Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

Style Scenario: Cool weather, cooler office style.

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What are you going to wear? Sometimes there’s an easy answer. Sometimes not. Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. File this one under sneaky-flash. Not a lot of loud patterns or flashy colors here, but it’s the mixing of textures as well as some slightly unusual small details that’ll help you stand out quietly. Top Photo Credit: Ben Madeska.

cold weather office style by dappered

The Suit: J. Crew Factory Thompson Flannel – high $200s (when on sale). Might have to sit tight on this one until they run another code. This is the latest addition to the Factory Thompson suit line. A wool/viscose blend should lead to a brushed, softer, and slightly thicker feel. Perfect for the days when the wind starts to cut through you.

The Shirt: 1901 French Cuff Trim Fit – $39.50. A trim-fit french cuff for under$40? Thanks Nordstrom. French Cuffs add an extra dash of, uh… dashing, as long as you execute the cufflinks without looking like an over-fed about to retire salesman. Ships and returns free.

The Tie: Robert Stewart Woven Cotton Tie – $29.50. The suit already has a noticeably wooly texture to it, so while a wool tie here would do fine, it’s a cotton tie with some roughness to it’s surface that lends visual contrast. Has an almost chambray look to it up close. Perfect deep navy color.

The Socks: Lorenzo Uomo striped socks – $12.50. You want to match your socks to your trousers. That makes your legs look longer. But the bold sock thing is still going strong. And what to do with Burgundy shoes? Charcoal base socks with lighter grey with some deep red. Ties it all together without going full matchy-matchy.

The Watch: Orient’s newest Bambino – $182.00 w/ dappered30 ($260). Yes indeed… Orient has put a new spin on their domed crystal Bambino Automatic, and it’s a stunner. A white, more vintage looking dial with rose gold accents and roman numerals. Onion style crown. Same domed crystal. Nice work by their design team.

The Cufflinks: Thomas Pink Woven Flower Knot Cufflinks – $15.00. Not big hunks of metal hanging off your wrists, not the standard silk knots either. Again, just slightly different, but it all adds up.

The Shoes: Zara Burgundy Wingtip Tassel Loafer – $129.00. As much visual detail as a wingtip, with the sleek profile of a European styled loafer. Tassels + brouging is a little much for most, but when the rest of the outfit is so under control, this is where you can cut a little loose with the shoes. What about a belt? It’d be ideal to match, but don’t worry too much about it. Just try and keep it dark brown. If there’s some red tones in there, all the better.

The Suggestion: Wear gloves and a scarf… and skip the coat. Much of the hemisphere has hit that time of year where a coat is a good idea one minute, and then the next it’s a little bulky. If you’re in a flannel (or tweed, or other heavier fabric) suit, take a favorite pair of gloves and a scarf with you. You’ll stay warm enough and have less to transport.

Comments

  1. I don’t know how I feel about the quality of Zara shoes. When I see them in person they just look really cheap. Anyone else agree? They look nice in the photo though…

  3. I also saw another pair of Zara Oxford that were similar to this color and was wondering about the quality as well.
    Excellent post though!

  4. A few points:

    – The linked tie is not the pictured tie.
    – That watch is fantastic (but sold out)
    – I think the shoes are a bit much for the office, but I’m impressed that tassels and a wingtip can look that good together.

    Great work.

  5. I know Dappered favors solids in these features, but I feel like this is a good opportunity to incorporate a patterned tie. Since a cotton tie is more of a summer item I’d also go grenadine instead

  6. I find that I’m torn about wearing french cuffs in daily office situations. Sometimes I feel they’re better suited for more formal/fancy occasions, and then I watch Mad Men and think “yeah, I can rock them on a Tuesday.” Those links might be a great compromise.

  7. Saw Robert Kraft’s cufflinks while watching Sunday Night Football this past week. I thought they were rather applicable given Joe’s statement about “big hunks of metal hanging off your wrists.”

  8. i have a pair of brushed metal links that are a little less Jack Donaghy than the shiny stuff. i’d suggest something like that for the office as well.

  10. How does 1901 compare to Calibrate? Calibrate is the best off the real dress shirt I’ve eve had–neck, shoulders, and sleeves are perfect. I’ve never tried 1901 before.

  11. No kidding right? Just about fell out of my chair when I saw that. Hope they make a few more color schemes with the new design. Even though I’m warming to rose gold.

  12. Some responses:

    – It is, but it looks like the navy is now sold out (it was available last evening)
    – Same goes for the Bambino. Tested the “dappered30” code just to make sure it was still good on it yesterday. Since it’s new, they might have real limited stock for now.
    – Agreed for many an office. Others you could get away with em’. Plus, all the solids might make for a conservative anchor.

    And… thanks!

  15. My 1901 experiences have been lackluster. But I love my Calibrate and Nordstrom shirts in trim fit.

  16. All my office shirts have French cuffs. I think it gives you the ability to add a little bit of extra variety to the outfit. I never considered that they could be a problem. Mine are all normal sized, a lot of silver coloured metal and simple designs. A few playful ones like the Tetris one I often get compliments on.

    Could you expand on your thoughts on these, Joe? Are you just talking about ones like those pictured below (I’d honestly never seen anything like them).