Great Tips from Sid Mashburn

Check out the link below for a video of great tips from one of Atlanta, Georgia's premier clothiers, Sid Mashburn. Sid combines the best from Italian, English, and American Prep styles to create a winning look. Selected as one of GQ Magazine's 10 most stlish men last year, the words of Sid Mashburn will take you far in the realm of men's style. The video link supplied briefly covers essential clothing pieces, plus how to get some utility out of your dressier wardrobe items. Check it out!
Sid Mashburn Video

Getting Good (Sleeve) Head

Many off-the-rack suits feature shoulders that are heavily padded. That's just the way it is. A shoulder pad can hide less than fantastic workmanship, and also provides an artificial structure for a suit maker to build from. Even very high-end off-the-rack suits may feature shoulder pads because of the lack of the buyer being present when the suit is constructed. The same is the case for made-to-measure and semi-bespoke suits. Simply stated, without the customer present it is hard to build a flattering shoulder on a suit jacket or sport coat.

There was a dark age in sartorial history when large shoulder pads were in style, but thank God, we've moved on from those days of yore. I mention frequently the importance of finding a good tailor. A good tailor is one that is not only adept at performing alterations, but one who is also a custom tailor... meaning he can build a custom suit or shirt for you himself if commissioned. I have such a tailor who does fantastic work. The nice thing about having such a resource is that your custom tailor can restructure a jacket shoulder for you as if he were building your suit bespoke.

There are two main types of shoulder sleeve heads that one will encounter (there are more, but in the absence of padding they are all a variation on one of these two) on a jacket. The first (photo 1) is a natural shoulder. The natural shoulder follows the curvature of your actual shoulder beneath the jacket. The line between torso and sleeve is relatively smooth (sometimes the area where the sleeve is attached shows pleating, as in Neapolitan sleeve heads. I will cover the Neapolitan sleeve head on its own in a future post). There is no shoulder padding necessary as the jacket sleeves are fashioned almost like shirt sleeves. This type of sleeve head can be found on Ivy-league, preppy-style clothing as offered by Southwick or J. Press, and can also be found in some Italian tailoring (again, we will cover the clothing of Naples in the near future).

The other main type of sleeve head is the roped shoulder (photo 2). The roped shoulder gets its name because of the bump where the sleeve attaches to the torso, appearing as if a rope lays beneath the fabric of the sleeve. The roped shoulder needs to fall exactly where the picture shows, which is why having the wearer of the suit present when the jacket is being made is exceptionally helpful. This can be done with very accurate measuring in made-to-measure wear, but pads are often still employed since the fabric is not following the lines of an actual body upon construction.

I must say that some guys will be able to get suits or blazers/sport coats off-the-rack that fit them perfectly in the shoulders and the body. All designers use fit models (or an individual on whose form a suit pattern is based) when styling and designing suits, so if a lucky guy's size and stature match up with a fit model, score. For most of us, however, we require skilled tailors to make a suit or jacket look as if it was made for us. My tailor has done it for me, and the pictures on this post are examples. Find one who makes it his personal mission to flatter your form, and stick with him. Visit him often, and keep his fine craft alive.
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

Mixing it Up

Many men refer to breaking up a suit as one of the cardinal sins of dressing. Wearing an orphaned suit jacket with odd trousers can look very bad when done incorrectly, but when done right can look quite nice. The suit's fabric is what makes the difference between right and wrong. Today we will focus on doing it right. Here, the same suit is used to make two different outfits.
When mixing it up, it is best to use fabrics in a plaid or a windowpane, as these patterns are ideal for sportcoats. I like windowpane, because the suit can be worn together in the office for an all-business look, but then one can ditch the tie and open the collar and head to a cocktail party. Splitting a windowpane suit up and wearing the jacket and trousers separately also lends itself to both dignified and casual looks. Here is my opinion on how to do it.
When wearing the trousers only, keep your upper half a little dressier. Wear a tie and a jacket, because the suit trousers are going to formalize the rest of your ensemble.
When wearing the jacket only, you have a little bit more lattitude to keep the rest of the outfit casual. Skip the tie, throw in a pocket square, and sport some trousers that do not combat the jacket. In both instances, the suit garment should be the only pattern; do not wear jackets and trousers with other patterns on them. You don't want to look like an optical illusion. A pattern in your shirt is ok, as long as it is different in scale (and hopefully different in type) than the pattern on your jacket or trousers.
I find that a striped shirt can look just fine (or even fantastic) with a windowpane jacket, but I would keep the shirt plain with windowpane trousers. The trousers have enough pattern on their own for the shirt to be competing with them. A subtle pattern in your tie is fine, however. Busy pants don't mean everything else has to be completely bland.
Try it out and let me know what you think!
Until next time,
Cheers!
-Paul

There's Always a Silver (or Paisley) Lining

Hello again! This entry can be subtitled "Going Custom part Deux", as once again I will be singing the praises of a gem of a custom clothier, Astor & Black. My most recent suit from these guys met all of my expectations, and after establishing a relationship with my local representative, I felt open to being a little bit more creative (and might we say... daring) than I had when designing my last suit.

The beautiful Bemberg lining is my favorite part; in a custom suit, the details that I care about are all hidden.

A wild lining is hidden until you want it to be. This one, I fell in love with (see picture). One of the cool things about Astor & Black suits is that the lining is also used as the interior of the breast pocket, which when turned inside out, can serve as a pocket square. How cool is that?

In addition to a bitchin' lining, I was able to choose slanted pocket flaps, and had the shoulders cut in the neopolitan style, with a natural slope and slightly ruffled sleevehead. I also chose contrast stitching for the first buttonholes on my surgeon cuffs. Choice.

And the best part is... I've paid more for off-the-peg suits. This one is bespoke. Rock on! Visit astorandblack.com to setup a no-obligation consultation with your local representative, and check out some of their wares. The site has pics! This is not an advertisement, but rather an endorsement for a firm that pairs custom clothing and affordability, making exceptionally high quality available to any man. If your job requires you to buy suits at all, you can afford a suit by Astor & Black. This is a company that I believe in.

Until next time, Cheers!

Paul

Going Custom

Hi again!

Today is a post very important to me, because it affects so many men and women with the style bug. There is really nothing quite like the feel of custom-made clothing. It used to be that one had to spend incredible amounts of money to be able to enjoy the luxuries of clothing made to fit no one other than oneself. Those days are gone, thanks to the incredible value of Astor & Black Custom Clothiers.

Astor & Black makes suits, shirts, topcoats, sweaters, ties... the list goes on. They also carry top-quality American made shoes by Allen Edmonds and top-quality English shoes by Loake. Astor & Black is actually the only U.S. retailer who carries Loake, favored by actors such as Kevin Spacey and Paul Bettany, and baring the badge of unsurpassable honor for an English company: appointment by Her Majesty the Queen.

The suits are second to none. Any imaginable feature is included in the price of the suit: functional buttonholes on sleeves (surgeon cuffs), pick-stitching, Bemberg linings from conservative to outlandish, button-flies, slide tabs, bull-horn buttons, your choice of jacket vent style, suit cut... once again, the list goes on.

The suits are all fully canvassed, rather that fused or glued, meaning the fabric is draped over a canvass cut to the contours of ones' body that the suit fabric "floats" over, allowing the suit to form to the body. Many suits (even some made by Armani!) are constructed by gluing (or "fusing") the outer cloth to stiffer fabrics to give form. Over time, or when the suit gets wet, the fabrics can separate and the glue can bubble and ripple (at this point the fused suit is ruined).

Astor & Black's representatives come to your home or office for a complimentary fitting and deliver your suit to you upon completion. Satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Fabric options include Scabal, Versace, Dormeuil, and many others. Here's the best part: the suit prices start at $500, which one would be lucky to pay for a decent off-the-rack suit.

You may consider this to be an endorsement of compromise, but I assure you; I am a very satisfied customer, and am not on the payroll. Check out the website: http://www.astorandblack.com/ to find a representative near you. There are package deals featured with unbeatable value. But I must worn you: once you go custom, you won't go back to the rack!

Pictured is a shot of my rep (David Watkins) and me, both wearing Astor & Black suits and shirts (click on the photo to enlarge for detail).

Until next time,

Cheers!

Paul