Paris Window Shopping

 Not much commentary on these.  Just took some shots while I was in Paris over Thanksgiving of the displays of some quality, and world renowned, shops.

John Lobb. One of the finest makers of shoes in the world.  Love those double monk straps. 

Old England.  I know it sounds strange to visit a store with that name in the capital of France.  But it's home to some of the finest classic British apparel anywhere.  Covers the range from casual cool to black tie.  I don't know what it is about British style, but it just exudes confident class, and never seems to be trying too hard.

Charvet.  The epitome of French tailoring, they're shirting is truly astounding.  They make a few nice ties too.  Most notable to me is their elegant use of rich color.  Pay special attention to the silk robe with the bow tie.  If you can ever pull that off, I'd say you're in a good situation.

Jacket Weather Calls For a Sport Coat

When a jacket is necessary to keep warm, it might as well set the tone for your ensemble and be your centerpiece.  Here I have a nice gunclub check sport coat in perfectly autumn colors--the small check pattern keeps the jacket appropriate for the office, but still distinctly different than a standard blazer and interesting enough to be the centerpiece in the outfit.  To compliment the jacket, and keep the fall feel, I've chosen an ecru oxford button down.  A solid navy repp weave tie isn't too dressy, and avoids any clash with the pattern of the jacket.  A navy small print pocketsquare completes the top--if thatt seems like too much for your environment, white linnen would work too.  Charcoal flannnel trousers--go to trousers from October to February around here--some nice olive socks, and brown calfskin bluchers complete the bottom.

Fall Is a Great Time To Be a Man

Fall, more than any other season, lends itself to dressing with style because the temperature and traditional color palette calls for grown-up ensembles comprised of masculine weaves, textures, and tones.  Rather than an affect, a sport jacket, especially in a heavier tweed or woolen fabric, is functional amidst cooler mornings and evenings.  Flannel trousers, which have a wonderful luster, hand, and drape, feel cozy.  And the colors of fall just feel manly--browns, navies, and tans complimented by burgundy, deep greens, orange, and gold.

Here I've created what I think is a quintessential business casual look, inspired by and functional for the fall.  Charcoal flannel trousers, a wool and angora heavy sport coat, traditional oxford cloth shirt, with an ancient madder necktie, and green gingham cotton pocketsquare. 

A Stop at the Seigo Shop

Far up in the Upper East Side, there's a wonderful little shop called Seigo that specializes in neckties, and carries a few other odds and ends that complete a professional wardrobe.  The proprietor of this shop is extremely welcoming, and let me snap a few shots of his store.  However, these shots don't capture just how many ties are available and how stunning they look in person.  The sales associates are happy to assist you in sorting through the ties to find the colors and styles you're interested in, and have a variety of shirts and suiting materials to pair with your selections to demonstrate how they would work as part of your outfit.

Seigo's ties are all hand made in Japan use Japanese silk, and only a handful of ties are made using each silk pattern. Most of the ties are approximately three and a half inches wide, although they also offer a selection of ties in the currently en vogue three inch width.  Most of the ties are woven silks, although I believe there are some prints to be had.  They also have silk swatches on hand and offer custom ties.  They're not seven fold ties, but construction is top notch--they hang and drape beautifully, which suggests that quality interlining is used.  The price point is also much better than one would expect for this kind of small specialty shop.

Re-discovering Preppy

The men's clothing retail market's obsession with mining old catalogs for new style has now resulted in a resurgence of preppy style--while a little late to the party, traditional bastions of American style have gotten into the act of trying to put a young and current spin on their long-standing staples and re-emphasizing old classics that had started to fall by the wayside.  At Brooks Brothers, traditional oxfords can be found a bit more easily these days, and repp weave striped ties seem more abundant and in their traditional widths.

As is evident in this window display, college life is where preppy style begins.  When done right, something about this aesthetic seems youthful but not juvenile, and confident but not cocky.  Its an involved look--many colors, patterns, and layers are involved--but shouldn't be an uptight one.  It looks best when disheveled and rumpled.  Too pressed, tucked in, and crisp and it crosses into obnoxious, rather than charming, pretension.

This Brooks Brothers window display shows how preppy style can grow up and be a little more mature without losing all of its appeal.  This look might be too serious for a college man, but being pressed and tucked in seem appropriate for living in the real world.  Earthy colors and substantial textures keep these ensembles from being too slick, while also quite functional in the fall.

This wardrobe is appropriate for young professionals in a business casual setting, and also works on the weekend.  And one more nice thing about sticking with classic American style--almost everything works with everything else, so little thought has to go into coordinating trousers, shirts, sweaters, and jackets.  A big part of the style is the effect of outfits looking thrown together rather than meticulously thought out.

Is Italy Too Italian?

Interesting article on the Italian tailored clothing and textile industry, featuring a true living legend of style.

A Little Break

Pinpoint Style's not done, just on hiatus for a little.  I'll be getting married in less than 3 weeks, and away for my honeymoon after that.  I also, unfortunately, have to work for a living, and it seldom involves writing about style.  Planning a wedding and remaining employed haven't left me with as much time as I'd like to devote here, but I'm not hanging up the lap top.

I'll try to get back to regular posting, hopefully, in about a month.  But feel free to discuss the various topic's that I've raised in the comments.  I should have time to moderate.

Take care,

N.M.C.

Silk Knits

Silk knit ties have made a comeback in menswear recently, but still aren't really thought of as serious business attire. While a square-end silk knit tie won't ever be as dressy or proper as a classically shaped woven or printed silk tie, silk knits definitely have a place in the upscale business casual wardrobe.

 

 

Hip to be Square

Pulling off a pocket square as a young professional without it seeming like a affectation is difficult.  I think a big part of making it work is making sure that your square doesn't compete for attention with your tie or shirt, (or jacket) and making sure your fold is neat and discrete.  Lastly--wear it comfortably.  If you seem nervous about wearing a pocket square, your colleagues will sense your apprehension and look wearily at your square.  Act like your square is just as much a part of your outfit as your shirt and all anyone will think about your square is that its just one element of a well put together look.

King Ralph

I have tremendous respect for Ralph Lauren as a designer and innovator of the menswear industry.  To this day he continues to drive trends in tailored clothing, despite generally sticking with the same aesthetic--traditional American blue blooded country clubs and professionals--since he got his start making ties and selling them shop to shop.  Ralph Lauren is a great example of how consistency can be stylish and how trends can coexist with staples.  Ralph Lauren is also a model for maintaining high standards of quality, despite becoming an enormously successful and available brand.  Tailored and dress clothing from Mr. Lauren's Polo, Black Label, and Purple Label collections are all sourced from fine Italian makers.  Mr. Lauren's shoes are made by some of the finest British makers.  Ralph Lauren's prices reflect the quality of its construction, but are often lower than the prices the same makers charge for products labeled with their own name.  And Ralph Lauren has sales a few times a year.

Davide and Goliath

I believe every young professional should get on familiar terms with at least one good, small, local haberdasher.  A relationship with a nice men's shop means a place to go for just about everything--not just clothes.  It's a retreat once in a while when life gets hectic--a good haberdasher should never give the hard sell.  And since the proprietor should certainly be older than you, and have fitted the movers and shakers of the community, it's a place to get guidance on what's appropriate behavior in a particular situation and how to carry oneself as a man.  Picking up some great duds is just part of the deal.

Unfortunately small men's shops have fallen by the wayside in favor of large department stores and self-branded boutiques.  I don't think it's impossible to find this kind of relationship at a department store or boutique, especially an older established department store or a good Brooks Brothers, but it's certainly less likely.  For all of these reasons, I love to find independent men's stores and speak to the owners or managers.  The least I can do is give everyone a head's up when I discover one worth visiting.

All Work And No Play...

"I am through with working. Working is for chumps." --Bart

"Son, I'm proud of you. I was twice your age before I figured that out." --Homer

 

Your whole life isn't business casual--sometimes special occasions call for a bit more than the office does.  Most recently for me was an evening at the Metropolitan Opera with my fiancee.  I don't have a black tie ensemble, and I see that less and less at the opera with the exception of opening night gala's and such.  But I can use my wardrobe built for business to look appropriate for a nice of culture.  And I'm starting with a two-button single breasted suit in a medium gray worsted herringbone pinstripe.  A nice three season weight, and versatile enough to look great in the board room or the ball room.  I like that this suit is very traditional--standard with lapels, roomy cut, double pleated pants and one and a quarter in cuffs.  Sleek, slim modern suits are cool, but I think it takes some extra fabric (but not baggy) to do elegance right.

American Informal

 "Cultivated leisure is the aim of man." --Oscar Wilde

According to a great coffee table book put together by the Council of Fashion Designers of America called American Fashion Menswear, which my fiancee got me for my birthday, there's a genre of menswear called "American Informal."  I would say "American Informal" is pretty consistent with my aesthetic for modern business attire--it being built around odd jackets and trousers, strong textures and distinguished but bold patterns, natural colors with some bold accents.  It hales from the time when a gentleman's country attire was dressed up by today's standards, but regarded as dressed down leisurewear compared to the morning dress and black tie appropriate for the city.  Here's one example that I liked quite a bit--even though I don't plan on wearing quite so much into the office, it's still inspiring.

Casual Fridays

"The best thing about casual Friday is that it makes those of us who decline to observe it look really, really good." -- Esquire

My office doesn't have casual Friday's, but I do think it's a good day to loosen up a bit--and no, I don't mean a belly shirt or patriotic underpants a la Will Ferrell.  For me, it means giving my neck a day to let it all hang out--that's right, no necktie.  It took me some getting used too, and it felt a bit immodest at first--but I think I've been able to make it work.  I also avoid suits, obviously, unless I have to wear one.  But that's as casual as I get, and I would even recommend the same to young professionals who have the option of wearing jeans on Friday.  I suggest an informal seasonal sport coat, a pinpoint oxford button down in a not-so-basic color or pattern, and some trousers.

Well Pressed Duds

The classics are always in style, and nobody makes this more apparent than J. Press on Madison Avenue.  J. Press is more than a century old, but it's aesthetic has hardly changed in that time.  It still offers all the old standards in traditional American menswear--repp stripe, emblematic, club, and knit ties; a healthy variety of button down dress shirts; sack suits, blazers, and tweed sport coats; flannel trousers and chinos, etc.  J. Press has kept its traditionally roomy not baggy fits too--not the slim and trim designer re-incarnations of traditional style.  Despite it's adherence to tradition, J. Press looks still look fresh and smart, despite and perhaps because of it's simplicity.  It's a good reminder that style doesn't come from doing too much.

A Man and His Ties

"A well tied tie is the first serious step in life." --Oscar Wilde

Allow me to indulge in one of my hobbies for a few moments.  I love neckties.  I have for as long I've had regular occasions to wear them--which for me began in high school.  I don't know what it is about them exactly that makes me so fond of them--perhaps it's the evident craftsmanship in a good tie, or the fact that ties can so easily and obviously spruce up a tired suit or old shirt.  Maybe I'm just childishly drown toward all the pretty colors.  I do know I love the task of selecting just the right tie to go with everything else, and the satisfaction that comes with getting it right.  I also think that one's choice of tie actually suggests something about his character and background--information that can be quite useful in many social situations.  And whenever I visit a haberdashery, especially for the first time, I immediately inspect the selection of ties--if the ties aren't too my taste, then I doubt much else will be either.  So I'd like to share on occasion some of the tie collections that I find particularly appealing.

Among the gobs of ties available at Saks 5th Avenue's flagship store, one rack of ties in particular stood out to me--and the maker might be surprising given all the luxury names Saks carries.  The brand is Breuer.

The Fabric of Our Lives

While most of my shirts white or blue, and all of them are cotton, I did not choose to get several of the exact same shirt in different colors.  While blue dress shirts might seem all the same to the casual observers, subtle differences have a significant affect on style.  And one of the easiest things to overlook about a shirt is the kind of fabric it was made from.  The fabric will effect the look of the color through its texture and sheen.

There are myriad cotton fabrics, but I've found that knowing just a handful has sufficed for shopping off the rack.  The first, and in my opinion most versatile, is pinpoint oxford:

Better Shop Around

"'I'll think about it' are the four most useful words in a man's shopping vocabulary."

A wardrobe, the foundation of style, must come from somewhere.  So I regard shopping as just another element of my personal style.  I patronize stores, and accordingly buy clothes, that are consistent with my needs as a business casual young professional aiming to impress but not show off.  

The first step is getting the basics.  But the men's department, especially at higher end stores, can lead young professionals to well coordinated, single outfits, rather than more versatile staples.  For instance when I went to Saks 5th Ave yesterday this spring ensemble caught my eye.  But while its stylish, it's probably not where I should start building my wardrobe.  I'll come back to this after I have my base--as I don't think I'd have another tie to wear with the shirt, and vice versa.

Spring Forward

“Anything goes, as long as you can pull it off.”  Tomas Maier, Bottega Veneta

Just as my white shirt needed some accouterments to spice it up, this shirt/tie combination inspired by a nice spring day needs to be toned down to avoiding turning too many heads at the office. Here I'm starting with complimentary pastels--a pink button down collar dress shirt/pastel green and blue printed silk tie--basics for a clambake but not the boardroom to be sure.

Style Takes Some Coordination

"Dressing would be monotonous without the graphic interest of a variety of designs" --Alan Flusser


Being a young professional, I don't read this as an invitation to wear any combination of stripes, dots, or plaid together with the idea of suggesting that I don't care what anyone else thinks--but a tasteful mixing of serious patterns is a good way to liven things up.  On the subject of patterns, I think gingham is a good place for young professionals to start.  But finding a tie can be tricky.

A 'Traditional' Approach

"It was a good look and still is. Next to a tuxedo or military uniform, there's nothing that makes a guy look better than Ivy League."-- Charlie Davidson, the Andover Shop

Some staples of Ivy League style work as well for young professionals in the office as it does for co-eds at a mixer.  Neat and traditional enough for the business casual office, but the classic iconography adds some completeness and depth to an otherwise plain look.

 One great example is the university stripe button down shirt in traditional oxford cloth--blue is the most obvious choice, but here I went with the red.  Since I'm going to tone down the Ivy look a bit, the red stripe keeps the Ivy look from getting lost.

Any Color You Want As Long As It's Blue

"The classic blue dress shirt allows flexibility without the drollness of the white shirt. Best of all, the classic blue bridges the gap between formal and informal simply in the way you wear it."--Michael A. Lubarsky, AskMen.com

A blue dress shirt is a young professional's Swiss Army knife of style.  And I mean traditional dress shirt blue--not french blue, not icy pale blue.  If I'm ever in doubt about what to wear to the office, I start with a blue shirt and this pinpoint oxford is about as utilitarian as it gets.  Pinpoint's texture keeps it from being overly formal or foppish, doesn't wrinkle like finer, lighter weight cotton weaves, but still breathes well.  But safe isn't the same as stylish.  So for style, I look to details and accessories.

Plain White Dress Shirt

"A crisp white dress shirt is the gray flannel pants of shirts." --Esquire

I figured I should start with the basics.  A white dress shirt doesn't have to be dull or excessively formal.  Instead of looking like an IRS or FBI agent, adding a white stripe and some luster with my tie give my white shirt some personality.  A button down collar (especially if it rolls well--something for another post), chest pocket and placket, button cuffs, and the texture of a pinpoint oxford weave will make sure no one thinks I'm attending a state dinner.  I think this ensemble is crisp and sharp, but not like I'm still on my first interview.