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

Wardrobe Upgrade for Spring, Part 2

I was pleased when I picked up my warm-weather blazer from my tailor last week. In addition to a few fitment tweaks that are occasional necessities from season to season, I had him apply some lovely mother-of-pearl buttons to the jacket in lieu of the traditional polished brass jobbers that I don't exactly fancy. The results are lovely, although the photograph (photo 1) does not exactly capture the subtle nuances of the lustre of the M.O.P.

I put together a casual spring ensemble as well showcasing the jacket (photos 2 & 3) to try and illustrate the versatility of the lighter buttons. The blazer can, of course, also be worn in any other circustance where one would wear a navy blazer, be it with khakis and a button-down collar shirt for an old-school preppy aesthetic, or with dressier grey trousers and a tailored spread collar shirt for more formality. As shown here, the less conventional M.O.P. buttons allow the perfect "reason" for the blazer to accompany a more casual ensemble, and dress up casual wear without appearing too pretentious.

In photo 2, notice the brightly colored shirt under the plaid button-down. This shirt accents some of the color in the plaid, but also allows for a nice layering of colors, an effect achieved by the luminescent buttons first, followed by the colorful plaid, and finally the brightly colored "under" shirt. Note also the pocket square, which, in the wake of the casual wear returns a little bit of "respectablility" to the blazer. This ensemble is not designed necessarily to be the point behind the post, but I'd previously mentioned a follow-up to the last reader's question post about spring-wear and wanted to include some images that might inspire ways to let that blazer with M.O.P. buttons shine this spring. Ultimately, I'd love to see some reader's looks that make use of white buttons as well. Send any pictures of your inspired outfits for spring on to me and we'll get them posted.

Thanks for tuning in.

Cheers!

-Paul

More on Domenico Vacca

Okay... I can't leave Domenico Vacca's mention in a post about Will Ferrell. These videos pay homage to the work of the man himself. Keep in mind that the stitching shown in these videos is designed to be highly visible in order to show detail. It can be kept as bold or as inconspicuous as a client desires.

Reader Question: Wardrobe Upgrade for Spring

Paul- Thanks for keeping this blog going. I Enjoy it very much. I am seeing a lot of advertising for the Spring 2010 wardrobe already. I feel like I just got done buying for fall and winter and am a little overwhelmed. Is there a simple way to make some of what I already have more oriented toward spring without buying a whole new wardrobe? I have a navy blazer that I wear a lot, and it's an all-season fabric. What can I wear with this to look like I'm keeping up?
Thanks, Nate P. -Auburn, Georgia
Thank you, Nate, for writing in. You pose a terrific question. I too have my regrets about the dawn of a new season. I always look forward to fall and winter, especially because of the way this time of year lends itself to layering colors and textures. I always find myself excited when spring is around the corner, because I get to break out some of the things that have just been hanging around in my closet for six months, but then I become quickly bored with the warmer weather and feel like I have to buy more stuff.

Now that we are in a recession from hell thanks to frivolous government spending and the transference of the burden onto the American taxpayer, "buying more stuff" is becoming less and less of an option. The nation is stressed and its people are strapped. It's time to "re-purpose" your already existing wardrobe. Here is one thing I have in mind, regarding the navy blazer you mentioned.

I assume when you said that your blazer is constructed of an "all-season" fabric that it is a tropical wool or a cotton blazer. I have one of these, too. Because I have a heavier worsted wool blazer which I wear in colder months, I typically reserve my tropical wool blazer for spring, summer, and early fall. When I got it it was, of course, adorned with shiny brass buttons. I'm not a big fan of brass buttons, as cheap and expensive blazers alike bear them, so I like something a little different to make my jacket more unique. My cool weather blazer sports antique silver buttons. My tailor is currently tweaking my spring wardrobe, and I'm having him add white mother-of-pearl buttons (see photo 1) to my warm weather blazer (yes, the one pictured has a hole in it where the pearl was over-polished. That's why I have it to photograph and my tailor doesn't have it to attach to my jacket!).

I suggest this for you as well. You can always change the buttons back when the weather gets cooler again, or you can leave them as is, but white buttons can be found for little expense and will completely change the look of your blazer. I will post pics of the finished product when I pick the blazer up, but for now, here is a pic (photo 2, borrowed from The Sartorialist) of a gentleman rocking the navy blazer with white buttons. As you can see, this lightens up a wardrobe staple and gears it toward the warmer season.

As far as the advertising for Spring 2010 goes, on this blog I try to focus more on enduring style rather than what is being pushed in the fashion world. Anything that I suggest is going to be geared more towards consistency and timelessness. I will talk about "Spring", but not about a particular year. We want to be able to "build" a wardrobe, and not to cycle things out season after season. Now certain colors, for example, may be used more by designers in a particular year, and at that point, wearing a tie or scarf comprised of "in the now" colors will make all of the timeless elements of your wardrobe look more current. That's cool. But trends should be avoided like the plague. The Day-Glo colors that were popular last spring? Done and gone. Popular when Back to the Future II came out, and then popular last year. Try to focus more on what will look good each spring rather than this spring. The white blazer buttons are a perfect example.

Add light colors to your ensemble by way of ties and pocket squares. A pair of white chinos would be a good thing to invest in for the spring and summer as well, as they will work with every thing from your navy blazer to a t-shirt and boat shoes (photos 3, 4, and 5 attest to their versatility... these photos are also property of The Sartorialist). With maybe one or two new purchases, what you have will work wonders for you. Start by hunting down some new buttons. Let me know how you do! Cheers!

Stefano Ricci

Stefano Ricci has designed men’s clothing for over 30 years. His line, with suits costing up to $30,000, is considered the most luxurious and expensive in the world. Enjoy this video, and experience the paramount of Italian luxury clothing. Cheers!
-Paul

Stylish Promise

Hello all. The upcoming film From Paris With Love, featuring John Travolta as a bald, goateed, trigger-happy CIA assassin and Johnathan Rhys Meyers as his desk-jockey straight man looks like it could be awful. The previews hint at huge amounts of novelty with questionable substance. It also looks as if it could be fantastic. It could be the perfect blend of action and witty dialogue. It could be Travolta's best work in this genre since 1997's Face/Off with Nicholas Cage, where both actors faced the challenge of playing each other's character and had to learn two sets of mannerisms, facial expressions, and speech patterns (masterfully done, even if in a heavy-action/not-so-heavy substance piece).
What the film does appear to promise to be is stylish. Set design looks impeccable. Travolta's bohemian-tough guy makes perfect use of leather jackets and scarves, while Rhys Meyers is draped in suits of impeccable tailoring. Here is a clip from the film, not seen on TV. You all be the judge, and let me know what you think of the coming attraction.
Cheers,
Paul

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

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

Gay Talese: Save the Tailors

Gay Talese, pioneer of journalism as we know it today, shares his affinity for tailored clothing. I have seen other bloggers post this video, but Gay's message here is very dear to me, as I do very much the same thing that he endorses in this video. I needed it on this site as well.

The emphasis in this video is not so much on bespoke clothing, but on stimulating the tailors' craft by using their wealth of skill and knowledge to personalize your existing wardrobe. The little details that Gay stresses in this video are what make tailors so important to the well-dressed man... especially to the man who wants his own personal style to shine through in his clothing.

In this video, Talese shares some of the personal touches he has had his tailors apply to his clothing, such as changing the color of the threads surrounding buttonholes on his jackets. I myself have had similar adjustments made to my own clothing prior to seeing this video, so I appreciate another man's love of the tailor's trade being made so mainstream.

It is true that tailors are a dying breed, which is saddening. "Alterationists" are a dime a dozen; the local dry cleaner can usually hem trousers or remove extra fabric from the seat of your pants. I prefer to have my work done by a tailor, one who could build me a custom suit or shirt if I asked him to. It is the tailor that transforms your garments not by hacking them up and sewing the seam, but by deconstructing the piece and lovingly recrafting it.

Save the tailors. Follow the Gay Talese "stimulus plan" to keep this wonderful species alive.

Until next time,
Cheers.
-Paul