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: Tucking sweaters?
Question about the sweater tuck… Many of my more trim fitted thin sweaters often lose the elasticity to their waistbands so I can’t fold them over properly and they look strange hanging down.Yes I understand this might be a sweater by sweater call, but I know it might look better if I tuck it in. But it feels strange. Is there ever a time where tucking in a sweater is appropriate? – Chris
The Great One and Ovie seem to favor this look… but that’s a different kind of sweater. The sweater tuck seems to fall into the same category as the disheveled chino cuff roll. Both perpetuated by J. Crew, and both seem to be a little too artificially sloppy for most. Like wearing a watch on the outside of a shirtcuff, or a denim jacket under a blazer, once you start mixing up the order of layers it gets pretty hairy. 99% of sweaters are too thick to tuck in all the way around. So tucking in one side would be the strategy… but does that ever really work? I say let it hang.
Q: Thoughts on the JC Penney Harris Tweed Blazers?
I’m surprised y’all haven’t featured JCPenney’s Harris Tweed jackets since the price drop. They’re on sale for $150, and the code NOVSAVE drops the price down to $120 with free shipping. You really can’t beat that price for real harris tweed. I don’t own one but people who have are complementary about the shoulder, armholes, and cut. The code’s one of those 15% under 100, 20% at $100, and 25% at $200. – Justin
Good call by Justin. Those first popped up in the fall preview post, but sorta fell off the radar. Last year’s “classic fit” blazers from Stafford were pretty off. These don’t seem to have made their way into all (many?) stores, and… where the heck are the 38R jackets? Nothing smaller than 40R? Damn.
Q: Bucks and Chukkas on a College Budget
I’m looking at getting myself a pair of suede bucks and a new pair of chukkas. I’m a college student, so I’m on a tight budget. I really like the look of the JCrew’s Kenton suede bucks and the Alden 1494 suede chukka. Any ideas on what would potentially be more in my price range? Especially on the chukka? I really like the hard bottom on those. – Colin
Bucks and Chukkas are two styles that’ll get a lot of use on a college campus, so nice picks Colin. Hat tip to LosRockets over on threads for digging up this deal on these Made in the USA Walk-Over bucks. They ship free with SHIP75. But $120 is still triple digits. A super cheap option would be these from Bass
Q: Blazer wearin’ in a decidedly un-blazer world.
I live in a sleepy beach town in Florida. How does one get in to wearing blazers and sport coats out and about when you are 100% assuredly the only person to be seen all night wearing one? If I head out on the town Friday night, hitting up maybe four or five different places, I’ll be lucky to see more than a dozen guys wearing dress shirts that are actually tucked in. It’s made me think I’ll never actually be able to wear blazers. – Dustin
The less structure = the less formal. The more rumpled = the more casual. So take something like the Merona Kensington (pictured above) and pair it up with jeans. And consider sticking to jeans until you get super comfortable with your new sportcoat-wearing self. Even the most casual sportcoats can look a little too dressed up with chinos or cords. For the shirt, go with casual poplins or OCBDs instead of stark white dress shirts. Drinking a beer instead of the decidedly crisp yet well balanced Pinot Gris might help fight off the “look at stuck-up dude” vibe too.
Q: When is a shirt too cheap to tailor?
Is there ever a point where a shirt is ‘too cheap’ to tailor? I’m a tall guy with long arms and a thinner build, so absolutely nothing fits me off the rack. Even when I find the mythical 16.5 36/37, the sleeves fit fine, but I could house half of Ringling Brothers in the extra material around the torso. That puts me in a position of needing to get every single shirt tailored if I want to look good. So what’s the cutoff point? Do you spend $30 to get a $30 shirt tailored? – Also Dustin
Here’s the thing about getting used to wearing blazers Dustin… you can get away without tailoring all your shirts at the sides. BUT, to actually answer the question, there is no line. This is sort of like owning a beater of a car that works great but you feel weird about putting any money into it for maintenance. I’ve got a 1991 K5 Blazer with so much rust you can see through the floor in some parts in the back. It didn’t pass emissions and needed a few hundred bucks worth of work done on it. But the thing ALWAYS starts no matter the weather, it’s a 4×4, can pull down a house, and it comes in handy for moving big stuff. If you like the shirt and need the sides taken in? Doesn’t matter how much you paid for it off the rack. Like the $30 Merona Ultimate Shirts seen above.
Q: Matching shoes for groomsmen?
I’m getting married next July, and I’m having my groomsmen buy a navy suit (colors are navy and pink). I don’t want them to show up wearing different shades of brown shoes, so as part of their groomsmen’s gifts I’ll be buying them a pair of shoes. Do you have any suggestions for brown dress shoes in the $50 – $75 range? I have 8 groomsmen plus myself. – Nick
First, congrats on the upcoming wedding Nick. Hope the day goes stress-free for you. Second, groomsmen now have to have matching shoes? The wedding = broadway musical production thing is really getting… detailed. I think it’d be good to consider just having them wear whatever pair of dark brown shoes they happen to have. It’s more likely they’ll have dark brown compared to a tan or walnut. And you can always ask. If they majority of your guys don’t have brown dress shoes (totally possible in our increasingly-casual society) then your idea to pick them up a pair as a gift makes sense. But $50 – $75 is pretty tight for a pair of suit-worthy shoes. Try the Claiborne Wallis from JC Penney. They’re sort of a less-fortunate man’s AE Kenilworth. Make sure your guys try these things on BEFORE the big day. Shoe sizes can vary greatly (especially the jcp offerings) and you don’t want the day to arrive and someone can’t get in their shoes.
Q: Robe suggestions?
Starting to explore the idea of getting a robe. Any suggestions? – Jack
More of a pajama pants + hockey jersey guy myself, so you’re askin’ the wrong person. Whatever you go with, don’t think too hard about it. It is, after-all, a garment meant to be worn when you’re at your most relaxed. So if you want to go full Apollo
Got a question or a style tip? Send them in here. Additional answers to the above questions can go in the comments.
My advice for Dustin is one that it took me a while to take myself, go with made-to-measure or bespoke. It took me a while before I swallowed that pill, but I am glad that I did. Being 5’10” around 140 lbs, I have a similar problem with the extra material around the mid-section, even in many brands small sizes. The best fitting of shirts I could find run about $50-60 and up and still need some tailoring. So why not spend $80 on a shirt that fits ME. Now, I am okay with getting a casual shirt for cheaper and often will forego the tailoring on that, but for my work shirts, I will likely continue getting made-to-measures until the day comes that I can afford getting true bespoken threads.
Heads up to Nick on the Claiborne Wallis: they run a half size large on my borderline-wide and they crease really, really badly. I’m no shoe snob (I did buy a pair of those, after all), so be ye warned.
Oh also, Target’s suede offerings have been surprisingly solid for me in the past. I’ve got some super-casual gray suede bluchers headed my way for under $30.
E.g., http://www.target.com/p/men-s-merona-ellis-oxford-navy/-/A-14539089
I bought one of the JC Penney Harris Tweed jackets. I wish I took a picture before returning it, but it hardly seemed to matter at the time as the fit was just extremely baggy (both in the body and arms). I suppose I could have POSSIBLY had it tailored, but it didn’t seem worth it. I’d be much more interested in waiting until a J Crew code works on either their Moon or Harris wool sportcoats.
Woohoo! My robe question, I’m famous!
I’m just glad to see that Joe understands the awesomeness of lounging in a hockey jersey, especially as the weather turns colder.
Thanks for answering my questions, Joe, I really appreciate it. Maybe I’ll see about getting one of the Kensington’s this weekend!
I have them and agree with both of these points
Where about in Florida if I may ask? I am in the same scenario and it is a rare site that anyone wears anything other than beach wear.
I wear a Frank and Oak Chino blazer the same way. It is super casual but still makes me more dressed up than the other guys in town (mid size hi tech/government town). In a militantly casual place it is about as much as some people can handle.
I’ll break the sad news to you that the Target Merona Kensington appears to have been discontinued. It want on clearance sale a few months ago and is no longer even available on their site.
The Blazer Gods really have it out for me, huh?
Melbourne, over on the east coast. My office is no stranger to shorts and flops, meanwhile I’m in a button-up and chinos. Yeah, I’m “that guy”, but I look damn good being him.
I’ll give it a look, thanks for the suggestion. I was a little put off with their sizing scheme initially, but you really can’t beat those prices.
Sadly, the villains in the NHL have banned all sorts of aesthetic improvements to the unis such as the jersey tuck described. Ovechkin hates it and has spoken out about it. They have also banned the sleeve-roll-to-the-elbow-pads which Tyler Seguin uses to show off his tattoo sleeve to the girls in the stadium. All in the name of “safety.”
For shame, NHL. Everyone knows half of hockey is looking good.
I got a tan pair of those Walk-Over bucks on Lastcall a couple months ago for a little over $60 (I’d probably wear the gray more). I’d say they fit true to size, quality seems good (definitely worth the $60 I paid, the $120 that they are listed for, and maybe even $200+ retail), and the suede is nice. The toe box is a little roomier than most shoes recommended on here. I like that because I don’t like crushing my poor pinky toe, but it does make the silhouette a bit less sleak. I also got a brown suede pair of Gorilla USA bucks at the same time for about the same price. Those are junk, so I’m not surprised that it appears that company has gone under. Of course the color I like to wear more often (brown) happens to be in the lower quality one, but I’d recommend Walk-Over for sure.
Is that a Brotherhood of Steel robe I spy??
They are pretty slim around the shoulders so size up. I am a 44T and the 46Rs are a good fit for me.
I know the Amoks got a lot of bad press when they came out, but I’ve heard nothing but good things recently. Personally, I purchased a nearly new pair for around $100 on eBay, and I love them; they’re incredibly comfortable. I think the AE Outlets (“Shoebank”) sells them for $99.
Same boat as you. Just seems too impractical to wear a blazer down here. Some places are getting snow and we still cant even break out sweaters!!
Never thought I’d see an Ovechkin reference here. This site gets better and better every day
What size you looking for?
Last suit I bought (about 2 years ago) was a 44L, but I’ve gotten a good bit broader in the shoulders since then. That’s another reason I’ve balked at buying one: I’m not terribly sure what my size actually is (and the people at most stores have been less than helpful). I may be bordering on a ‘big and tall’, actually. They just don’t make much to fit us monkey-armed fellas.
The nightlife of an “un-blazer world” seems like the perfect place for the blazer-clad gent. Talk about making it easy to set yourself apart from your competition.
For the robe, check out Japanese yukatas. Dark blue with white characters looks great. Plus points if you actually know what the characters mean. Being made of lightweight cotton, they’re not exactly warm, but they do roll tight for travel so that you won’t have to ever don a dorky hotel towel robe again.
I agree 100% and I’m on the other side of the isle being 6’3″ 225 with a bodybuilder build. OTR I have to go with an XL at minimum but then I look like a flying squirrel because the waists even on slim cuts are like sails. I used to order exclusively from moderntailor, but more recently I’ve discovered Luxire and I’m really liking them for price and delivery time.
hahah. nice.
Agreed. I bought my Amoks new from AE. They did squeak like hell for a month or two. Since then, no noise, and a great pair of shoes. If you can wear them enough to get over the initial squeak, they’ll serve you well.
i purchased these last year after confirming with AE and being reassured that they no longer squeaked. but they still squeaked. like rubber duckies on your heels. i returned them.
I’m wearing my Amoks right now and I’ve had nothing but compliments in the 1.5 years I’ve been wearing them. They’re a sleeker last than the Aldens that usually get recommended. I got mine for $150 and consider it a smoking deal. Mine squeaked for about a week but once they were worn in that went away
Not trying to *cut* in front of Jack, but you sound like you might fit into a “L” Kensington, if you find one (new or used).
I have a “L” in it, and it is too big for me. I wear a 42R in OTR blazers from BR, but seem to fall in between a “M” and a “L” in the Kensington.
I since have picked up a very similar unstructured, unlined navy one from the GAP which fits me much better, and I will not be wearing my Kensington again.
If you don’t find a *new* one, and if Jack doesn’t have one to sell you, I *just* might; if that interests you at all. I don’t really sell pre-owned clothes online, but I probably need to start. LOL
my personal thoughts on tucking in sweaters: if it’s thin, it’s in. so, i wear most lighter merino and cashmere sweaters tucked in…
Well, there’s always hockey hair.
The advice to pair a casual blazer/SC with jeans (dark well-fitting denim is best) and OCBDs or casual poplins is pure gold, especially when starting out.
Even after you are comfortable in your blazer-wearing look, you can do very well to stay with those choices of pants/shirt, as I have personally found. What it does is, even though a few folks may still ask (weirdly), “Wow, why are you so dressed-up?” – you likely will more often get *real* compliments , or even just approving glances, etc. because you have taken a well-put-together casual look (OCBD/dark denim), and *just* turned it up a notch with the added casual blazer/SC. And that “notch” can really set you apart from the schlubs, without trying *too* hard, or looking *too* out of place. Just the right amount of out-of-place can be very nice.
I think once you get over the initial uncertainty of it all, you’ll really like “dressing like a grownup” (phrase stolen… err, borrowed from *Put This On*, and probably a few other places too – possibly *Effortless Gent* and even here at *Dappered*).
Also, on the Claiborne Wallis tip: They *do* look very Kenilworth-like, for someone on a real budget, or someone (like me) who has had issue with the Kenilworth fit. HOWEVER, know what you’re getting as far as the leather quality and the NON-suppleness (is that a word?). I do not own them, but I tried them out in-store a while back. Like I said, they’re decent for the price, but they might not look so good after a few wearings. The leather seemed to crinkle up a bit when flexed – looking like it could be trouble in future.
That said, everyone in the party would look nice and uniform for the big day. Up to them after that on how well they maintain their own footwear, eh?
I posted some pics in the threads back when I tried them on. I’ll have to go look for that, for some further reference on in-person thoughts. Seemed like I really liked the look of them at first, but something made me put them back on the shelves. I’ll have to try to refresh my memory on that.
Colin: I’ve got a pair of the Bass Buckingham in blue. After two years of regular wear (averaging at least once a week), they’re holding up very well. I wish they were a darker shade of blue, and I’d suggest swapping the laces out, but I’ve got no complaints.
But he’s in Florida, where it’s still 80*F+++.
To keep going with opinions from people with weird proportions, I need dress shirts with an XL neck but my body fits small/medium shirts. I haven’t tried custom shirts yet but my strategy so far, when looking for the most budget-friendly way about it, has been to buy XL shirts at Ross/Marshall’s for $10-20 and then get the shirt altered for $10-25 at the tailor. Not the best quality of shirts but I get shirts that fit me so it works for me.
Found it:
http://threads.dappered.com/showthread.php/9290-The-poor-man-s-Kenilworth
You can see some in-store pics which I took there, along with some discussion on them.
Re-reading through it, seems like I passed on them initially, due to lack of my size in stock. Some folks talked about the quality of the leather, including one fellow poster who added some pics of his, which had begun to wrinkle/crease quite badly, quite quickly. His pics seem to be gone now (invalid links/removed), but that was likely what kept me from pursuing them any further.
For Colin – make sure to check the brick and mortar shoe discounters like DSW and Off Broadway for suede bucks. Brands like Aston Grey and Bass have offerings in the sub-$70 range all day long.
IE: http://www.dsw.com/shoe/bass+pasadena+oxford?prodId=281102&productRef=SEARCH
I purchased my Walk Over tan bucks from Yoox for under $100 (and got 3% back w/ my credit card). They’re consistently on sale there (prices cycle a bit) so keep an eye out there as well.
You guys might be who I was discussing these with a while back on the threads.
So yeah, they might look nice for the wedding night, and then not so much, eh?
JCP code is NOVSAVE.
I have these in the dark brown “chocolate” suede, and agree they are great. Very comfortable and look great. I occasionally get a bit of squeak, but not very noticeable, and I suspect it’ll go away. Got mine on 6pm for about $130 new, but the AE shoebank had them recently deeply discounted, so that’s an option as well as Ebay. They’re very similar to the Aldens that were linked, and way cheaper.
That’s a shame. Looks like they finally have them in stock at one of my local stores, and I was considering going by to check them out.
Uniqlo linen. My go to in Silicon Valley in the summer, so should be great for Florida.
I understand. I’m in Destin and have just about the same environment. I’m that guy that wears those blazers and I do have to a people see you with a little more respect. I wear a wool brown Zara blazer and my navy cotton jcp blazer.
Ovie can always go back to this…
Ovie can always go back to this…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40684000/jpg/_40684625_icehockey_300.jpg
Please report back what you end up with.
Still talking about the Claibornes, right?
My girlfriend is a huge Star Wars geek – but i think it clashes with my menswear aesthetic! HahA
LOL – Yeah. “Wedding night” kinda sounds weird there. Hope I didn’t mislead ya. Wedding *day* is probably better. You know what I meant. LOL
I followed you, but I couldn’t resist.
>Look like a flying squirrel
Stealing this. For uh, when I’m inevitably more fit and have this same problem
LOL
I just bought both of the jcp tweed. I’m lucky that they fit my body shape
Best Robe Ever: http://www.ralphlauren.com/product/index.jsp?productId=23926116&sProdEvar=Recently%20Viewed
Tucking sweaters? No.
Inexpensive blazer? Hell yeah, if it fits.
I dig Chukkas.
Wear a Blazer whenever you want. It’s a good look, even if you’re the only one.
For shirts, I’d spend a little more and go Ratio. Good quality, great fit (for me). I have the same issue as some others, 18.5 neck, which in a department store, is only available attached to a circus tent. I’m 5’11, 235ish, and while not svelte, not big enough to be the governor of NJ.
Generally speaking, cheap shoes suck. Maybe have everyone go get a shine as part of the bachelor party, that way at least they’ll all look good.
I don’t wear a robe. I also don’t own pajamas. I get in the shower when I get up or I’m headed out the door to the gym, so no need for a dressing gown in the morning, and in the evening, I go from dressed to not dressed to bed very quickly.
On robes, just get a really good terrycloth one. If you like that, get a flannel one. That’s all you need. Generally Lands End or LL Bean will have their flannels on post-Christmas sale for cheap, and they both make very good terrycloth robes at reasonable prices.