I never owned a fail proof, go to suit before this year. I always rotate, rotate, rotate until I have the spins.
It is with no surprise that my favorite suit of 2009 came from my brethren over at INDOCHINO in the form of the NAVY PERFORMANCE SUIT. This suit was my first purchase using their full customization offer and I have to say it is by far my favorite suit purchase of 2009.
Why? Because it is versatile, masculine, and fool proof as all hell. The blazer can be worn as a separate as well as the pants. It can be done up for work, a dinner with the lady, or a night out. This is my North By Northwest power suit.
I even went for classic trimmings all around so it will never look dated…even when I am.
Part of my journey this year in menswear was collecting some books on the subject that made for great reference tools as well as excellent sources for styling tips. While they do fall into the “rules” quite a bit, I find that having one with me at all times in invaluable. Most of the books out there are very large and cannot easily fit into an every day attache, gym, or messenger bag. After some research I happened upon A Well-Dressed Gentleman’s Pocket Guide by Oscar Lenius. While not extremely rich in imagery it is an excellent source for on the go menswear reference. Even if you go shopping or to your tailor once in a while, this is a great book to have with you.
You can buy it here.
Although I did promise to start my year in review today, I had to get a PIAT on company holiday party attire since many of you will be having said gathering soon.
First things first, you want to look GOOD no matter what. Even if you don’t normally dress up during the year, this is your time to shine like that big star atop a Christmas tree.
My first option is the more formal, 3 piece option. I love 3 piece suits and have not one problem sporting them at a party. Always, always, always wear your nicest overcoat with this one. DO NOT wear a short leather jacket, bomber, parka, or pea coat. You want to go long, solid, and tailored on this one.
Say this year was a tough one for your company and you don’t want to be too showy. That’s all fine and good but you don’t have to wear a t-shirt. Go with a sober gray suit with white shirt combination. Sub the tie with a nice crisp pocket square and polished shoes. It will say a lot without being too flashy.
What if you work in a very creative field and you don’t really have to dress up nor does your company’s party even call for a blazer? I would go for a look like the one below. It’s simple yet bold, clean yet not boring. A perfect option for the casual set.
So there you have it. The #1 rule, though, is DO NOT GET TOO DRUNK. You may end up getting fired. Or have some VERY embarrassing Facebook tags.
It was exactly one year ago today that Made To Measure came to life in a very small corner of the internet to help inspire men of modest income to actually look like what GQ was trying to sell. From this love of style on a budget my own education grew at a rapid rate as I learned about tailoring, fabrics, buttons, shirt collars, and a slew of other menswear facts and figures.
It is no surprise that for Made To Measure’s very first post was a photo of a young Paul Newman with no text or title. It is an image that will forever be the mantra of Made To Measure. You see, this photo’s description said that it was taken before Mr. Newman was blindingly famous and for that matter rich. He was photographed wearing an outfit he had put together that day all on his own.
It was from this photo that I KNEW men have it in them to look good without breaking the bank.
Starting Monday I will be reviewing in depth my tailor, my suits, my shirts, and whatever else I have collected over the last 365 days until 2009 is over.
Welcome to the very first Shopper’s Guide. I have posted similar articles like this but never really had a category for it. Since I know how most men do not like to take the time to shop, these guides will help you slim down your time spent at the stores.
I was out Christmas shopping on Sunday in Soho here in NYC and had to stop by Uniqlo to see what was going on there. I really have to hand it to the Japanese and there keen blend of comfort and style. My only issue is that their size small shirts tend to puff out in the back and will almost always need tailoring. But at the low cost and quality, investing an extra 20-40 beans on tailoring ain’t so bad.
The first item I was drawn to was a nice looking flannel shirt for $19.90. It was so soft and comfortable I had to pick it up. It works great in the winter time for hanging around the house or even with a suit (I will have model shots soon on this one).
Next up was a much needed pair of jeans. Although I swear by my trusted Levi’s I absolutely LOVE Uniqlo jeans. They fit so well and are way better quality denim than most chains offer. They are all priced at $39.50 and worth every penny.
Blame it on my love of CALIFORNICATION and the powerfully horny Hank Moody, but I have been drawn to jeans, Converse, and t-shirts on the weekend. The Uniqlo brand t-shirt has to be one of the most incredibly soft pieces of cotton I’ve ever put on my body. I particularly am drawn to the extra slim fit on the v-neck pictured below. Set of 3 for $10.50, 1 for $4.50.
I know I just did a piece on a beautiful Harris Tweed jacket that I had altered by Imparali but this gorgeous well fitted wool blazer was screaming at me to take it home. It fits like a glove and will need no alterations whatsoever. The wool is wonderfully soft and warm and will go well with any of the three items purchased. Total cost for the jacket was $99.50.
Matt from Imparali tailors has given Made To Measure the first heads up about a sample sale he will be having with his ties from Nov 30-Dec 18th on the Vittorio J collection which will be up to 70% retail price.
Also all Sale Attendees will be entered to win a free custom suit( $1,000 limit).
Imparali Custom Tailors
608 5th Avenue
Suite 310
New York, New York
10020
(212)-245-5555
Primarily I wear suits most of the time but I love kicking back on the weekend while still remaining in style.
With this thought bouncing around in my brain I realized that I see a lot of guys doing the jeans, blazer, t-shirt combination completely wrong. Baggy jeans, ill fitting blazer, and a t-shirt down to the knees. It’s pretty awful actually. The excuse is always “comfort” and if I hear that word thrown into the mix one more time when I suggest clothing to men I may explode.
Below is an example of how I do this look and believe it or not it is one of the most COMFORTABLE outfits I have ever put together. A lot of this has to do with the fabrics chosen for each piece of clothing. The jeans are a soft cotton, t-shirt the same, scarf is cashmere, and the blazer is a very soft wool. But take note of the fit on all the items. They are not skin tight, but they are close to the body.
Wool Blazer: Uniqlo, T-shirt: Uniqlo, Jeans: Uniqlo, Cap: Cato's Army + Navy, Glasses: Club Monacco
Hey all,
I will be taking a short break from blogging for some much needed R+R during the Thanksgiving break. I’ll be back soon with regular updates!
Happy Gooble,
Dennis Cahlo
This turkey day you want to present yourself nicely to your family. This means lay off the baggy jeans, oversized button ups, and (God forbid) your favorite football team’s sweater.
This is an example of something I would put together for a Thanksgiving dinner. The pants are fitted yet comfortable and made from soft wool, the sweater is cashmere, and the shirt is 100% cotton. All this is topped off by a fitted patterned blazer. There are two alternatives to this look below and when you get the blazer and shoes off, it’s a great outfit to crash on the couch with after an incredible amount of turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.
There is nothing quite like a beautiful Sunday spent eating a not quite breakfast not quite lunch with friends. When you are invited, gentlemen, please feel free to be a little more lax in your appearance but do not show up looking like a hangover. A quick idea is set out below and gives a very comfortable, relaxed, yet PRESENTABLE idea of what type of outfit to put together:
Cat: Moe Cahlo, Wool Cap: Cato's Army Navy Store (10.00), Jacket: Old Navy (79.95), Shirt: Mossimo (12.99), Vest: Merona (39.99), Jeans: Uniqlo (39.99)
There is nothing that makes me happier than seeing people take the same leap of dedication I have and hit the gym 5 out of 7 days of the week. Since I started about 3 or 4 months ago I have lost 2 inches around my…”problem” areas and have hit my target weight which I am able to maintain through a good diet, proper rest, and plenty of cardio and weights.
This past Monday, though, I noticed a man on the train who was impeccably groomed and tailored. He honestly floored me as every piece of clothing and every strand of hair rested comfortably and elegantly on him.But then I noticed his gym bag. It was the biggest piece of logo ridden FAIL that can in one instant kill a days worth of perfect attire.
He had me beat in EVERY sartorial aspect except for that damn bag. As I looked down at my understated number I couldn’t help but want to suggest to him to run to H&M or even Urban Outfitters and pick something up that doesn’t have Frat Boy written in neon across it.
The picture below is the bag I carry everyday. Got it at H&M a season ago for $15. If you are dressing right and have to lug your gym gear around do it without the advertising for your favorite brand of running shoes.
Get up and go look in your closet. How many white shirts do you see?
That many, huh?
Now take a step back and look at how much color there is in between the white shirts.
Not much, huh?
Gentlemen, we as men have to learn that color is NOT a bad thing and to help prove my point I brought in a little custom made visual aid from Indochino. It’s not white, blue, or black. It’s PINK. Yes, PINK. Are you scared yet? Do you feel your masculinity is in question because you are strangely drawn to it? Please dissuade all these emotions and embrace the pink.
Let me set a few ground rules for you on this one, though, because the purchase can go HORRIBLY wrong if you don’t get the right fit and color.
DO NOT buy a giant over sized dark pink tent made out of rayon or silk. Stick with a trim, fitted, pale pink understated number like the one below from Indochino:
You want to follow the ground rules that Jude Law set out for us in Alfie and pair this with a beautiful Navy suit. Preferably the shirt will have French Cuffs and you can add some nice, simple cufflinks to the ensemble.
The best, and most satisfying, benefit to the pink shirt has to be that when you are at that after work cocktail hour and you take off your suit jacket almost every female will make note about how great your pink shirt looks in a room filled with the standard white, baggy button up.
This, in itself, proves that real men wear pink.
I can’t be thankful enough when my readers suggest products for me to review because:
A) It is sometimes difficult coming up with post ideas for 4-5 days out of the week
and
B) Sometimes my readers actually SEND me the products because they are awesome.
Such is the case with a set of Wurkin Stiffs I received from one of my wonderful readers who is so selfless he asked to remain uncredited.
I had never heard of these before so when I received them I was more than elated to try them out. Let me say straight off the bat that the idea is so painfully simple that it boggles the mind WHY no one had thought of them before. Basically through the principles of magnetism you get a perfect collar spread every time.
Now here is where this post takes a sad turn. During one of the last nights of his playful life, my late cat Manface was playing with one of the magnetic backings and lost it somewhere. Hence, I do not have any example photos to show you but TRUST ME, they work really, really, really well.
Please pick a set up for $20 and you will notice a tremendous difference in the cleanliness of your collar’s spread.
I really am blessed to have found a great tailor like Matt from Imparali. Some of you who read this blog and live in the New York area have contacted or worked with him through my recommendation and have probably found him as friendly and personable as I do.
But say you don’t live in the NYC area and are looking for a tailor. First off you have to start with someone who deals in CUSTOM clothing and tailoring. This means that they not only do alterations but they create custom pieces for specific body types that require way more knowledge than just hiking up a hem or taking in the torso of a jacket. They will look at your shoulders and explain exactly WHY your jacket sits the way it does on your body. You see a great tailor takes the time to show you how to conceal certain natural flaws our bodies possess through the art of a great cut set of trousers or shirt.
This all came about after a meeting I had with Matt at Imparali for my very first custom made suit by them. I was amazed at how far we have come in terms of our Tailor/Customer relationship. We can almost read each other’s minds at this point and since we have built such a strong relationship through the work we have already done together, putting together my first suit was much faster than both of us could have imagined.
So what I am urging you all to do in this post is shop around for your tailor. Call a few up and ask questions. Research as if you were for a wise investment.
Yet the strongest and best advice I can ultimately offer is to find the most skilled person who you also wouldn’t mind grabbing a beer with.
When you buy a vintage piece you want to make sure to offset it with some modern pieces so you don’t look like you are wearing a costume. Take, for example, the Harris Tweed jacket I found on e-bay. I have worn it with wool slacks and a shirt and I find I look a little too much like a 1920’s shoe shine boy. Albeit not a BAD look, I personally do not want to walk out of my apartment feeling like I am on my way to a dress rehearsal for Oliver.
So last week I decided to wear this jacket with a great zip up sweater I found at H&M. The combination, as you can see, really works well at offsetting the costume vibe for a more modern meets vintage approach. This is something we all have to be aware of when putting our outfits together.
Know what I mean, guvner?
There are many reasons why I love a good Chelsea boot. To name just a few:
They go with jeans
They go with suits
They even go with a Tux (if you wear them right)
While checking out some of the shoe choices at Daffy’s I stumbled upon an excellent pair of Via Spiga boots that I decided to wait a week on (the old if you can’t stop thinking about it after a week buy it method).
Lo and behold after a week with the itch, I new I had to have these bad boys in my arsenal. They are slowly becoming my shoe of choice beyond any other and I am loving the way they look with my jeans. They also look KILLER with my $150 H&M suit and the Merona outfit from yesterdays post.
For only $69.99 I don’t think you can go wrong with a pair of these in your wardrobe:
Via Spiga Boots: $69.99
I threw a Beatles Rock Band party on Halloween and since I don’t really do the whole costume thing I decided to just put on a nice outfit. This was a good excuse as any to get out of the apartment and head down to Target where I saw a nice vest/slacks combination that I could not get out of my mind from the previous week.
I found that the suit jacket was cut too poorly and did not feel like having another off the rack taken in so I picked up just the vest and slacks and found they fit rather well. I feel a bit Jeeves and Wooster in this combination but damn does it work. To bring it back to my David Bowie post a few weeks back, Target may well be our generation’s very own Sears Roebuck.
I also picked up a great pair of Chelsea boots that I will be showcasing in tomorrows post.
Sometimes when one shops on e-bay it could result in the most epic failure of smelly, over-sized, not quite as described purchase that you are lucky you even get an answer back if trying to return.
But once in a blue, a great seller comes along who measures correctly, takes great photos, and offers a fail proof description plus great return policy. Such was the case when I purchased two tweed jackets a few months ago. My favorite of the two is a beautiful herringbone tweed.
Upon arrival, it was a tad too large but Matt at IMPARALI got it fitted perfectly. What I really enjoyed about this restoration was that this is a REALLY quality brand of tweed rich in history. In fact, this is a much better jacket than most retailers can offer at a fraction of the cost. The jacket was made by Harris Tweed which happens to be hand woven and will most likely last a lifetime plus one or two more.
The total for the jacket was about $90 after tailoring.
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