It's New Year's Eve! Learn to Tie a Proper Bow Tie!

Hello all! I hope you've all made designated driver/taxi plans for the evening! I very well may be staying in tonight, as I believe the police will be out in droves and a cab would be rather costly with all the stops I would have to make. If any of you are heading out this evening, I'm sure some will be attending the type of event where a bow tie should be part of one's ensemble. Pre-tied bow ties can be tempting for those who have not yet learned how to tie one, but a real, hand-tied bow tie is oh so much better!

Why not take this opportunity to learn to tie a proper bow tie? Even if you don't use your new-found knowledge this evening, the skill will come in handy someday when you don't have to wear an obviously fake pleated satin piece of crap. Bow ties are reaching a resurgence, and thanks to Ralph Lauren, Andre 3000, Jay-Z, Band of Outsiders and Brooks Brothers, they are epitomizing every type of cool from old-school prepster to rapper chic. You need at least one.
Today, compliments of GQ Rules, Band of Outsiders designer Scott Sternberg shows you the way to tie a bow tie correctly. The video has great angles and is one of the best I've found. Check it out. You still have plenty of time to practice before this evening.
Cheers, and Happy New Year!
-Paul

Making Your Skin Crawl

Hello again; pardon the sebatical! The week has been quite busy. I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas. Today we're talking belts. I used to think that a man needed only one belt in his wardrobe: a reversible belt, brown on one side and black on the other, with a swiveling buckle allowing for an easy change between colors. Then, my shoe wardrobe began to expand, and I realized that different shades of brown required different belts. There is no way for one to appear as if he knows how to dress when his chocolate-brown wingtips are paired with with reversible belt "stock" chili-brown.

So I began to collect belts in varying shades of brown, keeping my reversible belt for use with black shoes, which I wear much less often. After amassing sufficient brown shoes and belts to match, I began acquiring more black shoes, and realized that a chintzy, reversible belt made my good shoes look cheap, and that one high quality black belt was required to complete my collection. I chose the belt in the bottom photo, a sleek looking alligator number from Ralph Lauren, with a silver buckle (if you don't wear gold jewelry, buy only silver buckles: NO gold). This did it. Not only does the belt look great, but simply having it inspires me to wear black shoes more often.

All of that being said (and thank you for bearing with my brief history of accessory consumption), I wanted to offer a suggestion for finding a classy belt. Exotic skins, such as lizard (top picture) or the aforementioned alligator are a little bit dressier than the smooth calf-leather belts that are more commonly seen. They can, however, be dressed down and worn with jeans. I like the exotic skins because they set the wearer apart a little bit more from the rest of the crowd. Everyone and their proverbial brothers sport belts without any character. Grab some attention from those who want to give it by having an accessory that pops!

Do remember, though, that it is very important that one invests in good belts. Cheap belts may be initially easy on the wallet, but the corrected grain leather (if leather at all: a lot are "pleather") will show wear very quickly and will crack and crease. The belt will eventually require disposal, but before it's thrown away the inferior belt will diminish the overall appearance of a polished outfit, cheapening the look of every other component.

One doesn't need to spend a fortune. Genuine alligator belts cost several hundred dollars, but high-quality embossed leather belts can be found for well under $100. One of the belts pictured above is the genuine article, and the other is embossed leather. Can you tell which is which? My lips are sealed, but the one that sells for well under $100 is still of exceptional quality. Just resist the temptation to spend ten bucks on a dress belt. You're all worth more than that.

Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

Fashionably Functional

Merry Christmas, guys. I hope the holiday shopping is not breaking you this year. With a freshly printed bonus check freshly deposited in my bank account, I am finally prepared to nab a thing or two. Today's post, however, is not a holiday gift guide. In fact, it has nothing to do with shopping at all (unless you're still shopping around for a proper tailor). Today is about little details that work. Function is our topic today, so here goes!

I am a huge proponent of the importance of function when it comes to my clothing. I like things to work the way that they appear they're supposed to. I wear a pocket square or pocket linen in the breast pocket of my sport coats because that's what the pockets are there for; they are designed to be functional and to display either a somber or brightly colored kerchief. I don't like snaps that are cleverly designed to look like buttons (my toddler's closet is riddled with clothing sporting this "feature"), and I really don't like buttons that are just sewn onto the sleeves of my jackets, serving no purpose other than sheer ornamentation.

I have some very nice jackets that have ornamental sleeve buttons, and for the price of some of them, one would think that all of the little details should be functional. This can be fixed, however, and I am in the process of making the correction to all of my jackets that didn't come with functional button holes (or "surgeon cuffs," as they're properly called) to start with. When you're looking for a tailor, find one who can, either by hand or by machine, add functional button holes to your jacket cuffs. I have had this done to about five or six of my blazers or sport coats (see photo), and I just love knowing that they work correctly.

Being a bit of a dandy, I like to leave one or two of my sleeve buttons unfastened (some purists may call this an affectation or a grotesque display of vanity, but I don't like those people anyway), allowing the sleeve to open a little bit more freely, and having the surgeon cuff procedure performed on my jackets gives me the freedom to do so. If it ain't your thing, fine. I don't think that a well made jacket looks like a poorly made jacket if the cuff buttons aren't functional, and conversely, crappy Malaysian-made wares that do have functional button holes don't necessarily look to be well made. Having surgeon cuffs certainly doesn't guarantee quality. But I like mine to work so I'm working it out.

A caution if you plan on having this done, however; make sure you will require no adjustment to the length of your sleeves prior to having the button holes made, or have the length adjusted at the same time. Once the new button holes are made, your length cannot be changed without great expense, if it can be changed at all.
I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas. Someone pass the eggnog!

Cheers,
-Paul

Just in Time for Christmas: The official "Iron Man 2" Trailer!

Here it is, just released, courtesy of marvel.com... The official trailer for Iron Man 2. The movie releases May 7, 2010. Dig Mickey Rourke as Whiplash... this flick appears to be bad ass. I can't wait. Oh, and nice suit on Robert Downey Jr. in the opening court room scene...

The "Everyday" Watch

In Esquire magazine's Novemeber issue, attention was given to watches; specifically on building one's watch wardrobe to include a weekend watch, an everyday watch, and then the more exotic "Third" and "Fourth" watches. To focus on the majority of us who want maximum versatility, I wanted to emphasize today the importance of the "Everyday Watch," which should work well with casual wear as well as a two-piece suit and well-shined shoes.

The everyday watch should be professional and sensible, but at the same time, need not be a slim and uncomplicated dressy number. The everday watch should do more than tell you just the hour and the minute: functionality is very important here, so select a watch with one or more complications. To simplify the definition, complications are any features on the dial of a watch that do something other than tell the time. The most common complication is a date window, allowing one to reference the date as well as the time. Sometimes watches display a day of the week as well, which would serve as yet another complication.

Chronographs (stopwatch capabilites) are a handy feature, allowing us to get slightly indulgent when measuring elapsed time (yes, indulgent: you will at some point clock the time of everything from your coffee break to your convenience store run, no matter how unimportant the data). Automatic chronograph watches can get quite pricey, so this will probably mean searching for a nicer quartz version, but this will also insure paramount accuracy.

For an everyday watch, durability is also key. The amount of wear the watch receives may lend itself better to a metal band rather that leather; leather may wear like iron but can over the days and weeks and months and years get a little... funky. I'm sure you know what I mean.

The last (and possibly the most important) feature one should require for his everyday watch is an analog readout. We're looking for a professional watch that gives your credibility at the office here, so save the digital watch for the weekend. I repeat; "Your everyday watch should absolutely not be digital".

My everyday watch is shown above, and while I used to cycle through a multitude of watches throughout the week, this quartz chronograph from Swiss manufacturer Ebel has become my old trusty and works with about anything I could wear, short of a tuxedo. It measures elapsed hours, minutes, seconds, and get this... tenths of a second... the perfect feature to allow exceptional indulgence when clocking my coffee breaks.
Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

Ralph Lauren at GILT

Here is a Paul Walters on Style Public Service Announcement: Through midnight tomorrow Ralph Lauren footwear, as well as Purple Label garments and ties, are available heavily discounted at Gilt Group, an online members-only retailer who specializes in exceptionally high-end products at up to 70% off. If you're not a member, that's ok. Click the link below for an exclusive invitation.
http://www.giltman.com/invite/paulwaltersabc
Cheers!
-Paul

Winter Weather Shoe Solutions

So here's the problem: Winter is approaching fast, and is sure to bring with it gnarly sidewalk and street conditions. Icy, possibly snowy, and plenty of slushy wet streets are in our future. This can be particularly dangerous for folks who appreciate the aesthetics of proper dress shoes, which when equipped with leather soles are not the best at providing traction on slick walkways. Ugly, thick rubber soles detract from the appearance of quality in a dress shoe, and are usually found on more casual shoes or cheaper dress shoes.

Today, readers, I offer a solution.

There are high-quality shoe makers who make shoes with lug-soled rubber that sits atop a leather sole, still maintaining a slim silhouette when your shoes are viewed from the top or side. Two examples are shown here; a chocolate brown wingtip by Ralph Lauren, and a black oxford by Allen Edmonds. Each of these maintains a classy, high-end appearance while giving the wearer a weapon against the hazards of adverse weather conditions. Each of these shoes is still constructed with a Goodyear Welt, rather than having a gaudy and clunky rubber sole glued to the bottom of an inferior shoe. The Allen Edmonds are shown at the top of the post and the Ralph Laurens are shown below, both from the top, and then the bottom allowing a view of the silhouette and then the secret weapon. Go out and snag yourself a pair!

Until next time,

Cheers!

-Paul

Winter Staple: The Flannel Suit

'Tis the season to be jolly... and freakin' cold! The time of year is here where we're breaking out scarves, gloves, hats and topcoats to stave off the biting-cold temperatures. And good for us, lovers of style, that many of these items make great accessories. But what about the days when it's cold but not frigid; when there isn't any frost on your car windows in the morning but your breath still condenses in front of you? When gloves would be unnecessary and scarves cumbersome? At times like these one can stay warm, and remain comfortable throughout the day with the right choice of a suit.

The flannel suit (shown here with a lovely chalk-stripe pattern) is precisely the right thing to wear. Now, don't get me wrong... it works great with scarves and gloves and topcoats, but can stand alone as the perfect, uncomplicated cold weather barrier. The fabric alone shows that one knows how to dress for winter, and the character of the cloth's weight is both attractive and comforting.

Flannel suits work best in charcoals and grays. The color is complimentary to the texture of the material as well as the cool of the season in which we wear them. I think they work especially well with a crisp white shirt and pocket square (if wearing a pocket square). Often times a tonal gray tie that compliments the suit material is worn as well. A wool or rougher texture tie also shows that one knows how to dress for the colder weather, and emphasizes the texture of the suit (see photo 2, compliments of TheSartorialist).

The nice thing about charcoals and grays is that a wide array of shoes can be worn with them as well, from black to brown and from smooth calf to reverse calf (suede). Note also in TheSartorialist's photo the pairing of a suede chukka boot with the flannel suit. Again, because the texture of suede is complimentary to that of the flannel, this pairing works splendidly.

If a new cold weather suit is on the horizon for you, try one in flannel. It will wear like iron, last for years to come, and always be the perfect choice for colder seasons.

Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

Required Listening: Hold On, by Tom Waits

Regular readers know of my love for the music of Tom Waits, and I felt that another of his songs was due for viewers of this site. 1999's Hold On From the album "Mule Variations" brought Tom Waits to a broader listener base, as the song was not quite as quirky and industrially experimental sounding as much of Waits's other work.

His voice is still somewhat gravelly, the video still somewhat avant garde, but the song is mellow and very listenable; the imagery conjured by the lyrics very iconic, and the song is very good. Simple and straight-forward. Enjoy.

The Plaidness Madness

Hello again all. I hope the Thanksgiving holiday was wonderful for all of you. The ensuing holiday chaos coupled with my charge of leading sales training seminars last month made my writings sparse, and I offer my most humble apology. I am now trying to get back into regular postings, so thank you for bearing with me. I figured I would start off December with the mention of a look that I've seen quite a lot this season, and after trying it out, I think the look works great!

Dress up the plaid shirt. With a suit or a nice blazer or sport coat, the right plaid shirt and tie combo is great for injecting color into an ensemble. With a suit, basic navy, black, or gray works best. Since the pattern in the shirt is pretty bold, one should abstain from a patterned suit, be it stripes or checks, regardless of pattern scale. You don't want to look like an optical illusion. With a sport coat, a faint pattern works, but the tie and the pants should be solid to balance out the look and avoid a case of ocular malaise... unless you want to look like a patchwork quilt.

When the pants and jacket are solid one can sport a patterned tie, but again, the busy nature of plaid requires an ode to minimalism. Bold stripes or a repeating logo should be the extent of the pattern. Stick with a dark tie and pick up one of the colors from the shirt, as I've done with navy in the pictured examples (click for large images). Have some fun with it though. The look works, so make it work for you.

Until next time,

Cheers!

-Paul