Excentricity of all Ages

I've always been told good taste was subjective, but it seems some aesthetics are universal.

Please don't..

Wear Pink in Winter

Winter and its pale snow and sharp skies is an excellent time for whites, blacks and all shades of grey to fit in the urban environment. Pale blues also function excellent, matching the skies and the cool atmosphere.

Now, thawing has - albeit unconvincingly - kicked in here in West-Holland, and though there is plenty of snow still to be seen, the days are getting noticeably warmer. A welcome change indeed.
To bring a bit of that warmth to a day's outfit, I'd like to suggest a less common contender: pink. Another one of the "soft" colours, pink works excellent in winter's pale, high-contrast surroundings. But, coming from red (instead of the more common blue), pink offers a good bit of subtle warmth to an appearance, without sticking out like a sore thumb.

I'm not quite sure if I'd consider the colour under-used or over-used, but it definitely is an option under-appreciated. Executed in as pale a hue as possible, pink is a great alternative to blue or white, and has (formal) roots going back to post-war London. (When men were inclined to stick to wearing either their club- or military regiment- tie, and used pinks, blues and stripes to dress up their outfits instead.)

Pink looks splendid with blue and grey. It suits most skin- and hair-complexions, and in a pale wash, is far from effeminate.

To warm up your winters, consider pink.

Colours, Stars and Stripes

A few days back I wrote a bit on colour, and dressing without looking artificial. One of the ways to do so, is by matching secondary colours. And one way of matching secondary colours, once perhaps not a wardrobe staple but far more common than it is today, is the multi-coloured striped suit.

Seen here worn by Gossip Girl's Chuck Bass, the suit in charcoal with a fine alternating orange and blue-purple stripe almost looks solid from afar, but helps to pull together the peach shirt, red-purple and orange pocket square and purple paisley tie (which also has traces of orange, peach and possibly even blue). But most impressively, it helps the slightly dandified boutonnière to blend in with the outfit and look acceptable for the circumstances.

Naturally, most of us won't frequently be donning a tie, pocket-square and boutonnière with our suits at the same time, but Mr. Bass provides us with a good example of the synergistic effects a multi-coloured stripe can have. Best when executed in colours that blend together from afar, a pattern like this can look conservative and creative, with space for subtle display of personality. After all, it's all in the details.


So, next time you're looking for a suit with a twist, consider the multi-coloured stripe.

Of Socks and Saints

 

A subtle bit of colour can go miles in keeping a sober outfit from being boring. Like everyone who went to a British boys-school knows, socks can be a great place to splash in an almost hidden bit of rainbow juice.

Here, bright red cotton socks worn with grey flannel trousers and black pecari-leather shoes to an afternoon rendezvous in the city, for a long informal lunch and coffee.

The rest of the outfit consisted out of a slightly darker grey polo neck and a black corduroy cotton jacket, accessorised with a cotton dove grey pocket square and a light red viscose scarf. Admittedly, the socks are a bit brighter a red than I would normally choose, but I was in the mood for a bit more wham, and they matched the scarf so well.

And admittedly, it was the "Intocht van Sinterklaas" (the start of the Dutch winter Holiday season), and this was pretty close to Sinterklaas-red..

For your consideration: the Denim Suit

I've always been a big fan of classic gentlemen's clothing. Certain styles of dress are - I believe - simply routed in the belief that a gentleman's attire should work to make his figure look the best way possible and show his respect for those around him, and (what would now be described as) the classical men's suit, does just this.

That given, the definition of this men's suit can be seen in a very broad way, with nearly limitless options for personalisations in terms of fabric, details, etc..

Personally, I'm inclined to suits, and jackets, and clothing inspired by tradition, but one of the reasons I like them is their function, and functionality. However, I am not always in the office, out for dinner in fancy restaurants, or chairing a General Assembly, and young bird as I may be, I like to be able to live my clothes hard every now and then without loosing the sense of style and personality I enjoy in my clothing.

via The Sartorialist

Therefore, I would like to suggest the Denim suit, in a classy dark blue. Sturdy and practical, yet flattering of the masculine shape and a wink to tradition. When paired with a smooth shirt and perhaps a knit tie or elegant pocket square, one looks urban, yet classy. Sporty, but elegant. And of course, the pieces could also be worn separately perfectly fine. (Who would object to a well-made pair of denims?)

Where Tweed might sometimes be too warm or (surprisingly) too flashy, the Denim suit can make for the perfect casual stylish suit in the city whenever a bit more ruggedness is needed or wanted (at least in appearance). It also serves as a transitional piece from jeans to more formal wear.

Really, it's all in the make. Therefore, for your consideration: the Denim Suit.

Green, wear it (with blue)

via The Sartorialist

I am a big fan of the colour green. Although never a standard choice in men's attire, we seem to have all but lost green, and especially olive-drab like variants, to military clothing and items seeking to resemble that. This is a shame.

Dark green has much potential, especially in terms of suitings (or other big contributors to ones attire). Because of its rich, full and mature hue, it doesn't attract too much attention, but still manages to be subtly different and expressive. I do not advocate the colour in the more formal settings, but generally, the colour can find its place in City, Sub-Urb and Countryside alike.
 
Paired with a lighter blue, green looks especially great, giving a very normal yet uncommon impression. Looking good, without demanding attention.
 
 Green can be for your major items, what purple is for the details: an acquired skill, with great potential for subtle personification. Just be careful with the reds. (Although, Christmas is coming..)