#OOTD: Tailored Style for Spring

Editor’s note: You’ve surely seen this hashtag lots of different places, including on Instagram. But how does that carry over to real life? The #OOTD series will take one great item and put together a versatile, stylish outfit around it. Look for past features here.

So we’re slowly but surely creeping towards warmer spring weather, at least in NYC. That’s good news if, like yours truly, you were getting sick of the cold (as much as I love layering with rugged winter style staples). As the weather warms up and gets more breezy, you might run into the temptation to shelve your blazer (or your black dress shoes) in favor of more laidback style combos. But you can definitely still nail a sharp business casual look using pieces that are in play the rest of the year — namely, a classic navy blazer with a subtle pattern, plus a sharp white shirt. The below look should be sharp but not stuffy, featuring just enough personality to set you apart from other, less well-dressed fellas. That’s the goal of these things, right? To leave #OOTD suggestions of your own, head over to The Style Guide Facebook page. Stay stylish!

Business-ready spring style with sharp black Oxfords and subtle patterns.

Business-ready spring style with sharp black Oxfords and subtle patterns.

The Blazer: J. Crew Factory Thompson Microdot Blazer, $131.50 — Recognize this blazer? It was first featured in this St. Patrick’s Day style feature, but it works plenty of other times of the year thanks to the subtle variation in pattern.

The Shirt: Paul Fredrick Extra Trim Fit Non-Iron Button-down Dress Shirt, $89.50 — The upscale, dressier answer to a more laidback Oxford-cloth shirt, this piece is part of the brand’s new, slimmer offerings.

The Pocket Square: The Tie Bar Corduroy Dots Pocket Square, $10 — Dots on the blazer and … dots on the pocket square? Yes, indeed — the color and scale are just different enough where it works out, plus the corduroy breaks up the dots on your top half, too.

The Pants: J. Crew Factory Slim Bedford Linen-Cotton Pant, $55.50 — While lightweight khaki chinos can also work here, these pants will serve you well in breezier, warm spring and summer days alike. The slim stripes and light grey color are a nice change of pace, too.

The Shoes: Jack Erwin Noah Quarter Brogue Oxford in Black, $195 — Black shoes can still be worn in spring and summer even when everyone else turns to brown; it makes this outfit all the more sharp sans tie.

The Belt: Tanner Goods Classic Belt, $100 — Just the right mix of casual and formal, this is a go-anywhere belt that works in casual and formal situations.

The Socks: Society Socks in Visionary Blue, $9.20 — Lest this outfit miss out on the sudden arrival of color that is spring, these socks add a definite pop to the get-up.

The Watch: Daniel Wellington Classic Sheffield in Silver, $229 — Daniel Wellington’s watches, while a step up in price from a Timex or another casual watch, provide sharp, versatile style — and in this case, sufficiently dressy looks.

The above ensemble perhaps isn’t the most groundbreaking offering — it does feature a navy blazer, a white dress shirt and black Oxfords, for instance. But that’s where subtle changes in pattern, better quality (in the case of the shoes) and a bit of color — by way of the pocket square and socks — come into play. The black leather watch and belt shown above are timeless staples that’ll work in any outfit across the rest of the year, too. Plus, the shirt should fit nice and trim if you take off that blazer during the course of the day. Now, roll up those sleeves and get work — this new gear won’t pay for itself!

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#OOTD: Wool Trousers for Winter Weather

Editor’s note: You’ve surely seen this hashtag lots of different places, including on Instagram. But how does that carry over to real life? The #OOTD series will take one great item and put together a versatile, stylish outfit around it. Look for these features regularly.

One of the best things about the menswear world these days is the general approach to mixing and matching style staples. White sneakers can be paired with blazers and chinos, sharp wingtips can dress up a slim pocket tee and denim — if you can dream it, it’s likely a combination worth trying. Such is the case with today’s #OOTD offering. Wool dress trousers could feasibly conjure up some not-so-great style memories, especially if you rocked yours with pleats, as I did back in the day. But as with most silhouettes across the board, the approach is now slimmed-down and smartened-up, making a sharp wool trouser easier to pair with staples both rugged and refined — as you’ll see in the outfit below. And sometimes, when the doldrums of winter start to hit, you just need to shake up your typical blazer-and-trousers combo.

A denim jacket + slim wool trousers = a whole new way to view your work wardrobe.

A denim jacket + slim wool trousers = a whole new way to view your work wardrobe.

The Trousers — J. Crew Factory Thompson Slim Suit Pant in Herringbone Wool, $49.99 — The staple of this outfit — slim, versatile and with some subtle pattern.

The Jacket: Taylor Stitch Long Haul Denim Jacket, $188 — The wild card of this outfit, it’s a supremely sturdy investment-worthy piece of four-season outerwear.

The Shirt: Uniqlo Slim-Fit Long-Sleeve Oxford, $29.99 (On-Sale) — Staying on-trend by pairing a deep blue shirt with an indigo jacket. If that’s not dressy enough, throw on a rich wool tie to top things off.

The Boots: Thursday Boot Company Natural Diplomat Boot, $199 — A refined take on the moc toe boot, complete with tough Natural Horween leather.

The Socks: Happy Socks Red Optic Sock, $8.40 — These socks provide a shot of color and pattern, and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

The Belt: J. Crew Factory Reversible Brown Leather Belt, $26.50 — Two solid belts for an agreeable price — don’t worry too much about matching the shade of brown here exactly to the boots (being in the same color family works).

The Watch: Timex Waterbury Chronograph, $100 — A heck of a bargain for a rugged watch that lends another piece of visual interest to this ensemble.

Keep in mind that with the above outfit, I’d recommend throwing in a few choice winter accessories to fight the chill – and with all that being said, you should be well-set to tackle whatever the day has in store for you, be it some time in the office or time around town. Wear it well!

‘Til next time,

-Beau