Monthly Accessories: Bow Ties – Part 2

In this month’s monthly accessories i will be finishing off the series on bow ties. Part 1 was an introduction to bow ties and the different types such as the skinny, standard and cocktail bow ties.  In part 2 we will be shifting gears a bit.  We will be talking about self tie vs. pre tie and how to tie a self tie bow tie.  Finally we will be talking about (drumroll please)………..wooden bow ties!!!! Yes, you read that right!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the left is a self-tie bow tie and on the right is a pre-tied bow tie.  Personally i prefer the self tie because it’s not rigid, it has character and you can alway put a spin on it.  On the other hand, the pre-tied bow tie all look the same and tied the same but when you tie a bow tie yourself you have free reign on how you want it to look.  Another twist to bow ties are wooden bow ties!!!! They are awesome because it’s unlike anything i have seen before and they are different.

They are so cool that even Mike Conley Jr. wore them after an NBA game.  In a few years a lot of people are going to be wearing them so if you can afford them….i suggest you get one at woodenbowties.com

Pop That Collar

 

I get a lot of questions about shirt collars and what kind of tie, if any should be worn with them.  I came across this and i thought it would be the best way to answer those questions.  I picked three types of collars to review and the one thing they all had in common was – occasion.  Any of these collars will suffice for any occasion.  As you can see….there is a wide variety of collars that range from spread collars to contrast collars.  My personal favorite is the club collars because it gives me that unique look.  It’s unlike anything you see out there so it makes you stand out.  This type of collar is good for all occasions but it looks best when wearing it with a skinny tie or slim tie. Thanks to GQ for the image.

 

The second type of collar that i like is the pinned type.  I like it because it puts the knot of your tie in front and center, the pin accentuates your tie. This can also be worn for any occasion. Try wearing it with a regular tie……it looks much better.

 

 

The final collar that i like is the mandarin collar.  You obviously can’t wear it with any tie so buttoning it down might not be a bad idea.  I would not wear it for a job interview but any other occasion will do.

 

 

My favorite place to get these types of collars is TMLEWIN

 

Here are the links for those collars

Club /Round

Pinned

Mandarin/Tunic

Monthly Accessories: Suspenders

This month’s look at accessories focuses on suspenders and yes!! Men still wear them 😃

Enjoy!!!!

 

 

 

On the high end for suspenders check out Nordstrom

On the low end, check out amazon

Suspenders – Thrift Store

Shirt – Thrift Store

Bow tie – TMLewin (similar)

Pants – Macy’s (similar)

Shoes – Zara (similar)

A night Out

So you have been invited to party and its a formal event but you don’t know where to even begin. Fear not, i have a few pointers.  You want to look your best without standing out.  You want to be formal but also comfortable so i suggest you lose the tie.  By doing that you get to be relaxed, loose and ready to have some fun.

The second thing i suggest is get a blazer, jacket or sports coat……preferably in blue or any other color .  If you don’t have any and you don’t want to buy one, wear what you have as long as the colors or lack thereof – match. Your pants should be toned down. You can do a cream, beige or brown pants.

 

As you can see the pink shirt complements the blue jacket and the pocket square stands out.  For good measure, i got  the loafers to match the jacket.  Only for good measure….you don’t have to do that.  Black loafers will do just fine or better yet brown loafers with a brown belt.  Now you good to ……..

 

Jacket – Macy’s

Pocket Square – Nordstrom Rack

Shirt – Nordrom Rack

Pants – Thrift Store

Shoes – Thrift Store

The Art of the Vest

The vest for me is a safety net.  I usually have those days when i don’t feel like wearing a suit or blazer but i still want to keep that formal look.  The looks says you’re serious, you’re professional but you’re not up tight.  It says you’re willing to get down and dirty and get the job done.  The vest over the past year has been in and out but it has not lost it’s luster.  It’s a classic look, it’s timeless and it’s all about how you style it.  

Have i mentioned that the vest is very versatile? You can wear it formally or casually with a pair of jeans if your out on the town. Roll up your sleeves, get a tie or bow tie that says i took out time to get dressed but i also want to have some fun.

Vests are also made in different materials and the denim vest is my personal favorite.  Picture wearing it with a pair of khakis, loose the tie, add a pocket square and your ready for dinner or better yet, salsa dancing.

 

 

Mix and Match

Suits can get pretty expensive especially if it’s a good one. You can work your way around it by mixing and matching and still keeping a good look.  It’s hard to mix and match a black jacket with black pants because they have different materials and different shades of the same color.  So what might look black indoors might look like navy blue outdoors.  I usually just combine two different colors that compliment each other.

 

 

 

Pink and blue always look good together so what the heck…….try it!!  Black is a neutral color so the jacket,shoes and belt conform. You could also take off the jacket or not even wear it.  If the blue pants are too bold….you could tone it down with grey pants.  At the end of the day, you have to be confident and comfortable in what you’re wearing.

Jacket – Express – “Old” (similar)

Shirt – TMLewin

Tie – Tommy Hilfiger – “Old” (similar)

Pants – Macy’s (similar)

Shoes – Kenneth Cole – “Old” (similar)