A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.

 It has been a while since my last entry so I thought I would resume with a blog dedicated to the decadent dress in Martin Scorsese’s telling of Jordan Belfort's exploits; The Wolf of Wall Street.

The suits in this story are a fine quality of wool and bespoke from the Straton Oakmont's  internal tailor however the majority of them are in a particular style that is not hugely flattering to any body type.

The style adorned by many is a double breasted 6 on 1 jacket with wide shoulders and an rather a baggy fit. To the uninitiated, a 6 on 1 style means that there are 6 buttons on the jacket but only one will fasten. The problem with this, as I have mentioned before, is that does not provide a man with a flattering silhouette as well tailored suit should do. The bagginess was en vogue in the 1980s as was large shoulders and wide lapels. This seems odd as it does nothing but make a man looks like he’s wearing a size too large. The suits worn by Jean Dujardin are the film’s most elegant; 6 on 4 double breasted and a few nice single breasted 3 piece suits. The patterns and colours are not surprising for a decadent stockbroker, pinstripes, chalk-stripes, bold checks and plain ones. They all appear in the usual staple navy and the various shades of grey. The worst part of the wardrobe is surely the ties. They are frequently garish patterns that belong on game show hosts but because it was fashionable during this era, they are plentiful.

On the whole, the film is an excellent showcase of suits, albeit ones with an unflattering style, shirts, ties braces and shoes that flaunt the ostentatious nature of the main characters with their often loud patterns and hues.  

    

Winter Wardrobe Part Two.

As a follow up to my previous blog, here is what is in vogue this season according to the high street.

Starting with the suit, not a great deal has changed in terms of cut for a few years: The jackets still have a slim or tailored short fit, narrow lapels and flapped pockets that either straight or slanted. Vents show the most variety, yet the single vent (inexplicably I think) remains the most popular. Other recent popular features include contrasting cuff buttons and ticket pockets. It is unlikely, though not improbable, that the buttons on said cuffs are functioning and the ticket pockets may potentially be merely an ostentatious flap that actually doesn’t have a pocket. 

The trousers varied from being skinny, tailored fit and even the rare full cut. Most had flat fronts and plain bottoms but as turn ups are fashionable on casual chinos, the sartorial bottom half seems to have followed suit.

There was one example of evening wear, a shawl collared single breasted dinner jacket with a single vent. Peak lapels are becoming increasingly popular on business and lounge suits making the shawl collar one of Black Tie’s most exclusive styles.

For the most part, it was all two button single breasted suits and the occasional three pieces however there was one traditional 2 on 4 double breasted anomaly among the others. The buttoning point on the single breasted jackets is still rather high, slightly above the waist, on most jackets but those from more traditional retailers offered a lower position. In terms of colour, it’s the same advice for autumn/winter as it has been before; keep it dark. The most popular patterns this year are check ones, but stripes and solids will always hold well whatever the weather.

Regarding outerwear, wool mackintoshes and peacoats have popularity once again on the catwalk, though the Crombie style still holds a place. There is also a decent compromise that is an interesting fashion item: the wool blazer. The same length as a normal suit jacket yet the cloth of an outwear garment, whether single or double breasted, these are great alternatives to the often impractical winter coat.

One thing that seemed neglected at the fashion show were shirts, which in recent months seem to be offering more rakish styles. These include the rounded “club” style, the tab and it’s more gauche cousin, the pin and even the cutaway. All these collar styles made their sartorial debut in the 1920s and 30s, experienced a renaissance in the 60s and are now back once more. 

Winter Wardrobe Part One.

As autumn and winter approach, a gentleman must prepare his wardrobe for the colder months.

Here in Britain we are experiencing, as we often do, a lacklustre summer and as a result, days that are warm yet paradoxically chilly. To find formal items in a gentleman’s wardrobe with the greatest versatility when the weather changes daily, look no further than the blazer. Those made of linen and cotton are ideal for the warmer days and when it’s chillier, try tweed or a heavier wool. The blazer should be, depending on the occasion and weather, combined with either chinos or trousers in a colour that complements the blazer. A standard colour for a blazer is blue, but the shade makes all the difference to how and when it should be worn. A richer hue of blue, particularly when combined with beige trousers, is an excellent choice for a sunnier day as the brighter colours are better suited to summer. A darker, even midnight navy harmonises with darker shades and in more subdued lighting. Two or Three buttons are equally common; it’s a matter of preference. Single vents are more common on Tweed and other warmer jackets because of their country origins, while the navy blazer can have single, double or no vents at all.  

When the weather turns colder, an extra layer will be required and for the gentleman there are many options. Winning the category of most formal, the Chesterfield is surely the most prestigious of coats. Arguably a descendant of the Victorian frock coat, the Chesterfield is cut in either a double breasted style with peak lapels or single breasted with a fly front and notched lapels (right).  Another feature is the velvet collar, which apparently is one that saves gentlemen money by meaning he only has to change the collar rather than the whole coat, should it become too dirty.

A similar formal coat is the Crombie. A coat that has military origins, usually three buttons with a fly front or not and, in recent years, has been cropped to the mid thigh as opposed to the Chesterfield’s below the knee. This was an item that was popular with the British subculture “The Mods” in the 1960s and its subsequent revivals in the ‘70s and ‘80s.

Both of these outerwear items look equally formidable in black, navy or charcoal. Light Grey shorter coats are a more stylish alternative, but look better on coats with a mid thigh length.

The peacoat is another versatile weapon in a Gentleman’s winter arsenal. It is a short, double breasted coat; similar in length to a regular traditional suit jacket, that has either 8 or 6 buttons. The buttons on more traditional coat are made of plastic with anchors printed on them, but plain buttons are more commonplace. Features of the peacoat can include epaulettes and strap cuff buttons if not ordinary cuff buttons, contrast collar meltons and peak lapels.  Having Naval origins, it is traditionally found in navy blue (below right), but blacks and grey are popular fashionable alternate colours. Another element found on high street peacoats is an attached funnel neck zip fleece jacket (below left). This might be the result of retailers observing people wearing the two separate layers and then combining them.    

  

These are the major winter staples in a Gentleman’s wardrobe; while other coats like the duffel and funnel exist they seem to lack the formality that these holy trinity of formal coats have.

In terms of tailoring, those in heavier wools are also better suited to this season, as are herringbone patterns and, as mentioned, darker colours are more complimentary in the winter season.

A blog will follow on the winter trends when after I have attended a show of Bristol Fashion week later this month.

Image Credits:

Grey Peacoat with attached fleece: http://www.burton.co.uk/en/bruk/product/clothing-281559/mens-jackets-coats-281568/grey-double-breasted-wool-peacoat-2069062?bi=21&ps=20

Traditional Navy Peacoat:

http://www.lyleandscott.com/pws/client/images/emails/011112jackets/011112jackets.html

Chesterfield Style Coat:

http://www.oconnellsclothing.com/home.php?cat=377

Crombie Style Coat:

http://www.moss.co.uk/Black-Crombie-Style-Overcoat-By-Dehavilland-962677915

Fine and Dandy

Having finished Fitzgerald’s novel and Luhrman’s film adaptation, I’ll be writing about the eponymous hero of the “The Great Gatsby” and then the foray of dandyism in today’s age. To clarify to the uninitiated, dandyism refers to a character who dresses in a style that stands out from the norm quite extravagantly, originating from Beau Brummell of the 18^th century.

 Jay Gatsby’s style is one of rakish dandyism, looking at either the Robert Redford or Leonardo Di Caprio film we can physically see how dandified his suits are. The (in)famous pink suit from the novel transpires in Di Caprio’s version as a 3 piece chalk stripe suit (left). The jacket has peak lapels, turn back cuffs (an Edwardian feature), 3 buttons with a low placement and he wears it with a collar pin shirt, a tie with pink and burgundy stripes that follow the British direction and a burgundy pocket square. While the mentioned elements are examples of dandyism, the most striking feature is obviously the colour of the cloth. Pink is a versatile colour for shirts in any man’s wardrobe but for suits, it only serves as a dandified summer outfit. Robert Redford’s version is still dandified but has notch lapels, and a double breasted waistcoat with shawl lapels. It looks good on Gatsby because he is a man known, or at least gives the impression for it in his ambiguous character, for being extravagant. His shirts, he notes in the novel, are finest quality from English,probably Jermyn Street in London. 

The dinner suit he wears in the film is equally interesting, but perhaps is forgivable because of the era. Black Tie was still a relatively new dress code in the 1920s and this meant that many dinner suits at the time had certain artistic flairs as people began experimenting and merging elements of Formal and Semi Formal evening wear. Gatsby seems to be wearing a high buttoning (3 or 4) single breasted peak lapelled jacket in midnight blue with black silk facings. The waistcoat underneath is also rather highly cut and seems to be midnight blue with a fine pinstripe. A later dinner suit seems to show a matching plain midnight waistcoat with lapels. 

It was also interesting to note, although probably just an example of Luhrman splendor, the first Gatsby party that Nick Carraway, played rather well by Toby Maguire(above), attends having been invited by Mr Gatsby seems an eclectic mix of Black Tie, White Tie, Stroller and Sports formal wear. 

While many of the male characters in the 2013 film dress in a style that might seem dandyish to a modern audience (Carraway wears a shirt with a club collar, Tom Buchannan wears a double breasted waistcoat that covers almost all of his torso and three piece suits are commonplace in it) it should be noted that the 1920s were a decade when not only were suits worn in abundance, more stylish cuts were emerging as part of a post -war rejection of past stuffiness.

By contrast in this current decade, wearing suits has become a boring chore for many, only wearing one when they absolutely have to. Many workplaces offer a dress code that only stipulates a shirt and tie and some, particularly over the summer where people find wearing a shirt and tie too much, even suggest a cessation of dress codes all together. I appreciate that the warm weather makes wearing shirts and ties uncomfortable, but this problem is encouraged by ill fitting shirts that are made of less breathable materials. A suit jacket on top of this adds to the problem, but a lighter colour and material jacket still retains smartness without becoming as uncomfortable as dark colours.

Wearing a three piece suit, even if it is in conservative in cut, colour and pattern and mixed with a plain white shirt and muted tie, would look dandified to many today because it contrasts with a smart casual look adopted by the majority of others. Dandy styles, by old standards, still exist today however; fashion designers and high street suit retailers offer tailoring in brighter, bolder colours and patterns and cuts. Brooks Brothers have even gone to the extent that they are offering Gatsby-esque products as part of the S/S 2013 range. This peacock style of bright and bold tailoring is arguably to suggest that wearing a suit need not be boring. The idea of suit wearing being boring must come from the false interpretation that formality is dull. I’d hazard that it’s because looking clean cut and traditional is not as cool as the androgynous look of today’s fashion conscious who, like generations of youth before them, go to great lengths to style their hair thoroughly yet think dressing formally is an arduous task.

Formality has always had a relationship with dandification, as Nicholas Antongiovanni describes the difference as the former being “solemnity combined with obeisance to established modes of propriety” while the latter is “panache or strikingness combined with rarity”. Colour plays an important role in each; dark colours are more formal and bright colours on suits are more dandified. There is nothing boring in my eyes about formality even if it has connotations of fustiness, it’s still equally easy to look good in a conservative style just adding a pocket square in a flat fold to match the shirt or subtle cufflinks which contrasts to the elaborate puffs of silk handkerchiefs that a dandy might wear.

I suppose my overall point is that:  While I lament that suit wearing is not a common practice these days and therefore makes those who wear them look, at worst, square or, at best, dandified compared to their casual counterparts, I value the suit’s uniqueness in these circumstances and advise others to bring it back into the foray as something to wear in many circumstances, not just weddings and funerals.  

(Image Credits: 

http://uptowndandy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/a-cultural-history-of-dandy-slatecom.html

 http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/05/was-the-great-gatsby-broke.html

A Guide to Graduation Wear for Gentlemen.

 As Graduation  ceremonies approach for many, a gentleman ought to plan what he will wear on this momentous day in his life. The initial guide for mine personally is, ambiguously, “simple, uncluttered clothing” as there is not an official dress code. This is still, however, a formal occasion and here simple and uncluttered does not refer to jeans and a t shirt. In many graduations, gentlemen seem content wearing a pair of smart trousers, a shirt and a tie. This is indeed a simple, fuss-free look and practical considering how warm the day (if it is indeed summer time) ought to be. On the other hand, the graduation gown will reveal the shirt sleeves so here are a few alternatives which require a little more effort and a little more resilience. These are a two piece suit or a three piece suit. The positives are obviously that you will look better dressed than your shirt wearing counterpart because a jacket covers wear the shirt might have billowed or crinkled after sitting and standing and presents a more refined look. The three piece does this and more as the waistcoat will cover most of the shirt’s body. There is of course a compromise by wearing a three piece suits minus the jacket, creating a smarter look than just a shirt, but probably more comfortable than a full suit. If you are worried, take the jacket or waistcoat with you; see how it feels with the graduation gown on. Remove the jacket if need be or keep it on if it feels good.

The only way to ensure that any of the looks is smart is making sure everything fits well and looks good.

From the bottom up:

The Shoes: Make sure these are comfortable but as polished as you can get them. They do not need to be hard leather, but they do need to look as smart as you can get them.

The Trousers: Assuming you’re buying from a fashionable retailer, the trousers are likely to be slim fit and have a short rise (distance between the waistband and the crotch) so make sure they do not fit too tightly unless you want to people to think you have women’s leggings on. Try the size that would normally take and the next waist size up and see which is more comfortable. On most modern trousers, the waistband is just above the hips and, depending on if you’re wearing just a shirt or a suit, you should wear a belt with the former and braces with the latter. This will make each style look as clean as possible because a belt breaks up the line of a suit by separating it and wearing just braces over a shirt looks like you’re in an indie band or you have forgotten your jacket. The trousers should have should just touch the top of the shoes for the cleanest trouser line. Belts should match the shoes in colour and material. In terms of colour, lighter colours will compliment the weather but darker colours work better if you are not wearing the suit as the bold contrast of dark trousers and light shirt will appear smart.

Shirt: Most shirts only offer the collar size as a guide so if you have an average or slim build look for a tailored fit or slim fit shirt. You should be able to fit a finger or two comfortably in between the collar when it is buttoned and the shirt’s body should not billow nor should it gape when you sit down. Wearing a jacket will cover these two problems. Whether you go for single cuff or double cuff is up to you. White is always a good colour to go for, as is sky blue. The tie should compliment the colours of both the shirt and trousers. 

   

The Waistcoat: The waistcoat should cover the top of the trouser waistband and just peak out of a closed jacket. It should fit the body well without being tight or loose. Any tailor will say how hard it is to get this garment right but measure your chest and try on until you get the right size. Make sure it matches the trousers, and the jacket if your wearing one, and remember to leave the bottom button undone.  

The jacket: This will make or break the outfit. It has to fit if you want to look smarter than any of the above. The jacket should fit on the chest smoothly so it doesn’t pull at the waist, nor give too much room. There should be a little bit of shirt cuff visible seen, quarter of inch or so. It should lie flat on the body and the shoulders should not protrude from the natural shoulder as this will make the head look smaller, if they are too narrow the head will look bigger.  

It is your day, so make sure you feel comfortable and happy in whatever you wear.

The Virtues of Single and Double Breasted Jacket Styles.

The virtues of double and single breasted jackets are as follows: 

The single breasted is the most common type, flattering some body types more than others, while the double breasted is less common but more flattering to certain body shapes.

The single breasted jacket  is one that can be worn by any man, but its intricacies will make a man look as elegant as he possibly can. A single breasted suit with a nipped waist and two buttons will make any slim to average man look good because it creates the ideal silhouette of a narrow waist and broad shoulders. This is particularly true of those jackets with peak lapels that accent broader shoulders.

The three button single breasted jacket will give shorter men the illusion of height, more so if it is a long jacket with rolled to the middle button lapels. Some say that one button jackets are even better for shorter men as there are no superfluous buttons on the jacket, creating a smoother look. The fewer flapless pockets, the less cluttered the jacket looks which will also add to the illusion of height.

Less fitted single breasted jackets, with two buttons more often that not, are better for a wider man as it stops him looking any wider than he already is.

Double breasted jackets on the other hand serve a taller, slim gentleman to a greater extent. The two rows of buttons break up the height and emphasize width to stop him looking ridiculously tall and thin. Short men should avoid double breasted jackets for the same reason; it makes him look smaller because there are too many horizontal lines on the jacket. The most flattering of double breasted styles is the uncommon six on two (two buttons to fasten)  rather than the uncommon six on one( only the one button to fasten) because it creates the most flattering look on a man. 

This information provided has been aided by researching the works of Nicholas Antongianni and Alan Flusser.

A Guide to Formal Wear

As the summer weather slowly begins to appear here in dear dreary old England, summer balls and school proms are being organized. 

These events are a great time for a man to demonstrate sartorial prowess. The first thing to do is find out the dress code. If it’s not on the invitations, just ask someone who is involved with organizing the event, not one of your friends. The usual one is “Black Tie”, which I’ll explain in detail further down, but it might be as vague as “Smart” or “Formal Dress”. If it is one of those descriptions, do NOT interpret this as a smart pair of jeans and a blazer, or as one person I saw at a winter ball (yes winter) did with a pair of chinos and jacket. The best option would be a dark suit. If this is your first suit go for navy or grey as these are more versatile colours than black and can be worn at interviews, work, funerals and weddings equally.  White is the best colour for the shirt; it can be double or single cuffs and should have a plain front. Make sure that the tie is sensible and demure. Belts break up the clean line of a suit, but braces (suspenders) are not only fashionable they are a practical accessory that will keep the trousers up without visually cutting the body in half. Shoes are always good in black, as long as they are polished. 

As most proms and balls will be in the evening, avoid like the plaque light coloured suits. Light grey is a perfect colour for summer but not for the evening so leave it to formal day occasions. If you are planning on using the suit for other things, it’s also safer to avoid the modern trend of suits with stain “tips” on the edges of these suits; this seems to be a strange merging of Black Tie evening wear and business wear.

  

Black Tie is the most common dress code for balls so here is a guide as to what that entails if you are unfamiliar:

The Black Tie dress code refers to a black, one button jacket with either a Shawl collar or peak lapels in satin or grosgrain, trousers cut for button on braces with a satin/grosgrain piping down in the seams. The notch lapel, seen on most usual suits, is acceptable but it will look inelegant compared to the others. The shirt ought to be a white, pleated, Marcella, (pique) or even plain with a fly front (covered buttons) with a turndown collar; wing collars should be reserved for White Tie events. To cover the waist, either a low cut waistcoat to match the jacket or a black cummerbund to match the black bow tie should be worn. The bow tie that you wear with this ensemble should be a self tie one; it is not rocket science gentlemen. Footwear should either be highly polished plain black leather or patent leather shoes. The key term in this is Black; the ONLY acceptable alternative is midnight blue. It is ok to wear a ivory or white dinner jacket but only in the Tropics. This goes for accessories too, it’s not the ‘80s anymore, don’t have matching, brightly coloured bow ties, cummerbunds or waistcoat; it looks silly. A white pocket square will complete the outfit and here is a little leeway to add a splash of colour to the look if it is insisted that you have something that matches your date’s dress.

This is the only ensemble to wear for a Black Tie Only/Required event. If the invitation has Black Tie Preferred/ Optional as its dress code, you can wear what I have mentioned above. If you have to choice and really don’t want to wear a dinner suit and bow tie, then you may wear a dark, formal suit (3 piece or not) a plain white or blue shirt and conservative tie. Shoes should be appropriate but black is always a safe bet.

If you feel that a suit or following dress codes in some way diminishes your unique sense of creativity, avoid the event all together. It would be rude to the host, not to follow suit (pun intended). Comedian David Mitchell gives a great explanation for this in this podcast here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66c7el1E11o, he is right; Black Tie is a gift to men as it requires very little effort once you know the rules. For more information, go to www.blacktieguide.com.

 The most important thing to remember is fit. It is better to wear a well fitting dark suit and long tie than a poorly fitting dinner suit and bow tie.

   Examples of a cummerbund, low cut waistcoat, shawl collar and peak lapel jackets. All images from  http://www.blacktieguide.com