manshion.

i know its been a while. last week was rough at work. plus the editor celebrated a birthday this past weekend. apologies for the lack of updates.. officially back to the daily posting.

So… “going out shirts.” Not breaking news to most. I feel like I’m from the birthplace of the going out shirt.. and let’s just say this mystical land of hair gel and man-tanning is directly south of New York.

super hard stripes, in dark, unprofessional colors

You see these guys (I mean the shirts) all about the bar scene, and you know what.. they belong there.  I am by no means saying the “going out shirt” is an abomination.  Sure, I haven’t worn one in years, but I still think they have their time and place for some (most, really) men.

My qualm is this:

this is not business attire

Trying to pawn off going out shirts as dress shirts.  No can do. They’re usually ill-fitting and again, those super-bold stripes are way too busy to be paired down with a suit.  Even if its Friday.. NO.

Perhaps give this a try, though, if you’re just dying to give your shirt a personality:

A bold pattern, yes, but it doesn’t jump off the shirt like a neon sign.  The suit can actually digest this well and to put it plainly… this works.

For the record, the plain black dress shirt also falls into the going out shirt category. I know, I know.. but seriously… it does. Don’t bring it to work, all tied up and buttoned down. Well, actually.. if work is at an electronics store or perhaps selling cellular phones, by all means you should dress accordingly.  In 2 words; “not corporate.”

The black dress shirt fits in with casual suiting, or if playing a villainous character in a film.  I’m sure plenty of bad guys over the years have gone with black dress shirts with their suits and ties.  However, if you don’t want to look like “angry assailant #4,” I’d say leave the tie out of this.  If you think you’re a movie star of sorts, feel free to add this to your creative black tie repertoire, although, I caution that you may just look like the regular guy at the night club who thinks he’s a celebrity within the walls of said club.

not for business, not a problem