September 24th- Tan on Tan

 

 

Tan Gingham Shirt by Roundtree and York $5 on Clearance at Dillards        Blue Floral Tie $2 at Goodwill

 

Brown Suede Monk Strap by Calvin Klein $45 on Sale at Belk          Blue Socks $3 at Target

I'm not gonna lie, I stole this tan on tan look from Pinterest.  I thought it looked sharp on there and I must say I think that it looks pretty good on me as well.  Usually I'm not much for the monochromatic scheme but I believe that these two different shades of tan look good together especially with a nice bright pop of color thrown in.

I really love gingham and I real love floral and this outfit was able to use both without looking overwhelming. Another thing that I've been digging recently is double monk strap shoes. They are usually very expensive but I was able to find this pair for 1/3 of their usual price.  Monks straps can be dressed up or dressed down with ease. I prefer brown shoes to black because they go with more and are less severe than black.

Don't forget, now that it's Fall it time to step up your sock game!!! It is the easiest way to add color to an outfit and separates the men from the boys.

September 18th- Red, White, and Blue Jeans

Red, White and Blue Gingham shirt by Seville Rowe $35

 

Dark Blue Jeans by JCP  $7.99 on clearance

 

Desert Trek by Clarks $65 on Ebay

 
While I believe that most guys are typically underdressed and casual/sloppy dressing has grown to grotesque proportions, there are times when wearing jeans is preferable to wearing a suit. But remember just because your dressing down does not mean you can dress sloppily. Everything must fit and your shirt should still be tucked in. Save your sneakers for the gym and throw on a pair of Chukka boots.

August 16th- "...'Cept My Gator Shoes Those Are Green!"

Green with British Tan Faux Alligator Air Colton Saddle Shoes by Cole Haan 

 

Vintage Hidden Bar corner cabinet $25 at the Goodwill

 

Tan Suit from JC Penny $70 on super clearence

 

White with Green Windowpane Dress Shirt by Stafford $10   
Brown Knit Tie - Hand-me-down from co-worker's husband

 

        I had the damnedest time finding these shoes; but these green saddle shoes are my favorite shoes that I own. They are an exclusive collaboration done by Cole Haan and Theophilus London and were only sold in select Cole Haan stores.

 

       With such loud shoes, the rest of the outfit must be quite and stay in the background. I personally think that these shoes go best with a tan/khaki suit but I have worn them with blue and even grey suits with nice results. I usually pair them with this white and green windowpane dress shirt because the color is just about identical but is only noticeable from up close. 

 

     While I love bow ties, I am currently really digging knit ties and this brown one is perfect for the Fall color palette. Brown is a lot more lively than black but still mute enough to stay in the background and let other articles of clothing shine.

 

     Knit ties are a good choice for guys who do not like bow ties but still want to stand out from the crowd.  These ties can go with any outfit and add texture and heft that a silk tie doesn't which makes them perfect as the weather drops.  They can also be easily dressed up beneath a suit or dressed down with jeans and a sport coat or sweater. A knit tie is one of the subtle additions to a man's wardrobe that will really show the world that he knows how to flex his sartorial muscle. 

 

Check this out for a little more knit tie inspiration or go to The Tie Bar and pick one up for $15.

August 13th- Red Shoes at Night, Fashion's Delight

Red Suede bucks with White Sole by Stafford $35 at JC Penny

Gray Plaid Blazer $6.99 from Goodwill

Red Gingham Bow Tie $35 on Etsy

lk

The mail is getting a little unruley

 
No one has ever said that color should only be above the ankles! 

I love shoes and I really love colorful and exotic shoes and these bright red ones with a white sole make quite the statement and at a price that is affordable to just about everyone. 

For years sneaker companies have made wild and crazy shoes and dress shoe makers are finally getting into the game and the world is a better place for. Remember, you are judged by your shoes; so buy a few nice pairs and make a great impression!

September 12th- Tan-fastic

Blue Suit- $19.99 from Goodwill

Tan/Khaki Dress Shirt $10 by Stafford from JC Penny

Blue Gingham Bow Tie- handmade     Floral Pocket Square- handmade

    Who says that khaki is a color that should only be found below the waistline?
 
     A couple of years ago, GQ did a small article on tan/khaki dress shirts. Not long after I found one on sale at JC Penny and decided to give it a shot.

      While I do not wear it very often, I do like the way a tan dress shirt looks with blue and grey suits and even dark denim.  It is definitely different but not obnoxiously so and can add just the right pop to separate you from the hoards of other suit and tie lemmings in your work place.

September 11th- "Like hell he is, he wears a goddamn pink suit!"

Pink Suit $170 from Bonobos   Retails $398

Light Blue Button-up Shirt by American Living at JC Penny  $2.98 on  Clearance

Black, Blue and White Gingham Bow Tie  $10 by Stafford at JC Penny

Allen Edmonds Sanford $5 at Goodwill    Retail $349

Even though it may be foolish, The Great Gatsby has inspired my style ever since my senior year of high school.  From the moment I read about his pink suit I just had to have one.  It was not until years later that I realized that it represented him having money but no class... But even knowing that, I freaking love my pink suit.

I had to wait until it went on clearance on Bonobos and then used a 30% coupon code on top of that, which brought it down to a reasonable price.  That is why you should always sign up to receive emails from your favorite companys and websites. While they do send you a lot of junk to weed through, they also notify you of sales and give you discount codes which when used together can save you a tone of cash!

While a suit must always fit well, it is exceptionally important when wearing a bright and flashy suit. If it is even slightly baggy, you can quickly go from a stylish man with a devil-may-care attitude to some wannabe pimp.  And nobody wants that!

Since the suit is doing all of the talking everything else must be simple. That is why I paired it with a simple light blue shirt, muted gingham bow tie and black blucher shoes. ( Here's a quick guide that explains the differences between men's dress shoes)

Aug 10th Green With Envy

Purple Satin Bow Tie $2.95 on Ebay

Dark Green Suit $19.99 at Goodwill

   Purple Windowpane Shirt $10 Kohls      Yellow Seersucker Pocket Square, leftover fabric from having suit hemmed

Cole Haan Air Colton Saddle shoes (brown and purple) $75 on Ebay retails $198

       Dark green is not a suit color that many people have in their closets, but they should.  Along with brown, mustard yellow, and burnt orange, dark or hunter green is a fall stable in any well dressed man's wardrobe, so why should he limit it to shirts, pants and accessories when it looks so damn good as a suit.

        While still conservative enough to wear to just about any place of business, it has enough flair to make you shine in a sea of blue, grey and , God forbid, black suits. Dark green is also very versatile, pairing well with just about any color.  I really like it with purple as you can see from the pictures above, but pink, blue, yellow and orange would also work well.

August 9th, Feeling Grey

Light Grey Suit- $19.99 from the Goodwill

 

Yellow shirt- Stafford $15   Blue Paisley Bow Tie-Stafford $10   Blue Gingham Pocket Square- $5 on Ebay

 

Black Tassel Loafers- Allen Edmonds Greyson $5 from the Goodwill (retails over $200)

No matter how bad your day is there is always time to stop and smell the flowers

       Got some bad news on Monday but that's not a reason to dress bad.  A light grey suit is a good option for guys who work at an office with a very conservative dress code. It both stands out while still falling into the grey and blue work uniform. The extremely subtle pattern on this suit just adds to the pizzazz.

       Guys have long worn white, blue and even pink dress shirts but they have always shied away from yellow. Well, I'm going to go on records and say that yellow dress shirts are sweet and  are going to be the new "it" shirt.  So go out and buy yourself one and be ahead of the trend!

August 5th OMG, White After Labor Day!!!

 

White Dockers  

Knit Tie $2 at Goodwill     Grey Suede Sebago Loafers $30 on Ebay

Bright Pink Blazer- $6.99 at Goodwill   Blue and White Stafford Shirt from JC Penny $17.99

      Pocket Square $8 from TheTieBar.com      Blue Tie Bar $1 from Antique Store (hand painted)

 

 



       The times they are a changin' and wearing white after Labor Day is no longer verboten; in fact, it is actually the new "hip" thing.  It is still summer until September 20th after all, it is still hot outside and hot weather calls for cool light colored clothing. This included white linen and seersucker.

        So until the weather regularly stays below 75, I am going to keep rocking all the damn white and seersucker I want and actually I'm going to wear my white jeans straight through the winter!

      Also, this bright pink blazer is my favorite thrift store find EVER!!!

August 4th The Green Monster

 

Light Green plaid suit- $19.99 at the Goodwill

Orange Flower Bow Tie by Stafford at JC Penny $10 on sale    Yellow and Orange Pocket Square $8 on TheTieBar.com

Skagen Watch- Gift from Amanda

Chestnut Brown Allen Edmonds Strand- $100 on Ebay  Retail- $395

 

There is no place in the world where you can find as awesome and as cheap clothes as at thrift stores. Goodwills are my favorite because they are clean and reliable. The Salvation Army and DAV also have great deals but I find them to be a little dingier. Church run and private thrift stores are even sketchier still but they often have extremely cheap prices and you can find hidden gems in them every once in a while.

 

People always ask me how I find such sweet things at thrift stores and I always tell them what an old man once told me about fishing, "The trick to catching more fish is  to fish more often ."   The same thing goes for thrift stores, you have to check them out every couple of day because there is only one of each thing at the thrift store and when it's gone, it's gone.

 

 Every second counts when it comes to thrifting. There have been numerous times when I saw someone grab something sweet right in front of me. But that's half the fun of thrift store shopping, "The Thrill of the Hunt."  Just don't go into a thrift store looking for something in particular because you will not find it.  

September 3rd Glen Plaiditude

Glen Plaid Suit by Stafford at JC Penny $45 on super sale

 

Light Blue Shirt by Stafford  at JC Penny $2.99 on super sale

Blue and Grey Polka Dot Bow Tie $5 on Ebay        White Pocket Square with Mustard Boarder $8 at TheTieBar.com

  

Brown Suede Double Monk Strap Shoes by Calvin Klein $45  at Belk.com

 

Glen plaid is sometimes nicknamed the Prince of Wales check, as it was popularized by the Duke of Windsor when Prince of Wales.

It is the perfect pattern for someone who is just starting to venture into the world of patterned suits because it is subtle design of small and large checks, usually made of black/grey and white, or with more muted colors, particularly with two dark and two light stripes alternate with four dark and four light stripes which creates a crossing pattern of irregular checks. From a distance some glen plaids even look like solid grey.

 

I suggest treating a glen plaid suit like a solid color suit, it works well with just about every color as well as large patterns.

 

Other than thrift store, you can find some of the best deals around at JC Penny.  The store's main brands, Stafford, Stafford Prep, and JCP have begun making very nice looking clothes in a modern slimmer fit. Many people still think of JC Penny as a second rate clothing store, this allows a lot of the best clothes to hang around long enough to go on super sale. Never pay full price for anything at JC Penny!



August 30th Give a Cheer for Seer- Sucker

Checking out our wedding site

 

Affazy Yellow Seersucker Suit- $200 on Ebay

 

White Oxford Shirt- Bill Blass $10 on sale at Macy's    Handmade Floral Bow Tie

An up close look of my handywork

Mark McNairy Blue Suede Tassel Loafers with Yellow Sole -$100 on Ebay  retails for $398

look who came to check out the photo shoot

 



Seersucker, a summer staple in the South, loved by some and hated by others. Much like summer, seersucker is best between Memorial Day and Labor Day but with today's changing fashion trends it is now acceptable to wear in late Spring to early Fall if the Temperature is above 80.

 

Check out this link for a brief history of this summery fabric: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seersucker

 

I love seersucker, almost to a fault. I own a suit in just about every color, pink, orange, yellow, blue, green, and red. Crazy, I know, but I love it. Not only is it bright and fun, it is also very light and airy.

As with other bold patters, seersucker is best with a plain shirt and a more subtle tie.