Some questions are better answered publicly since others might be asking the same thing, or, one of you has the perfect answer. If you’ve got a style tip, question, or anything else you’d like to pass along, you can send those in here. If you’d rather your question not be featured in a future mailbag, just go ahead and say so in your email. Feel free to hit the comments with other options for answers to this most recent batch of questions. Top Photo Credit: Tracy O.
Q: Have you heard of 20Jeans.com?
I discovered 20jeans.com today (I have no affiliation). They offer a variety of jeans for $20 and chinos for $30 ($5 shipping/item, free shipping on orders over $100) I called in today to get more details, and the customer service is great with a live person picking up the phone right away. Have you tried them yet? – Serge
Here’s the thing about inertia and clothing choices. It seems to be extra strong when it comes to denim. Especially if you’re happy with what you’ve got / what you usually get. I’m one of those guys that lives in jeans, and they’re either 501s or 514s in different stages of the deep navy “tumbled rigid” color. But I did order a pair of those Gustin jeans lately as a splurge (haven’t showed up yet). Just sort of wary of the “we save you money by cutting out the middle man!” line. That’s getting used a lot lately. Thoughts from you guys? Anyone order from 20jeans yet?
Q: The Double Tux Conundrum
I’m getting married in October and I’d like to wear a tuxedo. At my age (37 makes me feel like one of the more senior grooms around), it seems like something a gent should own rather than rent? Do you have any guidelines for what to look for? And secondly, as a same-sex couple, I’ve seen some great photos where both guys wear the same thing, but that seems a little matchy matchy for us (We’re partners, not twins). Maybe we could start with the same tux and then one have a long tie and one with a bow, ways to coordinate but not match? – Chris
Congrats! And… this is a tough one. I don’t even like leaving the house with Mrs. Dappered when she and I are matching head to toe in the same color palate (say, brown shoes, dark jeans, grey sweaters). So to be wearing exactly the same thing as your partner on your wedding day? Yeah. No thanks. But at the same time, the purpose of black tie is to provide a uniform for the gents. Doesn’t mean there isn’t some leeway though. Like the idea about bow & necktie. But what about mismatching lapels? You in peak, he in a shawl? Maybe contrasting bow ties not in color (black) but in width? Try a few different combos. And yeah, I say buy it. Stop in at Suitsupply and see what they can offer. Keep an eye on Hilfiger at Macy’s for less expensive options.
Q: Yea or Nay for Topman?
I’ve been looking at some of the items that they have for sale at Topman, and they’re quite enticing. However, I have yet to really see the product shown on any models. What do you think of them? Yea or Nay? Thanks! – Kyle
Nay for me personally. As a bit of a minimalist who’s got some meat on his frame, Topman just doesn’t cross my own personal radar that often. Every once in awhile they carry something that would fit in most of our closets, but more often than not they seem like the Urban Outfitters clothing section drunk on Seagrams. Really trendy and really tight. Not real adult. But I might be totally wrong here. Guys?
Q: The shirt with awful wrinkles.
In the past I would take all of my shirts to the cleaners to have them laundered and pressed or dry cleaned. However, I noticed that a lot of people on Dappered mention washing their own shirts. The problem is, whenever I wash a shirt in my laundry machine and hang dry it, it comes out looking horribly wrinkled and I can’t seem to use my iron to get it looking wearable again, so I inevitably take it in to the cleaners. Am I doing something wrong? – Jose
Now’s a good time to give this “how to iron” post a quick look. When I first started ironing my own shirts, it never occurred to me that steam was a key component to releasing the wrinkles, along with heat and pressure. A dry shirt and a dry hot iron = not the best combination. Maybe your iron’s steam mechanism is plugged? You also might want to dry your shirts for just a bit in the dryer, and then get to ironing them when they’re still damp. Letting it dry all the way lets those wrinkles from the agitating and spin cycle “set” into the cotton. There’s always looking for another brand of shirt too. Some shirts just wrinkle like hell.
Q: What kinds of denim, if any, are good for summer?
I am not very privy to the idea of summer denim, but I’ve seen some articles about it lately. What do you think? Summer seems pretty hot for jeans. – Josh
Some consider the word “jeans” to mean a style of pant (5-pocket) that doesn’t necessarily have to be dark, heavy denim. That said, lighter wash denim seem to be making a bit of a comeback for spring and summer. But it’s hard to go wrong with a pair of off-white 5-pockets in a mid to lightweight canvas-like material. Try Banana Republic’s vintage straight 5-pocket pant. While they don’t have the 5-pocket styling, Stafford Prep’s chinos are a bit more casual with their middle weight cloth. There are also splurge pieces like the pair from Simon Spurr seen above, which go for $89 on GILT, are made in the USA, and are a mix of 60% cotton and 40% linen. You can honestly feel the lightness in them, but know that they do wrinkle easier than standard denim. A warning: They only come in one length, so you’ll need to hem them, but they’re something else.
Got a question or a style tip? Send them in here. Additional answers to the above questions can go in the comments.
That Topman gear looks more loud than enticing to me.
Regarding the tuxedos: maybe one partner could wear black, and another navy? I really love navy tuxedos, and they could provide enough differentiation while still being subtle. I’m also a big fan of the bow tie vs. necktie idea. Best of luck!
For shirt wrinkles, contemplate buying a steamer. I just bought my first one last week and it certainly makes it easier to take out the tough wrinkles.
Topman can have some nice slimmer/more fashion forward stuff that isn’t too Jonas Brothers, but like any fast-fashion place (Zara, H&M, etc.), you just have to sift through some ill-considered flavor of the week stuff to find some decently interesting basics with a twist. I have some pocket squares and ties from there that are fun but not gaudy, and they have some decent jackets and coats from time to time. Maybe not timeless, but if you have some discretion and restraint they definitely have some worthwhile stuff, especially if BR and JCrew can seem a little sleepy sometimes for casualwear.
Regarding ironing, I’ve found it’s easiest to just set a few hours aside and knock out a ton of it at once. For me, this usually works best on the weekends. My wife was under the impression that I actually enjoyed it since I did it so often. Heck no! I’m just to cheap to pay someone else to do it. 😛
Re: 20jeans
I gave them a chance (a pair of original fit “raw” denim), and regretted it.
The fit was baggier than Levi’s 501s everywhere; there was negligible shrinkage and colour loss after hot water in bathtub and throwing it in a washing machine; cloth was slubby in a few spots; and funky stitching right under the fly. Funky in the sense that they’re stiff and stick straight out from the fabric itself.
Uniqlo has color jeans on sale for 30, great fit and from the reviews say it’s light fabric. These are TTS. Perfect for summer. Just ordered a pair along with a new Bastian collab polo
I personally think black and navy doesn’t quite go together just because the shades are quite close to each other.
Peak and shawl works better, imo.
This seems to be the consensus from the reviews I saw on Reddit when 20Jeans was first discovered. Considering at the time you could easily get 514’s and 511’s in TJMaxx/Marshall’s for $25 it was a no-brainer. Even now, you’d probably be better off either saving for some better jeans (it’s $40 for Levis) or even going with the Joe-disapproved Denizens from Target if you need a budget option quickly.
I was thinking perhaps a black tux vs. white tux, the trick there would be figuring out who wears which one. That being said, I am, for the most part, not a fan of the white tux but it might work in this instance.
re Ironing: buy a spray bottle and cover the part you’re ironing in a fine mist to help.
And on the double tux thing, you could do something subtle like wear different collars.
Here’s an example of it working well: http://theblacktieblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/mba_formal_2009_edit2.jpg?w=241
(and it’s by the black tie guide, the definitive source out there)
Re wrinkles: try a little light spray starch. Works wonders.
I think a long tie with a tuxedo is an abomination. The shawl versus peak lapels certainly works. And if you’re not wedded (heh!) to the idea of a black jacket, you can wear a tux and still make things visually interesting: http://www.thefineyounggentleman.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/IMG_0243.jpg
Topman does have some more traditional stuff if you stick with the suiting, and even some borderline trendy stuff that works (I bought a red chambray blazer from them that turned out great). It is, however, for us tiny people, and is hit or miss. The quality is great for the price though if you find something you have to have.
I think that you need to wear what you want even if it ends up being “matchy.” If you both want to wear bow ties, then wear bow ties. Neither of you should have to compromise on this. (There are soooooo many other places you’ll need to compromise.) You should both get to wear what you want on such a big day. And, if you end up being a bit matchy, welp, having a similar style might be the reason you’re getting hitched in the first place.
My 2¢ on the 2 tuxes thing: If you guys are of different builds, different details i.e. lapel style width, cut, etc are likely to suit you better, so just getting tuxes that suit your individual build and style may be perfect. If you are of similar build, it may be difficult to differentiate without purposely picking details to differ. In that case, if one of you can pull off navy with black lapels, and the other is more comfortable in solid black, that might work very nicely.
Also, it sounds like you are going for a more traditional black tie look. If it were me, I’d probably want to add a little color. I think a tie with some color in it would suit my particular wackiness. Heck I might even go with a brocade material for my tux. If one of you is more inclined to the wacky, and the other more traditional, I think a traditional black tie one one side of the aisle, and a more colorful treatment on the other might look really great.
On summer denim, the weight makes a big difference. a Lighter weight denim somewhere in the range of 8-10 oz might be better for warm weather. While most high end denim brands do list weight, it can be harder to find on the more commonplace stuff. I doubt you’ll ever find the weight of a denim on a pair of Levis in any retail store, BUT, you can find it on their website. From looking at Levis.com website I can see that different washes of the same denim are often in different weights. The 514 for instance in Tumbled Rigid is 11.9oz, in Blue Collar it is 9oz. The brightly colored Acadia Pine and Smokin Yellow are both 8.4 oz.
+1 I cue up some music and just go for it. I used to dry clean all my dress shirts, now I wash and iron them all at home. That $14 can go towards acquiring MORE shirts (that I’ll have to iron).
I also like Uniqlo since they offer free hemming w/ an hour wait.
Please don’t do this. Even if it didn’t look ridiculous (it does, clearly), you’d have to show your future children (making an assumption here that may be incorrect, but still) pictures of yourselves in these stupid costumes. Look at your parents’ wedding album. Are they wearing something that looks really silly? That was “in style” in the 70’s.
I don’t really understand the need to be different (brides make us do this all the time – I had to fight with mine about it.)
I attended a same-sex wedding last night. Both grooms wore a charcoal suit, but cut to fit each of them (it was essentially the same color and cut, but both fit perfectly and they didn’t look like they were trying too hard or matching too closely), with the same tie and accessories.
I think you only really run the risk of looking overly matchy if each of you aren’t done particularly well. If you are hung up on not matching, maybe try different shirt studs or different bow tie shapes (batwing, butterfly, diamond, etc). See the picture below. The two grooms (from the canceled show) are on the left. Do they look like they’re too closely matched? Not to me.
Grey denim is good for the summer. It’s all about the weight of the denim. Standard Levi’s is usually 12 oz denim but there are 8 oz and 10 oz options out there. Off the top of my head, Baldwin and Rogue Territory both do lighter denim. I have Baldwin’s in Henley and they’re awesome – they’re a major splurge at over $200 as is Rogue Territory.
And on the ironing, use distilled water. Otherwise you’ll eventually gunk up the iron with sediment and get that stuff all over your shirt.
Also… What Matt said.
For the tuxedos, what if one wore a vest?
I would like to order from 20jeans but I can’t wear slim or straight-leg jeans because of my quads with all that lifting and everything. The selection of relaxed fit, with the exception of the khaki and tan, is kind of “slim” pardon the pun.
Lucky’s do a summer weight as well but its not in a dark denim- it’s not old man light either- certainly somewhere in between on that spectrum. Usually $120s full retail but can be had cheaper online or in outlet store.
Magic sizing is also an option for those that don’t want the starch build-up- it’s not starch but takes wrinkles right out. Big discount stores and grocery stores will have it next to the starch.
That is the worst tuxedo I’ve seen since the Oscars.
Re: double tuxes… Why not go double-breasted? Look up Chris Pine’s tux from the Oscars last year, it’s a great example of how good it can look.
As far as ironing goes, grab some a spray bottle. I use the niagra spray bottle starch since it gives a very fine mist. Once that bottle is about an eighth full I fill it with water. That mixture works really well for things I don’t want a crisp starch on but want a little bit of starch to it. I use the steam on high for just about everything I iron. The mix of steam and the spray help with almost everything. if you still have a shirt that doesn’t want to cooperate try ironing the front while flicking your wrist back and forth fairly quickly. If you still have wrinkles try flipping it over and doing the back side. If that doesn’t work take that shit to the dry cleaners.
I enjoy Topman quite a bit. I’ve recently gone to their store our here in LA twice now and it’s like a higher quality version of H&M with more variety. It’s more pricey than H&M, but the clothing is better.
Topman is full of lots of trendy hipster-esque rubbish but there are some legitimately good products out there. I picked up a nice subdued navy peacoat for $180 (really good value for Australia). A word of warning though everything is quite slim so for skinny dudes (im 65 kgs/145 lbs soaking wet) it fits great but probably not for bigger guys.
I bought a $40 steamer and don’t iron any more. Does a good job.
Fixed. BRAH
maybe the pitcher wears black and the catcher wears white?
Levi’s go for $25 bucks in America? Its been a few years since i lived there and never bought any, but I was in the mall the other day (in Saudi Arabia) and Levi’s were going for over $100. I was shocked and i remember being a little kid in Texas and people making fun of you if you wore Levi’s (cuz they were sold at Wal-Mart).
Late to the party again, but on the wearing jeans in the summer question: Try wearing chinos or khakis instead. You’ll look a little sharper, and I find the looser, lighter pants far more comfortable when it’s really hot/steamy out.
Please don’t impose your conservative style on everyone else. The tartan tuxedo jacket was widely introduced by Esquire in 1950. http://blog.blacktieguide.com/2012/06/21/the-tartan-dinner-jacket/ It’s not a fad or a passing style fling. It’s not appropriate for all black-tie occasions but it would go wonderfully for an outdoor, evening wedding. The chap in the picture is Justin Jeffers, also known as The Fine Young Gentleman. You might consider perusing his blog on occasion. You might learn a little bit. http://www.thefineyounggentleman.com/
Oh. Sorry. I wasn’t talking about the tartan. I actually kind of like that part. It’s the pink shirt, no studs, and in a very casual looking fabric (is that oxford cloth?) that I take issue with.
Listen – everyone can do what they want, obviously. But for me, the pink shirt, especially when you’re already wearing a flashy jacket (traditional or not, blackwatch stands out on its own) makes it look like he’s trying really hard. I’ve read Justin’s blog somewhat regularly for years. I think he gets a lot right, but he also gets a lot wrong (like saying it’s ok to wear bit loafers or button down collars with a tuxedo and almost always wearing coats that are tight at the waist – it’s not preference or style – if the button is pulling it’s too tight). That said, this particular look feels like he’s trying WAY to hard, and to me at least, looks very jarring and goes against the spirit of black tie.
Call me conservative if you want, I just think the whole thing looks silly. PS – how is a pink shirt ok, but a FIH tie is “an abomination”? Seems they’re both outside the scope of traditional black tie (but I’d wager the FIH tie has greater acceptance for the proposed use).
Now it’s my turn to apologize for jumping to conclusions re the tartan jacket. I don’t have a problem with the pink shirt in this outfit at all. I’m not a fan of using the pink flowers for a background, as I think it puts way too much pink in the picture and makes the shirt look garish where a more neutral background would let the shirt stand on its own as an accent to the outfit. I’ll also pass on button-down collars with a tuxedo, and I don’t wear loafers with anything. (I’m considering picking up a pair of driving moccasins for wear with jeans/chinos but haven’t done it yet. My normal relaxed shoe is a buck or a pair of boots.)
I guess we can agree to disagree on the shirt. No biggie. I would totally wear a tartan DJ, but definitely wouldn’t to my own wedding (I wore standard, plain old black tie).
I might to someone else’s wedding, especially if it was in a slightly more casual setting (like one of the mid afternoon black tie affairs i’ve gone to lately, or outdoors or something). I’d definitely wear it at other black tie events (fundraisers, fancy dinners out, etc).
One of my favorite occasions to wear black tie is just gong to dinner with friends (wives and girlfriends in fancy dresses). Makes for a fun night and we do it a few times a year. Blackwatch would be perfect for that, as is the purple smoking jacket (that i thrifted for $9) that i wore last time we did it.
I”m with you on the loafers. I don’t have any presently (after chewing through a bunch of cheap ones for work in my early 20s). I’m presently in the market for something like this: http://meermin.es/ficha_articulo.php?idioma=eng&id=1938, but waiting for some type of discount (which won’t happen at meermin, but might on ebay or something).