As a wedding guest your job is to dress and act in a manner that shows you care, without upstaging the wedding party or, particularly, the bride.
Blue suit, white shirt and silver grenadine tie with white linen pocket square is the ultimate wedding outfit.
It is also good to keep in mind that wedding parties are usually happy gatherings and most of weddings are not really that formal nowadays. So you don't need be too stiff with what you wear. But still in my opinion dressing up is also one way to show your respect and appreciation to the wedding couple.
When talking about what to to wear, in case a dress code is provided, just follow it. As said before, keep in mind that it's not your wedding. In case the dress code is something you don't understand, it's appropriate to ask whichever member of the wedding party you're close with, but do so well in advance of the wedding.
Blue suit with white shirt and silver grenadine tie - the most classic wedding and formal party outfit.
In my opinion, for most wedding parties a man should wear a suit. And when you wear a suit stay with solid colors. Dark or navy blue and charcoal are preferred. But other shades of grey and brown are also good options. Lighter shades of gray and brown are appropriate especially for early and mid-summer weddings. If you are attending a party that is held later in the summer or early in the fall, opt for darker shades. But in any case, avoid black suit as you don't want anyone confusing the ceremony for a funeral service. Also, don't wear striped suits. Stripes are meant for business and business only. In case it's hot summer day you can go with a light-colored (tan / khaki) suit as well, unless the dress code says otherwise.
In terms of your suit jacket, remember this one thing. Whatever happens, don't wear a tie without a jacket and don't take your jacket of during the wedding.
Pay attention to the right fit and materials of your outfit.
In terms of materials, lightweight wool is always my first option. Due its versatility, breathability, and drape, wool is the best choice for almost any occasion. And that applies for wedding parties as well. To put it shortly, a good lightweight wool usually features worsted yarns and a porous weave to promote airflow. Depending on the quality, this kind of wool are usually also quite wrinkle-resistant, with impeccable drape.
For summer weddings linen and cotton suits are also definitely appropriate. In fact a cotton suit can be the perfect choice for a casual warm-weather wedding. It is good to keep in mind that cotton does not drape as elegantly as wool, so the silhouette of a cotton jacket can be a bit looser and more casual. Linen on the other hand is even more lightweight and breathable than cotton. Therefore it it is a material for the most casual and airy suiting. Because linen has a natural tendency to wrinkle, it's usually thought of as a more casual fabric. But that doesn't always have to be the case. If you combine your navy blue linen suit with a crisp white shirt and navy blue tie, you get a perfect warm-weather beach wedding attire.
For wedding or other parties, I recommend always to wear a white shirt.
Stick with cap-toe oxfords for most occasions. But for more casual ceremonies you can go for loafers or monk shoes as well. In terms of color black is preferable option. In case you're wearing a light colored suit opt for brown shoes. Whatever type or colored shoes you choose, remember to give them a good shine before the party.
If you want to dress down your outfit, you can choose brown loafers instead of the oxford shoes.
To put is shortly, wedding attire for men should communicate an understated elegance and style. Remember that a well-fitted suit is the best way to let everyone else know you're a man of taste and refinement. As a sum-up below I give you two alternative outfits to wear for any wedding party.
And in fact, with these elements you can mix and match the pieces for the outfit to get best possible attire for your own taste and needs.
Grey suit with blue grenadine tie, white shirt and black cap-toe oxfords is always a safe choice
Updated 26.6.2019.
]]>In addition to clothes there are few things that are extremely important in terms of self-care and creating the overall (personal) look. One of these things is skincare and another is fragrances. Especially the latter is something I have always been very fond of. That said, I was very pleased that last year Helsinki got the first real "perfume gallery", a specialized shop for artisan fragrances - Harmonia. And I was even more pleased as they invited my for a visit and offered a chance to try out their selection as well as a detailed tour to the world of those niche perfumes.
I still remember the first "real" fragrance I tried. It was the Aqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani that I borrowed from my big brother. A true classic if you ask me. It was around 20 years ago. At that time the designer perfumes were basically the best options you could get. At least if you were living in a small town in the middle of Finland. Armani, Dior, Hugo Boss and of course Tommy Hilfiger were the names on the bottles we carried home from the trips made to Sweden by cruise ships. I remember how I always used to have at least 5-10 different perfumes in my closet. Naturally you needed a different perfume to wear with different kind of clothes already at that time.
A lot has changed since those years. But some things hasn't. One thing that has not changed is my interest for perfumes. But what has changed are the names on the bottles. Instead of those designer perfumes there are brands that are focused on making perfumes. And the reason for that is quite natural. At least I like to think so.
I believe that best products are made when they are done by the people who know how to make them. And who are passionate to make them. That's why I want to buy my clothes from brands and tailors who are focused and specialized in making clothes. And I buy my watches from brands that are specialized in making watches. And that's the reason I go to a barber who is focused on cutting men's hair.
According to the founder Kilian Hennessy, one of the core core elements of Kilian fragrances is the belief that real luxury should not be disposable. Therefore for example every bottle they make is refillable. The idea is that quality products should be transmitted from generation to generation. The idea of sustainability and long-lasting quality is something I personally strongly believe in. And that is the base for every DLA product we want to develop. Another thing that I personally value is the appreciation for the true craftsmanship. This basically means hours and hours to create the perfect product. And as Mr. Hennessy has also said, a great perfume is like a great story. And you need to create and understand where the story is going before you can create the perfect product. Once again an idea that everyone should keep in mind.
And as a side note for those bespoke aficionados, Kilian offers a bespoke perfume. If you go this option, you will receive two 500ml flacons which are housed in the signature black lacquered wood box, complete with a working lock and key. The box includes 6 iconic Kilian 50ml bottles and 3 travel sprays of your choice. And naturally, a plaque on the bottle will be engraved with the name or wording of your choice.
As I visited the Harmonia they offered me a chance to try out one of the Kilian perfumes. And they in fact told that they had already chosen a scent for me. A perfume they thought would suit me. And I thought that maybe I should give it a try and see how their vision would work.
The perfume I got is the Straight to Heaven from the Cellars series. The package of the bottle could be described as luxurious. Which seems to be characteristic for Kilian. The black-lacquered flacon is engraved on its various sides with a ceramic fresco representing the Achille's shield and decorated with a silver plate where the name of the fragrance has been carved and manually filled with black enamel. The fragrance itself reclines on a bed inside a black lacquered wood box. The coffret is also decorated with the Achilles shield and locked with a protective tasseled key. So if you want, you can make sure that nobody else uses your fragrance.
"Smoldering with addictive sensuality, a burning splash of rich dark rum defines the opening, its sweet gourmand chord is softened by creamy vanilla and dried fruit. Spicy patchouli pairs with the fresh, woodsy scent of cedarwood to finish, finding animalic harmony at long last."
I probably couldn't describe the perfume like that after the first use if I would have been asked to. Probably not even after these six months I have now been wearing it. But after reading that text I can definitely form the image in my head. Maybe it is due a great copywriter. Or maybe because these are the elements included.
However, when I first tried on the perfume, the most intensive and clearest scent for me was definitely the rum. I was in fact a little skeptical about it. But after the first few times I had it on, I started to like it. And after the first ten or fifteen minutes as the splash of rum disappears, the vanilla and patchouli, as well as the scent of cedarwood, in fact, creates a great pairing. At least for my taste.
I had earlier tried out a couple different Kilian perfumes. Those small tester bottles. And one thing that I like is that the perfumes are quite distinctive. And that's something I personally like. The ones I have tried have been quite masculine, which is actually a feature I don't always prefer. But for some reason with these fragrances it works. Maybe it is also the overall aesthetics such as the black bottles and the idea of this masculine luxury and passion. But I can understand that the Straight to Heaven or the other Kilian fragrances I have tested are not for everyone's taste. Therefore my personal recommendation is that go and try them out. Or start with some testers if you can find.
One of the big things for me regarding fragrances is pairing them with different kind of attires. And wearing the right perfume for the right occasion. I believe that every perfume creates kind of a story. And it can tell also a lot about the person wearing it. Naturally some perfumes are better for spring or summer and some are suitable to wear during the cold winter days.
But for me it is not just about the season. I like to choose my perfume based on the attire. And for me personally this one is a fragrance to wear with a suit. And especially with evening wear such as the black tie. Again, it might be partly because of the black bottle and aesthetics of the brand. But as you can see from the pictures in this post, I believe that this kind of masculine, full of the rum flavors, vanilla and patchouli is pretty much a perfect pair for the black tie and a glass (or a bottle) of champagne.
Then just a couple of words about how to find the right fragrance. In general there is no fragrance that would be suitable for everyone. So you must just try and figure out what's best for you. To put it shortly, choosing a fragrance is quite simple. And you should do it by the same way you choose your clothes. Buy something you feel like you want to wear.
The difference however in terms of buying a new sweater and a new fragrance is that all fragrances react to one's body and evolve over time.
Whereas the sweater will look (pretty much) the same over you while wearing it later as it looked in the shop when trying it on, fragrances evolve. And therefore the scents of fragrance will change during time. Basically all fragrances are build by using three different sets of notes.
The notes are descriptors of scents that can be sensed upon the application of a perfume. Usually you can separate these into three classes; top (or head) notes, middle (heart) notes, and base notes.
Top notes are perceived immediately upon application of a fragrance. The compounds that contribute to top notes are strong in scent, very volatile, and evaporate quickly. The scents of this note class are usually described as "fresh", "assertive" or "sharp" and for example citrus is a very common "top note" scent. Usually these notes last about 5 minutes from the application.
The middle notes are the scents of a perfume that emerge just prior to when the top notes dissipate and tend to appear from two minutes to around one hour after the application of a fragrance. Finally there comes the base notes. These are the scent of a perfume that appears close to the departure of the middle notes. Base notes usually start to appear around 30 minutes after the application and will last until the scent disappears. This can be anything from an hour to 24 hours. The base and middle notes together creates the main theme of a perfume.
So before buying a fragrance you might want to test and try. And when you try, spray the new fragrance for example on your wrist in the morning. Then "wear" the scent for a day and pay attention how it evolves. After that it is easier to you to make a decision whether a fragrance is suitable for you and for your needs.
What to do after you have acquired that scent you were looking for. First of all, keep you fragrances in some place that is dry and cool as all the fragrances are quite sensitive to light and heat. So at least try to avoid to storage them at places where they will be exposed to direct sunlight.
Secondly there is the question about the use i.e applying the fragrance. When it comes to the amount, the question - as choosing the scent - is personal and depends on the perfume. Some fragrances require a bit bigger amount of application and some require less. In case you are not sure, I would recommend rather to apply a little too little than taking the risk of too vigorous use. If you feel that the fragrance is evaporating too quickly, change the scent and try to find something longer lasting instead of spraying recklessly the one you have.
Finally - how to apply the fragrance. Once again, up to yourself to find the way which works for you. However in general I would advise to spray the scent about 10cm from your body directly to those points - whether it is neck, upper chest or wrist for example - you want to apply it.
Always apply the scent so that it gets contact with your body - so do not apply any fragrances to your clothes. I usually spray the before putting on any clothes a little bit to my lower neck and maybe a one splash to my upper chest and then a little splash to my neck just before leaving the house.
This post has been made in collaboration with the Harmonia Perfume Gallery in Helsinki.
]]>In brief, there are three neckties that every man should have. A blue, silver and black grenadine tie. The black grenadine tie is the one of these you should first of all own for those most unfortunate events. But keep in mind, the black grenadine tie is a piece you can wear in many other occasions as well.
The black necktie is not the most common piece nowadays. But I assure that it can be almost as versatile choice as navy. It is dark, conservative and restrained. And it is also professional. So you can wear it with your business suit. Just make sure that there is enough contrast and variation in your outfit.
I will start from the benefits of a black tie. A plain, dark tie provides a classic base for any outfit. A simple and solid ground to build the attire. Navy is the most versatile option, and a navy grenadine is particularly good at bridging formal and informal.
Compared to navy, black is almost as useful. Although it is obviously darker. And a touch more dramatic. But when you wear a black tie, try to minimize the risks. First of all, make sure that your tie is not too thin. A black suit with a thin black shiny silk tie is an outfit you see on trendy commercials. Don't go with that. In terms of materials, avoid plain printed silk and especially satin. You can use navy blue in any of those materials for a variety of situations, even for business wear. But in this case black is not as versatile.
When you choose the material, start with knitted silk or grenadine silk. The latter is my personal favorite but you can wear both with suits or sports coats and trousers.
Naturally a black grenadine tie is more formal than a knit tie. Therefore I personally prefer to wear the black knitted tie with sport coats. And the grenadine one with suits. But of course if you want to dress down your attire, knitted tie is a good choice.
Both knitted silk and grenadine silk have a particular texture. And the advantage of ties that are both solid colored and textured is that you can combine them with multiple shirt and jacket combinations. If you have a patterned jacket, the solid color of your tie will keep things from looking too busy. And if you wear a solid white shirt and suit, the textured weave will give you a little bit of contrast. These kind of ties are the easiest to put on especially when you don't want to think too much about what to wear.
A black grenadine tie is a sophisticated choice for formal and business occasions.
Black color has for quite long been underrated especially in the #menswear-scene. Personally I have started to like it more and more. If you want to read more about that, take a look at my older post regarding black shoes and the evolution of style choices.
Black is in fact quite an easy color. Especially when it comes to ties. For example you can wear black ties with tan cotton or linen sport coats in the summer. The look will still be rather light and cheery. During fall and winter you can wear them with grey flannel suits or brown tweed jackets for a more restrained look. And sometimes a black tie can bring a little color variation to a navy jacket and a white shirt.
Still, one of my favorite attires nowadays is the brown suit with a black grenadine tie. Combined naturally with a white shirt. The particular combination you can see in the pics of this post. Some of you might have heard an old "rule" that you should not combine black and brown. But that is a rule you can easily break, if you know how to do it. Black is in fact a great pair for multiple shades of brown. A black grenadine tie with a dark brown wool suit or a black knitted silk tie with a camel colored linen suit are in my opinion perfect pairs for each other.
So my advice is, don't be afraid of wearing black and brown together. And start by adding a black grenadine tie into your rotation.
]]>It's been again a couple of weeks without "outfit of the week"-post but I will try to keep them coming. So this week the attire is something more casual. Something that is perfect for the chilly but still sunny fallweekends.
Field jacket with denim and a roll neck sweater is something I wear pretty often. Actually I think this is one of the best outfits a man can wear for a casual day. A perfect choice for the weekends for example. And one of the best features of this kind of kit is that it is in fact casual. But it is also very easily editable. Especially if you choose a lighter roll neck, you can wear a sport coat as a layer under the sport coat. And with the sport coat the attire is in fact almost something that you could describe as smart casual.
It is often said that the weight of different garments of your outfit should be in balance. And that they should be pretty much the same. So you shouldn't wear lightweight fabrics such as linen together with heavier fabrics such as tweeds. And in many cases this applies. For example I don't recommend to wear a lightweight linen shirt or tie with a heavy flannel suit.
But sometimes you can combine heavier and lighter garments together. And still keep the outfit in balance. The Drake's D43 field jacket you see in the pics is made of linen. So it is mainly made for warmer months of the year. On the other hand the heavier and quite chunky roll neck sweater is made of lambs and yak wool. It is very warm and at its best when the temperature drops. Still there are days when these two are a perfect match for each other.
This fall has been quite warm here in Helsinki. The mornings might be a bit cold but the days have still been sunny and quite warm. For these kind of days these two pieces made a great pair. The chunky roll neck keeps you warm so that you don't need or want to wear a thick overcoat. Instead I chose the lightweight linen jacket. And as the linen fabric of the jacket is in fact quite sturdy, the textures of these pieces are still perfectly in balance.
And what would be a better choice of trousers than the dark blue denim slacks. I don't have here a close-up shot of the fabric but in my opinion the deep blue color and the slightly faded texture of the denim fabric in fact tie the whole attire together.
Then a short sum-up of the pieces I wore for the attire. As already mentioned the D-43 field jacket is made by Drake's London. Since I bought it last fall, it has been one of my most worn outerwear pieces. Probably I still have a few weeks left to wear it before I need to put it in storage for the winter.
The roll neck sweater is from Massimo Dutti. Massimo Dutti is in fact a store where I don't usually nowadays make any finds as in my opinion the quality of their garments is not that high. But this sweater has been a great find. It is warm, chunky in the right way and it fits me perfectly.
The denim slacks are from Finealta. As also already mentioned, still after years one of my favorite pairs. And versatile as hell. You can wear them in a casual kit like this or you can easily pair them with a button-up shirt, tie and sport coat. Check out an example of that from here. The classic white leather sneakers are made by CQP and the bag by Mismo.
Finally, if you want to take a look at another field jacket with roll neck sweater combination, you can take a loo at the post about my M59 field jacket. Or if you want to see how to wear this kind of heavier roll neck in a more dressed-up set-up, check out the chunky roll neck sweater with a suit post from last spring.
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I said it just in my previous post, I have always been more of a "suit person" than a guy who wears a lot of sport coats with odd trousers. This applies especially for work. And even though I tend to order most of my suits so that I could easily wear them as separates, most of time I wear them only as a full suit. But as you can see, sometimes I go with the suit jacket with odd trousers look.
Most of attires I wear are based on three colors . The blue, gray and brown. But naturally in addition to these three I use other colors to bring contrast and little variation to my outfits. Those colors I tend to vary based on the seasons. For example for the fall and winter season I favor rusty and earthy tones and colors such as burnt orange or deep burgundy.
One color that I especially like to wear during the fall season, is green. Darker shades of green to be exact. And even though I like to play with dark green accessories, the bottle green is in fact a color that you can use in almost any piece of your wardrobe. A restrained dark green wool sport coat for example would be a perfectly appropriate piece to wear even for a business meeting.
The jacket in the pictures is from my first mtm-suit from Herrainpukimo, made of Vitale Barberis super 110s wool fabric. And this suit is actually one of those pieces that I do wear as separates. Especially the jacket goes well with odd trousers like the gray flannel slacks here. If you want see more about the suit, check the post about how to wear the navy blue suit in two different ways.
The trousers are from a Korean brand Finealta. Due to the weight and the charcoal gray color they are at their best during the fall and early winter season. Definitely appropriate to wear at work and almost for any business meeting as well.
The white oxford shirt the pocket square are both from our DLA selection. The Fighting capercaillies pocket square is in fact the one from our collection that I would call as a pocket square of the season. It is a piece that will add a touch of character to any attire. You can use the square to add a little note of distinction to an understated suit or a jacket. And you can easily wear it with a gray or brown flannel suit for example. Or you can wear it with your dark blue sport coat like I have done here.
Finally, the bottle green grenadine tie is made by Viola Milano from the the garza grossa grenadine silk. In comparison to the garza fina grenadine it has more substantial fabrication and looser, bigger weave. As for most of my ties, I basically always use the double four-in-hand knot to tie it.
]]>I have earlier written about how wear suit trousers with sport coats. If you haven't read that, you can check it out as a prologue.
But I have always been more of a "suit person" than a guy who wears a lot of sport coats with odd trousers. This applies especially for work. And even though I tend to order most of my suits so that I could easily wear them as separates, most of time I wear them only as a full suit.
This one however is one of the combinations I quite often choose to wear for work occasions. Especially for those days, when I want to wear something that is formal and dressed-up but and I could also wear the full suit look. In fact, the outfit here is almost as formal as going with a suit.
The jacket I wear is an unlined wool sport coat by Caruso. The shoulder structure is quite soft but features a very light padding. The base color of the jacket is somewhere between oatmeal and sand. This makes it more suitable for spring, summer and early fall season. In addition the jacket features a subtle brown and light blue overcheck and patch pockets. Therefore it is a little bit more casual than any plain sport coats or suit jackets. And perfect to combine especially with different shades of blue or brown. The trousers are from an mtm-suit by Herrainpukimo.
The shirt in question is the DLA white lightweight oxford shirt. Another option to wear here would be a plain light blue shirt for example. But personally I don't like to wear patterned shirts with patterned sport coats or suits. There just too much going on then, especially if you wear a tie or / and a pocket square.
The tie and pocket square are also from our own DLA collection. The navy blue grenadine tie as well as the white linen pocket square are probably my most often worn accessories. Mostly because they are suitable for almost any occasion. And appropriate to wear almost with any attire.
And yes, the tie seemed to be a little bit too long in the pics. Need to be more careful with that when wearing trousers with such a high waist as the pair in this case.
]]>As mentioned in the first part, I am not going to give you any traveling tips here. But instead I will try to give you some inspiration on what to wear for casual summer vacation by sharing the attires I wore for our trip.
On the fourth day of our trip we headed from Naples to Sorrento. You can make the trip by train but as the trains do not feature any air condition, we decided to make our way by a ferry. At same time you get a better chance to take a look at the beautiful landscape from the sea.
As we spent most of our time in Sorrento at the beach, for the morning and afternoon I wore the most casual attire of the trip. The camouflage shorts with a white one-piece collar polo shirt. Simple and clean but definitely not sloppy in any way.
The fourth and last night in Napoli was the only time I wore a tie during our trip. We headed for dinner at the rooftop of the Excelsior hotel featuring a nice view on the sea. For the dinner I wore the light blue suit made of a wool-silk-linen fabric. The fabric is actually a perfect choice for warm and sunny summer season. Light and relaxed but does not crease like pure linen or cotton for example.
I paired the suit with a brown-striped linen shirt and a navy blue silk tie with a floral pattern. Restrained pattern matching and playing with different shades of brown are an easy way to create a dressed-up yet relaxed attire.
On the last day of our trip we left Naples and spent the day in Rome. Mainly because we then took our flight back home from there. So the last day was about strolling around Rome and enjoying the last nice Italian lunch and some great wine.
I have said it earlier that in my opinion a cotton suit is one of the most versatile suits there is. And the camel colored cotton suit of my makes no exception to that. I like it because it is again casual and smart at the same time. And combined with the white DLA oxford shirt it also makes a very good traveling attire.
So I had with me three suits, one pair of odd trousers, three pair of shorts, 4 button up shirts, 3 polo shirts, some accessories and 2 pairs of shoes. I think you could survive with less stuff for sure, but on the other if you have space in your luggage, why not to use it.
]]>At this point I am not going to give you any traveling tips though. Instead I will try to give you some inspiration on what to wear for casual summer vacation.Naples was sunny, hot and humid. So basically I could have managed by wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt for the whole trip. But in a city like Naples I felt more comfortable wearing something a little more dressed-up. Yet I still kept it quite casual. And only for the last dinner we had, I wore a tie. Here in this post I will cover the first three days and soon I will come up with the part II for the last two days of our trip.
On the first full day in Naples we decided just to walk around the city. On the morning we headed to the Botanical Garden and from there to taste the most famous pizza at the pizzeria Michele. And just as a side note, the pizza margherita was definitely worth the hype and an hour wait.
For the first day I wore a simple off-white knitted polo shirt combined with the brown linen suit trousers and brown suede loafers . This one is actually one of my favorite summer combinations. First of all the off-white and mid-brown colors go perfectly together. Secondly the textures of linen and the knitted cotton are as well very nicely balanced. Finally the knitted polo shirt is a casual choice, yet it gives a dressed-up feeling. And altogether the attire is again simple, restrained and chic.
And if you want to dress up the attire, you can always wear the suit jacket with it. As I did when we headed for dinner in the evening.
On the second day of our trip we decided to head to Capri Island. And even though it is full of tourists, that is one of the most beautiful places I've visited. And my spouse loved the place, so most probably we will visit the island again at some point in the future.
With the 30 degrees heat and sun, I wanted to go as light and casual as possible. So I chose to wear an old white linen shirt from Uniqlo with the dark blue tennis shorts and Superga sneakers. This summer I have actually worn shorts quite a lot. And as you can see from the pics here, I like to keep my shorts quite short. Therefore I love the kind of vintage tennis shorts. Some years ago I found two pairs that fit me perfectly and since then they have been heavily on my rotation.
For some guys shorts these shorts are too short. And too tight. But as said, that's just how I personally like them. And combined with a relaxed button-up shirt or a polo shirt they also fit nicely to the proportions of my body. Mainly because my upper body is "heavier" than my lower body and legs. As a result too loose and long shorts would make my legs look just too skinny. If you want to read more thoughts about how to wear shorts, check out my earlier post.
The third day was again pretty much just strolling around the town. For the morning and afternoon I chose to wear white tennis shorts with a brown knitted polo shirt. The shirt is precisely the same than the off-white one pictured above.
One thing about wearing shorts and polo shirts is that I don't usually wear them together. If I wear shorts, I tend to wear a shirt with long sleeves. Even though I would then roll up the sleeves. Or if I want to wear a polo shirt or a t-shirt, I tend to wear full trousers instead of shorts. There is no particular reason for this, but in general I think that it is easier to keep the outfit in balance that way.
This time however I made an exception. And one of the reasons for that is that the combination gives me kind of a vintage feeling. In a positive way. And that is due not only to the shorts but also as the shirt clearly takes inspiration from the past decades. So sometimes it is alright to go with shorts and short-sleeved shirt.The part II coming up tomorrow - stay tuned.
]]>Nowadays I very rarely do any reviews of products made by others. Even though I still get a lot of inquiries and proposals from different brands and makers. There is no particular reason for that, but when your time is limited, you need to cut something out. But sometimes something particularly interesting comes up. Especially I am still interested about new and small players & brands with personal and passionate approach to craftsmanship and business. That and the fact that I was indeed looking for a new wallet for me and my spouse got me interested, when I got a message from Singapore.
Some time ago I got an email from Kage, a guy behind a brand called Mastery Co. He asked me if I was interested to try out and review the Mastery leather pieces. In general they are making wallets, small bags and other small leather items. As mentioned, I had been for a while been looking for new wallets for me and my girlfriend. I took quickly a look of the Mastery website and thought that this could be a nice option to try out. The main reason however for me to give Mastery a try was that the look of their products was simple, all the products are made individually by hand and most of all, Kage seemed like a guy who is passionate about the things he is doing. And it gives me an opportunity to talk about brand that most of you don't even know about yet.
When I took a look at the Mastery selection, I was mainly looking out for the wallets. The bags on the site are simple and sleek, but I would say the bags especially bring out the fact that Mastery is concentrating on the Asian markets. The small shoulder bags are at least at the moment something I couldn't probably wear myself, as they don't serve the right purpose for me. As I am always carrying at least the wallet, a phone, keys and most probably camera or laptop, the small bags just don't do the trick for me.
As I was looking for a wallet, I concentrated on them. On the site you can find basically 8 different models. Yet my choice when I went through the options was quite easy. I wanted to go for a classic. And a wallet, not just a plain card case. And as I know my spouse is also into the classic models, I finally came up with two choices. The classic bi-fold wallet and the long wallet. Both made of Vacchetta pit dyed full grain leather. So now we these same kind of wallets for "him and her".
All Mastery products are made by hand. The vegetable tanned leathers for the items come from Tuscany and the Vachetta leathers are dyed using age old traditional technique. All pieces are saddle-stitched with waxed linen threads from Fil Au Chinois, France. According to Kage, one of the reasons to make all the items totally by hand is that the texture, the hand pull, look and feel of these contrasting stitches can never be replicated from a machine. The designs are influenced by daily activities and experiences. All items feature clean lines and a organic flow. Also as Kage describes, each item have its own unique character and no two products are ever the same.
At the moment all items are made by Kage himself. Although according to his words he has a few craftsmen in Japan that could help him with the production. When I asked about the making of the wallets, he said that "All items are 100% handmade and hand stitched. I only uses a electric creaser for the edge-work and a old school hand-stamping machine for monogramming. No other machinery involve." And one wallet takes 6-9 hours to make. Without brakes included.
So you could claim that we are not talking about mass productions. Two wallets per day. Or one, if you want to keep your hours in a decent level.
This is one of the questions I think most of people think when they are buying something new. At least if you think it, if you are buying something from a brand that you don't already know. And usually people think this especially when they are buying something they think is expensive. Even though I personally think that you should think this in fact even more when you are buying cheap.
The prices of Mastery wallets ranges from 230$ to 430$. The classic bi-fold wallets are 250 and the long wallets 430. These are the two pieces I ended up with. And the bags are priced around 400$. You can honestly say that these prices are not cheap. But then you need to think with what do you compare that. And how do you define the value of a product. Mastery is not a brand with huge brand value. At least not yet.
In general, if you can't mark up the price with a famous brand tag, you need to be able to produce a product that really matches the price tag. At least if you want your customers to ever come back. Or to recommend you to a friend. Therefore I thought I could take a little closer look on this matter here. And basically try and think if there is credit for the quite high price of the Mastery wallets.
In my opinion everyone should sometime visit a factory making shoes, leather accessories or even ties or shirts. And when I talk about factory I mean a maker or a place where handwork is included. And I think this because it would give an understanding what it takes to make a product from scratch till the final. I visited last spring in Budabest at the factories of Heinrich Dinkelacker and Laszlo Vass. Both making tradition hand-made shoes. And once again it was a pleasure to see the people working behind the products you see online or on the shops.
Because when you see the people working and you see the different stages of making a products, the leathers or fabrics and tools, and you see the fact how long does it really take to make the product, you can also understand the value. And also the reason for sometimes higher prices.
The finishing and handwork of the wallets we received are in my opinion very good. I am not an expert on craftsmanship but I have seen quite a few smaller and bigger leather items. And when I compare the Mastery wallet to some others I have and others I have seen, I dare to say that it stands up in the comparison.
Answer to the question whether or not some product is worth the price is always also subjective. But at least in my opinion the Mastery wallets can be compared to any other wallets with more famous brand tags and even higher prices.
I've had many wallets in my life. One thing I have learned is stated above. And the reason is simple. Because wallets and other small leather items are items you carry around with you all the time. And usually they are either in your pocket or in your bag. You put them on the tables and you leave them hanging around at your office or at your home.
The wallet I used before was one I ordered years ago from Chester Mox. The quality of the wallet as well as the quality of the leather they used for that is great. But when I made the order, I made one mistake. I ordered it in orange mandarina calf. Orange is my favorite accent color in terms of accessories and when they had it in their selection I didn't doubt. I went for that leather. And the wallet is still in great condition. The leather is soft and it has created a nice patina. But it has also got dirty. After traveling in my pocket and bags for quite a lot, the mandarin calf is not that deep orange anymore.
Therefore this time I thought I would learn from my earlier mistake. And I opted for the navy blue calf. The patina will probably not show that clearly but on the other hand the subdued dark blue color will also protect the wallet.
And well, navy blue, black or dark brown are always classic choices. You can't go wrong with them.
To put it shortly, the wallets we received are compact and smooth but still quite sturdy. It is solid in hand and simple. And the hand-work clearly shows. It represents pretty much the qualities I was after this time and I expected them to be. Due to the hand-stitching the wallets are not as restrained and as you can clearly see the stitching and thread.
One of most important if not the most important thing with small leather items is naturally the quality of the leather. In this case the leather is is impeccable. It is not too soft but not too stiff either. It is still durable and stable - something one need to feel in person. And based on the first impression I would say that it will age quite beautifully. It is a fact that I've only been using the wallet for a couple of weeks now. So I won't even try to make any further conclusions but will let time to tell how the leather and the wallet itself will hold and grow up. My spouse has used her wallet on daily basis now for some weeks and it has already softened up and broken in nicely. So at least the start is promising.
So finally, based on my short experience of the quality of the goods together with overall aesthetics, I dare to say that despite the relatively high price Mastery co is definitely worth consideration in case you are looking for or in need of a new classic wallet. Or some other small leather items.
In the making pics by Mastery Co.
Clarification / commercial collaboration:
This post have been in collaboration with Mastery & Co and I have got the wallets for free. This however has nothing to do with my opinion regarding the products that have been stated in the article.
]]>The fabrics you want to have in your everyday wardrobe when the temperature rises should be breathable and comfortable. And naturally natural fibers are better than anything else in the hot seasons. And when you talk about breathable fabrics, linen is in top of that list. Therefore it is also one of the most popular choices for summer tailoring.
In general linen suits especially in earthy, subdued colors are a great idea for summer. In my opinion they are not as versatile as cotton suits but they're still cool and comfortable. You just need to be careful of one thing: looking too dowdy. As linen is a fabric that will rumple and stretch out very quickly, the cut and fit of your linen suit is (again) everything.
What one need is always a relative question. I managed quite a long time without a linen suit. I had one or two years ago but then I let them go. And for quite a while I thought about getting one but did not pull the trigger. Until this summer. As I needed (read wanted) a new summer suit, I thought I could give linen a try. I have some pieces in fabric that is made of wool, linen and silk and that is in my opinion one of the best summer fabrics. It gives you the lightness of linen but it still keeps it nicely in shape. However, now it was time for some linen.
To put it shortly, linen as a fabric is spun from fibres from flax plants. The name actually derives from the Latin name for the plant, 'Linum'. To make the fabric, hand-harvested flax stalks go through several stages on their way to becoming the finished linen product. And this is why especially the best linen fabrics can run high in price. But I would still say that the price is worth it. As said, a simple brown or tobacco linen suit is a classic piece. You could even call it a summer wardrobe staple.
The summer in Finland has been extraordinary hot. For many it has been to hot to wear any suit, jacket or trousers. One of the best aspects of linen is the breathability. As linen has a considerably lower thread count than other fabrics such as cotton, it is therefore extremely breathable. The nature of the material means that it is light and comfortable. And it has a high moisture absorbency. Therefore it is a perfect choice for the warmer weather months of the year. Even when the temperature raises above 30 degrees.
Linen is also one of the oldest suiting fabrics and it was favored all over the ancient world for its unique cooling properties. But nowadays linen has become a more refined and comes in many different color options. Linen also got an evident texture and holds dyes in a unique way. This gives the fabric a strong and distinct personality.
Also, even though linen might not be as versatile choice as cotton, linen suits are still more versatile than you might think. Linen suits are quite easy to wear as separates and the fabric can give off entirely different vibes depending on what you pair it with. Linen in general has quite a casual feel in it. But still experimenting with different shirts and ties, or even skipping the tie altogether, can take your look from casual to smart in moments.
When I was making up my mind about the upcoming commission for the suit, I decided to go with Herrainpukimo as I had three suits from them in my wardrobe already. And especially with the last two of them I have got the measurements nailed pretty much perfectly. The trousers in fact fit me better than any other trousers in my wardrobe. So ordering the suit was pretty easy. We basically only changed two things compared to my earlier suits. First of all I wanted to go for patch pockets again. Mainly because I wanted the suit jacket to be as casual as possible. The second change was the width of the lapels. Whereas the earlier jackets have had lapels with 9cm width, we this time decided to add 1cm. So the lapels are even wider than before. And I quite like the result.
The fabric is made by Holland&Sherry and it is in fact very nice. The linen is quite crispy, yet it has broken in pretty nicely with some wear. The shade of brown is somewhere in between dark brown and chocolate brown. Easy to pair with different shades of brown and blue as well as with different shades of white. Just as I wanted.
In terms of dressing up for business I think that the same rules apply to linen than to cotton suits and sport coats. A linen suit is a good and appropriate choice for casual business occasions during summer season. Or good pieces to wear at the office. But especially if you are under a strict dress code, I wouldn't wear linen for the most formal business occasions. For a hot summer day a linen suit is definitely a better option than going without a suit at all. If you need to be dressed up.
I wrote earlier about dressing up for wedding parties. And for casual summer parties, linen suit is actually a great choice. I have worn mine in many occasions this summer and been very satisfied with it. A navy blue, off-white or brown linen suit is actually a piece that will make you stand up in the crowd just in the right way. And even though it is a more casual choice than lightweight wool suits for example, you can always pair it with a tie. After all it is a suit.
As you can see in the pics, blue and different shades of brown are as usual easy options when you choose a tie to pair with the suit. The brown shantung tie or a navy blue grenadine tie have been my go-to choices this summer with this particular suit. If you want to add a pattern to your outfit, a linen tie with some floral pattern would be an ideal match.
I am not that good wearing suits as separates. I usually go for the full suit look. And then I have sport coats and odd trousers. But this suit I have actually worn quite a lot already as separates. The trousers with sport coats like you see here. Or with just casual polo shirts, which has in fact been one of my favorite combinations this summer.
One of the most important aspects when you wear suit trousers with odd jackets is naturally the fit and cut of the trousers. And that those two things are in pair with the jacket you wear them with. I like my trousers with higher waist. This way they are in my opinion also easier to wear with odd jackets. The high waist combined with a casual jacket as the linen safari inspired jacket you see in pictures creates a nice and balanced silhouette. And then you can choose whether you want to go for that three buttons of the shirt open look or not.
I have noticed that for me it is usually easier to wear the suit trousers with sport coats or just with a shirt. This might be because many of my suit jackets have for example roped shoulders which in my opinion don't work that well in sport coats. But the jacket of this suit is also appropriate to wear on its own. And here is one example of that. The brown linen suit jacket with a simple white DLA oxford shirt and light gray lighweight wool trousers.
The trousers are actually also part of a suit. In fact part of my favorite suit, an mtm-piece by Vaatturiliike Sauma. You can read more about that suit from my earlier posts here or here. This is once again very simple combination. Three colors altogether and no patterns. Even the textures of the fabrics are quite restrained. But still I feel that the outfit is interesting - not boring in any way.
As already said, brown linen suit is a good option for anyone looking for variation to his summer wardrobe. And you can also easily use it as separates. If you don't want to go for a full suit look - replace the trousers with a pair of lightweight denim, drop the tie and you have a perfect casual Saturday brunch outfit. Just remember that once again a suit like this should fit softly and be as breathable as possible.
Finally, more than any other fabric, linen loves to crease and crumble. But don't be afraid of that. Instead embrace those very characteristic wrinkles. After all linen looks best when it's beautifully rumpled. But always iron and press your linen garments before wearing them. That way you get a bit more formal and refined look. As you go through the day you can see some wrinkles on your outfit for sure. But that's just a feature, not a fault. And well, when it's sunny and extremely hot outside, no one notices the wrinkles. But people will definitely notice how unbothered by heat you look in your linen suit.
Pictures by Malin Sandberg.
]]>I was also looking for a new casual jacket for this summer. My options were basically some shirt jacket or a classic M-65 field jacket. But when I saw the Drake's D-43 field jacket at Sauma and tried it on, the search was done.
Originally the U.S. Army developed the M1943 uniform in 1942 to replace a variety of other army uniforms. And to replace some inadequate garments. The original M-43 jacket was made of windproof cotton sateen cloth and it is steeped in American military history. The M-43 field jacket was basically a response to the need for more functional uniforms to protect the US troops. The jacket was in the first place tested by troops in Sicily and Italy. A nice details for those who like Italian style and history. Finally it was issued to the troops in 1944. You can read more about the history from here.
The original M-43 field jacket consisted of an olive drab cotton outer shell with layers added inside. The layers were brought to add more warmth when needed. There was a pile jacket liner for extremely cold areas and a short wool jacket to wear in milder temperatures. As mentioned, the original M-43 jacket had a sateen outer shell with a cotton lining. The waist was adjustable with an internal drawstring. The wrists could be closed by buttons. The jacket could be closed with six hidden plastic buttons under a fly cover. This way it created a smooth front. Other important features of the original M-43 field jacket included:
Nowadays many brands have their own versions of old military garments. The M-43 is not an exception. The British manufacturer Drake's London is one that has brought up their version of the jacket. It is a version that is pretty much loyal to the original. The jacket I picked for myself is handcrafted from hardy but breathable army green or khaki linen.
The D43 jacket features basically all the details that the original M-43 had. Four pockets, neck flap, draw string and hidden buttons. The only thing missing is the hood. And the linen version does not have a liner. The fit of the jacket is rather slim, although the sizing is a bit odd. I usually wear size 46 or 48. Or small (sometimes medium, depending on the sizing). However, I ended up choosing a size XXS of the D43 jacket. And it fits me pretty much perfectly, especially in terms of the length of the jacket and sleeves. As I have quite broad chest and shoulders in comparison to my other body, XS would have probably been another option. But then the sleeves for example would have been too long.
The linen cloth is as mentioned quite sturdy but still very breathable. It does not crease much but still the fabric has a casual feeling and look. But it is good to keep in mind that when the temperature falls, you will need something else than just a t-shirt under your jacket to keep you warm. To put it briefly, the D43 is a perfect top layer for in-between days during summer and early fall season.
All field jackets are more or less casual jackets. They are at their best when you pair them with casual pieces such as denim, cotton slacks, t-shirt or other casual shirts and knitwear. For some field jacket inspiration, take a look at my older post about the M-65 jacket. One of my favorite combinations however is to wear the Drake's D43 jacket with the DLA white oxford shirt and dark blue cotton slacks as in the picture on the top. Or to pair the jacket with white linen slacks and the DLA denim shirt.
In general, I think the best color for a field jacket is the olive or military green. Drake's call the color of their D43 field jacket as khaki but I would still say it more olive. The green is easy to pair and combine. You can easily wear it with different shades of blue, although I almost always tend to go with dark or indigo shades of blue. The olive green jacket is also easy to pair for example with off-white or light brown trousers. It brings a little bit of contrast to the outfit but not too much. As usual, I would avoid pairing the jacket with bright colored garments. And also, as the fabric of the jacket is quite sturdy linen and the general look of the jacket is casual, I wouldn't pair with any formal pieces made of fine wool fabrics.
As already said - as all field jackets - the M-43 type is also at its best when you wear it with casual pieces. However in my opinion you can also pair the jacket - especially versions like this Drake's one with suits or sport coats. But when you do, make sure the suit is still casual enough.
I have sometimes said that a cotton suit is one of the most versatile suits there is. And it is also one of the most casual expressions of a suit possible. Therefore it is a great match for the linen D43 field jacket.
In the pics here I have paired the jacket with the camel colored mtm-cotton suit from Sauma and the DLA white oxford shirt and DLA navy grenadine tie. Some could argue that grenadine is not the best choice here but as it is a perfect pair for the cotton suit, I personally like it. But for example a shantung silk or a linen tie would be definitely good choices. Or you can go totally without a tie. And that is in fact my choice in most cases.
But as referred above, I would not pair the field jacket with a business suit and a patterned that at your way to the more formal meetings.
]]>As the summer keeps coming it's a good time for a few words about polo shirts. This post is originally from 2015 but I have updated with new shots and some new ideas as well.
The polo shirt (or pique shirt) is also known as a tennis shirt. Even though the history of the polo shirt is partly unclear, most of people give the credit of inventing the polo shirt for the French tennis player Rene Lacoste.
Lacoste wore the shirt to the 1926 US open championship - which he in fact won - to replace the old "match costume". The match costume at that time used to be a white long sleeve button-up shirt, usually worn with sleeves rolled up.
By going from the unpractical button-up shirt to more comfortable short-sleeved polo shirt Lacoste created a new trend. A trend which became a sensation. After his tennis career in 1933 Lacoste founded a company named La Societe Chemise Lacoste (known as Lacoste Shirt Company) together with his friend Andre Gillier. The company started to produce similar soft shirts than the one Lacoste worn in 1926. The shirts they produced were recognizable for the little crocodile on the chest of the shirt. This iconic logo was inspired by Lacoste's nickname "Le Crocodile".
Soon after these new shirts had developed as a trend among tennis players other sportsmen followed. They began to replace their traditional outfits with the Lacoste tennis shirt. The most notable of these athletes who took the new trend as their own happened to be polo players. Polo player who before that had favored heavy cotton button-down shirts. Polo players widely adopted the pique woven cotton shirts. And as they kept wearing the shirts after games as well - the trend started to spread outside sport circles.
And so polo shirt came appropriate for casual wear in general. By the late 1940s the term "polo shirt" became a standard to describe these soft pique-cotton collared shirts. And these shirts were not only worn by polo players but by anyone fond of this soft collared shirt.
Today there are multiple different kind of polo shirts on the market. The range differs from long-sleeved pieces made of fine merino wool to really casual options made of terrycloth. But the polo shirts made according the "original" model are usually made of pique fabric with short sleeves, soft collar and two or three buttons on the front of the shirt.
The pique fabric itself refers to the weaving style of the cotton cloth. The fabric made this way is characterized by fine ribbing or raised parallel cords that in the cloth result as a finely textured surface.
Polo shirt is an ideal choice for those warm and pretty summer days. And it is versatile. First of all you can wear it casually with jeans as a replacement for a t-shirt. Or you can wear it instead of a dress shirt when you leave from the office for after work. Nowadays many brands and manufacturers also have long-sleeved versions on their selection that are perfectly appropriate to wear with a sport coat. Or to combine even with casual and more relaxed suits.
As with most of garments there are in menswear, the key to pulling off a polo shirt is on the right fit. The most optimal choice is to go for pieces that are slightly trimmer in the body and feature sleeves that hit and slightly squeeze around the middle of your biceps.
In terms of length the right answer depends o whether you want to tuck in your shirt or wear it untucked. For more casual wear and combinations I suggest to wear the shirt untucked. In this case just be sure that you choose a shirt wear the hemline is even and where the hemline ends around on the level of your hips. Also make sure that the hem does not lop or float around but fits and settles nicely. If you are going to wear the shirt under a blazer or a sport coat, make sure it is tucked into your trousers.
And even though the Lacoste polo shirt was one of the first pieces of clothing where the logo of manufacturer was clearly presented I dare to claim that simplicity is a virtue in terms of choosing a right piece of polo shirt as well. Nowadays there are multiple choices with big logos and striking stripes or patterns on the market. But don't go for those. Instead choosing a plain one-colored shirt in restrained tone is the right way to do this.
As with many other items I have noticed that my attitude towards polo shirts have changed during the years. When I was younger I wore them quite a lot. The classic Ralph Lauren shirts were key pieces in my summer wardrobe. I paired them with jeans, chino trousers, shorts and sneakers. And I still think these are valid combinations for sure. Especially for a young man a good classic polo shirt is a good investment.
At some point I lost my interest for polo shirts. The biggest reasons was that my style developed to more formal and business-oriented direction. And due to the fact that I didn't like to wear the classic polo shirt with a sport coat or with a suit, I dropped the polo shirts. And I still don't. Most of the classic polo shirts made of the soft pique fabric feature quite small and many times too sloppy collars. That kind of collar does not look good when you wear it under a jacket or even under knitwear. So I basically invested in good button-up shirts. And when I needed to wear something casual with jeans for example, I just rolled up the sleeves.
But now I have started to like the polo shirts again. But not really the most classic ones. Instead I have acquired many "modified polo shirts". By modified version I mean shirts that feature a bigger collar, jersey cotton or merino wool material instead of the pique fabric and also longer placket and more buttons in the front. This kind of shirts (as you can see from the pictures in this post) are in my opinion perfect options to wear for occasions when you want to wear something that is casual but still refined and dressed-up.
One of my recent purchases was a so called one-piece collar shirt made by Simon Skottowe Tailors. With this kind of shirts the collar is made from a single piece of material that flows from the placket on the front, up into the collar. And round the neck and down again. This gives the shirt a very different feel compared to a shirt with its separate placket, stand and collar. And it also gives it a different kind of look. The best aspect in my opinion is that this kind of a polo shirt you can easily wear also under a jacket. And you can wear the collar under the jacket collar. Or pop it up and out. However you happen to like it.
You can find the original post in Finnish from tyylit.fi.
Pictures by Malin Sandberg and Juha Kortesalo.
]]>This is a post I originally wrote for tyylit.fi a few years ago. But because this is a theme that never gets old, I have updated it every spring season since. This year I thought I would add some thoughts about "what would I today wear for graduation".
I graduated from high school in 2005. On my graduation day I wore a black chalk stripe suit with button-up shirt and a white silk scarf. I wanted to be a bit "different". On the other hand during those days I lived in a small town and we did not have very many options in terms of stores to go through and buy clothes. And the possibilities for online shopping were also much more limited. Still I looked good wearing that suit though. Today I would definitely not wear the same attire. But as I have said before, it is just natural that your style can change and evolve. And my personal style is for sure different now that it was 13 years ago.
If I was about to graduate today, my choices would be a little bit different. I would wear what you see in the pictures of this post.
The suit in the pictures is the oldest suit in my rotation. I bought it around 10 years ago and it was my first "expensive" suit. It is a suit made by Caruso which cost around 800 euros (on sale) if I remember correctly. Still today it is one of my favorite suits. The fit is perfect for a ready-to-wear suit. The fabric is quite lightweight and therefore the elbows of the jacket must have been repaired a few times. Otherwise it is still perfect. The cut of the suit is very classic and the softly tailored construction has been made and finished with quality and care. This is the kind of suit I would invest my money if I was 18 or 19 again.
To make a difference and to stand out in a crowd you don't need to wear bold patterns or colors. You can also make it with discretion. Pay attention to the fit, to the materials and to textures.
And then to those tips.
First of all, it is good to remember that these tips are not only for those who are looking for answers to the question how to dress up for graduation. In fact these simple basics will keep you covered through almost any summer party from weddings to birthdays and cocktail parties.
It doesn't really matter where you buy your suit. And remember it does not need to the be the most expensive one. The most important thing is that you choose and buy a suit that suits you. And fits you. Go for classic colors, patterns, and styles. Make sure that there is no colorful contrast stitching or extra button holes on the collar of your jacket. Also avoid all funny and fashionable details. Finally pick a suit that's made of lightweight wool or cotton. Avoid shiny synthetic fiber fabrics.
Every (young) man should understand that there are only handful of people to who ready-to-wear clothes are perfectly fitted without any alterations. A well fitting suit does not just look better on you. It also feels better on you. Remember to have at least to get your jacket sleeves and trousers fixed. And when you are buying your suit, make sure it fits you from the shoulders. Sleeves and trouser length are easy to fix but restructuring the shoulder line is much more complicated and expensive project. And to make sure that your tailor have enough time to do the alterations, don't leave the purchase to the last day. See the link to read the basics about how your suit should fit.
Make sure that the shirt fits you well. Especially pay attention to the collar, chest and sleeve length. Make sure the shirt is not too tight on your throat.
In terms of buying a dress shirt for a party the most important things to pay attention are color and fit. White is always a safe choice. One can not go wrong with white. For a casual summer party you can consider other colors or shades as well but I would be careful with those. If you want to wear for example a pink shirt, that's basically alright. However forget colors like yellow, lime green, bright pink or bright blue. And as you are looking for a shirt for summer party, I don't recommend any dark shades either.
Good fit is not just about aesthetics. As already said, a well-fitted shirt or a suit also makes you feel better. And more comfortable. When the shirt fits you right you don't need to pay attention to that. In fact you don't even notice you are wearing one.
Tie is not necessary for a graduation party. But I strongly recommend to wear one. But forget Hawaii prints and other boldly patterned options. Instead acquire plain, high-quality silk or wool tie. And learn how to tie a nice four-in-hand knot. The width of your tie should be in balance with your shirt and jacket collar width. It also should be in balance with your own body type. If you are looking for something a bit more relaxed and casual, knit tie is a good and appropriate option.
Accessories are one way to bring up your own personality. Or add a little variation to your outfit. However again I want to emphasize that even with accessories going with the simple choices is most often the best choice. If you are not sure what your are doing go for a white linen pocket square. Or a pocket square that features restrained pattern and that matches your tie and shirt. But never go for matchy-matchy combination with tie and pocket square featuring the exact same pattern.
If you wear a suit trousers with belt loops, choose a leather belt that matches your shoes. And make sure the belt buckle is simple, small and restrained. Another option is to wear your trousers with braces. This is something I highly recommend. So when you take your suit to a tailor, ask him or her to add buttons for braces inside your trousers.
With black shoes go for black or dark blue socks. In terms of blue choose a shade that is darker than your suit. With brown shoes I recommend to go with dark blue socks.
In the end it all comes up to your shoes. Good and high-quality shoes are the cornerstone of good style and dressing up. On the other hand poor quality shoes can make otherwise perfect outfit to look bad. So pay attention to your shoes when dressing up for graduation party. By investing in a pair of quality shoes you will make sure that you belong to the best dressed 10% of your class. Cap-toe oxford is the most formal shoe type there is. And that is my suggestion to wear with your suit. If you want to go fully formal set-up, choose black color. Though for a graduation party dark brown shoes are also appropriate.
Read more about black oxfords or penny loafers.
Remember to make sure that you have polished your shoes before the shoes. But even more important than the shine of your shoes is that they are comfortable to wear. So if you buy new shoes for your graduation party, remember to wear them at least a couple of times before the big day.
Read more about how to take care of your shoes.
Last but not least. It does not matter how expensive suit or shoes you are wearing, if you don't wear them with pride and comfort. So keep your back straight and chin up. In the end it comes up to the fact how a man can carry his clothes. Therefore this is the most important thing to remember when thinking about how to dress up for graduation.
And finally - have fun, it’s time for a celebration.
You can find the original post written in Finnish at tyylit.fi.
]]>Agyesh Madan is the former head of product development at Isaia and the founder of Stoffa. He is also one of the most inspiring men in the clothing industry. And at the same time one of the most humble and sincere guys I've come across. If you haven't read the post I wrote about him back in the days in 2014, take a look at it from here.
The name Stoffa is Italian and stands for "the stuff things are made of". The brand started with a kind of unique range of accessories featuring scarves, pocket squares and knit ties. From the start the Stoffa had a modern and fresh look. I have called it "Italian minimalism". Even though they have from the start been using century-old production techniques. Today the company is especially known for their outerwear and trousers. And every product is made by order.
Yes, there is no stock. Nothing you could buy off the rack. The outerwear collection includes 5 different jackets in various options of material, and every piece is made to order and made to measure. As said by Agyesh himself, "our thoughtfully designed outerwear is elegant and luxurious. Clean lines combined with meticulously tested details invoke a natural affinity with the wearer and provide the perfect complement for life on the move."
Stoffa does not have any retailers and they do not have their own store. But Agyesh travels around the world for trunk shows to take orders. For more details check out about the upcoming shows and cities, take a look at their website.
Every single Stoffa piece is made to order and made to measure.
As already mentioned, all of the products are simple and casual, yet elegant and refined. There are two long overcoats, the car coat and the asymmetric coat. Then there is the field jacket and two shorter jackets that are the most casual ones of the selection. Perhaps the most important aspect of the design of Stoffa outerwear is the simplicity. And another thing worth of mentioning are subtle changes of proportion.
For my first order I ended up choosing the cropped 002 flight jacket in navy suede. Finally I made the choice between the asymmetric jacket and the flight jacket. I thought that this one would better suit my own style and body. The flight jacket is in fact a great example on the perfect proportions. And in my opinion it is especially a great choice for a short guy like me. The clean and refined jacket features generous pockets and a soft, rolling collar. The jacket is made of high-quality lamb skin suede and finished with high-grade single needle stitching. I don't go into the details of the finishing and quality, but believe me - if you try it, you will feel and see how it is.
As said, Stoffa does not have any retailers. But if you are living in Scandinavia, the easiest way is to make your way to Stockholm. And go to Marcus Malmborg, who has his own showroom and who represents Stoffa as well. This is also the place where the trunk shows in Stockholm are arranged.
My own process for ordering the jacket was actually quite a long one. I visited in Stockholm in summer 2016 to meet Agyes as he was having a trunk show there. I tried out the models, which were five at that time. We discussed about different possibilities and Agyesh took my measurements and wrote down the needed alterations for different type of jackets. At that time I did not however yet pull the trigger. It took me over a year to make up my mind. Finally last fall I decided that I would go for the flight jacket. After a short consideration between the dark brown and navy suede I chose to go with the blue. The brown seems to be more common but in my opinion the navy suede is actually even more versatile option. And more appropriate for my own use.
As I didn't have any trips to Stockholm scheduled I emailed to Marcus and Agyesh if they still had my measurements stored. And they did. So we agreed the details of the order via email and they put the jacket into production. The normal delivery time is around 4-6 weeks. The preferred option is that the orders are delivered through trunk show appointments. Naturally because then you can take a look at the result and see the fit of the jacket. This time however I asked them to deliver the jacket to the showroom of Marcus even though I couldn't make it for the next scheduled trunk show. And at the same time I got a nice excuse to make a short weekend trip to Stockholm.
The prices of the Stoffa outerwear starts from around 1000 euros. The suede flight jacket cost 1300$ and the pieces made of cotton or linen fabrics are a bit less. The long overcoats starts around 1500 euros and the trousers costs around 300-500 euros. Naturally depending on the material you choose to go for.
It is clear that these are not cheap pieces. But if you consider the quality and the fact that every piece is made to order as well as made-to-measure and you get to choose all the details as well the fabrics, the price is fair in my opinion. And the jacket is definitely worth the price.
To put it shortly, when I received the jacket, the fit was perfect. It is close but not tight on the shoulders, a nice line through the waist, good length on the hips, and the length of the sleeves is just on point. The fit was in fact just how expected and hoped. So you could say that it was just how made-to-measure garments should be. And as there were only minor alterations to the fitting jacket, they were executed perfectly. And the jacket did not need any further alterations.
One thing that is good to keep in mind in terms of fit is the proportions and structure of the jacket. Due to the short length and over-sized pockets it draws attention to your waist line and hips. And this can make you look bulkier than you are. Especially as the jacket is quite tight on the shoulders, you may want to give some extra thoughts on the fact, will the jacket suit your own body. To summarize, the jacket in principle have an effect that makes the waist look bigger and the shoulders smaller . Which is fact is the opposite proportions of tailoring.
For myself this wasn't a problem. Partly because I have relatively wide chest and shoulders in comparison to the other parts of my body. And also the short length of the jacket fits my own height and proportions pretty nicely. In a way it actually makes me look a bit taller as it sits perfectly just above my hips.
As already said the Stoffa flight jacket is casual and simple but at the same time refined and chic. And this makes it quite easy to combine with different kind of trousers, shirts and pullovers. In my opinion the suede version is definitely at its best when you combine it with roll neck sweaters. Just as I've actually done in every picture features in this post. In terms of colors the usual rules apply. The navy blue is perfect pair for off-white trousers or knitwear as well as for shades of brown and gray.
In terms of trousers, I personally prefer options with higher waist. Mainly because of the short length of the jacket. When you wear trousers with higher waist, the jacket fits much more nicely as the hem of the jacket is placed just below the waistline of your trousers.
But as the weather gets a bit warmer, I will probably pair the jacket with light weight wool and cotton trousers and combine them with a solid white t-shirt. Simple but still effortlessly on point.
]]>As mentioned earlier, I commissioned this suit from Vaatturiliike Sauma before heading to Pitti Uomo 93. As they just had got a Belgian brand Scabal as their new mtm-supplier, I decided to give it a try.
And this time I also decided to go for something a bit different than my usual preferences. A suit with a bit more structure to make it appropriate especially for work and business purposes. The result was a dark blue Prince of Wales checked two piece suit made of 240g Scabal wool fabric.
The Prince of Wales check is also known as Glen check, Glen plaid or Glen Urquhart check. Although nowadays these terms are used interchangeably, there are subtle differences between the versions. Still it takes a trained eye to notice differences. And to understand the complex history behind the names and patterns.
To put is shortly, the Glen (Urquhart) check is a woolen fabric with a woven twill design of small and large checks. Usually two dark and two light stripes alternate with four dark and four light stripes. And this creates a crossing pattern of irregular checks. This large, open form of check pattern is one of the most common and versatile of all checks. And Prince of Wales check is a Glen Urquhart check often with an overcheck in color.
The pattern was named for Edward VII and made fashionable and popular by his grandson, The Duke of Windsor. In general the history of the pattern dates back to the early 19th century. The glen check was first developed by the Countess of Seafield in the valley of Glenurquhart in Invernesshire, Scotland as the Seafield estate's signature tweed. And there The Prince of Wales, who often went shooting at the estate, discovered and borrowed the check to make his own variation. Which was then named as "Prince of Wales".
There are a few things you should keep in mind when you choose to go for a Prince of Wales pattern. First of all, with such a generous pattern such the Prince of Wales, you should not have a skinny fit. A large scale pattern on for example a skinny lapel looks wrong. Secondly, bigger pattern and wider lapel also call for a fuller chest and wider trouser. So skip the most slim-fitted suits, if you go for this pattern.
The suit here is made by Scabal. The Belgian company is especially known for their high-quality fabrics. According to their own words you can today find Scabal fabrics from tailor's workshops in over 65 countries worldwide. Originally the name is an acronym for Société Commerciale Anglo Belgo Allemande Luxembourgeoise.
Scabal was founded in 1938. During the years Scabal has maintained, and improved the prestige of its heritage. Today the majority of their 5000 fabrics are manufactured in Huddersfield, England. In addition some of the fabrics are produced in Italy and Germany. If you want to take a look at Scabal fabrics, you can do it here.
Through the years the company expanded its offerings considerably and today in addition to fabrics they offer also ready-to-wear suits and made-to-measure garment services.
There is also one detail regarding Scabal's history that is worth mentioning. When they started the trade, the founder of company Otto Hertz, conceived of a new way of making business. Hertz's idea was that Scabal's representatives would mobilize on a short notice to visit reputable tailors and suit makers. And of course to sell Scabal's fabrics to them. In order to do that and to travel lightly, Scabal invented an indispensable tool that revolutionized the business. That tool was a small leather booklet in which each salesman carried their fabric samples. And today you can find these bunches of fabrics from every tailoring house and retailers who sell made-to-measure garments.
After the short introduction to the pattern and to Scabal, a few words about the suit. Before Sauma took Scabal as a part of their mtm-range I hadn't actually ever seen their suits in action. Although naturally I was familiar with the fabrics. But when I was thinking about my next commission in November, Tuomo suggested that I would give Scabal a try. And if I'm not mistaken this suit is probably one of if not the first Scabal suits ordered from Sauma.
The process was pretty much similar to most made-to-measure proceedings. We started with a trial suit and Tuomo marked the necessary alterations. And then we went through the whole set of possible choices of details. Usually this part is easy as I only refer to my earlier commissions and stick with my default choices. This time however I gave it more thoughts for a couple of reasons.
First of all the house style of Scabal is a bit different than the ones Sauma uses for their private label mtm-suits. One example of this is the shoulder structure and look of the jacket. I am usually a fan of very soft shoulder structure. I want it to be natural, sometimes almost like a shirt shoulder. But Scabal does not do that. Even if you tried, you would not find that soft shoulder option from their range of possibilities. Another reason was that I wanted to try something different with the trousers. Although some people could say that going from double pleats to single pleats is not that big of a change.
I have quite a wide range of suits nowadays. Not nearly complete but still quite wide. Therefore when I decide to go for a new suit I don't necessarily need to think first about the versatility. Even though I talk about it a lot. This time, due to the house style of Scabal and my personal needs I decided to go for a suit that would be an option for me to wear mostly at work. And especially a suit that would be appropriate for those a little bit more formal work occasions.
In my opinion Prince of Wales pattern is a great choice for a business suit. It is not as formal as plain fabrics or not as fully business-oriented as stripes but it is still appropriate for business. The pattern is restrained and subtle, especially if you choose a dark ground color as I did for this suit. And as I only had one check patterned blue suit in my rotation before, it felt like an optimal choice.
Regarding the suit, the shoulder structure was the first choice. The one I ended up with features light padding but as you can see it forms a very clean and subtle line from the shoulder to the sleeve. In fact I like the result a lot even though it took me a while to get used to it. The other difference compared to many of my other suits is that the chest is bit fuller thanks to the bit heavier structure of the jacket.
In terms of the pockets, I am a fan of patch pockets. This time however I went for the most conservative option and chose flap pockets. The only detail that actually that I kept from my usual choices was the buttoning. Even for this suit I went for the three-roll-two buttoning.
To put it shortly, so far I have been very pleased with the suit. Although there were a couple of mistakes on the suit as it arrived. First, instead of buttons the trousers featured a fly zip. And the trousers featured jetted pockets even though I ordered them with normal side pockets. The first one does not really make a difference so I can live with that. And in fact the jetted are quite nice to use and easy to keep your hands in. Something I've never tried before. And to be honest, did not even considered as an option. Tuomo from Sauma naturally offered to order a new pair of trousers to replace the first ones but so far I have decided to keep them as they are.
Otherwise the result was a decent one. Minor alterations to the length of jacket sleeves and trousers were needed. But for a first mtm-suit from a new manufacturer the outcome is commendable. To sum-up, a summary of choices I made for the suit:
Pictures by Juha Kortesalo.
]]>In this post I take a look at the chalk stripe suit. I have updated the post to cover two different combinations. In the first one the Tagliatore suit is combined with a white DLA oxford shirt, DLA navy blue grenadine tie and the Symposium pocket square. On the second one the suit is paired with a striped shirt and burgundy grenadine tie. Both combinations are at their best when you wear them for business occasions.
First of all, it is good to know that in terms of suits and jackets there are numerous stripes available. There are for example shadow, pencil, bead and self stripes. Many of these are difficult to categorize precisely. But probably the two most well-known stripes are pin stripe and chalk stripe.
Pin stripe is a pattern of very thin single stripes of any color - usually white - running in parallel. The distance between the stripes usually ranges from 0,25cm up to 2,5cm. And if you look the pin stripe from close distance it gives you the impression of a pinhead spot. Some say that pin stripes are really a series of dots.
In terms of formal business wear white pinstripes on blue background is an undisputed classic. The traditional suit worn in London city by bankers and stockbrokers is still made of this classic.
Then there is the chalk stripe. For this pattern a series of threads is used to create a stripe that resembles one that is drawn with tailor's chalk. The chalk stripe does not look like little pinhead spots, but much rather like one continuous line. The width of the stripe and gap between the stripes varies. But in general it is in both ways always wider than the pin stripe. Chalk stripes are not as formal as pinstripes. But chalk stripe is still a classic pattern and it has been used especially for traditional double-breasted flannel suits.
Sometimes you may hear someone talking about rope stripes. And what they mean is that the stripe resembles a rope. However, as there is no unique distinguishing mark for that kind of stripe and pattern, you can call it just chalk stripe.
Chalk stripe is a great pattern if you are lookig for a suit to wear at work. It subtle but elegant and classic.
It is good to note that there really is no uniform definition for chalk and pin stripes. In addition to the above mentioned names you can hear descriptions such as wide pin stripe, wide chalk stripe, thin pin stripe etc. One thing that is common to chalk stripe and pin stripe is that is they are at their best when you use them for business wear. And especially pinstripe pattern should be used only as a full suit.
In the end, it does not really matter what the name of stripe you are wearing is. If it looks good and you like it, go for it.
Navy blue grenadine tie with blue suit and blue braces. Blue with blue works in office environment.
The suit here is made by Italian Tagliatore. In my opinion the suit reflects the Italian approach to business wear. At the same time it reflects my own feelings about modern, simple and elegant business wear. Therefore the suit is perfect to combine with the DLA accessories. Them both are subtle, yet refined as well as classic, yet relaxed.
Almost monochrome. And remember that man can never have too many white shirts.
The suit is made of soft super 110s wool fabric by Italian Reda. It features a chalk stripe pattern which is as mentioned a classic pattern for business wear.
Despite the pattern this suit is not a "power suit". It is lightweight, unlined and comes with details such as soft shoulders and patch pockets. In my opinion the suit combines formal and casual business wear in a perfect way. Even though some of the details are casual, the suit is still quite business-oriented.
It is also good to note that answers to the question "can a suit jacket have patch pockets" vary. Strongly. Some say it is totally appropriate whereas others say not ever. If you want to know my more detailed opinion but haven't yet read the post about patch pockets with business suit, go and check it out.
In terms of dressing up for work a blue suit with a blue tie is my go-to combination. And as I have said multiple times, if you only own one tie, make it a navy blue grenadine. This kind of grenadine tie is a timeless and understated essential of the elegant wardrobe. You can wear it to the office and for any business meeting. And you can wear it even for casual Friday.
The obvious choice for this kind of outfit would be the white tv-fold pocket square. However I wanted something else. Therefore I took the Symposium pocket square and combined it with the attire. And as you can see, it finalize the outfit perfectly. The chalk stripe suit, white shirt and grenadine tie exude more formal approach, together with the little details the pocket square balances the combination.
Then another example from this winter. The suit remains the same but the shirt, tie and pocket square are different. And all of these pieces dress down the ensemble a little notch. First of all the striped shirt is less formal than a white one. Secondly the burgundy tie is a little less formal than the blue grenadine. And in my opinion the pocket square with pink and lighter colored details is a bit less formal than the darker one. Still this attire would be perfectly appropriate for most business meetings.
If you are looking for an alternative to blue, burgundy is a great option. I have said it before but in terms of accessories and color choices, burgundy is one of the most undervalued options. Especially for ties burgundy is a versatile choice. In general you can wear it around the year no matter the season. Although it works especially well during fall and winter. Burgundy is also easy to combine with different shades blue, brown, grey and even with black.
And I can promise that the DLA collection will in the future get some burgundy pieces as well, so keep your eyes open.
Original post 8/2016 - updated 3/2018
]]>Made-to-measure suit, MTM, custom-made - a beloved child has many names. In general made-to-measure refers to a suit or a jacket made according customers dimensions, measurements and personal choices, but most of times in an outside factories.
Nowadays made-to-measure suits are often mixed with bespoke suits. However these two are totally different processes. To put is shortly, the distinction between these two is that bespoke suits are created without use of a pre-existing pattern. Made-to-measure suits instead are created by altering a standard-sized pattern to fit the customer.
Unfortunately today the boundary between made-to-measure and bespoke is often blurred. There are many manufacturers and brands who use the word “bespoke” in their marketing. And they do that even the service or product itself would not fit into the description of bespoke above.
Every man must have at least one well-fitting suit. But does every man need to have a custom-made suit? “MTM or RTW” is a question that forums, blogs, and literature shows answers for and against. My own view is that not necessarily. The advantage of made-to-measure suits could be described as follow:
And these, in that particular order. It is clear that majority of men can not find a ready-to-wear suit that would fit them perfectly without any alterations. In fact, such people are very few. But they do exist. For them a made-to-measure suit does not provide such an added value compared to ready-to-wear suits in terms of fit. If you happen to fall into this category, and there is not that much use for suits in your rotation, it might be smart to invest the money elsewhere than to a made-to-measure suit.
The second group are people who can find a suit that fit alright, so that with little alterations done by a tailor, a perfect fit can be achieved. The number of these guys is already much bigger. Finally there is a third group, the guys whose body proportions differs so much from the dimensions and proportions used by rtw-clothing manufacturers that a well-fitting suit can not be found. Not even one that could be fixed by a tailor with a reasonable effort and cost. This group is the one to whom custom-made suits - in terms of fit - is the best, sometimes even the only option. In addition to bespoke of course.
In my opinion however the biggest advantage when it comes to made-to-measure suit is the fact that the suit can be made using the fabric of your personal choice. And you can choose exactly the details you want for your suit. On the other hand, it is also good to bear in mind that usually even for the guys belonging to those groups one and two mentioned above mtm-suit is an option that rarely fits worse than any of those pieces already hanging in their closets. Win-win situation for them, that is.
At the moment there are both - mtm- and rtw-pieces in my rotation. And I dare to say there is a place for both.
The first thing to mention is the simple truth - never buy a made-to-measure suit online. I admit that ordering a shirt from online-operators can be successful. Nevertheless I have never yet come across a custom-suit or a sport coat ordered online that would be perfect in terms of fit and overall aesthetics. At this point I would suggest skipping the part of “learning the hard way”. Just save the money for that first “real custom suit”.
Shortly my advice is this: when you buy a custom suit, find a tailor who
The most important thing in terms of the last point is to ensure that any modifications or alterations needed and done go through the seller. Only that way the changes are taken into account with the future orders in mind.
Another piece of advice is to think the purpose the suit is coming and what are you looking for. This can many times answer the question if it is reasonable first go through the possible rtw-options. Or is it better just start going through the fabric bunches in the first place. In case you are looking for a suit for longtime, daily use - for example a year-round business suit - my advice would be to invest in quality fabrics and so-called full canvas construction.
One of the most important things when it comes to the life of a jacket is the fabric you choose. But even more important is the construction. In general there are two type of constructions used to make a suit jacket or a sport coat. First there are jackets that are canvassed and secondly there are jackets that are fused.
A jacket that has a canvas structure running all the way from the top of the shoulder to the hem features a “full canvas” construction. The idea of canvas - which is usually made of a blend of wool, cotton, and animal hair, mainly horse and camel hair - is to give natural roll and support to the front of the jacket. And help it to remain the right shape. A canvas made of wool and animal hair can be molded using humidity, pressure and heat so it is also easy to reshape the garment in case necessary. The floating canvas will also never delaminate. In general this construction will make your jackets last longer than the fused option.
Whether a jacket is fully-canvassed or not can be determined by the following method: Take hold of the lower front of the coat and peel the two layers of wool (the front and the facing) apart. If you can feel a third layer floating between the two, that is the canvas. If not, the jacket is fused. This test obviously does not apply to unconstructed jackets.
Fusing and fusible interlining is a more recent innovation, made originally by the Germans. In this method, shortly, a fusible interlining replaces the main canvas portion of the understructure of the garment. What happens with fused structure is that it slightly stiffens the cloth. It does not provide the same type of support that animal hair does and it can be become somewhat flat and lifeless. The first thing however that you will notice is the fact that fused jackets will not “breathe” or evaporate moisture in the same way than canvassed jackets do. This will probably make you feel much more sweaty and sultry. On the other hand it is much more quicker, easier and also cheaper option.
Nowadays the techniques for fusing has come a long way. And there can be very nicely done fused jackets, especially in case the structure of the garment is very lightweight. So do not judge but bear in mind the differences. And finally make your call after you have estimated the pros and cons of different methods.
The so called half-canvas construction could be described as something in-between full-canvas and fused. Just as the name suggest. In half-canvas construction the canvas only covers the upper front (lapel area) of the jacket. The positive side of this option is that it’s less expensive than full-canvas. It is also less sensitive to humidity than fused construction and it usually gives the jacket a good lapel roll. As there is no canvas in the lower front you can't use the pinch test to determine whether a garment is half-canvas or not. But a well-aware tailor or a salesman can of course tell you what he is selling.
To get a full and comprehensive description of the differences between these ways I suggest to read the article “The difference between canvassed and fused suits explained” written by Jeffrey Diduch on Styleforum.
Well, how does it happen then? How do you order a made-to-measure suit? At the moment I personally have seven mtm-suits in my closet; four of these are provided by Vaatturiliike Sauma and the three by Herrainpukimo in Turku. The process described below features mainly the process at Sauma. However the process itself works pretty much the same in all places so it does not make a real difference in this case.
The first step - choosing the fabric is, in my opinion the best part of the whole process. Choosing the fabric can be left even to be done as a final step, but I would recommend to start with it. This is mainly because the weight of the fabric, texture and the desired design will probably have more or less impact on other subsequent choices, such as the structure of the suit.
The right fabric and pattern may arise in seconds. But sometimes searching for the “the right one” can take weeks. Going through fabric bunches can be intoxicating and it’s easy to spend even hours just browsing. If you are not sure what kind of fabric would be suitable for your purpose, ask. A skilled tailor will know how to ask the right questions to find out the customer’s needs and then offer possible alternatives.
In their private label line Sauma offers a range of basic (about 100 options) fabrics. Starting price - featuring full-canvas construction - is in between 1100 and 1400 euros. In addition, there are alternatives from several well-known fabric manufacturers. These include names such as Loro Piana, Holland & Sherry and Dormeuil. If even any of these is not suitable or the customer has already obtained a fabric of his own that he would like to use for his made-to-measure suit, this is in certain cases possible. Bear in mind that some of more special fabrics can easily double or even triple the price mentioned above.
The second step is to choose the structure for the suit. Sauma provides an option to choose between Full Canvas- and Half Canvas. In case the customer wants an option as light as possible, there is also an unconstructured option available. At this point, it is mainly a question of what kind of look and feeling are you looking for.
Next choice, partly related to the suit structure is the lining of the jacket. Here again Sauma offers three options: Full lining, half-lining or the so-called unlined version. In the last one only the shoulders and sleeves are protected by lining. Once again you should think the purpose the suit is coming for. Are you looking for a year-round suit or a suit to use only during a specific season. A suit for business or a suit for leisure and casual occasions.
After decisions regarding fabric and structure has been done, it is time to put on a “fitting-suit” and start taking measurements. Unlike bespoke suits, made-to-measure suit is not done solely relying on tape and measurements. The necessary amendments are marked and transferred by a tailor to the system used for orders and later on transmitted to the factory. Finally the suit will be produced according the information provided.
Next in line is choosing the details. And there are plenty of details to choose, believe me. Therefore, especially when you order the first made-to-measure suit, consider carefully what are the details that really count. And if you are not sure about something, it is worth to ask. Freedom of choice can be overwhelming so try to keep your choices simple. Keep in mind what purpose you are ordering the suit for.
In terms of the overall look the most relevant details to choose are the model of collar and pockets for the jacket. Notch lapels are a little bit more restrained and in my opinion more versatile choice. Peak lapels instead can be a good option if you look for a sharp-looking business attire. And of course for a double-breasted suit there is no other option than peak lapels. When it comes to pockets, once again the use of the jacket is determinative. Patch pockets are an appropriate option for more lightweight and casual suits and jackets. For business or formal use flap or jet pockets are a traditional choice.
Other factors that affect to the formality of a suit are buttoning of the jacket and shoulder structure. In terms of the latter Sauma offers even five different options. There is for example padded shoulder - with more or a little less padding - for those looking for something more traditional. Then there is a soft shoulder option for those who want something a bit more lighter. And finally for those Italian peacock-menswear enthusiastics there is an option featuring a completely unstructured, Neapolitan style shoulder with pleats.
Remember to pay attention to the coherence and compatibility of your choices. All options do not work together.
As already mentioned, there are quite many details to choose. In fact you might even get a bit frustrated in case you haven’t given them any thoughts beforehand. But remember that there is no rush. A skilled tailor can and will always help you with your choices. And in case you are about to order a “basic suit”, you can also go with certain “default choices”.
Finally I will list a few of things I've had an opportunity to influence while making my orders in Sauma. Some of these are included to the price of the suit regardless of what kind of choice you make. Some others - such as the amount of handwork - however, may have an impact on the fact how much money you eventually will have to put on the table.
Details chosen and that’s it? Not quite. Delivery of a made-to-measure suit normally takes about four to six weeks. When the suit arrives, it’s time for a fitting. And amendments, in case needed. It is good to remember that mtm-suits, especially the first one you order from a new supplier will probably need some kind of altering.
According to Olli and Tuomo of Sauma about 60% of suits coming from the factory need some alterations before the suit can be handed over to the customer. . In most cases it is little amendments on sleeve or trouser length. Here it is good to go back to the advice I mentioned above - purchase your made-to-measure garments from a shop or a tailor that is able to make the necessary changes. And who will then register them up in order to have the amendments needed for upcoming orders. It is also good to keep in mind that the customer has already paid these alterations in the price of the suit. So there will be no added cost in case fixing is needed. Sometimes, it may happen that another round of alterations is needed, but after all it is the final result that counts.
Finally I will just list the details I haven chose for most of my made-to-measure suits. These are basically my go-to choices.
You can also find this post in Finnish from @tyylit.fi
Original post 2/2015 - updated 3/2018.
]]>And yes, a well-fitting, light merino wool sweater in light gray or burgundy for example is a perfect match to your blue or dark gray suit. But you can also try to pair your suit or a sport coat with heavier knitwear. This gives you quite a different outcome. And more alternatives to variate your wardrobe.
The pictures and outfits here are from our trip to Florence and to Pitti Uomo. Usually I have scheduled my acquisitions of new suits or jackets so that I could wear them first for Pitti. I have never made any purchases just to wear the suits at Pitti, but it has been a good excuse to update my wardrobe as well. This time I actually made only two new purchased before the fair. I commissioned a new mtm-suit by Scabal from Sauma and bought a new Sealup overcoat from them as well. I will cover those acquisitions later.
But the suits you see here are not new. In fact the one I wore for the first day of the fair is actually years old. It is a herringbone wool suit that I bought probably 2013 from Uniqlo. The fabric of the suit is heavy and beautiful and the suit is actually one the best fitting ready-to-wear suits in my closet. And for the first day I decided to pair the suit with an oatmeal colored chunky roll neck sweater and black tassel loafers.
And by the way, if you are looking for the most versatile shoe there is - the answer might well be a black calf leather tassel loafer. Works all the way from business occasions to the most casual weekends and strolls in the city.
I have earlier wrote about different ways to wear a herringbone suit. And as said before, herringbone is surely one of the most versatile and easiest patterns a man can wear. A herringbone suit in gray and black is a subtle step above your basic charcoal or mid-gray suits. It is also a good choice as in most cases you can wear the jacket and trousers also separately.
The bigger the herringbone pattern, the more casual the suit. That is a good rule of thumb in my opinion. Therefore a suit with more visible and apparent herringbone pattern is a good pair for a (heavier) knitwear. This way you can also make sure that the level of formality between the different parts of your outfit are in balance. Another good rule to keep in mind is that the smaller the pattern on the fabric, the easier it is to combine with other patterns and cloths. So when you go for bigger patterns, reduce the amount of different patterns in your outfit. Especially for more casual attires like the one here, I think one or two visible patterns are actually enough.
The other combination is from the last day of the fair. Though I have used this ensemble a couple of times after the fair as well. The structure of the outfit is basically the same. A suit, the sweater and tassel loafers. But here instead of black and gray I went for the shades of brown. And instead of calf leather I chose suede loafers. But as you can see, I wore the white linen pocket square with both of the outfits. I could have chosen a square with some pattern, but I wanted to keep it as simple as possible. In fact, this kind of an outfit you could also wear totally without a pocket square.
The suit is made of a very soft feeling Loro Piana wool fabric and features 4x2 buttoning. And two patch pockets. The soft, "jersey" kind of wool is in fact a perfect match for the heavier and casual sweater. Just as the gray herringbone fabric, it makes the suit rather casual. And appropriate to combine and dress down with casual pieces such as the sweater.
As the herringbone wool suit this one also features a bit fuller cut and less tight fit as some of my other suits. And this makes it possible to wear it with heavier knitwear. If you want to read more about the suit, check out the article about brown suit with brown accessories that I wrote last year.
Naturally this is an obvious point. Once again. But it is good to keep in mind that if your suits are very tight and narrow cut, you can't wear them with roll necks like the one I am wearing here. I personally have many suits that I could not wear with this sweater. This is also a question about context. And the right cut of the suit also depends on the intended use, occasion and combination.
Another thing to keep in mind while thinking about whether this would be something you want to try, is your own physique and build. The reason for this is that this kind of combination can easily make you look fat. When I posted the picture where I am wearing the blue overcoat (second from the top) to instagram, someone commented that I should loose some weight. If that guy would see me without a shirt, he might think otherwise.
But it is a fact that a chunky sweater combined with a jacket can make you look bigger than you are. And it is true that this kind of combination suits best tall and thin guys.Therefore the fit, balance and proportions matter.
To pair a suit or a sport coat with heavier knitwear seemed to be one of the trends at Pitti Uomo this season. And well, that is a perfect combination for the warm winter days of Florence. With a combination like this your wouldn't really need an overcoat in that climate. The rise of this kind of combinations is also a part of the trend to pair tailored clothing with more casual elements. And this is definitely one of the biggest movements on the classic menswear trends at the moment.
Naturally this kind of attire is not appropriate for the formal business meetings. But it is a really good choice for casual days at the office. Especially as you can easily just take off your jacket and still look sharp but casual.
Pictures by Juha Kortesalo & Malin Sandberg
]]>Both the fair itself as well as my main purpose for traveling there have changed during the years. This time I thought I would come up with a short daily description of our week and my thoughts. But this first post will consist mainly of pictures and the short video we made of the week.
This time was bit different kind of trip for us. Usually I have traveled with Olli and Tuomo from Sauma and with Mika from our DLA-team. And a couple of times my spouse Malin has also been with us. But as Finland was named as the guest nation of the fair, we decided that we would travel with the whole tyylit.fi-crew. So it was about the Finnish taking over Florence.
And as Finnish we weren't alone. It was great to see so many Finnish people in Florence and at the fair. Maybe in the future we will see more Finnish brands making their way to the top as well.
As you can see from the pics, this time I was traveling with a quite casual wardrobe. And by casual in this case I mean that I wore a suit with a tie only for a one day of the fair.
In addition to that I wore a tie for the evening parties. But for the days I trusted on chunky knitwear and bit more relaxed garments. In addition to the pictures and as a preview for the upcoming posts shortly three points that were trending at the Pitti Uomo 93.
I have wrote earlier about how to wear the same suit in different ways. This I will give you a quick look and example on how to wear the same suit in three different ways. And how to make it work for a business meeting or for a late night casual dinner. Or actually this post is about one suit and one pair of gray flannel trousers.
As you know, I speak a lot about versatility. And how it is one of the most valuable features of a good suit. It naturally helps if you can wear the same suit in different ways. Once again, this helps you especially when you are still building up your wardrobe and rotation of suits and jackets. Or if you are traveling a lot. Two first outfits here are from our Christmas trip to Tallinn and from few weeks ago presenting a normal work day attire of mine.
The first attire is actually a suit jacket with odd trousers. But I still think it fits this write-up. As you know, every man anyway needs a pair of gray flannel trousers. And this is the most common option to wear your suit jacket as a sport coat. I haven't worn this suit jacket with odd trousers very often. Actually I general tend to wear my suits mostly as a full suit. But in this case I decided to dress down the suit by changing the trousers to gray flannel.
We spent our Christmas in Tallinn and this outfit I actually wore for a stroll in the city on the Christmas day. So the occasion was quite casual. Therefore I dressed down the outfit also by adding the cashmere cardigan. The cardigan is another piece that I quite like but don't wear that often. There are many guys who can pull off cardigans and make them looking really good. And sometimes the cardigan can really be a good addition. But I personally like to wear cardigans with sport coats and odd trousers more than with suits.
In general cardigans are great especially for fall and early winter season. Lightweight cardigan gives you an additional layer of warmth for the days when when the weather gets colder. And they are a good way to layer and bring little variation to your attires.
The cardigan here is a 100% cashmere cardigan by Uniqlo. In my opinion the quality of Uniqlo cashmere is pretty decent especially when you take the price into consideration. It is not the best cashmere on the market but the price-quality ratio is still good. And if you are like me and don't wear a cardigan very often but you are looking for a new cardigan, it is a good option.
First of all the blue suit jacket with gray flannel trousers and oxford shoes is an appropriate combination for most business occasion. Not maybe for the most formal ones but all others. On the other hand it as suitable for more casual occasions as well. Especially if you combine these pieces with a cashmere cardigan and a tie with rougher texture such as I have done here. The dark brown DLA shantung tie actually brings all the pieces here together as you can see in the detail picture below.
Remember that by the little choices you can play with the degree of formality of your outfit. For example here I have chosen to wear the jacket and trousers the cardigan and shantung silk tie. If you would like to make this outfit more business appropriate, you could just take off the cardigan and change the tie for a navy blue grenadine or a a printed silk tie.
As you know, in terms of colors I mostly wear different shades of blue, brown and gray. But especially during fall and winter, I naturally like to use some contrast and seasonal colors to compliment them. And when it comes to accessories and knitwear, burgundy or burnt orange are some of the best choices in my opinion. The color of this sweater is something in between these two and it goes perfectly with the dark blue suit. But you could change the suit for a dark or light gray and the roll neck would still be a great match.
I just recently bought this roll neck sweater which is actually also made by Uniqlo. Their roll neck sweater fit me pretty well in size S and are lightweight enough to wear under a suit or a sport coat but you can also wear them without a jacket. Although if you buy something from Uniqlo, it is good to check out the quality and sizing of the garments quite closely as they tend to change between seasons.
In terms of different suit, shirt and tie combinations, this one is probably the one I have the most during this fall and winter. The dark blue herringbone wool suit, white DLA oxford suit and the dark blue floral print silk tie. And naturally the DLA symposium pocket square.
The suit is a made-to-measure piece from Sauma made of Dugdale Bros & co wool. As mentioned it is one the suits I use most for work and business occasions. So it definitely meets the definition of a business suit. And by business suit here I mean a suit that I in principle wear mostly for work. However due to the lightweight construction and 3-roll-2 buttoning the suit is not as formal as it could be. And this makes it appropriate for the more casual occasions as seen above.
This outfit is actually almost an archetype of a classic conservative business dress attire (CBD). You can also describe it as "corporate attire" or "business professional" dress code. It is the type of attire that you should wear for a formal business meeting or a job interview for example. Basically it is a classic American dress code you should apply when you are expected to present yourself in a (supposedly) serious, often client-facing job. But to make it fully appropriate CBD attire, I should have gone for white pocket square or totally drop off the pocket square. And change the shoes for black oxfords.
As a sum-up as you can see you can wear the one and same suit with very different ways. And this is the one of the best aspects of a classic blue suit. For example when we now traveled to Tallinn, I only needed to take this one suit and one pair of extra trousers with me for three days. And naturally a couple of shirts and some knitwear. Still I had a different outfit for two dinners and two days strolling around the city.
And naturally you can combine the blue suit in various other ways. If you want to see how to wear it with some denim shirt, take a look at the post here.
]]>To continue from the autumnal business outfits post I decided to come up with a post featuring some other attires from the past weeks. These are all a bit more casual than the ones in the previous post and therefore named as autumnal business casual outfits.
Sometimes you can manage business casual by wearing jeans and and button-up shirt. Or a suit without a tie. As mentioned this depends on the usual dress code on your office. For me business casual means that I go a small step down from my outfits that I use for formal business meetings. So my business casual outfits are still maybe a little bit more dressed-up attires than what it means for many others. For me the casualness comes here mostly through the fabric, texture and pattern choices.
The first attire features one of my oldest suits, a gray herringbone suit by Uniqlo. This is one of the suits that shows that the most important thing in terms of a suit is the fit. After that comes the construction, fabric and details. This is the only suit in my rotation that is made by fused construction. But it cost 150 euros. And I dare to say that you would not guess the price on the first look. But naturally if you want to find a suit on that price you are forced to do some sacrifices.
Herringbone pattern is one of my personal favorites. It is subtle yet a bit more vivid than plain wool. For this outfit I combined the suit with a white button-down shirt and a navy blue wool tie. And then I picked up the DLA Symposium pocket square. The colors of the pocket square repeats the blue of the tie and burgundy brings in a little splash of seasonal color.
The reason why I consider this outfit to fit in the category of business casual is the textures you can see. The fabric of the suit is quite heavy wool cloth. And the visible herringbone pattern as well as the 3-roll-2 buttoning makes it even more casual. The tie is also made of wool and if you take a closer look, you can notice that the wool used for it is also quite heavyweight. And to keep the attire in balance, I chose to wear button-down shirt.
This post features two iconic pieces of men's clothing. The first one is the gray flannel suit. This suit is in fact my first mtm-suit I have ever commissioned. It is made of mid-gray super 120s flannel by Vitale Barberis Canonic and single breasted with two buttons.
The gray flannel suit is also kind of a chameleon. You can easily dress it up or down. This outfit you see here is kind of business casual but you could also wear it for more formal occasions as well.
The mid-gray is a great shade for a versatile business suit. First of all this kind of gray is easy to pair with different shades of blue and brown. But it is also easy to mix and match with accent colors such as the orange here. The mid-gray suit is also a good choice for both casual and more formal occasions.
This gray flannel suit is also one of my suits that I wear the most as separates. The trousers I can easily combine with multiple different sport coats and blazers. And the jacket is also suitable to wear even with denim and chunky knitwear. But still I like the most when I wear it as a full suit.
Then there is the navy blue blazer. A garment that is an essential for every guy. A garment you can use for almost any occasion. A garment you can dress up or down. And a garment that is also the perfect choice for business casual or smart casual outfits.
The navy blazer is equally at home when dressed up with a grenadine tie and flannel trousers or dressed down with button-down shirt and denim. It is a piece that helps you to navigate between formal and casual occasions. You can basically wear it not only at the office but also from wedding parties to dinner dates.
Considering the fact that I wore mid-gray flannel trousers with this outfit it is actually more smart than business casual. And this attire I could easily wear for more formal business meetings as well. But I still wanted to have it in this post as by changing the white shirt for a merino wool roll neck sweater for example, this would a perfect business casual attire.
The last one of the outfits is also build around navy blue blazer. But definitely another kind than the one above.
When you wear an outfit like this, pay attention to the construction, details and materials of the jacket. In general a blue blazer and light colored trousers are a simple combination. But for example a very boxy and heavily structured navy flannel blazer with medal buttons would definitely make this outfit too formal. Instead an unstructured jersey sport coat with patch pockets is a casual and relaxed choice.
I think everyone has kind of favorite combinations. Or combinations you tend to wear with certain garments. For me one of those is to wear a denim shirt and brown tie with this blazer. I like how the textures and colors go together. The soft cotton of the DLA denim shirt is a perfect match for the jersey fabric of the jacket. And the dark brown color of the tie balances the ensemble.
For this attire I chose to wear off-white corduroy trousers. It actually seems that corduroy is again gaining popularity among menswear enthusiastics. I believe that at the upcoming Pitti Uomo in January we will see a lot of suits, jackets and trousers made of this material. And in fact corduroy is a good choice in case you are looking for something that's in between formal and casual.
Finally, corduroy is not an easy material to pull off. But still it is in my opinion quite versatile. You can combine the corduroy trousers with knitwear and with not only wool but also for example cotton sport coats. They are also easy to dress up or down depending what kind of a look you are after. And as you can see, they work well with the navy blazer.
]]>A rain mac is definitely one of the most versatile options in terms of men's outerwear. Even though the classic raincoats are usually light colored, I prefer and recommend to go for a dark blue. Especially if you live in a climate like we do here in Finland.
The iconic double-breasted trench coat is indisputably the king of classic raincoats. But the trench is not really my thing. Even though in general I like to have my overcoats double-breasted. In my opinion the trench is also harder to pull off. If you have a well-fitting trench coat and you can combine it in right way, it can look very good. But the trench coat is one of those garments that can easily make you look that you are just trying too hard.
Compared to the trench coat, a single-breasted mac is in my opinion a more practical option. The main difference between these two jackets is in their designs. The trench coat was originally invented by Burberry's uniform department at the request of the British War Office. Therefore the model have militaristic details such as epaulets and gun flaps. And the classic trench coats are usually made of tightly woven cotton gabardine fabric.
My advice: if you only gonna have one (rain) coat - make it a navy or dark blue rain mac.
When you search for a rain coat make sure it is cut so that is comfortable wear over a suit or a more chunky cardigan. Naturally this does not mean that you should wear too big coats. Just make sure that the cut is right for you. The classic length of a rain mac is in the middle of your thighs. So compared to the classic trench coats the rain mac should be a bit shorter. This is also one of the reasons I personally prefer them. A short guy like me rarely looks good on coat that goes far below the knees.
The coat in this post is made by Italian company Herno. The company started in the 1940s by producing only raincoats. And for a long time they almost exclusively produced private label garments for multiple big fashion houses. Today the collection ranges from raincoats to down jackets, bomber jackets and all sorts of overcoats. But the focus of the company is still strongly on outerwear. Also the company is still family owned and operated, and is now run by the third generation of Marenzi family. In Helsinki you can find Herno from Vaatturiliike Sauma.
The cut of Herno jackets is usually quite slim and slightly cropped. Some could say that this gives their garments a modern yet stylish look. Additionally, the coats are often very lightweight , which makes them comfortable to wear. The company also works all the time with mills developing their own "Herno TECH" fabrics, which are weather resistant, padded for warmth, and designed to be very breathable. Briefly, Herno works with very simple, classic styles and updates them with modern and refined cuts. And they create their jackets with exclusive and high-tech materials.
As mentioned above I searched for the right kind of rain coat for quite a while. During the last few years I have tried on many pieces but haven't really found one that would have been good looking, practical, high-quality and reasonably priced. Last spring I thought that I really need to find one that I could wear at work over a suit or a sport coat but also combine with more casual wear.
Finally from Sauma I found the Laminar raincoat by Herno. The jacket I ended up picking has the following features:
In addition to the fact that the jacket is weather proof and suitable for windy and rainy days, for me it has two ultimate features. First of all the jacket is very lightweight. Secondly and also due to the weight it is very easy to pack in case you don't want to wear it but you want to take it with you for a trip for example. And these two features make it a perfect overcoat for traveling.
The jacket has definitely become my go-to jacket. During the spring and now fall I have worn it at least three or four times a week. As it does not feature any liner, it is probably too thin and lightweight to wear through the winter. But as long as the temperature stays above zero degrees, I will keep it in my rotation. To sum-up my thoughts, this jacket has again proved right one the essentials rules. Buy less - buy better. I searched for quite a long time but now I have the right rain coat for years to come.
]]>As the fall is really here it is good time to update the write-up regarding this iconic piece. The update is also timely because a couple of months ago I got myself a new shawl collar cardigan. And it seems that my personal search for the right piece has come to an end.
In general shawl collar cardigan is an easy piece to combine. First of all you can use it with jeans or chinos and a t-shirt. Or you can wear it as a “replacement” for a sport coat with grey flannel trousers, a dress shirt and a tie. Once again versatility is the key when we talk about shawl collar cardigans. The cardigan can stand in when a sport coat would be a little too formal choice. It is also an easy on-and-off layer for those days when you’re moving between indoors and outdoors. And there ain’t many body types a shawl collar cardigan would not look good on.
If you are looking for a shawl collar cardigan there are however few things to consider. If you search something that will work as a jacket or sport coat-replacement, try to find a slimmer and more fitted model. In case you want something to wear only with your t-shirt and denim, look for options that are more slouchy and even a bit oversized. Also pay attention to the collar. It should rather be of a substantial size and roll nicely through the collar. Best option is naturally a piece which would combine all these elements.
In general shawl collar cardigans are really not that hard to find. Almost every brand and manufacturer have some kind of a version of their own available. Finding just the right one featuring the right price tag can be difficult though. I searched mine for years. I had a couple pieces in mind for a long time, but I never pulled the trigger on those. I’ve tried many on me, but either the fit, aesthetics or the price has been off on that moment.
The variation regarding the price range when looking for a shawl collar cardigan can be substantial. As always, the good (best) ones usually cost money. It is a fact. But even if you could not afford them, they’re nice to look at every now and then. And you can find inspiration through them. Most of the best and most expensive ones are usually knitted in Scotland. And they are made from multi-ply wool, cashmere, lambswool, or camelhair yarns.
What multi-ply means is that multiple plies are twisted together to form a thicker, stronger yarn. This gives the sweater more warmth and durability. The yarns are also usually made from longer animal fibers. This means there are fewer weak points that can break and result in pilling. Finally, the weaves tend to be denser and tighter. This helps to ensure that the sweater will keep its shape for years to come. The result, while expensive, is something that’s incredibly chunky, plush and warm. In the end you will feel the quality (and the reason you have paid for it) when you put one of these on to you on a chilly morning. Time after time.
And then to the reason why I wanted to update this post. As mentioned above, a while ago I got myself a new shawl collar cardigan. It was a gift by a friend of mine Lauri, who is one of the partners of a new Finnish knitwear brand Alpa.
Alpa started by making knitwear for women but now they are producing garments for men as well. As Lauri offered me a chance to try out their new shawl collar cardigan, I got enthusiastic. And not only because of the fact that there seems to be a new respectable and promising Finnish player on the knitwear market. After the discussions we had and what I had read from the tyylit.fi-forum where Lauri described their development process of this piece, I got my hopes quite high. According to their own words the process took nine months before they had a sample piece they were satisfied. And finally in this month they got it to their store and available for customers.
As the name of company suggests, all of the products are made of Alpaca wool. The shawl collar cardigan is made of 100% 4-ply fine special alpaca wool. And the collar of the cardigan is actually made of 6-ply wool. It is heavy and it is quite chunky as well. But as you can see from the pictures, it is still quite fitted and slim.
The cardigan is available in three different colors. I chose the navy blue as it is the one that is in my opinion the easiest to wear with different kind of garments. And in terms of knitwear the dark blue also suits me better than burgundy or the dark gray. The Alpaca wool comes from Andean Mountains and the cardigans are made responsibly in Lithuania with modern knitting techniques and machines.
I have now used the cardigan for a couple of months and so far I am pleased. So far I have used it for more casual occasions. I have worn it at home, for quick grocery store visits but also for traveling. And I have used it a couple of times at the office as well, combined with jeans and a button-up shirt. In fact I’ve been a bit surprised that I have used more than I thought in the first place.
In case you are looking for a new shawl collar cardigan you can start by taking a look at many “classic and iconic” knitwear clothiers. In addition to the above-mentioned Alpa, you can take a look at names such as Drake’s, Johnstons of Elgin, Peter Johnston and O’Connell’s. All of these have some nice cardigans available. And they are usually made of cashmere or 8-ply lambswool.
Also more fashion-forward brands such as Maison Kitsuné and Missoni have their own versions. Highly priced but good looking. And you might find them from sales every now and then.
And then, if you are looking for something more special, you can try and order the same kind of a cardigan than Daniel Craig wore in 007 Quantum of Solace from Magnoli Clothiers. I have no personal experience of Magnoli and the opinions I’ve heard have been very mixed. So I can’t really unreservedly recommend this option.
Style icons Paul Newman & Steve Mcqueen. And two different ways to wear your shawl collar sweater.
For those who are looking for something a bit more affordable there are still many brands available. Shops such as Massimo Dutti, H&M, Zara and Brothers usually have their own versions every season. With these one should carefully pay attention to the materials and quality how the garments are done. Sometimes you can make nice finds. In addition to the mentioned brands, you can check out for example Orvis, Brooks Brothers, J.Crew or SuitSupply.
One thing that is good to have in mind is that most of the cheaper versions tend to be thinner than the more expensive ones. And they will also likely have cheap, plastic buttons instead of animal horn or leather. But of course you can get the buttons changed.
A more affordable option by Manufactum. Horn "toggle" buttons adds casualness - combine this with your corduroy or denim trousers and wear it over a roll neck as an overcoat.
For this season this would be one of my personal favorites. A double-breasted shawl collar sweater by German Braun-Hamburg . In my opinion a cardigan does not get any more dressed-up and elegant than this. Pair with blue wool trousers, white oxford shirt and a gray wool tie. But if you are looking for a casual option, drop this one from your list.
Original post posted on 30.9.2014. Updated 10/2017.
]]>I've been busy with work which is the reason there haven't been any new posts for the last couple of weeks. But I thought that I could share a few outfits from the past weeks to give you some seasonal inspiration. I try to keep up posting on instagram and on ig-stories, so from there you will find updated content on daily basis. And I have few articles coming up during the next couple of weeks. So keep an eye on them as well.
The first one is from a couple of weeks back. Not very seasonal in a way that the colors and pieces are pretty much the same that I could wear during almost any season of the year. But I have noticed that now as fall has come, I tend to wear this brown herringbone wool suit at least once a week. And later in the fall I will also wear it with the waistcoat it features. At the moment it is still too warm to do that.
This one is a simple business outfit. Brown suit, white shirt, blue pin dot tie and a white pocket square. So I just let the pictures do the talking. And if you want to read more about the suit, check the link above. Or my earlier post about suits for four seasons.
One of the aspects I like about fall and winter here in Finland is the fact that you can play with different kind of overcoats. But even though the temperate drops, it is still too warm to wear any heavier wool or casentino overcoats for example. However the early fall season is a perfect time to wear jackets like the Barbour Bedale. This kind of waxed cotton jackets also protects you from the rain for example.
In principle, the Bedale SL as most of Barbour jackets is essentially casual. Some might say it is at its best when combined with denim, chunky knitwear and more robust footwear. But if you go and google you can find multiple examples where the jacket is combined with more dressed-up garments such as sport coat and cotton slacks or even with a suit. And here I give you one more.
As everyone I personally have some favorite combinations. Pieces you like to wear together. My olive green bedale SL jacket with the printed orange silk-wool scarf by Drake's is one of them. Scarves are actually pieces you can easily bring color and contrast even to your business outfits. And if you need to tone down the attire, you can just take off the scarf. And the same basically applies to any outerwear. Because you are likely never to wear your overcoat for a business meeting, you can wear for example even a red casentino coat over your restrained gray flannel suit. If you happen to like that.
I have said it before. In terms of business suits stripes are one the most accepted patterns. Wearing a pin stripe or chalk stripe suit, particularly blue, can showcase a very traditional look. But you can also make chalk stripes to be very fresh, restrained and modern. This Tagliatore suit is one of ready-to-wear suits that I regularly wear in my rotation. The rise of the trousers is a bit low but the fit of the jacket is perfect for me. Actully if I remember correct, the only alteration made to the jacket was to shorten the sleeves.
If you think about seasonal colors, burgundy is one of those that says fall and autumn. One of the reasons is that for example the tree leaves are changing their color and you can see shades of red and even burgundy out in the nature. Here you can see the same shades in the accessories. And burgundy also works nicely with different shades of blue and gray.
Nowadays I don't really like match my socks to my accessories. But in this case I made an exception. Actually I think that burgundy is one of the only colors I do that. Burgundy is also the only color I use in my socks in addition to blue, brown and black. I know there are people who say that wear colorful socks. And that it is a good way to personalize your outfit. Unless you are Michael Drake or Ignatious Joseph, I recommend to consider that idea at least a couple of times before executing it.
The last one is an outfit which I call as a DLA uniform. A classic blue suit, the DLA gray wool tie, white DLA oxford shirt and the DLA white linen pocket square. This is actually an outfit I feel the most comfortable in. It is simple, it is clean and it works. Every time.
A while ago there was a good point that someone pointed out at the tyylit.fi-forum. Basically the question was that would some regular people around the offices in the world really know the difference between this kind of outfit I wear here and the suits, shirts or ties you see people wearing every day. Is a suit always just a suit or is the really a difference you be a aware of and notice between the made-to-measure or bespoke suits and the suits you can find from Dressmann, Zara or any other comparable shop for example. I hope there is. And I hope that this kind of awareness about fit issues and quality will keep on spreading. But as this question in my opinion requires and earns more attention, I will come up with an individual post about this soon in the future.
Do you have some favorite autumnal business outfits?
]]>This post is a throwback to our short trip to Sopot in Poland. We stayed at the beautiful Grand Sofitel hotel where also these shots have been taken. If you are looking for a nice place to relax for a few days, I can definitely recommend Sopot. Not much cultural places to visit, but a great location for a short getaway. And if you happen to like good food, multiple nice restaurants to visit.
I have written about this suit earlier, so this post mainly about the pictures. To read more about the suit you can check the articles gray suit with navy grenadine tie and brown grenadine tie with a light gray suit.
When you start to build an outfit you usually pick one garment or piece you want to wear. Then you start to think what would look good with it. Most of times I personally start with the suit or sport coat. Depending on the size and nature of your wardrobe there are different amount of options to choose from. Bu naturally when I travel I have to think these things and outfits beforehand as you can only travel with certain amount of clothes.
For this trip I took with me two different suits. Even though it was purely a vacation. Still I wanted that first of all I would have something a bit more dressy to wear for example for dinners. Also both of the suits I packed with me were suits that I can wear even with more casual pieces such as sneakers and polo shirts. This however is probably the most formal attire I wore during the trip. After all, it consists of a suit, white shirt and a tie.
As You might already know, orange is one my favorite colors. Especially when it comes to accessories. The logo of DLA features the color and maybe in the future you will see more orange in the DLA selection as well. Orange is an easy way to bring a little bit of contrast and accent into your outfit. And especially more deep and muted shades of orange works well with multiple different colors. The most usual way to wear orange is to pair it with blue. But the color also works with different shades of gray. Even with the light gray, as you can see here. And well, the blue is also involved as a part of the tie.
When you wear a light colored suit, try to avoid too bright contrast. Especially if you have a light skin tone. Therefore I personally prefer using a tie with a subtle main color with a contrasting pattern. Or a textured tie with muted and earthy color such as deep burgundy for example.
The color of the tie I chose here is kind mixture of purple and dark blue. So in fact the contrast between the tie and suit is kind of graduated. The suit which is the lightest one is on the top. Then comes the blue and finally the contrasting orange. And this also gives the opportunity to wear an orange pocket square without making the whole outfit too much about the orange.
The suit here is a made-to-measure piece by Vaatturiliike Sauma. And the cloth of the suit is a lightweight Fratelli Tallia di Delfino double-twist wool fabric. Due to the light gray color and light weight fabric the suit if made mainly for spring and summer use. Although I think that with a off-white or a navy blue roll neck sweater it is an appropriate choice for early fall season as well. The tie is also from Sauma's private label collection. It is very lightweight and unlined. Actually I would say that it is even a bit too lightweight which makes tying the tie a bit difficult. Also it takes a bit more time for the tie to get back in the shape after wear. But it does make a nice knot.
The shirt is the white lightweight DLA oxford shirt and the orange pocket square is from Viola Milano. Shoes are again my favorite tassel loafers by Crockett&Jones.
]]>The cotton solaro suit with DLA denim shirt - perfect dressed-up casual combination
I personally just recently bought my first solaro suit, made by Italian Lubiam under their L.B.M 1911 label. Actually it was first rtw-suit I have bought for quite while. Vaatturiliike Sauma had the suit in their selection and I copped it from their sales. In this post I have two different kind of looks to showcase "how to wear the solaro". With and without a tie.
Briefly, the solaro fabric is usually made of wool or cotton. Though nowadays you can also find solaro suits and jackets made for example of wool, cotton and silk blend. The fabric is made with an open weave, and usually with a herringbone pattern. This is basically done to allow the air and breeze to pass through the cloth and cool the wearer. The cloth's warp is beige in color, with a red weft to reflect sun rays away. This is why solaro is considered as an excellent fabric for spring and especially summer season.
You could also say that Solaro is a kind of chameleon. It can changes its color depending on the strength and direction of light source. Usually you can see shades of beige, green and red. Or a combination of all of these. And this is what makes solaro quite a unique fabric.
The solaro suit with a tie. As the suit itself is quite casual, shantung tie is a good choice to pair it with.
Then just a couple of words about the origins of the fabric. In the first place the solaro was born at the dawn of the 20th century by the Brits. It was invented based on the assumption that the red color would repel the radiation caused from direct sunlight. So the birth of solaro goes all the way back to the era of colonialism of the Tropics. As the climate conditions in tropical areas were harsh, the Brits needed ways to protect the colonizers from dreadful tropical diseases. And they believed that new fabrics and garments could protect them.
The man who invented the fabric was Louis Westenra Sambon. After his studies on the skin of the colonized populations, he came up with the conclusion that the darker pigment was better able to block off the UV rays coming from the sunlight. But as the colonizers did not have the darker pigment on their skin, they needed another way. And naturally clothes were the obvious choice.
And as most of you know, light fabrics retain less heat than dark fabrics. But if you are a soldier you can't really wear white garments. Unless you have winters like we have here in Finland. But not in the tropic. So they needed a light but not white color. And they came up with khaki green. A choice that was light but also appropriate for soldiers to wear. Finally Mr. Sambon added a red layer to cloth which he thought would help the fabric to repel the UV rays even better. That's how the solaro was born. If you want to read more about the history of solaro, check out the article by Arianna Reggio at Styleforum or the article "European cloth and Tropical skin" by Ryan Johson.
The most common fabrics used to create solaro are pure wool twill and yarn-dyed gabardine. But the original and patented solaro fabric was and is still made of wool. And even today it is made in England, produced by Smith Woollens which now is part of Harrisons.
The weight of the original wool solaro fabric is 310 grams. It is in a tan/olive colored and features a herringbone pattern. The fabric also features an underside woven with brick red yarn. This characteristic detail produces an iridescent sheen that is most evident when the light hits the fabric at a specific angle. This is why the fabric can look reddish in certain lightning.
Solaro suits and sport coats are in principle quite casual. If you work in an office with stricter dress code, solaro is usually off the limits. So I wouldn't wear it for those board meetings but otherwise I consider it as a good option. Even for office environment. Especially solaro is a good choice for those who think that even the classic navy suit is too much. I have said that cotton suit is probably one of the most casual expressions of a suit possible. In my opinion solaro comes close to that. And naturally if your solaro is made of cotton, it is covered by both definitions. And therefore definitely quite casual. And for sure it is a great choice to create simple yet chic summer looks.
As most cotton suits, solaro as well is a choice for summer season. And even though you would go for wool solaro, it is still at its best during warmer months. The light color and construction of the fabric just make it to be that way. This naturally varies depending on the country and climate you live in. My brother just moved to Muscat and I believe he could wear solaro around the year. But if you happen to live in a country where you have proper fall and winter, put your solaro into to the storage for those seasons.
One of my favorite combinations for casual days and occasions is my camel colored cotton suit with a denim shirt. So my first thought was try the same with this suit. And well, the result is good. Really good in fact. In general you should pair the solaro suit with shirts with soft collars and muted colors. Denim blue, white and light blue are naturally good options. Or you can go for the striped shirts. So my recommendation is to play with the usual suspects. And if you want to try something else, go with dark blue or olive green.
In terms of footwear, suede is a good choice. Suede loafers especially. And for those most casual combination, a classic pair of canvas or leather sneakers will do the trick.
Then another look, this one with a tie. This is a look I wore for work for a day when I had a couple meetings but nothing really formal. To keep the attire in balance, I chose a striped shirt and a dark brown shantung tie. Finally a brown wool-silk pocket square and the same brown suede tassel loafers. And this is one example of what accessories you can wear with a solaro suit.
I personally think that the light colored solaro suits and jackets are at their best when you combine them with warm colors and dark shades. This applies especially to accessories. This means colors like burgundy, dark shades of brown, burnt orange and bottle green. If you decide to wear a tie, don't go for bright colors. The solaro fabric itself is quite unconventional so I would suggest to keep the rest of the look rather restrained.
Wearing dark and warm colored accessories also brings contrast to the outfit. If you don't wear a tie and you go for the denim shirt, the contrast is already there. But if you decide to wear a tie, you usually choose a white or some striped shirt. Or at least I do. And I suggest that to you as well. Therefore choosing a pocket square or a tie with darker shades simply brings this little and needed contrast.
As I recently got a new navy blue pin dot tie from our factory, I decided to come up with some thoughts regarding the use of the pattern. In my opinion it is at its best when you use it for business or other more formal occasions.
The blue pin dot tie with gray double-breasted suit.
As said, pin dot and polka dot patterns have long tradition in men's classic clothing. Though I personally have a somewhat contradictory relationship with dot ties. In general I consider them as a very classic choice. And a staple for any man's wardrobe. On the other hand I feel that they can be hard to pull off. And often they can look like they are "out of place" in many attires. I've had many dot ties during the years. Every time I have passed them on while cleaning out my closets. But recently I wanted to acquire a sample piece from our factory to see if a classic navy blue pin dot tie would earn a place in the DLA selection in the future.
Some people might be confused by the terms pin and polka dot. And the difference between them. The pin dot tie is basically the smaller variant of the polka dot tie. In contrast to polka dot ties, the pin dot ties comprise of a narrowly spaced dotted tie pattern. In general they both are a good addition to any gentleman's formal and business wear wardrobe.
The navy blue pin dot tie with the double four-in-hand knot.
Like many of the other ties, pin dot ties can vary in scale. You can find them starting from mini dots to slightly larger dots. The distance between the dots as well as the layout also tend to vary. In my opinion slightly smaller, more subtle patterns are best in this case. They tend to be a bit more elegant and versatile. As a rule you could say that the smaller the dots, the more formal the tie.
As any patterned ties, you can find dots in multiple different colors. There are also many different variations in terms of materials for dot ties. Nowadays it seems to be quite popular to have dotted grenadine ties or pin and polka dot knit ties for more casual wear. Regarding the pattern my personal favorite however is the classic twill silk. Therefore the navy blue pin dot tie in the pictures is made of very lightweight 18mm royal twill silk. Other options I had in mind were grenadine, shantung and woven repp silk. As I like my business ties to be lightweight as well, the construction features very light lining. The tie is untipped and finished with hand rolled edges.
Details - the soft wide spread collar highlights the tie knot.
For this outfit I chose probably the most safe option to combine the tie. Suit with darker shade of gray and a white shirt. With white pocket square. The only way to make it more simple would be to change the suit for a single-breasted dark blue one. And naturally to change the shoes to black oxfords. In terms of suit patterns, with dot ties I would stay mostly with plain options. Or go with stripes. Chalk and pin stripe suits are actually a very good pair for dot ties. Especially for business purposes as that is a classic power suit combination.
When it comes to shirts and dot ties, you can go for various ways. In general, you can say that shirts with larger spaced patterns will contrast well with the narrower spacing of a pin dot. But I personally don't like the look featuring check patterned shirts with patterned ties. So if you want a shirt with pattern, go for stripes. Not the most thin ones and not the most wide ones. I would favor university stripes. And a plain suit or a jacket and odd trousers.
Wearing a double-breasted herringbone suit by Rose&Born.
But still my favorite and recommended choice for a shirt is a plain one. Plain white or a plain light blue. These two will work for most of dot ties, no matter if you choose a navy blue, brown or a gray colored tie. Or for example a red one.
In terms of pocket square, white linen square works. It always works. But a good option is to choose a square which features a color of the tie as a base or accent color. For example a white square with contrasting borders presenting the color of the tie. Or a wool pocket square with a pattern to highlight the texture and color of the tie.
Black calf leather tassel loafers - perfect pair for a gray suit and navy blue tie.
As a sum-up three different kind of outfits for three different kind of purposes and occasions. Even though the pin dot tie is in general quite a formal and business-oriented tie, you can also use it for more casual combinations. And an extra tip. If you choose a tie with less commonly placed dots, it will make the tie to look more casual.
Gray, blue, black and white - always a safe combination of colors for more formal look.
]]>It's already August and the main season of t-shirts is soon over. At least here in Helsinki. Despite that a few thoughts about t-shirts. During my vacation I have been wearing a lot different kind of combinations featuring simple t-shirts and therefore I decided to update an old post. How to find the right t-shirt and how to pull it off in a proper way?
T-shirt and its functions can be viewed from many different angles. For some t-shirt is purely an undershirt, which is used under button-up shirts and occasionally at home. For others t-shirt can be a cornerstone of their summer wardrobe. You can combine it with jeans, shorts or cotton slacks. Regarding t-shirts – as well as many other garments – the features one should pay attention when making a purchase naturally depends on the purpose for which it is intended to be used.
Let’s start with the classic. And a white t-shirt with jeans is a classic combination. You know, you have seen the iconic pictures of Steve McQueen sporting Jack Purcell sneakers, light colored denim and a white-shirt. White is also my personal favorite color for a t-shirt. It is simple but at the same time it is refined. And the good thing with these simple white t-shirts is that you can wear them for multiple occasions. If you are at home, you can wear one with your joggers. And if you suddenly need to hit the store for example, you can easily just change the pants to jeans and pick a navy blue unstructured blazer from you closet. And you are ready to go. And in fact, you can wear a crispy white t-shirt even with your casual suits.
In terms of men’s clothing and classic style there is a saying that “everything looks better with age”. This means that quality garments are about to age nicely. For example if you take good care of your shoes, they will look even better with some patina than when you buy them. But this does not really apply to your white t-shirts. Those just simply look best new, fresh out of the box. So keep them clean.
I personally don’t wear a t-shirts underneath my button-up shirts. But I know many guys do. And if you are looking for a t-shirt to be used as an undershirt, first of all v-neck is in my opinion a better option than crew neck. Secondly, make sure that the fabric is not too thick, so that it is not visible through your button-up shirt. But if you are about to use the shirt without button-up or a sweater on top, for example with a sport coat, you should go for a little thicker and denser material. The thicker cloth will help so that your nipples will not shine through the cloth. And also that the fabric will better retain its shape.
Blue t-shirt combined with brown suit trousers – a casual but still refined summer look.
I have sometimes said that a man wearing well-fitting t-shirt and well-fitting jeans is about to look more stylish and elegant than a man wearing ill-fitting and poor-quality suit. It naturally depends on the occasion and the dress code. You can’t go for a formal business meeting or to a funeral wearing jeans and a t-shirt. But you get the idea. In general garments like a plain t-shirt and simple jeans are good examples of the fact that the right fit and proper combining are the keys to creating your own style and 5/5 ensembles. To read more about this, check my post from a couple years back about white shirts for casual wear.
In terms of size, the right fit depends a bit on your style. You need to keep the balance through the whole outfit. Often with t-shirts – as with many other rtw-garments – the problem is the fact that the sizes are made for a specific body model. For a short man as myself, it means that many shirts are often too long in terms of sleeves and length. With dress shirts this is not necessarily a problem, because they are easy to alter (or tuck in your pants). With t-shirts that excessive length often leads to the fact that the shirt will be left to the store. But this is not always the case. One solution for too long t-shirt sleeves is to roll up them a bit. In my opinion this also makes the look a little bit more clean and subtle.
You could say that the t-shirt is also a great social leveler. Originally it started its life as humble underwear. But today you can find t-shirts made of cashmere or silk that can cost a fortune. And which you can wear with your tailored denim or high-waist cotton slacks. And then there are those premium-quality cotton t-shirts which are a perfect addition to your everyday wardrobe. And which will take you pretty much anywhere except to those formal business meetings or work occasions.
When you look for a t-shirt, I have basically only one advice. Look for a simple and plain t-shirt. No patterns and no text, only one color and a simple shirt. There are multiple nice printed t-shirts available, but if you are about to go for more classic and restrained style, I would stay with the plain shirts. Regarding printed t-shirts some have even used the following phrase: “The man who imparts opinions via t-shirt has neither the intelligence to form a cogent opinion nor the good sense to keep it to himself”. If you want to go for a patterned t-shirt, try stripes. Blue and white striped t-shirt is naturally a classic choice. And definitely approved also by me.
Personally I want my shirts to be fitted but not too snug. And definitely not too tight. But especially on the shoulders and arms I like the shirt to look fitted. In terms of materials I like shirts made of soft, but still quite thick and robust fabric. As you can see from the pictures in this post, I use t-shirts for quite different kind of attires. But even though the attire would be casual in nature, I try to make it look sharp, fresh and clean.
As a short sum-up I thought to pick up a few looks (via The Sartorialist & pinterest) that I have personally been inspired. First there are a couple looks featuring t-shirts and sport coats. I personally think that these kind of attires are at their best when you keep the pieces casual enough. As you can see, the sport coats are in both pictures unstructured with soft shoulder structures and made of cotton.
The rest four pictures simply showcases the fact that simplicity works. When you have well-fitting clothes, that’s all you need. But also all these pictures showcase the fact that if you take good care of yourself and keep yourself in good physical condition, it will help you to pull off that simple t-shirt look. This is also what I try to keep in mind whenever I wear a t-shirt.
]]>I acquired the first light blue summer suit to my own rotation last summer. And as I now have got some tan during my vacation, it was a good time to give that suit some wear.
This outfit is actually from last Tuesday when we headed for after work-drinks. I guess you can call them so, even though I happen to be on vacation. Anyway, a few drinks with like-minded #menswear-guys. An occasion like that called for something dressed-up but still casual. So I went for the suit without tie-look. A look which I actually have become more fond of recently.
As said, a light blue suit is in general a quite informal choice. Although you can wear it for business purposes as well. And light blue suit is also an option which you should have on your list only after the first four or five suits, if you wear a suit regularly. From my earlier post about wearing three different blue suits you can find an example of how to wear this kind of a suit with a blue grenadine tie and white shirt. But for this occasion I left out the tie and chose to wear the suit with a striped shirt and brown suede loafers.
This particular light blue suit is also quite casual in terms of details. 3-roll-2 buttoning, soft shoulders and three patch pockets. The trousers feature a bit lower rise than most of my suit trousers, belt loops and 18cm leg opening with 5cm cuffs. So even though it is appropriate for casual office days, it is not really a suit for formal business meetings.
To put it shortly, light blue suit is at its best during warmer seasons. Like summer. You can also notice that by the fact that most light blue suits or jackets you find are made of summer fabrics such as linen or cotton. There might be some light blue herringbone tweed fabrics which would make a nice sport coat for example but in general I would recommend to go for lighter fabrics with this color. This particular suit is made of wool-silk-linen mixture fabric. Definitely one of my favorite materials for summer as I have mentioned earlier.
One thing to keep in mind regarding light blue sport coats and light blue suits is that try and see whether or not the color compliments your own skin color. In my opinion light blue jackets (as well as trousers) do not really look good if your skin and hair are very pale. Or if you do, try to add some contrast. For example change the white or light colored shirt for something darker, such as dark blue popover shirt. Another option is to get tanned.
As you might know as I have mentioned it earlier, I favor plain colored shirts without patterns. Most of my shirts are plain white. Then I have some light blue shirts and a fair selection of denim (blue) button-up shirts. Especially for work and business related occasions I consider the classic white (or light blue) to be the best choice in most cases.
But sometimes I like to play with simple patterns. That is also an easy way to dress down your outfit a little bit. The same"rule" applies with suits and shirts - patterned options are always less formal than plain colored ones. For that kind of use stripes are a good choice.
I would say that the thinner the stripe - the more business oriented the shirt. Very thin pencil striped shirts actually may look like plain colored when you look them from far distance. And therefore they are more appropriate for business related occasions in my opinion. I also think that the shirts with thinner stripes are easier to pair with different kind ties and suit jackets. This is naturally because the bolder stripes create one more visible pattern to your attire and that way makes the combining of different pieces "harder". For example I would personally avoid combinations where you have a patterned jacket, with striped shirt and patterned tie. No more than two patterns within these three pieces.
But then there are very wide and bold stripes such as the so called butcher stripe. Or university stripe. And these are also appropriate for business purposes, if you just combine them in a right way. But in my opinion these stripes are at their best when you wear them for more casual occasions. Another good thing with striped shirts is that there you can use color. And you can quite easily combine the different colors with your suits and jackets.
I don't recommend using plain red or yellow shirts. But shirts with red, yellow or like in this case brown stripes can be very useful. And by them you can bring variation to your rotation. If you need want to do so.
A good friend of ours got married on Saturday. I thought I could share a few pictures of what I wore for the party. I wrote earlier about what to wear for a wedding party. If you haven't yet read that post, you can first take a look at that. Here I will basically just let the pictures do the talking.
Keep it simple. The blue suit with blue tie and white shirt is a combination you really can't go wrong.
Before the weddings I had more or less two options to wear for the party. Two different kind of suits. The first one would have been a light gray suit which I actually wore for weddings last summer. It is one of my favorite suits which I have worn for both work and more festive occasions.
In general light gray is quite a casual suit color. It is regarded as a color for a lounge suit. A color that is at its best when you wear it for work or some casual occasions. But in my opinion it is also an appropriate option for relaxed summer weddings. Especially if there is not particular dress code for the party. And this time there wasn't.
The day was sunny and perfect for a beautiful wedding party.
However I ended up choosing and wearing my recent dark blue made-to-measure suit. I could say that I went for the more formal choice in this case. The suit in question is a bit more formal also in terms of details. The pockets are classic jetted pockets instead of patch pockets. Also the shoulder structure is natural and soft but it does not feature the (Neapolitan) roping such as the gray suit I could have worn. One reason for my choice was also the fact that my spouse was wearing a navy blue dress. So we matched in that way as well.
Another thing you can't go wrong with - bubbles.
I have already thought that when I get married myself I will wear a dark blue two- or three-piece suit. With a white shirt and a silver grenadine tie and a white linen pocket square. But as a guest and for this kind of a wedding party I decided to go for the navy blue grenadine tie and the Symposium pocket square. Again little choices to dress down the look just a notch. But still to keep it festive enough.
Someone might think that the the burgundy color of the Symposium square is out of place here. But in my opinion it actually brings just the right amount of color to the outfit. It actually matches the shades of blue, brown and white you can see. And naturally for occasions like this I want to my wear our own garments as they were designed to be perfect match just for this kind of essential use as wedding parties as well.
The one that always leaves me into her shadow.
I've said before, as a wedding guest your job is to dress and act in a manner that shows you care. And you do that without upstaging the wedding party or, particularly, the bride. That's why I usually try to keep my own outfit as simple as possible. Most times I just make sure that I have a suit that fits me well and is not too striking or bold.
But then there are certain ways that you can try and personalize your attire. You make that little difference by those little details and choices. One of my personal favorites for party occasions and outfits is to use a little tie pearl pin. I've acquired them a few years ago and since then they have been my "go-to" accessory for this kind formal yet relaxed events.
The tie pearl pin with DLA navy blue grenadine tie and Symposium pocket square.
By tie pin I don't mean a tie clip or a tie bar. A tie pin (also known as a stick pin) is a neckwear-controlling device, originally worn by wealthy English gentlemen to secure the folds of their cravats. But you can also see it just as an accessory. If you search, you can find multiple different kind of tie pins. They feature for example animal heads, knife and fork motifs, wishbones, bugs, flowers, shields and a host of other figural motifs. All of them have their own aesthetics and history as well. But for party attire I personally prefer the simple pearl like the one I wore for this case.
It is also worth mentioning that originally (and most times nowadays as well) the tie pin should be fastened much lower than where I wear it. This is because you can use the pin to fasten the tie to the shirt and keep them in place. This can be especially useful on formal occasions or in windy weather. But as I tend to use it basically purely as a decorative piece, I like to wear it just below the tie knot. For me this is the most aesthetically pleasing option. But this is naturally just a matter of taste.
My C&J Sydney penny loafers with socks matching the suit. And 5,5cm cuffs.
The rule you see in most places is to stick with cap-toe oxfords for most formal occasions. But for more casual ceremonies you can go for loafers or monk shoes as well. This time as I said there were no dress code. So I chose to wear my Crockett&Jones Sydney penny loafers in brown calf. I wanted to wear the brown shoes as they matched to the color scheme perfectly. And because my spouse also wore nude colored shoes so they were matching those as well.
On the morning of the weddings I brushed the shoes and gave them a little polishing. In my opinion they dressed down the attire just the notch that was needed. Also made the attire perfectly suitable for the place where the party was hosted, a nice villa / restaurant on an island in front of the city.
So basically what I wore was a really simple outfit. An outfit you have seen on me for thousand times. Blue suit with white shirt, blue tie and brown loafers. I don't think you need anything more. If I were to choose the blue lightweight wool suit is just a perfect choice for any summer weddings. And the most important thins, I felt really good while wearing it through the day.
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