Thanks, and the Influence of Others

Thank you to all of you that took the time to respond to the question I posed in my last posting, on the best material for odd trousers – something between flannels and jeans. You’ll be pleased to hear that I found a good compromise in a pair of dark khaki cotton trousers from Zara. Not the most luxurious pair in the world, but then they are an experimentation still. The next pair may be made by Mr Tam in Hong Kong.

Cotton trousers are clean and crisp, yet light and casual enough to do without a crease, for example, and be more casual. This weekend, to use one commentator’s advice, they may find themselves paired with loafers. Perhaps even Converse, which are the only trainer slim and simple enough to work with trousers such as these.

The shoes and the accessories are as important as the clothes they complement. And given that my tastes are always screaming for an opportunity to wear a pocket handkerchief, everything else needs to run down the other end of the spectrum.

The responses to my question also highlighted a thought I often have – the surprising extent to which the people around us affect what we wear and what we think about what we wear.

This has several levels. First, working in an office will have its own dress code and expectations. In mine many people wear jeans. Senior management wear suits, but a t-shirt and jeans are perfectly acceptable in junior staff. I dress smarter than most, and give it more thought than most. But given the low average, the upper reaches of sartorial expression are probably inadvisable. I should have described these circumstances in detail in my question, as they affect the answers more than anything else.

Second, most people have insecurities and fears, no matter how small, about their clothes. Especially if they put a lot of thought into them. Every stylish man has moments he would rather forget in his past, and is a little afraid of it happening again. You check yourself in shop windows, tug at that handkerchief even though you know you shouldn’t, or straighten and tighten your tie. Confidence builds with age and experience. But it’s a long time to wait.

Third, other people affect you in subtle ways no matter how confident you are. Would you wear a handkerchief so often if everyone else did? Absolutely everyone else? You might like to think you’d feel gratified that everyone embraced a piece of clothing you love so much. But would it hold quite the same importance for you? And how about if no one else wore the same thing? Not in magazines, not across history – if it had no precedent, all of a sudden? Does it not almost entirely determine your impression of an item of clothing?

No matter how confident we are, what we see around us affects our more than we realise or would wish. The question I posed is one of personal taste, only to a certain extent. Fuddy-duddiness is a question of attitude, only to a certain extent. After all, we see what other people wear far more than we see our own outfits.

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Avoid the Herding Instinct

I like to read my fellow MensFlair columnists articles when I get the chance. Managing my own blog as well as drafting regular columns for arguably one of the best menswear sites on of the Web can be a bit challenging at times. As we all search for new, thoughtful, educational or just plain interesting columns in which to espouse our views on any given subject, we sometimes find ourselves in the role of oracle.

This is a tricky thing. While it is, in my service-oriented opinion, a social obligation for someone with an expertise in a given discipline to render assistance when needed, it is easy for those on the receiving end to accept that advice as sartorial law. Luckily, most of you are not shy about telling us when our arguments are flawed and where our viewpoints are just plan off. And that’s the way it should be.

I say all this without any disrespect to my fellow authors, of course. I think they are some of the best style bloggers out there. We all have our particular angles when it comes to menswear. Yet we also know that our particular proclivities are just those – a personal inclination unique to each of us when it comes to dressing. We write about that we know and what we like.

If you don’t already, take some time and think about your own stylistic likes and dislikes before you start looking to us for any guidance. Do you like pleated pants even though we almost uniformly tell you not to? Are you an ardent fan of patent leather white shoes? Do you prefer baggy deconstructed suits with padded shoulders to tailored, elegant models?

While I may disagree with almost all those choices, if they’re what you happen to like, who I am I to dictate otherwise? I will tell you this however; make your clothing choices relevant to today.

Too often I see men who are stuck in a particular time period or fashion cycle where they happen feel most comfortable. While this in and of itself is not a crime, not adapting those styles to the modern world is, to me, a serious crime because you typically look silly where you could have looked distinctive.

I once worked with a political consultant who had some remarkable suits that were without a doubt made in the late 1970s. They were custom jobs that he had handmade in London and was still clearly fond of each and every one. The problem was that he wore entire outfits that belonged in the 1970s. From shoes to ties, shirts to belts, he looked laughable but just couldn’t see it. It was his comfort zone and that was that.

The suits, with their pronounced patterns, wide lapels, wide bottomed trousers and overall exaggerated cut could easily have been tweaked into a stylish, slightly retro look. By updating his shirt and tie, investing in new oxfords and trying out new belts or braces, this very intelligent guy could pull together a hip and unique style all his own that still belongs in the modern world.

Be your own man and establish a personal style that is right for you. Take the advice and expertise that sites like MensFlair have to offer but filter it though your own likes and dislikes. And if you totally disagree with one of our pronouncements, that’s great news because it tells me that you still have your own style goals.

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A Request for Ideas

Given the obvious readership and interest there is in this blog, I thought I would throw a question out to the audience for the first time. I’m fascinated to hear people’s suggestions on a clothing situation of mine, rather than submit my opinions to you consistently.

I love suits and am happy to wear them much of the time. They fit in well to my business environment and are easy to highlight with additional touches – socks, shoes, handkerchiefs etc. However, I also like to experiment with odd jackets and trousers, for the sake of variation and for the added complexity that the patterns and materials bring – harmonising ties or handkerchiefs with the bolder patterns of hacking jackets, for example.

So far, so good. The problem is that these odd jacket/trouser combinations can easily tip into looking too traditional or flamboyant for my work environment. The unkind would say they can look too fuddy-duddyish. This is particularly true, for example, when I want to wear a tie with these outfits – perhaps grey flannels with a checked jacket, brown oxfords and a woollen tie. That definitely tips over into something out of place on one my age, and certainly in this environment. Even switching to a silk tie, or going for a silk handkerchief, is probably too much.

As a result, I often resort to jeans with odd jackets. Again, perfectly acceptable in my office and a good counter to the flamboyance of a woollen tie or a handkerchief. The jeans are narrow, dark and not too long. It works ok, but I constantly feel pulled towards the more traditional, the smarter options. I just find it more interesting.

Jeans work ok, but they feel a little like giving up. So my question to the group is: what compromise can I find between jeans and the more fuddy duddy odd trouser combinations?

Is the answer khakis or chinos that look a little more casual? I have noticed that fellow-blogger Winston often opts for pale pink jeans. Or are cords the key?

The classic American option is blue blazer with chinos or white ducks, but I don’t think that would work in a London office, at least not regularly. Or is the secret to avoid extraneous details when combining odd trousers and odd jackets, such as ties or handkerchiefs? (So the outfit, casual vs traditional, balances somewhat.)

This is not a question for the true traditionalists in the audience, who will probably tell me I should pull my socks up (literally, above the calf) and ignore any suspicions of the fuddy duddy. But that is not really my taste and, more importantly, is not really the work atmosphere.

I think combinations of odd jackets, trousers and various accessories are the most exciting and intriguing for men dressing today. They require the most thought and sophistication but also the greatest possibility of individual, startling success.

I will be fascinated to hear what others wear and what they suggest for me.

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Appeal of Linen

Of the multitude of fabrics offered for sale; the miles of natural, man made and combination material, linen is surely the most ancient and certainly one of the most enduring. It is strong, long lasting and attractive and though it has certainly ‘had its day’, it is still popular for its character, coolness and practicality. Admittedly, I do not possess much in the way of it. My linen collection is small and entirely seasonal although this is rather common, and indeed customary, for those even in ownership of overly substantial wardrobes. Linen, like silk, is a minor feature in the gentleman’s clothing closet. The years when fine white Irish linen shirts dominated the fashionable scene are gone; linen is now seen as a novelty.

Compared to cotton it is expensive and, though certainly stronger, less manageable. The crumpled linen shirt may be charming whilst sipping a Chianti on a terrace admiring the view from the hills surrounding Florence, but the lack of elasticity in the fibres becomes rather tedious when it gets down to the practicalities of the work place. There is undoubtedly something honest and organic about it. And like silk, it is easily identified with the merest of touches and, for what it lacks in all-round convenience, it makes up for in character.

For character is where linen really excels. I rather like to think of it as a tired and old grande dame; though creased and unrefined, still captivating onlookers with texture and spirit. What other material can be worn untucked and a little frayed and flabby at the edges? Cotton may be an excellent all rounder but compared to linen it is high maintenance. Cotton needs primping and fuss; a shirt or suit, otherwise respectable, is utterly ruined by evidence of the wearer’s repose. Linen is seemingly impervious to the negative effects of reclining. It certainly creases but somehow, it doesn’t matter. It looks acceptable.

Linen shirts

For the summer, the perfect linen shirt is essential. From providing cool protection from the brutal rays of sunshine to cutting a relaxed yet tasteful figure at the loggia restaurant, the linen shirt is such a comfortable choice at this time of year. The ideal linen shirt is not slim-fitting; somehow the crumpled elegance and manufactured fit do not sit well together. It should not be oversized and baggy either, although it is sensible to allow more than a little room between fabric and skin. Although linen shirts are fabulous in pinks, greens, azures and checks there is nothing quite like an ivory for freshness and versatility.

Linen suits

I believe that linen, whilst an outstanding material, should be worn in moderation. Therefore, wearing linen shirts with linen suits is pushing it a tad too far. Contrasts in texture are important – a light cotton shirt is a much better match for a linen suit. And a well made linen suit is a thing of robust beauty: there is something so indescribably luxurious about the way a floppy but tailored linen trouser falls against well-burnished shoe leather. Whilst they are more prevalent now in two button form, a well-fitting three button linen suit (creating the ‘X’ shape when the middle button is fastened) is also very elegant and, due to the fabric’s durability, it will serve the wearer well for many years. For the proverbial cherry, a woven silk pocket square would add a further Titian-esque dimension of texture to the ensemble.

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Etiquette vs “Me”

A friend once wrote to me, in an awful panic, practically begging me for help. His email was littered with exclamation marks and his written manner, though frank and to the point, evidenced his trepidation. He needed sartorial advice – specifically, on etiquette. Halfway through my verbose instructions, I began to ponder the situation. “Here we have an intelligent young man” I told myself. He is attractive, relatively confident and interesting and yet when it comes to suitable clothing for a particular event, he is in a state of utter confusion. Not uncommon, agreed. However, my chum was not in this state because of a lack of basic knowledge; I was confident that he had, at least, the most rudimentary understanding of the dress code. His panic was that, while he wanted to follow etiquette, he wanted to stand out – and stand out some way: his goal was that of impressing a young lady to the point that she might single him out for special appreciation.

This push and pull between sartorial etiquette and individualism has often vexed even the most seasoned style men of my acquaintance. Though some might subscribe to the Wildean idea of “being a work of art”, others might argue that the real art is in restraint. I have been rather undecided. On the one hand, I can see the beauty and simplicity in following etiquette; a man dressed appropriately, if dressed well, would walk in to knowing nods of approval and whispers of “Classic, simply classic.” He would have no concerns about his ensemble, enabling him to put the idea quite out of his head once amongst the throng. There would be none of that John Bull gawping; only side glances of envy and concealed respect.

On the other hand, I can see the other argument; that etiquette on these occasions is for people with little interest in clothing and no idea how to dress well. Women are far more capable of adapting to this philosophy. They pay respect to conventions where appropriate, but they are more pragmatic than males in the sense of adapting costumes of etiquette to outfits more in tune with their own personality. The man who flaunts and violates wildly, without fail, will indeed make a mistake. However, it is revolutionaries and not conservatives that have shaped the course of fashion. Heroes like Edward VIII, latterly the Duke of Windsor, had an extraordinary ability (though his influential position in society did no harm) to break the rules without offending. The time at which Edward began to ignore certain starchy conventions, little had changed since the Victorian and Edwardian period, was ripe for radicalism. The Great War incited cynicism about the values of the past; Europe had given up on jingoism and reverence to tradition. Jazz filled the dance halls; there were political revolutions, a rejection of the continuation of a patriarchal society and His Royal Highness, swanning around in a dinner jacket at a function for tails, merely provided the coup de grâce.

Nowadays, it is rather different. There is neither the atmosphere nor the taste for radicalism. The men lauded for their sense of individualism and style are scarcely revolutionaries; they are more likely to be conservatives with quirks. And to my mind, this is a product of society, not because of a want for visionaries.

In completion of the instructions to my friend, I encouraged him to experiment a little. I informed him I would not tell him how to dress; that would simply be a conformation to another etiquette – my own. I offered him ideas and options and informed him that standing out as an ‘individual’ really required ‘individualism’ and that, truthfully, he possessed it in spades. It simply needed digging out.

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