Much ado is often made in discussions surrounding men’s fashion about neckwear, blazers, dress shirts, and leather outerwear – often at the expense of understanding the rest of a gentleman’s wardrobe. Not only are well appointed and properly fitted pants and footwear extremely important to the overall look and image of any particular outfit – they are integral to your comfort throughout the day!
Considerations of Colour
Whether they be dress, casual, corduroy, denim, or any other fabric – pants are ultimately the most flexible and important part of any man’s professional wardrobe. Pants anchor the look entirely, setting the tone of the wardrobe conversation and immediately setting in motion the overall feel of any particular outfit. For example, corduroy pants imply comfort, a relaxed feel, maturity, and a sophistication not normally found in denim. Fine wool dress pants, on the other hand, send a signal of refinement, class, and high style.
Socks should, whenever possible, match the pants they will be worn with – the major exception being of course with denim, in which case they should either be navy (as worn with most blue jeans) or tan (as worn with brown shoes). Important to keep in mind when considering matching socks to pants is that they should preferably be within range of the shade of the pant fabric without being too much the same. For example, a nice chocolate coloured argyle print sock with blue accent colours might be an excellent match for a pair of tan or bark coloured casual pants coupled with a french blue sportshirt. Read the rest of this entry »
Men and women have long been using underwear. Whether you wear panties, briefs, boxers, or knickers, you can definitely say that people all over the world have long been using underwear. And this is something that won?t change anytime soon. But are you aware of the very interesting history that comes with underwear?
It was only just about a century ago that the practice of wearing underwear and undergarments was introduced as one of the necessities in life. It was roughly in the 16th century when the very first tried at creating and designing underwear started out.
In 1510, for instance, long underpants made of either silk, velvet, or linen were already being worn. Interestingly, around this time, it was deemed decent for women to stay naked underneath all those clothes. This is pretty ironic because the decent thing to do today is to wear undergarments beneath clothes. At the time, however, the opposite was deemed innocent. Read the rest of this entry »
This Well Established Item of Men’s Clothing has Quite a History
The name is so well known in men’s clothing and the design so iconic that it’s sometimes difficult to believe that Fred Perry was ever a real person. But as Perry who was born just over 100 years ago, said: “I have never worried about admitting that my name is better known worldwide, not from winning Wimbledon three times, but because of Fred Perry shirts and sportswear.”
A working-class boy who fell foul of the tennis establishment but dominated the game at home and abroad during the twenties and thirties, Perry was approached to create his own branded sweat band in the late 1940s.
Father of the Polo Shirt – Fred Perry and His Legacy
This men’s clothing brand’s logo was originally going to be that emblem of sporting prowess, a pipe, before Perry settled on the laurel wreath that he wore on his touring blazer. His light but absorbent sweat band was such a huge success that it was followed by a T-shirt. This slim fit cotton piqué shirt has changed little since it was launched in 1952 although its image and cultural impact, even beyond fashion, have been quite simply enormous.
Today the Fred Perry is more popular than ever. “We’ve seen sales up 40 per cent on last year,” says Adrian Edwards, Head of Buying, Menswear at John Lewis in an interview with this journalist. “The great thing about it is that it’s smart but it can also be casual and it’s very versatile. Most men have at least two or three in their wardrobe at any one time. Men like to hang on to favourite clothes rather than shopping a lot and a Fred Perry is one of those things that actually looks better the more you wear and wash it.” Read the rest of this entry »
New Lighter Fabrics Are Now Becoming Available
Wearing a suit in hot weather is rarely much fun – especially during what promises to be a hot summer. But the good news is that as temperatures rise suit fabric weights are falling with some of the lightest, coolest ever cloths being produced this year.
A lightweight fabric for mens suits is made from fine yarns, which are usually then finely woven. “In terms of wool we consider the fabric light when it weighs no more then 170gsm. Previously a wool fabric of 200gsm was considered light,” says Pier Luigi Loro Piana of the fashion house and fabric producer Loro Piana in an email interview with the author of this article.
Cashmere and Silk Light Fabrics
Loro Piana has a cashmere and silk fabric weighing only 100gsm. Specially processed, it has the strength necessary to withstand weaving and a kilo of this yarn would extend for around 570 km, the company has calculated.
The GSM is the weight of the cloth in grammes per square metre. One of the lightest available find at the moment is, for example, just 190gsm with Ermenegildo Zegna’s Trofeo 600 fabric while the heaviest is around 480 to 500gsm and is used for coats, according to a company spokeswoman in an interview with the author of this article.
There are wool-only fabrics which weigh just 110gsm but few tailors can work with something so light just in wool unless they’re treated or mixed with something else. Read the rest of this entry »
Suit anxiety should not be a problem for many first time suit buyers; young men going out to their high school prom or perhaps a college interview are always confronted with this somewhat daunting task.
In some instances, men later on in years who have never worn formal or business apparel may have to attend a wedding, funeral, or other function demanding of dress code may also find themselves in this set of circumstances.
Regardless of the situation, it is important to know what to expect from the experience – to look forward to it, more than anything!
Relax, and Be Sure to Bring the Personality
Buying a suit, optimally, is actually more like a service than a simple shopping occasion. Good wardrobe consultants and men’s fashion sales experts are a talkative, dynamic lot by nature and take a keen interest in discerning the needs of their client and presenting them with accurate, professional advice.
One should always be relaxed and open minded, be sure to engage in a dialogue with your salesman or saleswoman.
A well-trained wardrobe consultant should be able to offer suggestions and share knowledge on a variety of topics ranging from designer trends, accurate measurements, colour co-ordination, and general fabric care. Read the rest of this entry »