My First Custom Suit from Black Lapel
After a series of difficulties and an eventual breakup with an online made-to-measure company I’d been using for years, I decided to finally try Black Lapel.
Ideal Wardrobe Essentials for an American President
I’ve never made a living doing just one thing. I’ve always had side gigs here and there that supplemented my livelihood. One of my fantasy jobs would be as a wardrobe consultant for a politician, an executive or an on-camera personality. I think I’d be really good at it.
I’ve written before about the streamlined dress code of men in power, a subject that interests me greatly. Over the course of the much-ballyhooed current election cycle (or any election cycle, now that I think about it), I can’t help mentally re-dressing the candidates. Even with the inherent sartorial constraints of American politics, which entails a lot of blue, gray, white and splashes of red, there is a lot more room for elegance without being overly flashy.
The Exciting Prospect of American Woolen Company
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.
Fantasy Rebrand: Indochino
I should start by saying that I was a happy Indochino customer for years. They enabled me to afford some of the best-fitting suits I’ve ever worn and suits that rival far more expensive premium brands. I get compliments every single time I wear one of their suits or jackets.
This “fantasy rebrand” is an effort to raise the bar for the first company to put made-to-measure into the hands of men who – until Indochino – could never afford it. I think Indochino is great, but I think it could be amazing. The challenge is to elevate the brand from an entry-level “first suit” brand into a bigger league among heavier players – something that would also be attractive to a more seasoned and sophisticated suit buyer.
The Considerable Value of Suitsupply’s Blue Line
Looking better in a $500 suit than the guy who spent $5,000 is not only possible but immeasurably satisfying. One of the best resources for realizing said possibility and satisfaction is Suitsupply.
My First Suitsupply Experience
For years, I had been hearing great things about Suitsupply, the Dutch purveyor of well-made suits, clothing and accessories founded in 2000. Handsome suits with full-canvas construction, functional sleeve buttons and a very approachable price point are a very appealing idea. I had visited the website often and stopped into each of their New York stores a few times but had yet to pull the trigger on a suit until recently. I’ve been content with the suits I already own so I didn’t see the need for a new one. The ones I have fit me well, admittedly I have needed to get a few alterations in Scottsdale but that just made me more content with the fit of them. I just decided that I might as well add another suit to my collection if it’s reasonably priced.
A Killer Deal on 007’s Conduit Cut from Anthony Sinclair
When bespoke tailor Anthony Sinclair set up shop on Conduit Street in Mayfair, London, he created a signature cut of a suit characterized by a natural shoulder, a roped sleeve head, a suppressed waist and a slightly flared skirt. The design became known as the Conduit Cut.
Terence Young, the director of Dr. No (1962), was a client of Sinclair and introduced the tailor to the man who would become the template for James Bond. Sinclair continued to make all of Sean Connery’s suits throughout his original six-film tenure as 007.
An Interview on Modern Renaissance Man
I had the recent pleasure of being interviewed for Modern Renaissance Man, an up-and-coming Seattle-based style blog focusing on accessories. They posed some very interesting questions, giving me a free soapbox from which to spout my perspective on suits, “fashion” vs. “style,” trends, dressing for your age, and affordability.
Tim Gunn and His Affordable Suits
Tim Gunn is a huge advocate for shopping on a budget, and I love him for that. This is a guy who is not only a major television personality, but a fashion and style expert, a best-selling author and an exquisitely tailored influencer who always delivers. Perhaps most interestingly to me, Tim is also a man who can afford to outspend most high-rollers who aspire to look half as good as he does, and he chooses to get his suits from Suitsupply. Not a luxury label. Not a high-end designer. Suitsupply – maker of beautiful, high-quality suits at an incredibly affordable price point.
My New Old Valet
I love a classic valet. When I was growing up, my father had one that was made of a medium stained wood with a tray for coins, cufflinks and collar stays, and a rack on the base for shoes. He used it every day.
After he died, I inherited it and used it… sort-of. During my twenties, I wasn’t so into suits and hadn’t much use for the valet, which I carelessly lost on one of my numerous moves in Manhattan. When I saw one much like my dad’s in a movie recently, an urge was reignited. So I took to eBay.