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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
Plus a Christmas album you probably haven't heard yet this year. Maybe.
With a focus on holiday events. It's their last sale before their shipping cutoff.
Style choices to make for those times when how you're perceived is critical.
Timex grows into a solid, grown-up dive watch design.
J. Crew additional 10% off their 50% - 60% off stuff. Not-final-sale peacoats under $180.…
$17 ocbds. $4.80 tees. Cords under $20.