In this video, I talk about two very common mistakes men make when wearing a single-breasted jacket or blazer with two or three buttons. The mistakes involve 1.) how to button the jacket, and 2.) when or when not to button the jacket at all.
Apparently, it’s been about 15 years since Joseph Abboud showed a collection on the runway. His name hasn’t really come up on my radar in a long time, except when I’ve seen his name in collaboration with Men’s Wearhouse in ads on the sides of city buses.
In the second season of the resuscitated New York Men’s Fashion Week that took place in the first week of February, Abboud not only popped back up on the grid, he won. His brutally elegant Fall/Winter 2016 collection was filthy with rich fabrics and textures cut into classically British tailored silhouettes with an American flair. Wools, tweeds, velvets. And he really punched up the accessories with a decidedly masculine flourish. “Rugged dandyism,” he called it. And the healthy-looking, well-fed, full-grown models were part of the statement: no hairless, prepubescent waifs, and yet no overly-bearded hipsters, either. This was no bro collection. This was a fantastic collection of clothes for real men.
If you’re willing and able to drop $199 or more for a pair of Beats by Dre, the universe will surely shower you with radiant envy as a member of an exclusive club. If, however, you’re interested in a good pair of well-made headphones with fantastic sound and an elegant, understated design for $49, then hear me out…
I recently posted a link on social media to an article in Huffington Post that challenged the ethics of Canada Goose’s use of real coyote fur on their jackets. For the record, I am vehemently opposed to fur.
If you have a suit that was made in America, chances are that it was not entirely made in America, since the fabric was most likely produced somewhere else, like Italy. Last week, I attended a launch party celebrating a company that hopes to change that.
Who doesn’t need a simple, handsome, well-made and affordable dress belt? Although most of my suits are custom made without belt loops, I do have a couple of cotton summer suits that require a good dress belt. There are also those more casual situations with dress pants or dark jeans when I need a good dress belt to coordinate with my oxfords or chukka boots.
There are countless options for good dress belts, but I prefer the simplest, most understated, most elegent options for the most reasonable cost. Finding a belt at a reasonable cost is difficult, especially if you’re after a designer brand. The solution to this is usually to use a replica, like this high-quality fake Gucci belt, that will come at a very low price compared to the real one whilst still looking almost identical to the full-priced belt. Having said that, designer isn’t always something that people look for in a belt; I was convinced for a long time that J.Crew struck the best balance of quality, elegance and price with very handsome belts for $68. Recently, however, I came across a British company called Denura.
Del Singh, the founder of The Epoch Man blog (and fellow native Clevelander), sent me this terrific and simple how-to graphic demonstrating different ways to fold a pocket square. I had to share.
I don’t always wear a pocket square. When I do, I go with the “Straight Fold.” But there’s something in this nicely-executed guide for just about any preference. Enjoy!
It's finally starting to feel like winter here in NYC. Only now am I starting to pull out my cold weather essentials...
The January Spotify playlist is here. As usual, it’s a mess of a mix, crossing genres and decades with no rhyme or reason. Take what you like and leave the rest…
I subscribe to the email lists of all the brands I like. Most of the time I delete them after a cursory glance since I don’t really need anything. But when there is a worthwhile sale or something new, I’ll investigate.
Such an investigation happened this morning with an email from The Tie Bar, which touted their new January offerings. I found a few ties that just might make it into my rotation…