Archive
“Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music – the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.”
Henry Miller, 1950.
Rosé with these spectacular people @mrjonathanevans @tor_nado (at Brooklyn Bridge Wine Bar)
Real People: Tassel Loafers and Layers
Over the past few months I’ve really enjoyed the outfits from Jeremy in Philadelphia. His style is fun but not too eccentric. I’d even argue some of his style is a bit conservative in nature, however, with a modern fit.
After looking through his photos, I noticed two common things he wears quite often: suede tassel loafers and a layer underneath his jacket.
I like suede tassel loafers a lot. They pair nicely with more sporty clothing and fabrics. And if you’re a person who likes to go sockless in the summer, they are, in my experience, more comfortable to wear. Jeremy’s worn them with chinos, a khaki suit and denim and I think that demonstrates how versatile a pair (or two) can be.
In regards to his extra layer, often in the form of a v-neck or a waistcoat, I first thought it was more a function of the cooler weather recently. But I really liked his three-piece suit and realized it’s a bit of a distinguishing characteristic of his and it’s nice to see someone make it regularly a part of their style.
-Kiyoshi
Real People: Braces
For a while now I’ve been thinking about trouser fit. As a consequence, the idea of braces (a.k.a.: suspenders) has crossed my mind as well. Looking at these photos from Edvard from Armenia, I’m convinced that if I do look to purchase a custom suit in the future, the trousers will not have belt loops — instead: braces buttons and side-adjusters.
Braces can keep your trousers up better than a belt can, especially if you’re like me and have developed a slight beer gut that pushes the waistband of your trousers down. The suspension keeps them at the proper height throughout the day without the need to restrict the waist and rumple the waistline as you would when tightening a belt. Or so goes the theory. I haven’t tried it yet myself, but I see enough guys praise braces to make me very interested in giving them a shot.
Going with braces makes even more sense on a double-breasted suit, as it allows them to stay hidden and out of view. Traditionally, some will refer to braces as a form of underwear that should never be seen and concealed by a jacket or waistcoat at all times. That view probably isn’t widely held today — nor are braces widely worn — but I think it’s a fair point and worth considering.
-Kiyoshi
Real People: The Three-Piece Suit
It seems a bit rare to find three-piece suits. For one, not many retailers even carry them and the few that do have a very narrow selection. I still think they are a welcome choice for cold weather, giving a bit more insulation for your torso and elevating one’s appearance. Erik from Sweden has a pair of three-piece suits that I found myself admiring.
One thing I’d like to point out is how the waistcoats perform their function quite well of covering the waist completely. Too often I see photos of guys wearing waistcoats that are too short for their torsos, exposing their shirt and waistline of the trousers underneath.
Finally, it’s worth noting the coherency of the outfits. Both suits are made of more casual, country fabrics — tweed and large checked flannel. This means more casual shirts (a checked shirt and a blue shirt instead of white) and appropriate footwear (country tan brogue boots and chocolate suede). There is no mixing of city and country in the outfit.
-Kiyoshi
Real People: Colorful dressing
As part of an ongoing series, Put This On will be featuring real men with great style.
I first noticed Ingemar from Sweden when he posted a photo of himself wearing a pair of headphones from UrbanEars that were covered in Harris Tweed fabric, which I thought was a rather unique use of the material.
But once I checked out his Pinterest page, I really enjoyed his sense of style that injected color into his wardrobe of tweeds and heavier wools. His use of layering with colorful waistcoats and v-necks to provide contrast to his jackets reoccurs many times and I think it’s a great technique. Framing the complimentary color with the jacket provides a pleasing visual counterbalance.
Sometimes, I find color distracting, but Ingemar does a fantastic job of bringing a cheerfulness to his outfits with it that doesn’t overreach.
-Kiyoshi
Real People: City and Country
As part of an ongoing series, Put This On will be featuring real men with great style.
Alex in Seoul has a typical conservative business dress look that is actually more colorful than you’d think at first glance. Against the background of a dark grey suit, the burgundy grenadine tie sits against a blue pinstriped shirt. Overall, the look is balanced. If he’d attempted to go with a pocket square in blue silk, it’d push the outfit over from CBD and into more fanciful territory. The white pocket square to me shows restraint — in a good way — that makes his city-appropriate outfit work.
Meanwhile, Andrew in Atlanta has a country casual outfit that I immediately found intriguing for a variety of reasons. Most noticeable is the jacket, featuring four patch pockets on the front — including one button-down flapped pocket on each breast. Because the sport coat is a woody tweed though and has other refined county jacket details like a throat latch on the lapel, it actually doesn’t look as outrageous as it might on a different fabric or context. Paired with grey flannels, a button-down collared shirt and a knit tie, the outfit as a whole has a cohesive look for the outdoors.
-Kiyoshi
Sometimes people send me horrible clothing items. I rarely post them. These, though… these are in a class of their own. Chainmail toe shoes. Astonishing.
And that’s without even getting into the part of their marketing copy which reads, “Get undivided attention of friends and people around you – and have fun!”
Goodness, gracious. If your primary sartorial issue is that people’s attention to you and your shoes isn’t undivided… oof.
(via Boingboing)
As part of an ongoing series, Put This On will be featuring real men with great style.
New Year’s Eve is an obvious time for men to not just dress well, but dress a step or two above how they ordinarily would for the evening. But that can be interpreted differently, by these three men.
Sebastian from Austria’s full black tie ensemble stays true to the rules and looks great. Peaked lapels, wing collar, waistcoat and opera pumps are all elements of a classic evening look that really is timeless and elegant. And, if you click here you can see an awesome bonus shot of Sebastian donning a pith helmet.
Esosa from Fresno goes a step down in formality but manages to pull off a rare look in a black suit, which he only wears for New Year’s Eve. And it looks impressively sharp and fits perfectly. The black silk knit tie and white pocket square keeps things simple. I think it’s tough for most men to wear a black suit, but this is a great example of how to do it and the context in which it works quite well.
Timo from Vienna (who blogs at blazerandtie) goes one notch down in formality, moving toward navy and away from black. The light blue shirt and navy tie match the jacket’s color and the pink pocket square adds just a bit of contrasting warmth to the outfit’s otherwise neutral, monochromatic tones.
-Kiyoshi
Real People: Suits & Black Shoes
As part of an ongoing series, Put This On will be featuring photos from real men with great style.
Lately, I’ve found myself sharing the opinion that if you’re dressed for business in a suit that black shoes will look the best. This isn’t to say brown shoes are “wrong”, but I’ve really grown to like the look of shiny black oxfords with a suit, and these two gentlemen look remarkably good in conservative suits with black shoes.
First, Jeff in Louisville (a.k.a.: The Thrifty Gent) wears a mid-grey suit with a navy dotted tie and simple white square. Not only is the fit of the suit great, but none of the elements stand out too much from each other. It’s a very neutral set of colors and the black plain-toe shoes work quite to compliment the look rather than contrast it.
Second, we have Bruce from New York City, who always looks elegant in the outfits he posts. While you could certainly say the double-breasted dark suit is quite conservative, he’s livened up his look with teal-colored necktie that also ads some visual texture along with some brilliant blue cufflinks. Still, the black shoes don’t fight the overall look and try to stand out — the tie stands out enough on its own.
-Kiyoshi
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