Tag / knit ties

by Beau H.

Shopping on a Budget: An Updated Men’s Style Starter Kit, Part 3

While getting dressed casually on a budget can be done relatively inexpensively, adding dressier items into the mix makes things trickier in terms of price. Parts 1 and 2 in this men’s style budget recap (which you can see here) tackled just how to revamp your downtime wardrobe in a versatile manner, and Part 3 will set out to do the same. However, this time around, we’re diving into the best places to go for dressier items — dress shoes and dress shirt or two, along with ties and suits. Later on, we’ll wrap things up with other accessories, including watches, belts and socks. For now, suit up on a budget below!

The Shoes: JC Penney

A low price for a versatile shoe in a versatile shade.

A low price for a versatile shoe in a versatile shade.

While JC Penney’s dress shoes won’t win any awards from shoe snobs any time soon, don’t be so quick to turn away from this pair. While it’s a more casual-leaning wingtip shoe (which some would say makes it harder to wear with suits), a lot of us don’t seem to have jobs that require a suit every day of the week. And in those instances, it’ll work just fine. If you have the capital to invest in a higher-quality shoe (even something from the Mercanti Fiorentini line at DSW would work), go for it. But these shoes provide a similar look for a much lower price. On top of that, when worn as part of a rotation throughout the year and when mixing in other business-casual styles, these shoes should hold up alright for the price. Reviews have been largely positive, another plus for these shoes — and it’s worth noting they can drop down to about $50 when on-sale. They’ll also work with jeans and chinos alike (for more on budget alternatives for those styles, check out Part 1 in this series). On top of that, this pair is available in multiple shades, including the versatile dark brown (which would even work with a charcoal suit or pants).

TOTAL: $50

The Dress Shirts: J. Crew Factory

Staple c

Staple colors at terrific prices.

Quality can be hard to maintain when delivering dress shirts at a discounted price, but J. Crew Factory meets that challenge. Unlike other brands (such as Express), J. Crew Factory’s shirts seem more consistently on-sale, especially if you can get into a store during a promotion (currently, one shirt will set you back about $43). Available in staple colors like white and light blue — two shades that go with practically any suit-and-tie combination you can think of — their dress shirt offerings also include stripes, prints and other patterns. And their quality, while a step down from J. Crew, is on-point with similar budget brands. Starting out with two of these in your basic colors expands upon an already solid casual wardrobe. Don’t forget that these shirts, despite the ‘dress shirt’ title, can be worn under v-neck sweaters or cardigans alongside jeans, too.

TOTAL: About $86

The Tie/Pocket Square: The Tie Bar

Two wardrobe staples well-suited for more casual or dressy wear.

Two wardrobe staples well-suited for more casual or dressy wear.

There’s a reason GQ uses products from The Tie Bar month after month after month in its shoots. For a fraction of the price of other high-end ties, The Tie Bar delivers the same styling and pretty darn good quality, to boot. While the sheer array of fabric choices and variety of ties on their website is overwhelming at times, the brand makes terrific ties at terrific prices. And for all the wide varieties they stock (including a dizzying 62 pages of bow ties), they do the essentials very well, too. If you had to start with only one or two ties to pair with the restock you’ve already taken care of, reaching for either a navy or a black knit tie would be one great way to go. The silk knit hits on both casual and dressier fronts —either color goes with virtually any outfit combination from chinos to jeans (although a navy knit tie should be worn with brown accessories), and there’s a reason James Bond wore a black knit tie. Additionally, the price makes it easy to throw one of these in your cart along with other accessories — like a white cotton pocket square, an all-season essential that’s the perfect finishing touch to a blazer or suit. So, if you start with one go-anywhere, do-anything tie (like the navy knit) and toss in a versatile pocket square, you’re looking at a price that hits the sweet spot.

TOTAL: $23

The Suit: J. Crew Factory

In a classic color like navy, this J. Crew Factory suit is worth the extra money.

In a classic color like navy, this J. Crew Factory suit is worth the extra money.

When you need a suit on a tight budget but prefer a step up in quality, turning back to J. Crew Factory is once again the way to go. Their line of Thompson suiting has drawn high praise across the blogosphere and with customers for exceptional fit and quality for a budget-tier suit. This year’s run of suits appears to be no exception. The brand doesn’t do anything overly fancy — standard double-vent suits in worsted wool that could work in a pinch in nearly any season. The color offerings are the perfect starter’s set for a suit — charcoal and navy options, along with some flannel fabrics mixed in and a chino option for the warmer months. If you’re just jumping into the suit game, either of those staple colors (navy or charcoal) would be a great look — their neutrality, while not flashy, provides so many options for mixing and matching. The pants, crucially, come in a slim-fit option. Admittedly, the line doesn’t have the pedigree of J. Crew’s Ludlow suits, yet you get nearly a dead look-alike for the price. Take that navy suit, throw it together with a light blue dress shirt, navy knit tie and white pocket square as discussed above, and you have an office-ready outfit While the price, even on discount, might cause some eyes to pop, this suit is a definite upgrade from a standard department store offering, or a more affordable option, like Express. On top of that, the suit brings versatility with it. In a tight spot, the jacket can function as a blazer with chinos, for example, while the pants can be worn on their own with other dressier offerings.

TOTAL: $316

Editor’s note: This rundown is pretty focused on the color blue, no? Fear not — shake things up with some wild socks! 

So, the total for today’s dress essentials comes to about $475 — quite a lot of money in comparison to last year’s men’s style starter kit.  However, these items are the basics of a dressier wardrobe, yet can do so much more. Break up the shirts and knit ties with sweaters and jeans, wear the wingtip oxfords with chinos and suit pants, and use the jacket as a blazer when needed. The color palette of most of these offerings, as well, can be mixed and matched with plenty of other choices.  Plus, paying a bit more money for a few basics up front can ensure you get more use out of these items than you would when picking them up from a cheaper retailer. Keeping these essentials in mind will save your pocketbook more in the long run. After all, building great style on a budget is fun, but having more money left over to go out and wear those clothes is infinitely better.

Do you have any go-to’s for dress essentials on a budget? Alternate picks? Leave it all below! 

 

by Beau H.

Style Suggestion: Thanksgiving Dinner

Before you dive into that turkey on Thanksgiving, step back a moment. Take the time to appreciate being with family and friends, and getting a little time off. And just as importantly, take the time to put a bit of effort into your appearance. Being around family members on a holiday should be some of the best times of the year, and it’s great to be able to reflect that enjoyment through what you wear — it should be appropriate and classy, because dressing up a bit is a nice nod to your family, too.

So, with the stage set for a great holiday, there are some important things to consider when on the go to turkey day celebrations. Namely, if you live in a climate where winter’s on the way, consider layering up. And more importantly, don’t overthink what to wear. Stick to a personal uniform, perhaps with some regionally appropriate touches thrown in — for example, being in Florida is markedly different than in Michigan. With that in mind, here’s a starter template that should work for just about everybody.

The Shirt

A classic blue OCBD from Old Navy.
A classic blue OCBD from Old Navy.

On a classic holiday like Thanksgiving that typically doesn’t involve anything too black-tie official, it’s best to keep it casual. Here, something like a blue or white Oxford cloth button-down is a great asset. It’s the shirt equivalent of “dressed-up, but not “too-dressed up.” In a shade like white, it can provide a great neutral base for any pops of color on the rest of the outfit, and it shouldn’t be too hot or cold to wear in any location.

The Tie

Frank and Oak's knit tie is woven with a thicker gauge and more bulk.

Frank and Oak’s knit tie is woven with a thicker gauge and more bulk.

While wool ties are fine for places where the temperature dips into the 20’s, 30’s or even 40’s, there are certainly more versatile pieces of neckwear out there — some of which you might already have in your closet. Since the days of James Bond, knit ties have been on our collective style radar. Sure, some might argue the knit tie is having a trending moment right now, but there’s a reason Sean Connery’s Bond wore classic black knit ties — a great knit tie will go with just about any outfit, and it’s appropriate for almost any climate, at any time of the year. For those on the heftier and more muscular side, a standard knit tie might be too slim — look for something in about the 2.75″ range (Frank & Oak’s knit ties feature a nice, thicker weave). In this particular instance, a dark knit tie won’t clash too markedly with any of the outfit’s other colors — which should preferably be more neutral anyway.

The Blazer (optional)

If putting on a jacket crosses the formality line at your family Thanksgiving, consider swapping that out for a v-neck or crew-neck sweater (and maybe ditch the tie too). However, throwing on a nice blazer should be an easy choice — a jacket tailored for someone’s body accentuates a man’s chest and shoulders, making almost any guy look instantly better. Here, texture and fabric matters. A heavier tweed blazer is a great pick for cold weather — the tweed’s thick weave provides warmth and doesn’t look out of place trekking through the snow. But for the rest of us, a simple navy blazer (potentially unstructured to stick with the generally casual vibe of Thanksgiving) can work wonders. It can even be thrown on over a crew-neck or v-neck sweater sans collared shirt if things turn that casual.

The Pants

Here too, it’s best to keep in mind the surrounding climate where you’re celebrating the holiday. Linen pants won’t exactly work in winter up north, and heavy wool trousers won’t do you much good in Florida, for example. That’s why sticking with a slim chino in a medium-weight fabric is a sure bet. If you’re in a colder clime, corduroys would work just as well as a substitute. Once again, stick with a nice neutral color (maybe in a richer hue for the fall?). Keeping the proportions slim will hopefully pair well with a tailored shirt.

Frank and Oak's Newport Chinos in Amber.

Frank and Oak’s Newport Chinos in Amber. Wool tie not recommended for warmer climes — see above.

The Shoes

With the rest of the outfit leaning towards polished-casual on the style spectrum, it’s best to keep the shoes in similar territory, too. Black shoes can seem too severe in all but the sharpest of combinations, and it’s likely there could be a sea of black shoes at the table come Thanksgiving. A rich, warm brown falls in line with the colors of the season, and should be much more versatile for other outfits later on. Reaching for a captoe/captoe-brogue combination or even a wingtip also pushes the shoe into the same polished-casual territory as the rest of the outfit. In colder climes, wingtip boots are a stellar option that can stand up to the elements — and the ‘eye test’ of your fellow diners. Of course, a true casual staple like desert boots is never objectionable when the situation calls for classic and polished footwear.

The Rest

Round out the ensemble by sticking to some clear fundamentals. Keeping your watch simple and unadorned (like this Timex Easy Reader) is the best way to go here — just be sure the watch, belt and shoes fall within the same color range in terms of leather. As always, colorful socks are today’s statement piece, an easy way to add personal flair to an outfit that mainly sticks to classic items.

With these essentials in mind, and with some crucial personal touches thrown in, you should be ready to conquer Thanksgiving in style. Until the tryptophan puts you to sleep, of course.

by Beau H.

Winter Style Suggestion: Seasonal Fabrics

A huge component of fashion and style is phasing seasonal pieces in and out of one’s wardrobe. What worked for you in the summer (a polo and chinos, perhaps) probably won’t work in colder temperatures, and the same can be said for cold-weather garb. We’ve been working our way toward winter in Michigan for a good while now (remember those wingtip boots? Now’s the perfect time to break them out), and with the first truly cold blast of cold weather comes another reminder about seasonally appropriate style. The great thing about so many fabrics that work in the fall is that … well, they work in the winter, too.

J. Crew's chambray shirt. Nice texture for winter, without a doubt.

J. Crew’s chambray shirt. Nice texture for winter, without a doubt.

One way to transition your wardrobe in small steps from fall to winter revolves around emphasizing chunkier, thicker textures and fabrics, namely in suiting, shirting and neckwear. Of course, layering is important, as well. A heavier fabric that can get great play in both fall and winter is denim — not just on your legs, though. Denim and chambray shirts can break up a typical shirt-and-sweater combo through a thicker weave and rougher texture. Even in the dead of winter, a light chambray shirt is still appropriate — the fabric is like a classic OCBD, but with slubbier texture. Both types of shirts pair well with knit ties or heavier pieces of neckwear, and variations on styling a chambray shirt with dark denim are often used to great effect across the #menswear world. An added benefit of working in rougher textures like chambray and denim is that shirts and other seasonal staples often come in neutral colors, so pairing them together is quite easy.

If you do have the opportunity to dress up on occasion, leave the ultra-shiny silk ties at home at least once or twice. The same fabrics in vogue in suiting for the winter are just as accessible in terms of neckwear — look no further than last month’s Frank and Oak Hunt Club crate for a great example of a heavier wool tie.  What’s more, switching to a heavier tie fabric ultimately makes sense with other textural changes — a wool tie and chambray shirt is a nearly foolproof combination because of the way those two items play off each other. Knit ties, while versatile and usable at any time during the year, are even more appropriate during fall and winter. Again, a knit tie swaps out the sheen of a typical silk tie for something more visually interesting — a thick weave. Because a knit is inherently more casual (square end, more texture, less shine), it can be paired with dark denim and a great pair of shoes quite easily. And if you find yourself in a business casual office this fall or winter, try out a combination like that on a ‘Casual Friday’ — it’s probably instantly more polished than other get-ups out there.

An example of how to tie it all together -- chambray shirt, knit tie & herringbone blazer. Don't forget those boots!

An example of how to tie it all together — chambray shirt, knit tie & herringbone blazer. Don’t forget those boots!

The key to completing an entire outfit (particularly in a business casual situation) is often a good blazer. A blazer can clean up lines in an outfit, emphasizing a man’s torso and shoulders; in the right size (and maybe with some tailoring), nearly anyone looks good. Now for the winter, a good cotton blazer can probably pull just as much duty as in the summer or spring. But leave the linen blazer in the closet for now, and if you do want to switch out fabrics, reach for … you guessed it — something with a thicker weave, like this herringbone number from J. Crew.  H&M also features a much cheaper option in a winter-appropriate fabric, but the tail could be a bit chopped (too short for the taller fellas).

When the cold weather strikes, transition your wardrobe as you would from any other season, rotating out pieces you don’t wear for pieces you will wear. Keep in mind that heavier textures add visual interest and depth to an outfit, and use neutral combinations like chambray and wool ties to pull together seasonally appropriate (and versatile) looks.