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.
Hi All,
As you know I am a musician as well as style blogger. I would be extremely grateful if you all took the time to visit my new website www.denniscahlo.com. There you can download my first full length solo album ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHARGE entitled WINTER IN MEDORA which has been described as “if Nick Drake was produced by Brian Wilson”.
This is a really big moment for me and I hope you all enjoy the music as much as you do my advice on style. This is a first of many albums and, as you will hear, it is EXTREMELY personal and honest. I love it unconditionally as much as I would a child.
I’ll return to menswear tomorrow. For now, please enjoy the free album and download it here:
Sometimes we all need a break from the people and places we love. If ever reunited, we sometimes realize just why our hearts grew a little fonder.
My love affair with H&M had waned shortly after the summer for no particular reason but yesterday whilst visiting my nephew on the Upper East Side I needed to duck into said repository to purchase a sweater as I was a tad under dressed for the cold day.
In between the racks I was greatly surprised to find a three piece suit (all sold as separates) that included a really fantastic double breasted waistcoat. One perk is that it will need no tailoring at all. Is it great quality? Not really. I’ve owned way better suits. In fact, I will probably take in to Imparali for a full on button replacement.
But you know what? $150 can look damn good if you want it to:
Suit: H&M, Shirt: Indochino, Tie: YSL, Pocket Square: Perry Ellis
As you all may or may not know due to a receding hairline I choose to shave my head regularly instead of getting a piece or plugs. Since this is a once a week ritual, I am always on the look out for excellent sets of clippers at a good price.
What I find is lacking in most of these clippers, though, is innovation.
Enter the NORELCO 180 degree trimmer. This was sent to me for a test drive and after a quick grooming session I have to say this is an EXCELLENT clipper. It not only works very well for the hair on your head and face but also for the nether regions of manscaping.
What is the major selling point is the 180 degree pivoting head. That comes in super handy for behind the ears and back of the head.
There are loads of other features like self sharpening blades, no need for oil between cleanings, 60 minutes of power on a full charge, and 10 adjustable length settings. Plus it is light enough for travel without being too cumbersome. This will easily fit in your dopp kit or suitcase with ease.
Right now it’s available at Amazon, Target, and Drugstore.com for only $39.99.
For those of you who shave your head, keep your hair trimmed short, or just manscape this is one of the best set of clippers to have in your grooming arsenal and will save you loads of money in the long run.
In a 1975 interview on the Dinah Shore show Mr. David Bowie (my style guru) gives a very dry, cheeky, yet honest answer as to where he buys his attire:
“Sears Roebuck.”
Although I cannot find the exact clip online, what he is saying is essentially one of the mantra’s of Made To Measure:
It doesn’t have to cost a lot to look stylish. It’s all how you wear it.
What I have noticed about dressing well is that people always ask me where I get my money from. How I can afford “all these clothes”. Simply put I do not have that many clothes. I have a lot of pieces that work together and manage to make them LOOK expensive.
I buy on sale, I buy no name brands, make religious visits to my tailor, and shop at places like Target, Gap, Thrift Stores, E-Bay, and Daffy’s. In these stores I always keep a keen eye on the stitching of pieces, button quality and placement, material, and sleeve length.
I also have found the benefits of buying quality custom pieces from Imparali, Indochino, and Alexander West.
This is not a blog dedicated to fashion, it’s a blog dedicated to STYLE. Your own personal style. A lot of people think that the title MADE TO MEASURE refers to custom clothing and while in the technical sense that is totally true, I chose that title because it is more of a way to live ones life:
Custom make your entire world to fit you perfectly.
We can all do well following David Bowie’s little quip about Sears Roebuck.
If Mr. Draper of Sterling Cooper were to get out of the shower in the morning (wherever that may be) and slap some cologne on to his mug, I really believe it would be Banana Republic Classic.
The only way i can really describe this scent is a clean, freshly pressed white shirt and is a perfect compliment to any one of your finely tailored suits, or jeans and a t-shirt.
$45 gets you a giant 4.5 oz worth:
BR Calssic - $45
My new cat Moe Cahlo had to jump into this shot:
Suit: Indochino Pinstripe 3 Piece, Shirt: Indochino, Belt: H&M, Pocket Square: Perry Ellis, Watch: Timex
What To Pair It With
Suit: Vintage hand me down from my father – tailored at Imparali, Shirt: Indochino Lilac Stripe, Tie: Vintage YSL, Sweater: JCrew, Glasses: Club Monaco, Pocket Square: JC Penney
What To Pair It With
Suit: Indochino, Shirt: Indochino, Coat: Patrizia Pepe, Tie: Indochino, Belt: H&M
What To Pair It With:
Thanks to a tweet from ACL a few weeks back, THE BAND has made it onto the STEAL THESE LOOKS list.
THE BAND has to be one of the best American groups of all time and if you watch THE LAST WALTZ, you will find that even after an insane amount of drug and alcohol abuse these guys still played and harmonized with well oiled precision. It boggles the mind.
As for their style they encompass a Fall day in Colorado mixing heavy tweeds with boots, vests, and scarves. They always wore very American gear but in a well fitted, rock and roll style. They looked like the cool substitute English teachers you always got that smoked pot with you after class.
If you have never seen THE LAST WALTZ, cue it here:
Vintage Leather Jacket: Ebay, Cashmere Sweater: Old Navy, Shirt: Indochino, Jeans: Uniqlo, Boots: Guess, Scarf: Street Find, Hat: Street Find, Glasses: Club Monaco, Guitar: Italia Baritone.
Leather Jacket: Kenneth Cole, Shirt: Indochino, Vintage Tie: Salvation Army, Jeans: Uniqlo, Boots: Guess, Sunglasses: Calvin Klein, Watch: Seiko.
What To Pair It With:
My heartfelt congratulations goes out to Matt and his staff at Imparali Custom Tailors for making the Top 5 Tailors in NYC in Time Out Magazine. To read the story of how Matt and Co. turned an old boxy suit into a trim piece of clothe for only $150, click the link below. They are #2 on the list!
This fall if you invest in a new coat, make it the Old Navy Peacoat. I found one at my local O.N. and fell in love with it’s trim cut, warm wool, neck belt, and soft lining. At only $79.50 this is a coat will give you years of wear and way more bang for your buck.
Old Navy Peacoat - $79.50
What to pair it with:
I love watches. I love watches a lot. Even more so I love Automatic watches. Even more than that I love ridiculous Chrono Automatic Watches in the vein of James Bond.
So it is with great pleasure to be one of the first to introduce you guys to the Swatch AutoChrono line. Now, these do cost as much as one Indochino suit but for a chrono with automatic movement that is Swiss made that is a real steal. I mean…it’s a Swatch (not too stuffy), it has self winding movement (nice to drop that in when showing it off), and it’s under $500 (recession friendly).
The reason why I also endorse these watches are because they can go with the suit AND the jeans/t-shirt/leather jacket. This is the pocket knife of watches. An all in one, multifunctional beauty that you never have to buy a battery for or wind up every 8 hours. You’ll never need to by another watch…except maybe a formal one.
These beauties will also make for a great Holiday present. Ladies, if you are out there, get one of these for your man this holiday season. It will make him smile.
The Swatch AutoChrono will be available on October 15th, 2009.
Swatch Blunge: $380
Swatch Right Track: $370
RSS - Posts
