessively costly nor especially difficult to get ahold of. But it conveys taste, a sense of style, and an attachment to tradition - particularly if it is old and extensively patched."

You may notice that three Coats of Arms appear on the Barbour label. They represent the Royal Warrants of Queen Elizabeth II, HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, and Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. Their prescence on the label means that Barbour has been given the prestigous honor of being appointed to supply these members of the British Royal Family.

The jacket is great paired with jeans and a sweater in town on the weekend. It is equally at home in the country. My Barbour jacket has kept me warm and dry on many occassions of inclement weather in the field.

Consider investing in a Barbour jacket. It may well be the last jacket you ever have to buy.

Tom James

2009-12-03T10:06:00.000-05:00

On the referral of a friend, I met yesterday with a representative of Tom James. Tom James is a company that offers made-to-measure clothing and wardrobe advice. They claim to be the world's largest manufacturer and retailer of custom clothing. One of their selling points is that their representatives will come to your home or office to outfit your wardrobe; this may be a draw for men who find shopping inconvenient.

I went into the meeting with an open mind, but armed with some negative preconceived notions about what to expect. I had researched the company on a number of the style forums that I have previously mentioned in this blog. Many men have complained on those forums that the representatives from Tom James are high pressure salesmen, not knowledgeable tailors. Nevertheless I agreed to a meeting out of curiosity.

The Tom James representative arrived at my office at the scheduled time. While we engaged in some introductory small talk, I examined his attire. His clothing fit reasonably well, but one negative thing jumped out immediately at me. The pinstripe of his suit was a repeating pattern of letters spelling out T O M J A M E S T O M J A M E S T O M J A M E S. That struck me as a bit cheesy and flashy. On a more minor note, his breast pocket was empty.

The representative asked me some preliminary questions about my wardrobe needs and explained their services. He highlighted the convenience of their in-office services, and offered to outfit me in everything from underwear to suits. On the issue of their custom suits, I asked if there would be any fittings during the process. He looked a bit confused and explained that the factory would make a pattern from the measurements taken in my office and then deliver a finished suit that could be altered if necessary. If you were to have a suit made by tailor, you should expect several fittings during the process so that any major errors in the pattern may be corrected early in the process. I'm afraid the method used by Tom James could result in a hot mess.

The representative suggested some packages of suits, shirts and ties. When I told him that I was not currently in need of shirts or ties he moved on without the expected high pressure sales pitch. I told him I could use a pair of basic gray pants to wear with navy blazers or tweed jackets. He produced some fabrics at different price points, but was unable to explain why one set of fabric was better or higher priced than another.

I decided, out of curiosity more than anything, to order one pair of gray flat front trousers. The representative took four measurements - waist, seat, length and rise. The only detailing option he offered was whether to add cuffs to the bottom of the legs.

We scheduled a meeting in January for delivery of the pants. My expectations are not high, but I will be curious to examine the fit and quality of the pants. I will give an update in January when the pants are complete.

Black Suit for Business?

2009-11-29T20:27:00.000-05:00

Black wool is for formal wear. Black and white is striking at night, but in the daylight black is too severe for the complexion of most men; suits in blue, gray and brown are much more flattering for the majority of complexions. Futhermore, dark blue, charcoal and dark brown are a much better accompaniment for the shirts, ties and shoes that a man is likely to wear in a business setting.

The Blue & the Gray

2009-11-28T09:48:00.000-05:00

The title of this post does not refer to the 1982 television miniseries about the War of Northern Aggression. Instead I refer to the classic color combination of gray and blue. Consider combining a gray suit with a white shirt and blue tie. A navy suit combined with a light blue shirt and gray tie works equally well. For the weekend try a dark pair of blue jeans with a light gray cashmere sweater. When selecting your attire, remember the blue and the gray.

The Propriety of a Monogram

2009-11-26T20:59:00.000-05:00

Some men choose to stylishly personalize their bespoke dress shirts with a monogram; however, one must be careful when displaying a monogram to avoid looking pretentious. Alan Flusser wrote in Dressing the Man that "discretion is paramount to good taste, and large or conspicuously placed initials are indiscreet."

The monogram should be in small block letters. To maintain discretion, some men request that the monogram be sewn from thread that matches the shirt so the monogram nearly disappears. Others may choose a coordinating color, or even a signature color, as an exercise of personal style.

The most discrete locations for a monogram are inside the yoke or on the tail. The only person likely to see the monogram is the one who launders the shirt; keep in mind that monograms originally developed as a means of identifying shirts at the laundry. The most discrete, yet visble, location for a monogram is about five inches above the waist and to the left of the placket. The location is discrete because a buttoned jacket completely obscures the monogram. This is the location where I choose to place my monogram. My personal opinion is that other locations (i.e., breast pocket, collar, and cuff) are stylistically dangerous territory. Unless you are an auto mechanic, do you really want your name emblazoned across your chest for the whole world to see? Keep it discrete. When it comes to monograms, less is definitely more.

Fall Pocket Square from Ben Silver

2009-11-25T08:25:00.000-05:00

Ben Silver is located on historic King Street in Charleston, South Carolina. The Ben Silver Collection, available online and through print catalogs, is a tribute to classic style.

I recently purchased this wool and silk tapestry theme fall pocket square from Ben Silver. The Moghul Knights Game Hunting pocket square is woven for Ben Silver by Drakes of London. It is from the same collection as the Bird of Paradise hank that I featured in a previous post. Both patterns were inspired by paintings from India's Moghul period.

Green Gloves

2009-11-24T00:24:00.001-05:00

Yesterday a package arrived in the mail from Chester Jefferies containing a new pair of hand-made green capeskin driving gloves that I ordered online just a few weeks ago. The Chester Jefferies website is quite easy to navigate. You may select the style of glove, the type and color of leather, and the lining. When it comes to fit you may either request a standard glove size or mail a tracing of your hand for a perfect fit. With all that, the prices are still surprisingly reasonable.

I took my inspiration from this photograph from The Sartorialist. As a side note, I have recently noticed an interesting twist on breast pocket decoration. Instead of wearing a pocket square, some men are adorning their breast pocket with a pair of gloves. I first noticed this practice in some of the photographs from The Sartorialist. The Paul Stewart Holiday 2009 catalog that came in the mail yesterday also includes a photograph showing a jacket breast pocket decorated with a pair of gloves. I like the look; maybe I'll give it a try with my new green gloves.

Contrast in Texture

2009-11-23T07:36:00.000-05:00

Texture is one thing to consider when selecting the day's tie and pocket square combination. A contrast in texture adds interest to your attire. If you plan to wear a lustrous silk tie, consider a matte pocket handkerchief like linen or cotton. It is hard to go wrong with the classic combination of silk tie and white linen pocket square. On the other hand, the dulled surface of a wool or linen tie benefits from the sheen of a of silk hank.

Pocket Handkerchiefs: Coordinate, Don't Match

2009-11-13T00:27:00.001-05:00

Your pocket handkerchief should not match your tie. Instead, your pocket handkerchief should coordinate with some other element of your attire. For instance, you may wish to coordinate your pocket handkerchief with a secondary color from your tie or a stripe in your shirt. A solid colored tie might coordinate with a patterned pocket handkerchief. You could display a white linen pocket square to complement a contrast collar dress shirt.

Coordinating a pocket handkerchief with your attire is admittedly a challenge, primarily because there are no hard and fast rules to guide you in the selection; once again, that selection must be an expression of your own personal style. I encourage you to experiment with your attire. Display a pocket handkerchief that you believe coordinates well with your outfit and then listen to the comments that you receive, both positive and negative. Through that experimentation process you may begin to refine your own personal style. But along the way, keep this advice in mind: coordinate, don't match.

Mainstream "Style" Magazines for Men Really Suck

2009-11-12T04:48:00.000-05:00

I recently received one of those frequent flyer offers in the mail where you can convert unused miles into freebie magazine subscriptions. My miles were about to expire so I selected subscriptions for GQ and Esquire. Now I'm confused. Who is the target audience for these magazine? It's obviously not me. Most of the trendy clothes these magazines promote could only be worn by some young buck in his twenties. But what college kid can afford a $2600 pea coat? Who are these fashionable little fellows with the fifty thousand dollar clothing allowances?

GQ contains approximately two pages of worthwhile style advice. Glenn O'Brien, known as The Style Guy, solves the "sartorial conundrums" of his readers. His column provides the only reasonable style advice in the entire magazine.

Esquire was arguably the style bible of the early part of the twentieth century, a time when mens' style consciousness was at its peak. You may have seen some of the old illustrations that once graced the pages of Esquire. Those illustrations gave practical style advice on matters like coordinating different items of clothing, or which colors complement different complexions. Many of those "old" illustrations still have relevance today. Remember that style is timeless. But oh how the great have fallen. What passes for style advice in the current Esquire is a photo shoot of some famous person wearing the overpriced clothing of the magazine's advertisers. The ticket price for one outfit pictured in the November 2009 issue: $17,195. Seriously?

Fortunately we live in an age where an unimaginable volume of information is readily available at our fingertips over the internet. I hope that this blog is able to provide some helpful style advice. Three other excellent blogs that I read daily are A Suitable Wardrobe, The Sartorialist, and Permanent Style. I also enjoy reading the style forums at The London Lounge, Ask Andy About Clothes, and Style Forum.

If you prefer sitting on the couch flipping pages, I would recommend two excellent books on mens' style: Alan Flusser's Dressing the Man, and Gentleman by Bernhard Roetzel. I've read some positive reviews about a new magazine called The Rake. Unfortunately it's published somewhere in Asia (I think maybe Singapore) so subscription rates are a little rough in the States. There is always Christmas......

Ralph Lauren Odd Jacket

2009-11-11T07:14:00.001-05:00

My biggest purchase during the long weekend in Charleston was a Ralph Lauren odd jacket that I bought at Grady-Ervin & Co. on King Street. The jacket is a black and white herringbone tweed with four bellows pockets and brown suede elbow patches.

I'm thinking this new jacket will work well with jeans and a sweater on the weekend, or maybe even dressed up for the office with gray flannel pants, sweater and tie, and brown suede shoes. I left the jacket in Charleston for a few alterations - shortened sleeves, an inch out of the waist, and a nip from the back of the collar. It should arrive via UPS next week. I'll post some follow-up pictures once I've had a chance to accessorize.

Silk Knots

2009-11-10T07:11:00.000-05:00

While I was in Charleston over the weekend I stopped in at Brooks Brothers on King Street. Their silk knots, regularly nine dollars each, were on sale at four for twenty dollars. And I had a twenty-five percent off coupon. Needless to say I picked up a selection of them.

Silk knots are a colorful alternative to metal cufflinks used to fasten French cuffs. These silk knots, or monkey fists, are made from three strands of elastic silk interwoven to create two round knots connected by two of the three elastic strands. Because the knots are made from three strands of elastic silk, they may be produced in one, two or even three color combinations.

Consider coordinating your silk knot with a stripe in your shirt, a check in your tie, or even your socks. The quite adventurous might even try coordinating a tri-color silk knot with three similar colors in a tweed jacket. Because of the multitude of color combinations available, the possibilities are limitless.

Middleton Place

2009-11-09T20:01:00.001-05:00

I spent a long weekend in Charleston, SC. We stayed at our favorite spot in Charleston, the Inn at Middleton Place. The Inn is sited on the bluffs overlooking the Ashley River

Awarded for its architectural design and found to be a modern counterpoint to the neighboring 18th-century Middleton Place plantation, the Inn's distinctive architecture and simple, rustic decor lends to the beauty of the property. With dramatic floor to ceiling windows that evoke a sense of living within nature and wide plantation shutters for privacy, guests enjoy the sights and sounds of nature at its finest.

Each room is furnished with handcrafted furniture, hardwood floors with braided rugs and warm cypress paneling. A wood burning fireplace adds to the ambiance and can be enjoyed during the cooler months while a 150 gallon garden tub beckons guests to relaxation. The Inn's 53 private accommodations are found in four separate, bold, geometric structures each located within a short and convenient walking distance of one another.

Just a short walk from the Inn is the garden at Middleton Place. Begun in 1741 by Henry Middleton, President of the First Continental Congress, the 60-acre formal garden is accented by ancient live oaks draped heavily in Spanish moss. Middleton Place has survived war, hurricanes and earthquakes to earn the distinction as a National Historic Landmark. If you are ever in the area, the garden is worth a visit.

In Support of the Cravat

2009-11-06T22:33:00.000-05:00

A cravat is a type of silk neckwear descended from scarves worn knotted at the neck of seventeenth century Croatian mercenaries enlisted in the French military. The word cravat derives from the French pronunciation of Hrvat, an individual of Croation heritage and ancestry. The cravat is the predecessor of the modern necktie.

In a business-casual or weekend wardrode, a cravat is an appropriate substitute for a necktie. A cravat adds a splash of color to an open-necked shirt and sublimely elevates an otherwise ordinary and mundane ensemble. Consider the photograph of Cary Grant from Alfred Hitchcock's 1955 classic To Catch a Thief. Grant's gray jacket and open-necked white shirt would appear lifeless without that splash of silk at his throat.

My source for handmade silk cravats is Beau Ties, Ltd. of Middlebury, Vermont.

If you elect to wear a cravat, be forewarned that you will receive the occassional comment regarding Thurston Howell, III. Do not be dissuaded. The person making the comment is probably wearing SpongeBob SquarePants underwear.

A Pre-Folded Pocket Handkerchief Lacks Sprezzatura

2009-11-05T23:55:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in a previous post that one issue you must consider in the display of a pocket handkerchief is the manner in which you fold it before placing it in your breast pocket. I intend to discuss in future posts a number of possible folds that you may employ; some are quite conservative, while others could be considered flashy. In the end the choice of fold is a matter of personal preference. Remember that part of dressing stylishly involves making clothing choices that reflect your personality.

I would recommend that you avoid using a pre-folded pocket handkerchief. A pre-folded pocket handkerchief is a piece of fabric that is pristinely folded and attached to a piece of cardboard that holds the cloth perfectly in your breast pocket. Using one is akin to wearing a clip-on tie. The problem with a pre-folded pocket handkerchief is that it is too perfect. It lacks the carelessness necessary to be stylish.

Count Baldesar Castiglione in The Book of the Courtier (1528) coined the Italian word sprezzatura which generally translates as "deliberately calculated nonchalance." Castiglione warns that one should "avoid affectation to the uttermost and as it were a very sharp and dangerous rock; and, ... to practice in everything a certain sprezzatura that shall conceal design and show that what is done and said is done without effort and almost without thought. From this I believe grace is in large measure derived, because everyone knows the difficulty of those things that are rare and well done, and therefore facility in them excites the highest admiration; while on the other hand, to strive ... is extremely ungraceful, and makes us esteem everything slightly, however great it be."

When applied to your wardrobe, sprezzatura means carefully making clothing choices so that it appears little thought was put into their selection. In other words you don't want to look like you are trying too hard. A pre-folded pocket handkerchief has that affected and unwanted look. An imperfectly folded pocket square is perfection. That is sprezzatura.