WDIWT...2/28/13

To close off February...well actually I decided to keep it somewhat simple this week, with an emphasis on wearing outfits that did not include a tie. Granted most of my outfits this week I could have added a tie and made it a much dressier look. The no-tie look was just more personal preference, frankly just didn't feel like wearing one. Again, I kept it simple with navy, white, off-white and brown as my main colors..

Details:
Sweater: Levis Shawl Cardigan via Levis Outlet-$15
Shirt: Merona via Target-$25
Trousers: Gap 100% Cotton via Gap-$15
Shoes: Cole Haan Pebble Grain via eBay-$15

WDIWT...2/27/13

The weather dipped into the mid-30s today and being Wednesday I wanted to keep it somewhat casual while still being dressed up for work. I also didn't want to wear a coat so I decided to layer it up. Layer properly and it 's a great way to stay warm without having to carry a coat. The blazer I'm wearing is by far one of my favorites and one of the best deals I've gotten via eBay. I had to make a quick run to the post office by work so I just threw on a hat and my brown leather gloves, the sweater and blazer kept more very warm. The blazer is a tweed herringbone.

Details:
Jacket: Tweed Herringbone in Maroon via eBay-$15
Sweater: Stone V-Neck via Old Navy-$10
Shirt: White/Brown striped American Living via JC Penney-$10
Jeans: Old Navy "Slim" Fit-$2.50
Shoes: Florsheim Cognac Imperial Wingtips via eBay-$25

WDIWT...2/26/13

Kept it simple today by wearing charcoal and navy with a splash of a purple and pink in the mini-check shirt. Being the first week to work I'm not really in a tie wearing mood yet. I actually found the trousers that I'm wearing today at my local JC Penney's for $5. Yes, $5 and they are 100% wool, flannel to be exact. They are extremely comfortable! Sorry for the crappy pictures.

Details:
Sweater: Gap Shawl Cardigan in Navy-Gift
Shirt: White/Purple/Pink mini-check shirt by Stafford via JCPenney-$7
Trousers: Izod 100% Wool Flannel via JCPenney-$5
Socks: Mickey Socks-Gift
Shoes: Banana Republic Wingtips via eBay-$25

Navy Shawl Sweater & Mini-Check Shirt

Flannel Trousers & Black Wingtips

Vote ELKIN C. on TSBMen #NTDB

Our very own NikeTalk Dressing Better member and contributor has made it to the Top 10 looks in this month's TSBMen's giveaway. This is awesome! One because it represents the NikeTalk Dressing Better thread which really has grown into it's own small little family, two because of his great style and three because it shows what this thread is really doing, to the point that out of hundreds of entries, he is in the top 10.

So without further ado...go vote ELKIN <-- Just Click Here on his name and scroll down to the bottom, he is #3. Currently in 2nd place, lets get him into 1st!

WDIW on Friday

Went to the Desert Hills Premium Outlet on Monday with my nephews and found this awesomely warm shawl cardigan sweater. Most surprising part was who it was made by, Levis. We usually think Levis and think denim but some of their other clothing s incredibly nice and very well made. The sweater is 100% cotton and fleece lined. The color is a off-white bone color. As it took up some space in my suitcase I decided to wear it on the airplane on my way back to NY.

Details:
Sweater: Levis Off-White Shawl Cardigan Sweater via Levis Outlet-$14.50
Shirt: Alfani White/Black Mini-Check via Macy's-$12
Jeans: Old Navy "Slim" Fit via Old Navy-$2.50
Shoes: Florsheim Cognac Imperial Wingtips via eBay-$25

Three Posts in 1: WDIW 2 Days Ago, Layering Challenge & New Cords!

Three posts in one with thins one! The usual WDIW posts but also a layering entry for our current challenge on NikeTalk, in addition to showcasing a new pair of trousers.

Yesterday was pretty cold for Southern California and it didn't get any better with the wind as the evening progressed. As I didn't pack a coat, and I mean really even then you don't need a coat in So. Cal, I decided to wear my jacket over the sweater. Properly layering can make a huge difference in not only how warm you are but how much you pack when traveling or simply how much you have on you on a day-to-day basis. Currently on NikeTalk we are doing a layering challenge so this falls into that category. Lastly, my brother got these really nice blue, almost royal blue cords for christmas (will post individual pictures of them later) but he claims they don't fit him. More they don't fit him as loose as he'd like them too, they are a bit big at the waist but nothing too major. Mom hemmed them for me, so that cost me nothing. Got these and a black pair from him for $30.

Details:
Sweater: Polo Gray V-Neck-Gift
Shirt: Alfani White/Black Mini-Check via Macy's-$12
Jacket: Indochino Brown Tweed part of a suit
Trousers: Gap 1969 Straight Fit Corduroy's via Brother-$15
Shoes: Florsheim Cognac Imperial Wingtips via eBay-$25

No Jacket

Close up of the trousers

The Layered Look

WDIW...2 Days Ago (I Think)

Quick post, wore this a couple of day ago I believe. Just want to point out what a well fitting jacket can do, especially when you are wearing a not so well fitting shirt. In this case the shirt needs to be taken in, probably darted but I haven't gotten around to doing it. As the saying goes, a properly fitting jacket can hide an ill-fitting shirt.

Details:
Jacket: Indochino Brown Tweed via Indochino part of a suit
Shirt: Van Huesen via JC Penney-$5
Jeans: Old Navy "Slim" Fit via Old Navy-$2.50
Shoes: Tom's Brown Woolen via eBay-$45

With the Jacket

No Jacket and Poorly Fitting Shirt (even adds pounds)

Another Pair of Tom's

Tom's get a lot of heat for being feminine and many think or assume that they are incredibly uncomfortable. Frankly, I think Tom's are one of the few unisex shoes that can be worn by both men or women and not be considered more feminine or more masculine, they tend to fall down the middle with some exceptions of course (glitter Tom's for example). I got these at Nordstrom's for $35 with tax. As I mentioned in the post before I had bought these in the past and exchanged them for a different pair. Ironically, I still haven't worn the pair I bought that I exchanged these in the past (different store, city and state), but busted these out no more than 2 days after buying them. Tom's are already relatively cheap at $45-$52, and at $32+tax, these were worth it. Considering I only packed two pairs of shoes, both brown, these were a welcome addition to the wardrobe.

Sorry for the crappy pic

WDIW...Sunday 2/17

I headed out to Nordstrom's to pick up a pair of Tom's for $35...actually it's a pair I had purchased before at Journey's and exchanged them for another pair I liked more. Nonetheless, I kept it simple, dark denim, white/gray micro-check shirt, same brown jacket from the day before and brown wool Tom's.

Details:
Jacket: Indochino Brown Tweed part of a suit via Indochino
Shirt: Alfani White/Gray Micro-Check via Macy's-$12
Jeans: Gap Slim Fit via Gap-$45
Shoes: Tom's Brown Woolen via eBay-$45

WDIW...Saturday and a Layering Challenge.

I apologize for the lack of posts this past few days. I'm currently visiting family so I've been trying to stay away from the computer as much as I possibly can. I will try to update the blog, hopefully will leave some scheduled. What you'll probably see throughout this week won't be WDIWT posts but more like WDIW a couple of days ago as I'm not snapping away as much as I usually would. Nonetheless here is what I wore a couple of days ago.

The picture isn't the greatest as it's from my iPhone and taken from the reflection of a mirror like finish on aluminum in La Guardia, before I boarded my flight. The current challenge for the NikeTalk Dressing Better Thread is layering and I just happen to layer, in order to avoid taking a coat with me on the flight.

Details:
Jacket: Indochino Brown Tweed part of a suit via Indochino
Sweater: Banana Republic Camel V-Neck via Banana Republic Factory Store-$15
Shirt: American Living White/Pink Micro-check via JCP-$5
Jeans: Old Navy Slim Fit-$2.50
Shoes: Florsheim Imperial via eBay-$25

Lack of WDIWT Posts This Week

So there will be a lack of WDIWT posts today hence why only one this week so far, maybe at most 2 by the end. The reason for this is that it is Senior Week at my school and we get to participate along with them. So Monday being decade's day I wore an over sized nintendo graphic t-shirt and baggy jeans, career day was Tuesday and hence the post on Monday night, today is celebrity look-a-like and I'm in a Jets T-shirt sitting and rolling my chair around doing my best Tim Tebow. Tomorrow will feature a post as it is wear pink or red as it is Valentines Day, but Friday it is college t-shirt/sweatshirt day and jeans.

WDIW...Tomorrow...Maybe? 2-12-13?!

So tomorrow is Career Day for Senior Week, by this we're suppose to dress up as the career we want to most be. For the kids that's easy, for me well it is too, since I am already what I want to be, a teacher. I figured since all the kids are going to be dressed up that I may as well be too. I've had this camel blazer for a few months, and the black pants are actually corduroys I bought this weekend. They are cut a little short, on purpose in order to show some sock. Not sure if I'm going to go with this for tomorrow yet...

Excuse the phone, it's my wife's.

Details:
Jacket: No Brand Camel Hair Blazer via eBay-$15
Shirt: Merona White Spread Collar Shirt via Target-$23
Tie: Black/White/Gold/Light Blue Tie by Izod via Target/NikeTalk-$5
Trousers: Black Corduroy via H&M-$10
Pocket Square: Black Corduroy made from the cut scraps from the trousers

WDIWT...2/9/13 aka After the Storm

After finally clearing out the cars from the almost one foot of snow I headed out to the mall and threw something on kinda quick while still trying to look decent. A couple of weeks ago I noticed that I had a couple of turtlenecks in the closet and with the weather still being cold and not feeling like throwing on a coat, I thought this with a blazer would be a good look.

Details:
Jacket: Brown Tweed via Indochino
Turtleneck: Covington via Sears
Jeans: Old Navy "Slim" Fit

First time wearing a turtleneck in a looong time.

Yea this is at DSW

WDIWT...2/8/13 aka Blizzard Friday!

The weather outside is frightful and hopefully everyone is home and safe. Keeping with the challenge, wearing 1 thing, 3 ways, as well as keeping up with the weather, I decided to stay warm while still looking professional. It's funny as I got from a couple people at work that everyone is looking comfortable as most were wearing t-shirts and jeans or crewneck sweatshirts and jeans and I was wearing a blazer and waistcoat. The funny thing is I was the warmest as all I really needed was to throw on a coat over, a hat and gloves. Everyone else had about one sweater, a hoody and a coat. Priority #2 after staying warm was keeping my feet dry and warm.

Details
Jacket: Indochino Brown Tweed part of a suit
Waistcoat: Indochino Brown Tweed part of a suit
Shirt: Alfani White/Black Micro-Check-$12.50 via Macy's
Pocket Square: Geoffrey Beene-$2 via Marshalls
Jeans: Old Navy "Slim" Fit-$2.25 via Old Navy
Boots: Cole Haan Air Rhone Quilt-$52 via Park & Bond (2 years ago)

Same Blazer and Waistcoat from Monday/Wednesday

With the jacket open. The shirt is white with black micro-check.

After a 2 hour drive home...they did the job!

WDIWT...2/7/13

Today was a bit of a longer day than usual, with the impeding winter storm gas lines were starting to get crazy. As a result unfortunately you're getting a pic of me at the end of the day, looking tired but happy to be home. This is honestly one of my go to outfits during the fall/winter. Primarily for a couple of reasons, one it's simple and two due to the thick and incredibly warm tweed trousers. Pairing with a white shirt, black or gray cardigan and a gray, black or my usual black with skull and crossbones tie.

I got frustrated this morning with trying to tie the skinnier skull and crossbones tie so I went with a blackish gray one of a regular width. But just in case, I included a picture with the usual tie. Wearing a tie with skull and crossbones (it's J. Crew bro! shout to ksteezy!) is a great way to bring personality to your outfit while still keeping it professional. Oh...and definitely have to have the matching socks!

Today:

Trousers by Old Navy, Shirt by Merona from Target, Perry Ellis Portfolio Cardigan & Kenneth Cole Tie

A couple takes on this look with very few changes such as the tie and cardigan:

Same Cardigan, Shirt, Trousers,  Different Tie

Same Shirt, Trousers, and Tie (from Above) different Cardigan from Gap

The Details...socks are from Target Merona

WDIWT...2/6/2013

Today I decided to go more the casual route to work while still keeping it dressed up. I originally was going to wear my brown corduroy pants with what I have on but the contrasting brown with the jacket and pants looked terrible. I simply switched to jeans as I think the combination of dark denim with a brown jacket looks great. I will say I'm not 100% sold on the look of the shawl sweater under the jacket.

In addition in our NikeTalk Dressing Better Thread, the challenge is wearing items in multiple ways, well this is way #2 of how to wear a 3-piece suit. This is the same jacket from Monday's entry here.

Details:

Jacket: Part of a Suit from Indochino as seen here

Sweater: Guess Shawl Collar via Guess Factory Store-$10

Shirt: American Living via JCP-$7

Pocket Square: Geoffrey Beene via Marshalls-$2

Lapel Pin: Macy's Heart Health-Gift 

Jeans: Gap Slim Fit via Gap-$42

Watch: (not pictured) Coach 

Shoes: (not pictured) Florsheim Imperial Cognac Wingtips-Gift

WDIT...2/5/13

Quick post for today:

As the weather took a downturn today, the temperature became steady at 25 degrees but it started to flurry throughout the tri-state area, I wanted to keep it simple and trying to mix hue's of navy with pink. The outfit below excluding the watch and shoes because they were gifts was under $30. The pictures are from my iPhone so I apologize for the quality.

The stance could have been better but I'm happy with it.

Details:

Sweater: Old Navy V-Neck in Navy via Old Navy ($15)

Shirt: American Living via JCP ($5)

Trousers: Arizona Navy Twill Pants via JCP ($5)

Shoes: Florsheim Imperial Wingtips (Gift)

Watch (not pictured): Coach Men's Watch (Gift)

Total: $25

WDIWT...2/4/13 (Parent/Teacher Conference)

Today was Parent/Teacher Conference and with the weather at 27 degrees while still looking professional was the goal of the day. Therefore I decided to go with a 3-piece Brown Tweed suit by Indochino that I picked up a few months back for $329 in a deal that came with a shirt and tie (which I'm wearing here). The 3-piece allows me to stay warm even with the weather that cold. Granted I took a jacket this morning as it was about 12 degrees with the wind-chill but this evening on a grocery store run when it was a steady 25 degrees, I comfortably was able to make my way from the car to the store and back in just the suit.

Everything below is from Indochino, the white shirt is from their 3 for $229 deal that they always have going on. I'll give a better breakdown below. I apologize in advance for the first picture that shows one sleeve shorter than the other, in reality I didn't adjust it properly. The shoes are black and the minor details are what I think take it to the next-level such as the lapel pin that was given to me to one of my students on Friday in support of Heart Health. Side Note: Dropping weight is noticeable in these pictures.

Tie to Lap Ratio as it should be

Sorry for the Goofy pose

Brown Suit, Gray Tie

Details:

Suit: Brown Bootlegger Tweed Suit via Indochino (part of $329 deal plus $80 for waistcoat)

Shirt: Indochino via Indochino (part of 3 for $229 deal)

Tie: Gray Glen Plaid Wool Tie via Indochino (part of $329 deal)

Pocket Square: Geoffrey Beene via Marshall's ($2)

Lapel Pin: Macy's Heart Health via Gift from Student

Shoes: Banana Republic via eBay ($40)

Double Breasted, It's All About Fit...

Double Breasted blazers can be especially tricky to pull off. If it is too big it'll only make you only boxy and bigger than you really are, if it's too tight well simply it looks like it is too small for you. As a bigger guy wearing any blazer that is too big can only make you look that you are 10 pounds heavier than you really are. Even as a smaller guy, a blazer that is too big on you will make you look bigger than you really are. Fit is extremely important in making you look the size you are and making you look your very best.

Below are a couple examples of before and after of the Banana Republic Double Breasted blazer I picked up a few months back. You'll see how there is pulling in the before pictures and how the blazer sits better once the button stance was moved. You'll notice how it is just a bit too long in the before pictures and how much better it looks after it was shortened.

Before:

Notice the X created which is an indicator that it's too small. The jacket also goes well beyond the mid-thigh.

After:

Notice the X is much smaller if barely there as the pulling is due more to the arm being held up to take the picture. The shorter length is also much more flattering.

WDIWT...2/1/13

Today was Parent/Teacher Conference and as it was still a Friday, I decided to keep it in the business casual realm but still looking professional. Today is also a good example of mixing some high end items with some low end items.

Details:
Blazer: Michael Andrews Bespoke-part of a suit $$$
Sweater: Polo-Gift
Shirt: Alfani via Macy's-$12.36
Jeans: Gap Slim Fit via Gap-$41
Shoes: Florsheim Imperial Cognac Wingtips-Gift

Cufflinks

Short and simple: They are a great way to add a little flare to your outfit, you can keep it simple or be really out there with them.

Here are a few of mine: