Sunday 19 August 2012

Start the Week Sharp and Fresh

I personally like dressing up quite formally at the beginning of the week and then slide into more casual combinations as the week goes by. However, those Monday mornings can be a bitch and a good way to pull yourself out of the bed then and getting into the zone is definitely to wear your own superman costume. I prefer doing this also as a kind of way to discipline myself and keeping myself in line – Monday is a suit day.




Being still a student and only working part time and every now and then, my budget and therefore my wardrobe has its limitations. I’ve invested mostly in odd jackets and plain suits for their adaptability. My only suit with a pattern is my Hickey Freeman that I found from New York earlier this year for a mere 25% of the RRP. The garment is of quite fantastic quality for 350 USD and the fit was perfectly right at the shoulders. So, with some (quite heavy at places) tailoring it made a nice power suit for the more formal days.




The pictures are from last week when I had the chance to take them. Drake’s London for Emma Willis purple tie, a light purple/pink spread collar shirt (again, collar bones are eating dust somewhere) with the softest and most beautiful collar roll ever and a crisp white cotton pocket square. I really love how the weave makes the tie alive without making it look like a cheap (in taste, them fashion ties do cost a lot) Armani or Hugo Boss tie. I’m not a huge fan of an ironed tv fold, and even with this look I prefer just folding it as sharply as possible by hand, but by hand only. In my opinion this simple detail retains some of the flair from more relaxed combinations.




As shoes I’ve chosen black plaintoes. This shoe type is not often thought to be an alternative to a combination like this, but I personally like it a lot. The plain vamp allows the shine from a well-cared shoe to be the star of the moment. With more exotic leathers and lively colors the seamless and holeless vamp highlights the beautiful leather even more, increasing the effect.

With this kind of a set you don’t want to fool around with the socks too much, so a simple grey was my choice here.


5 comments:

  1. Great suit. Just picked up a HF suit myself that will need some tailoring. How much did you have to take off to slim the pants? I have a big chest (38) but a tiny waist (29) and most suits only have a 6-7 inch drop. It's always a pain to get suit pants to match jackets that's fit. And also? Who's taking all your photos?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I took quite a bit, and the leg opening is about 6.5 inches. Also had to do the waist on the jacket and let it out a bit on the upper back. I'm usually a 38S myself, or even 36 depending on the suit. And a drop 7 or 8, again, depending on the garment.

      I know the feeling, l usually need to a larger pair of trousers to fit my thighs and can settle for a smaller jacket.

      Also, my girlfriend is my loyal "photographer", a million thanks to her for that. :)

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  2. Hah we are the same jacket size. I wear 38s in most and 36s in some as well. Not an easy size to shop for. How tall are you? I notice in Europe most brands cater to more commonly found sizes so it's easier for us shorter guys to find clothes. Here in the US they all seem to think everyone is a fashion model so everything is way too big or long for most people.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right. And the sizes are somewhat inaccurate, as size 38 jackets tend to vary all the way from 17 inch shoulders to 18.5 inch ones. And at the end of the day that's pretty much the only measure that cannot be altered with reasonable costs, so that's what I'm looking for when buying a suit or a jacket - the right shoulder-to-shoulder size. If the fit is wrong at the shoulders it will ruin the overall look making a too boxy and just unnatural.

      I'm about 5'9", and I would agree with you. I think the problem is that most people just tend to size up when there isn't enough room in the jacket, also usually making the shoulder-to-shoulder measure way too wide for them at the same time. Also sleeves tend to be way too long in everything, which can be seen when just going outside on a street. 75% of men have too wide shoulders and too long sleeves in their suit jackets, no matter where you are. Just getting those right will make the wearer look a lot smarter and natural in their clothes, in my opinion. :)

      Delete