Outfit Post: The Building Blocks

It’s been a while since I’ve thrown up an outfit post, and even longer since I’ve featured a more dressed-up look, so I figured it was about time. However, I’m taking a slightly different approach this time, as I was hoping to focus on and share my usual method for building an outfit.

A lot of guys (including myself, at one point), get to a point where they have the sartorial education/know-how to put together a strong wardrobe of well-fitting, stylish pieces, but struggle to put them together into a coherent outfit. One of the most common questions I see is “where do I start?” With that in mind, here’s how I do it.

I try to start every outfit with one piece. This may be a new article of clothing that I’m really excited to wear or an old one that I’ve been meaning to work back into my rotation. It may be a bold, statement piece, or a neutral base. It might be as front-and-center as a blazer, or as behind-the-scenes as a pair of socks or pocket square. The point is, this piece acts as the foundation for the rest of the building blocks that will come together to form my outfit.

For this look, I started with my blue and off-white plaid blazer from Gagliardi. It’s one of my favorite pieces, from the fit to the construction to the style, but I wear it far less than I would like, simply because the bold pattern makes it trickier to match (and a little less office-friendly). This weekend, I dressed up my off-duty look a bit more than I have been this summer, and decided it would be a good chance to have the freedom to rock this bad boy. So boom, foundation piece and starting point:

From there, every decision comes back to this one piece. You could go any direction, but I went to pants next. While I didn’t have the restrictions of an office dress code to work with, the blazer is still pretty in-your-face, as far as style goes. Therefore, I decided right away to tone down the rest of my pieces. I also wanted to dress down the tailored look a bit, since it was still the weekend. Thus, for pants, the easy choice was a pair of dark blue jeans: a subtle and neutral pair of pants that were casual enough for the occasion but sharp enough for the combination, and in a blue that will play well with the colors in the jacket:

When it came to the shirt, the patterned blazer immediately dictated a solid shirt (or at the very least a very subtle pattern). Beyond that, I took the same mindset as I did with my pants, and picked what I consider to be the shirt equivalent of a pair of crisp blue jeans: a white OCBD. Again, weekend-casual, but fitting to wear with a tailored blazer. Where I played off the darker colors in the blazer when picking the jeans, this time around I brought out the lighter contrasting notes and picked a white shirt over blue:

From there, I just kept up those same themes as I picked out accessories and final touches. A knit cotton tie, a chambray pocket square, a brown belt and blue suede brogues with no-show socks. Each seems like (and is) a pretty straightforward choice, but if you look at the path that took me to each piece, it always starts with the blazer.

Of course, there are numerous other techniques and considerations to take into account: color-matching, pattern-matching, balance, seasonality, the list goes on and on (and some are mentioned throughout this article). However, starting with a foundation piece as we suggest here gives you the palette upon which you apply all of those other principles. It’s in no way the only factor in the equation, but it’s a strong and simple place to start.

Outfit Details:

Gagliardi Plaid Cotton/Wool Blazer
Levi's 513 Blue Jeans
Uniqlo White Slim OCBD
Thrifted Vintage Woven Belt (similar, new)
J.Crew Factory Blue Cotton Knit Tie
Past The Pocket Chambray Pocket Square
Bass Blue Suede Shoes (similar)
PACT No-Show Socks (unseen)

What's your method of choice? Share in the comments below!

Outfit Post - The DIY Band Collar Shirt

Sorry for the brief hiatus there! My computer decided it didn't want to turn on any more, and in fact I'm still on a loaner today. Therefore, just a quick one today: 

This outfit post was spawned out of a few moments of serendipity - I just happened to be wearing this great shirt that I recently re-purposed and wanted to share - we just happened to be passing this really cool mural in Wicker Park and wanted to grab the chance for a photo op - I just happened to like the resulting outfit/photo combo enough to want to slap it right up here for you all to check out:

The big take away from this one is definitely the re-purposed shirt. I’ve been seeing band collar shirts pop up all over the place, most notably as a new staple in Wes’ wardrobe (of TSBmen fame). I dig the look, however, much like pop-over shirts, the surge in popularity of this style doesn’t seem to have really made it into the affordable shopping realm, so I’ve been stuck admiring from afar.

More recently, I saw a few mentions of making your own DIY band collars by simply cutting off the collar of one of your button-front shirts. Again, I was pretty enamored with the idea, but was unnerved by stories of crazy fraying and couldn’t muster the courage to take my scissors to one of my dear shirts.

A few weeks ago, however, I was sorting through my closet trying to free up some space and hangers, and came across this shirt that I reviewed for Trashness back in the fall. Back then, I was impressed with the denim shirt they sent me, and more recently was a big fan of their updated oxford cloth, but this first OCBD offering they sent me was just a little rough around the edges. That said, I realized that the things I didn't love about it to being with (kinda rough collar, fraying along the placket, slightly messy logo), made the shirt a perfect candidate for some impromptu surgery. Best part was, I rarely wear the shirt as is, so if it turned into a huge failure, I wouldn't be all full of regret.

Ten minutes of careful snipping later, and voila - band collar OCBD: 

And boy am I glad I took the leap. After a wash or two, the fraying and the collar along with the rough stitching on the placket gave this barely-worn shirt a perfect, beat up and lived-in look. On top of that, the fabric is a bit lighter for an oxford, and along with the band collar makes this a really nice casual summer shirt. I’ll add, too, that the trim fit was an aspect I already loved (good work, Trashness), and the silhouette is pretty sharp - so while casual, I think it comes together very well in a dapper, ‘weekend gent’ look like this one.

Here, I paired it with a pair of Uniqlo chinos in a lighter blue (again, great for the sunny summer day - I believe we were headed to a street fest here in Chicago) that I picked up during my recent trip to SF. I could have definitely played down the formality by wearing sneakers or boat shoes, and maybe a ribbon belt, or my go-to braided brown belt, but I wanted to keep that dapper edge, so I went with my black Everlane belt (similar here) and my favorite (but unfortunately almost worn out) black Allen Edmond’s (similar here) - and of course, I kept it seasonal and breezy by rocking the sockless look with the help of some PACT no-shows.

Moral of the story - I say this is a sartorial jump you should really consider. The benefit (besides what I think is a really stylish look) lies strongly in the whole idea of re-purposing rather than buying new - not only do you get to save money, but you get to recycle on older piece of clothing that might otherwise go to waste. It’s a great move for any clothes-horses who have hit their budget limits early and need to fulfill the urge to add something new and exciting to the rotation before the next payday!

What do you think? How did the look come together? Is the band-collar shirt a strength or a weakness? Does this tempt any of you to undergo some DIY shirt surgery?

My Memorial Day Style

In a follow up to last week's post on staying sharp during your Memorial Day festivities, here's what I rocked this weekend. Granted, we weren't headed for the beach or a cookout, but we did spend the afternoon in the sun on the patio at a local bar, getting boozy on Bloody Mary's and IPA's and enjoying the company of good friends. Pretty much all you can ask for. My outfit was a slight variation on one of my recommendations, and came out like this (shop the look after the post):

It was actually one of the first really warm days here in Chicago...maybe not hot (that word will take on new perspective when we break 100 degrees), but definitely warm enough to take the heat into consideration, so I kept things easy breezy head to toe. Started with a pair of chambray shorts that I picked up from J.Crew last year. These things cover all the bases, and though they are a tad longer than I'd prefer, I like the range that gives me, length-wise, just by giving the cuff a quick roll or two. Super light, super comfortable, these are a go-to all summer.

For shoes, I swapped out my requisite boat shoes for these newer Converse Jack Purcell sneakers. Just picked these up a few weeks ago and they've quickly become a summer favorite. They're lightweight and casual, but the all-white adds a level of sharpness, as does the Jack Purcell cut over say, the Chuck Taylor.

Finally, topped things off with this vintage shirt that I actually stole from  my dad's closet maybe a decade ago. I've been wearing it since - through good style and bad, and don't think I'll ever be able to bring myself to get rid of it.

It's a bit baggy through the body, and the sleeves are kinda short, so I'm thinking of doing some 'construction' on it this year - maybe cut the sleeves down to short sleeves? Get some darts or have the whole thing take in at the sides? Or make it super summer (it's already light as a feather) and take the collar off, rock the mao collar? Open to suggestions, for sure!

The Outfit:
Shirt - Vintage
Shorts - J.Crew Factory
Shoes - Converse Jack Purcell
Socks (unseen, as they should be) - PACT
Glasses - Penn Avenue Eyewear

How were you stylin' on the holiday? Share descriptions or pics below!

Outfit Post - Dressing Up and Dressing Down

My girlfriend and I have been taking advantage of a service called HowAboutWe ever since I bought her a subscription as a Christmas present. I may do a longer post detailing the awesome perks, since we've been loving it so much, but the short story is that they curate events (or for the couples version, which we signed up for, 'dates'), that can include discounted or exclusive activities, hook you up with a reservation, and voila, next thing you know you're in a new brandy distillery in Chicago watching apples being smashed(?) by a man on a bicycle.

Really, it's been a great way to get us out of the house on the weekend when the weather says to just stay on your couch! Not only does it give my girlfriend and I even more quality time to spend with each other, it also has given me lots of opportunities to exercise my wardrobe by freeing me from my weekday business casual without taking me the whole way down to lounge-on-the-couch casual.

For example, we were back at it again this weekend with a quick trip down to NOSH food festival/farmers market, and I ended up rocking a great balance between the sharp style I like to exude and the more rustic, well, farmers-market-friendly options:

To start off, I love to wear a shirt and tie, and blazer when I can. However, going into this, I knew that coming in a pressed white shirt, silk tie, jacket and chinos probably wouldn't only not fit the crowd, but would also end up getting something spilled on it. So instead, I made some conscious choices to dress down my standard 'fit to something that would work great in the circumstances.

First, I went with generally rougher and more casual fabrics. Instead of a poplin or white oxford shirt, I rocked a plaid, heavier cotton (almost flannel) shirt. For the tie, I went with cotton knit instead of a shinier silk knit, and for the blazer I left my more constructed and sleek options at home, instead grabbing an unlined, soft-shouldered wool twill.

I even made the same general effect with my shoes...these boots are pretty sharp, definitely no shit-kickers, but the suede leather, as opposed to polished, takes things farther into casual territory, as do the lugged soles, which also came in handy walking home through the slushy mess that spring is bringing us.

On the other hand, a few details kept me feeling like I was still on the top of my game. The shirt, for example, while full of more casual details, is actually one of my custom shirts, so the fit is perfect (which will instantly have you feeling like you look 100%). I kept the tie clip, partly because I didn't want my tie falling in my food, and again, because it keeps a sharper edge to the whole look. Last, while I did pick jeans (like a farmer, eh?), I kept them slim and dark to keep some sharp lines from top to bottom. I also decided to go ahead and rock a pocket square (always a bit of a dandy move), but even kept that on the more casual end of the spectrum by picking a cotton, 'bandana' square in a spring-appropriate green that would compliment but not match the green tones in my shirt.

Last, I maintained the balance by throwing a casual waxed cotton jacket on top. No sense in building that careful balance, only to cover it all with a more formal overcoat. Lucky me, the olive color of my jacket worked great with the blues, greens, and greys making up the outfit so far.

Outfit Details:
Blazer - Frank and Oak
Plaid Shirt - Custom by Modern Tailor
Cotton Knit Tie - J.Crew
Cotton Pocket Square - J.Crew
Dark Blue Jeans - Levi's 513
Suede Boots - Polo Ralph Lauren
Waxed Jacket - Frank and Oak