Obnoxioius Little Pointy Things

I thought I would do a post regarding collar stays. They are very obnoxious, and I and everyone else (including dry cleaners), seem to be constantly losing them. Are they annoying to put in? Yes. Are they hard to keep track of? Yes. Are they necessary? Absolutely. The differences between a man wearing a button-down shirt, a man wearing a shirt without stays in, and a man wearing one with stays in are tremendous.

Though by no means are button-down shirts unacceptable, they represent a style that screams casual. They were definitely a rage in the casual 90s, but are unquestionably classic having been invented in 1896 by the venerable Brooks Brothers. That being said, Brooks Brothers originally intended them to be for sports shirts modeled after polo shirts. In this vein they were always casual and for sport. The thing about this that must also be considered is that in concept, they didn't create the button down for looks as much as for the concept ease while sporting. That being said, the collar often looks a bit deflated and the buttons, in my opinion are just little eyesores on the shirt (unless they are very special buttons). The collar doesn't have the flattering crispness of a regular dress collar in a point or Windsor style.

Now the stay-less collared shirt is in about the same predicament as the button-down except that it's worse. You didn't choose to have a sport-style shirt or one that's easy to deal with. You simply forgot to put the stays in (granted, we all frequently forget). This makes the shirt look less put-together, less well kept, and less flattering. There's a certain beauty when the tie is flanked by the two crisp collars and those in turn flanked by the lapels of a well-cut jacket. Without the stays, that whole picture just falls apart. If you have any question, compare the two photos. The one with the pink tie is clearly straighter, crisper, and more distinguished.

Now, if I've convinced you you need to be conscientious about your collar stays, you might be wondering how to remember to put the damn things in your shirts and then take them out again so they don't get melted in or burn your shirt (if they're metal). Despite the last sentence, my recommendation is to spring for some nice metal collar stays in a leather pouch. I was given this as a gift over Christmas and have found that it has really upped my interest in making absolutely certain I keep track of my stays, quite simply because they are so nice. Another really awesome thing about metal stays is that they don't bend at all the way some flimsy plastic ones do. Depending on the kinds of shirts you wear (whether you think they're so thin in fabric something might show through), you can pick up either chrome-colored or brass-colored metal stays. If you really need white, the best thing is to stick with a good set of plastic ones. I recommend having both on hand. Anyway, make sure to pick up some stays, put them in every morning, and take them out every evening, whichever product you prefer

AHHHHHHH White Shoes!!!

Over this summer, I have had some interesting discussions and made some observations about white shoes. There are all sorts of strong opinions regarding these (not necessarily) flashy pieces of footwear. I have heard everything from "NEVER, unless they're tennis shoes" to, "Sure, why not?" with every kind of caveat in between. I must say, I've heard similar things about white jackets, suits, and the like. It seems white is a divisive color...

My new shoes!

So, as the owner of a white jacket (but damn, I need a new one), I thought I'd try out the white shoes concept. My outfits these days tend to follow two modes since it's summer and I haven't had the fortune of being invited to any ritzy galas or anything of that sort. I am either in jeans and a t-shirt (both monotone) and wearing a blazer of some kind as well as a leather belt and shoes for casual days, or I am in slacks, a collared shirt of some contrasting color, and a blazer here as well, usually with a pocket square (I have eschewed ties for my long, hot commute on public transportation and because it would send the wrong place at my work) with the same style shoes and belt for my work. I thought I would try the white shoes for both these occasions.

Different angle!

So, in testing these things out personally, reading different opinions, and also observing pictures and firsthand other folks wearing them, I've drawn some conclusions about how to wear these crazy things. There are several different sartorial situations that must be considered when thinking about white shoes. The first is when wearing a traditional suit (whether a tuxedo or a regular business suit). The second is when dressing in todays hazy "dressy" clothes that are something other than a suit. Finally, these pieces must be considered for casual outfits such as with dark-wash jeans.

Suiting is, in some ways, the simplest situation to deal with when considering white shoes. For a white tuxedo, or even with a white jacket and black pants, the white patent leather shoe is perfectly acceptable, and even expected in some cases (though black is a fine choice as well). For a regular white suit (probably of linen or cotton for the summer), the white shoe is certainly an option. It provides the same seamless line, the same unbroken color scheme, and, if necessary, gives a heightening and slimming effect because of this. It makes things run together and gives a very clean, fresh summery look. A friend suggested to me, and I agree with his analysis, that a two-tone shoe could liven up this idea. Put something else (nothing too wild, probably a tan, black or something of the sort) on top of a white shoe in a classy way and pair your shirt and tie to it, and the white suit goes beautifully with the white shoes. It worked for Elvis. That being said, I can just see the question popping up, "But... I don't have a white suit, and if I did, I sure couldn't wear it very often. Can I wear my shoes with some of my other suits?" This is a good point, and the answer is yes, if you're very cautious. At any point if too much contrast arrives you will have a disaster. The shoes will be the only part of the outfit anyone sees. However, if you are careful to mitigate this factor, it might be possible. As a ground rule, blue, black, chocolate, charcoal, and similarity colored suits are not good candidates for white shoes. However, with a tan (light tan), or light grey suit (particularly with white pinstripes), you might be able to pull of the shoes. This is especially true if you make sure that your shirt and tie pull the shoes in as part of the outfit and don't let them stand alone to stick out. As for belts, only pair a white belt if you're going with all white.

They're not dress shoes, but they give you the idea...

Now, onto "business casual," or whatever you call it. This is what I have had the most personal experience with regarding my own white shoes. The rules for wearing white shoes in this scenario aren't too much different from those of the suit, but there's one added caveat. Once again, for the pants (the piece that will be immediately next to the shoes), make sure that you're wearing something light, roughly in the shades mentioned above. For the top however, you have more options. Go with something that contrasts, but fits the style. It could be a blue blazer, for instance, for a nautical look. There are lots of options at this point. The alternative is to flip this around. If you're wearing almost all white on top, white shoes might work on the bottom even if your pants are darker. Remember however, the more contrast, the less clean the look.

Finally, the casual, with jeans option. This is certainly a possibility. There are a lot of people who will tell you it doesn't work. However, there are a few things to consider when receiving this advice. First, a lot of less classy folks where white tennis shoes with jeans all the time. Now granted, they're not exactly fashionable, but these folks do seem to get by without people staring at them. Second, women have been doing this for a while. Their shoes may not show quite as much of their color, and women's fashion rules are different, but fundamentally, the concept works. So, why can't a man wear his nice white leather shoes with his jeans? Indeed, he can, but there are a few guidelines that will help. First, tend toward darker washes (even a deep navy) when you're doing this. Generally with suits and so forth, I recommend going lighter because it's less shocking, however, with jeans, that rich feeling of a dark wash is necessary to pull off the suaveness of the look. Because of this however, not unlike the "business casual" situation above, you need to have something on your upper half that will compliment the white shoes. It might be a shirt of some kind, or a white blazer. It could even be a white belt. Be careful with any of these options however, because once again, the more contrast, the more broken up, the less clean the silhouette, reducing heightening and slimming effects.

A Vested Interest

As I have been unfortunately a bit out of the blogging of late, I thought I would start up again on my schedule with a simple post regarding vests. The vest is often seen as outdated or as something that isn't worn in the modern era. However, fashion forward folks have made it popular again, and it has applications in all sorts of different levels of formality for the modern gentleman. The most classic usage of the vest is as part of a three-piece suit. This convention is of course passed down from modern formal wear and the traditions of 19th Century dress. The modern man however, may wear a vest in many different stylish capacities - each viable, and each allowing this piece to reenter the wardrobe.


The classic three-piece suit is still certainly a outfit. It is true that the three-piece suit went out of fashion for quite some time (particularly in the casual nineties (if you aren't likely to wear a jacket, why wear a second, jacket-like thing too?)). Indeed, in a three piece suit from long ago, and without the right fashion to back up the look, you will appear old-fashioned. The trick with the three piece suit is to realize that what you're wearing is at once conservative and bold. The trick here is to play up the boldness to make the piece not seem too staid. Make sure you have thin lapels, perhaps peaked lapels (like the Indochino suit pictured above), a large, narrow cut revealing plenty of vest, and a fitted suit. Pick suits that are in noticeable patterns or colors. Solid on solid three-pieces will look very old-fashioned, particularly in heavy fabrics like tweed or even heavy wool. Pick a lighter wool (especially since you'll be wearing a vest), or even a summery fabric like cotton or linen. Another thing to remember here is that the vest is just as important as the jacket. It should show, and it should be worth showing.

Those of you wondering about the other classic - a vest with formal wear, will enjoy this segment, though short. Cummerbunds are quite out of fashion these days for all formal occasions. Are you going to a white tie dinner with Prince Andrew? Wear a cummerbund, no way around it. Going to your 28 year-old sister's wedding? Check out a vest. This gives you the option to wear a stain long tie instead of just a regular dress tie, and puts more color in an outfit (even if you're investigating colored tuxes or non-white shirts. Be careful what you end up selecting, however. If you go with a classic pastel or bright solid, you'll look straight out of the tux rental shop. Take some time selecting colors and experimenting with patterns that express your individuality, just as you would with a three-piece suit.

Now, time for the avant-garde! Vests are extremely viable with any number of casual combinations in a range of cultural styles and levels of dressiness. As you can see in the photo below, a denim or cotton vest is quite a viable option with jeans, and can be worn with a t-shirt or with a collared shirt. Depending on the vest you buy and the t-shirt and jeans with which you wear it, you can portray either a classy image, a grungy one, a preppy one, etc. However, the main slant of this blog is, of course, classy, so I recommend trying to keep it pretty clean with a nice vest (probably not in denim, unless it's a really unique denim) without too many pockets, etc. paired with darker jeans or even slacks and a solid t-shirt. In this capacity the vest can be worn open or closed. If you're looking to dress it up, throw on a short or long-sleeved collared shirt and button the vest up, paired with either jeans or slacks.

That's it for this post, but I'm back on a schedule now, so there should be more soon!