Golden Bear - USA made - varsity jacket - L

Pink and the Brain

Many guys think something like "yeah, pink, looks good... on girls!".  That's right, but not the only truth. Actually, the pink oxford cloth button down shirt is a (Ivy-) classic that you may want to introduce to your wardrobe - in case you haven't already. So, before you go green on me, think the pink!

pink oxford cloth shirt

A brief history of color symbolism
The blue = boy, pink/red = girl formula is in a sense a modern and relativley new tradition. In fact, it used to be the other way around for a long time. Blue was the color of Mary, while red tones used to indicate power and wealth. That's all you need to know to smash anyone questioning your manliness when wearing pink.

Fabric is the key
Especially if you have never worn pink before, I'd suggest to first pick a cloth that isn't too fine and shiny. Oxford or pin point would be my suggestions. These have a nice grainy and rather dull structure, avoiding the danger of looking cheezy.

shades of pink

How to pair
Pink is not as easy to pair with other colors as (light-) blue, but it's also not too hard. Brown (from beige to chocolate) and grey tones are my favorites, (off-) white and blue are very nice, too, amongst others.

 pink combos

So, put on your pink superhero cape and go save the world!

Drake's Sale @ MR PORTER

 

Drake's ties & accessories 30-50% off

The Indy Boot

  

Alden 405 a.k.a. the Indy Boot

One of the most popular shoes sold by Alden are the 405s, often referred to as Indy Boots. Harrison Ford wore them in the Indiana Jones movies, well, he may want to buff them a bit. It's told that they were actually his own, still around from the time when he was working as a carpenter.

Alden builds them on the true balance last, which is one of their widest and roundest. The sturdy look of the Indy will work great with denim, basically these are shoes to be worn with casual outfits.

jeans, button down shirt & 405s

But that doesn't mean, you can't dress them up a bit. They also look nice with a sports jacket. For example, a grey and rather rough herring bone coat will do, tweed is another option to think of.

herring bone jacket & 405s

 with cords and tweed

 The 405 is the original, or at least the one Indiana Jones is wearing, though the "broken-in" appereance makes them look more muddy-brown than the reddish brown they have when new or in well maintained condition. Alden sells them in many different versions. I bought mine at the Alden store in DC a few years ago, price then was around 450$ or so.

at the Alden Store in DC, Kathy (General Manager), employee (sorry,  forgot his name)

 displayed 405 and the kudu version

Being a very popular model, many other stores sell them, too, providing also their own make-ups. Union Made, J.Crew (also calling the linked version "405", though diverging from the original 405s sold by Alden) or Haberdash of Chicago (ok, a very special make up, but right now on sale) come to mind, Need Supply, Epaulet and The Shoe Mart too, amongst many others. My special tip would be Sky Valet Shoes, a bit less expensive and free shipping included.
As usual, good things are being copied, so if you're not feeling like paying 500 bucks or so, J.Crew used to sell a rip-off made by Chippewa, currently, it's unavailable, but check out again later. They go for half the price of the original Alden, don't know, if they can stand up next to them, though.

 Indy Rock

Like most of Alden shoes and boots, they are goodyear welted (in this case 270°), so you can resole them once the "neo-cork" (a very durable rubber) sole is worn down, which may take some years.

Transformers - from Hoody Woody to Dapper Danny

You spent most of your life not caring too much for your clothes. Hoody, Jeans and Sneakers. That's totally fine, nothing wrong with that! But now, you discovered your inner Dapper Dan who wants to come out. Let him out! But you might be afraid of what your friends or co-workers might think or say, if you switch from one day to another to Mr. Suit & Tie. So, here's how to transform your hoody-look step by step to a sharper style.

Step 1: From sneaker to chukka

Put away your old sneakers and get yourself a nice pair of chukka boots. They are still casual enough to be paired with jeans, but they will be the first step towards your new look.

Desert Boots

Desert boots are the most casual version of the chukka. The last ten years or so, they have become pretty popular again, so nobody will notice them as too dressy. Clarks would be the first brand to think of, but you might find them from many other manufacturers as well. Traditionally, they come with a crepe sole.

Chukkas with leather sole, brown

If you want to go already a bit more dressy, you might consider chukkas with a leather sole. A not too dark brown will work with most of your outfits, but a lighter tan or sand is very nice, too, but will be harder to pair with dark trousers or suits.

Chukkas with leather sole, sand

Step 2: From jeans to chino

You spend some weeks sporting your new pair of chukka boots, that means: you are ready for step 2! Get yourself a chino!

 chinos (left to right: Levi's, Charles Trywhitt, Dockers)

There are some very casual chinos, like the Alpha Khakis from Dockers or certain Levi's stlyles. They will work with a t-shirt or even a hoody, so Danny will stay undercover.
If you are already becoming bolder, you could try a Charles Tyrwhitt weekend chino in slim fit. They feature a higher rise, so this is a serious step away from your average jeans. Still, if it's covered by a sweater, nobody will see it that easy.
Colors to be considered would be lighter shades of grey, brown or blue. 


Step 3: From t-shirt to d-shirt

OMG, you are slowly but surely entering the WOM (World Of Menswear)! The next step will be the hardest one so far, as for normal, a dress shirt will be noticed by most people. But there might be a trick to get away with it a bit easier, it's called ocbd.

ocbd shirt

The light blue oxford cloth button down shirt, or simply an ocbd, is the solution to all problems in the WOM. It's casual enough to be worn with a jeans (it actually has a kind of denim feeling to it) but you can also pair it with a tie.

The "must-iron" and made in the USA version from Brooks Brothers is the original, but you'll find them almost everywhere. Just make sure the collar is not too tiny. I think I gonna talk more about this menswear staple later, it deserves it's own post.

Step 4: From whateva jacket to sports jacket

OK, you mean biz. I see. So, you should now say bye to the world as we know it and... get yourself a nice sports jacket! The prophets and keepers of the WOM agree to one law: the first sports jacket to have is a blue one. Not too light, not too dark. Patch pockets, a length that at least covers your butt and a cloth that has some kind of structure to it (like hopsack) are kinda standart. A sports jacket should not have the appereance of an orphaned suit jacket. And you always want to make sure that there is enough contrast to your pants, so, in case of a blue jacket, most lighter shades like grey or beige will be no-brainers. But there are many other colors that might work, just avoid the same color and shade, cause in this case, you could just have bought a suit. I personally like the Havana style from Suit Supply, but there are a lot of other brands.

sports jacket with patch pockets, hopsack fabric

with a tan chino

Step 5: From blowrag to pocket square

This is, after Step 4, a relatively easy one. Nobody will care too much and some won't notice it at all. But don't underestimate that step in concerns of "style". There are one million rules in the WOM about how a pocket square (from now on: ps) should match with the rest of your clothing. Also worth it's own post. But for the beginning, you might wanna go for white linen or cotton with a blue contrast border. These work great with a tv fold. A dark, multi-colored paisley silk ps can also be very versatile. Here you wanna go with a so called puff fold. Some products feature a nice front AND back side (like this Shibumi ps, currently unavailable):

pocket square (silk, paisley pattern), front side

back side

puff fold

Hand-rolled edges are considered to be a must or, at least, are very welcome.


Step 6: From, well, ahem... no-tie-guy to tie-guy

'Aight, buddy, you should stop right here. The rest is walking through minefields. How dare you wearing a tie! Nobody who doesn't have to has to!
Well, if you're into it, go for it. Start with a knit tie. Or a repp tie. Some consider a burgundy grenadine silk tie to be the "one-matches-everything"-tie. Well, if you take that step, you'll enter a whole new world anyway. You never will be satisfied with the amount of ties you already have. Just make sure, they are not made of or blended with synthetics. Really, doesn't make sense to write more, since this is defintely worth at least ten new posts... Ah, ok, one thing - shantung, bro! That's the word! If you wanna rock ish hot, rock a shantung tie! (Yes, there are also trends in the WOM ;) )

Step ahead: tbc

Well, baby, this game doesn't stop anywhere. Find your own style by spending days and nights watching other guys on the internet or in the streets ;) Trial and error. Sprezzatura and tradition. Knowing and breaking rules. Good luck!

How to be a good bully

I'm planning on a "how to bull polish your shoes"-feature, so stay tuned. Not sure if it's going to be a step by step enhanced with pictures or a video...

The knit tie

You wanna go dapper but keep it cool? The knit tie is your best friend. Even Mr. Bond knew the versatile power of this menswear staple and it's popularity has become even more in the past few years.

Wear them with a suit or a sports jacket, an oxford cloth button down shirt will add some extra "sprezzatura" (especially when unbuttoned ;) ).

Knit ties are not as wide as other ties, it's normal to have a width around 2,5 inches, compared to the classic sizes that start at 3 inches.

All ties except for the golden one are from Shibumi Berlin.