The Dirt on Shirts

This is not a post on how to wash your clothes, although someday there might be an article about that when I'm desperately out of ideas.

Shirts are the new black.



Very versatile, very classy and very much for the man-about-town. You see, we (the rest of the world) are about twenty years behind the Europeans in shirt-wearing style. Vacation in any major European city and witness businessmen donning french-cuffed woven shirts as standard and beach-goers sporting very tasteful unpressed linen.



Well, the status-quo is about to change - starting with you.





A logo tee.

If you're 35 and above, you will hereby agree to not don tee-shirts of any brand, logo, breed or kind outside the perimeters of your home (with the very big exception of plain tee-shirts, but that is a topic for another day.). You may disregard this if you look like you've freshly emerged from the fountain of youth, but as a general rule guys above 35 should stop wearing logo-tees and start 'staple'-ing (not literally) your wardrobe with shirts - the classy kind.

The white Oxford - no wardrobe should be without it.

Shirts are like people. They come in an endless variety of colour, size, shape and design - making them the perfect template for expressing your individuality. Back in the day when everyone only wore white shirts, funky novelty ties were the way to stand out. Today there's a whole range of fantastic shirt choices out there - striped shirts, gingham shirts, safari shirts, oxfords, etc. The sheer excess of choice may potentially be mind-boggling, so here's a little guide to what's on offer.


The Striped Shirt
Currently insanely popular, striped fever hit the world hard in the early part of the 21st century. Today, every other shirt you see worn on the street is a striped shirt. Personally I feel striped shirts are becoming overly common, but nonetheless, they remain a popular, safe choice and are well on the way to classic-dom.

Multicolor Striped Dress Shirt by Paul Smith

Striped shirts make people look good not only because they add a touch of tzang and color to an otherwise boring outfit, but also because vertical stripes have the propensity to make your proportions appear longer. Yeah, kinda like a cool Jedi mind trick. And we know almost everybody wants to be taller, longer and leaner. But if playing in the NBA is what you do for a living, you might want to avoid stripes at the risk of looking like Leonid Stadnyk's long lost brother. There are limits to everything, people.


The Oxford
The perennial working man's outfit, you simply cannot go wrong with a well-constructed, well-fitting classic Oxford. Make sure you pick a color that complements your skin tone (as a general rule, lighter skin - darker colors, darker skin - lighter colors).

Oxfords are also available in the striped variety.

Oxford shirts are also a hallmark of versatility - need to dress down for a day out at the beach? All you have to do is unbutton the first button below the collar and roll up dem' sleeves (all the way up to elbow-level if you have dainty forearms.).





Linen
Linen is the fabric of life - if I had to pick one fabric to take onto a desert island, this would be it.

Linen is superior to cotton in that it's a better conductor of heat and also highly absorbent, making it a fantastic fabric for keeping cool in tropical weather. In addition, linen is one of those few fabrics that actually look great unpressed - music to the average 'I-couldn't-be-bothered', practical, straight man's ears.

Linen shirt by Lacoste.

A lil' pop trivia - Egyptians used to wrap mummies in linen, which was touted as a representation of purity and wealth. Heck, if linen's good enough for a mummy, it's good enough for me!



The Safari Shirt
Great with a tan, the safari shirt is perfect for those lazy, carefree days of summer. And for that enduring Indiana-Jones look that we know all women secretly adore.

Safari shirts are great when paired with khakis in earthy shades.

An alternative to the safari shirt is the military shirt, which doesn't look all that different, except that it's usually more intricately detailed and comes in, well, military shades.

Ladies dig men in uniform.




The Gingham Shirt
I don't really know about this one... a lot of American style writers advocate the gingham shirt, but personally I feel it takes a lot to make the gingham look fly. Nonetheless, if you're ready, willing and able to venture into uncharted territory, tread carefully around the different shades that ginghams are available in. Pick red and white and you risk looking like you're wearing a picnic mat. Or worse, like you're hosting the local rodeo.

Gingham is not an easy pattern to work with.

But if you do want to venture into gingham territory, a good way to start is to pair the shirt with a pair of dark indigo jeans or with a great earth-toned suit, as per the following picture:

Gingham with the right suit in the right shade.

Read more »

Jeans

One of the great fashion staples that goes with just about anything, stylish jeans are an essential component of the modern man’s wardrobe. Though building a great look around denim is relatively simple, there are some common traps men fall into when selecting jeans. The following tips will help you avoid these pitfalls and choose the most fashionable denim to complement any look.

Cut

One of the worst mistakes you can make with jeans is to wear a pair that is too short. Or too long. Pants should cover the ankles and tops of the shoes. While baggy jeans of a certain ilk can be attractive, straight-leg, regular, or slightly relaxed fits are generally much more flattering. Low-rise jeans, which have been popular with women for several years now, are also becoming more popular with men. If this look suits you, work it. It can be very sexy. Seek out jeans that fit well and have a nice drape to them.

Color

Another simple element that can make or break a pair of jeans is color. For the most part, dark denim is more becoming than light. The standard mid-blue denim color is fine, but anything much lighter starts to lean toward the 80s acid-washed look. This can work if you pull it off well, but it’s much easier to wear darker denim with style. Darker blue is cleaner and dressier in general, and can even be worn with a nice shirt and blazer for a more formal occasion. The exception to the color rule is stylish white denim, which is summer’s hot choice.

Styling

When you try on a new pair of jeans, take a look at the back pockets. They should flatter your backside, not optically flatten it, stretch it, or shrink it. Carpenter and cargo pants are OK if they suit you, but you should avoid them if you want a slicker, more polished look. They tend to add clutter and break bold lines that lengthen and flatter. Contrast-color stitching, in red, baby blue, or yellow, can add flair to otherwise basic jeans. Some amount of fading in the denim adds character, but too much can appear trashy. The fading and wear that occurs through normal wear and tear are the most natural. Seek out jeans with styling details that complement your look.

Ensemble

Almost anything, from a white t-shirt to a lustrous button-up top, goes with jeans. The best choices are shirts with bold colors and patterns, solid or striped knit tops, and worn-in t-shirts. Avoid pairing a denim top with jeans. Matching denims will dull down your look, and non-matching denims will most likely clash. Almost any kind of shoes, including flip-flops, sandals, casual sneakers, and oxfords, go with jeans.

Read more »

5 Style Rules You Must Know

dA lot of good things come in fives - our five senses, the five o'clock shadow, the five second rule, the Fantastic Five... (or was it four?)

Either way, I present to you the 5 Style Rules You [Absolutely] Must Know (and Obey):

1. Leather
Leather is an amazing fabric and I think brown leather should be utilized much more by the everyday man. Black leather is fine and all, but to add a touch of class and elegance to an otherwise boring black leather ensemble, give black patent leather (characterized by its shiny surfaces) a go, especially if you're attending a black-tie function.

Black patent leather - we like.

That aside, the basic rule around leather is to not mix your leathers - if your outfit includes a leather belt and leather shoes, do not attempt to combine a brown leather belt with black leather shoes, for instance. Instead, keep the leathers consistent. Match a brown leather belt with some nice brown leather loafers, and a nice watch with a brown leather strap for good measure.

Brown leather and black leather are like cats and dogs - the laws of nature dictate that they just shouldn't mix, but you still see it happening anyway.

2. The great mystery of the suit jacket buttons.

Not all suit jackets are created equal - some have three buttons and some have two. Basic laws of etiquette recommend that you button up your suit jacket when you're standing and leave the jacket unbuttoned when you're seated. But which buttons to button?

The general rule around suit jacket buttons is as follows:

Top button of a 3 button jacket - Sometimes

Middle button of a 3 button jacket/Top button of a 2 button jacket - Always

Bottom button of any jacket - Never

You don't want that $500 jacket of yours looking like a straitjacket do you?


Do this.

Not this.

3. Pleats.

Possibly the greatest fashion mis-invention of all time. I am oblivious as to why they were created or why some clothing brands still incorporate pleats in their trouser lines - they look good on nobody, flatter nobody and should be worn by nobody.

Although pleated trousers may arguably amplify one's 'freedom of movement', would you really want to trade in looking like you have an extra sumthin' sumthin' in your pants (could be a good thing for some of you, I don't know) for just that little extra maneuvering room?

The fact of the matter is, pleated trousers enlarge the dimensions of the frontal hip/crotch area, thus distorting the streamline of your entire outfit and making you look wider and chunkier (which is a definite thing to avoid if you're under 6 feet.).

The sort of trouser every man should be wearing is the 'flat front'.

Flat fronts lengthen the overall appearance of a man's lower body and streamline the relative proportions of the hip to thigh section - in other words - flat fronts will make you look better. Wear them.

4. Last thing on, first thing noticed/Keepin' it real

The younger brother of the saying "women notice details", "last thing on, first thing noticed" is a qualification to the latter saying that suggests that it's often the last thing that you put on that gets noticed first. I'm not implying that you should thus pay less attention to the first thing you put on, but rather, all I'm trying to get across is... Confucius say, "it is wise to pay attention to small details."

Small details being your cufflinks, your belt, your watch, your pocket square (I hear a lot of you going "pocket what?"). They are your weapons of mass individuality-display. You don't have to stand out by wearing an outrageous shirt with rainbow-coloured peacock feathers sticking out the back. Subtleness is a beautiful thing. Pair a crisp clean dress shirt with patent leather shoes and some nice white gold cufflinks and discerning people will compliment you for your taste. And I promise you, it will seem to everybody that you weren't even trying.

"What do you mean my vest doesn't match my bandana?"

5. Don't worry son, you'll grow into it.

No son, you probably will not grow into it. And you'll look silly trying to.
I have to admit, my dad used this line on me several times throughout the course of my childhood. And yes, I thought it made sense at the time, to buy a pair of jeans two sizes to large for noble purposes of sustainability. But as I grew older and got a mind of my own, I realized that all the while, I was being conned.

Buy clothes that fit you, not the you that you predict will be/wish were you. Your clothes will love you for who you are, not who you warpedly think you might become. Shirt sizing is relatively simple:

Size : Chest size (inches)

• XXS : 29 - 31
• XS : 30 - 32
• S : 34 - 36
• M : 38 - 40
• L : 42 - 44
• XL : 46 - 48
• XXL : 48 - 50
• XXXL : 50 - 52

Chest measurements are obtained by measuring under your arms around the fullest part of the chest. Be sure to keep the measuring tape level across your back and comfortably loose.

When buying trousers, watch out for the inseam measurements - usually 30 inches (short), 32 inches (regular) and 34 inches (long). The average man will usually fit into a 32-inch inseam, a taller man a 34-inch inseam and so on. When trying on trousers, the trousers should sit comfortably on your hips, and if you can very comfortably insert your index and middle fingers perpendicular into the area between your waist and the trouser's waistband, it's likely a perfect fit waist-wise.

"Dad, are you sure this isn't a little too big?"

Read more »

5 Pairs of Clothing Every Man Should Own

1. Dark indigo pre-washed denim

The epitome: Levi's 501















Timeless.

There can be an entire chapter dedicated to denim alone, but if you're going to own only one pair of jeans, make them a dark indigo wash, straight cut pair for that smart-casual look that you can don come day or night.

2. The Perfect Suit

We men have it relatively easy - one well made dark suit could potentially, and literally, last you a lifetime - just please, keep off the beers!



When choosing a suit, try not to skimp on material or tailoring. There is nothing else out there that can possibly make you look more attractive than the right suit - so think of buying a suit as you would think of buying a car. Yes, it is that big of a deal. Good off-the-rack suits can be found in Zara and Topshop, but if you're a little 'unconventional' in proportions, or if you can afford it, seriously consider having one made at any good bespoke tailor.

3. Polo Tees

An ageless classic. A nice, clean, crisp, well-fitting polo tee-shirt exudes understated style and elegance. Great colours that suit most skin tones include white and navy blue. However, polo tees come in a variety of interesting colours, so feel free to experiment with whatever suits you.

Lacoste and Ralph Lauren make arguably the best polo tees in terms of material and cutting.

The rightfully quintessential component of any man's wardrobe, pair a white polo tee with essential item number #1, a nice brown leather belt, brown leather loafers and enjoy the ensuing adoring glances.

4. A few good shirts

Vertically striped shirts are very much last-season material, but that doesn't stop them from being still very relevant. Nonetheless, the essential shirt every man should own is a white dress shirt, worn as a polo tee replacement for a dressier, smart casual look.

Wear your shirts untucked for a more laid-back look.

5. A Navy Blue Blazer

A blazer is essentially the top jacket portion of a suit. It's a good idea to own at least one navy blue blazer that you can wear over your dress shirts or polo tees to stay warm while maintaining some street-cred.

Read more »

Footwear II

Two of the gravest footwear sins a man can commit are wearing white athletic socks with formal shoes (brogues, loafers, etc) or worse, - flip flops/sandals with any socks at all.









Only for Gandhi wannabes.

Wear dark (preferably black) calf-length socks for everything except when you're playing sports, which is probably the only occasion to don athletic socks. They're named 'athletic socks' for a reason.










Color aside, if you intend on wearing socks with shorts, (if you're donning a pair of All-Stars and khaki shorts, for example) I would recommend a pair of ankle socks. Longer socks with shorts will make you look stocky or just plain silly.

To close off, a little something to reiterate the importance of good footwear and why it can make or break your entire look. That's Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook on the right.

Read more »

Footwear

I kid you not. The first thing many women notice about a man are his shoes.

"My shoes?" you ask in disbelief. "Shouldn't the first thing they check out be something large and noticeable like my shirt or my trousers or my..."

Nope. It's true. Women check out mens' shoes.

To fully understand this concept, let's swerve off the topic a little bit. If you haven't already noticed, men and women are wired differently. And when I say differently, boy do I mean differently.

Women notice details. Now this is a rule you better keep in mind and make sure it stays in mind. The next time your girlfriend asks you "Honey, notice anything different about me today?", dont count on it being her new car or perhaps even a new dress which would be way too obvious. Check out the details man, details! Her earrings, her hair, her shoes.

So don't be of the misconception that if your shirt and trousers look alright, the rest of your outfit can go to hell - flip flops with socks, wearing black and brown leather together, etcetera.

Now that we've got that out of the way... you are going to stop wearing your basketball shoes with your jeans and we are going to start off with a list of the footwear every man should own:

Brown leather brogues

Brown leather has been the big thing this century and the last. Black leather just doesn't emanate cool as well as brown leather does, because it's well, black leather. Snore.

Wear it with:
Jeans
Khakis
A gray suit


Nonetheless, for a more professional working-man look, pair black leather brogues with a dark suit.

Loafers
Loafers are probably the most underused form of footwear, especially in Asian countries like Malaysia. From a night out to an afternoon at the beach, loafers can (and should be) be the cornerstone of any straight man's footwear collection.

Leather loafers by Cole Haan

Loafers are characterized by the flat front top portion of the shoe, and the right pair can actually make your legs appear longer.

Wear it with:
Jeans
Khaki shorts (preferably with brown suede loafers)


Now a lot of you are probably thinking "those two shoes look identical to me." Hello, sir. Remember the mantra I taught you a couple of paragraphs up there? Repeat after me - women notice details. Good boy.


Sneakers
Now, most of you will probably own a pair or more of these - but many of you will own ugly ones. Those fat nike Air Force Ones you enshrine on your shoe rack every night before you go to bed? Bin em'.

Sneakers can make or break you. Wear fat chunky Phat Farm sneakers, and you risk looking like a black thug from the ghetto (if you incidentally are, by all means, more power to you. You don't need this style guide.) Wear sneakers that you've worn since your grandmother's youth, and you will be mentally written off as exactly what you look like - a bum.

The key to picking a good pair of sneakers is looking for natural materials and quality construction. And remember - K.I.S.S. = Keep It Simple St... nah, I won't call you stupid. One pair you can almost never go wrong with are a classic pair of black Converse All-Stars with a white sole and white laces.








Instant cool.


Wear it with:
Jeans
Khakis
Pretty much anything you dare to

And if you think you're really fly, wear them with a suit.

Read more »