"It's amazing how often people will stop me and fuss with my pocket square, and by 'people' I mean drunk women."
One of things that makes Men and Women different is how they approach the same panorama. Men, traditionally considered the more logical, less emotional, and, thereby, simpler sex tend to see things on a big picture level. In menswear this translates to 'what color is my suit? Does my belt match my shoes? Are my socks clean?' Rather rudimentary stuff. It's no surprise to you if you've ever been to any upscale nightclub or restaurant (or have any female friends on Facebook for that matter) that women put a lot of thought and preparation into the way they look. For them the big picture includes the little things. (It's the reason they get mad if we don't notice right away that their hair is 1/8th of an inch shorter or 1/4th of a shade lighter--because to them it makes ALL the difference in the world.)
It's no wonder then, that since I started fastidiously taking note of the DETAILS of my outfit I've seen a significant increase in compliments and attention from the farer sex. Some times the compliment is veiled. Disguised in a sarcastic inquisition, "Who taught you how to dress?" Incredulous that one of us brutes figured it out. But, more often then not, its a straight-foward "That's classy."
So I beseech you, Gentlemen and aspiring Gentlemen of the blogosphere, pay attention to the small things. It's easy enough to leave the house wearing a nice suit and matching shirt and tie combo... but what'll make you stand out... what'll make the women approach you and compliment you, is your choice of accessories, or that strange color combination or whatever other little detail sets you apart from everyone else.
A few rules to follow:
1. Learn the different ways to accentuate. Find unique pattern and color combinations that are a little out of the ordinary. Invest in some nice cufflinks, tie bars, and lapel pins. These add a little flash to your attire and some individuality to your flair. Try some different pocket squares. Get some in silk. Others in cotton. Fold some in a razor sharp line. Others just randomly stuff down the front chest pocket of your jacket (like in the picture above, at the start of this entry). Have some fun with it. Note: it's not a good idea to have your pocket square and tie match identically; meaning don't buy them cut from the same fabric. This looks lazy and uninspired--like you bought it off the display on the store mannequin.
2. Classy is always better than gaudy. Yes, the idea is to stand out, but don't be overbearing or ridiculous. I'm not a proponent of the fur hat or the doublewide tie. When in doubt subtle is better. Always. Remember gents, its the little things. I'm not saying that you shouldn't take chances just don't play the fashion equivalent of russian roulette with your accessory choices. (I'm not a big fan of novelty cufflinks either... although they may sometimes have their place; i.e. eight ball cufflinks at a billiards charity event.)
In the example to the left I'm wearing a beautiful charcoal grey shadow plaid suit from Indochino.com. The pattern is subtle and subdued. I chose to accent it by wearing black and white tightly checked gingham shirt (also from Indochino). The gingham pattern is echoed in the red cotton pocket square, and, in turn, the red silk knit tie pairs to the pocket square nicely. The pièce de résistance, however, if you ask me, is the small 1.5 inch matte red anodized aluminum tie bar. It's almost invisible, except, that is, to the detail oriented. (Tie, Pocketsquare, and Tie bar available at TheTieBar.com.)
3. Accessorize the Occasion. Just 'cause you've spent all this money procuring the western world's most perfectly complete tie collection, doesn't mean you should always be wearing one. Sometimes the night (or day) calls for a different approach.
In the example to the left, I'm gearing up for a night at a famous South Beach nightclub. In the photo I'm wearing a light grey cotton suit. The fabric is smooth and has a light sheen to it that dresses up the look a bit. The light tone of the suit pairs well with the darker navy blue chicago pinstripe shirt--darker shirts lending themselves well to nocturnal outings. The accessories this time? A brilliantly colorful silk pocket square haphazardly stuffed into the jacket chest pocket and, a new favorite of mine, a black silk carnation lapel pin from the couture experts at Lanvin. It's expensive at $170, but guaranteed to garner attention. Besides if it works for the always impeccably dressed Lebron James and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat (see below) it'll work for you. (Suit, Shirt, Pocket Square from Indochino.com. Lapel Pin by Lanvin.com).
Thank you for writing a great blog! I have bookmarked it an look forward to future postings.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned you've began looking at the details of your outfit and began getting more compliments from the opposite sex. I'm curious how you feel about accentuating and using pocket squares, cufflinks, etc for interviews?
I'm a college student and have always loved using pocket squares and tie bars. Talking to corporate recruiters it seems this is frowned upon. Do you have any classy suggestions? In interview situations would it be best to stay conservative?
Curious to hear your thoughts!
Chas,
DeleteFirst of all thanks for reading and for commenting. I appreciate it.
In regards to your question... I definitely think job interviews need to be approached differently than a night out on the town. First and foremost, I recommend always wearing a white collared dress shirt. After all you're not going after a blue collar job! Fine pinstripes or checks over white works fine as well. I'd stay away from anything not in the direct vicinity of white (grey, beige and very light blue are probably okay too).
As far as accessories are concerned during an interview less is more. Stick to cotton pocket squares, freshly ironed and neatly folded so that only a sliver shows from out the top of your chest pocket. Tie bars are fine so long as they are silver and narrower than the tie. Cufflinks should be fine in my opinion too.
A good rule of thumb... If the characters on AMC's Mad Men can wear it to the office then so can you. Anything in office menswear that's 1960's inspired should be plenty conservative enough to get away with.
One more note; The most important thing to wear to the interview is confidence. Look like a million bucks, feel like a million bucks (And for God's sake make sure the suit is properly tailored) .