Not just true for (semi-)Formal

Ensuring a properly fitting neck on your jackets helps to give not only an air of elegance, but also the impression the wearer actually owns the suit. Unfortunately, this is of course largely an issue of make and fit.

Showing shirt collar - preferably an inch or more - gives a clean, finished touch to an ensemble and helps to flatteringly elongate the neckline. Done by simply holding on to the shirt-collar with one hand, and gently tugging the bottom of the jacket after putting it on with the other, this simple detail gives the impression the wearer knows what he's doing, and feels comfortable in a suit.
Done properly, few will realise why, but most will recognise one is dressed well.

Next time, show some collar.

Crisp White Linen: of Complement and Contrast:

Recess is over, and today I'd like to share my thoughts on one of the basics of dressing well.

To me, one of the fundamentals of looking good -not just in dress, but in aesthetics in general, for that matter-  is the play between complement and contrast. Simply put, the eye wants something that is both interesting and pleasant. As such, one has to find a balance between using elements that are harmonious, and those that spark each other off. Like a good relationship, basically.

Seen on both Kanye West above, and the Italian gentleman to the right, the crisp white linen pocket square is often quoted as the fundamental square. Whether puffed or folded, and almost regardless of which colours combined with, a clean linen pocket square in white looks good, and appropriate in almost any worsted suit's breast-pocket. And there's a reason for that.

The basics of working with contrast and complement are colour and texture, and white linen works with both: the crisp clean white contrasts with the inevitably darker background of the suit jacket. The stronger the difference in colour, the stronger the effect. This creates something playful and interesting for the eye to look at, and helps give a feeling of completion to an outfit. On the other hand, the matte linen is in line with the relative "un-shininess" of the jacket (most commonly made out of wool). This helps to ease in the square, and creates a feeling of wholesomeness and belonging.

Were one to pick, say, a silk white square on the same suit, the contrast would have been much greater, and quite possibly have taken away from the overall charm. Of course it can be pulled off, and don't forget a pocket square and suit are only two elements making the sum of a gentleman's outfit. But then again, this is not a post advocating against wearing anything other than white linen, but simply to explain my views on why it works.

If there is one thing I might teach you in all these posts, let it be this - Complement and Contrast. Oh, and to buy your(-self/ man) a white linen square. It never hurts.

"She asked me why I’m so dressed up?… I told her, ‘cause I’m not headed to the gym right now."

- Kanye West

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..

Dress like a compliment

Use of colour is one of the great pleasures of dressing. However, when selecting the day's outfit, one has to be careful not to look like the result of "creativity hour" in kindergarten, as dressing too loudly can look obtrusive and distract the attention from the wearer. To help the gentlemen of society avoid such fiascos, is one of the reasons style guides advise matching your belt and shoes exactly, and retailers sell pocket-square and tie combos made out of the exact same fabric. It is also the reason men limit themselves to dressing in two colours, with tie either copying suit or shirt, and when donning a square, having it similar to tie or shirt again.

There is only one problem with these scientifically equated solutions to dressing well: it has an air of stiff, boring and most of all, gives the impression that one tried too hard.

As with a compliment, one's attire should look personal, sincere and not too well thought through to be appreciated. An air of spontaneity always helps.
 
And like a compliment can sometimes be too much and rather awkward, and the same compliment be regarded as pleasant and forgotten moments later in a different setting, so should one's dress always be befitting of the circumstances.
Sure, some of us may be more flamboyant, and some prefer subtle minimalism, but there are limits either way. These are not called rules, but the boundaries of good taste.

So, dress like a compliment, and let your dress complement you.

Expect more posts detailing this subject in the future.

Watch this: The Night of the Navy Blue Blazer

Great video, filled with energy, playfulness and personalisation.
(Though obviously not to be taken literally)



May it inspire us all to take a fresh new look at our old clothes.