A Tip Of The Hat To…TSBMen.com

It’s been a while since we tipped our hat to any of the great blogs out there on the world wide interweb, so we’re back with a new recommendation. This time, we are taking a look at TSBMen.com (The Style Blogger), which is honestly one of my favorite menswear blogs to follow, for a variety of reasons.

First, a little background: The blog was founded by Dan Trepanier in 2009. Dan is a Columbia grad, and along with leading the TSB team, is “a Senior Advisor for Michael Andrews Bespoke, a brand ambassador for Gillette, a guest writer for EnRoute magazine and a freelance consultant for a number of other menswear related brands” (from TSBMen.com). To put it simply, this guy is a pro. He was even named Esquire magazine’s “Best Dressed Real Man in America,” which I think is a pretty darn good description. This combination of technical expertise and down-to-earth (but still fly as hell) style is one of the things that keeps me coming back to the site. The rest of the team is made up of Alex Crawford, Townsend Smith, Wesley Dimagiba, and the most recent addition, John Crossley. They each have their own specialty (Alex is listed as the Art Director and Photographer, Towni as the Chief Marketing Officer, etc.), but they all regularly contribute to the articles, which is another thing that I really love about TSB. Each member brings their own style, and the result is a diverse (and once again, always fly) selection, from Alex’s more rugged Americana looks, to Towni’s New England prep, to Wes’s street-wear influences and John’s great laid back interpretations of business casual. At the same time, you won’t see those ‘street style’ peacock-ing looks (at least not too much) as these guys have a deep respect for both traditional, classic styles as well as the everyday man just trying to look good.

The TSB team puts up a variety of styles of posts. Feature articles tend to center around a theme (for example, bomber jackets), which they showcase through a number of looks, all illustrated with pretty top-notch photography (hats off to Alex). Another thing I love is the high frequency of guest appearances. The guys really seem to enjoy exploring and sharing the unique styles of their friends (and acquaintances and professional contacts). Filling in the time between features, daily posts look at smaller issues (one of my favorites has been the ‘Garment Doctor’ series which as focused on common tailoring and fit issues as well as their remedies). In addition to the blog, they recently added a shop featuring revolving items from their posts, as well as a few other features including an interactive style guide.

I find TSB to be an incredible source of inspiration. They do tend to feature items that are pretty far out of my budget, as well as one-of-a-kind pieces that you won’t be able to just go snag right off the internet, but they are a great source for sartorial style. A lot of those outfits can be recreated using much more affordable alternatives. Instead of looking at it as something to copy, look at it as something to try to imitate or replicate using pieces of your own choosing. If you ask me, this is even better than the sites that lay out exact selections of clothing. The TSB approach keeps you from relying 100 percent of the style and preferences of others and instead really helps you start to think for yourself. You get a good template, so you aren’t trying to pull everything together from scratch, but then you get to go and find the matchingi tems and in doing so can apply the nuances of your own style. For example, the picture below (courtesy of TSBMen.com) is from a post titled ‘A Smart In-Vest-Ment’ which looks into three ways to incorporate a suit-vest into your wardrobe.



Now, you might not have the money to go out and buy a bespoke vest, and that leather jacket is vintage, so you probably can’t even find an exact replica, but you can definitely take the inspiration and put together a similar look on your own. The goal here isn’t to be able to look just like Dan, but instead to like you, at your best.

I also love this site for the competitions, both internally and externally. The have an ongoing daily #WIWT competition amongst their staffers. It’s fun to see how these guys dress up on a day to day basis. They are definitely stylish guys, but even the classiest of fellas probably won’t be wearing a three piece bespoke suit every single day. This gives you a glimpse into what you wear between those days to give your wardrobe a break while still looking damn good. This is also a really fun place to read the comments. Readers on this site tend to give great feedback regarding looks they love, looks they don’t, and how they would handle each approach. This comments sections is also a great place to start exercising your own sartorial voice. Put in your two cents!

Their ‘open to the public’ competitions are great too. They might be a little intimidating to enter as a beginner (these people entering have some pretty impressive swag, and some great photographers). Once again, use it as a source of inspiration as well as a forum to discuss trends and styles and really get a feel for what you like, and eventually you will get to the point of entering yourself. For example, I myself read their blog for months before I felt I had a ‘look’ that was up to the challenge. As I’ve been tuning up my personal style, and getting better at taking good pictures featuring that style, I finally feel up to the task and will be entering in the next competition. On the plus side, the prizes are BOSS, so once you’ve reached that level you could be up to win some great stuff.

Read, comment, participate.

Origins (and more) - The Brogue Shoe

I can’t remember where I first read about the history of the brogue shoe, but I think it was one of the first sartorial history tidbits I picked up that really got me interested in the background behind the classics we see everyday. The brogue shoe, like many other aspects of style, originated for a purely functional purpose. The shoe was worn by farmers in the United Kingdom who would spent their days working in boggy and swampy fields inherent to the region. Wearing traditional shoes, these farmers would find themselves constantly pulling off their shoes to empty out the water from the swamps. The brogue was a simple solution to this squelchy problem. Shoemakers began to punch holes through the leather uppers of the shoes, usually following seams and running along the bottom of the shoe. These holes would allow the water to drain throughout the day. While feet still got wet, they weren’t soaking all day and provided a new level of functionality. These days, as the style has become more of a fashionable design rather than an operational advantage, the perforations no longer are punched the whole way through the shoe, so they wouldn’t help you much in a swamp, but they look damn good. I love a design that takes a standard, minimal design and adds a bit of flair without taking away from the class and grace of the item, and most of my favorite shoes have brogue detailing.

Some additional info:

There are actually a few standard ‘levels’ of brogue-ing (if that’s a word).

• The ‘quarter-brogue’ shoe refers to a cap-toe shoe (usually an oxford) with brogue details running only along the seam of the cap. 

• A half brogue is also a cap-toe shoe, but adds brogue details on the toe as well as the cap seam, and usually along the other seams inherent to an oxford style shoe as well. 

• A wingtip or full brogue incorporates the extra seaming of a wingtip shoe, and lines those seams with brogue detailing for a much more intricate design. 

• Less often, you will plain-toe shoes (no cap) with decorative brogue details. 

These pictures are all borrowed from the Mantorii Custom Footwear website. If you have the dough, I highly recommend checking them out. I myself haven’t had the influx of cash needed to snag a pair, but damn do those shoes look nice. They are also fully customizable, from leather type and color to general style of shoe or boot to brogue details, and are based off a personalized outline of your foot to ensure the highest level of fit and comfort. They aren’t cheap, but they are pretty comparable to a new pair of Allen Edmond’s. If any of you do make a Mantorii purchase, be sure to let me know how it turns out! I personally have my eyes set on the custom double-monk designed by Sabir M. Peele (author of Men’s Style Pro), which features half-brogue detailing:

WIWT - 4/24/2013

It’s been a while since I did a WIWT post, and I’m pretty damn happy with my wardrobe selection today, so WIWT it is. Mostly, I’m loving this outfit because it’s letting me use several new pieces that I was really excited to purchase and receive as gifts.



The first is this green chambray shirt from Frank and Oak. I think, from previous articles, you should know by now that Frank and Oak and chambray are two of my favorite things right now. I am also starting to be addicted to mint green as my go-to spring color, so when I saw this shirt in the April F&O selection I immediately jumped on it.

As usual with Frank and Oak, I’m really happy with the shirt. It fits me great as is, and the construction is very solid. It’s actually a bit heavier than my other Frank and Oak shirts, which is a bit of a mixed blessing. While I was kind of hoping for something light as the weather warms up, I’ve actually ended up being really happy with this weight on cooler spring days. It’s breathable enough that it doesn’t feel like a blanket when the sun comes out, but thick enough to give me a bit of a substantial layer when it gets cloudy and windy (as it so often does during Chicago springtime).



Next is the tie and pocket square combination, which I recently purchased from The Tie Bar. I’m always a big fan of polka dots, and this tie has pretty much the perfect scale going on for a fun tie that still fits the office environment. In my opinion, smaller and busier pin-dots lend to a more formal look, while larger and more spaced-out dots tend to look more casual, and this tie gives a great balance between the two. I’ve worn it with jeans, like here, or with dress pants and was equally pleased with both looks.



I also love this pocket square. I’m just starting to get into the pocket square game, and it can be tricky. You want to compliment other parts of your outfit without matching exactly, which can be tough to do at times. This square works great because I have a lot shirts and ties that are either blue or have blue accents, but I don’t have anything with a hounds-tooth pattern. Also, while it is a shinier silk square (as opposed to linen or cotton), the pattern breaks it up enough that it doesn’t look too dandy-ish (in my opinion).



Last, but definitely not least, is this Timex watch and strap from FormFunctionForm, which was a recent birthday present from my wonderful girlfriend.



I haven’t worn a watch since I was, oh maybe 10 years old? At which point my dream watch was one with a calculator, or a Tony the Tiger watch from a box of frosted flakes. As I’ve worked on upping my style game, I’ve decided it’s time to get back into the habit. Unfortunately, I’m not in the financial position to be buying a $500 watch (or anything near that price range…tight wallets, my friends), and my girlfriend isn’t in the financial position to be gifting me one either. On the other hand, I have enough taste to be pretty averse to buying some chintzy (is that a word? it is now) $50 timepiece from Urban Outfitters. Enter the FFF Timex. The face itself is classic and simple, and while it’s inexpensive it doesn’t look cheap.



The strap is top notch, made from quality Horween Chromexcel leather that will age beautifully and featuring and adjustable notch system reminiscent of the Everlane belt that I reviewed before (fully adjustable, but only ever showing one hole). It’s great, end of story.


Just a few final notes: Got the jeans going on and it’s not even casual Friday! Thank you, office, for Staff Appreciation Week.



Also, notice the brown belt and watch strap…while not entirely necessary, in general you should match your watch along with your belt and shoes.

Finally, the last time I wore this basic outfit, I wore my brown loafers, and I think I prefer that look. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I think something about the olive green tone in these Clarks blends in too well with both the shirt and jacket. The dark brown shoes lent a bit more contrast to the look, along with a little more gloss. I will say though, that I’m loving the way these boots are ‘aging.’ I’m normally OCD about scuffs, so the waxed leather, which shows every mark, took a little getting used to, but it’s definitely grown on me.





Ok, almost done rambling. I do want to say that I had a reader or two voice the opinion that they would like to see more pictures on the blog. The weather is finally shaping up (natural light is way better than my house lights) and I have my fancyshmancy camera, so I’m doing my best to indulge - I do care what you folks have to say, so keep the feedback coming! On that note, I’ll leave you with this mid-gesture action shot that my gal (and photographer) insisted I include (she thinks I’m cute).





Today’s Outfit:

Jacket and Shirt: Frank and Oak

Jeans: Hurley (bought at Nordstrom Rack)

Tie and Pocket Square: The Tie Bar

Boots: Clarks Desert Boots (bought on eBay)

Watch: FormFunctionForm

Tie Clips - How To Wear 'Em Right

The tie clip has become one of my favorite accessories. Well, ties are probably my favorite accessory, and a tie clip just helps a good tie pack and even more potent punch (you’re welcome for that alliteration). It drives me crazy when my ties don’t hang straight or follow my placket just right (yep, I’m a bit OCD), and short of a vest or a cardigan (in which case a tie clip is just superfluous) a tie clip is the solution to keeping your neckwear in place. Additionally, the wide variety of colors, textures and lengths available today (I’m looking at you, TheTieBar.com) give the tie clip the versatility to dress-up or dress-down any outfit according to your needs.

BUT, as with most tools of the sartorial trade, a tie clip only works well when worn correctly. I mentioned in my previous post how much it bugs me that Pete Campbell wears his tie clip so ridiculously low on Mad Men (now, that may just be an accurate representation of 60’s style, but in todays day and age I think it makes a classy piece look silly). Same as finding the right tie length, this pet peeve of mine is just exacerbated by the fact that this is so easy to get right!

So what’s the trick? Find a balance between style and functionality and you’ll be all set. This means wearing your clip high enough that it looks fashionable, but low enough that it is actually serving a purpose. There are a few easy guidelines to follow. If you are wearing a blazer or jacket, you want to position your clip as low as you can before it begins to be obscured by your lapels.

Without a jacket, just pick a good spot between the third and fourth buttons of your shirt.

You do have a little flexibility, and I tend to exercise this based on my activity. If I’m rolling my sleeves up and moving around, I put it a tad lower to hold the tie in place a bit better. If I’m just sitting at my desk, I’ll cinch that bad boy up a few centimeters to accentuate the stylish aspect of the piece.

The only other solid rule is to NEVER wear a tie clip wider than your tie. Beyond that, feel free to experiment and find out what fits your style. I find that wider tie clips look a bit more formal, where a short (and potentially colorful) one inch clip adds some casual pizzazz. Likewise, shiny silver or gold clips = more formal, while matte and colored clips lend to casual. Remember to not only clip both ends of your tie but also the placket of your shirt (I always thought this was pretty intuitive, but I see so many other bloggers pointing this out that I guess it must be an issue). I wear my clips straight across, but other people set theirs at an angle, and really it’s a matter of personal preference. So go forth and clip!

Addressing the (limited) downsides to sartorial enlightenment

If you ask me, the downsides to becoming more sartorially educated are very limited, but they do exist. Beyond the struggle of knowing what looks really good while not being able to afford to actually purchase it, one ‘con’ stands out among the rest in my mind. And that would be having to watch the way that everyone else dresses. OK that came across as relatively pretentious, so I’ll amend that a bit. It’s having to watch the way that other people dress who really should know better. For those near and dear to you, the biggest downside is probably hearing you point these things out ALL the time.

The worst was probably the presidential election. I’m a big politics buff and followed the campaigns and debates very closely, which mean these politicians spent a lot of time on the TV in my house. I’m also on a crusade to get my girlfriend to be more interested in and attentive to politics, which meant I was forcing her to watch all of the developments with me. You have no idea how tired she got of hearing “Man, Romney’s suit is clearly two sizes too big.” “What was Obama thinking wearing that wide Double Windsor with such a narrow point collar?” “Can’t these millionaires afford a tailor? Or at least a stylist?”

Even beyond the politicians, who we pretty much expect to dress like frat dads, I see fashion flaws everywhere. Red carpet events, where stylists are paid by the boatload to make celebs look nice, constantly have me pointing to excessively baggy or long pants, like no one read any of the zillion articles advocating little-to-no-break (readers take note)! TV shows (like HIMYM, which we mentioned last week) bring out a lot of criticism when it comes to fit, but here it’s not only the bad that I have to complain about….has anyone noticed how damn well those poor penniless kids in Shameless manage to dress? Sure, you aren’t seeing any three-piece suits or designer labels, but everything fits like a glove. Even in Mad Men, one of the most watched shows among the menswear community, there are faux pas that I just can’t help but notice - have you seen how low Pete Campbell wears his tie clips?

Sometimes you just have to turn your sartorial judgement off. Like I said, any politician is basically born with a ‘Zero’ in the style factor (with limited exceptions). Sportscasters are by far the worst, but luckily you can just shut your eyes and listen to them yammer and not miss a whole lot. Anything made in the 90’s should probably just automatically be considered a fashion failure, and move on (see Friends, Dawson’s Creek, etc.) On the upside, it’s that much more refreshing to find pop-culture instances of great fit and style outside of the fashion world and obvious selections like Mad Men. I love the way Ben Wyatt dresses on Parks and Recs, all the while embracing his nerdiness. Quirky shows like Bored To Death let Ted Danson show off an awesome dapper side previously relatively unseen. But I have it on good record that the next time my girlfriend hears “Hey Babe! Come see how poofythis guys shirt is. Go see a tailor, buddy!” while I’m watching TV, she’s going to leave me for a quieter, albeit less dapper man.

Two final points to be made here: First, people do notice! I’m an ass and a creep like this, but I constantly judge people’s clothing, whether you’re a TV anchor or some college kid on the train. Second, as always, pay attention to what we post, as well as the plethora of other menswear blogs that are out there, and it’s really pretty easy to avoid these glaring mistakes. As a matter of fact, I was inspired to write this post in the first place as I prepare Wednesday’s post regarding tie clips and how to wear them, as all I kept thinking was, “I just want to tell them not to wear them like Pete Campbell!”

Cleaning Out Your Closet

Ever since I turned the corner in my life and started paying more attention to the way I dress, I’ve been working on revamping my wardrobe. As the purchases have come in, my closet has often suffered from overcrowding and clutter. For all the effort that I put into deciding what articles of clothing I need to acquire, I definitely struggle when it comes to deciding which articles I no longer need. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a hoarder, per se, but I was definitely raised not to waste, and therefore end up with huge collections of out-of-style or ill-fitting clothing that I’m holding onto ‘just in case,’ when in reality I will never wear them again.

Just this year, however, I stumbled upon a pretty sensible system for trimming the sartorial ‘fat’ from your closet, and I found it in the most unexpected of places. It was one of those mornings where we fell asleep with the TV on, and I woke up to a public access program on dealing with ADD. Whether or not you actually suffer from ADD is irrelevant (although let’s face it, we probably all do), because their system will work for everyone.

The recommendations are as follows. First, find a closet or storage space that you don’t normally use, and is preferably not where you get dressed. Move all of your clothing out of your normal closet and into this new area. Over the next few weeks (or months), as you wear an item of clothing, move it from the temporary storage space back into your regular closet. Give yourself a deadline for this project, and when you reach that point, take everything that is still in your temporary storage and haul it down to your thrift store or clothing collection venue of choice and dump that shit. I’ve taken to making this a seasonal project, so that when that deadline hits I can know that everything I’m carting off has sat unused for an entire season of wear. Obviously, I leave out those seasonal items that just don’t make sense to wear at that time (coats in the summer, shorts in the winter, you get the drift) and anything with sentimental value, but everything else is subject to this test of time.

Give it a try. I know it’s nothing revolutionary, but the important thing here is to focus on slimming down. As you make your sartorial developments, you should be putting more thought into what you are putting on each day. You will save yourself a lot of time and unnecessary mental deliberation by cutting all the clutter out of those decisions. Chances are, you’ll find yourself making a lot more decisive and thoughtful outfit selections when you are only picking from items you know you like and wear on a regular basis. And let’s be honest, every roadblock you put in front of that hasty decision to throw on your high-school era, boot-cut, ‘distressed’ Abercrombie jeans or your baggy band tees from college is probably a step in the right direction.

Fashion Faux Pas - Untucked Shirts

Returning once again to the ‘Fashion Faux Pas’ series, today we are addressing untucked button-up shirts. Fellas, once you’ve graduated from college, this is almost always a no-no. And it’s one that I notice all the time, all over the place. No joke, the biggest one that bothers me is Ted, from How I Met Your Mother. There’s a lot more wrong with this outfit (mostly those ridiculous-looking jeans), but he is constantly walking around in a baggy shirt, untucked, under a blazer, and it makes him look like he’s playing dress-up in his dads clothing.

So, here are the rules when it comes to button-up shirts: Button-up shirts come in two basic cuts when it comes to the bottom of the shirt. Sport shirts are cut straight across the bottom, while dress-shirts are rounded to give the shirt ‘tails.’ Both can be worn tucked, both can be worn with a tie, but obviously dress shirts tend to be the more formal of the two. I’d say it’s a pretty safe bet that you should always tuck in a dress shirt. The extreme exception is some oxfords, chambrays, or more casual shirts, as well as some short-sleeved dress shirts, but even with these you want to be careful. The deciding factor here is going to be the length of the shirt. The best rule of thumb is to check how far the front hem of your shirt falls below your waistline. If it is less than halfway down your zipper, you can consider leaving it untucked. Anything that falls more than halfway down your fly will just look sloppy untucked. Sport shirts tend to give you a little more leeway, because a well fitted sport shirt, with a straight hem, will usually fall less than halfway down your fly. Dress shirts on the other hand are purposefully cut longer in order to keep them from coming untucked while you are wearing them.

Finally, if you are wearing a blazer, ALWAYS tuck your shirt in. Otherwise you get, at best, this 90’s professor look that is just…well….frumpy. Think Ross from mid-run Friends. At the very least, it’s extremely difficult to put together a physically flattering, slim fitted outfit without tucking yourself in.

Note: This obviously only applies to button-up shirts. Polos are hit-or-miss, but please don’t ever tuck in your T-shirt. We shouldn’t even have to say that.

Photo courtesy of fanpop.com

Modern Tailor - MTM Shirt Review

I recently decided to finally take the dive into custom clothing and began by ordering my first Made-To-Measure (MTM) shirt from Modern Tailor. There are a slew of custom/MTM shirting brands available online, but my tight wallet led me to choose Modern Tailor for their ‘first-timer’ deal and the number of positive revies I had heard for their lower-end shirts. In the end I was able to walk away with a great white dress shirt for about $40, all shipping and extras included. You might be able to do even better if you use this referral link for $20 off your first purchase: http://moderntailor.refr.cc/Z9GC8NX

Quality:

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that I am no professional tailor, so my comments here are from a completely novice standpoint. That said, the construction and quality of my shirt is not disappointing in the slightest. The fabric itself, a single ply cotton, is as light as would be expected from a lower-range option, but honestly, it’s going to be perfect for this (hopefully) coming warm spring days. It’s thin without being sheer, and doesn’t have any of the stiff, wrinkly, uncomfortable (almost like plastic) feeling that some cheap dress shirts seem to have. Everything feels solidly constructed. I can’t speak too much for stitching, etc., but all the seams are neat and straight and I have yet to find any blemishes, in the fabric or the needlework. The collar, which I chose to have a ‘common’ softness, is structured enough to stand up on it’s own, without a tie, but soft enough to be comfortable and forgiving, and Modern Tailor offers bother stiffer and softer collar options, if that’s what floats your boat. I also opted up for the thick Mother of Pearl buttons, which came through sturdy and clean. Overall, the quality definitely met my expectations.

I will say that I wish Modern Tailor had included metal collar stays instead of the flimsy plastic ones that the shirt came with. So far I’ve only gotten metal stays from Charles Tyrwhitt and Express, and I have a bad tendencey to lose and/or ruin plastic stays pretty quickly. Minor complaint.

Fit:

Quality of fabric and needlework is great and all, but you really buy a custom shirt in order to insure a perfect fit, so this was the aspect I focused most heavily on. While I can’t quite say that the shirt fit like a glove, it was pretty damn close. Modern Tailor offers a few different options for taking measurements. If you have a shirt that fits you perfectly, you can either measure that shirt, or send it to their tailors (although I’m not sure how shipping works in these cases). You can also choose to measure yourself, and Modern Tailor will then adapt those measurements into actual shirting measurements when constructing your shirt. I opted for this last option, as the whole reason I wanted a custom shirt was because none of my shirts fit perfectly. I was a little intimidated by taking on what I saw as a task for a professional, but the instructions provided made it pretty easy to get measurements I was confident with (my girlfriend helped out, it’s definitely useful, if not necessary, to have a second pair of hands). I did tweak a few measurements before submitting. I have broad shoulders and a very slim waist, and my biggest problem with shirting is that it tends to be far too wide around the beltline, leading to that dreaded ‘billowing’ effect when tucked in. I double-checked some other reviews online and made sure that Modern Tailor doesn’t cut especially close in the waist, and then knocked my own measurement down an inch. I also leaned on the slimmer side around the armholes, but not by much. For everything else, I faithfully followed directions and stuck with those results.

I gotta say, the fit is pretty impressive. The waist fits perfectly, which was my biggest concern. The cuffs seem a little loose at first, but now, only halfway through the day, I’ve gotten used to them and actually think they just fit better than what I’ve become accustomed to. The armholes are high and tight without being constricting (aiding to what I find to me a slimmer, more modern look). The darting in the back of the shirt let’s it follow the contours of my back, rather than hanging loosely (TSB Men has a great article on the glories of darts, check it out). The length of the shirt is just right as well (although I did pull this measurement from a shirt of mine, so I would expect this to be pretty accurate), and stays tucked in without bunching up under my pantaloons. Check out the picture below, and forgive any wrinkling (this was after a long day at the office):

Now, I said close to perfect earlier, implying that some things were a bit off. I’ll add a disclaimer here: from what I’ve read (and reasoned with mine own mind grapes), your first MTM will inevitably need a little bit of tweaking, as you get used to your own preferences and how that translates to tailor (and specifically your tailor of choice) measurements. With that in mind, for my next shirt I will probably cut an inch off of the chest, and will slim down the arms as well. Now, I do think it’s important to note that neither of these areas don’t fit on my shirt. My personal preferences just call for a bit slimmer of a cut than what Modern Tailor appears to make standard. I’m still happily wearing the shirt as is at this very moment.

Turnaround:

I was pretty impressed with the turnaround time here. My order was ready to ship a mere 6 days after I ordered it. At this point, they even sent me a picture of the finished product, and while my choices were pretty standard, this could be great if you are picking a bolder pattern or customization options.

Modern Tailor does their actually tailoring in China, so the product shipped out of Shanghai, and I figured I was in for a pretty lengthy shipping time, but Modern Tailor provided me with a tracking number that allowed me to track the package internationally and it only took 3-4 more days before I had the shirt in my hand. Voila. Well under their quoted turnaroud time.

Customizations:

Here is a list of all the options I selected when making my shirt (all personal preference).

1. Collar: Medium Cutaway Collar, Common Softness, Removable Collar Stays


2. Cut Corner Cuffs, One Button


3. Thick Mother of Pearl Buttons (+$5.00, well worth it)


4. No Pocket or Monogram


5. Standard Placket


6. Slim Fit, with Darts


7. I also sent in a picture of myself for the tailors to use to aproximate body type (not sure how much of a difference it made, but why not, right?)

Overall, I’m pretty happy with my first foray into custom clothing, and have the feeling it’s going to be my next addiction. Options can get pricey at any online retailer, but take advantage of any ‘1st time user’ discounts you can find, and, once again, use this referral link to get $20 off your first order from Modern Tailor: http://moderntailor.refr.cc/Z9GC8NX

What Might Have Been...(redux)

Last month I wrote a post about another blog title that I had tried to use (‘Tie One On’) but was already taken. Today, as I woke up with a hacking cough and horrible heartburn (sexy, no?) I harkened back to another (brilliant, I thought) blog title that was, alas, not to be. After ‘Tie One On’ came up as spoken for, I was inspired to name my blog ‘I Look Like’ and even got so far as drafting an explanation for the name before I bothered to check the availabilty (it was a frustrating night). Here was what I came up with:

I always try to have a goal, as random or unrealistic as it may be, that I want my clothes to accomplish on any given day. I often ask my girlfriend on my way out the door “Do I look like I deserve a raise today?” or “Do I look like I should win with that Powerball ticket I bought?”

I try to stay positive, at the worst “Do I look like I deserve to be given the day off?” when I feel like hell or “Do I look like I’m important enough to be left alone all day?” if I’m feeling particularly grumpy, or it’s a Monday. BUT I didn’t like “Do I Look Like?” by itself, it sounded too…unconfident (I KNOW that’s not a word, but I like it).

Therefore I will put my own ‘zest’ of life-coaching and call this “I Look Like” as a reminder that you should proudly look in that mirror and the morning and declare in your douchiest voice “I Look Like Someone Sexy”!

It’s also a reminder that every once in a while yes, you look like - shit.

So today I woke up, showered, got dressed, and asked my lovely girlfriend, “Do I look like I won’t cough up a lung today?” It’s just one of those days.