Originally posted April 25, 2006 on Flibbertigibbet

It has been asked what is wrong with men wearing pleated pants.

If you wear pants with pleats you are asking to look bloated. If you have ANY amount of belly that you would not like to accentuate and you put on pleated pants, you are doing yourself a disservice.

I will say that if you have a rockin’ body and you put on a fitted t-shirt, a fedora, and loose, pleated pants, you have a chance of pulling off a certain look that is appropriate for your cameo in Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, which is completely fine because you have a rockin’ body and who can argue with that?

Of course, you can lose the hat and still pull off a certain urban look that is acceptable in casual contexts. The key here is that 1) you wear a fitted top that accentuates your shoulders and 2) the pants hang loose. Again, if you wear a belt or the waist of the pants is too tight, you will look like you have been inconvenienced by your digestive tracts in a severe way.

Pleats do have the advantage of being comfortable, though, even after a big lunch.

Lots of suits come with pleated pants, too. But suits have the benefit of coming with jackets, which cover any unattractive effect. Also, your suit pants are probably situated a bit lower than suit pants are supposed to be situated, too. Pants were originally devised to sit at the waist, as opposed to the hips, which is the modern convention.

For those not so familiar with their own anatomy, the hips are those boney protrusions just below where your love handles would start, or if you have love handles, right around in there somewhere. Your waist, however, is a little bit higher in that squishy part between your hips and your ribs.

Aaaaanyway, the way most everyone wears pleated pants makes them (the people, not the pants) look awful. So, they’re best avoided when one has the latitude to do so.

Flat front pants, by contrast, look pretty good under lots of conditions. And they look GREAT under the best conditions, eg. the previously mentioned rockin’ body.

So, if you’re concerned about this issue, my recommendation is to get a rockin’ body and then you don’t have to worry about your pants so much. Then, call me!

Put this on has lots of tips for how to shop on a budget.  That is to say, they have a list of tactics for value-dense shopping from mom.  Read the whole post for the details on each.

• Know what you need.
• Accept that you might not get it now.
• Plan ahead.
• Used is your friend.
• Buy things for less than they’re worth.
• Buy things that hold their value.
• Buy things that are repairable.
• Don’t confuse price and value.
• Know what’s good.
• Don’t confuse quantity and quality.
• Move up the ladder.
• Buy amazing things.

Happy Mothers’ Day, everyone!

If you missed the first episode, it was about denim and it was OSSUM.

Put This On, Episode 2: Shoes from Put This On on Vimeo.

The fashion gurus over at Put This On answered a question I sent to them!

Trey writes: I’m a gentleman on a budget and for the price of some pocket squares, I can get a decent shirt. Why are they so expensive?  If I went and bought fabric, could a tailor whip some up for me by just finishing the edges? What’s the deal?

The answer is pretty interesting.

Thrillist NY this morning is promoting a Brooklyn-based company called Out of Print Clothing, specifically their t-shirt line which is printed with the first edition covers of old books, one of which is Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.  Pretty nifty and just $28!

I really need to get some better lighting in my apartment.

From a Facebook discussion about this:

JH: Wow, thanks for that. I feel so much better.

Trey: You ride a bike sometimes. I will leave it to your imagination about all the ways you could be killed by wearing a scarf.

JH: Sometimes? I ride everyday, and I’m more worried about being killed by a bus than a scarf.

Trey: Imagine your scarf getting caught on a bus going in the opposite direction. THE HORROR!

Also, imagine your scarf getting caught in the chain of your bike whilst you are pedaling frantically down the freeway. TERROR!

And imagine someone throws acid in your face while you’re passing by and it makes holes in your scarf. AWFUL!… See More

The list goes on and on…

In the course of my attempting to figure out exactly what my personal style is, I’ve come across the following fashion-related websites. I look to them for ideas and inspiration. I look to their advice for hints to what the essence, the principles of my personal style may be.

A Suitable Wardrobe – I very much enjoy this blog and it touches on the aspect of my personal style which requires the most thought and education: the posh aspect.  Of course, that’s also the aspect which is most often out of my price range.  For example: he recently recommended $700 pants. Please be serious.  Nonetheless, it’s a great source of information and inspiration.

Men’s Flair – This is a bit more commercial, but they’re strong advocates of bespoke clothing and classing styling.

Nerd Boyfriend – This is really a blog just for finding inspiration and buying things based upon it.  It’s like in Cosmo when they show a celebrity wearing something and then tell you where you can buy it.  They don’t really advise you about what is and isn’t good.  They just show a picture and tell you where you can buy certain things about it.  BUT!  They do seem to focus on vintage and classic styles more than anything else.

Permanent Style – Of the fashion blogs I’ve recently discovered, I trust this guy the most.  He takes a very rational and informed position on things and offers up advice that can be adopted and adapted to whatever your personal style may be. I strongly recommend this one if you’re looking into men’s fashion as I am right now.

Pinstripe Mag – This is poop. It’s light on actual fashion and what does exist is vapid and too brand-centric to trust for principled fashion advice.  I should just taking it out of my list of subscriptions, but I keep hoping it will turn around or offer up something that is genuinely good.  Also, it seems overly preoccupied with heterosexuality, which is annoying. How do these other straight men write fashion blogs and never really bring up their sexuality, but as a reader I’ve never questioned it, but this stupid site seems to feel a need to announce it every five seconds? Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.

Put This On – This blog actually inspired me to start looking for other fashion blogs.  Their advice is sometimes silly and based on a style that they enjoy to the exclusion of others.  But it overlaps well enough with my own that I do enjoy what they have to say even when I don’t really agree with it.  Plus, it’s a colorfully written online magazine with lots of different features. For instance, they just launched the first episode of what’s supposed to be an online fashion television show.  It was very good and interesting.  Then, they posted a series on British street fashion, which I greatly enjoyed.  (That series of videos which I shared in my Google Reader last week kick started my recent interest in my personal style. It’s also where I realized that I like the early punk/skinhead style as well as the style of the Teds.)

Selectism – This one is hit or miss, but they never really offend me, so I will likely keep their blog in my reader for a long while. What they offer up is usually at least interesting anyway.

The Sartorialist – I’ve been following this guy for a while.  He’s a fashion photographer whose blog focuses on people exercising good fashion in their every day lives.  It’s important to note that “good fashion” here refers to his personal tastes.  I do not share his personal taste, really. I find him to be a little too fussy for me.  But I do like his sense of color and pattern.  I generally read his blog to find elements of fashion that I enjoy and might incorporate into my own dress.

The Selvedge Yard – I only recently discovered this blog and I don’t have a lot of information upon which to base an opinion.  But I generally like his focus on fashion inspired by rock musicians, particularly, you guessed it, his deep admiration for The Clash.

Tweed and Velvet – This blog covers a breadth of fashion topics and doesn’t focus on one particular type of dress (formal vs. casual vs. business) but everything is generally well considered.  Even if it doesn’t line up with what I like for myself, this blog gives interesting, colorful recommendations for things.  I would rank it highly on this list.

There you have them!  These are the fashion blogs I am currently following.  I’m keeping my eyes peeled for others.

Hell, perhaps this will become a fashion blog depending on how well I keep up with this.  Enjoy!

So, here’s a good outfit I put together. I think the fit of this outfit could be a little better at points, but in general, I really like this. And I received numerous compliments on it, which is nice.

Here, notice some of the elements of the key concepts I identified before:
Punk: the styling on my vest is casual. This isn’t a suit vest. It’s casual.
Posh: I have a nice, silk tie on and a suit jacket. The combination of a suit jacket with jeans and other casual elements re-enforces the “punk” aspects.
Cowboy: Denim and leather. Need I say more? These are but elements of the outfit and they don’t scream “Marlboro Man” or anything like that, but they give the ensemble a “rugged individual” feel.

Beyond these stylistic elements, I’d like to call attention to the colors. Blue, when in jeans, reads as a neutral. They might as well be grey. But because it’s not ACTUALLY grey, they are a very nice contrast to my black, pinstripe vest, and my grey/black/brown/bone whatever glenn plaid jacket. I’ve combined black and brown (generally considered taboo) here because I’ve contrasted everything so well. And yet there’s a theme to it.

Further, notice the patterns. Glenn plaid, solid, pinstripe, striped. I love mixing patterns. You’re actually kind of lucky that I didn’t make the tie floral just to make a point.

All of these things working together is what I think makes this a good outfit. Moreover, it’s a good outfit for me. It’s not overly formal, but it’s dressy enough to get noticed. I could wear this in front of a client (perhaps changing my pants) or out on a date. It’s good for a number of occasions as long as they aren’t TOO formal. And I like that.

So, check it out.

Today, I wore the following:

• A bone colored shirt with a chocolate stripe.
• An orange patterned tie.
• A tan, brown, and cream argyle sweater vest with an orange accent line.
• A pair of tan pants with a very tiny brown plaid pattern.
• A brown, tweed jacket.
• A pair of old boots which both lace up and zip up.

This is one of my favorite, though more conservative outfits.  It’s just so coordinated without being overly matchy-matchy.  My biggest complaint about it is that it’s just a little too much tan.  I like more dramatic colors and patterns most of the time.  But it’s a good, smartly casual outfit.

I’ve been reading men’s fashion blogs recently.

I feel like my wardrobe is lacking.  There are days when I get dressed and I adore what I’ve put together.  And then there are days when I feel like things simply do not feel right.  Either the colors are wrong or the fit is wrong or the patterns aren’t quite write.  I don’t know.  But although this could happen with any wardrobe, I blame the fact that even though I am solidly in my 30’s, I have yet to compose a wardrobe which consistently reflects my personal style.

By and large, I think my biggest failure is that too often I’ve compromised on fit either out of ignorance, impulse, or simple bad taste.

But lately, I’ve been more concerned about my personal style.  First of all, it has become increasingly acceptable for people in my age group to dress the way I like to dress.  I like wearing ties, waistcoats, braces, and blazers. (Not necessarily at the same time.)  I like to mix casual and formal elements.  I love mixing patterns and colors.  It’s as if the last two years of mainstream fashion have been organized around my personal taste.  Unfortunately, I arrived in this time unprepared.

I’m not very knowledgeable about clothing, how its made, how its supposed to fit, how you’re supposed to take care of it, or anything like that.  When I shop for clothing, it’s a pretty even mix of conscious and unconscious decision-making.  The result is that I have a LOT of clothing that really goes well with my favorite pair of jeans.

Jeans are great. Don’t mistake me here.  I think jeans are a staple of my personal style (Really, I promise. I’m getting that.) with just a smidge of additional attention to detail.  But I also think it’s time to grow past that and explore my personal style in other areas, contexts, and forms of dress.  I think I should see my clothing as an expression of my personality just as well when I’m wearing a suit or my jeans. But what IS my personal style?

I had an Irish coffee last night at dinner and I foolishly thought the alcohol would help counteract the caffeine in the coffee.  The result was a very uncomfortable night of less sleep that I needed, but I thought a bit about my personal style.  I asked myself, “If you had to name three words to summarize your personal style, what would you say?”  I came up with these:

• Punk
• Cowboy
• Posh

It’s an odd mix, I know, but that’s really kind of what it is.  I asked L’Italiana how she might describe my personal style once and she said, “All-American with an edge.” I like that.

PUNK
Punk in both music and fashion is about rebellion.  It’s about thumbing your nose at authority and the establishment and finding your own way.  Now, when I say “punk” here in relation to my personal style, I want you to go to the bathroom and have someone waterboard you until you have no idea what the 80’s ever happened.  I’m talking about The Clash. Maybe a little Billy Idol, but not too much.  I’m talking about the early skinheads before fascism and neo-nazism became dominant themes.

In fashion, I like the slick, deconstructed lines of punk attire.  A short-sleeved shirt with braces.  Slim-cut jeans and combat-style boots. Shirts with neat little button details on the sleeves and collars. Short, denim jackets. Leather jackets. Messy hair.  You can be punk and play with both pattern and bright colors.

COWBOY
This is probably the southerner in me, but I don’t want you to think I really mean “country,” here, because I don’t.  Cowboy style is rugged and strangely formal in a lot of cases.  Look at cowboys who press and starch their jeans and shirts to plank-like rigidity. I think it’s really cool to treat what is casual clothing as if it’s formal clothing.  (Punk, in a lot of ways, is the reverse of this.)  Again, I like boots.  I like leather.  I like denim.  I have a secret love of big, fun belt buckles, too.  I like to focus on fit and function that seems to go along with cowboy attire.  The utilitarian attitude that is maintained without giving up any dignity in presentation is wildly appealing to me in fashion. Also, it’s masculine.

POSH
I love ties, suits, French cuffs, and the like.  This is the part of me who likes to wear the pretty, luxurious, inefficient clothing associated mostly with formal attire.  There’s not a lot to explain here except that I do prefer slimmer fitting clothes and the European cut jackets with two splits rather than just one in the middle.

So, what I’ve been ruminating on these things and thinking about what my personal style actually is and what I need to do to

1. Weed all the garbage out of my wardrobe of things I simply can’t get to work with my personal style.
2. Build a timeless wardrobe that allows me to consistently express my personality while also dressing appropriately.

More on this later…