WDIWT…1/30/14 (Merino Wool & Tweed)

Playing with layers and the color combinations has become somewhat fun. I've been trying to pair colors that contrast that of the jacket instead of doing what I usually do, pairing 2 similar colors. I received a merino wool sweater for christmas and have wondered since then how I've went this long without one. Merino wool is exceptionally soft, making it exceptionally warm as well, only my cashmere sweater is warmer. At around half the price of cashmere; if not even less, it's a great investment piece to add to your wardrobe.

Tip: Check Gap's sale sections, I found 2 merino wool sweaters for $12 and $13. Banana Factory Store had some for about $25 as well.

Details:
Jacket: Stafford Light Brown Donegal Tweed via SA
Sweater: Banana Republic Eggplant 100% Merino Wool V-neck via Banana Republic Factory Store-$25 (gift)
Shirt: Alfani White/Black Micro-check L/S Dress Shirt via Macy's-$12
Trousers: Gap 1969 Dark Denim Wash via Gap-$45
Shoes: Stafford Camlin Brown Wingtip via JC Penney-$40
Watch: Kenneth Cole Quartz with Brown Leather Band via Nordstrom Rack-$40 or $45
Pocket Square: Merona White Cotton via Target-4 for $5

WDWIT...10/29/13

The fit from yesterday was mediocre and I didn't really get to take pics as it was but today I liked it quite a bit. The challenge was wear a shawl cardigan, knit tie and denim. Since it's Tuesday for me, wearing denim although not against the rules on a Tuesday, professionally speaking I didn't think of it appropriate. Usually I wear denim Wednesday's and Friday's. I wore navy corduroy's which are becoming one of my favorite to wear.

And I finally took out a fresh pair of shoes that has been in their box for a couple of months. Gave my Ralph Lauren Sanderson's in chocolate brown a run today. The simple feel of these shoes on your feet is clearly evident versus that of other lower tier brands like Florsheim. The Ralph Lauren Sanderson's are actually manufactured by Allen Edmonds in the USA.

Details:
Sweater: Levis Off-White/Beige Shawl Cardigan Sweater via Levis Outlet-$15
Shirt: Merona White Oxford L/S Dress Shirt via Target-$22 plus alterations
Tie: No Brand Navy Knit Tie via eBay-$5
Watch: Kenneth Cole Slim Stainless Steel Metal Bracelet via Gift-Gift
Trousers: H&M Navy Corduroy via H&M-$15
Socks: Old Navy Gray/Blue Doggies via Old Navy-Gift
Shoes: Ralph Lauren Sanderson by Allen Edmonds Made in the USA in Chocolate Brown Calf via Allen Edmonds Factory Store-$86 thanks Carlin!

WDIWT...10/23/13

Herringbone jacket and a play on colors. I've been trying to wear a color that pops in comparison to the rest of what I'm wearing. Today  tried it with pink.

Details:
Jacket: Lauren by Ralph Lauren Brown Herringbone Tweed via Unique-$20
Shirt: American Living White/Pink Micro-Check L/S Dress Shirt via JC Penney-$5
Watch: Kenneth Cole Stainless Steel Slim Watch-Gift
Pocket Square: Merona White Cotton via Target-$5 for the pack of 5
Jeans: Gap 1969 Slim Fit via Gap-$40
Shoes: Banana Republic Brown Suede Chukka Boots via Banana Republic Factory Store-$38

WDIWT...9/9/13

First full week back with our students! Not going to lie I really didn't have any desire for wearing a tie today so I went sans tie while still going with a full 3-piece. I've seen it done before and have always liked the look although some may find it "counter intuitive" to wear a 3 piece suit without a tie. Regardless, I like how it looked and already got compliments on it before our first class even starts. I will also be attempting to demonstrate the versatility of a 3 piece navy suit throughout the course of this week.

P.S. The weather in NYC is going to be all over the place this week. Today mid 40s in the morning with a high of 71, tomorrow low 80s, Wednesday 90 and thunderstorms and humidity I might add, Thursday 80 again, Friday high 60s to low 70s...fun.

Details:
Suit: Indochino Navy Essential 3-Piece Suit via Indochino-$449 plus alterations
Shirt: Polo by Ralph Lauren White/Navy L/S Dress Shirt via Adrian-$7 (same shirt as Friday)
Cufflinks: Navy Blue Oval Cufflinks via Swapmeet-Gift from Dad ($3)
Watch: Kenneth Cole Slim Quartz Stainless Steel Watch via Disney Wonder Gift Shop-Gift
Pocket Square: George White Cotton Pocket Square via Walmart-$3 for a pack of 6
Shoes: Florsheim Imperial Brown Cognac Wingtips via Florsheim-Gift

WDIWT...6/19/13

It's warm and windy outside so still went with light fabrics but still with something substantially heavy to break the wind but still breathable enough to let air in.

Details:
Blazer: Stafford Prep Navy Cotton Blazer via JCP-$27.50
Shirt: Old Navy White/Navy Stripe S/S Dress Shirt via Old Navy-$10
Trousers: H&M Off-White Tonal Pinstripe Cotton Trousers via H&M-$7.50
Shoes: Kenneth Cole Brown Suede Chukkas via eBay-$25

WDIWT...4/25/13

It's deceivingly sunny outside, based on the pictures you'd think it was in the mid to high 70s or low 80s, not the case at all. In reality it is in the low 60's but still quite a beautiful sunny day. Keeping that in mind I tried sticking with both a lighter color for what is supposed to be Spring weather while still wearing something more reminiscent of Fall, a light brown v-neck sweater, for the cold. Earlier this morning the wind was pretty crazy and I'm glad I was wearing my navy peacoat as the wind dropped it to the 40s.

Details:
Sweater: Polo Light Brown V-Neck Sweater-Gift
Shirt: BCBG Light Blue/Blue Micro Dot Dress Shirt via Nordstrom Rack (years ago)-$15 (I think)
Jeans: Gap "Slim Fit" Dark Indigo via Gap-$45
Shoes: Kenneth Cole Brown Suede Made in Italy Chukka Boots via eBay-$25

WDIWT...3/14/13

Went the casual route today as it is our "Friday" today due to not having students here tomorrow; just grading for us teachers tomorrow. Kept it simple, with a mix of blues, gray and brown. 

Details:

Sweater: Polo Gray V-Neck Sweater-Gift

Shirt: Indochino White/Light blue Gingham with French Cuffs via Indochino-part of a promotion with suit

Jeans: Old Navy "Slim" Fit via Old Navy-$2.50

Shoes: Florsheim Captoe with Medallion via eBay-$25

Watch: Kenneth Cole via Nordstrom Rack-$45

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

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 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.

All Your Shoes Don't Have To Be Brown or Black

Simply not all your shoes need to be brown or black, men get too comfortable alternating between brown or black, granted with brown comes a plethora of shades. However I highly recommend getting a pair of gray leather shoes. They go with almost anything, especially in the dark blue family. Here's my pair that I picked up at Kenneth Cole Factory Story over a year ago for $20, down from $150.

NT Camo Challenge

NikeTalk's Dressing Better Thread has a camo challenge this month and considering my career, wearing camp in a large dose isn't necessarily the most professional look to incorporate. As a result I added it in a small dose, as a pocket square.

Details:
Pocket Square: Michaels-$1.17
Suit: Indochino Brown Bootlegger Tweed Suit-$329
Shirt: Kenneth Cole via Macy's-$5.21
Tie: Perry Ellis Portfolio via Marshall's-$7

WDYWT-Meet the Teacher Night (Mixing High & Low)

Today was Meet the Teacher Night so I decided to wear my Michael Andrews Bespoke suit for the occasion. Frankly I'm getting tired of my male co-workers saying something snarky whenever I dress with a shirt and tie or a suit, it's not my fault that you're self-conscious about how you look...just saying.

Nonetheless just because you're wearing an expensive suit, it doesn't mean that everything else must be super expensive too. This is the ultimate mix on high end (Bespoke Suit) and low end (shirt, pocket square, tie bar and tie, and some would argue the shoes and watch too). Just because the suit was a couple grand doesn't mean that everything else needs to be as well.

The shirt, tie, tie bar and pocket square were no more than $16 together (bought separately) and the shoes and watch were no more than $120 together.

The Outfit for Today:

The Breakdown

Suit: Bespoke Suit via Michael Andrews Bespoke ($2000+)

Shirt: American Living Purple Check JC Penney's ($9.72)

Tie: eBay No Name Brand via eBay ($1)

Tie Bar: eBay No Name Brand ($3 or $4)

Watch (not pictured): Kenneth Cole Brown Leather Band via Nordstrom Rack ($40)

Pocket Square: Pierre Cardin via Marshalls ($.50, pack of 4 for $2)

Shoes: Florsheim Lexington via Florsheim.com (Gift but were on sale for $80 at the time)

Look #1 from TSB post...simple, classy, clean and cheap!

So the look below is from the first look on TSB.com. The look although looks like it was expensive to put together was actually relatively cheap.

Let's start with the most expensive item and work our way from there; in this case the blazer.
Linen Blazer by Taso Elba-$108 with tax at Macy's
Pocket Square-$2 for a pack of 5 by Pierre Cardin at Marshall's
Short Sleeve Cotton Shirt-$9.50 Old Navy Clearance Section
Chinos-$7.50 at H&M Clearance; same pants from this post.
Loafers-$30 via eBay
Lapel Acc.-$1 Cufflink via eBay

Total:$156
*I didn't add the watch since I wear it every day but it ran me $40 for Kenneth Cole at Nordstrom Rack.

As you can see a great look put together on a budget. Take the shoes out of the equation as they can be worn multiple times a week, we're talking no more than $125 and $100 of that was for the blazer.

What Did I Wear Today...1/22/12

Today I wanted to experiment with gray and different shades of them. Included in all my WDYWT posts will be what I paid and where I got it from, as well as size for reference. The combination I think came out pretty good. Definitely need to get the pants hemmed (probably a $5-8 fix). This probably cost me no more than $75-90; including the shoes and watch.

Banana Republic Gray Cords-$15 at BR Outlet Size 36 (need hemming)

Sweater Oscar De La Renta Gray Size XL (Gift)-$15-20 @ Macy's

Johnston & Murphy Leather Gloves Size L 2 for $40

at Johnston & Murphy Outlet.

Kenneth Cole New York Oxfords Size 12-$20 (MSRP $180) from

Kenneth Cole Outlet (sorry for not tying them yet). Skull

Socks from Banana Republic $1.50 from BR Outlet (MSRP $8)

Dress Shirt from Express Size XL-$20 (Gift)

***Not pictured watch...will include in later post but $15***

Breakdown

Shirt: Express $15

Sweater: Oscar DeLaRenta from Macy's $20

Pants: Banana Republic Outlet $15

Socks: Banana Republic Outlet $1.50

Shoes: Kenneth Cole Outlet $20

Watch: Kohl's $15

Total: $86.50