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Chasing The Green

4/25/2014

I was recently challenged by a buddy to come up with a first suit for an entry level analyst at his company that the guy could actually afford. By now, anyone with access to the internet knows (hopefully) that navy or charcoal gray should be the colors to go for when first starting out. While I wouldn't recommend the waistcoat for someone in an entry level position, "dressing for the career you want" mantra notwithstanding, I was able to pick up all three pieces of this for under $150. Made in Mexico, 100% wool that actually breathes decently enough, minimal padding in the shoulder, a nice trim fit through the sleeves and body, this is probably one of the last decently put together suit separates from the Stafford brand.

Navy Three-Piece suit x Stafford, Cutaway Collar Dress Shirt - MTM, Green Grenafaux Tie and Pocket Square x The Tie Bar, Socks x Alfani, Tassel Loafers x Kenneth Cole.

What you see here is pre-alteration and quite frankly, all I plan on doing (maybe) is getting the pants brought up a bit and having a 2 inch cuff added. Still haven't quite decided yet as this is my 6th navy suit of some sort (I really like navy), so not in any particular rush to do so. Again, in keeping with the spirit of affordability, I hit up the Tie Bar and picked up this green "grenafaux" tie and tipped cotton pocket square. I have a particular affinity for grenadine ties and keep a sharp eye out for them on eBay, especially when I can find a Kent Wang tie or two, but I have to say that I have no complaints about these joints from the Tie Bar. I've yet to be disappointed in how they knot either. In looking at the pictures, I probably would swap out these tassel loafers for some chocolate suede shoes, but brown would definitely be my recommendation for footwear.

Anyhow, here's looking at you kid and best of luck!

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Charcoal Check

4/15/2014

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While I like luxury items as much as the next man and definitely incorporate what I like to call "investment" pieces into my wardrobe, I also think that a man can dress reasonably well without going into hock to do so.

Adding up the total cost of every piece of clothing here, I still ended up under $100. Including the shoes would tip the scale, but again with careful shopping either at brick and mortar stores or online, one can find some real gems.

Jacket, Shirt & Tie x Stafford, Flannel Pants x Gap, Shoes x Aldo, Lapel Flower x The Knottery, Pocket Square - Fabric store, Glasses x Warby Parker, Vintage Watch x Longines.

As my wardrobe has evolved, I have been very concious about injecting color into it where possible. Once upon a time, I stuck with only dark colors because....well they were safe, almost impossible to go wrong with. Now, I rarely wear black or dark charcoal. Even though I firmly believe in the charcoal suit as a wardrobe essential, I personally stick with the lighter end of the spectrum.

However, I did like this jacket quite a bit when I saw it and for the price, I paid, it was well worth it in my opinion. My intention here was for the jacket to be the focal point of this look, so I pretty much kept everything else solid. I felt like the color of the shirt and tie played well off the color of the jacket and almost wished it were a suit versus just a jacket, but then again, that may be too much.

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Seersucker Season

4/11/2014

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Alright, l'm going to go ahead and get this out of the way. While the #menswear purists may argue otherwise, seersucker season doesn't have a strict start or finish date. Seersucker is perfect on a day where the temperature is warm because the woven wrinkles in the fabric prevent it from sticking to your body. This gives it a light-weight, breathable quality. Good quality seersucker is typically made from cotton, and even though you can find it in synthetic fabrics like rayon, I personally would not recommend going that route.

Now to drop a little knowledge garnered from the great "innanets". Seersucker was originally developed in India and eventually became really popular in the warm temperature of the South. The name "seersucker" comes from the Hindi term "sirsakar", which had been borrowed from the Persian compound "shiroshakar", meaning 'milk and sugar'. This was due to the resemblance of the fabric's smooth and rough stripes to the smooth surface of milk and the bumpy texture of sugar.

Seersucker fabric varies between a tight and losse yarn in the warp, which gives it the signature crinkled look. As your wardrobe evolves beyond the basics, a well-tailored seersucker suit in a basic light blue or grey pattern could be a very nice addition. When wearing seersucker pants by themselves, stick with a great fitting dress shirt as a t-shirt does not pair well with the dressier look of seersucker pants. White is definitely always a great go to, but a light pink or pale yellow could work just as well.

Navy Jacket x JCP, White Oxford Cloth Button Down x Stafford, Red Seersucker Pants x Banana Republic, White Chuck Taylors x Converse, Random Pocket Square, Weekender Watch x Timex, Glasses x GANT by Michael Bastian.

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"Tight Knit"

4/8/2014

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The official beginning of Spring also marks the beginning of my wardrobe rotation - putting away heavier, darker fabrics and pulling out lighter, brighter colors. For the last couple of years, I've particularly looked forward to each first wear of this suit after winter as it comes with fond memories marking my first experience with made-to-measure suiting.

With the fairly recent proliferation of made-to-measure suiting companies, I am now fully aware that I paid far too much but I wanted the works. Afterall, go big or go home, right? Right. All things taken into consideration, I still continue to be pleased with the outcome and now have a set of measurements that I can use for almost anything and serve as motivation to maintain my current weight.

Made to Measure Suit & Shirt x Tom James, Knit Tie x Polo, Pocket Round x The Tie Bar, Socks x English Laundry, Tassel Loafers x Zara, Datejust Watch x Rolex, Cufflinks x Joseph Abboud, Glasses x Gant by Michael Bastian.

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Chasing The Green

Charcoal Check

Seersucker Season

"Tight Knit"

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