August 2010
78 posts
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Found at the thrift store
Yesterday, I had a chance to visit my parents in the suburbs after being out there for work-related business. Before heading to dinner, I did some thrifting at a few local shops that have been in my childhood neighborhood for as long as I can remember.
One quick thrifting tip: Go to church-run stores. Churchgoers seem to wear suits more often and keep them in good shape by the time they’re...
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“There is no such thing as a ‘going-out’ shirt.”
– Wingman Chicago: Guys, step it up when you go out
Adding: You have to check out this insane hate mail he got for writing this column.
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Best dressed: Alexander Skarsgard.
What makes this are the wide-peaked lapels, which is something that seems to be rarer these days in tuxedos. It continues to amaze me how many people wear notched lapels instead of the classic shawl or peaked lapels, especially given the formality of an occasion where you’d wear a tuxedo.
(Via hautelikecouture: whatthehale)
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Digital Collage: Matt Bomer Is A Man That Knows... →
I think his style on “White Collar” can be a bit fashion-y at times, but it’s definitely well put together. If anything, his suits can show you want good tailoring can do for you. Personally, I’m not a fan of his super-skinny collars, but he does make it work.
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A quick 'thank you' to my new followers
Hi all!
First, thank you for the follows/likes/etc. I’m glad that you found my thoughts interesting enough to read in your dashboards. As always, I appreciate constructive feedback.
Secondly, while I don’t do a great deal of reblogging men’s style on Tumblr, several of these people do. Others have some great insights in areas that I have none. A good deal of them have been...
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WIWT: 08-27-2010
This is what I wore out tonight to a local concert show. Sangria, Logan Square and seersucker.
Nothing too complex, just white 514s, suede bucks, light-blue shirt, tie, linen square and a seersucker jacket. Sure, concerts are an opportunity to dress down, but if you’re gonna sweat anyway, you might as well look good while you sweat (at least, that’s my philosophy).
Bonus: a nice...
someotherstyle-deactivated20110 asked: Just thought I'd say good job on the blog front. Keep learning and evolving your style, everything always looks better the more you do it!
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What you wear to work
I’ve been giving some thought to the topic covered by Put This On’s latest installment, of what you wear to work and why you wear it.
All of my WIWT posts are essentially what I wear to work. My day job allows for a very wide variation of formality of clothing. I do public-relations work for legislators, but I don’t have the same dress requirements everyday throughout the year.
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WIWT: 08-25-2010
Yeah, I went a little “patriotic summer WASP” today, despite that I’m so not W, A, S, or P. The watch is a vintage Hamilton Illinois wind-up that I snagged off Craigslist.
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Hello new followers via Put This On!
First off, thanks to Put This On for the link and introducing me to the idea of dressing like a grown up and what that means, exactly.
Secondly, I’ve got to share the love. If you like what you’re finding here, then here’s a list of others on Tumblr I follow that I’d recommend you take a look at. They’ve been doing this longer than me and post different stuff than I...
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theguylife asked: I like what you've done at the tailor with some of those pants. I'm in CHI also, where do you get your stuff tailored?
thisfits asked: Nice seeing you linked up by Put This On. All your posts are quality, and I look forward to them. You've come a long way in less than a month.
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How it fits: L.L.Bean Town and Field Wool Flannel...
After L.A.S. at Sartorially Inclined gave the recommendation to L.L.Bean’s Wool Flannel Town and Field Pants (currently on sale for $50 plus shipping), I decided that they’d compliment my fall wardrobe nicely, especially at that price.
Let me first start by saying that these pants are a good buy at $50. They feel nice and are comfortable. Of course, the question is, “How well...
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Found on Etsy: Playboy waistcoat
Until I snagged this, I didn’t own any vests. Now, I’ve got a unique piece that’s dying to be worn without a jacket.
I’m not completely sure of the backstory behind this Playboy-licensed waistcoat, but I found it on Etsy for $20 and knew instantly that this would probably be the one and only vest I’d ever need.
I don’t feel entirely comfortable wearing just...
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Take it to the Tailor: J. Crew Bowery Wool Classic...
Continuing my preparation for fall, I took another pair of trousers to the tailor: the J. Crew Bowery Wool Classic Fit Pants.
The classic fit doesn’t have a terrible fit by any means. The leg opening is just fine, it tapers quite well, but the problem comes at the seat of the pants (as others have griped about elsewhere). One $25 trip later and it fits snug and the hips are a bit narrower.
...
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What's it cost to get something tailored?
Recently, I’ve been making nearly weekly trips to my tailor for various alterations. One early concern (being budget conscious and all) was the cost of getting a jacket or pants tailored. For the most part, it’s impossible to find prices online for a lot of tailors. And tailors each have their own pricing that can vary quite a bit.
Still, here’s the prices I pay at mine, who is...
Put This On Episode 3: Work →
If for some odd reason you’re not already following Put This On, then you’ll want to make your way over there for their third episode.
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WIWT: 08-23-2010
Much like the neon-green striped shirt I have, this orange gingham shirt presents a slight challenge to pair a tie with it (again, I don’t see myself buying any orange ties in the future), so I opted to just go for the rather neutral navy knit tie.
Once again, I’m trying to squeeze in a shirt with limited seasonal flexibility and also give my jeans yet another wear.
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MTV: "Kanye West is starting a fashion movement!"...
itsamazing:
MTV:
Kanye West is starting a fashion movement! The rapper is reportedly trying to revamp his fashion image from sassy streetwear to sophisticated suits, WWD reported today.
I think referring to Kanye wearing suits as a ‘new trend’ is getting out of hand. I’m waiting for this suit ‘movement’ or as some refer to as ‘trend’ to die out/hear people say “Suits are played out now..”...
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WIWT: 08-19-2010
Damn, it’s a scorcher out there today. While I wear my jacket to hide my beer gut, sometimes you just gotta say, “Eff it.”
A few notes about this outfit, which cost me all of $22:
The light-blue chinos I picked up at an end-of-summer sale for $7. They need to be taken in for a tapering, but you can’t argue at that price.
The belt is your standard web belt, $5 at your...
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This just in.
putthison:
I have just learned that it costs about $150 to rent a tuxedo from The Men’s Wearhouse.
That’s horrible.
Just buy a tuxedo.
If you’re short on dough, wait for one of those 80% off sales at Jos. A Bank or create a saved search or two on eBay. Spend $300. Get something decent. My whole set of formal clothes cost less than $200, including tailoring.
Come on. $150? To rent...
Put This On just murdered Saboteur →
No need to rehash what’s been said, but for those prices ($350 for a “blazer”) you could just go to J. Crew, spend about $275 and use the remaining money for tailoring to get a great fit with a better quality garment that’s not a lousy wool blend.
As for shirts, asking $125 seems insane for a dress shirt that’s S/M/L without exact arm lengths. You’d be better...
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Cole Haan is giving you an extra 30% off sale... →
pleatsareforlovers:
Code - 30EXTRA. Jump on that ish. I’m grabbin’ me a pair of white bucks for next year.
All sorts of sales going down today. Cole Haan isn’t a bad company. I have a pair of shiny black cap-toe oxfords and brown chelsea boots from them. If you stick to their leather-bottomed stuff (or in the case of bucks, rubber soles) they are decent shoes for the price.
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Deal of the day: Spend $25, get $50 of apparel at... →
If you’ve been eying a pair of GAP jeans (some people have said nice things lately about their 1969 line), then you’ll want to hop on this deal at Groupon. You spend $25, which gives you $50 of credit to use at any retail store location. Unfortunately, this is in-store only, not online or for their outlet stores. Still, if you’ve got a store near you (and, really, where...
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Take it to the tailor: Dockers
I’ve finally begun to reach the point where I’m taking pants in to my tailor to be tapered and have the seat taken in. While it might be easier for me to just buy new pants that have the fit I want off the rack, it’s cheaper and just as effective to get my older stuff tailored properly.
My first pair that needed a more refined cut was these pair of Dockers (the band says...
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WIWT: 08-18-2010
I really dig this sport coat. It’s a very thin-stripe black and white cotton jacket, which almost has this look of a grey denim. While it’s light enough to wear in the summer (it’s half-lined), I think it’s texture lets it go year-round.
Another tie that doesn’t get much love from me, for no other reason than it’s placed a bit further back on the tie rack....
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WIWT: 08-18-2010
Went with the uniform navy blazer again today and wore my white jeans for the first time. They’re Levi 514s chalk white, which have light-blue stitching. I really like them, but they’re a big long. If I find a decent tailor that does jean hemming, then I may get them taken up to have an exact break. Until then, cuffing!
That’s actually a navy hounds-tooth check shirt, but...
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WIWT: 08-16-2010
Went with jeans and seersucker again. I’ve been trying to wear my 501s more to break them in.
Unlike my neon-green striped shirt, this green gingham is a lot lighter in color and can go all right with this darker-green striped tie along with navy and white, pairing with a simple white-linen pocket square.
Went with Happy Socks again, which had a blue-green-ish thing going on. Seemed...
Pro-tip: How to hide your beer gut & stay stylish →
It’s really easy.
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WIWT: 08-12-2010
Had an after-work happy hour with a bunch of politicos, so I went back to the standard uniform (again), but kept it summer-ish with some rolled chinos and Sperry Topsiders.
A conservative white linen handkerchief with a red knit tie and blue gingham shirt to keep with the season.
Nothing complex, but nothing overly boring either. I do need to find a summer-weight navy blazer though. This...
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Dapper Demeanor: Remember Dress Pants? →
A great post from dapperdemeanor, who elegantly makes an argument for dress trousers. I want to break out this portion though, because it’s something that bothers me to no end:
Another differentiator is the crease: typically dress pants come creased and some have some sort of permanent or semi-permanent crease in them. Chinos a lot of times don’t come creased and generally don’t hold...
