Accessories
You do not have to own a sizable collection of designer or expensive ties to know that you need to treat these vulnerable accessories with a certain degree of care. This is by no means an implication of an expensive or high maintenance way of up keeping. While many invest in a tie rack of some sort, you will be pleased to know that ties are best stored rolled as opposed to hung. Hanging for long periods of time, especially when stacked over other ties, causes creases and ridges in the fabric.
Simply wrap each tie around your hand in an unsecured roll and store in a drawer or on a flat shelf in your closet. This is the best way to get rid of wrinkles and maintain the shape, quality and lifespan of a tie. When traveling, an unsecured roll wrapped over your hand is also the best way to travel with a tie. To ensure durability, especially when donning silk, take off your tie gently and always unfasten knots completely before storing away.
No matter how much you love wearing a certain tie, never wear it for more than one day at a time. Due to the nature of how ties are made and the fabric itself, these accessories needs to rest between wears.
Although ties certainly do not need to pressing in say the frequency of dress shirts or pants, wrinkles do occur. You will probably find yourself wanting to tend to a wrinkle without necessarily washing or treating your tie. Should you choose to iron your tie, be sure to learn about the fabric that the tie is made from. Regardless of how heavily twilled it may be, never let a tie touch the iron directly. Cover with cotton fabric and iron swiftly but effectively, tending only to creases. Other options are using a hand steamer or simply letting the tie hang in the bathroom during a hot shower.
When it comes to washing ties some regard the act as blasphemous as washing selvedge denim. Washing is fine, just as long as you do not do it often and consider going to a reputable cleaner to do the job.
For a while now, the construction/workman style boot has been plodding the streets and avenues of many a city, bringing utility, comfort and a built-to-last sort of sensibility to men’s sartorial propensities. Much like your favorite pair of loafers that seem to go with everything, the workman boot is more than capable of achieving the very same results.
Having established this serviceable aesthetic, refrain from making things look exaggerated. Do not extend this sensibility to a full wardrobe furnished by Carharrt. Leave it to the avant-garde and runway shows to exaggerate a fashion point of view.
In the office, on the weekend, snow or rain, these heavy-duty shoes are never unwieldy to work with. Just keep the colors and styles basic.
Opt for a classic pair like Red Wings or Gorillas and you will find how well these go with denim, khakis, chambray and even herringbone. For a dressier look, a tie or tweed blazer can be paired resulting in an ensemble that is seriously cool.
Images courtesy of http://www.trashness.com/
Eyewear today should be vintage inspired but modern. Consider a square-framed style or even a circular one, depending on the shape of your face, in bold and well-defined contours. For a prep disposition, tortoise shell is always a good bet, but black is modern, explicit and versatile. It goes with everything and fluidly transitions from work to weekend. If you’re adventurous, consider crystal or clear frames. These can work quite effectively.
Some eyewear retailers to keep on your radar:
Warby Parker is a vintage inspired eyewear company that challenges the triple digit price that we have been accustomed to forking out.
For $95 you can get a pair of handsome frames that will not break the bank. This includes a prescription lens and lots of good will—the company donates a pair on your behalf when you purchase a pair for yourself.
Another name to consider is Moscot. The global lifestyle brand of one hundred years of heritage brings iconic styles that are made by tastemakers for tastemakers. Much of the frames haven’t changed since their inception from back I the day.
Truman Capote and Johny Depp, to name a few, are big Moscot fans.
While the fiery success of AMC’s Mad Men more than resurrected the pocket square and perhaps in some moments made it feel surfeited, it is still an important accessory. In today’s times, it’s not necessary to limit one’s pocket square to set starchy occasions or even folds for that matter. Much like ties, socks and cufflinks, this is an opportunity, wardrobe real estate if you will, to break the mold. Through color, patterns or even unique folds, pocket squares are a guaranteed way to up the ante of your look.
A versatile accessory, it can bring a spritz of sophistication to casual Fridays. A silk pocket square in an understated color, tucked into a blazer pocket, paired with denim, is a seamless way to usher in the weekend on a Friday morning. A traditional and modern piece of fabric, the many ways it can be fashioned into your wardrobe are quite remarkable. Brunch, weddings and in-between, it’s your perfect social sidekick.
For the simple, modern man, a pocket square is a great alternative to a tie. In like manner, one can easily pair a pocket square with a tie in an ensemble. As a broad brushstroke, one should match hues of the square against the tie, focusing on one matching element. For example, if you are wearing a blue gingham pocket square, a blue tie would pair well. For a solid colored square matched with a solid colored tie, attempt similar hues but embrace different shades (think darker against lighter). Try not to match things precisely; as such endeavors typically result in inevitable visual conflict. Shades come from the same family of hues but work much more harmoniously, adding texture and visual interest. Another simple foolproof formula is to match the square to the background of your shirt or pattern. Either way you do it, enjoy experimenting, chances are you’ll come up with something rather unique and interesting.
Lastly, let’s not forget a functional purpose these right-angled friends do. They wipe. Generally, they’re perfect for tears, yours and others, and sweat (hopefully only yours).
Although it may not be present in all its glory, Spring is here. Dress up for the weekend and for the jaunty season. For a comfortable and relaxed look, incorporate bright colors, with breathable fabrics, and geometrical prints.
Polo ($40), Cardigan ($50) and Shorts by Top Man. Bag ($298) by Marc by Marc Jacobs and Espadrille ($78) by Jeffrey Campbell.
Ladies, it doesn’t require a whole lot of effort to easily transition from day to night. With the holiday season in full swing and parties happening every night, be sure that you don’t miss out on the fun just because you feel the need to trek all the way home to change. Mostly likely, when you get there you’re not going to want to come back out.
A lesson can be learned from Diane, who shared with me her personal approach for going from work to an evening cocktail party. With Diane as my main source of inspiration, I’ve developed five easy tips for making the transition from day to night simple and painless, just as Diane did.
- The Plan – Be strategic and have a plan. Think about what you want to wear in the evening, and then add or subtract accessories and layers accordingly. Remember, the more layers you have and the less skin you show during the day, the more professional you will appear.
- Accessories – Wear simple jewelry to work, and pack your evening jewelry in a small jewelry bag. Don’t pack a jewelry box, as that only adds weight and bulk to the purse or bag you’ll be carrying. As evening accessories, I recommend dangling earrings, a diamond tennis bracelet, a statement necklace, and a jewel tone ring. Remember, you want to sparkle. Optionally, you may remove your glasses if you have contact lenses.
- Layers – During the day wear a cardigan or blazer with a scarf for a more professional look. In the evening, you’ll discard the top layer and remove the scarf to reveal shorter or no sleeves for a sexier appearance.
- Shoes – Given the cold and often wet outdoor weather, if you’re wearing a skirt or dress then opt for a knee length boot during the day for added warmth. Pack a pair of light weight heels in your purse that you can slip into in the evening.
- Make-up - Keep your make-up fresh, light and nude during the day, and in the evening go heavier on the blush, add smoke to the eyes, and opt for a deeper shade of lipstick.
As you can see from the pictures below, Diane nailed the approach. Job well done Diane!
Day Look
Evening Look
While accessories are associated with luxury, they are an important functional and fashionable component of a man’s wardrobe. Stimulating the unexciting, great accessories revive the dozy of wardrobe basics.
The perfect fall accessory for every man out and about this fall is a great pair of gloves. A slick pair of cashmere lined leather gloves, like these from Coach, keeps your hands warm and graceful, allowing you to do things easily when wearing them. Additionally, they perfectly complement all sorts of styles.
Scarves are quintessentially fall and put simply men should start perceiving them the way they do with ties; only scarves are so much more versatile and acquiescent. This striped wool scarf from Armani Exchange has a strong ratio of texture and color. Wrapped suitably it can play dressy nights or casual days, perfectly.
Tie bars are those finicky little things that slide over your tie holding it in place and giving your torso a touch of bling. The truth is, tie bars are far from finicky and bring about an amazing polished look. General rules of thumb are to never wear it too high up, your upper mid section is optimum, and not have it cover the whole width of your tie. The result? A subtler kind of chic, sans used car salesman.
Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you won’t need a cool looking pair of shades to warm your cool. For most men, Aviators are classic and foolproof. Find a pair that suits you and sport them to work or weekend errand running.
Finally, graduate from those flimsy, useless, and ungracious umbrellas and invest in a good quality brolly that meets the caliber of these great fall accessories.
