Up-Dating Your Look without Breaking the Bank

Q. I am not a clothes horse, but I do like to look good. I am 45 and work with up-and-coming young guys in their 20’s. Some of my colleagues look as if they just stepped out of GQ. Lately, my wife has been complaining about my clothes, especially my suits. She says they’re too baggy, that the ones in ads and on TV are trimmer. Is she right? Are the new clothes different? Is there a way to update my look without investing a fortune?

A. It is likely that she is correct. Men, as a rule, don’t like change. But, in today’s business world, a lot of men are competing with younger men. See what your competition is wearing. Invest in a couple of men’s dress magazines and check out what the look is. You can get an enormous amount of information from the Internet. Look around and see what is going on. Yes, suits are cut a bit trimmer. Accessories are a bit sharper.

It’s all about whatever advantage you can gain. You may need a more up-to-date, more contemporary look – nothing dramatic, but a little different. A man is giving his age away by not looking as current as he could.

Just a few years ago, the innovative men’s clothing designer, Thom Browne, introduced a totally new “too-short, shrunken” look – suits with skin-tight jackets and ridiculously short “flood pants.” The look was so extreme that most people dismissed it altogether. But, here’s what happened: While the super-skinny look did not catch on exactly as he showed it on fashion show runways, it did gradually influence everything in the men’s clothing industry: Jackets got a smidgeon shorter, so did pants; lapels narrowed slightly, so did ties; the silhouette got trimmer and closer to the body; pleated pants disappeared in favor of flat-fronts, and even my own favorite – pants with cuffs and a good break – became less popular. Other elements in the economy converged with this impetus; so, now the entire men’s style has veered toward a narrower, neater, and cleaner look.

While there is some expense in these purchases, it helps your image to make wise changes. It has been said that in something like 80% of job interviews the interviewer makes a decision in the first minute and a half. To an extent this may mean that your resumé and letter (and call) may have earned you the position, but you must not lose it in those 90 seconds – and that certainly includes your appearance.

I can’t stress enough how helpful it is to find a good tailor. He can take your suit jackets in a shade to give them a trimmer, slightly more tapered look. And he can make the sleeves a tad shorter. Of course, a lot depends on your body type. This slimmer look requires a body that is in reasonably good shape. If yours is too wide, the newer slim-cut styles won’t work as well.

Guys who are slimmer and trimmer – in better shape – want to flaunt it. And rightly so. Fitness gives you a new “up” feeling. It may not be fair, but in the business world it is one more advantage. Maybe you need to get a personal trainer or at least go to the gym. If you look tired and frumpy, it says you’re not making an effort – and makes you look old. Being in shape improves both your health and your appearance.

As to what to do about the suits, check your closet. Maybe the pinstriped suits are passé, maybe you need a style that is a little less uptight, more relaxed – perhaps a solid color. If a suit is 20 years old or looks shabby, bite the bullet and get rid of it. Anything else can probably be tweaked. This might also be the time to put away for a few years any suits or blazers with a three-button-closure. But your standard two-button jackets will still be fine.

It's not necessary to make an expensive clean sweep. Instead, add one new suit or two at a time, and phase out old ones the same way. When you go suit shopping, look for “sales.” If you shop carefully, you can get up to 40 % off. Look for bargain prices, but not bargain-basement quality. Buy fewer and buy better. Careful "On Sale" shopping helps bring top quality clothes into your price range.

Buy suits with a classic cut. Two-button single-breasteds are good choices. They never go out of style. Opt for double vents in back (also known as "side vents")or a center back vent. New trousers should have flat fronts without too much break. While suit jackets can be slimmed down, updating pants is a lot harder. A tailor can take them in a bit in the seat and shorten them slightly, but some alterations may not be worth doing.

You don’t have to spend a fortune to make a big difference in your appearance. One way to trim up your look is just to invest in a few new clean, crisp white or light blue shirts. And although, generally speaking, a man’s tie should be as wide as his jacket’s lapel, if your lapels are somewhat on the wide side, you can pair them with slightly narrower ties, say between 2¾ and 3½ inches. This will neaten your look. In fact, if yours is a really hip office, sadly, maybe you have to discard the tie altogether.

Always invest in good shoes; keep them polished and in good repair. If no one in your office wears classic lace-ups, invest in good slip-ons. Shoes, too, should fit your environment and not look dated.

From head to toe, you can make small (often inexpensive) changes that will improve and update your appearance.


Have questions of your own? Feel free to email me at Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net

More Tricks for Making You Look Current

Q. Last week you gave a reader helpful information about how a man can update the clothes he wears to be in keeping with current styles. I am in that looking-for-a-new-and-better-job situation. I know I’m lucky in this economy to have a job, but I’m hoping to find something that will be more challenging and more in keeping with my experience. I’m in my early 50's and still working at staying in good shape. Besides your advice about wearing clothes that are trimmer in order to look as “with it” as possible, what else is important to stand out from the crowd)

A. This may come as a surprise to some people, but your body counts. The shape you are in says a lot. “Exercise,” goes the old saying, “is what you needed yesterday and are going to start tomorrow.” Today, increasing numbers of men realize, as you do, the benefits of fitness and a well conditioned body.

Clothes cannot disguise a general lack of body tone, a tendency toward flab rather than firmness. A near-daily regimen of some sort of exercise should be part of every one's routine. I wish I could remember the name of the brilliant doctor – I think he was a cardiologist – who advised a person who has only one hour to spend and wants to know the safest way to spend it. “Lie down and do nothing,” he said. “But if a person has a lifetime to spend, he shouldn’t spend that hour sitting; he’d be much better off exercising.” Exercising and eating will help a man fit into those newer, trimmer clothes and will help him look younger.

Besides being in good physical shape, you may not believe just how much excellent grooming says about a man. Your hands are always on display and fingernails tell a lot about a person. Don’t ignore them. A business or professional man has no excuse for hands and nails that look less than perfect. Nails should be clean and short. You don’t actually need to get a manicure, although an occasional one can help show you how good your hands can look. However, do not under any circumstances allow anyone to put polish on your nails. Even clear polish has a negative connotation.

A good haircut helps, too. Keep it short, particularly if a man is losing his hair, And it should go without saying that no man should ever consider a “comb-over.”

Maybe if you have a mustache, it might be time to get rid of it. Now that mustaches are somewhat passé, make a change. A cleaner look makes you look younger.

A fresh white shirt and sharp color contrasts contribute to a well-groomed look.

You may need to change your eye glasses; they might need updating so you don’t look over the hill. See what younger guys – especially your competition -- are wearing. Go to a good optician who can help you select something current.

A few current accessories: a hat with a skinny brim is a sharp young look. So is an inexpensive tie clasp.

Every aspect of self-improvement helps. Whether it is what you wear, or the shape your body is in, or how you are groomed, or even (please pardon the former English teacher in me!) how correctly you speak -- everything about you sends messages to the world. And in today’s business environment, it is wise to try to upgrade (and slim down) most of them.


Have questions of your own? Feel free to email me at Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net

Are You a Hat Guy?

Q. I have worn baseball caps over the years, but never had any other hats (besides a Kangol). With a bit less hair and seeing how well some men pull off the look, I’m thinking about buying one or two. Are they in style and, if so, is there a hat style that works better than others? Can you give me some guidance?

A. I think the question is: Are you “a hat guy.” While almost anyone can be a hat guy, the type who wears hats well is the man with the self-confidence to feel comfortable in one. That’s a great part of the appeal . . . especially to women.

Two generations ago, a gentleman was not considered properly dressed without a hat – even for casual events. Just look at old photographs taken at baseball games; all the men were wearing hats. And I don’t mean baseball caps. No, they wore a real man’s hat, a fedora. Then in the 1960’s men’s hats disappeared. President Kennedy is often blamed because he removed his hat at his inauguration and, as a style icon, he influenced popular fashion. But probably the real reason was that automobiles were so low that hats were knocked off when men got into their cars.

Hats remained out of fashion for years. And many men who grew up during that era came to connect wearing a hat with their fathers’ and their grandfathers’ way of dressing. Recently that sort of stigma has disappeared. Probably partially because of the generations removed, young men don’t relate to a hat that way anymore.

Today, men choose hats for several reasons:

• Warmth 
• Sun protection
• To cover a balding head
• Swagger and style

While the first three of these are pretty obvious, the effect of a hat on a man’s style is more subtle. Among the few statement-making flourishes available to well-dressed men (such as pocket squares, monograms, and hats), wearing a hat requires the most self-confidence. Its overall effect may not be fully appreciated.

Hats are made of straw, paper, wool, and fur felt. Men have many options: from the wide-brimmed cowboy hat to the standard-brimmed, indented fedora and smaller-brimmed fedoras, as well as the visored newsboy cap. All these can be (and should be) personalized with their respective indented creases in the crown, their turned up or down brims, and the rakish angle at which they are worn. On a fedora, the brim can be shaped pretty much the way you want it – slightly up in the rear, snapped down in front for dash and style – or not. Men usually find the classic mid-size-brim and the newer narrow-brim fedoras to be the safest, most versatile choices.

These days a lot of aspiring cool guys wish they could look even a little bit like Matt Bomer, who plays the smooth former con-man on USA TV’s “White Collar.” (I describe him as “looking like a young Pierce Brosnan, only better.”) His character, a dapper dresser, usually wears the new skinny-brim fedora (his brim is probably less than two inches wide). Likewise, in the tough NFL negotiations, DeMaurice Smith, Executive Director of the NFL Players Association, has consistently enhanced his professional, but non-corporate, style with his own hat.

Since you are considering becoming a hat wearer but are not exactly sure which style is right for you, seek out a really good men’s hat store – if you can find one – and ask for advice from the owner or manager. Buying your first hat is not something to undertake lightly. It requires patience and a bit of flamboyance, though not necessarily a large outlay of cash. Try on different styles, colors, and brims; check yourself out objectively in the mirror. Take your time. Hats are different from other articles of clothing: since they are so close to your face, they create a link between your appearance and your interior. Choose one that works with your face, your personal style, and especially your comfort zone.

Adding a hat to your wardrobe can be as simple as picking up an inexpensive hat from a street vendor or finding a well-priced one online from Block hats or Kangol. Or it can be as elaborate as ordering online a totally custom-made “investment” Panama hat from Brent Black’s amazing website, www.brentblack.com (the site is an experience in itself!): The Panama Hat Company of the Pacific, (888) 658-6500 or (808) 262-2892. While you may find it hard to believe, his handmade straw hats begin at over $500 and go on up. My daughter-in-law recently ordered such an extravagant gift for my oldest son, despite his (financial) protests. She said it was in response to all the jewelry he had given her over the years. He loves it.

Mr. Black explained to me the single greatest reason why straw hats get damaged: “Everyone in the movies that you’ve ever seen handles his hat wrong – by grabbing it by the crown. It gets the hat dirty, it sharpens the crown creases, and it causes the straw to tear. A hat should be handled by the brim with the fingertips – soft hands, please! This is true for felt and for straw, but especially for straw hats.”

An old theory was that in difficult economic times, when a man couldn’t afford a new suit, he would perk up his wardrobe with a hat. That may or may not be today’s motivation, but a man wearing a dashing hat is still a head-turner with unabashed sex appeal . . . just ask any woman.

Have questions of your own? Feel free to email me at Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net

Sales, bargains are thrifty shopping basics

Q. I’m a college senior, thinking about my job search, and realizing I'm going to need some appropriate clothes. All I have beyond polos and good pants is one dress outfit -- a blue jacket and gray pants and a few shirts and ties. I imagine I can come up with (beg for) about $1200 to make the needed purchases before I have a paying job (beyond the campus minimum wage). Can you suggest something or some plan beyond the looks in GQ, which cost more than that for one piece of clothing?

A. I am glad you have the good sense to know that there are answers beyond the fashion magazine ads; they are aimed at the top one percent of “the one percent” of the population. They do not represent the rest of the world. Besides, I have found that some ads in newspapers and magazines feature expensive items that are in such questionable taste that no well-dressed man would wear them. Lesson #1. Just because an item is expensive (even wildly expensive) does not make it in good taste.

There definitely are strategies for dressing well on a logical, limited budget. But be prepared to spend extra time, and it certainly helps to have good taste. When money is not an object, a man can just walk into the finest store in town, find a knowledgeable salesperson, and choose whatever he wants. Without such deep pockets, not only will he need to invest more time (in learning about which items work well, and where to find them), but he also must choose carefully. Lesson #2. The three categories where you should invest more: Dark clothes, winter clothes, and classic styles. 

To get more for your money, you need to shop strategically at one or more of the following:

• January sales in better stores (Key, right now!)
• Discount stores, catalogs, online
• Tag sales, garage sales, gently-used thrift shops
• In your own, or your Dad’s/brother’s/etc’s, closet

January sales in better stores: The retailers’ calendar is different from reality, so the stores begin to receive their merchandise very early: Late August for fall/winter clothing. The selection is fullest at that time, and so are the prices. By January, the store owner knows he is going to be left with unsold merchandise; he’d rather mark it down heavily to move it out of the store (before next August) and do what he can for his cash flow. So, you will find significant savings now, from 20 to 75 percent off. Selection of colors and styles may be limited and there is a too-sparse representation in the most popular size range, 40 to 42, but if you still have a college build, that may not be an issue. Do remember, what one first-class store doesn’t have, another may. And shopping in better stores includes an important perk, knowledgeable advice. Getting a very discounted suit for $300-$400 or 6+ shirts for $150-$300 and perhaps an accessory (good shoes for $100 or good belts at $25/each) would be good choices.  

Discount stores, catalogs, online shopping: All these offer great prices, but little in the way of helpful input. You’re pretty much on your own. Still, it’s a misconception to believe there must be something wrong with an item that is sold for half price. When people say, “You only get what you pay for,” I say, “That’s not always true.” If you have reliable taste and spend some extra time selecting wisely, your savings could well justify the effort. This may be where you can find two or even three suits (or two suits and two sport jackets) for under $700, and/or high-end shoes for $70-$80/pair. You can also add shirts and a couple of ties here.

Tag sales, garage sales, gently-used thrift shops: Keep in mind that a) Everything is “used” after its first wearing, and b) Only suits, shirts, and shoes need to be your exact size. You could get lucky and find your size among the many “great deals” on their racks. You’ll also find accessories that are not sized (such as ties, scarves, cuff links) and other items that are marked small, medium, large, and X-large (such as sweaters and outer jackets). These make finding bargains easier. I’ve discovered a Burberry raincoat for $30, Paul Stuart blazers for $15, Brooks Brothers’ shirts for $3, Gap sweaters for $5, Hermès and Ferragamo ties for $1. Of course, you do need to have “an eye,” be able to recognize top-quality brand names on the labels, and be willing to spend time digging. Even so, hunting (and finding) treasures can be fun. Basically, spend money here on any need you have that they have in good condition, that is close to your size (tailoring is affordable), and that’s not way out of style (wide lapels or wide ties).    

In your own (or others’) closet: Often, something you already own is the perfect item to mix, or layer, with some new garment. Our preferences don’t change much; styles and colors you’ve liked in the past are likely to work well with many of the new items you find. This can be a short-term or long-term solution when you have emptied your coffers on the above items or have just enough to tailor clothing to your size or to alter ties to current widths.  

Just as I always recommend having necessary alterations made when you shop at retail prices, the same is even truer when shopping for bargains. If you find a beautiful Gucci tie for $5 that would sell for $200 in a fine men’s shop, but it’s only problem is that it is too wide for this year’s style, it pays to have TieCrafters make it narrower for $26. The total cost of $31 is still a good investment.   

Happy hunting. 

Seersucker -- a Summer Classic

Q.  My question has to do with the seersucker jacket. What are the appropriate occasions and times to wear the jacket (though not the full suit)? My mother says I have “the right build” for them and I am curious if I should invest in one. (I am somewhat thin and of average height.) Thank you. 

A. The appropriate time of year is easy. Late spring is definitely the perfect time to consider buying a classic seersucker suit or jacket because the seersucker season is a limited one, from Memorial Day to Labor Day -- just as with most "whites."

For the uninitiated, seersucker is an all-American style. The fabric is crinkly, lightweight and cool, mostly all-cotton (but sometimes a cotton blend), and generally less expensive than wool. It is light in color, in part because it is usually striped: blue and white looking from a distance like light blue, brown and white appearing tan, and (less often) red and white adding up to pink.  

I am impressed with a young man who pauses to consider "dress advice” from his mother. Either she is very perceptive or he is smart enough to recognize that women of all ages may have a different (and useful) point of view about clothes. Young men often overlook anything slightly unusual, either because they are unfamiliar with it or for fear of seeming like too much of a maverick. As most women will agree: A well-dressed maverick has a certain appeal. And a seersucker jacket is certainly not an “everyman” style.

As for the appropriate occasion for seersucker jacket, I always preach than in men’s clothing, there is a subtle sliding scale of what is quite dressy, what is less so, and what is casual wear. The dressiest item (short of black-tie wear) is the matched suit, progressing in color from dark to medium to light. Perhaps the most casual suit is made of seersucker. More casual than matched suits are sports jackets, the dressiest being the navy blue blazer. Again, the most casual (and jaunty) sport jacket is the cotton seersucker -- in blue, gray, or beige stripes. It has a nice air of different-from-the-usual, without being too quirky. 
       
While my usual advice is never to split up a matched suit and wear the suit jacket as if it were a sports jacket, seersucker is an exception. So long as you always send both parts together to be dry cleaned (so the two pieces do not end up as two slightly different shades), the seersucker suit jacket works equally well as a separate summer sport jacket.

Your seersucker jacket can be worn with any lightweight pants (even white jeans), with or without a tie, and with either an Oxford cloth button-down shirt or a knit polo shirt. If you do wear a tie, choose one that is not too formal, such as a cotton madras plaid, a solid-color pastel linen, or, say, a dark blue knit. Avoid double-breasted styling, French cuff shirts, cufflinks, and other dressy or dandified touches. Seersucker implies a great deal of casual nonchalance and requires more than a hint of self-confidence.

So, when to wear a seersucker jacket? When your friends might be wearing a single-breasted navy blazer or a good-looking summer sweater, you could opt for your seersucker jacket. Summer dress-down Fridays at work are perfect. Other times might include going to a mid-scale restaurant or other less formal night/afternoon out: a local movie date, a Saturday or Sunday slightly-dressy party, or a family function with your mother.

How do I choose the right tie for my new sports jacket?

Q. What pattern of tie is needed to wear with a windowpane-patterned sports jacket and a striped shirt? I don't want to look boring, but I also want it to work as I see in GQ.

A. Well, if what you see lately in GQ is the look you like, I would say you can add almost any tie on your tie rack. But I’m afraid I don’t really think such publications are giving much helpful advice these days. All too often their glossy photographs show models decked out in what I see as multiple clashing patterns. Some combinations are so busy, they can make your head spin. But, because the models are super handsome and are so well photographed, readers may be lulled into thinking these are good examples to follow. I don’t agree. 

Men’s clothing guidelines have evolved from safe styles of the past to more innovative current looks. For many years, the art of wearing patterns was a no-brainer. The total opposite of what you see now, it was easy. Sartorial advice about patterns was primarily limited to: “Wear only one patterned item at a time, and everything else should be plain (solid color).” Today, such advice is totally dated and might indeed be dull. So, I'll try to provide you with advice between the classic looks I prefer and the clownish mix often presented as acceptable. But before we get to which is the right tie, how do you go about combining two patterns?

The main rule, when mixing two patterns: Avoid combining two large, busy patterns. Combine one small pattern with one that is large and more widely spaced. Thus, with your windowpane patterned (a large, widely-spaced plaid) sports jacket, your striped shirt should not be a wide, bold stripe, but a thin, close-together stripe.

       

Two more rules that apply when mixing patterns: 1.] Make certain that the colors are exceptionally well coordinated. The colors in the patterns should not look as though they just happened to fall together, but rather that they were the result of thoughtful planning 2.] Repeat colors. In your example, if your windowpane plaid is a shade of blue with a very fine red line, then your shirt could be either a red-and-white or a blue-and-white stripe. Or, if the jacket’s windowpane is basically brown with, say, a narrow blue line, the striped shirt could be beige-and-white or blue-and-white. 

      

For some reason, fashion magazine stylists of today seem to think that if combining two patterns is good, three (or even more) must be better. Three patterns can be worn together, especially by sophisticated dressers. Still, whenever the question is asked at my seminars, my advice is, “Never wear three patterns together unless you have impeccable taste – and you’re not the only one who thinks so.”

      

So, yes, you can wear a patterned tie with your windowpane plaid jacket and a striped shirt (perhaps a small all-over foulard tie), but it is so difficult to do well that I strongly suggest you stay with a solid. When you put together a guaranteed-to-look-good mix, you can end up looking terrific. So, why seek out ways to make dressing a problem when it can be easy? To follow the safest path, choose a solid-color tie that repeats one of the colors you are wearing. In that earliest example, your choice could be a solid tie in some shade of red or blue. The second one calls for a solid-color tie in brown or blue. 

      

Then, when you follow this advice, your only remaining decision is what type of solid-color tie to choose. The easiest and surest one is a knit tie. It always works. Another possibility is a dressier solid silk in a smooth or slightly pebbled texture. Oddly enough, most men do not own solid-color ties even though they are among the most versatile and useful additions to a man’s wardrobe. They work well with patterned sports jackets, with navy blazers, with matched suits, with striped shirts, with plaid sports shirts, and also with sweaters.

And, for those needing to provide something for a well-dressed man, one of these in navy, black, brown, or dark red could make a great Father’s Day gift. 

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