WDIWT...1/31/13

Kept it pretty simple today. Many men won't pair a gray shirt with navy trousers, it is a combination that more men should wear in my opinion.

Wore the following today to work:

Trousers: Arizona Navy Twill Pants via JCPenney-$8
Shirt: White/Gray Micro-Check Shirt via Indochino-$73 (3 for $229 deal)
Tie: Sean John Blue Micro-Check Tie via eBay-$3
Cardigan: Gap Gray Cardigan via Gap Factory Store-$15
Shoes: Florsheim Imperial Cognac Wingtips-Gift (not pictured)

WDIWT...Shades of Brown

Actually I wore this yesterday, kept it simple but classic. It warmed up somewhat in NYC and by that I mean it was above freezing. I mixed some shades of brown with navy and this is how it looked:

Details:
Shirt: Merona via Target-$23
Tie: Wool Bari Tie via eBay-$5
Shawl Cardigan: Gap $Gift
Trousers: Merona Herringbone via Target-$8.80
Shoes: Florsheim Imperial Wingtips Cognac (not pictured)-$Gift

Worn like this most of the day

Shawl Cardigan Open

Without the cardigan

Tie-Woven Wool

Thanks to Wisith from NT for the bracelet

Shirts: OTR vs. MTM vs. Bespoke

The questions was posed on NikeTalk what the difference between MTM vs OTR and well I want to add Bespoke to the equation. For those not familiar with the terms let me break it down to you first:

This is all in relation to shirts NOT suits...

• OTR or Off-the-Rack: Shirts that you buy at any mortar store, come in plenty of colors and styles but sizing is limited to neck and sleeve length. For the hard to fit, this option can suck.
• MTM or Made-to-Measure: The shirt maker allows you to choose neck size and sleeve length, in addition to collar style and cuff style. Monogram available usually, fabric patterns are usually the basic ones.
• Bespoke: The shirt maker allows you to pick any thing you really want down to the last detail. From the buttons to the collar and cuffs, can have sleeves done shorter or longer than the other, cuffs as well.

MTM:

Bespoke:

Stay Warm and Dry

With temperatures dipping into the low teens and even single digit temperatures in New York the most important thing is to keep warm and keep dry. Keep a pair of dress shoes if you have too at work but make sure that at least when facing the elements you're doing it in something that will keep your feet dry and warm. I recommend something that is sherpa lined as is waterproof. A great pair of boots are the Cole Haan Air Rhode Quilted Boot, they aren't too bulky and fit the bill of warm and waterproof.

The Rugged Boot Challenge

NikeTalk's latest challenge is the rugged boot challenge. With the weather as cold as it is here in New York I've been wanting to break these out but since they aren't rubber soled and it's been somewhat wet I haven't. I like to refer to these as the poor man Alden Indy's as they were about 1/10th of the cost. The boots are from LandsEnd and I'm not sure if they are still available.

These boots look great with dark denim and heavy twill khakis as well.

Suede Shoes...Tips

Suede shoes are great! They are a great way to add some texture to an outfit, are usually warm and to me, simply look really great. They can be a pain to take care of but when taken care of properly can and will look amazing for years. 

Tips on keeping them looking great:

1. Waterproof them if they aren't waterproof

2. Buy a suede eraser and brush

3. Buy a horsehair brush to clean the suede, brush with the nap

4. Don't wear in the snow

Below is a small part of my suede shoes, definitely have a few more now. Three of the four are Cole Haan, with the dark brown pair with the shoe trees being from Mike Konos. Suede by far is my favorite leather to have shoes in.

Cardigans...Alternative to a Blazer

It's cold in New York and some times you just want to be able to layer but layer in a way where you do not need to be taking so many things off or be stuck wearing one heavy layer over your shirt and tie. The cardigan is a happy medium and a great layer to wear underneath a blazer or a coat. Here are two that I received as a Christmas gift, had to exchange one for a smaller size.

Boots Part 3: The Desert/Chukka Boot

The Desert Boot also known as Chukka boots come in different shapes, which at times can blur the line between casual and dressy. The Desert boot which has a much more rounded toe, pretty much half circle and usually have a crepe sole, is a much more casual boot. The Chukka which usually has a more pointed but round toe can double as both dressy and a casual boot.

Again, below are a couple of examples of chukka/desert boots that I own, where I got them and what I paid.

Desert/Chukka Boot #1-LandsEnd Brown Suede Desert Boot from LandsEnd $27

Desert/Chukka Boot #2-LandsEnd Bone Suede Desert/Chukka Boot from eBay $32

A perfect example of that blurred line

Desert/Chukka Boot #3-Kenneth Cole Brown Suede Chukka Boot from eBay $50

Desert/Chukka Boot #4-Joseph Abboud Gray Suede Chukka Boot from Nordstrom Rack $40

Pair on the right obviously

Boots Part 2: The Winter Boot

Yesterday it snowed, it snowed about 2 inches up by me and well lets just say with that much snow on the ground, you put function over fashion. The main objective with winter boots is that they

1. Keep your feet dry
2. Keep your feet warm.
3. Provide grip in the wet slushy streets.

Frankly anything else doesn't matter. With that said, if you wish, like I did yesterday carry an extra pair of shoes and switch at the office. Or simply look for a pair that is not as bulky and you can live with wearing with whatever you choose to wear for the day. Here's an example:

Cole Haan Air Rhone Quilted Boot from Mr. Porter for $54 shipped

There is nothing super spectacular about the boot but it meets the 3 requirements, which is all that matters. Thankfully they aren't overly bulky in the toe and I can wear them with jeans and a simply white or gray shirt or sweater and black coat. 

Boots Part 1: The Dress Boot

I was looking through some of my pictures on photobucket an noticed that I had quite a few pictures of the number of boots that I have and it gave me an idea for the next few posts for the blog. Part 1 I'll focus on dress boots.

Dress boots can really be quantified by a number of different types of boots. For example this can be anything such as chukka boot that has a more round toe shape like the one below or can be simple captoe boots or something even as nice as a wingtip boot. What makes these boots dressy is the fact that you can. The chukka boot can be put into its own category such as chukkas, but even with those the silhouettes vary and can be the difference between a dressy chukka or a casual one.

I love wingtips and frankly a wingtip boot is an awesome combination of boot utility and classic styling. I personally think dress boots should be worn in fall and winter when it's colder, should have rubber soles for those wet days and be waterproof for those same reasons. In addition, I believe a dress boot can be worn with a suit or any dress trouser one might have.

Below are some examples of some of the "Dress Boots" that I own, with prices and maker.

Pair #1-Dark Brown Wingtip Boots by Magnanni from Nordstrom Rack $180

Notice the shape of the boot, most wouldn't be able to tell they are boots when worn.

Pair #2-Black "High" Wingtips by Cole Haan from Cole Haan $150

A little taller than some would prefer but again, no one would be able to tell they're boots when worn.

Pair #3-Medium Brown Wingtips by Stafford from JC Penney $60

One could argue they are little too "rugged" looking to wear with a suit or trousers. However I think these could be pulled off easily with a navy blazer, white shirt, tie, and khaki pants.

Pair #4-Brown Suede Chukkas by Kenneth Cole (Made in Italy) from eBay for $50

Notice the shape, sleek and a rounded toe.

Posts Coming Soon!

I apologize for the absence, but I have very ill this past week. Lets just say I'm finally home as of tonight, and I will be posting some content in the next day or so!

Valet...Your Watches

Found this awesome valet at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Marked down from $29.99 to $20.99 and I had a $5 off coupon so $17 and change out the door. If you have multiple watches like my wife and I do, we tend wear the same 1 or 2 over and over again because those are the one's that are out. This allows you to put them all out in an organized, clean and neat manner. It is made to fit 4 watches but clearly the space available can hold more. In total there's 10 watches in there, the second from the left is my wife's watches and since they're smaller, 4 were able to fit.

The bottom organizer can fit another couple of watches, I put in one more, a strap for a weekender, my wedding band, high school ring, 2 tie bars, a set of cufflinks and 5 additional to the slot on the right.

Timex Weekender, the most Versatile Watch on Earth!

Big shout out to NikeTalk member domc03 aka my secret santa who sent me this watch to replace the shirt from Marc Jacob's that didn't fit. The watch is perfect! I have a decent collection of watches, about 5-6 but the one watch I don't have is a Timex or a watch with an easily replaceable NATO band, well I know I have both, in one.

The great thing about these watches is that you can easily replace the band in a matter of seconds. The strap simply is put through the loops, other than that it straps on to your wrist just like any other watch. The straps come in various color and you can buy them anywhere from Target to eBay. The straps can range anywhere from $7 to $15, and $20 for leather ones. What's great about it? Is that you can buy one watch, a plethora of straps and make that one watch into your everyday, your semi-formal, your formal and everything in between watch.

Keeping it Simple...Navy Suit

A Navy Suit is by far the most versatile pieces in any man's wardrobe, with a gray suit being the other. You can wear the trousers as a separate and pair them up with a sweater, cardigan or different colored blazer. The suit jacket can double as your navy blazer than can be paired with khaki colored chinos, dark denim jeans and various shades of brown or gray pants. The easiest way to way to wear it is as a suit as you can pretty much pair it with any shirt or tie combination.

Last week my wife, her family and I we went on a week long cruise to St. Marteen and St. Thomas and I wore my navy suit a couple of times. Here is one being worn with a shirt and tie, later this week, one sans tie. I kept it simple pairing it with a white shirt and gray cotton tie. (excuse the stance)

A Guide to Fit

Taken from NikeTalk and from a friend's tumblr, and he stated, simple and to the point.

Happy New Year, 2013!

Happy New Year to all of you! Thank you for reading and following, never thought that I would have 4,500 views in only a few months! I will definitely try to post at least twice a week but in short I just want to wish all of you a Happy New Year and send a big thank you to all of you!