Pick-a-Outfit: BR Part III.

The previous parts of this series tackled a casual night out, followed by a slightly dressier occasion. Today will be selecting an outfit for a trendy club/lounge or a nice restaurant.

Here is your chance to show a little bit of your style. Previously, it’s been a bit more subtle, yet the outfits maintained a good sense of quality style. Now, under the right type of occasion, you can (and should) dress it up.

That may sound dramatic, especially after viewing the outfit, but the idea is to break out of your normal mode of dressing down for an occasion, and instead rise to the occasion. The outfit is still subtle, but it’s stylish in the pieces selected and the fit of it all.

To the outfit…

Vest
The order is a bit different this time, as I’m starting with a top. We’re going with a vest, because vests are just flat out cool. They look good on just about any body type. The key, as usual, is to ensure that it fits. This is particularly important with a vest – if it looks boxy and not form-fitting then you’ve completely lost all the effect you would have gained.

Most vests (as is the one below) have a silk backing, which isn’t difficult for a tailor to take in. So, make sure it fits in the shoulders, and then (if need be) take it into a tailor to get the torso cinched in.

This vest is just a medium grey in color with a subtle pattern to the wool.

As with all vests, do not button the last button.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

Pants
I’m going with dress trousers here. No more jeans (though, this entire outfit could go with an exceptionally good looking pair of jeans). This was a tough choice, so I broke it down into two options.

The first choice is a navy blue pinstripe pant. It’s my first choice because of the color coordination with the vest: the deep navy, and the light grey should go very well together. Also, I think the pinstripe will add an extra dash of style to the the outfit. However, I’m aware that some may feel put off by the pinstripe, but it the trousers have only a subtle stripe, which helps take away some of the showiness.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

An alternative would be to go with the pants below. They’re a standard dark charcoal suit trousers. I’d prefer a slightly better fit (i.e. slimmer), but it’ll have to do. I chose dark charcoal again to contrast with the medium/light of the vest. The dark grey of the trousers should match very well with the grey of the vest.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

The contrast is important so it doesn’t look like you came from wearing a 3-piece suit. This is not to say that 3-piece suits are bad, because I love them. The thing is that if you look like you’re wearing a 3-piece, you might as well be wearing one. With this outfit, nobody thinks you just took your suit jacket off and untied your tie. It appears deliberately stylish.

Shirt
To balance the contrasting shades and patterns of the vest and the trousers, I selected a solid dress shirt in a neutral color (though I kept the color in the same general family: blues & greys). The shirt should just be there. Not contributing too much other than a clean backdrop for the rest of the outfit.

Since your vest is form fitting, it’s doubly important that your shirt be as well. If the shirt doesn’t fit as well as your vest you’ll get bunching of the shirt under the vest. Take special notice of the armholes of the vest, because this is the most likely area where you’ll run into trouble.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

Shoes
The shoes must of course match the occasion. So, a dressier shoe was chosen to complement the sleek and modern outfit. A longer nose, and a thin sole (though I wish it were slightly thinner), helps to tie together the entire outfit. It’s cool, clean, and stylish.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

Bottom Line

Vest: $99
Pants: $150
Shirt: $80
Shoes: $140

Total: $469.

Phew…way off budget. However, you’ll have a fantastic outfit whose individual pieces are highly versatile and interchangeable.

Pick-a-Outfit: BR Part II.

*Note: I’m not sure if this got published, because of the aforementioned deleting of the posts (dumb). If so, sorry for the reposting.

Last time I chose an outfit for a casual bar/lounge, where the motivation was to look effortlessly cool. Now we’ll ratchet up the trendiness factor just a tad. The outfit below was chosen for going out to a place that’s nicer than a beer house, but not incredibly dressy. Think a nicer lounge or a casual-trendy restaurant. The idea for a place like this is to look put together and modern, but again not like you’re expending too much energy in the process. You want to show your style and taste, but not flaunt it by making too much of a point.

A quick recap of the rules:
– Gotta be something that just about any guy in the US can get in any mall
– All the items should be from one store
– A budget of $250 for all items.

This week we’re still focusing on Banana Republic. Next series we’ll move on to a different shop.

Pants
I wanted to go with denim again, but this time I opted for a darker, more modern wash. There are two jeans that would work. The first is a slim straight leg jean in a dark wash. This is a clean modern jean, that will work very well with the shirt selected below. The fit and wash show that you’re on top of the most recent style trends.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

However, it may not work for those with larger legs, so I’ve chosen a second pair. The picture for this pair of jeans doesn’t show it to fit as well as the first, but I think if you got a shorter inseam it will do away with the bunching of the fabric around the shoe. It’s still a dark wash, which is good, and the straight leg fit will still create clean lines without sacrificing comfort for the boys.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

Shirt
The idea is to wear a cool and modern shirt, but not one that looks like a work shirt. The shirt I’ve chosen is a dressier shirt than from yesterday, but has a cool pattern. I like plaid, because it’s visually distinct, and will immediately set you aside from those in solids or the horrendous broad striped shirts of the early ’00s.

The slim fit of the shirt will skew the traditional (and boring plaid) into the modern and stylish realm. Tuck in the shirt and roll the sleeves. The combination of the fit and the sleeve roll will completely prevent you from looking like you just stepped out of the office.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

As an aside, if you’re going to unbutton 1-2 buttons (perfectly acceptable), keep in mind two things: your undershirt (or lack of), and the rigidity of the sides of the shirt. I’ve seen some guys with their shirt unbuttoned, but the sides of the shirt surrounding the opening are limp, so the shirt just sort of droops there. This is unattractive. Make sure that area is decently crisp (I don’t mean starched), so when you do go unbuttoned, it doesn’t just flop open like a schlub.

Shoes
My knee-jerk reaction was to go with a wingtip. As you know, I love these shoes. But, for the purpose of diversity I’ve gone with a different shoe.

I wanted one with a more substantial heel and sole, to pair with the weight of the denim. Below is a cap-toed oxford (the horizontal line on the point is what makes it a cap-toe) in a very nice shade of brown. I know most of you use black as your go-to going out shoe, but that’s precisely why brown will shake things up. The rich color of this brown shoe, contrasted with the dark modern jeans, will immediately set you apart.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

Bottom Line

Slim Jeans: 100
Other jeans: 80
Shirt $80
Shoes $140

Total with slim jeans: $320
Total with straight jeans: $300

So, $50 over budget. I’ll have to do better next time.

Pick-a-Outfit: BR Edition.

*Note: sorry for the repost; I somehow managed to delete the two most recent posts.

An on-going series for PR will be a virtual version of PR’s personalized services. I’ll put together outfits for different occasions, all from the same store (I’m making it easy for you). I’ll work within a budget of about $250. This includes shoes, shirt, and pants. I’ll assume you have other accessories (i.e. belts, socks), though I’ll highlight those as well, they just won’t go towards the bottom line.

Keeping with the general philosophy that most guys don’t want to go hunt down the newest upcoming labels (nor should they) or spend a ton of money on clothes, the stores will be all mass market labels that are known for quality and fit. Again, the idea is you can walk into any mall and find such an outfit.

Part I will be going out to a casual laid back bar or lounge. A place where you don’t need to get too dressed up, but you still want to look put together on the off chance there’s some decent talent. The key is to be comfortable and casual, but still stylish. You don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard, so the look focuses on being effortless.

The headings link back to the respective Fit Rules, in case you need to brush up on them.

Pants
I went with jeans, because they epitomize casual. But this proved to be the most difficult item to shop for, since I’m not a big fan of BR’s denim. Their images online are inconsistent, with the same jean looking completely different in different images. Regardless, the jeans below are a vintage wash (medium color, not too dark, not too light). I know I’ve espoused dark jeans for going out, but since this outfit is designed for a particular situation (casual, non-trendy bar) you’d look like a d-bag if you came in with a trendy outfit on. The vintage-esque wash, is consistent with the masculine and casual feel of the rest of the outfit.

The fit of these jeans aren’t perfect in the image below. They’re too long (notice the bunching near the shoes), so be aware of this issue when trying them on.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

If the place is a bit nicer, yet still laid back, you can throw on some of their chinos. In contrast with their jeans, I really love these chinos. They fit perfectly and look very clean.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

Shirt
All guys look great in a white button down. There’s something about one that is just clean and attractive. This shirt is a slight twist on the classic white button down, as it has cargo pockets, giving it a safari feel. These are cool because the pockets give it a bit of style, yet it isn’t over the top. I like to wear these shirts slightly wrinkled: just wash and line dry. When you’re ready to go out, throw it in the dryer for a few minutes to soften it up, and you’ll be set. The wrinkles gives it a laid back, effortless style.

Tuck in the shirt, and roll the cuffs.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

Shoes
I went with loafers, because they’re incredibly comfortable. These should work well with the pants above, because the jeans are straight leg. You don’t want a huge leg opening as loafers are low-profile (you don’t want the shoes to be swimming underneath the pants). I like loafers because they let my feet breathe and they’re effortlessly cool.

Don’t wear socks with them.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

Belt
Slightly distressed leather belt in a rich color. Helps to add a great visual break between your medium colored jeans, and your white shirt. I would have preferred a more distressed brown, but this belt should age well.

Photo credit: Banana Republic.

Bottom Line
Jeans: $80
Shirt: $80
Shoes: $98

Total: $258.

A little over budget, but not too bad for an entire outfit (including shoes).

Next post will still be at BR, but instead will focus on a nicer/trendier bar/event.

Timbuk2 Chiller Bag.

Keeping with the bag/luggage theme, here is a pretty sweet messenger bag from Timbuk2, makers of the original (and best) messenger bags. These typically are great because they sit high up on the back, as opposed to flopping around on your side like a long purse. It looks cleaner, is more comfortable, and is flat out cooler.

Here, though is their classic messenger bag, but with a twist: it’s a portable cooler. Fully lined with waterproof material, it can apparently hold 12 PBRs. Pretty impressive. I doubt it’d be all that comfortable for hiking long distances, but for some short outings, it’s a very unique and stylish option.

Photo credit: Timbuk2.

Photo credit: Timbuk2.

Photo credit: Timbuk2.

SteamLine Luggage.

You probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the luggage you use, but if you travel frequently, wouldn’t you rather lug around something cooler than a black ballistic nylon bag?

Here are some cool pieces by SteamLine luggage that evoke that old-school feel, yet have modern amenities like wheelie wheels (that’s what I call them). They’re a bit smaller, so you may have to buy two pieces for longer trips, but they’re having a sale; and the prices aren’t *too* horrible. Meaning, I’d expect them to cost 2-3x more than they do.

Even if you don’t travel a lot, cool stylish luggage can add a little bit more fun into your trips. If you’re anything like me, whenever I get to use a super sweet item (like my automatic umbrella), something a little bit inside me gets tickled. And I grin. Making it all worth it for me.

Plus, I guarantee you pull one of these off the baggage claim carousel you’ll get some looks. If you’re especially lucky, it’ll be that cute chick that will make your trip that much more interesting. Something we all could have a little more of.

These are just two of their lines (the more masculine), and they come in a variety of colors.

Aviator Series

Photo credit: SteamLine Luggage.

Ambassador Series

Photo credit: SteamLine Luggage.

Get Groomed Part II.

Photo credit: (cc) the queen of subtle.

Make sure you fingernails are clean and trim. Long & dirty fingernails are just plain gross.

Whomever you’re attempting to attract sure as heck doesn’t want to see your Sabretooth claws. This should be a regular post-shower routine, so if it isn’t part of the rotation throw it in there now. At the very least, do a quick hygiene checklist on any exposed (or potentially exposed) areas before going out and prior to a date.

This also goes for any errant nose hairs that have broken the nostril event horizon.