Things I Wear, XI

Shirt: Brooks Brothers (tailored). Trousers: Bills Khakis. Shoes: Shipton & Heneage. Belt Buckle: Wayne Jewelers. Belt Strap: Trafalgar. Sunglasses: Ray-Ban.

As I stated yesterday I felt like taking a vacation of sorts.  Mentally I could but unfortunately, physically I could not.  Part of what helped me mentally was dressing down.  So I decided to dress somewhere between business casual and casual.  The trousers and button down shirt are much in the casual realm of things so I used the dress loafers and belt to up the formality ever so slightly.  I didn’t want to take things too seriously so I opted for my mock field watch from my beloved Murray’s Toggery with a navy blue nylon strap.  Continuing along this line I choose to keep my socks more casual so I donned sky blue over the calfs.  Unfortunately, today it is not slated to be so nice out, but I guess it is only March…

 

Random Friday Tangent: Bros Vs. Hipsters

The weather is nice here in New York City, too nice for late March.  It’s 70 and sunny.  And quite frankly, this weather makes me feel like doing nothing.  I just want to  be outside enjoying the weather and take a vacation from the normal day to day.  So, along that theme, let’s take a vacation from talking menswear.  Sit back, relax and watch this video by Pat Stansik on Bros and Hipsters.  Typically they are sworn enemies, like Reds Sox and Yankee fans.  But from time to time some guys become confused, like the subject in the video.  I think it’s really an identity crisis of sorts…  Anyway, enjoy.

Made To Measure Suiting: My.Suit Pt III

The time has come to conclude on my My.Suit experience.  If you are unfamiliar with the series so far this is the third post, it will focus primarily on the construction and details of the suit.  The first focused on the fitting and first fit.  The second focused on the final fit of the suit, which I am pretty happy with.  Generally speaking, the construction of the suit is mediocre.  But for the price point of $495 I think it is a good value.

Let’s start with the basics.  Production is in Mexico.  I believe all of My.Suit’s jackets are half canvassed, which is better then fully fused but not quite the ideal of a fully canvased jacket.  That said, I am worried about the longevity of the jacket, as any bit of fusing has been known to cause issue with both durability and fit.  The stitching on the jacket is a mix of machine and hand work, but generally speaking it is done pretty well.  The fabric is of acceptable quality.  It is smooth to the touch and comfortable to wear, it is a little on the lighter side, which will be advantageous in the warmer months.  For a proper discourse of the stitching and other details of the jacket and pants please refer to the pictures below.

Hand stitching around the sleeve head, this helps provide a little bit of give and stretch, which is good for movement. Also note the sweat guard, any decent jacket should have these.

Close up of the sleevehead stitching. It is done manually, however, it is also uneven and disheveled looking. I believe this could have been done better.

The stitching around the lining looks to be done by machine. But what is important is that it looks clean and holds the lining in place, which in this case the stitching does.

Further detail on the lining stitching. Take note of the monogramming and how uneven the stitching used to secure it is, it just looks sloppy. It is a clear indicator of where corners were cut in order to save time and production costs.

On the bottom of the jacket the lining has been sewn in by machine. Now, there are machines that just stitch the lining to the jacket and create a seam, in essence. However, this type of stitching is far better, as it allows air to circulate and the liner to drape and move in a more fluid manner. In more expensive jackets this will be done by hand. To my knowledge, there is little functional difference, it is more of an artisan detail.

The lapels are of a healthy width, 3.5". One thing I really liked about My.Suit was that I could choose the width of the lapels and the height of the buttoning point of the jacket. However, I think the striping could have been matched better between the lapel and collar, but at least it is symmetrical. The peaks also extend past the collar the same amount, even the slightest difference can upset the balance of the jacket. I also note that the lapel button hole is a working one, I would prefer it be a straight slit instead of the keyhole shape, as that is a cleaner aesthetic.

The matching of the pocket flap to the jacket is well done, as they lined up the stripes on the pocket with those on the front most bottom part of the jacket.

The buttons are okay, but I think I will switch them out for something with a more rounded edge. The button holes are machine made and clean. Although handmade ones are the best, that is a detail that no one should expect on a $495 suit. That said, My.Suit's are certainly sufficient.

Perhaps my biggest complaint is the slide closure. They did not have an option for an extended tab slide closure, only and extended button or this. As you can see, the fabric stretches and lifts up a little from the waistband. As a result, it doesn't look nearly as clean as it should. Next time I would go for an extended button tab closure.

The side button tabs fulfill their purpose, that of tightening the waistband when needed. However, sliding tabs are preferable in my opinion, as they are cleaner and more elegant. The other issue here is that the striping is not matched between the waistband and the button tab. This can be fixed by moving the button hole up, however, this should not be an issue in the first place.

All of this taken into account I would say that for the price of $495 the value is sound, I would go further and say that in the future I would purchase further products from My.Suit and that I would continue to work with the salesman that I used, Marcus Coy, from the Madison Ave location.  As always, if you have any questions of comments, sound off below.

Regards,

Justin

Note: FYGblog received in no way any material compensation from My.Suit or parties associated with My.Suit.  For further thoughts on the matter please refer to ‘The Line Is Being Blurred.’

FYG x Business Insider 3.0

FYGblog and the powers that be at Business Insider decided to get together on another piece.  This time on how to dress for an internship in finance and accounting, or really any line of business.  The piece was somewhat of a follow up to a question from the readers piece I did a few weeks ago regarding suits for an internship.  I laid out 15 pretty basic points, always erring on the conservative side, that should help any gent get through a summer internship at any firm, but if anyone has anything to add, feel free to sound off in the comments section.

Cheers,

Justin

Craig Sager And His Bracket Tie

I have no clue where Mr. Sagar acquired the above ‘bracket tie’ nor any other facts about it except that he wore it the other day on national television and that it is badass.  However, if I hear of where to acquire one I shall pass along word, as I am sure there are some of you who are looking to acquire one.  I also believe his jacket is a tussah silk, or at least it looks to be something along those lines, judging by the texture.  Which would only give him additional points.  Furthermore, Mr. Sagar’s dress (not just here but on other occasions, but some of his ensembles are a bit over the top for sports reporting though) is a nice change from that of the majority of sports casters, who are notorious for their atrocious style and dress.  Keep up the good work, sir.

Things I Wear, X

Suit: Indochino. Shoes: Suit Supply. Shirt: Jos Bank. Tie: Chipp 2. Pocket Square: unbranded.

Keeping with the weather of the mid part of this week I opted for what I think to be a more spring look.  I was also testing out my Indochino suit upon getting it back from the tailor, I am pretty happy with it, the only real issue if my fault.  That being the shoulders are ever so slightly too wide.  But we’ll discuss that another time, in the final post in the Indochino series.  Anyway, it was also the debut of the ‘Fuck You’ tie from Chipp 2 (the tie actually says ‘fuck you’).  For the record, I did NOT wear the tie around the office, instead I put it on on my way out. But I thought it appropriate for dinner in the Meatpacking District.  And the blue suede tassel loafers…  My new obsession.

Braces: Albert Thurston.

Admittedly, not the best photo, but the emphasis should not be on my face but on the clothing.  I am pretty sure I was having visions of Nantucket, oh how I miss the promised land.  In this instance the idea was to match the braces with the tie.  It is too bad the shoulders of the shirt fit terribly, it totally ruins a potentially clean look.  I find this problem to be one of the most prevalent in menswear. I cannot wait till I can phase out all of my old shirts with better fitting made to measure/custom ones.

Long Live The Weekend,

Justin

God Save The Row

There are abominations and then there are abominations.  We need to discuss the latter, which is also the more severe of the two.  I remember when I first stepped onto Saville Row, it was unassuming and understated.  If you didn’t know the significance of the street you would likely pass it and think nothing of it.  And that’s the way it should be, shouldn’t it?  I think so at least.  But there was something that was off, the proper balance of things had been upset.  I did not initially did not know by who or what.  It did not take long to figure it out.  I was both amazed and horrified.  The former reaction applied to the great firms like Gieves & Hawkes, Dege & Skinner, Henry Poole, Huntsman and Anderson & Sheppard (which lies slightly off the Row).  The latter reaction applied to the new kid on the block; Abercrombie & Fitch (ie thou who upset the proper balance of things).  That obnoxious music and even more obnoxious smell emanating from its door; the perpetually obnoxious teenagers were also there.  Only to offend the passer-bys who have an appreciation for the way things ought to be.  That being an Abercrombie-less Saville Row.  Call me old-fashioned if you like.

In short, I am of the opinion that A&F has no proper place on the Row.  It stands as the anti-thesis of everything the row stands for and is.  Now, I recognize that times do change, but this?  This is just unacceptable, and unfortunate.  Even worse, A&F plans to expand its storefront, which would only further taint the atmosphere of the Golden Mile.  Thankfully, in good faith, the great houses are making an effort to prevent this blitzkrieg on the promised land of male elegance and bespoke tailoring.  And for that, I applaud them and wish them the best of luck.

Anyway a few days ago the Guardian put out an article on the topic, give it a read if you so desire.  Additionally, a few months back Mr. Justin Fitzpatrick (aka The Shoe Snob) had a few well spoken words on the subject.

Keep up the good fight,

Justin

Cole Haan Concept Store Visit

On my adventure last Thursday I popped by the Cole Haan concept store on Prince St in Soho.  I have been quite curious about the brands Lunargrand shoes since a first saw them a few weeks back.  I hated them at first sight.  I still don’t like some of them; but the blue suede on white sole and tan suede on brick red sole won my favor. I love the upper of all of the shoes, but I think there is a fine line that is drawn between what looks good and bad with these shoes because of the sole.  I do not like clunky soles which was tough to get past at first, I think it really depends on the color of the sole with that of the upper.  The shoe definitely appealed to my ex-sneaker head side…  I will say however, that I did try a pair on and they are very comfortable.

Anyway, the store manager was kind enough to let me take some pictures so I picked out some of the good, bad and ugly.  In one sense Cole Haan is killing it with their new designs which I applaud them for.  They are a huge company taking some risks, I like that.  But then again some of the shoes just don’t do it for me, but it is really a matter of taste.  Enjoy liberally.

Cheers,

Justin

Yay.

Yay.

Nay. I think I saw some kid tripping face at Pacha wearing these... Which does NOT make them okay.

Yay. I love womens shoes that take their inspiration from classic mens shoe designs. Remember Carmina shoes of Spain?

If you don’t, check out my Carmina store visit.

Yay. Wingtips are my favorite lace up. The color of these was pretty nice in person and the leather was thin and light. I am not sure if this was done out of lowering costs or aimed at a lighter summer shoe. Either way, it would make a nice summer shoe. And the two tone leather is badass, in case you were wondering.

Yay.

Some yays and some nays.

Nay. I do like this combination but I think for it to really work the brown should be lighter.

Nay on the shoe. Yay on the display.

Shots From The Day’s Travels

I was out and about on the town last Thursday and in between my various field trip destination I took a few pictures.  None of them amazing, but maybe they’ll give someone somewhere some form of inspiration; and that’s really the point of these…

For some reason I like this look (the bag part of it that is), I don't really know why...

This gentleman approached me trying to sell his book, How To Roll A Blunt For Dummies, mind you, this was right on Broadway in Soho. Good for him.

I spotted this gent On Lafayette, I like the jacket a lot (from Etro), notice the texture and color of the blue; great for spring/summer (mind you it was high 60s and sunny out on this day). I also like how the lapel is dressed, well done.

On Removing Salt Stains…

Before. Note the faint white stain at the base of the upper.

Before. Note the faint white line at the base of the upper.

Few things are more disadvantageous to the leather of a shoe than road salt and rain water runoff.  Among other maladies, both tend to stain leather with white lines.  I believe the lines are caused by salt.  They are much like the sweat lines you will find on the brim of your hat.  They are also unsightly on any color shoes and if left in place for too long can cause a problem.  They should be treated as soon as possible, luckily the process is quite simple.

1.  Wipe off all excess dirt and dust from the shoe.

2.  Make a solution of 50% white vinegar and 50% water.

3.  Using a towel, gently rub the 50/50 solution on the affected areas.  Do not rub to hard or for too long as you could risk damaging the leather.

4.  Clean the area that the solution was applied to by wiping with a towel dampened with water.

5.  Dry the dampened area.

6.  Either have the shoes shined or shine them yourself, but the sooner the better.

After

After