Karl Lagerfeld, the former Chanel creative director who dressed like he was on a heist, was as known for his outrageous quotes as he was for his fashion designs. The designer seemingly loved little, expressing adoration only for his cat, Coupette, Hedi Slimane’s stick-thin clothes, and life-sized chocolate sculptures of men. For everything else, he held nothing but contempt. In a March 2008 interview with Hong Kong’s Prestige Magazine, he said that he hated children (“I hate all children”), people in general, and the process of ordering bespoke clothes because it involves being touched by strangers. He also hated ugly people (“[they are] very depressing”), when people talk to him about their illness (“I’m not a doctor!”), intellectual conversations (“I only care about my opinion”), the smell of cooking (“I hate the smell of cooking”), and selfies (“what I hate most in life is selfies”).

Unsurprisingly, Lagerfeld was also not a fan of holidays. “You need to work with your brain,” he said, according to UK magazine Grazia. “I don’t think stops are healthy. Holidays were invented for people who go to the same place every day and do the same thing. They need a break. I don’t need that. I have a lot of variety in my life.”

Of course, like most people, I need a holiday, and I adore the one at the end of the year the most. Winter holidays bring good food, sweet snacks, time with family and old friends, reasons to travel, and most importantly, excuses to dress up. If you have something in your wardrobe that you love, but haven’t had many opportunities to wear, the holiday season is a great time to break it out for various social engagements (not least of which includes New Year’s Eve parties, which Lagerfeld also detested). Likewise, there are plenty of stay-at-home clothes that are incredibly satisfying to wear this time of year. Here are some ideas on how to dress for the holidays, even if you hate everything like Lagerfeld.

The Happy Suit

For decades, the fashion industry has told people how to dress down their tailored clothing to look more natural in business casual environments. Like other fashion writers, I’ve dutifully repeated the same lines: wear sport coats instead of suits, aim for a soft shoulder line, and think about casualizing details such as patched pockets and open dress collars. But after more than a year of lockdown, I’ve yearned to dress up again. When the country reopened last summer, I returned not to sport coats but suits.

In the past, I’ve called these fun suits, happy suits, and going-out suits. These are simply suits that you wear to feel good. Unfortunately, as offices have become more casual, most men have few opportunities to wear one. Yet, nothing flatters the body better or looks as elegant. If you enjoy wearing a suit, consider breaking one out of the holiday. The suit today can be a festive, celebratory garment, not just something you wear to look serious for Powerpoint presentations. Depending on what you have in your wardrobe, you can wear a suit to holiday parties, upscale restaurants and bars, outings to the city, and anything that can be described as a soiree. Of course, it helps to be in the company of others who are similarly dressed up, but most people only need a bit of gentle coaxing this time of year.

When choosing a suit, consider the time, place, and location (or, as George Costanza would say, dress according to mood). A dark brown corduroy suit would look great in the afternoon with suede chukkas and an oxford cloth button-down, but it might be too casual for some environments in the evening. If you’re headed to the city to get dinner, consider something like a grey or navy mohair-wool suit, which will have a subtle sheen that looks tremendous under artificial light (think: dimly lit restaurants and bars). Dark, monochromatic outfits also look very sophisticated in the evening, so long as you’re in the right setting. In the photo above, Alan See of The Armoury is wearing a dark grey flannel double-breasted suit with a black turtleneck (a pair of black oxfords or tassel loafers here would look smashing). This outfit would be great for an evening holiday party.

Photo via Elliot Hammer

Tweed Sport Coats and Denim Shirts

If a suit is too formal, the next step down is a sport coat. Lately, I’ve been really into wearing them with snap-button denim Western shirts. A denim shirt is your perfect travel companion if you’re traveling for the holidays. Traveling means accepting that your clothes won’t always arrive in perfect condition, or that you’ll have the time and tools necessary to iron every day. Since denim is heavier than most dress shirt materials, it rumples more than it wrinkles, making it a good substitute for a non-iron shirt without the use of chemicals. Plus, a rumpled shirt has a rugged Robert Redford charm, whereas wrinkled dress shirts in poplin or even oxford look unkempt.

Denim shirts look especially good with tweed jackets. Ralph Lauren is known for wearing this combination, and his team often relies on it for runway presentations, lookbooks, and in-store displays. It somehow looks like a very American thing to wear without being too trad or Ivy. A denim shirt is your rustic Americana foil for your city-mouse attire, and it tames the formality inherent in tailored clothing. For trousers, try rustic materials such as tan cavalry twill or brown whipcord. Tan chinos also work in a pinch.

My denim shirts are from Wrangler and Kapital. You can also find good ones from Bryceland’s, Barbanera, Taylor Stitch, RRL, Joe McCoys, J. Crew, and Todd Snyder. Our sponsor Proper Cloth offers one of the more unique denim shirt offerings. Since they’re an online custom shirtmaker, they can make a shirt according to your measurements and specifications. However, once in a while (like now), they also offer uniquely washed indigo shirts, including denim. These shirts are put through a special enzyme wash, which breaks down the fabric and makes the seams more puckered. This gives the material a more lived-in feel, but it’s typically a look that’s only achievable through ready-to-wear. Most custom shirtmakers can’t do this for you because washing an individual shirt this way is too costly and time-consuming. Proper Cloth gets around this by organizing bulk runs. The result is a very casual, charming shirt that’s typically only available through ready-to-wear, but with the precise fit of custom tailoring. Ian at From Squalor to Baller has a review.

Photo via Giuseppe Santamaria

Overcoats with Chunky Sweaters

If suits and sport coats are too formal, you can always reach for an overcoat. The overcoat is possibly the best winter garment. Not only are they practical this time of year, as they shield you from wind, cold, and perhaps rain, they cover up so much of your body, they almost define the outfit. You can wear an overcoat with nearly anything and know you look put together. Tailored trousers and a sport coat? Perfect. Jeans and a sweatshirt? Still great. You can’t wear an overcoat indoors for an extended period, but it’s a great way to get some of the flattering, face-framing effects of tailored clothing without looking too dressed up.

There are three things to think about when choosing and wearing an overcoat. First, aim for ones that are a bit longer and roomier than what was commonly sold ten years ago. Short, slim overcoats simply don’t have the same drama or verve. Aim for something with enough room to layer, and ends around your knees or just above it. You want something that swishes when you walk.

Second, if you’re wearing a roomy overcoat, you’ll want something heavy enough to layer underneath. A chunky sweater is often the perfect solution because it not only keeps you warm, it’ll also match the visual weight of the coat. Thirdly, and lastly, consider how the sleeves and shoulders are constructed. A set-in sleeve will give you a relatively more squared-off, T-shaped silhouette, which helps broaden the shoulder line. By contrast, a raglan sleeve, which will have a shoulder seam that goes from your armpit to your neck, will give you a more relaxed, rounded silhouette. Neither is better or worse; it’s just personal preference. But it’s worth paying attention to how these different styles look on you. For more about overcoats, see our buying guide.

Photo via Peter Zottolo

Wool Trousers and Textured Sweater

The most common and practical holiday outfit usually involves a pair of jeans, sometimes chinos, teamed with a plain merino v-neck or crewneck sweater, occasionally layered over a dress shirt. This is the outfit you break out for mom or to have dinner with the family. To be sure, it’s a perfectly fine and sensible outfit, but it lacks something in terms of style. It’s a little too business casual.

Instead, try swapping the jeans out for wool trousers or five-pocket cords, and then changing out the plain merino sweater for something textured or patterned. This is still the simple, unassuming outfit you can wear when you don’t want to look overdressed. But by switching out jeans for trousers, and a boring, smooth sweater for something a little more interesting, you move things away from business casual and towards something stylish. Some sweater ideas:

Cable Knit: Admittedly pretty vanilla, but still steps ahead of The Most Ubiquitous Sweater on Earth (the plain merino). You can find cable knits at every mall, including retailers such as J. Crew, Brooks Brothers, and Ralph Lauren (avoid chest logos, if you can). For an upgrade, William Lockie makes some of the best cashmere cable knits in the world, and they will last you a lifetime if you take care of them.

Shetlands: My favorite type of sweater. These are durable, relatively affordable, handsomely textured, charming in history, and can be worn with nearly any kind of wardrobe (classic, workwear, contemporary, etc.). You can find them for as little as $25 in thrift stores and eBay. For something new, check Boise, Trunk Clothiers, Howlin, Junior’s, The Carrier Company, Anglo Italian, Drake’s, and my favorite, O’Connell’s. Additionally, J. Press makes a famous brushed version known as a Shaggy Dog, which is softer and even more textured. Brooks Brothers has a more affordable version, although it’s not as fluffy.

Fair Isles, Norwegian, and Icelandic Sweaters: Although these designs are rooted in regional traditions, I mostly associate them with the holidays. They’re a staple of every festive holiday commercial, and the sort of thing you’ve seen layered underneath parkas, Barbours, and topcoats. For the real deal, check Jaimeson’s, Junior’s, The Carrier Company, LL Bean, William Lockie, Drake’s, Monitaly, and O’Connell’s. J. Crew also sells slightly more modernized versions.

Fisherman Sweaters: A chunkier sweater that adds visual weight and warmth. There are lots of regional traditions, such as the guernsey, although most people will probably want something like what Chris Evans wore in Knives Out. Check Inis Meain, Colhay’s, O’Connell’s, Trunk Clothiers, Junior’s, Inverallan, and The Aran Sweater Market.

Shaker: An American sweater style that grew out of a Christian sect known by the same name. These sweaters have a beautiful social history associated with the group’s beliefs in pacifism and equality. American Trench is selling some right now.

Classic Adjacent: These sweaters sit just outside of the canon of classic men’s style. They complement a wardrobe full of suits and sport coats, but may not necessarily fall into one of the categories above. They feel dressy, refined, and elegant, but have a directional element that makes them more interesting. Check De Bonne Facture, Colhay’s, Heimat, Cavour, Berg & Berg, Yeossal, GRP, Frank Leder, Stephan Schneider, and Rubato. Stoffa is also great for this sort of thing. The company skillfully rides the line between classic and directional, offering customers things that sit comfortably with tailored clothing without bordering on business casual. They made the ribbed polo you see above.

Photo via Stoffa

Chunky Shawl Collar Cardigans

The chunky shawl collar cardigan is possibly the most sumptuous, indulgent thing you can wear in the wintertime. In old Brooks Brothers catalogs, the Madison Avenue clothier suggested that you could wear one in place of a jacket. “Handsome shawl collar cardigan of ribbed 3-ply Shetland wool with leather buttons,” read one catalog from winter 1979. “Can easily serve in lieu of a sport jacket. Natural or gray.”

I mostly think of them as something you wear at home, possibly around the neighborhood, but not really for long durations outside. They work well in lieu of a sport coat in the sense that you can wear one at home when hosting holiday parties. With a large collar that drapes like a scarf, they help frame the face better than a crewneck sweater. You can wear one with almost anything: a pair of wool trousers and an oxford cloth button-down, some beat-up jeans and a t-shirt, or chinos with a thin merino turtleneck (get that knit on knit action).

It’s almost impossible to go wrong when purchasing one, so long as it’s made to a reasonable standard. The best shawl collar cardigans tend to be made in Scotland, typically from lambswool or cashmere. Lambswool is a little itchier but more affordable. If you can splurge on cashmere, it’s a tremendous luxury and feels great when layered over t-shirts. I favor the more sober colors, such as navy, brown, and gray. But unusual colors such as pine green, burnt orange, and even black can be wonderful. Check brands such as Colhay’s, Scott & Charters (stock coming soon), The Armoury, Drake’s, Cordings, Bullock & Jones, O’Connell’s, Winston & Company, Spier & Mackay, Kent Wang, and Northern Watters.

Photo via Drake’s

Black Tie

New Year’s Eve is the one time per year when almost anyone can wear black tie. You don’t have to attend a fancy ball or opera — although those would be great excuses to dress up. Black tie can be worn to NYE parties, upscale restaurants, and fancy bars right before the clock clicks over. Remember that black tie is an inherently celebratory garment — it’s a party rig — and NYE is for celebrations.

Black tie can sometimes seem like a complex web of arcane rules, but you can put together a great outfit if you follow some simple ideas. First, a black tie rig can be single- or double-breasted, but the jacket should have peak or shawl lapels. Notch lapels don’t have the elegance or formality this rig should communicate. Second, you can wear a single-breasted coat open, but if you do, you should cover your trouser’s waistband with a cummerbund or dress vest. If either of those things feels arcane to you, the simple solution is to never unfasten your jacket.

The traditional tuxedo shirt is a Marcella shirt made with a bib or pleated front. Instead of buttons, this is closed using studs, which you can secure on Amazon for as little as $30. Mark Cho of The Armoury, pictured above, tells us that he sometimes wears fly front, plain tuxedo shirt to keep his formalwear looking more modern. Doing so also does away with dress studs (although he still likes French cuffs to help mark the occasion). For shoes, go with a pair of patent leather opera pumps or black, plain toe oxfords that have been freshly shined. Your neckwear should be a black bow tie made from the same material as your jacket’s facings, and you should wear a neatly folded white pocket square. If you wear a watch, keep it simple — a small, time-only watch on a black leather strap to match your shoes. 

If you’re hesitant about black tie and don’t want to get something you may only wear once a year, consider getting a suit that you can wear to dinner and parties, but falls just short of the formal tuxedo. One idea is a navy mohair suit made in a slightly more formal configuration — single-breasted, peak lapels, dual vents, one-button closure, and jetted pockets. When paired with a white shirt (possibly French cuffs), black bow tie, white linen pocket square, and black polished oxfords, this can be something you wear to fancy parties and dinners but doesn’t look as conspicuous as a full tuxedo rig.

Photo via The Armoury

The post How To Dress For The Holidays appeared first on Put This On.

Towards the end of Wong Kar Wai’s 1994 film Chungking Express, Tony Leung is shown rummaging through his closet. He’s preparing to go on a date with Faye Wong, who has been secretly breaking into his apartment when he’s away (this sounds creepy, but somehow comes off as charming in the film). Leung is looking for his “going out shirt” — that colorful, button-front shirt that nearly every guy has had in his wardrobe. There are countless iterations of the style — plaid, striped, paisley, or floral — but the only two essential qualities are that the shirt is clean and signal you’re ready to have fun.

The term “going out shirt” can sound tacky. It brings to mind all of the bizarrely expensive, tasteless designs you see from Robert Graham, which cologne-drenched, middle-aged men wear at night to feel young. But it can be enjoyable to have a distinct set of clothes for nighttime activities, particularly in the last year, when many people have been working from home. “Going out clothes” help break the day up into distinct periods. They make you feel good about yourself and turn regular nighttime activities into something special. Going out for dinner in the same clothes you wore at 2 pm feels like you’re refueling. In “going out clothes,” the same activity feels like you’re treating yourself to something — an unwinding.

Recently, I’ve been into “going out suits” or “evening suits.” These don’t have to be tuxedos, although they can be. They just can’t be the sort of dark worsted suits that you wear to offices, weddings, and funerals. These are semi-casual suits that you wear for fun. If you’re starting to build a tailored wardrobe, a “going out suit” can be wholly impractical (begin instead with the basics). But if you already have an extensive wardrobe, having one or two or three suits you only wear in the nighttime can be tremendously enjoyable.

Trust me when I say that you don’t need a fancy lifestyle to wear evening suits. You don’t need to belong to a club (I only belong to Sam’s Club). Or dine at $200/ plate restaurants (I never do). If you live in a city, an evening suit can be the kind of thing you wear to bars that charge $12 for a drink or restaurants that charge $25 for a plate. They can fit into pretty typical environments. If it matters to you, I find that evening suits get you better service. But if nothing else, they make you feel GREAT.

There are a few excellent options. My favorite is the mohair suit, which is typically made from a blend of mohair and wool fibers. Mohair has been used to make Western clothes since the 16th century, when Charles V first imported Angora goats to Western Europe. The fiber is stiff and slippery, and when made into a fabric, it shares some properties with linen. Both fabrics wick sweat from the skin, which keeps you feeling cool and dry. Additionally, they have a dry, crisp hand and can be pressed into a sharp crease. Most of all, they’re excellent for summer. Mohair is highly breathable because it’s typically made with an open weave structure. If you hold mohair suiting up, you can see light pouring through the fabric. The only real downside is that mohair wilts in the rain, so if you’re caught in a downpour, you’ll have to find a tailor who can give the suit a hand pressing.

The best thing about mohair is the luster. Mohair has a natural sheen, which means mohair suits catch and reflect light in wonderful ways. They glimmer, glow, and create pockets of shadows when you move. Nowadays, “sheen” is sometimes considered a dirty word in tailoring — no doubt influenced by the decade of 1970s polyester suits that were cheaply made to imitate mohair. But when done right, a quality mohair suit can look sophisticated and elegant in the evening. When you close your eyes and imagine The Rat Pack, the Mods, or those film scenes with guys hanging out in dimly lit, Las Vegas bars in the 1960s, you’re probably thinking of mohair. In 1991, Gianni Agnelli was photographed just outside the Pierre Hotel in NYC, where he attended an event in honor of King Juan Carlos I. The gleam from his blue dinner suit suggests it was made from mohair.

Since mohair has a natural sheen and can crack under pressure, it’s usually mixed with wool. Aim for something subtle: a 40/60 mixture of mohair to wool is just about right for most guys (anything above 50% can get very shiny by modern standards). And get something in an elegant evening color, such as navy or grey.

The photos above should give you some ideas on how to wear a mohair suit. The examples range from the wildly dandy to the quietly conservative. Savile Row tailor Ozwald Boateng shows a model in one of his copper-colored shawl collar suits with a matching copper shirt and a jaunty silk neckerchief. For his role as James Bond in Dr. No, Sean Connery wore a more traditional, silvery grey mohair suit (tailored by Anthony Sinclair) with a white poplin shirt and black grenadine (both from Turnbull & Asser). I like something in the middle: The Armoury’s Cerruti “Kinair” mohair fabric comes in just the right shade of green. It’s grey in some lights; olive in others. Pair it with Proper Cloth’s long-sleeved polos in their charcoal Tencel-blend pique cotton (that fabric is oh-so-soft) and a pair of black tassel loafers.

You can also get a double-breasted suit. Today, most men struggle to find occasions to wear a “serious suit,” even if they should have one in their closet. Such suits are mostly reserved for “serious” events, such as weddings and funerals. Thus, it’s reasonable to feel that you should favor a more conservative single-breasted option for when those occasions arise, rather than a double-breasted one that can make you stand out.

So why not get a soft-shouldered double-breasted suit for evening affairs? Evening suits are inherently conspicuous and self-indulgent. Unless you live a particular lifestyle where everyone around you wears tailoring, you’re probably going to be one of the few in a tailored jacket at a bar or restaurant (doing so can still look natural). If you already have a navy or grey suit for “serious occasions,” consider a fun double-breasted model that you can wear at night. The Armoury’s Model 6B in covert cloth is a great option. Covert is traditionally used to make country coats, but here, the fabric is light enough for a suit and looks like any wool twill. It drapes and swings beautifully, and has a soft shoulder line that makes the suit look relaxed when worn. Again, pair it with one of Proper Cloth’s long-sleeved polos in a grey Tencel-blend and a pair of black tassel loafers. Ethan Wong from A Little Bit of Rest also shows how you can casually wear a double-breasted suit or blazer. Wearing a double-breasted jacket open and without a tie will go a long way in making it look less stuffy. In the wintertime, double-breasted coats pair exceptionally well with thin merino turtlenecks.

Finally, consider a slightly less traditional color. You can wear a mid-brown suit in the evening with a cream or light blue shirt and not look like you’ve just stepped away from a business meeting. Such suits are inherently semi-casual because of their color, and you can make them more casual still with certain tops (e.g., long-sleeved polos or open-neck, one-piece shirt collars), shoes (e.g., loafers or derbies), and lack of accessories (e.g., skipping the tie). You can find some excellent mid-brown suits right now from Sartoria Carrara, The Armoury, and Spier & Mackay.

I recommend picking up one “going out suit” to start. Use it as an excuse to go to slightly nicer restaurants and bars; wear it to places where you wouldn’t usually think of wearing a suit. Over time, you may find yourself wanting another. After more than a year of lockdown, I don’t think anyone will blame you for wanting to dress up when going out. 

The post The Going Out Suit appeared first on Put This On.

Seemingly against all odds, it looks like the United States will reopen by July 4th. Once again, we’ll be able to gather in restaurants, go to parties, and perhaps even return to the office. In the last year, getting dressed has been so unsatisfying if you’re only putting on clothes for a few hours. In one of my favorite essays published in the previous year, New Yorker contributor Rachel Syme put it best. “The only time I dress up in ‘outdoors’ clothing now is to hop into a Zoom meeting,” she wrote of the unsatisfying act. “I toss on a satiny blouse, big earrings, and a swipe of red lipstick, but my heart isn’t fully in it. Is an outfit still stylish if it is only a simulacrum of what you would wear to go somewhere (and if you rip it off right after the call ends and change into a stained sweatshirt?). Fashion, for me, has always been about the experience of moving through the world in clothes.”

But soon, millions of Americans will return to public life. For the clothing obsessed, this means the opportunity to truly get dressed again. If you yearn for the feeling of wearing real clothes, but have settled into a routine of putting on sweatpants and three-day-old t-shirts, here’s a guide on how to dress for the spaces and occasions that have disappeared from our lives in the last year. From the formal to casual, this guide covers everything from how to dress for fine dining restaurants to pool parties. 

Dressy Evening

Settings: Dinner and drinks at upscale establishments, seated performances in the evening, and any time you want to dress up

There are only a handful of restaurants left in the United States that require patrons to wear a coat-and-tie. Even in New York City, arguably the largest fine dining scene in the country, there are fewer than ten such places. Even among those establishments, the rules are rarely enforced. But if you’re going somewhere fancy for the evening — say, to a ticketed show, an upscale restaurant, or a fancy bar — it still feels nice to dress up. For most men, there are so few opportunities anymore to wear a suit for celebratory reasons. Why not take advantage of the occasion?

A wool-mohair suit is perfect for this kind of thing. Mohair is a crisp, dry fiber with a slight sheen. It catches the light in all the right ways and looks tremendous at night, especially under artificial light in dimly lit bars and restaurants. When you close your eyes and image restaurant scenes in the 1960s or ‘80s, you often think of mohair suits even if you don’t know the term. Plus, mohair fabrics are typically made with an open weave. They’re favored in the summertime because of how well they deal with the heat and humidity. I also like them for crowded indoor events for this reason. Along with being the perfect restaurant or bar suit, it’s great for things such as art shows, film screenings, after parties, or any time you want to dress up for an indoor event.

The Armoury has a wool-mohair suit in what I think is the perfect shade of green. It has a slight grey cast, making it more conservative and easier to wear (mohair suits also do well in evening colors such as midnight blue and gray). This specific suit comes in The Armoury’s exclusive Model 3 cut. Manufactured by Ring Jacket in Japan, this cut has an extended shoulder line, a slightly fuller chest, and a very soft construction (there’s no shoulder pad, just a canvas that extends over the shoulder). You can wear this suit with a stark white shirt, black knit tie, and some black tassel loafers. Alternatively, you can also dress it down with a long-sleeved polo in white or black. Finish the look off with a neatly folded, white pocket square from our shop. The Armoury co-founder Mark Cho models this suit well on YouTube. 

Semi-Dressy Afternoon

Settings: Upscale restaurants and bars, art shows, museums, film screenings, seated events, day trips in the city, shopping downtown, and any time you want to dress up

If a suit feels too formal, you can always dress things down with a sport coat. By now, most Put This On readers will be familiar with the language of tailored clothing. Sport coats are inherently more casual than suits, and can be made to look more casual still if they’re softly tailored and feature details such as patch pockets. You can also play around with the textures, colors, and patterns in an outfit. Think of how a checked brown sport coat looks more casual than a solid navy jacket, or how a colorful striped shirt looks more casual than one in stark white poplin.

For a fun afternoon outfit, try dialing back all the colors. You can wear a tan checked sport coat instead of your usual navy, ivory trousers instead of grey, and tan shoes instead of dark brown. In this way, the colors in your outfit reflect the season (spring/summer) and time of day (afternoon). It will also look more interesting than your usual grey-and-navy combinations.

No Man Walks Alone has two great options right now: a tan Fox Air cloth with a grayish-brown check and then a tan Holland & Sherry gun club. Like The Armoury’s Model 3, No Man Walks Alone’s Sartoria Carrara jackets have an extended shoulder line, a slightly fuller chest, and very soft construction. However, they also have a slightly lowered gorge. The gorge, for those unfamiliar, is the seam that connects the collar to the lapel. It helps determine the placement and shape of the lapel’s notch. By having a lower gorge, No Man Walks Alone’s jackets look a little more old school. Mitchell at Menswear Musings has some good photos of how these jackets look when worn.

The tan gun club would do well in the early spring months, when you want some of the echos of autumnal tweed, but rendered in a fabric that’s lighter and more comfortable to wear. The Fox Air sport coat, on the other hand, would be better in the summertime when you’ll appreciate the breathability of that open-weave wool. Both can be worn with these oatmeal-colored Rota tropical wool trousers, a light blue Proper Cloth oxford button-down, and some grained Löf & Tung split toes. Wear this in the afternoon to upscale bars, restaurants, and shopping districts when a suit feels too formal.

Semi-Dressy Evening

Settings: Going to the city with expectations to get dinner or drinks in the evening, attending seated events, a night on the town, hotel bars, rooftop bars, fancy parties, and any time you want to dress up for the evening

Since the suit was born in London, we get our language of classic men’s dress from Britain. Historically, British men of a certain social class had a wardrobe that was divided between town and country. When relaxing or hunting in the countryside, they sported tweeds, brogues, and tattersall shirts. When doing business in the city, they wore dark worsted suits, black oxfords, and white shirts. This is where we get the phrase, “no brown in town” (town meaning London). These items used to be so firmly planted in their social environments, they never crossed that dividing line.

No one really follows these rules anymore, but this history casts a long shadow on how we interpret colors, patterns, and textures. This is why smooth, black calf leather is considered more formal than brown pebble grain. Or why navy sport coats look smarter than brown tweeds. When putting together a tailored outfit, an understanding of this history can help you create coherent combinations and achieve different effects.

For example, when going out in the evening in a sport coat, it can be nice to wear something more “citified.” Evening events often feel a little more formal than their afternoon counterparts, so it can good to wear something that feels a little more refined. The Armoury’s slate blue sport coat is perfect for this sort of thing. When paired with a navy polo, mid-gray trousers, and a pair of black horsebit loafers, this can be something you wear in the evening to upscale bars, restaurants, theatre shows, or even parties. If you’re going out in the afternoon and know you’ll be getting drinks at night, I would do something that straddles the two time periods — the same slate blue sport coat with khaki chinos, a striped holiday collar shirt, and some brown penny loafers. The mid-blue sport coat will feel a little more at home in a dimly lit bar than a brown tweed.

Smart Casual

Settings: Museums, art galleries, film screenings, first dates, shopping, seated performances, and eating or drinking at upscale, but casual establishments

A step down further on the formality spectrum is what some call “smart casual.” This look often gets expressed in very conservative ways — a light blue oxford cloth shirt or long-sleeved polo paired with linen or tropical wool trousers. Shoes are usually classic, such as loafers or derbies. To be sure, there’s nothing wrong with this outfit, but it often feels a little too close to business casual to be inspiring. To help elevate things, try layering a shirt jacket or a safari jacket. In the last five years, clothiers such as The Armoury, Lutays, Drake’s, G. Inglese, and Besnard have all come out with their versions, each of which can help “finish” that look.

You can push things further by wearing slightly more directional pieces without losing the refinement many people find appealing in “dressy” clothes. For example, De Bonne Facture specializes in simple, serene clothes with a strong focus on quality materials. Their organic cotton “architect jacket” and taupe plaid “painter jacket” look like more sophisticated versions of the iconic French chore coat. They also have an elegant golf jacket that you can pair with a tucked white t-shirt, a thin brown belt, a pair of ivory ts(s) fatigues, and some all-white sneakers. The Coolest Man You Know, a menswear shop based in Paris, has some great photos of that golf jacket being worn.

Stoffa is also wonderful for this slightly directional “smart casual” look. Their cropped flight jacket has distinctive hip pockets, a two-way zipper, and a soft, large collar that looks tremendous when popped from the back. This is the kind of directional, but reasonably classic design that’s hard to find from more traditional clothiers. You can pair it with your regular choices in tailored trousers and semi-casual footwear, such as The Armoury’s navy sport chinos and some unlined Meermin loafers.

For something a little more adventurous, try a pair of drapey, wide-legged trousers. Lemaire is arguably the best for this sort of style. As the former artistic director at Hermes, Lemaire excels at sourcing materials and creating just-right patterns. Somehow, his clothes always fit, move, and drape in the right ways. This is especially true of his wide-legged trousers, which have all the elegance of 1980s Armani, but none of the 1990s baggage. This season, he has self-belted trousers in walnut brown (insanely expensive) and carbon grey (on sale and much more affordable). You can pair these with Colhay’s vintage-inspired “sports sweater.” The short, ribbed sleeves and wide, ribbed waistband can help you create a slightly more interesting look without the use of outerwear. Beam’s linen camp collar shirts or Stoffa’s big-pocketed sport shirts would also work well.

Workwear

Settings: Outdoor performances, festivals, dive bars, spectator sports, picnics in the park, flea markets, zoos, aquariums, and lazy days when you don’t want to worry about your clothes

“Smart casual” can be great when you want a more casual alternative to sport coats. But dressy casualwear often requires some maintenance, such as ironing and dry cleaning. Depending on your activities for the day, you may also not want to have to worry about dirty hands, grass stains, or errant food drippings. For fuss-free clothes you can wear and feel good about, workwear makes for a great casual uniform. These better-with-age clothes are rugged, durable, geographically neutral, and play well into most people’s lifestyles. You can wear these for outdoor festivals, picnics in the park, or spectator sports. Since workwear jackets often have ample pocket space, they’re also good for rummaging through flea markets (a great summertime activity).

There are a few staples that go into this uniform. It helps to have some raw denim jeans, a stack of flannel shirts, and a pair of reliable, but stylish work boots. Classic outerwear choices include olive field jackets, blue chore coats, and denim truckers. I also like plain white and printed tees, especially those from 3sixteen, Lady White, and Imogene + Willie. They have small details, such as the unique pockets or triple-stitched, never-sag collars, which help them slot in better with a workwear uniform. And it helps to have a sweatshirt you can wear when knocking around. Buzz Rickson makes my favorite, but Wallace & Barnes is arguably the best value for money.

There are also some unique outerwear options this season. Ralph Lauren has a tan wading jacket that’s finished with a corduroy collar, a shearling patch, and a half-belted back. J. Peterman has a fishing jacket and a British SBS canoe smock (one of my favorite designs from Wallace & Barnes, back when they still sold it). You can wear these with any number of pant options: vintage Levi’s 501s (search for the ones made in the USA), Dickie’s painter pants, Stan Ray’s fatigues or painter pants, RRL’s officer chinos, or Sid Mashburn’s five-pocket cords. Nigel Cabourn, a sponsor on this site, also makes a pleated chino with a roomy top block — a cut that’s surprisingly hard to find in today’s slim-fit world, but looks refreshingly stylish and feels exceptionally comfortable.

Very Casual

Settings: Beach towns, pool parties, BBQs, outdoorsy activities, hanging out in the neighborhood on hot days, and any time you just want to relax

Finally, we have shorts. There’s no topic in the world of men’s style more controversial than whether men should be allowed to show skin below the waistline. Shorts are considered a no-no because they reveal men’s gams; sandals are frowned upon because they show toes. Even today, people still debate whether it’s OK for a man to not wear socks. I think these things are contextual. If you’re going to a pool party, BBQ, or hanging out at a beach town, I can’t think of anything better than a pair of shorts. Even on sweltering hot days, everything else seems second-best. Suits and sport coats are too formal, smart casual risks getting stained, and heavy workwear can feel stifling.

The good news is that shorts can be worn well. Avoid things that look like slim chinos that have been carefully hemmed at the knee. When shorts look too slim, long, or otherwise perfectly tailored, the outfit ends up looking too uptight. Instead, if you’re going to wear shorts, lean into the look. Shorts often do better when they end mid-thigh, which tends to be somewhere between a five- and seven-inch inseam (inclusive) for most men. I personally like mid-thigh shorts that flare out a little, as they give the illusion of leg muscles.

There are countless options for good shorts. Todd Snyder, J. Crew, Save Khaki United, and Patagonia are all solid starting places. American Trench makes washed linen shorts with an elasticated waistband, which will feel more comfortable than button closures. You can wear them with a retro-styled polo, camp collar shirt, Cuban collar shirt, or long-sleeved tee. For footwear, either white canvas sneakers or leather camp mocs will give you some good Harrison Ford vibes.

Alternatively, you can throw this look in different directions. Freenote Cloth’s olive deck shorts paired with an OAS terrycloth shirt and some Chamula huaraches look like the sort of thing you’d want to wear when getting tacos in a beach town. For something you can wear at home while listening to Yusef Lateef LPs, I would do Niche’s flower-cut work shorts paired with Double Rainbouu’s Western shirt and some Birkenstocks. Either the Arizonas or Bostons work well, depending on how you feel about your toes.

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We’ve written a ton of guides on how to dress for a wedding. In this one, I’ll give some tips on how to avoid that nightmare scenario where you’re stuck with a bad wedding suit and don’t have time to fix it. To be sure, many of these tips will sound familiar to longtime readers, as they’re not that different from how to shop for a good suit in general. But hopefully, this guide will be useful for men who are just starting to dip their toes into tailoring.

Start Early; Start Now

Back in 2010, Jesse wrote a great post about the old engineering saying, “Good, Fast, Cheap: Pick Two.” The concept also applies to shopping. If you’re reading this site, I’ll assume you want to get a good suit. The choice is then between getting one fast or cheap.

To be honest, fast may not even be an option anymore. The best suits are generally made bespoke by one of the few remaining tailors who are skilled in this craft (notably, not all bespoke suits are good, which is something I’ll touch on later). But those tailors tend to be based in Western Europe, and more often than not, around certain cities such as Naples and London. If you’re not local to them, then you’ll have to rely on traveling operations, who will visit you once every three to four months. If this is your first order with that tailor, it can take more than a year for a suit to be delivered (factor in the first meeting along with three fittings).

For ready-to-wear, you’ll want to leave yourself about the same amount of time to shop for a suit. It takes a while to try on different models and get a sense of what looks good on you. Buying jeans is hard enough. Tailoring is distinct in that small differences in the cut and proportion can make a significant impact on how you look. If you want to buy something good, but affordable, then you need to put yourself in a position to win. Be able to walk away from a deal until the right opportunity presents itself. Don’t put yourself in a situation where you have to compromise. That means shopping early and shopping now.

Sartoria Formosa at No Man Walks Alone

Start With Ready To Wear

As this is a special event, you probably want a suit that’s special enough to match the occasion. Many men will assume this means getting something custom-made, as they equate custom tailoring with quality and exclusivity. This is a mistake. If you break the suit market up into three categories — ready-to-wear, made-to-measure, and bespoke — there’s enough heterogeneity within each category to make it hard, if not impossible, to generalize between them. There’s good ready-to-wear and bad ready-to-wear. The same is true for the other categories. Custom tailoring just means that a pattern has been adjusted for you. That comes with as many potential pitfalls as it does benefits.

In the end, you may be one of those people who needs a custom suit. But your best bet is to always start with ready-to-wear. Off-the-rack suits have one tremendous benefit: you can put things back on the rack if you don’t like how they look. By trying on different suits, you can get a sense of how you feel about the cut and proportions of certain silhouettes, different fabrics, and various stylistic details such as shoulder treatment and pocket shapes. You’ll also learn your specific fit challenges and whether they can be solved with some basic alterations.

If you decide to go custom, make sure you research the company thoroughly. Know the difference between made-to-measure and bespoke. Find out if your cutter, or at least an experienced tailor, will be present at your fittings. See if you can get candid opinions from previous clients. If it’s a made-to-measure operation, ask if they’ll just measure you or fit you first in a sample garment. On average, companies that fit their clients in sample garments have a better batting average than those who just measure.

Keep it Classic

I’d like to think that we’re pretty open-minded here at Put This On. We’re aware of some basic rules when it comes to tailoring, but we’re not sticklers about them. We also understand that a wedding ceremony ought to be personalized in ways that make them meaningful for the people involved.

That said, consider keeping things classic. Wedding photos are forever; trends are not. If you got married ten years ago, a slim, short jacket with skinny lapels might have been en vogue because of the uptick in Mad Men inspired clothing. In hindsight, many of those cuts didn’t look very flattering. Slim, short suits tend to make men look heavier than they are.

Instead of dressing according to trends, think about how you should dress for your body type. We have guides on how to think about fit and silhouette, how to read formality in tailored clothing, and how to get things altered. Keep things moderate: lapels that are neither too skinny or wide, jackets that terminate halfway between your collar and the floor, and trousers that aren’t too baggy or tight. Will over at A Suitable Wardrobe once joked: “Your first marriage is probably your one opportunity for great wedding photos (if you marry more than once, you’re likely to avoid making a spectacle of the subsequent occasions).” Make sure those photos age well.

Torsten at Sartorial Notes

Suggestions On What To Wear

Much as I like formalwear, it’s hard to recommend morning dress for weddings when they cost a fortune, and most men are unlikely to wear their rig a second time before losing their figure. The same is true for tuxedos, although you may get some use out of them for New Year’s Eve parties (still, even then, good tuxedos are expensive, and you should only wear them if the ceremony is at night).

Most men will be better off in a dark suit, ideally in navy or charcoal, which they can wear again later. Try to stay away from black, however, as it can look too somber. Pair the outfit with a white, semi-spread collar shirt, a polished pair of black oxfords, and conservative neckwear (remember, you’re here to celebrate the ties that bind, not ties that blind). Throw a folded, white linen pocket square into your breast pocket and live happily ever after.

Reasonably, some men will feel this makes them look like they’re headed into a Monday meeting, rather than exchanging vows with someone they love. Here are some ways to personalize your ensemble around the edges, so that you can still make the day feel special:

• Consider a double-breasted or three-piece: Traditionally speaking, a double-breasted coat is considered one notch down on the formality scale from a single-breasted because of how men’s tailoring is oriented in formalwear. That said, for all practical intents and purposes, a DB is simply considered a bit more unusual these days and thus dressy. For most men, a double-breasted suit will be the kind of thing they save for special occasions, rather than the office. Which makes it perfect for weddings. You may find that you can wear it again later for graduations, christenings, and other important events in life. Simon Crompton and his friend Oliver both wore double-breasted suits to their weddings, and they look fantastic. Alternatively, you can also go for a three-piece suit and use it as a two-piece later.
• Brighten the Suit: If the wedding is being held during the daytime, go one shade lighter for the suit – maybe a dark blue instead of navy, or mid-grey instead of charcoal. Keep the polished oxfords and a white shirt to keep things formal. Beach and barn weddings, similarly, can have more creative solutions: maybe a tan cotton suit instead of a navy worsted, or a tweed sport coat for more rustic environments.

Drake’s glen check tie

• Wear a Wedding Tie: Wedding ties have historically been black or silver to harmonize with a black morning coat. Today, contemporary colors tend to be the same kind of thing you’d wear with a business suit — burgundy, navy, or dark green. To make a wedding feel special, however, go for a tie that doesn’t look like the one you’d wear to an office. Try to find a silvery tie or one with black-and-white patterns that resolve to grey from a distance. A houndstooth, shepherds check, or glen plaid can be perfect for this sort of thing. I also like silver grenadines. Keep things discreet, but cheerful.
• Other Accouterments: Consider other ways you can personalize the outfit. You can wear a special watch that day, or a double cuff shirt that will allow you to use a pair of cufflinks. Extra points if you can wear a family heirloom passed onto you from your father. A white gardenia or carnation through the buttonhole can be a great finishing touch. Just be sure you insert it correctly. Torsten at Sartorial Notes has a guide on how to wear a boutonniere. To get it right, you will likely need a skilled florist or learn how to adjust the flower yourself.

Find the Right Stores

Don’t try to do everything yourself. In the end, you have to find stores and tailors that you can trust. Rely on them for their service and advice, as they can best guide you towards a better-looking suit. These days, I like No Man Walks Alone and The Armory for higher-end tailoring. Suitsupply and Spier & Mackay can be great for budget options. If you need something custom made, I really like  Steed. They have a bespoke and made-to-measure program (I use their bespoke services for most of my suits and sport coats). I’ve also been impressed with the things I’ve seen from MyTailor, a more affordable traveling outfit based in California (like Steed, they visit many cities in the United States). Additionally, we have two guides on where you can turn to first for a suit.

Whatever you choose, it’s important to remember that the suit honors both the occasion and your commitment to your partner. Let your choices be a reflection of that commitment and find something that works for both of you.

The post Tips For Buying A Wedding Suit appeared first on Put This On.

Parties used to require some pretty remarkable clothes. In 1951, eccentric millionaire Carlos de Beistegui threw a masquerade ball at the Palazzo Labia, an old, baroque palace in Venice, located on the banks of the Grand Canal. The theme for the night was Venetian life in the 18th century, just before the fall of the republic, so guests showed up in these fantastic costumes made of embroidered fabrics and intricate lacework. It may have been one of the most lavish social events in the 20th century. Guests arrived by gondola, as motorboats were forbidden, and were then greeted by this surreal spectacle that only a filmmaker could dream of.

One of the most legendary parties in the US was thrown by Truman Capote in 1966, who that year saw his social standing reach lofty heights on the success of his book In Cold Blood. The event was held at New York City’s Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom, which Capote considered to be the last good ballroom in America, and the guest list read like a veritable “Who’s Who” compendium of the 20th century. Attendees included Arthur Miller, Andy Warhol, Henry Ford II, Rose Kennedy, Frank Sinatra, Gianni Agnelli, and hundreds like them. As Sarah Jane Rodham put it, “at the Black and White Ball, the Old Guard and the Avant-Garde danced together.”

To give the night some visual unity, Capote enforced a strict dress codes. The event was themed after My Fair Lady’s memorable Ascot scene, which was costumed by Cecil Beaton entirely in black and white, so guests were required to restrict themselves to those basic colors. Furthermore, everyone also had to wear a mask, which they could take off at the stroke of midnight, and ladies were asked to carry fans (on this last point, Capote was flexible).

Outside of Halloween, we don’t really wear specific clothes for parties anymore. In fact, the slow, lingering death of haute couture — the French tradition of custom dressmaking, which used to play the counterpart to men’s bespoke suits — is partly a result of the fact that few women attend the sort of events that would justify such purchases. So, these days, most people celebrate New Year’s Eve the same way they celebrate most other occasions — in the same clothes they wear to work and on weekends.

If you already have some formalwear in your closet, make the most of NYE. Tonight is the perfect time to break out some special clothes, and you don’t need to attend a fancy ball or theatre event to justify doing so. You can wear a tuxedo to a nice bar, restaurant, or even a private party. Most people will be thrilled to see someone dressed up, and tonight’s celebration makes for the perfect excuse.

If you don’t already have a tuxedo, however, try a simpler combination instead: a dark navy suit with a white French-cuff shirt, some simple cuff links, and a pair of well-polished oxford shoes. The key: instead of wearing a striped or grenadine necktie, try a black bow tie instead. It’ll prevent you from looking like you’re just wearing your work clothes, and you can finish everything off with a neatly-folded, white linen pocket square.

Granted, the combo might not look as polished as a well-tailored tuxedo, but even at black tie events these days, few people are wearing the proper rig. Dark suits, white dress shirts, and basic black oxfords are things you probably already have in your closet. All you need a simple black bow tie, which – if you don’t already have one – you can pick up at your local Brooks Brothers or Ralph Lauren for the less than the cost of a tux. The Chippendales know: sometimes all you need to start a party is a black bow tie and some champagne.

Have fun tonight.

(photos via Voxsartoria and No Man Walks Alone)

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Halloween is fast approaching, and while there are those who think the whole costume thing is for kids, chances are you have that one friend who really loves the season and will put together some kind of spooktacular with apple bobbing. If you want to put a little more effort into the holiday than just some vampire teeth, we have a few menswear-focused costumes you can probably cobble together from clothes already in your wardrobe (or at least with a quick run to your preferred department/ thrift store). Putting together an easy costume allows you to be appropriately festive without having to rely on some overpriced costume kit. It may even free you up to combine some elements you normally wouldn’t, allowing for some stylistic experimentation.

Scumbro

If you’ve been keeping up with fashion journalism, you’ve probably encountered the new trend of the “Scumbro.” Yes, fashion isn’t the game of your Beckhams or Pharells anymore, the new style icons are Jonah Hill, Justin Bieber, and Pete Davidson. The look is something of athleisure meets Supreme meets neon lunacy, all with a high fashion sheen. It’s an interesting look to witness and read about as fashion is deep within its Spencer’s Gifts phase, and while the items you see from Balenciaga are prohibitively expensive, you can make the look on the more budgeted end. Try some Patagonia shorts, a tie-dye or graphic tee, and some high socks and sandals or a chunky sneaker. Top it off with a pencil mustache and maybe a colorful wig to resemble a bleachy dye job and you got it.

A Tan France Makeover

The new Queer Eye is an uplifting series of both outward and inward makeovers, and those makeovers will involve MANY colorful shirts. Yes, Tan France, the resident style expert, has the task of turning men who never thought much about clothes into, well, people who think about clothes a lot, all with the cameras rolling. Tan often opts for colorful button-ups often unbuttoned quite low, “smart” denim or chinos, and some fancier sneakers, which it’s pretty safe to say are common enough in most menswear enthusiast’s closets. Styling your hair in a pompadour can be tough, and it will require time and hairspray, but it is the sort of hairstyle that you might want to indulge in at least once in your life (kind of like a mohawk). Check YouTube for pompadour tutorials. If you wear this costume, you are also free to critique everyone’s outfit the rest of the night. Oh, right, and don’t forget the French Tuck.

Mister Rogers

With the recent documentary that makes everyone weepy to the currently in-production Tom Hanks film, public awareness of Mister Rogers has been at an all time high. Capitalize on it and everyone’s warm feelings by dressing up as the public television saint. Mister Rogers’ outfits always prized comfort and warmth, so even when he was wearing a tie he still felt relaxed and at home. Wear your favorite bright cardigan, OCBD, some slacks, and a pair of canvas sneakers. Fred himself preferred Keds. If you can get some sort of a hand puppet, all the better. Whether or not you can keep up the positive attitude and liking everyone just the way they are is up to you.

Sailor Gene Kelly (or generic WWII sailor if you can’t dance)

The whole “sailors coming ashore to get laid” was a surprisingly popular subject for movie musicals back in the day, and Gene Kelly was likely in them, often with Sinatra. I find Gene Kelly to be an underrated style icon, and this is probably his most iconic look outside of being soaked in rain. On The Town or Anchors Aweigh are great films and great examples of the costume — and the midcentury sailor look is easy to put together with a combination of Riviera-appropriate francophone clothing. Wider leg trousers have been gradually replacing slim fits lately, so wear a pair of those in a light hue. Doubtful you have white trousers on hand, so beige is totally cool. Add a Breton or an otherwise striped shirt, jauntily tie a bandana around your neck, and strap on your dancing shoes. If you want an even more francophone look, you can toss on one of those berets with the pompom.

1960s NASA Mission Control

Let it not be said I don’t practice what I preach, because that picture is me a couple Halloweens ago. Photos of NASA employees in the ’60s showed a pretty specific uniform, something of a more polished engineer’s outfit. All it takes is a white short sleeve button-up shirt, some dark slacks, reading glasses, and a skinny tie, preferably with tie clip. I went a bit further and fashioned myself a faux NASA ID to pin to my chest, which was pretty easy to slap together with Googling and basic Photoshop. I’ll admit that the white button up isn’t really a menswear necessity and is often relegated to the bleaker end of business casual, but your local thrift store or Target is loaded with them and they never run too high a price.

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The Royal Men

When Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle,  he and his family won’t be wearing anything you can emulate, most likely. Royalty traditionally serve in the military and marry in their military uniforms. Prince Philip (married 1947) wore a double breasted naval uniform, which with its standard shirt and necktie was relatively restrained compared to Prince Charles’s high-collar, gold embellished uniform at his wedding to Princess Diana in 1981. (At his 2005 wedding to Camilla Parker Bowles, Prince Charles and the wedding party wore morning coats.) Prince William, you may remember, wore the red jacket of the Irish Guards at his wedding in 2011–it’s an honorary position; he served in the Royal Air Force. Although uniforms like this one are closer to a modern suit than a modern BDU, William’s suit was not made by his usual tailor, Gieves and Hawkes, but by Kashket and Partners, who’ve been making military uniforms for hundreds of years.

The best intelligence implies Harry (whose military service has been a big part of his public image) will wear either the uniform of the outfit he serves in (the Blues and Royals, a cavalry regiment in the British Army), or that of the Captain General Royal Marines, a position he recently took over after Prince Phillip’s retirement. I’m betting my pounds on the latter–it’s more traditional.

The Guests

The guests, however, may provide more practical tips for guys considering traditional wedding dress or who, like me, at least like to know that it exists outside of Apparel Arts.  Most men will be wearing morning dress. (Last time around, then Prime Minister David Cameron caused a stir by expressing his intent NOT to wear morning dress–he caved.) The wedding is at noon, but morning dress is considered appropriate for daytime formal occasions. It’s after sunset you’ll look silly in morning dress, or at least sillier.

The rules of morning dress are a little obscure, especially for a guy like me whose never needed to wear it (I’ve been to white tie events; I wore rental tails to a prom, but that’s a story for another day).

• The jacket is black or very dark gray in a “swallowtail” cut, which comes about to the knee in the back, worn over a double breasted, often light-toned waistcoat (in modern use ranging from gray to buff to yellow), with medium gray trousers (sometimes striped).
• Most often, the shirt is white, with a straight collar, and turnback/French cuffs. Shirts can have wing collars, but that looks ridiculous; and they can have a body in color, but generally with white collar and cuffs (this is the only acceptable use of the contrast collar and cuffs).
• Ties vary, but are usually relatively sober–one or two colors, sometimes “wedding tie” style: usually two tone black/grayscale, and often woven in houndstooth or check.
• Morning suits use the same fabric for the jacket, waistcoat, and trousers–these are technically less formal than a morning coat and trousers.
• Black shoes, always; simple oxfords are a good fit.

Attending a Wedding Yourself? Maybe Your Own?

In this context, the rules matter. As for your own, presumably non-royal wedding, or a buddy’s, you’re less likely to wear hidebound traditional daytime formal. For one thing, many weddings now span daylight and evening hours, muddying the waters of whether to wear a suit, a tuxedo, or something else. In addition, unless you regularly attend weddings where morning dress is the norm (in which case, please invite us), you don’t want to inflict these requirements on your wedding party. Or your future wife, who wants you to be happy but would rather you didn’t agonize over your outfit for what is, after all, a celebration.

So focus on what looks good that you can borrow for attire at a wedding, where a little dressing up is usually welcome. I still wouldn’t buy a black suit, but I’d consider oxford gray, which is almost there.  Three-piece suits may attract some attention in business settings, but are not out of place at a wedding. It’s always good to have a traditional wedding tie on the rack; if you wear ties only on special occasions, it may be the only tie you really need. And it’s a good excuse to make sure you have a decent pair of black shoes, which are one of the few real men’s essentials.

Note also that, as in most settings and dress codes, the guys who look best in their non-royal formalwear are not overdoing it. Their ensembles balance a degree of individuality with an acknowledgment of the communal dress of the occasion, and the focus on the couple being married. Especially the bride. Just ask any bride.

So tune in, or maybe DVR it. While the tabloids look for family drama and fascinators, you can look to see who’s got the most Macclesfieldian tie.

The post Very Early Morning Suit: What To Look For At The Royal Wedding appeared first on Put This On.

Trends in formalwear move at a glacial pace, as there’s only so much one can do with traditional black tie, but every now and then like some bat out of hell something comes along. This past Sunday, the men at the Academy Awards all dressed themselves in velvet of various colors, which is a sartorial high wire act that we should discuss.

Now there’s nothing wrong with velvet as such, and it can be an incredible and bold choice in a sea of familiar black wools. The problems come from how to dress it so it doesn’t look cartoonish. For instance, Daniel Kaluuya above employs a rare mustard jacket while keeping everything else wisely muted, but Matthew McConaughey goes goofy with a flappy red velvet bow tie. It’s good to add a sense of fun to the often staid world of black tie, but too much whimsy can make it seem almost like you’re parodying the event instead of dressing for it.

Another point is that these are celebrities who are on the twelfth or so awards show of the season, so they have the opportunity to wear a bunch of formal outfits (most of which they didn’t pay for). For you, average non-famous person who only gets so many black tie opportunities, this can be a big and expensive commitment when a well fitting basic tuxedo will never leave you in the lurch. Trends in formalwear are fun to watch but leave that to the red carpet pretty people.

If by-the-rules black tie is too boring for you, consider going the route of Jordan Peele, who had a lovely white shawl collar jacket. It’s timeless but different and works for most if not all occasions. Plus it’ll motivate you to get on winning that Best Original Screenplay award already.

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Our Instagram followers are some stylish people, so once a week, we like to bring you some highlights from our feed. A happy new year means only one thing- black tie time! Here are Ian, Andy, Sebastian, TO, and Ethan all doing their formalwear in each their own way. Remember that even though black tie is formal that doesn’t mean you can’t make it your own.

How you looking in 2018? Follow us on Instagram and tag your pictures with #PTOman. Bonus points for full body-outfit shots as opposed to just shoes or collars.

The post #PTOman Highlights: NYE Black Tie Edition appeared first on Put This On.

The holidays are a great time for dressing up, but not everyone has the opportunity to wear a tuxedo for New Years Eve parties. If you’re traveling and want to pack light, or want something more casual for holiday gatherings, try combining similar colors in the same outfit. A monochromatic, low-contrast ensemble takes a bit of knowhow and experimentation to get right, but it’s a great way to pull together a more casual look – at least moreso than your typical suit-and-tie combination.

Traditionally, most menswear ensembles do better when they rely on basic, contrasting colors. So, a navy jacket with gray pants. Or a brown jacket with dark blue pants. When you rely on similar colors, you need to get your contrast from other things – texture, sheen, material, etc. A navy leather jacket can look great with dark blue wool trousers because the materials are distinct. The key is to make sure things don’t look too muddy.

This sort of dark, tonal dressing can be a great way to dress down tailored clothing, as well as make a casual ensemble look more sophisticated. And, depending on where you’re going this holiday season, it can allow you to pack a little lighter as you mix-and-match pieces for different effect. Some ideas on how to pull together a monochromatic outfit this winter:

• Rely on Basic Colors, Such as Blues and Grays: You can pull together a monochromatic outfit in almost any color (Stoffa’s Instagram account is chock full of inspiration). The easiest colors to work around, however, are blue and gray – especially during the colder, winter months. Try something like a charcoal herringbone topcoat with mid-gray wool trousers, light-gray sweater, and black derby shoes. The subtle differences in texture, pattern, and material will give you contrast where you need.
• Use Tonal Knitwear for Suits and Sport Coats: You can use a dress shirt in a similar color to your suit or sport coat, but things get a lot trickier once you try to use tonal neckties. If you’re trying to dress down tailored clothing, consider using knitwear instead. Finely knit merino turtlenecks can be perfect for this sort of look since the neckline adds interest and the material itself isn’t too bulky.
• Start with a Leather Jacket: The easiest way to pull together a monochromatic outfit is to start with a leather jacket. That’s because almost everything will contrast against leather (except, um, leather pants). A black leather jacket looks great with black denim; a brown suede bomber can be worn with tan wool trousers. I find blue leather jackets are typically easier to wear when they’re a true navy, rather than a mid-blue. They often just look better against a wider range of blue jeans.
• Stray with Just One Thing: Sometimes things don’t look right and you don’t have time to endlessly flip through your wardrobe to find the right combination. In these cases, vary just one thing. This can be just the top, such as how Christophe Lemaire above uses a cream-colored shirt with a more casual black jacket and black trouser combination. Or it can be how Youngsam from ResQ pairs a navy sweater and blue shoes with an otherwise all-gray outfit. Dark green outerwear also works well in these cases (especially against a charcoal base underneath). When trying to find the right complementary color, think about the mood you’re trying to create. Navy, dark green, and gray/ black all play well together because they have long histories of being used in military uniforms.
• Be Careful with Black Shoes: Many of the examples above use black shoes – a natural choice when everything else in your outfit is either gray or navy. If you’re wearing anything other than a proper suit, however, try to get black shoes that are a bit more casual. Derbies and boots are great for this. Oxfords with anything other than a suit can look too formal.

(photos via No Man Walks Alone, The Sartorialist, EFV, Tom Ford, and The ResQ)

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