Reader Question: iTux

Reader:

I am helping a friend pick out a tux for his wedding, and was wondering what suggestions you would have for a tall, portly man looking for something classy but conservative.  Would a vest be better than a cumberbun to give a slimmer appearance?  What about straight tie vs. bow tie?  Shawl lapel vs. peak?  Thanks for the help!


SB:


Great question! If there is ever a time when a man wants to look his best, it's when he is wearing a tuxedo. For a "portly" man, dressing for your body type is all about drawing attention to your "assets" rather than your "liabilities". With that said, I would suggest a two-piece peak lapel tuxedo with a straight tie. 


The peak lapels will draw attention to the shoulders (thus taking attention away from the mid-section). Stay away from the vest, it will make your friend look too "stuffed" and it distorts the perfect black/white ratio that makes a classic tuxedo so sharp. Same goes for cumberbuns; they are outdated and will only draw eyes to the stomach. Also, consider a white cotton or linen pocket square folded straight and just peaking from the breast pocket, again,  to accentuate the chest.


Your friend should wear a long tie rather than a bow tie on his big day because the north-south line will offer a slimming effect. Along that same line (no pun intended) your friend should leave the belt at home and wear black suspenders. This will allow him to "float" his waist, rather than choosing to strap his pants above or below his belly. Also, a belt (like any accessories, lines, or stripes that run east-west) would only draw attention to his width.


Also, keep in mind that fit is even more important if you are a heavy guy. Some big guys think that a "roomy" suit will hide the fact that they are overweight. This is not true. A bad fit makes you look sloppy, not slimmer. Lastly, a clean shave and a fresh haircut can go a looong way to looking more put-together. 

photo by GQ 

(not a tuxedo, but a great example of a heavy-set guy cleaning up nicely)

Some other general tuxedo guidelines:

- 1 button is best

- The lapels should be 100% satin, and ideally your tie should be made from the same bolt of fabric

- Like a suit, double vented looks best (in my opinion)

- No collar pins, tie bars, brooches, lapel pins, stripes socks, chunky bracelets, oversized watches...or other "statement" accessories. Its a tuxedo, keep in simple, keep it classic

- No button-down collar shirts. Semi-spread is best

- French cuffs with small, simple cuff links

- Keep your jacket buttoned when standing

- Black socks, simple elegant black leather lace-up shoes, freshly shined (skip the cheap-looking patent leather shoes) 

- White shirt. Black tie. Period.

Thanks for reading, and congrats!


Yours in style,
SB

I just touched down...all around the world!!

Hey reader, you are not alone!

I always knew I had a pretty good following from the amount of email questions that I get, but I never knew the real "numbers". I'm also not the most tech-savy person in the world, so when a friend of mine introduced me to google analytics - a free statistics generator for my blog - I was absolutely blown away to see how strong my readership really is and how far and wide these posts touch down.

My intention in sharing these "stats" is not to boast, but rather to let you know that you are not the only one who enjoys reading about mens style. (Unfortunately, there seems to be a good number of men who are squeamish about admitting that they have an interest in "fashion").

If you were a reader from day one, you will remember that when I started this blog (only a number of months ago), my intention was not only to share photos, answer questions and offer unique styling tips for men, but also to create a kind of community, or meeting place for style-savvy men to share opinions and ideas. Therefore, I'm hoping that seeing this will encourage you to offer insights/opinions/responses via the comments section of the posts. I love it when readers comment. It's great to get feedback (either positive or constructive) and I sincerely enjoy reading other unique points of view, especially when they come from around the world.

So check it out! Below is a map of last week's readers:

My top 15 countries last week (M-F) were:

1. United States - 11,306 readers
2. Canada - 3,126
3. Brazil - 814 
4. United Kingdom - 710 
5. Australia - 262
6. Ireland - 160
7. Hong Kong - 120
8. Germany - 111
9. Singapore - 107
10. Poland - 105
11. Italy - 96
12. Spain - 82
13. Malaysia - 80
14. France - 77
15. India - 64

This information has certainly encouraged me to take this blog to the next level (I got big plans!), and I hope it will encourage you to share your own ideas with our worldwide community of stylish readers.

Yours in style,
SB

Tip-of-the-Day: A note on shin cleavage

There are certain little things, let's call them "pet peeves" for lack of a better expression, that can really ruin an outfit for me. One of them is the length of a guy's socks.

No matter how great a man's outfit is, if he crosses his legs and suddenly you can see a small area of pale, hairy leg between the top of his sock and the hem of his pants...attention is immediately drawn to it and it ruins his look. Yes, I am anal about details like this.

As a solution, simply make sure you buy socks that are long enough to cover the gap, and pull them up all the way. Remember, the shorter your pants, the higher they will pull when you sit.

I don't necessarily recommend this, but as a more extreme solution for guys who insist on crossing their legs but have extra-skinny ankles and thus have a problem with schlubby falling socks...you could try sock garters. If pulled-off (and up) correctly, I could imagine it being a really cool "retro" accessory with the right outfit.  After all, with lower east side hipsters bringing back old-school classics like black plastic frames, timex watches, doc marten boots and polaroid cameras...perhaps these are the next "cool" thing.

    

Yours in style,

SB

Reader Questions: Boat Shoes + Socks?

Reader:

I was wondering how you felt about wearing some sort of graphic socks with boat shoes. I know it's a stretch, but I do wear straight slim or skinny jeans (that aren't too tight) so a little bit of my foot shows.

SB:

You know how some car commercials have a caption that says something like "Proffessional driver on a closed course. Do not attempt". Well, this is kinda like that.

Normally, socks with boat shoes - hell no. But, like I always say, rules are meant to be broken, and the most stylish people break them regularly. I do have a couple guidelines that could help you succeed:

- Never with shorts
- Not in the middle of winter (even with socks, boat shoes are three-season)

- Keep your pant leg opening slim. Like 7.5" across slim.

- Keep your inseam short. Like hardly touching the back of your shoe, hemmed at an angle so the front hits even higher, short. (or roll your pants/jeans)

- Wear striped socks, not argyle, check, or polka dot

- Wear the thicker, ribbed socks 

- Keep the majority of the stripes muted, and consistent with the tone of your pants. Maybe one thin colorful stripe, but you don't want them to be too loud.

 For Example, look for something like this:

Socks by Smart Turnout

Here is a rare picture of this look very well executed:

Photo by GQ

Thanks for reading,

SB

Tip-of-the-Day: Save the Pastels for the Summer

I kinda thought this was a little too "common sense" to blog about, but today I saw two different guys wearing easter-egg-colored shirts, under heavy (and oversized) black overcoats.

Fellas, lets save the pastel colored shirts and ties for the summer time. I can't really explain why, other than it just doesn't look right in 35 degree weather. I'm not saying you can't wear color in the winter, just that the hues should be muted. If you insist on wearing pinks and purples, keep them darker, stronger pinks and purples.

Most of the time I agree with GQ's fashion team...but I was surprised to see a couple of the colors in their new "Ultimate Winter Shirt-and-Tie Wardrobe" feature.

The bright pink shirt (2nd in the top row), and the teal/aqua shirt (3rd in the 3rd row) would be hard for alot of men to pull of in the summer, let alone the winter. Otherwise, mostly fail-safe options.

Thanks for reading!

Yours in style,
SB

Tip-of-the-Day: Create Your Own "No-Show" Undershirt

For a working man (or anyone who wears collared shirts), an undershirt is an everyday essential. It soaks in your persperation, keeping your dress shirt clean and, more importantly, dry. You definitely don't want to be that guy:

The problem is, for those of us who wear dress shirts, but not ties, a classic v-neck undershirt poses a problem. When a tie-less button-up shirt is worn with the top 2 buttons undone (which looks best), the white v-neck undershirt creeps a little too high, allowing the top of it to be seen...which drives me crazy!

So here is my solution...

Get some basic v-neck undershirts like these (3 pack for around $29.50). Make sure they fit snug.

Then, use a pencil to lightly draw the outline of a deep "U" shape:

Next, find a pair of scissors, and cut along the lines.

Now you have the perfect undershirt to keep your underarms dry, and have that sexy open-chest look.

Ironically, this picture is perfect because the homemade undershirt would follow a similar line as the "bib" design on Sr. James' shirt.

After all, nobody is immune to embarassing pit stains. e.g. Glamour Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive":

Stay fresh.

Yours in style,

SB

SB Endorses: The Nato G10 "James Bond" Watch Band

As I've mentioned before, I only wear one watch. But I have a collection of bands and change them according to my outfit.

My new favorite watch band is the Nato G10 strap. It is 100% durable nylon and comes in a number of solid colors and stripes (the official "James Bond" edition being black/gray striped, as pictured).

The best part is, this great way to switch up your favorite watch can be picked up on eBay for about $15!

So feel free to pick up a couple different colors to add a unique punch to any outfit.

Dishing all my best-kept-secrets,

SB

SB Endorses: The Sweat Trousers!

I am the opposite of an impulse shopper. I have a running list of things that I would like to add to my wardrobe, if I can find them. Every now and then, however, I'll come across something and say "Damn...I gotta have it".

The other day, it was these "luxury fleece" dress-sweats by the  "Original American Outdoor Clothing Company" Woolrich.

 

These are sweat pants that you can wear to work! (provided you have a pretty cool boss).

I actually wore them to work yesterday (see below) and proved that, when styled correctly and hemmed properly, you can wear sweat pants with a tailored blazer and dressy lace-ups. Most people didn't even notice they were fleece - and those who did thought it was genius.

Who says work clothes can't be comfortable?

Yours in style,
SB

Reader Question: Denim Shirt

Reader:

Ok here is a quick and easy one. Denim shirt. Should I? How should I pull it off?

Been looking at this one (below) from Banana Republic. Thinking I would get it, wash it a few times to give it a more worn-in look and wear it with dark unwashed jeans with a nice slim straight cut.  Thoughts?

SB:

Absolutely!

I love denim shirts. I'm actually wearing one right now (a really beat-in version from RRL). I love the look. Styling can be a bit tricky though, but considering you are planning to lose your denim-shirt-virginity with jeans on, I'm assuming you know a thing or two about tricky styling. Just remember to keep the washes different, you don't want to end up looking like Jay Leno.

As a "safer" alternative, wear it with slim khakis, brown corduroys, or light gray jeans. Also, try to get a cut that is short enough that you can wear untucked, or nonchalantly half-tucked. And remember, you don't need to pair it with anything "in your face" or any loud accessories, the shirt already makes a statement.

Thanks for reading.

Yours in style,
SB

I'm baaacccckkk!

To all my readers, my apologies for being away for so long. And thanks so much to all those who sent me messages concerning my well being. Yes, I am still here and doing well! Truth is, I got a new job and have been adjusting to a new schedule. But I'm back off hiatus and full of new material! Will start writing tomorrow... Happy Thanksgiving!!

Yours in style, SB.
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