Backpacks and other over the shoulder bags are very popular ways of carrying your things, thanks to the practical nature of them. They are a staple of young people's accessories. The familiarity means both are popular choices among men entering the professional workforce. Unfortunately, this means they are often worn over suits and blazers; a sure-fire way to ruin the jacket quickly.
Pairing ties and pocket squares is an art that - when executed well - provides a wonderful playground for self-expression in an otherwise uniform outfit. Making a good combination of patterns and colours seems a very daunting task to many men (I get questions about it regularly!), but it is actually a rather simple undertaking that boils down to one thing: harmony.
The dapper biker aesthetic has been popularised in recent times by the advent of the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride, a charity event where men and women dress in their Sunday best and go for a group motorcycle ride for charity. Some awesome styles are seen all around the world in the participants, and it is a vibe I really like.
These days, businesses have perfected the art of portraying a clothing/accessories brand as a luxury offering. This art has been perfected so much, there is solid marketing theory dedicated to how a brand can position itself as luxury. It makes buying clothing (especially when thrifting) a potentially tricky experience even for a discerning eye, but there are some key pointers that you can follow in order to discover whether an item with luxury looking tags is in fact a luxury item.
In Choosing a Suit Jacket Pt. 2, I mentioned how jackets can be fused or canvassed. When talking about fused construction I briefly mentioned how in this method the inner and the outer are simply fused together using glue, and how the glue fails with age to create an unappealing bubbling effect. Today I will show what that looks like.
Polyester and other synthetic fabrics cop a lot of flak in the clothing world. They are cheap, they can feel less luxurious than natural counterparts such as wool or cotton and they have a negative misconception when it comes to quality. Some people may have an image of a polyester suit or shirt with an unattractive, unnatural shine pop into their heads when thinking of the fabric. It can be stated as a general rule of thumb that polyester and poly blend garments are not luxury items. However, synthetic fabrics are not just a method of cheapening manufacturing. They do have several positive attributes.
One of the most repeated adages of style is 'do not mix black and brown'. It is a rule for a reason; most attempts at wearing black with brown end up looking pretty bad. However, rules are made to be broken. It is possible to mix black and brown, and look good while you are at it. In this article I will show a couple of tricks I use to pull it off.
