Look Like Him

Ever since my buddy posted this on Pinterest (did we finally get to the day that dudes are actually typing sentences like that?) I've been somewhat obsessed with finding lavender socks. I mean look at the outstanding "POP" it has getting all up in your face.

Well, today my friend, consider them found!

After all my searching in every store I've been to that carries socks, I finally hunkered down with my friend Google images, and through a link of a link...found another link that led me to these.

"Houndstooth is one of the truly classic patterns gentleman have been wearing for well over 100 years. The lavender colour on these Bugatchi dress socks are a perfect way to welcome the spring."

I don't care if it's Spring or not, $25 may seem like a lot for socks but I've been looking and there's not a lot of good substitutes for this. Sometimes you just have to pay more than TJ Maxx to venture out for quality accessories.

Don't let the shoe overpower here. It should be complementary, but the sock is the star of the show. The sock is what people are going to stop you to comment on...even though the shoes may cost twelve times as much.

Any plain Walnut colored shoe should do the trick, right? In this case, Allen Edmonds' Carlyle would show you've got class...and the socks put the punctuation mark on you having style.

But, let me give you something else to think about. Is maybe part of what makes this work the contrast outside of the color?

What??  Well, we can see the contrast in color (lavender vs. tan and blue)...we can see it in pattern (houndstooth vs. leather grain and perhaps chambray)...but we can also see it in the straight lines on the pants and shoe stitching vs. the houndstooth of the sock.

So subtle, but this is the kind of thing that can really take you to the next level.  So maybe you want something more angular like the Cole Haan Copley Plain Derby below. The color is off (the Allen Edmonds nails it) but I want to give you an idea of what I'm talking about with the more angular vs. curved stitching.

Finally I'll add I'm not a huge fan of cuffs. But in this instance if you have them, it adds a couple of those nice little extra lines to the outfit I was talking about

And if you get them hemmed a little higher than usual (with no break) so you can show off a little bit of sock while standing, it'll add weight to keep the pant legs pulled down in a really nice way. 

What do you think? Got a favorite pair of socks people need to be sporting? Tell us all in the comments.

Maybe this is going to sound out there, but I'm a convert. I love my suede shoes. 

I barely even wear socks in the summer now, and I definitely don't shy away from suede in the cooler months. (I am a big believer in texture after all!) Especially when I can get some White Bass or Tan Buks from DSW for only $50-$80.

But before I was an owner, I was a worrier. How was I going to keep them clean, what if they got a spot of rain on them, or worse yet what if someone spilled a drink on them? Well, while you don't want to soak them, there are precautions you can take. 

Today's post is a bit of a cheat since J. Crew did all the work...but Pinterest is just a collection of other people's photos and they're a huge success, right? So without further ado, thank you J. Crew Blog:

Even without all this care, I've been getting tons of use out of my suede. Walking the dog (and having that dog step on my feet), hiking around monuments, seeing the super messy nieces and nephews (and having those relatives step on my feet), going to bars...I even think I helped change someone's tire. And my shoes are still in great shape. 

I have to give a huge shout out to J. Crew for making such a great pictorial guide...but I also have to chastise them for charging so much for their kit.

$98 for the Cleaner, Protector, Pumice Bar...and the leather case. Don't forget about that leather case, because it's costing you $73!

Instead, you can just buy the parts (without the case) from J. Crew separately. The same cleaner, $8. The same protector, $8. The same Pumice Stone and brush, $9.  Much more reasonable.

In fact, you want to get reasonable...go directly to Rochester Shoe Tree Company and get the Pumice Stone there instead, which also includes a brush, for only $7.50.  (you may not actually be saving any money when you include shipping, but I want to give you the option)

There you have it. I'm not trying to sell you some extended warranty on a TV here. But I am saying $23.50 to protect multiple pairs of shoes (like those featured just last week in my Suitsupply Fall Wave of Wool post) may help make your decision to wear suede a little more palatable.

Got a favorite color suede shoe for a certain outfit, or an opinion on when you should and shouldn't wear this shoe? Let us know in the comments section below.

Light Grey Bodywarmer - Suitsupply $229

On the one hand, today's outfit is easy. Everything in the pic above is made by a company named Beckett & Robb. Not only will they custom make the flannel blazer and wrinkle-free shirt for you, they'll also make you the tie, pocket square, and tie bar.

But, depending on the cloth you choose, a Beckett & Robb suit can cost from $695 to over $7,000.

So what if you wanted to put this together on your own? Or...more importantly...you want to understand why it works? Aha! Now you're talking my language. So let's explore...

When wearing patterns, one of the basics to pull it off well is to make sure you vary the scale...the ratio of designs in proportion to each other. 

On today's model, the "squares per inch", if you will, are different on the shirt, the pocket square, and the blazer.

Simple concept, right? So let me construct this backwards to bring it back around to that point.

Putting aside scale for a moment, we start with the tie. The Tie Bar has this in Navy for $25. They also have a darker shade called Midnight Navy that doesn't have as much blue in it. I point them both out so you can make sure to get the right one. I've found mine surprisingly versatile in the number of outfits it works with.

For $15, you can also get the 2" tie bar from The Tie Bar (that only makes sense, right?). Gotta love this company for its variety of products and affordable prices.

And, as long as we're on a roll, go ahead and pick up your pocket square from The Tie Bar for only $8. You can go with Royal Blue if you want to draw a little more attention, or get Navy if you want to play it a little more conservative. Either one should be just a shade different enough from your tie to work well.

Before this becomes an out-and-out ad for The Tie Bar (I swear they're not paying me right now) the pocket square gives us our first chance to talk about scale. Since we know the size of the squares on the pocket square, the grid on the shirt and the jacket need to be of a different ratio. So...

You may come across the following shirt and think it would work. It will, but if you're anything like me the price will be a little hard to swallow.

Described as "impeccably detailed", it should be. This Armani Collezioni shirt is $245! I've seen suits I would wear that were on sale for less than that. 

So you keep looking and you come across this next shirt from Lands' End. Are you maybe tempted to get it as an alternative?

Watch out, this is where it all comes together and we can make a mistake. It's a very subtle difference, but look at the scale of the squares below.

The grid of the shirt on the left from Lands' End is just about the same size as the one on the pocket square. We need a different scale to really make this pop, so the one from Armani on the right is a much better choice, it gives us about a 2-to-1 scale difference.

Again, this is a small detail, but it can make a big difference in nailing that outfit and bringing your look to the next level.

Now, you don't have to pay almost $250 to get a shirt, so here is pretty solid option from one of my favorites, Charles Tyrwhitt. Only $35. Nailed it!.

Now, for our final act, the blazer. Like I mentioned in the beginning, you can just buy it from Beckett & Robb and be done with it. But, with our new found knowledge, you can also figure out for yourself what windowpane blazer works for you.

And in case you just don't want to think, here's a hint: almost any windowpane blazer!

Just try to make sure the fabric under the wide windowpane doesn't also include squares the same size as your shirt or pocket square, and as long as the colors mesh, you should be good to go.

For instance, if I run across the Bonobos Giovanni Knit above, maybe it's worth considering. We can certainly step it up from just the henley the model is wearing.

Or, if I see the Carr blazer above has been marked down to $239 at Saks off 5th, maybe I'd consider buying that.

And if I see something ridiculously cheap on eBay, I know I can buy it and accessorize the whole thing for around $83 (shirt, tie, pocket square, tie bar).

To take it to the next step, keep in mind to use different textures when compiling your outfit. But that's a post for another day. For now, we've come full circle with our square talk, and it's time to move on.

Got a favorite place you've seen a Windowpane Blazer? Is $245 too much to pay for a shirt? Let everyone know by saying so in the comments below.

To be honest, I'd been avoiding this shirt for a long time. But during the All Hail Herringbone piece, I decided to consider the possibilities of this shirt I'd seen practically everywhere.

I went with a $35 on-sale number from the GAP similar to the one above, and it nailed the Herringbone Blazer look I was going for.  And whether you chose Denim or Chambray for yourself...you chose well. So let's explore some possibilities for outfitting yourself.

It's not just the Herringbone Blazer this shirt's gonna work with, try just about any blazer you'd match with a typical light blue shirt. Especially if the blazer is a different texture than the shirt.

The first example we have above pairs amazingly with a tweed blazer. This one is part of this season's Urban Collection from a company named Mango that I'm pretty excited about. The blazer isn't for sale yet, but will be priced at $219 according to their website. To finish it off, go with deep blue pants like the Monday True Blues you can find from Bonobos, and your choice of belt and shoe.

Above is another example of a textured blazer (this one is Linen) in a neutral tone you can combine with your denim or chambray shirt. By the way, these might be outstanding business casual or date night looks, but even with a tie you'll probably want to avoid serious business meetings.

The main thing to note about the photo above is the three textures going on.  Our Denim shirt, the Tweed Blazer, and a wool tie. This is a great excuse to break out wool. The blazer above is from Topman, and although it's no longer in their current collection, this Topman Blazer should work just as nicely. The tie is from Etsy (so basically one of a kind) but you can get a similar one from Lord & Taylor.

via Pinterest

Finally, not to beat a dead horse that this shirt goes with jackets, but you can pair your shirt with a traditional Navy blazer. This is a more warm-weather look you can pull off with seersucker pants, and a knit tie (notice once again the different types of materials combining to give the outfit visual interest).

Sweater Weather

Moving along in our journey from most formal to least, we take a pit stop at the sweater.

In our first example we've got dark pants and a cardigan. Picking a sweater that has a little blue in it helps to make this work.

  

You can also use the Denim shirt as an accent piece underneath a sweater. Showing through in the sleeves and below the waist of this Breton Stripe Sweater, the Denim adds an extra dimension. Not an easy sweater to find, but you can get one from the UK if you can see past the highly unattractive model, or you can get it from Ralph Lauren in a version without ribbing (but, on the bright side, probably more trim fitting).

Update: I should say this isn't an easy sweater to find cheap. The one above turns out to be a J. Crew offering which is no longer available, but was selling for $215.  You can find the manufacturer of that Bicnic II model which J. Crew sold here from Saint James, but you're still looking at well over $200 for the sweater. 

via Pinterest

It's not just for Fall and Winter, either. Layer your denim shirt under a green sweater in the Spring or when visiting Nantucket, along with some cobalt blue pants. Add boat shoes and bright belt, and prepare to be invited to the Captain's Table for dinner.

via Pinterest

And it doesn't just need to be blue. This combo looks good with dark jeans and the Triadic Color of yellow. We'll get into Triadic Color Schemes in another post, but basically the Triadic matching colors for your denim are yellow, red, and other shades of blue.

via Pinterest

Finally we mix sweater and tie to create a hybrid look. Any nice chunky cardigan, a contrasting patterned tie, and a jacket vest over your traditional khakis creates a stylish yet practical look if you're going to be stuck outside and need to stay warm.

Just Hanging Out

via Pinterest

Moving all the way to the casual end of the spectrum, do you ever find yourself needing to hold up the doorway of a coffee shop on occasion? Once again, our denim shirt comes to the rescue. Look like you've got nothing else to do just by putting on a pair of Converse high tops, a gray t-shirt, and, wait...could that be...a shade of green pants...

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That's right, green pants! like featured in Don't Shoot the Messenger (Alton Brown would be so proud), green pants can go with your shirt for another casual look. Finish it off with a timeless belt, which you should be buying on sale.

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Another example above of green pants and denim. Dark brown leather accents pair well with this combo, whether in the form of belt or multiple bracelets.

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Finally, if you still have any doubts, just take a look at who else rocks the denim shirt. David Beckham. Just last year voted one of People's sexiest men alive. Good enough for him, good enough for me.

So there you go. Completely casual (key points - sleeves rolled up, shirt untucked or slightly tucked in) or dressed to impress (key points - layer different textures, slap on a blazer) the denim shirt proves it's not a "unitasker" in the world of menswear.

Any tips on how you wear your denim shirt? Know where to get a great Breton Stripe Sweater? Help everyone out by posting in the comments below.