Tweed: Not Just for Your Grandpa Anymore

I feel the need, the need for tweed!  Ok that was a little cliche, but I couldn't resist.  I love tweed jackets, pants, suits, hats; everything really.  And my obsession for the rough looking fabric is finally justified.  I popped open this month's issue of GQ and was stunned by the plethora of designers incorporating tweed into their modern fits and styles.  With fall right around the corner, the time is now to start checking out some tweed additions to your wardrobe.  Today I'll go over three patterns that you can consider and how this new generation of tweeds is not your grandfather's fabric.

The Tweed Sports Coat

"Yah that suit's pure herringbone. Yah, that's a suit I'd like to own." The Coasters had it right when they crooned their song, Shoppin' for Clothes.  Herringbone is probably my favorite pattern, next to Glenplaid.  I currently own a herringbone tweed sports coat, and it is easily the most versatile piece of outerwear in my wardrobe.  It works in summer as much as in winter: during the hot months I roll up the sleeves and show off some of the lining, and if I can see my breath outside then I don some fingerless wool gloves along with it.  I love matching a sports coat with a polo as well, and there are few better fabrics that will complement a polo as well as tweed does.

Billy Reid 'Rustin' Herringbone Tweed Sportcoat | Nordstrom

The Tweed Suit

I know we've all seen the goofy college professor who wore head-to-toe tweed every day of his life, but modern tweed suits are all about trim cuts and comfortable fabric that will redefine the way you think about tweed.  Now, it's not a suit you will be wearing to a black tie event, but nonetheless is an appropriate choice for most offices.  The best part of a tweed suit is that you can pair it with bold accessories: think plaid shirts, boldly colored ties, bright socks and so on.  The trick is to use one or two eye catching pieces, not all of them together.  The last thing you want is to stack them on top of each other in a seemingly endless fashion, unless you're trying to be photographed by The Sartorialist, that is.

Tweed: Always Outmanned, Never Outgunned | GQ

Tweed Pants

Now you could buy a full tweed suit and only wear it with the jacket, but that seems like a waste. Whether you utilize the pants from a suit set or buy a new pair, tweed pants are as versatile as they are fashionable. Again, bold accessories will be a great accessory for tweed pants.  As usual, make sure the fit is perfect and you have only a slight break on your shoes.

Tweed Pants for the Modern Man | Express

Thanks for reading.  As always, be dapper.

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What to Wear to an Interview: The Be Dapper Way

The interview: one of the most dreaded and intimidating moments in most men's professional careers.  Whether you're out of work and trying to immediately find a new job or are just exploring options, the interview is most likely the only face time you will get with a hiring manager before they decide on who will get a position.  Generally you're going to get between a half hour to an hour of time to speak with a prospective employer, which is why this first impression will be so important.  In my experience, I've known whether or not I wanted to hire someone within 5 minutes of speaking with them.  My guess is that most hiring managers would agree.  As such, it is incredibly important that the person you are interviewing with has a good first impression of you.  That first impression will be how you look, for better or worse.  And believe me, if you show up underdressed or look like you just bought a suit off the $99 rack, your chances of landing that job will drop like a rock.  Today I'm going to go over what you should be wearing to an interview to give a stunning first impression.

Leave the Black Suit at Home

First off, always wear a suit.  Always.  Even if the workplace is casual or the job is not in an office environment, no interviewer is going to look down on the fact that you dressed well.  However, showing up in slacks and a button up with no tie might send the wrong impression or not be appropriate for that position.  Moving on: black suits are great, they are bold without even expressly being so and work with a variety of colors and patterns.  However, your black suit is not your interview suit, not even your business suit.  Save your black suit for evenings out or dinner parties.  For an interview, you should be wearing a navy or charcoal suit.  I recommend navy, as it displays a refined level of style sense and professionalism.  Keep it single breasted, with a notch lapel and preferably two buttons. Patterns, if any, should be subtle.

Navy Suit with Brown Shoes | Freshly Educated Men

This is an Interview, Not a Fashion Show

You may have a very extensive wardrobe with many fashion-forward pieces and accessories, however this is not the time to wear your lime green knit tie and boat shoes.  If what you're wearing is getting noticed by an interviewer more than what you are saying, there is a huge problem.  For your shirt, go with white or light blue and no french cuffs, you're not an exec (yet.)  Your tie should be dark and muted, no bold patterns or colors, and include a tie bar.  Wear simple lace-up oxfords, preferably brown if you're wearing a charcoal or navy suit.  No accessories beyond a leather strapped watch, if even that.

The Perfect, Simple Accessories

Fail to Prepare and You Can Prepare to Fail

Just as you would research a company, their history, look at their website and prepare otherwise for a job interview, you should be preparing your wardrobe the day before as well.  Prepare your outfit, make sure it is what you want so you're not scrambling for a new tie in the morning.  Shine your shoes, there is a lot you can tell about a man by his shoes.  Remove any stray strings or thread from your suit and use a lint roller to remove any hair, dust or other debris.  Looking your best takes preparation, and there are few days more important than an interview to do so.

Charcoal Topman Suit | City Society

Thanks for reading.  As always, be dapper.

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3 Ways to Wear Your Suit Jacket

I love suits. I wear suits to work even though I don't have to, they just put me in a frame of mind that I am ready to work (really it works, I talk about in in this post: Why Dress Above the Dress Code.) However, there are times when wearing a suit to the office sticks out more than others, mainly casual Friday. Even so, I still like to get a lot of use out of my suits. As such, today I'll show you three ways to wear a suit jacket so you can still show off your well tailored wardrobe without looking out of place.

With Jeans: From 9-to-5 to Night Out

A well tailored suit jacket looks great with jeans and it is a great combination for casual Fridays or less formal offices. The trick here is to pair up your wardrobe correctly so it doesn't look like you just grabbed whatever jacket was in reach as you were walking out the door. First, your jeans should be dark and simple. No tears, patches, rhinestones or bedazzling. Also, I would opt for a straight or slim cut over boot-cut. As with any other time, your jacket should be well tailored. The best part of this outfit is that it works for occasions outside of the office as well, so you don't need to stop home before hitting the bar after work.

Jeans and a Suit Jacket | rachaelshaynestyle.blogspot.com

With a Polo: Not Just for the Country Club

Ok this can be hard to pull off, especially if you don't want to look like this. However, it's all about keeping the rest of your outfit as trim and well fitting as your suit should be. I prefer a contrast brightness, whether dark on the suit or the polo, but the guy below pulls off a full dark hue masterfully. Having a great beard certainly doesn't hurt either.

Polo with a Suit | thesartorialist.com

With a Sweater: The Sophisticate

Tie or not, rocking a 3 layer look with your suit jacket is a huge style upgrade for the fall. It works on so many levels and for so many situations. The biggest thing to remember here is to not try and match colors (i.e. do not wear a navy jacket with a navy sweater.) Go for contrast and inject some bold colors into your wardrobe. This yellow sweater below might be a little too bold alone, but with the tweed jacket over it the whole outfit just works.

Sportcoat and Sweater | omiru.com

Thanks for reading.  As always, be dapper.

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Why Dress Above the Dress Code?

If you were to take a snapshot of a modern office and compare it with one of 50 years ago my guess is there would be, without fail, two big things that you would immediately notice are different between the two. The first is, obviously, computers. The second would be a conspicuous lack of suits, ties or even button up shirts in some offices. The general trend of office dress codes are most definitely on a more casual trend, which is fine until it gets taken a little too far. And if you're wearing shorts and a t-shirt to the office, it's definitely gone too far. Even if your office has a very lax dress code (or none at all), that doesn't give you an excuse to throw on whatever clothes you happen to pull out of the closet. Today I'll tell you why, even today, it's important to look your best at all times

First Impressions Count

Whether it's on the agenda or not, you never know who is going to show up on any given day at the office. It might be a valuable client, the president of the company or maybe even a local politician. No matter who it might be, the first thing that person is going to see when you introduce yourself is how you look. If you only managed to throw on a t-shirt with some wrinkled jeans that morning, how do you think you will come off? Dressing well displays a level of confidence and professionalism to those around you and will give those you meet a more positive impression of who you are and what you stand for. Take a look at the guy below and ask yourself: "Would I want to do business with him?" Didn't think so.

Oversized shirt & pants, exposed undershit.  Yikes. | GQ

Rituals Change Your Mindset

If you've ever been a part of a sports team, you've done warmups. Warmups are important for you to be physically ready to perform, but warmups also affect your mindset. Warmups signal to your brain that it's time to focus, play hard and win. I see taking the time to dress well for work as a warmup for businessmen. When I throw on a tie and suit, I know that it's time for me to be working my hardest, putting on my best for clients and making my way towards that corner office. Believe me, you will start feeling and thinking differently when you dress well to work. A big part of that is feeling confident in how you look, as such you won't worry about it and can focus on your work.

That's more like it | Beckett & Robb

Image Influences Everyone

Whether you are leading a staff, reporting to multiple managers or flying solo; those you work with are going to notice how you look and will adjust their expectations, attitudes and results based on what they see. While most will not be able to exactly pin down what it is about you that makes them expect more (or less) of you, they will subconsciously be sizing you up. After that, they will create expectations of you in their mind based on the references they have of others who look or act like you. So who do you want them to be referencing you to, their stoner college roommate or that dynamite account exec they used to work with?

Navy Blazer and Jeans, perfectly tailored | GQ

Keep in mind that dressing well does not have to mean dressing up. You can look great in jeans and a blazer, a polo and khakis, or a button up and slacks. While I love to suit up, the key to looking great is putting some consideration into what you wear to the office. Make sure your jacket and pants are tailored well, take the time to iron a shirt, whatever it takes. People will notice, and you will too.

Thanks for reading. As always, be dapper.

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Traveling in Style: No More Sweatpants!

I hear stories every once in a while from my father and grandfather about the long lost days of airplane travel, rolling off their tongue as if it was a myth passed down through generations of travelling businessmen. Gone are the comfortable seats, friendly staff and free food. Now we are packed like sardines into a tin can and forced to pay $5 for a pack of peanuts after begging for a pillow. Sure, the airlines are to blame for part of this decline in luxury but I believe travelers need to accept some responsibility as well. How many people do you see wander onto a plane in sweats or, dear God, pajamas? Does anyone honestly expect to be treated well if you can't even manage to pull on a pair of clean jeans?  I've seen my fair share of this and I think it's time to take note of how to fly in style. And yes, you can be comfortable doing so.


Take your Jacket for a Ride
If you're traveling with your suit, pack up your pants so you can keep the crease but don't throw your jacket in that suitcase to get wrinkled. Wear it with you to the airport, you can take it off when you get on the plane to have hung up and it will still be fresh by the time you land. Pair it up with some jeans and a polo or oxford and you'll have plenty of comfort and style, even if you're heading overseas.

Suit Jacket with Jeans and Shirt | GQ.com

Layer Up
When traveling for pleasure, or if you simply don't pack a suit for whatever reason, the v-neck sweater is your best friend. Not only can you find one in any thickness from nearly paper-thin to braving-an-arctic-storm thick, a v-neck sweater looks great on almost everyone. If the plane gets too muggy, peel it off and toss it in the overhead.

J.Crew Cotton-cashmere V-neck sweater

Lose the Laces
No one enjoys getting caught in airport security, I seem to be notorious at it though. I've learned through many instances of having to get scanned and questioned that it's best to be able to slip those shoes on and off with ease. Believe me, your beautiful lace-ups will slow you down. Slip on a pair of loafers when you head out and you don't have to find a spot to sit or bend over to re-tie your shoes after getting questioned over a bottle of mouthwash.  Driving shoes are a great choice if you'd like something a little less formal.

G Brown 'Tobago' Driving Shoe

I think we all understand the pains of airline travel, however it's no excuse to dress like a slob. Maybe if we all took a moment to look a little better when we hit the skies we would get a little better treatment. Probably not, but a man can dream right?

Thanks for reading. As always, be dapper.

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How to Wear a Double-Breasted Suit

The double-breasted suit is back, in a big way.  Gone are the boxy shoulders and overdone lapels that dominated the double-breasted suit back in the 80's.  Now the lines are trimmer, the lapels are thinner and all kinds of guys are wearing them (not just your stockbroker.)  Today I'll go over how you can rock a double-breasted suit with confidence without looking like a bad Gordon Gekko impersonator.

Fit Trumps All
You should be used to me stressing fit by now, but really: fit trumps all.  With a double breasted suit you're going to want to keep it short.  If you're already used to shorter jackets then you'll know what to look for, if not then you need to ignore the old "grab the bottom of the jacket rule."  I'd recommend the jacket hit an inch or two above the crotch of your pants.  Your lapels shouldn't be so wide that they're flapping in the wind.  If you like Tom Ford, you can embrace his take on lapels but I prefer something a little more toned down.  Between 2.75" to 3.5" wide is a good rule of thumb.  Lastly, the shoulder pads should be slim and nearly non-existent.

A perfectly fitted double-breasted suit | GQ.com

Keep It All Together
There is a "jigger" button inside the left side of your double-breasted jacket, please use it!  If you don't button it up the jacket will sag and look poor.  I prefer to also have all the working buttons on the outside of the jacket buttoned as well.  A spread collar shirt will a full-windsor knot is going to look fantastic with your double-breasted suit, so don't be afraid to knot up with a thick, classic tie.

David Beckham in a Double-Breasted Suit | GQ.com

Like a Boss
Even though the double-breasted suits I've shown you are updated and modern, at their core the double breasted-suit is still a power look.  If you are wearing a suit and the rest of the office is wearing chinos and a polo, reconsider rocking one in the workplace unless you're managing all those khaki-clad minions.

The "Tom Ford" Look: Wide Lapels, Bold Stripes

The double-breasted suit is a great addition to any man's wardrobe. If this is your first foray into the doubled up world, keep the suit simple with a dark color and subtle (if any) patterning.

Thanks for reading. As always, be dapper.

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Suit Lapels: What Type is Right For You?

Lapels are an often overlooked feature of a suit, but are a critical consideration if you want a jacket that is going to look good for your frame and fit your style.  Most often, men don't know how to match their lapels to their ties and end up looking out of proportion.  In this article I'll go over the three most common lapel types, how to wear them and which one is best for you.

The Notch Lapel

The most common lapel you will see is the notch lapel. Working well for almost all suit types, the notch lapel is the most versatile choice for your suit jacket lapels. Keep it in mind when you are making your first suit purchase, it will serve you well in almost all situations (also, your first suit should be navy as well. More on that in this article.)

Classic Peak Lapel from Beckett & Robb

The Peak Lapel

Most commonly seen on double-breasted jackets and dinner jackets, the peak lapel stands out more from the notch lapel but is still appropriate for almost all occasions.  You should note, however, that the peak lapel is starting to make appearances on single-breasted jackets.  I would recommend it only for those with a more fashion forward style, it takes a certain amount of confidence to pull off.

Kobe rocking a stylish Peak Lapel in GQ.

The Shawl Lapel

You might recognize this lapel from informal apparel such as robes, but is a great choice for a tuxedo.  The shawl lapel was first used in Victorian Smoking Jackets and has been adapted for suiting.  Wearing a shawl lapel anywhere but on a tux is not recommended unless you are very confident in your look and are wearing it somewhere less formal than a business setting.  In that case, go for it.

Band of Outsiders Shawl Collar Tux

How to Pick a Lapel

Rather than explain this process to you, I've got a handy flow chart to solve your lapel problems.  Follow the guide and you'll know which style is best for you in no time.

Try to keep in mind when deciding on a lapel style that your lapels should be about the same width as your ties.  Many designers are leaning towards slimmer lapels in recent years, however designers like Tom Ford are designing jackets with wide lapels as well.  I tend to lean toward slimmer lapels, especially with notch and shawl lapels.  Peak lapels will always need to be slightly wider however they do not need to be oversized.

Thanks for reading.  As always, be dapper.

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Navy Suits - Why Don't You Own One Yet?

This is my first blog post and rather than make a long intro or take some time to wade into this, I'm going to jump right in.

The navy suit is the most essential addition to any man's wardrobe, whether you are a working professional, a recent college graduate, a starving student, or anything in between. There are few suits that display a more mature, understated taste than the navy blue suit does. However, you can still manage to not pull it off if you don't pay attention to the details. Here are a few tips to make sure that you look your best in a navy suit.

Get it tailored

There are plenty of places to get a great, cheap navy suit. However don't be surprised if you end up looking less than amazing if you don't get it tailored. No matter where you buy your navy blue suit, or how much you spend, go to a tailor who you know or who someone can refer you to. And have an opinion before you walk in the door, don't let them convince you to "let it out a little more." Tell them you want it to be snug around your waist and pull a little bit. Let them know you want little to no break on the pants. Also, your sleeves should show about 1-inch of cuff. Check out the before and after picture below and you'll understand why it's critical to get your suit tailored.



Pair up with the Right Accessories

Nothing shows off a level of style sophistication like brown shoes paired with a navy suit. Straight from the mouth of one of the world's most renowned shoe experts: "Put on a pair of bad shoes and it doesn't matter how nice your suit is." That said, this color of brown below goes great with almost any color, but certainly complements navy and displays an extra level of thought and consideration in your wardrobe. Not to mention that brown is my favorite color for wingtip shoes.



Go Beyond White

Sure we've all had our forays into the world of light blue shirts, but a navy blue suit is one of the best chances you have to grab some colors that will set you apart from the white shirt pedestrians you walk among. Lavendar, khaki and pink are all on display in the image below. Just be sure to tie up with a dark tie so you look more Don Draper than Craig Sager.





Thanks for reading everyone. As always, be dapper.

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