work/play clothes

Been a while, I know. If you’ve been following my twitter account(s) you’ll notice that A.) I’ve been working A LOT and B.) I have been wearing clothes. I’m trying to jam this all in on my lunch break (that’s what she said). No seriously, I’m trying to fit a big amount in a tight space (she also said that). I hope this isn’t too much for you (I said that one).

Basics all men need.

These items can and probably should be worn at least once a week.

These are the kinds of things you can wear reconfigured with different outfits two days in a row.

Oxford:

$35 trim fit - LL Bean

$35 trim fit - LL Bean

There are few shirts you can wear to work and do the laundry in on Saturday. This will also look good on a lady friend as a makeshift nightgown.. especially with the trim fit version that is shorter and slimmer.. I’ll leave the rest up to you on that. Mental note, that’s all.

Cardigan:

cardigap

$80 Gap

This extra chunky cardigan can get some play at work and at… well, play. It’s too thick to wear under a blazer, though. Leave that to the thin merino wool variety. This cardi’ should be worn in place of your suit jacket on a crisp fall day. Unbutton as appropriate to let the shawl collar really take shape. Of course, always leave the bottom button undone.

Chinos:

$60 - Martin + OSA

$60 - Martin + OSA

Got to try these on recently. Really liked the fit and wash on these. Slim, but comfortable. Some character, but none of that over-the-top imitation aging. Basically, you can dress these up with a shirt and tie, or wear commando-style as you drink milk from the carton and catch up on Saturday morning cartoons. Was that example too specific? Don’t judge me.

Manboots:

mcallisters

I love this version of the MacAlister boot. Well-oiled brown leather. You would think you couldn’t pull these off with a suit, but rest-assured you can with the right suit. Certainly you would not pair this with a fine uber-tailored Italian navy pinstriped number, the kind of suit you immediately think to garnish with a handkerchief. No, no. However, a nice flannel suit that can stand to show a bit of wear, or a thick tweed ensemble that demands a tie of character and not seven-fold imported silk–these types of suiting can really play well with these boots.

Planning some things for the end of the month. Bear with me.

Bonus (seemingly random, but I promise it is not) Question:

make the most of a cheap (inexpensive) suit

There are a couple assumptions I make about my audience.

1.) You’re a working-class guy

2.) You like your appearance to open doors (and not close them with a violent quickness and look of contempt)

3.) You don’t want to spend a [pardon the term] “girly” amount of time/money on your appearance

If you’ve been reading manshion for the past year, you’ll find a lot of re-tread here and I apologize. However, this is probably the most important thing you can do for your work wardrobe and for this reason, re-tread I shall.

Buy the Best of the Best Brand for You.

For starters, the best thing you can do to make the most of a cheap suit is buy the best one you can afford. Let’s say you have but $200 to spend on the suit. Before you purchase, be clear on what you want your finished suit to look like. If you want to be part of the old boy’s club well ahead of your time, then by all means buy any old sack suit. If you’re looking to go with a more modern look, but want to stop short of being your office’s version of Zack Effron (didn’t bother to even google up the spelling), think of a brand along the same accord. Sure, Heritage (men’s line of the fast fashion ragshop Forever21) will sell you slacks and a questionable blazer for about $80 combined. However, it will not last the length of a season, will be entirely polyester, will have more hanging threads and irregularities than you can count, and will be cut to make you look like the aforementioned High School Musical star. Let’s ponder a few brands that are synonymous with our goals here. Target’s general scheme as a store (clothing-wise) is to provide modern goods that stay close to trends while remaining (at least for adults) accessible for the everyday man. Same with Macy’s Alfani Red line.  Zara and H&M tend to be trendy with their cheaper polyester offerings, but generally make some more subtle designs with their wool suiting. There’s always eBay, too, if you want to get a secondhand or sometimes ‘new-without-tags’ suit on the cheap. Just make sure to check those measurements in case it’s already been altered. This brings me to…

Materials.

Go wool if you can. If you find a blend with some poly and some wool, check its appearance against a wool suit. If it mimics wool well enough and doesn’t drape like sandpaper, then you’re fine. Generally speaking, though, if you’re in a first suit situation, go with wool, or get quality brand’s blend suit. Going off- brand AND polyester when you have a limited number of suits in the closet and 9/10 times you’re going to look cheap, despite alterations.

So now you’ve purchased a suit. Congratulations, kind of. Now it’s time to alter this thing.

Alterations.

In order of importance:

  1. Sleeves (shouldn’t cost you more than $25.. I’ve seen it done for $10 with no complaints)
  2. Hem pants ($10-15) Note: skip these first two if not necessary. ie. sleeves give way to 1/4″ cuff, pants meet shoes, don’t bag up.
  3. Taper the jacket ($20-25 – You want the jacket to meet–but not pull or strain–your chest and outline you without any loose, extra fabric)

Accessorize.

So you now have a suit of quality fabric (or that looks like it was made of quality fabric) that fits you well and has only set you back $250.00-ish.  Great. What will you wear it with to really make your inexpensive suit look it’s best? A great shirt a tie combo. How do you make a great pairing but still keep it cheap? eBay. AND some savvy shopping.

Avoid these pitfalls with your shirt selection and you’ll probably have a great looking shirt:

  • No poplin
  • No ultra color (you know those dark, dark blue and maroon shirts.. they suck. burn them if they were cheap)
  • NOT A BLACK DRESS SHIRT (not if you’re doing this all on the cheap, dead giveaway)
  • No button-down or point collars
  • No fly-away, man-blouse fit (gotta look like it fits)
  • Can’t be a “going out” shirt (ie. non-business friendly colors in loud patters/strips)
  • 9/10 times should only have white as a secondary color
  • If the cufflinks came with the shirt.. forget about it.

For ties, your best best on getting a great and expensive looking tie is not to buy that “Burberry”  novacheck tie off eBay. No. That’s what douchebags wear to look like they have money. If you own one, the way to wear it and have friends is not over a black shirt, I’ll tell you that much. What you want to do is buy a vintage Hermes tie from eBay (or another reputable brand). I’ve bought so many vintage ties on eBay it’s kind of ridiculous. But for $7 shipped and in pristine condition, hand made with quality materials.. why not?! If you don’t want to go that route, simply take this test. Go to a Marshalls or TJ Max (discount/retail leftovers store). Look at the boxed shirt/tie sets. Your tie can’t look like this. Look at the ties that you can tell have been there too long. Your tie cannot look like this. That should narrow things down a bit. Another test: Does the design on your tie look printed on? I won’t tell you to kill yourself, but I will tell you to lose this tie immediately. What we’ve done here is eliminated all the tell-tale signs of a cheap tie. What makes a tie look expensive? Quality materials and well detailed patterns (if any). Choose wisely.

Wrap Up.

There. Now you should probably be looking like a million bucks in your suit. Or, at least, $800. So… win. Of course, you could just go to Indochino and avoid a lot of the mess with a $300 suit that they’ll alter on their dime should you find it not fitting perfectly. Just another option.

the monk strap

Throw it in the mix. They’ve been around forever and they say “Hey, I have more than 1 pair of shoes.”

Some shoptions:

Ralph Lauren $190 - limited sizes

Ralph Lauren $190 - limited sizes

$61 by "Fitzwell" - Cheap way to add variety. Probably get what you pay for with quality, though.

$61 by "Fitzwell" - Cheap way to add variety. Probably get what you pay for with quality, though.

this is like shoe porn. $305 on eBay. some random handmade italian peices probably worth double.

this is like shoe porn. $305 on eBay. some random handmade italian peices probably worth double.

shirtsmyway.com offer

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to let you know about this offer shirtsmyway.com is running. Actually, there are two offers.

Buy 2 custom dress shirts by tomorrow, August 26th, and you can get 1 free. (3 high quality custom shirts for $150 is a sweet deal)

AND

If you refer 2 friends by August 31st, you’ll be treated to another free shirt. (Doing the math on that, you end up with 10 shirts for $450, not bad at all)

As a friend of one of the founders of this bespokernet endeavor, I’d like to say that their customization options are unmatched and their quality is really exceptional. For this price range, you’d be hard pressed to find anything close without hopping a trip to the other side of the world. Show them your support and check it out.

shirtsmywayoffer

cool belts.

I found this on Martin + OSA the other day and will be gifting this to myself on my upcoming birthday. It’s pretty much the best belt known to man. Wearing this belt will grant you immunity to many a terminal illness and may even promote world peace around your waistline.

Martin + Osa $50

pretty sure its made of woven dreams

pretty sure its made of woven dreams

Old Navy $15

oldnavyweb

Men’s Warehouse $20

i swear by these for work, have all 3 colors-- slim, trim, clean, no frills.

i swear by these for work, have all 3 colors-- slim, trim, clean, no frills.

Lands End $20

landsend

looks like the M&OSA for 60% less. i'm sold.

Step your belt game up. No AX belts, please. Just be wary of the big buckle in general, actually.

stocking up on shades

Urban has a plethora of $10 sunglasses. Buy 2-3 pairs. Be ready for vacation, Indian summer, next summer, etc. Just be ready.

these are $45 though..

these are $45 though..

and again, you’re lucky I like you…

I must for giving you this link.

These shades are also $10:

shades1

shades2

Also while we’re hitting the summer close-outs, this is the only polo I have bought or worn this year. I think simple is the best way to go. I’m not into the big logo’s, so a small pony is cool, Fred Perry is nice, Penguin, etc. I really have been on the “no label” trip for a while, though. Hence, this guy is right up my alley. Small slit pocket sets it apart from the pack without a diorama featuring a family of horses and jockeys strewn across your chest (yes, Ralph Lauren, if you’re listening, the big pony line has gone way too far with some of these multiple character versions).

br626489-02p01v01

site updates

As you may have noticed, I’m all over twitter like white on rice. Like ice on cream. Like cheese on chili on a chili dog with cheese. Like a thing placed upon another, letting gravity have full reign. You get the picture. I post links to items and articles that I find interesting and/or worthy of buying. Follow me at twitter/manshion if you like. You’ll note that I’m following some celebrities. Needless to say, it’s only because they’re my dear friends with whom I share personal relationships.

What you may have also noticed is the rearranging of the sidebar to the right. At the top is a feed of my twitter posts. Next, perhaps more interestingly, is a twitpic feed of my other twitter account, “manshionwears.” In this section you’ll have a link to what I’m wearing, updated several times a week. Perhaps you’re trying to put together an outfit in the  morning or you have a date one night and you just can’t seem to figure something out, now you can check out this feed or head to twitpic/manshionwears and find a gallery of practical, everyday, working-class guy attainable outfits for inspiration or to straight up copy. You can comment there if you like, but please, no style-forum comments (if you’ve ever ventured into these dark corners you know what I mean). I don’t need some catty man-whining about my tie not “doing it for you.”

More to come later today.

on the radar for fall 2009

1. Jeans Jacket

right.

right.

also right

also right

very wrong.

very wrong.

2. Cuffed Jeans

clean and crisp. GAP selvage limited ed. $88

clean and crisp. GAP selvage limited ed. $88

3. Double-breasted Blazer

only $2,195, exclusively at select Barneys New York

only $2,195, exclusively at select Barneys New York

for real people:

$198, you're lucky i love you and gave you this link. goldmine.

$198, you're lucky i love you and gave you this link. goldmine.

ps. check out the twitter feed, i throw out links all day long and keep the personal talk to a minimum.

twitter.com/manshion

i caved.. AND white pants

manshion’s on twitter now… twitter.com/manshion.  it’ll probably just include links to must-buys/good articles/crazy news, fashion thoughts, i-can’t-believe-i-just-saw-that’s (accompanied by street pics), and possibly some mindless sentence fragments.

also bought white chinos this past weekend, my first pair of white pants. i know. big news. groundbreaking stuff.

rugbychinos

my tips on white pants:

  • keep the rest of the outfit grounded (i mean, you’re already wearing white pants) in basic hues
  • throw a good pattern in, like a gingham shirt (since the pants are probably really plain)
  • a braided belt would be a nice touch
  • a little cuff on the pants wouldn’t hurt either (you don’t have to go as far as the above picture though)

Chambrey suit

Double breasted chambrey suit spotted downtown at a bus stop. It’s ridiculous, but not in a bad way. I mean, I’m glad this isn’t my father, but clearly this was a calculated move.

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