The Author, Tim S., is a government relations professional in Washington, DC. He has two boys in diapers and a wife who lovingly tolerates his enthusiasm for the Dallas Cowboys and his style excursions. Except when he speculates that his three-year-old might be nearing the age where he can mix in a pocket square.
I discovered Dappered last fall at a perfect time: I had just turned 40 and moved from a job where the dress code was mostly business casual to a job where it is mostly Dress Like You Are Important. It wasn’t that I dressed badly before: even in hindsight I was probably ahead of 70% of the guys in my demographic. One year of Dappered articles later, I’ve turned over 80 percent of my wardrobe, and strangers routinely ask me for fashion advice. I knew I had progressed when I recently boarded a plane and a flight attendant remarked “Wow, you win the award for best-dressed!” To which my bemused wife (loudly) responded “He’s having a mid-life crisis.” Hey, a prophet is without honor in his own country. But I hope my fellow travelers here at Dappered can benefit from some of the lessons I’ve learned.
Lesson #1: The Johnny Cochrane Rule (if it doesn’t fit…)
As I sit in airports and people-watch, I’m struck not so much that American men dress badly, but that they generally wear the wrong size. Perhaps it is an adolescent insecurity hangover: most boys start picking out their own clothes at a time they want to be bigger and stronger, so moving from “Medium” to “Large” represents progress. It’s the opposite with women, most of whom are delighted if a smaller size fits. My biggest Dappered-inspired “ah-ha” moment came when I realized that most of my clothes were a size too large. Now, I always try on the next size down. And no matter what an items’ “hanger appeal,” if the fit isn’t nearly perfect, I put it back. To paraphrase the immortal Johnny Cochrane “If it doesn’t fit, you must (a)quit…”
The Epitomizing Item: Bonobos Straight Leg Grey Travel Jeans ($45 new on eBay). Now I know why so many guys swear by these things. For me, nothing fits better than a pair of Bonobos travel jeans. They somehow manage to be snug without being tight, and rugged without being scratchy. I recommend sizing down one inch from your standard jeans size.
The Lesson #2: The Nick Wooster Rule (Jackets win)
When I started reading Dappered and other menswear sites, I noticed the ubiquity and panache of my fellow native-Kansan, Nick Wooster. I could never pull-off his more daring looks (though my one-year old has some camouflage shorts that lead me to call him “Wooster Baby.”) But I was struck by this interview, where Wooster explained “A Jacket is the foundation of a guy’s wardrobe.” It makes sense: whether as part of a suit or just a blazer, a well-tailored jacket is engineered to flatter male proportions. Every guy should own a versatile blazer or three. And remember to do the Shoulder into Wall Trick.
The Epitomizing Item: J. Crew Ludlow Navy Blazer ($150 new on eBay). Retails for $300, with a well-earned spot at the top of the Blue Blazer Hierarchy. A heavier half-canvassed chest piece in luxurious Vitale Barberis Canonico wool. Cut slim and fits me almost perfectly off-the-rack. Hugely versatile. Probably qualifies as my single favorite clothing item.
The Lesson #3: E-Bay is a Convenient Super Thrift Store
Maybe you’re noticing a trend here: I’ve bought a lot of my best stuff on eBay at steep discounts. For those new to it, eBay isn’t the equivalent of a giant attic clearance. It’s like an aggregator of all of the world’s best thrift stores where you can sort through the merchandise without leaving your laptop.
Three tips:
- As with all online shopping, know your size in a particular brand before you buy. I know from in-store experience that I wear a medium in JCrew’s Ludlow dress shirts, so this is a great option for me.
- Look for auctions by non-professional sellers. There is heightened risk with buying from those who are thinly reviewed, but there’s a big upside: infrequent sellers don’t know how to take appealing photographs and write headlines that drive up demand. My tweed Ludlow blazer would have gone for $125+ with an experienced seller, but the seller I purchased it from included neither “J Crew” or “Ludlow” in his headline or ad copy.
- Use Gixen. Gixen is a service that is like hiring an eBay ninja to attend every auction in your place. You choose your maximum bid and walk away. Gixen automatically “snipes” your bid at the last possible second, and if your max is more than required, eBay defaults to a final price “one unit more than the next-highest bid.” That’s usually about a dollar. And Gixen’s basic service is free.
The Epitomizing Item: Ludlow Yorkshire Tweed Blazer ($50 on eBay). Cut slim in Abraham Moon fabric that is softer than most tweeds and versatile enough to be worn most places from fall-through-spring. I’ve worn it three times this year, and I’ve gotten at least one compliment from a stranger each time. (ebay photo credit: Mike Knell)
Lesson #4: Amortize (consider the math)
My wife and I had our second child last year, and we completed our slide into American suburbanism by buying an SUV. We paid cash for a 2009 model, and I remember thinking “This car will last for eight or nine years at our projected usage, so this will cost us x per year, etc.” Until recently, I had never thought of buying clothing that way. But we should do the same-kind of cost benefit analysis with most clothing purchases that we do with other depreciable assets. A $300 pair of Goodyear-welted shoes in a venerable style has a seven-to-ten year life expectancy. In total expenditures, that is far superior to my old practice of buying and discarding (uglier) $100 shoes after 18 months of use.
The Epitomizing Item: Allen Edmonds Clifton Oxford in Brown Burgundy ($250 at Nordstrom end-of-year sale). I wear these three or four days a week. Dark enough to work with virtually any suit or jeans. The uncomfortable two-week break-in period gives way to a fit as comfortable as an old pair of sneakers.
Lesson #5: Square Up (pocket, not shoes)
Following the Wooster Rule requires accessorizing alongside your jackets. And the single item under $20 that will give you the highest style return on investment is the pocket square. Even in Washington, DC, where everyone wears a suit and tie, hardly anyone else adds a pocket square. If you are new to the pocket square game, I recommend that your first three purchases be a high quality white linen, a tipped square in a neutral color, and a versatile plaid.
The Epitomizing Item: Tie Bar linen square with navy border ($10) A crisply-pressed linen square is appropriate when dressiness is called for, but can be casually folded into a cotton or tweed blazer. As with navy ties, the color coordinates with a high percentage of suit/tie/shirt combinations.
great post with a nice summary of the basics. i really like the idea of giving actual sample pieces.
i also have that awesome ludlow super 130’s navy blazer and love it. that and my ludlow 18 wale navy cord blazer are my staple go to pieces. high armholes, slim waist, and probably the best feature, slim arms. not that it matters and i’m certainly no expert, but my wool blazer is from Loro Piana not VBC.
i have that same pocket square too. that and a blue chambray square pretty much covers all bases for me.
i wish i had the same luck on ebay others have. i think it has to be a huge stroke of luck to get the magic combination of exact piece, right size, and right price. it’s not too difficult to find something that satisfies some of those criteria, but quite difficult to find something that satisfies all.
On the subject of shoes, you can extend the life of the soles by having a cobbler add Topys and taps to the bottoms, especially if you’ll be walking in the rain at all. Also, don’t forget the shoe trees and horns.
Great post and great pictures. One question, how do you get the shirt placket to stand up so straight in those blazer pictures? Even with Wurkin Stiffs my shirts never seem to do that.
The Johnny Cochrane rule doesn’t work for tall guys, unfortunately. For example, I have to get Lacoste polos in a size large because medium is simply two short. One size down can mean we’re at risk of exposing some midriff… even for us lean gents.
“Wow, you win the award for best-dressed!”
Sorry to be a party-pooper but I’d be mortified if somebody called me out this way. If nothing else I’d take it as a sign that I’m trying too hard.
Fantastic post. As a guy who is a few years in to the Dappered revolution, it’s always a great reminder to think about the basics again. Keep up the great work team!
I have the same problem.. Go to a tailor.
I used to play this game too- you need to buy tall specific shirts.Banana Republic and Gap both have some good polos
eBay’s done it for me too. I’ve purchased a couple pairs of AEs and one pair of Loakes, all in great shape, and the most I paid was $100. I’ve also picked up a couple shirts and a couple blazers. If you’re patient and know what you look for, eBay is a *gold mine*.
The corollary to the Cochrane rule is that some brands imply don’t make a product that fits you. If you size up for length and the shoulders are now too wide, then the shirt will look bad on you. If a brand doesn’t fit, don’t buy it. It doesn’t matter how popular it is or how big the sale is. I have a hard time finding long sleeved shirts which fit – most shirts which fit well in the neck and shoulders have sleeves that are too short for me. In dress shirts, I can look for a slim fit 17/37 but for things like OCBDs, which come in S/M/L/XL, I have to pass on a lot of brands. It sucks but there’s not much you can do about it.
Where is he seeing a ludlow navy blazer new for $150….i’m a size 38s
Agreed. I just picked up a Hickey Freedman navy blue blazer that goes for $795 at Nordstrom for $80 off Ebay. No sign of wear and the pockets were still sewn shut when I got it.
There’s undoubtedly some luck but it’s also perseverance. I have several searches – blazers, shoes, etc – saved in my Favorites that I check every day. They’re sorted by date of posting, newest first, and it takes me about two minutes to go through the new postings. Most days I don’t find anything worth pursuing but it only takes a few minutes. When I do find something in that magical range, I snatch it up.
I stopped reading after “Dallas Cowboys fan.” 😛
Just kidding (though still a little sore after yesterday’s game). Good post and glad to see eBay represented.
You must have realized that you’d never live up to that level of style, so there was no sense reading any more. 🙂
“…none of your pants will fit better or be more comfortable than Bonobos’ travel jeans.”
As I’ve pointed out many times, fit discussions really need context (aka body measurements) to be useful. Joe, for example, has his measurements listed for all to see, and even then, I believe he typically notes how things fit him, not necessarily how they’ll fit others. It’s important not to make sweeping fit generalizations because your readership is inevitably comes in a wide array of shapes and sizes; generalizing could end up leading readers astray. Bonobos is obviously low-risk given their return policy, but still.
Try a hidden button down shirt collar:
http://www.realmenrealstyle.com/mens-hidden-button-down-shirt-collar/
I don’t know why I seem to be disproportionately bugged by the fact that the Clifton Oxford is not really an oxford. People that make shoes should know what to call them.
Allen Edmonds knows “what to call them” http://www.allenedmonds.com/aeonline/producti_SF8005_1_40000000001_-1
Thus, that’s a derby. Nordstrom doesn’t always get it “right” though. I wouldn’t worry about it too much.
Call me crazy but I still think that JCP Polo up top fits Joe better as a Medium vs the Small, especially you factor in shrinkage (look at the length of the shirt by his watch)
Fair enough. I shouldn’t be surprised. I walked into a Nordstrom shoe section once and told one of the salespeople I was looking for a brown oxford. He looked at me sideways, and with a chuckle that implied I was being pretentious “You mean a lace-up?”
YOU CRAZY. Or, not. But, I don’t have a problem with shrinking stuff.
Great post, very helpful for a guy in the first steps of a wardrobe makeover.
A stupid question: How do you find well-priced, quality blazers on ebay if they don’t use the brand name in their description? For example, how did you find your Ludlow tweed if the seller didn’t use the words “jcrew” or “ludlow?”
Any tips on keyword searching or tools to search ebay?
You’re lucky. I have a similar chest and waist size as you but I’m 6’1 so the length on Smalls and Mediums gets really dicey with just the slightest bit of shrinkage.
Ah ha. You’re a borderline tall. That’s the rub.
Lol, I always find it hilarious when I see “try hards” traveling in the airport. Guys, it’s an airport. There’s going to be a lot of walking, taking off your shoes, belts, accessories, putting them back on. Then, you’re going to sit in a dirty plane which more than likely hasn’t been cleaned in who knows how long. There’s no reason to be traveling in your nicest wingtips and blazers. This goes for women too.
I’ll just mention T.M. Lewin here – I was just in London and picked up 4 dress shirts and a casual shirt and one thing I noticed today was that they are both a solid 1-2″ longer than any other shirt that fits in the same dimensions (I am 6’3″, 225 lbs, 17.5 neck and 36 arm). I even sized down from the XXL to the XL on a casual shirt and had no trouble with the arms or body.
I can’t speak for you lean guys but this was a huge win for me as I always have a problem with shirt length. But I suspect I am 50 lb+ heavier than you so there is an assumption of me being bigger in many brands.
Right at the top of the list: http://dappered.com/2012/08/places-to-try-wearing-a-suit-to-where-you-normally-wouldnt/ 🙂
And I ain’t gonna lie, the girl that looks like she got out of bed isn’t as nice to look at as the one who put a little effort in. I’m not saying you have to dress to the nines, just put a little bit of effort–you are out in public still 🙂
Awesome post, Tim! Great to hear from another newbie. Would love to see a picture and description of the ensemble that won you the “best dressed” award on the airplane!
yeah mine is loro piana too, but damn i love itttt. I have the new version with the gold buttons as well that im selling on the threads for 240. It is a 40s. If it was a 38s idve thought about keeping it but in all honesty they are too similar. same loro piana wool. It is very similar but with patch pockets and gold buttons (can probably be replaced cheaply if thats not your style).
Loved this post!
Great post, I was wondering about pocket squares. But the “epitomizing item” isnt one of the 3 “first purchases” he linked? Any reason the white/white linen from tiebar wasnt linked? Quality isnt as good?
Also would like to see an updated post on ties!
It requires the same amount of effort to untie and remove a pair of tennis shoes as it does a pair of leather laceups. Same goes for putting on a well-fitting pair of trousers and a nice shirt rather than gym clothes. Only kids should go out in public wearing pajamas, I don’t care where it is. Although it’s certainly to cross over into trying too hard territory, which you never want to do either.
Im just wondering why the “high quality white linen” doesnt link to the tiebar also. They have a plain white linen (and cotton) also. Is the quality that much different?
I think this only applies to reconstruction by cobblers, not preventative steps like taps and Topys.
Q: I’ve already had a pair of shoes repaired by another cobbler. Can they still be Recrafted?
A: In some cases, prior work on Allen Edmonds shoes by other cobblers may prevent us from Recrafting a pair of shoes. Many cobblers are not capable of reconstructing our shoes as they are done in our own facilities. As a result, alternative methods of resoling are used by cobblers, such as stitching through the insoles, or driving nails through the insoles, and in many cases this prevents us from being able to disassemble the shoes.