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What Might Have Been...

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m keeping posts short and sweet until I get my camera (scheduled to arrive Monday!) at which point I will return to full-length ‘feature’ posts, but now with pictures! They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and sometimes I don’t even write that many, so it’s bound to be an improvement.

However, I won’t leave you with nothing at all, since I know so many of you depend on my daily posts like it’s a matter of life or death (if you were wondering, that was sarcasm).

This is the first of a few posts I will share regarding my process in naming ‘Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets.’ The name is really growing on me, but it wasn’t my first choice, for a variety of reasons.

In fact, my first choice was ‘Tie One On’ and I REALLY still wish I could use that name, but, alas, it was already taken (all the good ideas are, right? Well, for my sake, I hope not…). First off, it’s a pun, that involves drinking, and ties, which are two of my favorite things in life. More seriously, I think taking the leap to wearing a tie on a day to day basis is when I really turned the page in my sartorial story (there I go, being pretentious again, coincidentally another part of my naming process). It’s not that all of the sudden I was the most stylish man around, but that’s when I really started caring about how I looked and started to enjoy looking good. I had taken some brief forays into the stylish world of menswear before then with a few good pieces like a pair Chukka boots or some nice-lookin’ (but cheap) brogues, but when I started wearing ties (and loving it), my whole sense of style took a drastic turn.

On top of that, once you start wearing a tie you open up so many sartorial options, it’s enough to make a style-blogger giddier than a schoolgirl at Christmas. From the numerous knots to different fabrics to tie bars to texture matching, the opportunities are endless.

With that in mind, I will be following this up with many, MANY posts illustrating all the above, reviewing tie manufacturers/retailers (hello TheTieBar.com) and more (once again, after I get my camera). Get ready to get yo’ knot on! Also, coincidentally, it’s #NeckTieFriday over at Frank and Oak, let’s see those submissions! If you’re posting something you’re proud of, tag me or send it my way, I love to see what everyone comes up with. Here is my submission this week:

Musical Interlude - David Bowie x Paul Smith

David Bowie has always been one of my favorite musicians. I remember belting out ‘Starman’ with my best friend in middle school while everyone else was rocking hard to P.O.D. and Limp Bizkit. Thus, you can imagine my excitement when I heard his new, ‘come-back’ album Next Day and it kicked oh so much ass. Harkening back to the style of his 70’s ‘Berlin’ recordings (i.e. Low, Lodger, and Heroes), the album showcases what Bowie does best, which is mashing together the classic with the experimental and coming out with something beautiful as a result.

Icing on the cake? Bowie just announced an upcoming collaboration with men’s fashion great Paul Smith. Now, I’m not sure if Bowie has ever released a fashion line before, but in the same way that he has always been a force in cutting edge music, his style has been alternately breaking the mold and redefining timeless classics. As of now, they have only announced a pretty predictable album-cover T-shirt, but anything from the man that brought you this: 

and this:

 

and this:

 

is bound to be exciting, if nothing else.

What are your thoughts? Will David Bowie x Paul Smith be classic and dapper or experimental and daring?

Also, be sure to check out the visually stunning video for his new single ‘The Stars (Are Out Tonight)’ which is a fashion smorgasbord all of it’s own!

Setting It Straight - Button-UP vs. Button-DOWN

This is one of my all-time biggest fashion related pet peeves because you have NO idea how many professionals I see screwing this one up. Button-down shirts and button-up shirts are two entirely different terms, and are NOT to be interchanged.

Button-up refers broadly to buttoned shirts. This encompasses dress shirts, sport shirts, hidden plackets, french cuffs, all collar styles, you name it. As long as it buttons shut and is a shirt, it is a button-up shirt.

A button-down shirt is an altogether more specific term and refers to the collar of the shirt, not the closure. Seen most commonly on oxford-cloth shirts, button-down collars are attached to the body of the shirt with - you guessed it - buttons at the points of the collar. GQ actually just published an article about the history of this style (something to do with Polo players and their collars flapping about all nimbly-pimbly), but all I really care about is that you don’t mix the two up.

I bring this up so heatedly because I was just browsing the American Eagle selection (actually, due to another GQ post featuring some of their bright, spring-appropriate OCBD’s) and noticed that they call ALL of their dress shirts ‘button-down shirts.’ Bull. Shit. You people are paid (probably very well) to know what the hell you are talking about. Do your homework, and get it right (and maybe fire that copy-writer and hire this guy? eh? haha).

On a more cheerful note, a little hint of exciting things to come: I just FINALLY ordered a camera capable of producing professional-quality pictures! That means a brighter, better-illustrated Wide Eyes, Tight Wallets coming soon to an internet near you! Who knows, maybe I’ll even go back and update old posts as well. Be excited!

Fashion Faux Pas - Sometimes, Always, NEVER.

Welcome to the second edition of Fashion Faux Pas, where once again I will be cheerfully telling you how to avoid looking foolish in those fancy clothes of yours. Today we look at blazers and their buttons: 

Never button that bottom button. This is an always rule. True, at one point in history there was no rule to how one buttoned one’s blazer or suit. Ya just did whatcha felt like, or what worked. The way the story goes, King Edward VII (England, 1900’s), was just too damn fat to fit in his fully-buttoned jacket. And where the King goes, others follow. At first in an effort not to offend the king, the habit of leaving the bottom button undone soon became the standard custom across the world.

These days, blazers are actually specifically designed to leave the bottom button open. In fact, closing it causes the jacket to rest unnaturally and pull in areas, becoming unsightly, uncomfortable, and constricting.

An article I read on the Brooks Brothers blog used this picture of the Kennedy’s (courtesy of Wikipedia) to illustrate the issue. Notice that John is the only one with the both buttons closed. See the unsightly way his jacket pulls at the button and bulges at the lapel? Blech. For a more natural, relaxed look, follow his brothers’ suit (ho ho, a pun). *On a side note, JFK is also suffering from the dreaded disappearing pocket square. May he rest in peace.* Really, these days, there shouldn’t be a debate. Buttoning that button is just plain wrong.

Now that top (or middle on a three-button suit) button should stay shut, at least when you are standing. Of course, there are exceptions (feel free to open that sucker up when you sit down, or if you are engaging in some crazy physical activity, which we all try to do in our suits/blazers as much as possible, and need the extra freedom. Always sacrifice style before ripping that beautiful jacket of yours).

Generally, this is the rule to live by, top to bottom:

1. Sometimes (for those harder-to-find three-button jackets)


2. Always (middle, top, or only button)


3. Never (bottom button, as long as there’s more than one, durr)

Get it? Got it? Good. Don’t fuck it up.

Why Care? - My Manifesto

As I keep encouraging any readers to take the time to learn how to dress well and look better in your day to day life, it’s good to remember why I have found this to be so important. As someone who just a year ago was wearing square-toed comfort loafers, baggy pants and ill-fitting shirts as my ‘business casual’ uniform, I can confidently tell you that making this change will make a positive difference in your life. This section may come across as a little ‘life-coachy,’ so, yeh, sorry, but I’m right. I hate preaching or telling people what to do to make their lives better (like I know what I’m talking about), but I place my faith in this principle whole-heartedly. So how does dressing well make your life better?

The first way is a simple one that your wallet (those damn, tight wallets) will appreciate. As you start caring more about what you are wearing, you start to take better care of your clothes. Ever since I started to actually like the clothes I bought, I paid a lot more attention to the washing instructions, I learned to shine my shoes, I bought hangers that wouldn’t ruin my clothing, I found gentler stain removers, I bought woolite and started washing my sweaters by hand. Before, I didn’t give a shit and would just toss it all in the laundry and hope that most of it would come out in wearable condition.

To move closer to a personal level, you also take better care of your clothes while you are wearing them, and in turn take better care of yourself. My slob factor dropped when I started wearing nice clothes and I starting conciously avoiding messy foods, grass stains, salt stains in the winter, and was more careful to steer clear of snags and other damaging factors. As a result, I was looking and acting a lot more like an adult (which is an important transition to start making after you graduate college)!

Beyond the practical lies so much more. The biggest, biggest thing is your confidence. I am huge believer in the idea that confidence gets you everywhere in life (or nowhere, if you lack it). Whether it be scoring with the opposite sex or landing that dream job, either is so much more attainable if you believe you can attain it (see what I said about getting all life-coach on you folks? Deal with it! See, I’m confident haha).

It’s simple, once again. Dress nice, and you feel good about the way you look. You carry yourself more confidently, present yourself to those around you just a little bit more boldly, and people will notice. People talk about you, they comment on your clothes, and you just stand out from the crowd a bit (once again, in a world run by competition, this is never a bad thing). Then YOU notice the difference, and the confidence just keeps growing. You start to act more important, and are more confident in knowing what you want and making sure you get it. The big point here is that, when you first start to make the change, you may not feel like you fill those proverbial shoes of the dapper man, but you will grow into it, and it feels good!

And I will attest, people really do notice. I really have noticed this change make a tangible difference on several specific occasions.

For example, a few weeks ago our Administrative Executive traveled to our office in Chicago (yep, I have a day job). I had the chance to meet him and introduce myself and chat a bit, but only very briefly. After he left, my manager pulled me aside and told me that the Executive had specifically told her how impressed he was with me. Now, I do think I am good at my job, and (clothing aside), present myself well, but in that short of a span, I guarantee that a big reason I stood out to him was the fact that, even in a law firm, I am one of the few people that comes to work in a tie, everyday. Not only that, but my clothes are well coordinated, fit well, and convey general ‘put-together-ness’ into my overall appearance. If you look like you are an important person, people tend to treat you that way, regardless of your actual position.

Another example: Just today, I was part of a panel interviewing some new potential employees at my place of business. Both candidates were well put together and had similar resumes, but the one guy came in looking sharp, and therefore looking (and probably feeling) more confident (I think he even mentioned his tie at one point, which shows he was aware of his attire and knew that we noticed as well). By no means would I reccomend hiring someone based just on their suit, I did immediately like that guy, and paid more attention to what he had to say. And I would DEFINITELY not hire someone if they looked like a schlub - if you are that careless about something so basic as your clothing, how careless will you be on the job? If you care that little about the way you present yourself to the world, are you going to care about the you present you workplace or company to the rest of the world? First impressions are as important as everyone says, and it helps to come accross as someone who really knows and appreciates that.

Lastly, probably the most immediately enjoyable bonus, is you are gonna have to learn how to react to being complimented (and often)! And I hope this is something no one is upset about having to be used to. If you are, you should probably be following a different blog (or I need to seriously reconsider my fashion taste).

I’ll wrap it up with the final testament that, as I started writing this, I planned on making one of my short blurb-ish posts, and it turned into this rambling edict purely because I kept thinking of more and more reasons that I am glad that I finally started putting some effort into my clothes and appearance, both professionally and casually. It’s a neverending list, and I’d love to hear some of your reasons….let me know what you think! Why do you care about how you look? Why do you think it’s important to care?

Frank and Oak Reviewed

Before I Begin: 

If this post inspires anyone to give Frank and Oak a try, feel free to use my referral link: http://vnlink.co/S5B7dYb (you’ll get $25 credit for signing up, can’t complain about that).

EDIT: We recently provided an update to this review, 'Frank and Oak - Reviewed and Revisited,' which can be found here. Enjoy!

As promised, here is Wide Eyes, Tight Wallet’s first full-length brand review. More to come in the future!

Brand Background:

Frank and Oak is an online-only men’s clothing start-up service based out of Montreal, Canada. Their goal has been to offer stylish, modern, quality clothing at an affordable price by effectively cutting out the middle man. Instead of having a designer sell clothing designs to manufacturer, who then sells to a retailer (at a profit), who then sells to the consumer (at a bigger profit, those bastards), Frank and Oak does the whole process in house. The result (originally) was that nothing they sold cost over $50. More and more they have been surpassing that price point, but with the goal of offering some higher end clothing (their United Tailor collection is pretty damn sharp), and a wider range of articles (i.e. blazers, jackets, etc.). However, thus far their pricing has remained very manageable on all fronts. Frank and Oak are proud to make every effort toward sustainability, including using recycled goods for packaging and keeping a small selection to avoid overstock and wasted materials. They are also proud of their diverse backgrounds, stating on their website “We are you. We are designers, web geeks, architects and artists with a simple goal: to create high quality clothing and accessories and share them at a remarkable price.” Frank and Oak actually just celebrated their one-year anniversary this past month, so they are still just a bunch of young pups and I’m sure will continue to develop as time goes on.

In addition to standard online shopping, Frank and Oak offers a monthly trunk or ‘crate’ service called ‘The Hunt Club,’ of which I am a proud member. Honestly, this service is great. They do a much better job of explaining it on their ‘How It Works’ section, but here’s the gist: Every month you get to pick out three items, which they ship to you free of charge. You get to try on the clothes, decide what you want to keep, and send the rest back, at which point they charge you for the selections you’ve made. Not only does this give you a great, commitment-free way to try new clothes, they throw free shipping on all orders (crate and otherwise), which makes the whole thing worth it regardless of the crate in my book. I love free shipping. Some people worry with these kinds of services that you will be duped into buying things without realizing it, but Frank and Oak is great at keeping you on top of selection and return deadlines through great e-mail contact, and in the few cases where I’ve had issues with timing they’ve been more than forgiving. Final kicker? Hunt Club members receive 8% of every order back in store credit.

What I’ve Bought:

• Light Blue Oxford-Cloth-Button-Down (OCBD)


• Red Chambray Dress Shirt


• Charcoal Chambray Button-Down


• Charcoal Taylor Trousers


• Brown Wool Blazer


• Cotton Tie

Quality:

I have to preface this section by admitting that I am no master clothier. I don’t know the difference between types of stitches, and I couldn’t pick out a fused collar at a glance, but I do think I recognize a quality garment. In my honest opinion, Frank and Oak really delivers when it comes to quality for the price you are paying. Everything I’ve bought just feels sturdy. Well-made. Like it won’t fall apart after a few washes, or split at the seams in the middle of my workday (I’ve had this happen with a pair of H&M pants and will never go back there again). The OCBD seems especially rugged, and is the one garment I’ve bought that seems borderline coarse (personally, I’m not complaining, I love the shirt, but if you want something lightweight, look elsewhere. Then again, if you want something lightweight, and OCBD probably isn’t your best bet to begin with). While this isn’t bespoke, hand sewn, custom-cut clothing, it beats the hell out of anything your going to get for the same price at a mass-produced joint like Express. I’d put fabric quality on-par with what I’ve purchased from J. Crew, but the prices are much more reasonable (and I’m so much more of a fan of Frank and Oak’s fit).

Customer Service:

As of yet, I haven’t had any big issues to test out Frank and Oak’s customer service, but what interactions I have had have yielded no complaints on my end. The only mistake they made was they (once) sent me the wrong shirt as part of a Hunt Club crate selection. They offered to extend my selection deadline and send the correct shirt, but it was honestly something I was just trying on for fun, wasn’t going to buy, and liked the shirt they sent me instead anyway. I’ve contacted them a few times with minor questions about sizing and they have always been quick and friendly with their responses.

Also (and I’m not sure if this belongs in the ‘Customer Service’ section of the review), but they do go beyond just selling clothing, which is fun. Their main page every month includes a section called ‘The Edit’ which is along the lines of a monthly blog and includes interviews with a variety of people (from other players in the menswear world to musicians), lookbooks for some of that month’s selection, videos, and more. They also host a weekly #NecktieFriday competition on Twitter and Instagram that I have a blast participating in every week (in fact, I love it so much I already wrote about it)!

These guys are so great, in honor of their anniversary they made every competitor from that week a winner (which is how I scored that great cotton tie seen above).

What’s To Love:

The first thing to love about Frank and Oak is their price/quality ratio. By cutting out the middleman and encompassing the design, manufacture, and distribution of their products, they are able to offer high quality clothing at incredible prices. Blazers are the only thing that will cost you more than $50, and even those top out at little over $100. Even better, price aside I would still take one of their $45 shirts over a $75 shirt from J. Crew. As this blog focuses a lot on how to improve your wardrobe without breaking the bank (hence the Tight Wallets moniker), this is a huge plus in my book.

The biggest reason I personally love Frank and Oak is that everything fits me. Perfectly. I have never had this happen at any clothing company, and in fact I usually struggle to find brands where anything fits me great right off the rack. The dress shirts especially fit like a glove. I’m a pretty skinny guy and often suffer from shirts ballooning at the waist and through the arms (even from mid-high range brands like J. Crew and Ben Sherman), but I have none of those problems here. Everything seems very true-to-size and is cut with a modern, slim fit that is hard to find from any similar-priced store.

Additionally, the Hunt Club service is a huge benefit for a guy like me. I love shopping online (almost obsessively), but have a hard time committing to buying anything due to my afore-mentioned issues with fit from most brands. Being able to try things on risk-free gives me so much more confidence when making purchases and makes my shopping experience so much more stress-free.

Lastly, some might complain about the limited selection, but I think it’s another great part of what sets Frank and Oak aside. Sometimes, I find shopping from stores like J. Crew or other big-name brands to be overwhelming. With pages and pages of options in every category, it can be a chore to browse through a selection of pants just to decide there isn’t anything that happens to catch your eye. With the smaller, rotating selection that Frank and Oak offers, it is so much easier to take in the entire selection and make a quick decision about whether or not I want to make any purchases. Nine times out of ten there are still plenty of things I want, and that one time that there isn’t, I know it’s a mere 30 days until I have a whole new pool of items to pick from.

What’s Not To Love:

I personally have very few complaints when it comes to Frank and Oak. I have read that some customers have been displeased with variations in fit between similar garments. I will say that I have noticed this, but only very slightly. For example, my small OCBD fits a little bit looser than either of my small chambray shirts. However, the difference is small enough that I’ve still been very happy with the fit on all three shirts. I will be keeping an eye out for this issue as I continue to order, and if my opinion here changes I’ll be sure to mention it.

Another issue mentioned by other customers and noticed by myself is processing time. This seems (to me) to especially be an issue at the beginning of each month as Hunt Club orders are processed. Sometimes it has taken up to a week between submitting my selection and getting a shipment notice. However, I am very forgiving in this area. I think the benefits of the Hunt Club service more than make up for any wait time issues, plus I am inclined to be pretty forgiving as I keep in mind that this is a small startup with quickly growing clientele, and that’s half of what I love about them.

A final aspect that I have seen other customers take issue with is the fact that you have to sign up in order to browse the selection. If you ask me, this is a really silly gripe. There is no obligation in signing up, they don’t spam your e-mail address, and you can cancel at any point. So really, all you have to complain about is that hard, hard work you are going to put in typing your e-mail address and contact information. I know this can be exhausting, but I promise, it will be worth it.

Beyond that, I’ve noticed a few loose stitches here and there, but always in hard to see places and never to an extent that I feel significantly affects the integrity of any given item.

Luck Day! Bonus Section:

Conveniently, today Frank and Oak released their March selection, so I’ll let you all know what I’m ordering in my crate (whenever it comes I’ll give an update on how everything turns out):

Definitely getting the Newport Chinos in Olive. I checked with their customer service, and this is indeed more of a khaki color than olive (my new Olive Chukkas are more of a dark green). They did say it is a darker khaki, so hopefully it will be what I’m looking for. I’ve been needing a pair of khakis for way too long and have been waiting every month for Frank and Oak to offer their Chinos in the color I want.

I’m also going to get the Valmont Shirt in Pearl. This is another one I’ve trying to find for a while - a nice, great-fitting white shirt. It’s one of the most versatile items a guy can own, but while I do have a white shirt, I’m not a fan of the fabric or the way it fits, so I never wear it.

Lastly I want to try the Crosstown Bomber in Khaki. Honestly, I probably won’t keep this one. It’s a little out of my price range and not exactly what I’m looking for, but I’ve started keeping an eye out for a lighter spring jacket that I can wear with my office clothing, so I figured I’d at least give this a try.

Honestly, my selection is a little boring this month. I usually take advantage of the Hunt Club to try on things I wouldn’t normally wear. However, there are just those standards that I’ve been hunting for that have finally popped up, so I can’t resist and will have a lot more flexibility in my choices next month. I will say I was very tempted by the color selection for the Taylor trousers. I love my pair in charcoal and would have really liked some more colors, but the Chinos came in top priority. I also wish there had been a blazer that caught my eye, but not this month! Hopefully they have some nice lightweight ones coming up soon for the summer. They also (as always) have a great selection of ties and pocket squares, but I already have a go-to source for those that is a tad easier on the wallet (I’ll fill you in later).

Let me know what you think of my choices! I’m not ordering until tonight (gotta let the the girlfriend peruse the selection first), so you might be able to convince me to get something else (if you really care about what I’m wearing that much, sheesh. Just kidding, I love suggestions).

Anyway, sign up here (http://vnlink.co/SK2IDBd) and shop away! I really don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Has anyone else tried Frank and Oak? What did you think?