The Logical Jacket

It always gets hotter in the afternoon in this office. I don’t know whether the air conditioning is just tired, or the whole building is warming up after a day’s sunshine, but around 3pm it starts to get a little stuffy.

Today, joyously, it’s 3pm, I’m wearing a jacket, and I’m comfortable. The jacket is unstructured, cotton and half lined. It’s the lightest jacket I’ve ever worn by some distance – indeed, many would refer to it as a shirt jacket, I believe. But it’s produced an alternative to The Logical Waistcoat Theory.

For those who missed the original post on this topic, the problem addressed by the Waistcoat Theory was that air conditioning and central heating have made the jacket, whether suit or odd, largely redundant. Office workers take off their jacket when they get in, put it on the back of their chair and only put it on again when they go outside. Indeed, they might not even put it on then if it is a warm day; and if it’s a cold day they might prefer an overcoat.

The jacket is rarely worn, meaning that the suit is rarely worn in its entirety and loses many of its flattering aspects. There is also more pressure on the shirt fitting well, the tie is dragged out of its normal position and loses a little of its elegance, and most depressingly, people just don’t wear jackets – probably the most satisfying and defining aspect of menswear.

The advertising for suits looks a little silly all of a sudden, given that men only wear that full outfit for a small proportion of their day.

The waistcoat is a possible solution, as it is easier to wear all day long. It is elegant, keeps the tie tucked in, lengthens the silhouette and can be worked in at a desk quite comfortably.

The lighter jacket is another solution; one which is likely to find greater appeal I’m sure, given that some still have prejudices against the waistcoat. These half-lined jackets have been quite prevalent the last two summers, and can be picked up at many of the top-line retailers. Mine was found in the summer sale at Aquascutum, in navy and double-breasted.

(Regular readers will note that my declaration to never buy off-the-peg jackets did not last long. My only defence is that it was very good value, being 70% off, and would have been hard to get made by a tailor used to worsted suits and little else.)

Despite only being sold in the summer, these cotton jackets should be worn the whole year in my opinion. The key is for an office-worker to think of his outfit in two senses – what he wears inside and what outside. The cotton jacket is a way to make the inside outfit more dressy and flattering, as is the waistcoat. Outside an overcoat or not can be added depending on the weather.

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A Dreamed-up Tie Tuck

As has often been lamented on this site, ties don’t perform the role they once did. Waistcoats are worn less, jackets are largely taken off when working, and even when jackets are worn they are frequently left unbuttoned. As a result, the tie has lost its place as a pert little dash of silk at the top of an outfit. Without the constraint of waistcoat or jacket, it flops, it twists and it waves.

There are a few posited solutions. You could wear your jacket more or bloody-well do it up; but I am unlikely to change people’s habits here. You could tuck it into the shirt; but this, while perhaps fashionable, is too much a quirk for most. You could switch to bow ties, which I know many do, particularly in jobs where they are often unable to wear a jacket. At least a bow tie remains consistently spruce and taut.

Most obviously, you could wear a tie clip. This can look stylish if done well, though apparently it should always be worn at an angle, rather than parallel to the floor (I can see why this might be more flattering – a horizontal rarely benefits an outfit, unless it is a handkerchief). Tie clips, however, often seem to be strangling a tie. Yes, the top half is now pert, but the bottom half is contorted and – if you listen very closely – emits a small choking sound.

A local tailor around here solves this problem, I have noticed, by wearing a vertical tie pin that enters the tie and then emerges again two inches lower, fastened with a small silver ball. This certainly spreads the area of pressure, reducing contortion, but it does also mean piercing the tie, twice. It’s not something I am eager to try without greater knowledge as to how one avoids damage to the tie.

So, having dismissed all other options, we come to a little something I dreamed up yesterday. Here’s how it works. Tie your tie as normal, then take the rear blade and loop it underneath one of the buttons on your shirt (the third one seems to work well for me) so it emerges from the shirt again on the other side of the button. Then tuck the rear blade into the loop of silk normally attached to the front blade.

The rear blade will be in its normal position, tucked into this silk loop and thus attached to the front blade. But is also anchored to the shirt a little further down, reducing flap, twist and wave.

Having experimented with a few ties, the effectiveness of this technique seems to vary considerably with the height of the silk loop on the front blade. Whatever its position, though, pick a shirt button that is as close to the loop as possible.

Have fun.

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Don’t Let the Poor Gal Down

In the last article, the first of this wife/partner ‘double bill’, I issued warning to men vulnerable to the whims of their other halves, particularly where clothing is concerned. In this latter half, the warnings and advice to be issued concern not the actions of the women and their misguided attempts to mould a chap into their ‘beau ideal’. In this piece, the finger is pointed firmly at men who I would consider, for want of a better word, unsporting. I have attended many a social function, some good, many dreadful, where it is pleasing to see that roughly half, or just over half if one is lucky, have made a jolly decent effort with the attire. Not all the efforts have the complete effect – some are considerably more successful than others but I always applaud the work and thought put in. The sad thing is I am mostly applauding the gals on these occasions for the chaps, as affable and pleasant as they are, rarely get up to the same standard as their female companions.

This knocks me rather because I feel particularly sorry for the lady; as although, next to her rather slovenly and lazily attired man she certainly looks fabulous, when she takes him to the floor she looks less like the princess taking a turn with the prince and more like the charitable dowager sharing a nostalgic dance with the dustman. Not that there is anything wrong with such a two-step, but that for the lady, it seems unfortunate that her gentleman could not make the least effort.

The crux of the issue for some women is; does a handsome but roughly attired man on my arm make me look better or worse? The unfortunate reality is, if you are seriously considering such a conundrum, you are entering the strange and dangerous netherworld of insecurity, in which lurk characters such as Victoria Beckham. Having said that, there is nothing to indicate that in the two pictures, where there can be seen some of the most dreadful co-ordination there has ever been, that Mrs Beckham is necessarily the fat (or not so fat as the case may be) controller of the Beckhams ‘double wardrobe.’ For as long as it has been written that the Beckhams are a well-dressed couple that take pleasure in organised co-ordination, Mr Beckham and his wife have often blazed into social functions wearing the strangest companion ensembles I have ever seen.

In the two pictures represented, Mrs Beckham is by far the better dressed, and indeed more formally dressed of the two; Mr Beckham looks completely out of sync. It is rather curious but in these pictures, the couple appear to be living different lives. One upstaging the other with finesse outfits and expensive accessories, Mr Beckham looks like a very attentive minder, not the married equal of his wife. Whether this has something to do with a breakdown in communication or a pea-brained idea of Mrs Beckham’s that she should always be, conspicuously, the better dressed of the two the lack of synergy is all too apparent.

By comparison Orlando Bloom, pictured at the Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, is, albeit a little funereal, appropriately dressed for his companion. Clearly, though it looks awfully simple, some cooperative thought and conversation has gone into their outfits for the occasion. That in itself is pleasing and, importantly, it makes the couple look accomplished and compatible. Similarly Brad Pitt, who was not always the ‘dapper chapper’, as I remember photographs of Mr Pitt when he was the companion of other women, dressed in truly dreadful and thoughtless ensembles with the overall effect of a Big Issue salesman, albeit a striking one. Now, frequently on the arm of the mother of his children, Pitt rarely lets the ‘team’ down; he has matured into a safe but elegant style and provides for the striking companion on his arm the ‘prince’ and not the charming-but-eventually-inappropriate ‘dustman.’

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Socks Show Whether You Care

I always liked the saying “If you want to know if a man is well-dressed, look down.” But while this refers to footwear, and it can tell you a lot about how well-dressed a man is, I prefer to consider his socks.

A man’s shoes tell you about how much money he spends, perhaps about his taste and certainly about how well he looks after his clothes. A man with well-turned, well-polished brown brogues under his blue suit demonstrates a certain interest and investment in what he wears.

But socks tell you something different. Socks tell you immediately whether someone can be bothered. In the City, most suits are dark. Most men wear black shoes. So if they wear black socks every day, they will look smart, professional and have to spend absolutely no time in the morning thinking about their socks.

If, on the other hand, a City man decides to wear socks that match his suit, he will need at least three colours – grey, blue and black (yes, a depressing number of City workers still wear black suits). He will be more stylish and his legs will look longer. But he will need enough of each colour to make sure he doesn’t run out, and a certain time will be needed tin the morning to select the right pair. Travelling will take a little more thought as well.

It’s not a big expense, but wearing socks that match your trousers shows you care. Someone boasted to me recently that he always wears a belt that matches his shoes. I asked him what colour his shoes were. He had three black pairs and one brown. And admitted he usually wore brown at the weekend. Not much of an effort to match his belt to them, then.

Socks, on the other hand, take a little effort. Particularly if you get into the world of pattern, and have some stripes, spots etc. Then you have to consider the pattern on your trousers as well (roughly the same guidelines as ties – create contrast in the scale of the pattern). It all takes a little more time.

Colours of course, are another big jump up. Dark red and dark green are often recommended for grey suits. I’ve always liked purples and pinks with navy. And bright red or yellow seem to fit best with tan shoes, in my opinion.

But this is just one of the factors. As soon as you go for colour, the whole outfit has to be borne in mind. Is matching the sock to the tie a little too affected? Is it better if one is patterned? As with a handkerchief, you probably want something that harmonises without matching, but you are likely to have fewer options with socks than handkerchiefs.

Unusual colours are a quantum leap from grey, blue and black. But look out for the man who can be bothered to match his socks to his trousers. It is the best and quickest sign of someone who cares.

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The Khaki Suit

I recently acquired a khaki suit. I’ve always wanted one and, being originally from New England, saw it as a happy inevitability. When warm weather hits, khaki suits – often in cotton poplin or chino – are to Connecticut what seersucker is to South Carolina. Crisp, cool style that, as the day wears on, evolves into a slightly rumpled personal signature. Perfect.

This new suit is not cotton however; it’s a lovely Ralph Lauren extra fine worsted wool job. I wasn’t expecting to get a wool suit – certainly not in the midst of a particularly sweltering summer here in the nation’s capital. I had wanted to get a nice traditional lightweight summer suit, but as things turned out it was an opportunity I could not pass up. It’s a lovely suit and one that will get a lot of wear. So, I am still on the hunt for a good warm weather version in cotton.

The khaki colored summer suit can get sidelined by its flashier, more formal brethren, but it’s an important part of a well rounded wardrobe. Sometimes constructed of a cotton blend to better fend off the wrinkles, this style of suit is a nice in-between option for the steamy days of summer. It’s light and comfortable and can be worn with casual panache.

In fact khaki suits are wonderfully versatile articles of clothing. They can easily pull double duty when required; paired with a French cuffed dress shirt, Hermes tie and handmade shoes or polo shirt, ribbon belt and docksiders. Either way, the khaki suit provides a formal backdrop that accommodates your needs. It is neither formally stiff nor scruffy and inappropriate.

And while it has been interpreted the world over, the true cotton khaki summer suit is undeniably American preppy at its core. Think about it – this suit is the ultimate pair of khakis taken to the extreme. To be sure, most designer’s takes on the khaki suit do not attempt to duplicate old money New England; I’ve seen HRH the Prince of Wales sporting a lovely double breasted version and no one would mistake him for a Bloody Mary toting beachcomber. Still, for the rest of us, it is a nice way to inject a little stylish fun into our wardrobes.

There are some potential pitfalls to this outfit, the most common of which is easy enough to see on the street. Put simply, if you are not careful the khaki suit can quickly take on a sweltering and bedraggled appearance. When it comes to cotton suits, there is fine line between having rumpled personality and being sloppily disheveled. In D.C. the latter is a common sight - overstuffed knapsack dragging down one shoulder, a sweaty shirt billowing out from under an un-pressed jacket and pants hemmed too long dragging on the pavement. Appalling but unfortunately not unusual.

So extra care of your cotton khaki suit, it will make a world of difference. That means treating it like any other suit; have it properly tailored and regularly cleaned. You’ll be glad it’s in the rotation.

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