Casual Fridays #3: Sonny Stitt

Working to look sharp for a rare evening out on the town can actually be easy. The tough job is trying to look sharp on a daily, casual basis. Yeah, you might have your Friday night suit at your beck and call, but what does it matter if you spend the rest of your time in target t-shirts and jeans? Every Friday, I'd like to offer up some style inspiration for tightening up your casual look, because let's face it... sometimes you just don't feel like wearing a tie, but still want to keep it sharp.

Jazz saxaphonist Sonny Stitt showing you how to keep it on the down-low in this photo from 1961:

From The Impossible Cool blog.

It's all in the details, from the swank wristwatch, pinkie ring (!), madras-looking shirt with done-up button-down collar, soft cardigan, and all topped off with a sharp short-brimmed fedora. This image just shows one of the best ways to lay out a look of relaxed cool. Nothing uptight or stiff going on here.

This photo, though, brings up an oft-debated topic: should the top button of a shirt be done-up if no tie is worn? Personally, I keep it unbuttoned, but damn! Stitt still looks slick with all the buttons closed!

For years, I thought I kept to the idea of always keeping the top button loose when not wearing a tie. But lately, I've been looking at photos of myself from the 2000s (after I became aware of this tip) and in most of those photos I have my top button buttoned... with no tie! I don't know what I was thinking, but at the same time, it doesn't look too bad. I guess it's one of those things best left to personal preference.

My general attitude, though, is that if I don't have a tie on, I'll keep my collar loose... unless I'm wearing a tab-collar. But, take note on Sonny Stitt here... I guess it's all in the attitude because he still looks relaxed and smooth despite being buttoned up to the top!

Now sit back and let a man do what he does best: