Guy Fashion Stuff: September 2012

Tie Options

PRINT TIES
Print ties add visual interest and color to your wardrobe. Just stay away from novelty patterns.

BRIGHT TIES
Balance playful, brightly colored ties with equally eye-catching pocket squares or socks.

SOLID COLOR TIES
Solid-color ties are underrated. They look particularly sophisticated with striped shirts.

KNIT TIES
Knit ties add texture. And contrary to popular opinion, you can wear them year-round.

SMALL PATTERN
Keep your neckwear tasteful, not overpowering, with a tiny houndstooth or microdot pattern.

STRIPE
Striped ties, worn with a navy blazer and a crisp white shirt, are a classic combination.

VARIEGATED STRIPE
Essential accessories don't have to be boring. The variegated stripe adds stylish pizzazz.

POLKA DOT
Dots used to be exceedingly popular. Their extreme versatility will make them so again.

Outfit Ideas

I have compiled a few outfit ideas to fit each guys everyday style.

    1. Extra Slim Fit Oxford Stripe Sport Shirt
    2. Madras Pocket Square
    3. Seahorse Slim Tie
    4. Penny Loafer

As long as it is not made of wool, wearing a navy suit would be a good choice. Pick a fabric that lets you breathe. Pair this with penny loafers and a bow tie, turn the bow tie into a pocket square if the occasion is more informal.

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    1. Ray-Ban Wayfarer Sunglasses with BB#1 Repp Stripe
    2. Shawl Collar Tipped Cardigan
    3. Double Plaid Madras Slim Tie
    4. Milano Plain Front Whale Embroidered Pant

I know what you're saying this is more of a summer look. But you gotta admit it these Red chinos and pink shorts are a bright style of choice. I still believe this has to be seen this season.

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    1. Cotton Pincord Fitzgerald Fit Suit
    2. Social Primer for Brooks Brothers BB#3 Repp Stripe and Madras
    3. Classic All Cotton Solid Extra Slim Fit Dress Shirt
    4. Classic Bucks

Pair the same jacket with jeans and a white polo, it lends itself to a variety of looks for more casual outings. White bucks are the classic footwear choice to pair with pincord seersucker, although other colors like tan and brown work well, too. If it’s a casual occasion, consider a pair of white or navy sneakers.

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Early Fall Casuals

We will be showing a few key pieces that you can use this season, most of these items are already in your closet.

For early fall casuals the key is here is to balance a bold pattern with grays and other earth tones. We have also added a few of our favorite stuff that you might want to get your hands on this season.

Did we miss something? Or do you want to add a few cool stuff that you think will be so big this season. Feel free to let us know. And we can perhaps write about it on the next post.

Fall Shopping

Some think that dressing well int he summer is hard but the transition to sweltering days can even be tougher.

We have decided to help you with a few things for your closet with for this season.

Fall Season "must-haves"

Sweatshirt           $20           Target
Polo                     $14.99      Target

Belt                      $13           Urban Outfitters
Shorts                   $24.99       DC

Watch                  $150        Nixon
Loafers                 $100          Sebago

Shaving Cream $19            Dreadnought
Sunglasses             $75            Ray Ban
Weekend Bag        $95            Everlane

Shorts and Swimwear: When to Wear Them

Now I am writing this since most guys I see doesn't seem to know that what they are wearing on the streets are actually swimwears. While I am totally fine with this, but I just think that guys should know when to wear and what they are actually wearing.

DENIM SHORTS

SHORTS

Shorts should be worn with caution. By all means, mow the lawn in shorts, lounge by the pool in them, even stroll through your local farn1ers' market displaying your legs to the world. Do not, however, enter your boss's office for your next performance appraisal wearing shorts or go on a date wearing them unless you're a professional surfer.

RUNNING SHORTS

And avoid going to a restaurant without covering your legs unless you're in the drive-thru lane. If it's that hot out, wear summer-weight pants. If shorts are appropriate for the occasion, choose a style that is in proportion to your body and flatters your best features. Got legs Floyd Landis would envy? Then go for the shorter-mid-thigh-shorts.

Got chicken legs? Get a knee-length pair that are more like abbreviated pants.

SWIMWEAR

Unlike most Europeans, who have a fondness for bathing suits that resemble briefs, American men are most comfortable with what are essentially shorts made from quick-drying fabric. Don't ignore the fit of your trunks. Try them on to figure out if they're appropriate for your body shape. The leaner you are, the more fitted you can go. If you have a fuller figure, a more generous bathing suit will help to balance things out.

CARGO SHORTS TROUSER SHORTS

ELASTIC WAIST SWIM TRUNKS CLASSIC-CUT SWIM TRUNKS

How would you know if your pants are the perfect fit? Read on the final installment of my pants series. These are the things I've come up with. Feel free to comment below if I have missed anything or whatever.

OVERALL

Your pants should be snug around your waist, but not too tight, the hem should touch your shoe, but not cover it, and the shape of the pant should be appropriate for your frame.

THE NATURAL WAIST

It's just below your belly button. If your pants sit any higher, you'll officially be wearing "Dad pants."

THE JEANS WAIST

Jeans are meant to be worn a bit lower and closer to the hips than other pants. Think old Levi's and Toughskins. But no matter how much juice you think you have on the streets, leave the low-rider pants to the B-boys.

THE HEM

One of the keys to good style is knowing what suits you. And part of this is coming to terms with what the good Lord has (or hasn't) endowed you with. If you're tall, then you should consider cuffing your pants. If you're short, lose the cuffs (and the Cuban heels, for that matter).

THE BREAK

The break is where your pants touch your shoes. The lower the break, the deeper the horizontal crease that sits on your shoe. The three different types are: medium (your pants will fall midway between the top of your shoe and the top of the sole), full (which
drapes fabric over the shoe top and sweeps it back to a quarter inch above the floor in the back), and short (pants are worn high on the leg with a quarter inch of swing between the bottoms and the top of the shoe.) Currently, the fashion cognoscenti and designers such as Thorn Browne favor the short break. When in doubt, go for a medium break- it's the classic choice.

PLEATS VS. NO PLEATS

Let's make this real simple: Unless you're built like John Goodman or you see yourself as a middle-management "road warrior," then there is no reason to wear pants with multiple pleats. In some cases, however, well-placed pleats, which help pants drape better and
make legs look longer, can be flattering.

Pants Options

This is a continuation of my last post about the basic rules on wearing pants. I have decided to cover more about pants and made a list of what's out there.

KHAKI BLACK

KHAKI

Its origins in the British military make khaki's strengths clear: the fabric is tough, and it is suitable for both office and urban combat. Opt for modern cuts for pants-slim, flat-fronted-that many retailers have made available over the past few years .

BLACK

This is your alternative to navy blue. Just don't wear pants in the somber color with a white shirt you'll end up being asked what the
entree special is.

NAVY CHINO PLEATED PINSTRIPE

NAVY CHINO

These pants can do double-duty as dressy weekend attire or casual work wear. Pair them with a slim fitting white oxford shirt.

PLEATED

Pants with pleats hang better. They give the crease more room to fall and make your legs look longer. But no pair of pants needs more than two pleats.

PINSTRIPE

Match a pair of pinstripe trousers- the lines should be pencil thin- with a pressed collared shirt and you have a fail-safe dinner party
uniform.

LINEN CUFFED

LINEN

If you ever need to sleep in your pants, make sure they're linen. The fabric, which is made from flax, looks great rumpled: It also absorbs moisture, and will keep you cool on the hottest of days .

CUFFED

Cuffs are a style choice that evokes prep school. If you're on the taller side you might consider them, as uncuffed pants accentuate the length of your legs.

TWEED CARGO WOOL FLANNEL

TWEED

The Scottish textile has lost its fuddy-duddy image and is now a fixture in many designer collections. And whether ifs in the form of checks, herringbone, or twill, tweed is a great choice for pants, as ifs Mike Tyson tough.

CARGO

Both high-end designers and mainstream fashion retailers made a mint off cargo pants during the dress-down nineties. And as long as you don't stuff the pockets, the military-inspired pants are still a great alternative to jeans and khakis- on weekends only.

WOOL FLANNEL

Another durable choice, flannel's warmth and softness are surely the qualities that made it such a big hit with L.A. gang bangers a decade ago. Pants cut from the cloth are a good choice even if your name doesn't have the word Dogg in it.

THE WAIST

A question: Where's your waist? If you're stumped, chances are you don't really know your waist size either. That means your pants don't fit. To remedy this, place a tape measure around your midsection just above your hipbone. Commit the number to memory.

THE RISE

The rise is the length of the fly, or the section from the crotch to your waistband. A long rise gives you a high waist. A short rise puts you in hip-huggers. A really short rise makes you a member of Fall Out Boy.

THE INSEAM

Running vertically from the crotch to the cuff, the inseam gives you the length of your leg. It's the second number in your jeans formula (as in 34 waist, 32 inseam). Unless you have long arms and phenomenal flexibility, you might need someone else to measure this for you.

THE BELT LOOPS

Not all pants have belt loops, but if they do make use of them. They're not there for decoration.

THE POCKETS

Cell phone, keys, iPod ... The modern man has plenty to lug around with him. That is no excuse for overloading your pockets and ruining the contour of your pants. There are a wide variety of side pockets: on the seam, diagonal jets, slanted, depending on the formality of the pant. At the back you can choose buttoned or open pockets, one (on the right side) or two. Whatever you decide, lose the bulging wallet.

THE CUFFS

After having a moment in the eighties, cuffs are more the exception than the rule, except for those jean connoisseurs who like to show off their shuttle-loom-spun Japanese denim. With trousers, if you do choose cuffs, be sure the tailor makes them in proportion to your body size. Too big and you'll look like an extra from The Untouchables.

THE FABRIC

More than any other item of clothing, your trousers take a pounding. From your morning commute to hours sitting on a bar stool listening to Brian from sales, your pants' arduous routine requires that they be durable. They also have to be appropriate for the season. If you're playing golf at lunchtime you might want to leave your tweed pair at home .

How to wear one white shirt for four different occasions.

THE PRESENTATION

Let your clothes make a power point without distracting them from your Power Point. The white shirt creates great contrast with a sharpblack suit.

DINNER DATE AT THE DINER

Dark jeans and the same white shirt with a great pair of brown shoes are dressy enough without being too uptight to have fun.

WINTER WINDOW SHOPPING

A flash of white under layers of gray wool wakes the whole ensemble up.

SUNDAY DRIVE

Stop in to see the in-laws then swing by the bar to catch the game. The white shirt tones the gray down without maldng it too washed out.

No matter what you paid for it- or how trim your torso-if your shirt doesn't fit properly, you're going to look like a schlump. Most men wear theirs a full half size too big. And a blousy, billowy shirt is just as unflattering as a skin-tight one. And while you may have your measurements memorized, the numbers don't always add up- no two manufacturers' shirts fit exactly alike. Try a shirt on before you buy it, take an honest look at yourself in the mirror, and follow these guidelines for honing in on the perfect fit:

THE TORSO

There's a lot of middle ground between too loose and too tight. Find it. The shirt should be snug in the chest, but not so snug that the fabric pulls between the buttons.

THE BACK

Beefier guys should get a shirt with box pleats in the back-two folds between the shoulder blades- for a little more room, without extra volume. Those with slimmer builds should opt for fitted styles that contour down toward the waist. Either way, the seams of the shirt should lie on the curve of your deltoids (those are the muscles right behind your shoulders-the ones you'd work if you did push-ups).

THE WAIST

Sit down while you're wearing the shirt. It should skim your waist but leave just enough room to give when you're seated (and full).

THE NECK

The golden rule here hasn't changed: You should be able to comfortably fit two fingers in between your neck and the collar of the shirt when it's buttoned.

THE SLEEVES

The cuffs of the shirt should fall in the crook between the base of your thumb and your wrist.

THE TAILS

The tails should be long enough to lie under your rear end when you're seated. That will prevent the shirt from riding up or coming untucked. It will also give you better posture.

BLUE

Everything goes with a blue shirt. When white seems too stark, sub in one in any shade-from powdery to bright.

CHECKS

There's no better way to breathe life into a gray suit than with a gingham shirt-even a black-and white one does the job.

STRIPED OXFORD

The striped oxford is an all American classic. You can pair it with jeans or khakis-tie optional and feel free to roll up the sleeves.

CONTRAST COLLAR

The contrast collar isn't just for bankers. Worn with a dark suit, the distinguished shirt works for any dressed-up event

MILITARY

Shirts with military detailing have a structured elegance that make them slightly more dressy than the average button-down. Wear one out to dinner, without a tie .

VARIEGATED STRIPES

This suave, Italian-style pattern is better suited for evenings out than boardroom meetings.

Just keep the number of undone buttons to a minimum.

GRAY

The gray shirt is an underrated alternative to blue and white. In fact, a dove-colored one is an even better complement to navy suits.

PLAID

The associations with grunge and golf have been vanquished. The new breed of plaid shirt looks well with suits and ties or just tucked into trousers.

PENCIL STRIPES

The pencil-stripe shirt adds dimension to a suit-and-tie without overwhelming it. Just make sure the stripes are slender and the colors are coordinated.

BAND COLLAR

The band-collar shirt had a bad moment during the days of Miami Vice. It's now made a comeback as a worthy alternative to the oxford.

FLORAL PRINT

It takes moxie to pull off a flowerprint shirt. The very confident can wear oversize, brightly coloredstyles; the rest of us should go for something more understated .

Guy Fashion Stuff

Tie Options

Outfit Ideas

Early Fall Casuals

Fall Shopping

Shorts and Swimwear: When to Wear Them

The Right Fit: Are Those Pants For You?

How would you know if your pants are the perfect fit? Read on the final installment of my pants series. These are the things I've come up with. Feel free to comment below if I have missed anything or whatever.

Pants Options

Pants 101

Dress Up, Dress Down

How to wear one white shirt for four different occasions.

The Perfect Fit

Shirt Options

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