Sharp Stylings #28: Paul Smith Suit Styling

We can learn so much from yesterday’s fashion icons.  And living in a post-Mad Men world means we can even enjoy aspects of current male fashions! Every Friday, I’d like to start your weekend off right with a little style inspiration from either then or now. Hopefully, my fellow Mod enthusiasts will find the whole or some detail of the whole to appreciate and maybe even adopt.

Like I mentioned in the last post, a lot of great new clothes and outfit ideas for the modern Mod male today. For instance, take this total look from Paul Smith:

Originally spotted on the Fashbasha blog.

Pristine styling right here! Sure, this whole thing may be out of your budget, but take notes on the whole look going on here. Let's start off with the suit coat. Nice ticket pocket, which appears to have finally become a standard touch with today's new suits. Natural shoulders for a soft, mellow feel. And a 3-button front that is, believe it or not, the type of 3-button front I'm normally NOT into.

Sometime ago, there was a discussion on 3-button vs. 2-button jacket fronts. For me, it's not about the amount of buttons, but how high the gorge of the jacket front is. I've seen 2-button coats that button up high across the chest and I'm into that. But, I've also seen 3-button jackets that button up so low, they might as well have been only 2-button. The suit jacket above is almost an example of that. However, in this case the look works because it helps to expose the waistcoat underneath! The lapels could be slightly slimmer, but overall, it comes together well.

The overall color palette of this look is pretty drab, really, yet still carries some flash thanks to the floral shirt used instead of a simple white or striped shirt. This is the same type of shirt I mentioned in the last post, but this one is not as busy (or colorful) as its purple counterpart. The detailing of the floral pattern help give the tie a more dandied background without overwhelming the tie at all.

In the end, the power of this whole ensemble lies in the dignified tone of the greys balanced with the flash look of that shirt. All this guy needs to make this a perfect look is a striped and colorful pocket square... well, that and a better haircut and working razor.

2012 February Want List

I love vintage clothing as much as the next guy, but we're living in a time of some pretty slick NEW clothing too! Once a month, I'd like to highlight some nice pieces found on the internet that may be worth hunting down. 

Granted, some of these items may not be in any of our budgets, but who knows... some day, you may run across them in a sales rack or discount website. So if you like something you see, just keep tabs and wait for that sale! Or, save a photo and take it to your favorite tailor in the hopes he or she can re-make it at a fraction of the designer price. (Also, if there's a book or some music that looks interesting, I'll add to the Want List as well!)

So, the other day, I was having lunch with a buddy of mine (let's call him 'El Brando'). After a nice little meal, El Brando twists my arm (not really) to check out the local Paul Smith shop with him. Well, we're hanging out in there, digging on the socks, the books, and the coats when we come across the shirt section and find their floral-patterned shirts.

Wow! Some seriously beautiful pieces that I started drooling over... until I saw the price tags. "Don't worry, man," El Brando reassured me. "They have some on sale, half-price, over there." Yeah, half-price... still making my wallet weep. But, I did a little Paul Smith online search and found a floral slightly more affordable:

Paul Smith purple 'London' shirt... get it while you still can here.

Guys, this is the business! Amazing pattern, slim fit, great collar, and cufflink-accessible. A casual, colorful way to blow the ladies away! Moving on...

I've had my radar tuned in to Peckham Rye since coming across their shop off Carnaby Street back in October. They were kind enough to open up their doors to us even though they were closed and I felt like we were walking into a candy shop. Luckily, many of their items are available online! Unfortunately, it seems those items sell out quickly. However, after a general search for Peckham Rye ties, I did find this beautiful B&W floral tie:

Click here for close-ups and details on purchasing.

If you look closely at the tie, this isn't a printed pattern... it looks weaved and textured into the tie! Step up your look a notch and grab this awesome piece. Pretty neutral colors so it'll go with almost any suit color!

Guys hip to the current Mod market are already well aware of Art Gallery clothing. Based in the UK, they've been releasing some fantastic pieces of knitwear, including polos, roll necks, and cardigans. For instance, check out their 'George' polo in black, red, and grey:

'George' polo available at Art Gallery.

Now this is on my want list but, full disclosure, I've already ordered (and received) this piece! Soft merino wool in a great fit. What I like about Art Gallery is that they are making the most out of Mod detailing like the broad striping along the sides of the sweater. What I hate most about Art Gallery is that their clothes are made for tiny people.

See, I'm kind of a little guy (height-wise, not necessarily weight-wise)... yet their 'mediums' are too small on me! (I know this because I have one of their medium 'Steve' cardigans, in light blue, which only made me realize I should be eating dust and twigs 3 times a day.) The 'George' I received is a 'large' which fits great and will look even better once I complete a few more weeks months of pushups. Seriously, if you're an American 'medium,' you may want to order their 'large.' And I think it'll be worth it! I kid about the sizing but this sweater is really beautiful and filled with sharp style. And I do plan on ordering more of their items.

A couple of weeks ago, I went on about how I thought vests/waistcoats were an overlooked item of slick, casual dress. Well, over the weekend, I saw a buddy of mine (let's call him Dan Lake) rockin' a great vest that caught my eye and justified that post. Great guy that he is, Dan shared his source. Now, please, ignore the boy-band hipster underneath and try hard to concentrate on the vest itself:

Vest... keep your eyes on the vest offered by One90One.

It's hard... I know! You guys are creative though... imagine a dude with slick, backcombed hair, and button-down, cuff-link shirt under that vest. Okay, you with me? Now, let's move on to the waistcoat: high-gorged, flap pockets, with pick-stitching along those pockets... it's all in the details! This is how you make a vest. Unfortunately, looks like the product may be sold out for now but something worth noting, in case they come back. Or maybe you can use those details next time you visit your tailor!

Okay, guys, one last item for this month and one that caught me off-guard. Earlier this month, His Knibs posted about this new raincoat from, get this, Fred Perry. Usually, I don't follow this brand too much. Yeh, yeh, Mod icon and all, but still... for the most part, they're tennis shirts with a laurel on the chest. Lately, however, they've been releasing some nice vintage-inspired polos. And now, it looks like they're moving into new categories like the raincoat below:

Need more Fred Perry in your wardrobe? Start with this porcelain coat, here.

The color, cut, and shape of this coat look incredible! I have a thing for white or light-colored coats as they can provide great contrast to the dark clothing underneath. And what completes the total look of this coat is the 3/4 length... not too long, so you don't have to look like you're overdoing it on non-rainy, cool days.

My only issue with the coat is the Fred Perry laurel on the chest. Yes, it's standard issue with any FP, but this could have been better if the logo was used in a more subtle way. At least it's in white so that it doesn't stick out too much.

Well, that's it for this month. Payday's coming up for some people, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how many bills you still have to pay after taking a look at some of these items.

Sock It To 'Em!

No, I'm not talking about these.

I was doing a bit of research this weekend and realized something: socks really get the short end of the stick whenever anyone describes a Mod ensemble. Oh sure, we can talk about how many buttons a jacket has, what type of collar a shirt has, flared or straight-legged trousers, ties/scarves/ascots, or what types of shoe shapes we all like... but what about socks?

I perused a few Mod books to see how much they've been discussed, and other than mentions of red socks with Hush Puppies and the Rude Boy preference of white socks, the books were pretty silent on the whole thing. I had a memory of a sock mention in the Mods book, but was disappointed when I found the passage. After Richard Barnes talks about how he and Pete Townsend were in awe of the clothing selections they found while shopping at His Clothes, he ends on a downer note by letting us know they only had enough money "for Pete to buy a pair of socks. I don't think he ever wore them."

Yeah, socks sort of fall by the wayside when it comes to a Mod wardrobe. Heck, I'll admit it... they weren't something I thought a whole lot about until recent years. When I first started started dressing more Mod, I was satisfied with white gym socks to go with my loafers and tapered Dickies pants. As my style got more refined and I got a clue on how to dress better, I kept my socks pretty conservative: dark dress socks in navy blues, blacks, dark greys, and dark browns. Some solid-colored, others slightly patterned, but overall hidden in between more stylish shoes and patterned or colorful pants.

But then it hit me... why aren't socks exploited more in a Mod's outfit? Let's be real here, many of us still tend to wear pants cut a bit above the top of shoes... highwaters, if you will. Personally, I've moved away from pants with a negative break... I'm just not at all into the Thom Browne look. But I still like my pants with no break, y'know, to show off some sock.

So, if I'm going to show off some sock, let it be colorful and exciting! Isn't that the best thing about a Mod look? The little details that make an outfit stand out? Soon, I started replacing the more drab 'safe' socks, with those of brighter colors. These days, I try to get the socks to match a color in my shirt or tie. If the socks are going to match the color of my pants, I try to use a lighter tone with a stand-out pattern (or darker tone, depending on how light the color of my pants are).

And right now, the sock industry is alive in styles that would make 1960s Carnaby Street proud! One of the best brands currently rockin' the sock world is, of course, Paul Smith. I'm sure you know this already thanks to the many fashionable, non-Mod guys out there, strutting down streets and experimenting with his multi-striped socks:

Paul Smith Mononuke socks in pink.

And, heck, he's even got op-art patterned socks to dig on:

Paul Smith op-art socks in blue.

Luckily, there's a great shop a block or two from where I work, called The Hound, with a nice display of sock styles in the window. I fell in love with the Marcoliani brand that they carry, which offers socks in vibrant colors and in patterns that include vertical stripes, argyle and more!

It's like Fruit Stripe gum... for your feet!

You can never really go wrong with argyle.

Another brand The Hound turned me on to was Robert Talbott which had some beautiful socks with monotone color blocks, in addition to other patterns. I'm not sure if they still have those available, but here is a pair I was able to get my hands on:

But hey, sometimes you may not want your socks to have crazy patterns, especially if you're wearing loud, patterned trousers. All companies above have some great solid-colored socks as does Mes Chaussettes Rouges, which I learned about from the Shoe Snob blog:

All of the colors of the rainbow, in sock form!

Now, I'm not against conservative sock wear, because many times you just need to bust out the navy blues and blacks to keep things simple and elegant. But every once in a while, bring some excitement to that little space between shoe and trouser leg! It's time to start extending your dandy sensibilities to your sock wear. After all, if you're going to wear short pants, give people a reason to take note!

Paul Smith socks featured on GQ.

Remember When 'Trendy' Was a Bad Thing?

On my way in to work the other day, I saw a young man in oxblood loafers, black/gray horizontally-striped socks, dark, narrow pants with no break, dark gray v-neck sweater, light pink shirt, and an orange/blue patterned bow tie. The guy looked not necessarily mod, but definitely slick.

I don’t know about you, but for me, these last few years have been fantastic for men’s fashion! Thin lapels, narrow pants, thin paisley ties, knit square-bottom ties, narrow pointed shoes, bright colors, loud patterns… Years ago, we would have been laughed at for dressing like this. Now, Joe-Schmoes out there aren’t afraid to dress up in tighter, more colorful clothing. Once upon a time, most men were happy to spend all their days off in sports t-shirts, baggy jeans, and Reebok high-tops, but these days they're out there wearing suits more often, even outside of work. And yeah, I know it’s just the current trend with a limited life-span, but believe it or not, we can all benefit from it. 

No, these suits aren't perfect, but they're a step in the right direction!

We all can't afford bespoke clothing, but maybe a Macy’s weekend sale can fit into the budget. I tell yuh, Ben Sherman, Munsingwear, Hugo Boss, and even Alfani all have some nice shirts and ties out there for the buying. If you have a bit more cash falling outta your pockets, take a look at Ted Baker, Banana Republic, Paul Smith and Thomas Pink… great, great colors there! 

Banana Republic on the Mad Men bandwagon, that's alright by me!

Sixties vintage clothing is getting more difficult to find these days, but walk into a Ross or Nordstrom Rack, and you just may find a nice new Arrow or Ben Sherman button-down. In the market for some nice pocket squares? Pay a visit to your local Loehmann’s… you might be surprised! Heck, just take a look at this:

Stop rubbing your eyes... indeed, it's a NEW sweater!

Even Fred Perry, which I'm not super sold on (but I'll save that for a later post) has this vintage style polo for sale:

Photo from http://www.hisknibs.com/

For me, 'trendy' has always been a bad word, so it makes me feel a little dirty when I see that word in print these days because I know that what it's referring to is something that probably fits my taste.

Let’s face it… we’re living in a post-‘Mad Men’ world, and fellas, we gotta take advantage of these trends while they last. It’s all going to change as soon as AMC or HBO has a new hit period show on their schedule... one set in 1980s Wall Street! 

It's just around the corner and you know it! (Photo from http://www.allposters.com.au/)