Squares, Pocket Squares

Men's fashion...wait, hold on a second--

All right, I had to step away from the keyboard and get my laughter under control before I could begin typing again, anyway...

The state of men's fashion is pretty close to being at an all-time low (with maybe the '70s being the most horrid--but I'll give them one thing--they owned it, and at least tried, the male of the 2010s does not try at all). The ape creatures of the Indus (thank you, Blackadder (a hilarious BBC show from the '80s starring Rowan Atkinson)) attired themselves better than the male of the 2010s.

What do we have now but a bunch of slobs (who simply just don't give a hoot) and hipsters (who try too hard and end up looking silly)? I'll take this one-step further and say that even the men who wear suits, or at least blazers and sport coats over an honest-to-goodness button-down shirt look pretty drab and boring.

I didn't intend this diatribe, and I didn't intend to author a treatise on the demise of male fashion, my apologies. But I just can't stand how men attire themselves these days. Wow, what a digression.

Without the pocket square, this suit is forgettable.

Back to squares--pocket squares--an easy and often overlooked way to add a dash of style and catch attention. This is a way to show people you care about, and actually consider your appearance.

I've been wanting to write about pocket squares for quite some time now, and then I opened up the latest issue of The Chap (a most excellent British magazine with oodles of fun tips and advice) only to find an entire article on the pocket square.

I should have taken a photo without the pocket square to illustrate how much the simple art deco type fold I used there dressed up the suit.

Art Deco fold, I've also seen this called Three Stairs

What becomes noticeable in the closeup are the diagonal lines from the folds I used. This is a neat fold I use quite often. I call it the art deco fold, but I've seen it called three stairs. At first glance, this fold is a simple one point fold, but this is layered and adds more depth than just making a single point.

And here is a second type of fold--a four pointer.  Without getting into the weeds too much here, I am going to point out that all of these folds are not hard to achieve.

Here is a site that will give you some step-by-step instructions for folding pocket squares, from the basic folds all the way the to the more exotic: Sam Hober -- the website sells pocket squares and ties.

The material matters as well. Some folds, like the two I have in the larger photos work better with crisp cotton, while there are some puffier folds much better suited to silk.

Here is a gallery showing some other combinations using silk pocket squares. 

Notice how the pocket squares enhance the jacket they are paired with, including the smoking jacket (the black jacket with white piping with the crimson pocket square).

Pocket squares are fairly inexpensive. Here is a quick story.  A few days ago at work I wore the black suit in the photo up top to work with the four point pocket square. I didn't take the suit jacket off before I spoke to a few people I work with--and they all asked why I was so dressed up. Now, I normally wear suits, jackets, sport coats, etc, but what they noticed was the pocket square.

Making The Wardrobe Your Own (and a bonus classic drink)

The basic wardrobe I posted last week is somewhat bland, and it's that way on purpose. The components I advised purchasing allow for a variety of configurations and the option to make the wardrobe your own by adding individual touches.

So, what are those personal touches? 

But before I go on with those touches, allow me to suggest a classic drink:

Let's go with a Sidecar. The Sidecar is one of my favorite drinks and a true classic. Like many of the libations I'm partial to, the Sidecar was created in the early 1920s.  Many recipes call for a cocktail glass or martini glass for this drink, but I prefer a rocks glass, also known as an Old Fashioned glass (yep, the glass was named for the drink in which it was served).  The Old Fashioned glass is a type of tumbler. Why do I prefer this type of glass for this drink? Well, it's easier to hold and sip from in my opinion. Yes, certain drinks look better in a cocktail glass, but this isn't one of them.

There are a few variations, but they usually mess with the ratio of ingredients.  Below is how I prefer the drink. Oh, and don't rim the glass with sugar--there is no need, the drink is sweet enough already.

Recipe:

• 2 parts Brandy or Cognac
• 1 part Cointreau (or Triple-Sec) 
• 1 part lemon juice

Dump all those ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake with vigor. Pour the mixture in an Old Fashioned glass (don't put ice in the glass).  Enjoy.

Okay, time to discuss the personal touches you can add to your basic wardrobe. This is quite a list, and allows you to add color and texture and put your mark on the ensemble. What exactly are these accessories?  

• Tie
• Pocket Square
• Cuff Links
• Watch
• Belt
• Socks

Depending on weather and other situations you could add the following as accessories, but I won't deal with these in this article: 

• Wallet
• Hat (not a ball cap--a real  hat like a Fedora--I'll cover this in another post).
• Sunglasses
• Glasses
• Gloves
• Scarf

Tie:  I'm still going to have you hold off on getting crazy with ties. You should really keep them simple at this stage. A horrid tie will ruin your ensemble. You'd almost be better off without a tie if you can't go simple and seem drawn to crazy colors and patterns.

Pocket Square:   Be careful here--simple is better. You can go silk or cotton. Cotton allows for intricate folds (you should learn a few--they're sharp and you'll have people commenting on them), while the silk variety allow you to basically go for a more carefree look.  Whatever you do though, do not buy a pre-folded pocket square that has a cardboard insert. That is embarrassing and in poor taste. It's like wearing a clip-on tie or keeping your tie knotted because you don't know how to tie it properly.  I'd keep the colors on the silk pocket squares  simple--you can do a pattern, but realize that you're limiting your options for usage. I actually prefer white cotton folded with precision. It'd be a great idea to keep a spare handkerchief folded neatly inside your suit jacket.

Cuff Links:   I didn't tell you to buy French Cuff shirts, but if you happen to have one already, or went out and bought one, cuff links will raise your style a couple of levels, but with caveats I'm afraid.

Again, and I'm going to keep writing this: keep them simple. Try plain swivel bar types that are squares/rectangles or circular. If you stick with plain metal, like sterling silver, they will be functional and go with the wardrobe I suggested last week. 

A few caveats:

• stay away from the cloth braid/knot type cuff links
• do not buy a package that has cuff links that match a tie and a shirt. DO NOT DO THAT.
• match the cuff links with the watch.  If you have a white metal watch, you HAVE to wear white metal cuff links.

Watch:   I find it's easier to match with a white metal type watch. I don't care if you go with a quartz movement or mechanical movement, but whatever you do, do not wear a digital watch with the wardrobe I've suggested. In fact, unless you're working out or running a marathon or something similar, stay away from the digital watch.

Make sure you have the watch adjusted. Meaning: the watch should fit snugly around your wrist, not dangling and able to spin around because it's so loose.  The face of the watch doesn't have to be enormous: it isn't a contest.

My day-to-day watch is a Swiss made Burberry watch:

Belt:   Fine leather. And you have to have a black one as well as a brown one. Do not wear one with a huge buckle emblazoned with some emblem or logo on it (this isn't the rodeo). You have to go plain here. And again, the belt buckle needs to match the rest of the accessories. If you're wearing white metal cuff links and a watch, well, you have to do the same with the belt buckle.

Socks:   You could make a statement here, but don't. Stay plain. You have to match the socks with the slacks as best as possible, and when in doubt go with a darker shade of sock than the slacks.

I've rambled on enough. I have a lot more to say about how to wear this stuff and what to buy, and I'll save those comments for a future post.

As always, my posts are meant to convey a classic style. If you're a nutty professor then go for that look. If you're a cowboy then go ahead and dress like one. But don't be a poser. 

Go have a Sidecar today, it's a classic drink and not difficult to mix.

Build A Wardrobe That Won't Embarrass You Or Your Significant Other

You Don't Even Realize You're Embarrassing Yourself (but don't feel bad, you're not alone): 

Building a wardrobe sounds like a dull topic, but assembling a few key components is important. I don't want to hear about the latest trends and how so-and-so looks great in his sloppy attire. You probably aren't that hip guy who knows how to put together random items and pull off a new look. This post is aimed at making you look respectable and going for a classic look that never goes out of style.  What I propose below will not embarrass you or your significant other.

I have to be honest here, most men today think a great wardrobe consists of t-shirts, jeans, and sneakers. Now, I'm not saying you can't wear those things, but if you're ever put in certain social situations it's nice to have options. Now, if the social situation is simply a bunch of guys hanging out at home (playing poker, video games, etc) then go ahead and wear that beat up t-shirt and jeans and sneakers (but please, I beg of you, make sure the sneakers don't stink). 

Any situation where you are in public and there will be women, well, you really need to step it up a notch (and for most men, I think stepping it up a few notches is more accurate). And no, by simply putting on a hat (I don't mean ball cap, I mean fedora) to wear with the t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers (sneakers rarely work, women aren't impressed with that, but that is another topic entirely), well, you look like a hobo from the 1930s. I'm tired of guys doing that:  no, you don't look cool, you look like you're trying to hard to be cool and end up looking like a total douche.

Okay, I'm sure I'll elaborate on the above at some point, but the point of this specific post is how to build a respectable wardrobe. 

I am basing this on my own experience as well as a few of the finer points from this book:  

A Must Have For ALL Men

I will be referencing this book quite a bit as most of the advice given within is sound. I simply cannot believe how much information is packed between the covers of this book.

Here are the absolute basics: 

• 5 shirts (that'd be dress shirts, you know, the button down variety?)
• 4 ties
• 3 pairs of shoes

Not much help, huh? Left to your own devices I can only imagine what you'd pick. But you're in luck, I'm going to help you out. 

The dress shirt, believe it or not, is simply a bit player in this, but really important as the wrong choice can ruin your entire ensemble. It's best to keep this simple. Most men can't figure out how to match colors and certainly don't know how to match patterns (those will both be future blog posts).  For now I'm going to let you off the hook on the French-cuffs (because that would require you to drop some cash on cufflinks).

The 5 shirts:  

• 2 plain white button-downs with button-cuffs
• 2 plain blue button-down with button-cuffs
• 1 striped shirt (keep the stripes thin (they better be vertical), and you're better off doing stripes of the same color, say dark and light blue stripes versus two different colors).

A quick note: stick with standard width collars on those shirts since a Half-Windsor knot for the tie will work most of the time. Yes, the size of the knot matters depending on how spread your collar is.

The 4 ties: 

• 1 plain dark blue -- go navy.  ;)

Brooks Brothers regimental stripe. 

• 1 regimental stripe -- these are the diagonal wide-striped ties that many men wear--especially those in middle management. But if you're just starting out, you can't go wrong with this choice. Just be sure the colors are not obnoxious. Here, this is a regimental stripe from Brooks Brothers:

• 1 paisley - keep it sane, please. Subtle is better.
• 1 patterned tie - again, keep it subtle. A light, small houndstooth or check pattern perhaps. 

A note on ties:  you can always ditch the tie when it's time to hit happy hour or have dinner at a mid-range restaurant. In fact, quite a few ensembles look smart without the tie, especially if you go with a nice hat (yet more topics to discuss in the future). 

The 3 suits: 

• 1 navy blue two or three button wool suit. I prefer 3 button myself. This is a versatile suit and can be worn in most situations. Stay away from the blue blazer and khaki pants--it's been overdone and looks amateurish--and too middle-management.
• 1 dark gray flannel suit. Try to stick with single-breasted suits, and again, I prefer 3 button. You can go herring-bone pattern, but keep it subtle and fine.
• Now, we're going to get a little crazy: look for a mid-gray glen plaid (short for glenurquhart) or pinstripe suit in lightweight wool. Glen plaid is comprised of a criss-crossing pattern of different sized checks. Try not to get a loud, brash color combo--like I said, look for gray. Many traditional glen plaid suits are simply black and white vari-sized checks. Look it up. If you go pinstripe, please go thin, and subdued, otherwise you may look like some cheap gangster.

The 3 pairs of shoes :

Don't skimp here. Why? Because women notice shoes. They notice the quality and they also notice when they don't work with the outfit you're wearing.

Again, no sneakers. No open-toed shoes. And wear socks for heavens sake--you're not George Clooney who can get away with a pair of dress shoes and slacks.

• 1 pair of plain black cap-toe oxfords.
• 1 pair of dark brown or chestnut-brown wing tips. These go with everything except a black suit (which I didn't tell you to buy anyway). 
• 1 pair of brown plain-toe dress loafers. You can try black if you like, but the brown is more versatile.  By the way, loafers are great for airport security.

Buy quality shoes for crying out loud. Cary Grant owned a couple of pairs of shoes--but they were of high quality and lasted a long, long time. Need a brand suggestion?  Try Allen Edmonds--they aren't cheap, but they're high quality and one of the few American shoemakers still producing shoes in the United States.

A few more words:  

Okay. So there you have it. If you're purchasing reputable merchants, don't be afraid to ask for their help. They can match things up for you and point you in the right direction. They'll even take your measurements (you should know all of your measurements by the way--that'll have to be another post I suppose). Your clothes must fit properly, or you'll like like a hobo, or Charlie Chaplin's tramp character (you're not going for comedy are you?).

Did you get the whole subtle theme throughout the article? Keep it subtle and simple. Nothing loud and brash. 

Now, go reward yourself with a drink. Why not try the one I suggested last week, the 20th Century?  As for me, well, tonight I'll be sipping Champagne (likely Veuve Cliquot) with my beautiful wife while watching Casablanca.