Mr. Pocket Square - Front and Center

A few weeks before Christmas, Mr. Pocket Square sent me a pocket square from their collection to sample. 

Tartan Pocket Square | Mr. Pocket Square

It's a beautiful, festive square and I've been rocking it since it arrived, and am just now getting a chance to really feature it here on the blog.

Admittedly, most of the collection from Mr. Pocket Square is a bit bold and bright for my tastes. However, there are a few tamer gems in the mix that can be a great pop of color for an otherwise stolid outfit, but maintain enough class and subtlety to avoid looking affected.

The one I picked out is a perfect example, coming in a bright green and red plaid. Yeah, the colors are bright, but the pattern itself is pretty standard (you know this, you see plaid everywhere, and have for ages). I've been loving to use this square as the punch in an outfit, keeping everything else as minimal and 'classic' as possible. 

Here is one of my favorite looks, a simple white OCBD, grey wool blazer, and black knit tie. It really doesn't get any simpler than that, so the pizzazz added by the colorful pocket square doesn't risk pushing things over the edge. I wore this particular 'fit with jeans, but I was thinking it would have worked very well with my dark green chinos, which remain neutral but would play well with the subtle green tones from the square. 

Since the pocket square is such a small pop of color, I'd go ahead and repeat the injection below with a bold pair of socks, even something in solid bright red.

Extra hint: Score one of these squares, emblazoned with cute and classy hearts, for a standout touch on Valentine's day!

Blue Hearts Pocket Square | Mr. Pocket Square

How to Rock It (featuring Past the Pocket)

Last month, Past the Pocket was kind enough to send us one of their fabulous pocket squares for a review. This month, we're bringing their square back to the blog as we feature it in two different outfits. Hopefully these styling examples will give you some inspiration for rocking a similar square yourself. If you like what you see, pick up the 'Some Kind of Blue' chambray pocket square from Past the Pocket for the everyday low cost of $10.

In last month's review, I expressed my opinion that "the best thing about a solid chambray pocket square is it's versatility." With that spirit in mind, I wanted to show you just how versatile this square is by working it into both an all-decked-out ensemble and a laid-back-casual 'fit, side by side.

Admittedly, some chambrays are inherently more rough and rugged, but that's what I love about this fabric from Past the Pocket. It's just soft and luxurious enough that it doesn't look out of place when worn next to sleeker, dressier fabrics like the white twill shirt and blue wool suit.

I picked the wool tie to give this a more seasonal feel (photographed on a beautiful fall day) and to accompany the heartier textural element that the square brings to the look. Also, the sky-blue pin stripes really add to the blue theme of the look. The suit is actually my new made-to-measure number from Dragon Inside (further review to come), and the shirt is another new purchase from Modern Tailor (always highly recommended, use this link for $20 off your first purchase). I'd feel comfortable wearing this to a business meeting, a posh dinner date, or even a wedding.

Not headed to a business meeting, posh dinner date, or a wedding? Dressing for casual Friday in the office, or a trip to that new craft beer bar? No problemo. The square is just as easy to dress down. I picked a simpler fold and tucked it into the pocket of my brown blazer from Frank and Oak.

This blazer can be dressed up as well, but the flecked coloring does lend well to a more casual feel. To keep it dressed-down, I skipped the tie and wore this dirt-cheap Target OCBD, which as actually become one of my wardrobe favorites (despite some previously-mention issues with the armholes). The stripes play well with the color of the pocket square, while the fabric choice helps nudge the square towards casual territory. Not shown in the picture, I rocked this with a simple blue-jeans and boat shoes combo, which is my go-to casual gear. Piece of cake.

How would you wear it? Share your thoughts in the comments, or shoot me an e-mail!

WIWT - 10/15/2013 (Putting It All Into Practice)

Remember that lovely post last week about incorporating fall colors into your outfits? Through my work with some other style blogs and my own constant browsing of the menswear universe, I know that folks like to see these tips, rules and other advice actually put to action. With that goal, I picked out my 'casual Monday' (thank you, day-job, for making that a thing) outfit yesterday with my self-prescribed directions in mind.

Remember, we were focusing on two main colors: burgundy (or oxblood, or maroon, or whatever you want to call it), and dark (or forest, or hunter, or whatever you want to call it) green. Remember also that I discussed mixing these colors into your accessories, so that the clothes that you wear all year look like they were picked out just for that season.

Here was my endgame:

Neighbors had some killer Halloween decorations up.

Look familiar at all? It should, it's very close to this outfit, which I featured a few months ago as a spring outfit. And that's what I love about this method of dressing seasonally. Change just a few, inexpensive items and all of the sudden that spring/summer look fits perfectly into the fall/winter palette.

First, I swapped out the fun, polka dot tie from the spring for a burgundy knit tie. Not only is burgundy one of our fall colors, I also think knit ties fit the season incredible well, with a slightly more rustic look.

If you peek below, you'll see that I'm wearing burgundy socks as well. Normally, I don't like wearing completely matching items. However, socks get a bit of a pass, since you don't see them much. Even better, though, are the textural differences between the knit tie and the ribbed dress socks. Nowhere near the identical-tie-and-pocket-square matchy-matchy problems.

The spring post featured some Clarks chukkas as well, which would have been equally appropriate in the fall, but I stuck with my boat shoes because I wanted to illustrate their versatility as well. A lot of people only turn to them as a sockless option in the summer, but I think they look great year-round and fit the rugged/rustic look of this outfit perfectly (and show a little sock at the same time).

OK, so all good on the burgundy front. How about some green? I was happy to snag this camo pocket square from the Peter Field studio, and I think it balances the rich reds of the burgundy pieces with some more down-to-earth coloring. The camo trend is a highly disputed one, and one that I'm not 100% on, but I do like small touches of the pattern, as I mentioned last week. I think the pocket square is the perfect amount of camo...enough to be noticed but not enough to be gauche. You can pick one up for yourself over at the Peter Field website, or, if you're in Chicago, swing by the studio and meet Nick (founder) and maybe catch me there as well.

The shirt is a chambray number from Frank and Oak, and I see chambray as another great year-round fabric. This particular shirt is a little thicker, so once again it works really well for these color, between-season days. On top of that, the light green hit that mint motif that was so popular last spring, but still plays great with more earthy greens that are 'in' this fall.

The weather today probably would have allowed for a wool blazer, but I'm wearing the hell out of this cotton one while I still can (weather-wise, mainly, but I'm also noticing that it's starting to wear thin, which is what you get from a $60 blazer). I also think the camo square may have been a little too camouflaged in with a brown wool blazer, and this way it has a bit more visual pop to it.

Notice that the 'staples' of this outfit remained exactly the same across the two seasons. Of course, a nice pair of dark blue jeans looks good any time of year, but I think they lend themselves best to the in-between-times, before it's too hot for heavy denim in the summer or cold enough for thick flannels and tweeds in the winter. Easy choice.

Has anyone taken my advice from last week and worked these colors into their own outfits? I'd love to hear about it, or see some pictures! Share in the comments below, or shoot me an e-mail at WideEyesTightWallets@gmail.com.

The Details:
Cotton/Linen Blazer by Uniqlo
Chambray Shirt by Frank and Oak
Silk Knit Tie by The Tie Bar
Tie Bar by The Tie Bar
Pocket Square by Peter Field
Jeans by Hurley (via Nordstrom)
Socks by Frank and Oak
Shoes by Sperry (via Mr. Porter)

Past The Pocket - Reviewed

Before diving into this post, I just want to point you all to EffortlessGent.com. Effortless Gent is a great blog and a fantastic resource, and I'm honored to be doing some work with Barron (founder) and helping out with the blog. To kick things off, EG is featuring a guest post by yours truly on picking the right undershirt. Check it out, and keep following Effortless Gent, Barron's got some great stuff coming up.

OK! On to the review: A few weeks ago, Ebony of up-and-coming accessories label 'Past the Pocket' was kind enough to send a pocket square my way for an in-person look. Not only was I pretty darn pleased with the square, Past the Pocket really piqued my interest as a brand, so I figured I'd feature them in a quick review here on the blog.

The Brand:

Past the Pocket is the baby of founders Ebony Brown and Corder Hudson, and is based out of Orange County, CA. The site sells exclusively pocket squares, and Ebony personally picks out every fabric herself. Rather than having a continuous stock of each square, Past the Pocket offers a quickly rotating selection, with new fabrics released every day and usually only offered for 24 hours. A select collection of more popular/staple squares are available permanently in what they call the 'Timeless Collection.' This rapid-fire rotation, along with the low $10.00 price-point makes Past the Pocket a great resource for adding some variety to your pocket square collection. There's always something new to check out, and you aren't making a big financial gamble if you decide to grab some patterns or colors outside your regular comfort zone.

Another aspect of Past the Pocket that really grabbed my attention is their partnership with charity group, 'Working Wardrobes.' Ebony explained to me that, "Working Wardrobes helps people who are unemployed get back to work by providing them with proper interview attire, and interview coaching along with many other essentials required to get back into the workforce," and a portion of the profits from every square sold is donated to the cause. These days, social responsibility goes hand in hand with brand's success, and it's awesome to see even a smaller, boutique label doing their part!

The Square:

Ebony sent me a pocket square out of their 'Timeless Styles' permanent collection. I let her pick one out for me, and she selected the 'Some Kind of Blue' square in a fantastic blue chambray cloth.

The fabric itself is great, super soft with a rich hue. I honestly wish I could wear it as a shirt. As a pocket square, it hits all the right notes. The best thing about a solid chambray pocket square is it's versatility. The slightly rougher texture makes it easy to dress down and wear with a sport coat and jeans. At the same time, this particular fabric is still a luxurious enough fabric to be paired with a suit.

My only complaint is that the needlework at the edges is a bit rough in some places, but honestly, at $10.00 a square, this complaint is pretty negligible.

I just fold it in a way that the edges aren't showing, and it looks great.

I've been wearing this pocket square almost every day for a week now, whether it's with a blue unstructured summer blazer (still warm here in Chicago), or my more formal brown wool blazer.

Some of my other favorites include the 'Hansel and Gretel' square, with a subtle tan landscape printed on a white background:

or the 'Black and Tan' with it's classic gingham pattern (in black and tan, duh):

 

Keep your eyes open for this square to be featured later this month in a 'how-to-wear-it' post. If you have a product or brand you would like to see featured on the blog, just shoot me an e-mail at WideEyesTightWallets@gmail.com!

This was a sponsored review, and the products reviewed were provided to me free of charge. The article, however, remains objective and unbiased and is published without prior editing or review by Past the Pocket. While I love to be given products to review, don't worry, I will never endorse a product I wouldn't wear myself.

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

An Introduction To My Personal Style

Before I post too many more articles, I wanted to give you a bit more of an introduction to myself and my style, and therefore what I will be talking about a lot on this blog. To demonstrate, feast your hungry eyes upon THIS masterpiece of a photo! Haha ok, so maybe not masterpiece, and honestly it’s not the best picture ever (thank you random iPhone self-timer camera app). However, I am proud of the way my gorgeous girlfriend and I look, and this does a decent job of illustrating several of the sartorial lessons I have learned thus far.

This picture is from this past weekend. We decided to skip the crowds and celebrate Valentine’s Day a few days early and take advantage of Chicago’s Restaurant Week at the same time, we got all dressed up and had dinner at Farmhouse Tavern (by the way, I highly reccomend everything I mention in that last sentence). While I wear a tie almost every day and try to look my best at all times, I don’t really dress up all that often, so I was excited by a chance to do a little extra with my ensemble.

I already had the brown blazer and the charcoal trousers that I really liked (thank you Frank and Oak, who will be getting a full review at some point. I absolutely love their clothes and service), so I decided to use that as a base to build on. I snagged the shirt during the last few days of Charles Tyrwhitt’s winter sale (a steal at $35, normally $160. CT will be getting a review in the future as well). It is my first shirt with french cuffs, so I got to order some cuff-links as well. I wanted to look sharp and stylish, but not super formal or over the top, so I opted for a pair of Navy and Pink silk knots. You can’t see them in the picture, but the navy comes across as the main color, allowing the pink to more sublty compliment the shirt.

Next I moved on to the tie and pocket square combo. The pocket square was another first for me, and I wasn’t really sure where to start, so I looked for some professional advice. A GREAT resource is Tie Society. Check out their services sometime (you may have heard of them as the Netflix of ties), but my favorite part is that they will give you tie and pocket square matching advice. Even better, they don’t limit themselves to their own selection, and are really interested in helping you look good. I’ve talked with Jake at Tie Society countless times and he has really helped me improve my look. Back to the point - I had my eyes on a dark grey wool tie with light ‘cornflower blue’ pinstripes from The Tie Bar, and was originally thinking of a navy-based pocket square. In the end, after discussing it with Jake, I decided on something lighter and more classic and went with white linen with lavender edges (also from The Tie Bar, and you guessed it, review coming). The white lightened the whole outfit up a bit while the lavender tied it to my shirt. I love tie clips, so I threw on a dark grey one as well.

Lastly, after talking to Jake I decided that while it is OK to wear brown shoes with charcoal grey pants, the shoes I had were a bit too dark to go well, so instead I opted for a pair of black half-brogues from Allen Edmonds that I scored on eBay for only $30. I ordered a pair of great heart-patterned socks from Nordstrom for the occasion, but they didn’t arrive in time, which was a bummer, so I went with a pair of grey and black argyle socks I have that are accented in lavender.

And the FINAL touch: a goddamn stunning woman on my arm. Honestly, the key to looking good, ever.

Anyway, like I said I was pretty proud of the final outcome. I followed a lot of ‘rules’ I have found while matching patterns, colors, textures, etc. to put together something that looks like a good outfit, and not a collection of separate pieces of nice clothes. I wanted to give you a taste of my style, and where I am on the sartorial spectrum. You won’t find me at Pitti Uomo or NY Fashion week or in any street style pics, but I think I’ve got the basics down. Future articles will spend more time on individual aspects of outfits such as this (blazer fit, trouser break, cuffing, etc), and will include the afforementioned reviews among other topics, but this is just glimpse! Let me know what you think, what you would have done differently, any input you might have!