Kenneth Cole Video Style Guide – The Big Meeting
KennethCole.com just launched a new video style guide that will give us the public, suggestions on what to wear for a variety of occasions. Kenneth Cole is easily one of the more style-forward affordable brands on the market. So the notion of getting picks from their line and their style experts, well, it honestly got some of us a little excited.
The first installment includes their suggestions for what to wear to a big meeting at work. Perfect. Their athletic cut, almost natural shoulder suits are some of the best out there for under $400. Get lucky on Overstock.com and you could snag one for as little as $150.
So I clicked the button, the video began to roll, and after two minutes it was over. And honestly, I was left scratching my head thinking: “What the hell was that?”
Seems like they all could use a little practice. But it’s their first one. They’ll get better. Here’s our take…
What they Got RIGHT:
The Portfolio – Roma Flap Over $328.00
Kenneth Cole makes some great looking business cases. Black, simple, silver hardware. Expensive, but perfect.
The Shoes – Mister Man Oxfords – $255.00
No stitching on the toe makes it modern. Good shine but NOT patent leather makes it stand out. Pricey.
The Watch – Chronograph – $150.00
Black strap to match the shoes, bright white face. Chronograph gives it character. Inexpensive.
The Shirt – Solid Slim Fit – $59.50
Slim fit with a bit of stretch. Semi Spread color. Classic White. That’s precisely what you want.
The Belt – Xtreme Reversible – $45.00
Simple buckle, leather matches the shoes. Nothing wrong with that.
Business Card Case – Just in Case – $35.00
You NEED to have a business card case. Keep the corners of your cards sharp.
What they Got WRONG:
The Suit – NO: Black – $198 Jacket & $98.00 Pants | YES: Gray –$198 Jacket & $98.00 Pants
Black? It’s not a funeral. And you’re probably not trying out for “Reservoir Dogs 2.” Yes a black suit is what most guys reach for when they’re buying their first suit. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Look at the gray jacket right next to it. Much classier. A Navy Blue is even better. Black can look dirty brown under a lot of lighting, and it’s also boring. You also can’t wear a black or mainly gray tie with a black suit… or… well… maybe you can try…
The Tie – NO: Colorblock Stripe – $49.50 | YES: Solid Satin – $49.50
Yep. They tried. The Kenneth Cole brand can sometimes… try a little too hard. This gray color block tie is a perfect example of that. The stripes are all over the place. Not just kinda varying in thickness, but drastically, hugely, annoyingly varying in thickness. The tie is a total mess. And when paired with a black suit it’ll shove you in a world of monochrome. Keep your ties plain, pin dot, or with some well placed stripes. See the tie on the right? Also by Kenneth Cole. Stick with a tie like that and you’ll look like a guy who has some experience dressing with class. Chose the tie on the left which is just trying a little too hard to be edgy, and you’ll end up looking like a dude who’d rather be wearing his favorite No Fear t-shirt. And no I don’t know if they still make those.
Too harsh? Maybe. Just the humble opinion of one Affordable Men’s Style website. I am already looking forward to their next installment, and everything really is open for debate. Except for that awful tie.
(your thoughts?)
well the key word there is “power”
black is the business power suit color
i was hoping white collared blue shirt with a big ass yellow tie
POOWWWWEERRRR
Completely agree with the tie. For a big meeting, interview, etc., you want one that someone will notice and then immediately forget about–one with conservative flare maybe. I agree with the suit being gray or navy as well. If you want to add some flair, where some darker brown shoes with a gray suit–GQ highly recommends this.
glad I’m not the only one who thought so. Definitely…trying too hard.
Good review on what you actually thought of the clothes. I couldn’t even get that far…I was too caught up in how terrible everything else was. Robotic stylists included.