Dapper Dan(ielle)'s Thread of Sartorial Delights

For some reason I was thinking Dapper Danielle. Probably the dresses. I don't remember Polli's gender.

boogle wrote:

Navy, grey, khaki. Wonderful slack colors that will match your burgundy shoes.

Those could all work.

I went with grey slacks and looked awesome. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. H&M is my new favorite store for clothes that actually fit well.

wordsmythe wrote:

For some reason I was thinking Dapper Danielle. Probably the dresses. I don't remember Polli's gender.

I fall into the "Dapper Dan" group - otherwise I would've followed Tanglebones' thoughtful suggestion.

Any advice on a good place to pick up some oxford cloth shirts?
Also mid weight gray wool pants and a blue blazer. Daddy got some bonus money. Also tired of the wreck most people make of 15.5-36 shirts. THE 36 MEANS I'M TALL YOU sh*tS.

I will, of course, pimp TM Lewin again here. Just love the fabric on their shirts. Mostly double-cuff, if you don't mind knots or cuff-links (knots are cheap).

As far as pants go, I really, really like Howard Yount. These are mostly mid- to winter-weight. The flannels are amazing (the herringbone flannel is my favorite pair of pants I own), and the pick-and-pick have a phenomenal hand to them. On the pricey side, for sure, but incredible quality. They run on the skinny side, so that should flatter you as a taller skinny guy. I have to buy 34 (I'm a 32) and take the waist in, and they still just barely get around my upper thighs. I really want the houndstooth plaid.

As to blazers...that's not as easy. It's also the place I'd recommend getting the highest quality you can find. Oxxford and Belvest both flatter me very well, but that's my body cut. You may want something different. Honestly, I'd go to a high-end menswear shop, find a maker/cut that works for you, then find it used on consignment or e-bay. Fashions don't go in and out as much with suits. Just watch the lapels -- super-wide and super-skinny are both to be avoided, and a higher gorge is better right now.

i may be skimming but as a guy who loves Express 1MX extra slim fit for everything except their longevity (they practically fall apart in about a year), would you recommend TM Lewin slim fit or fully fitted? I'm 16.5", 35" sleeve.

Oh, man, those things are like sandpaper. Going up to TM Lewin, especially their nicer fabrics like the herringbone and luxury twill, will be like stepping out of a Yugo into a Mercedes.

Here's their sizing chart. This is post-shrink assuming proper washing techniques -- wash tap-cold water, gentle cycle, no fabric softener, HANG DRY -- and you can use it to compare to your favorite shirts now. Chest is measured with the shirt buttoned and pulled flat from pit-to-pit (right at the armscye seam), and waist is wherever the thinnest part of the shirt is. The slims are all the same with the exception of the Buckingham, which has a wider waist than the others (chest is the same I believe). The slims fit me perfectly so I haven't tried the fully-fitted, but I think those are all the John Francomb line which is supposed to use very nice fabric. No personal experience with them, so I can't say.

Minarchist wrote:

Navy is a natural pairing, as are most slacks (not black, but you shouldn't own those anyway, right? ;-)). Dressier khakis can look fine, as well.

Okay mister. my job calls for slacks/shirt/tie standard, with a full suit maybe 4 times a month. I have three pairs of black pants, two pairs of brown (one with pinstripes) and a pair of gray. Not counting my suits, of course.

...When did black pants come out of fashion? What might you recommend to go with some of those TM Lewin shirts I'm planning on getting?

edit: unrelated but on topic...did this thread talk about how awesome a Pratt knot is? It's a godsend for tall people who like a big double windsor knot but can't due to length issues.

Seth wrote:
Minarchist wrote:

Navy is a natural pairing, as are most slacks (not black, but you shouldn't own those anyway, right? ;-)). Dressier khakis can look fine, as well.

Okay mister. my job calls for slacks/shirt/tie standard, with a full suit maybe 4 times a month. I have three pairs of black pants, two pairs of brown (one with pinstripes) and a pair of gray. Not counting my suits, of course.

...When did black pants come out of fashion? What might you recommend to go with some of those TM Lewin shirts I'm planning on getting?

edit: unrelated but on topic...did this thread talk about how awesome a Pratt knot is? It's a godsend for tall people who like a big double windsor knot but can't due to length issues.

They're perfectly fine.. for women's fashion

The general consensus is that black is too powerful a color for men to wear, except at funerals; the nearest safe colors are gray and navy.

well shoot. Look at me all looking like a rube and not knowing.

I know the answer to this, but black shoes with navy slacks is probably very inappropriate, correct? I have a nice pair of Cole Haan (black) that i fear would not get enough play without some black pants.

A 34 sleeve makes you tall?
My 15.5-36 shirts laugh at your tall definition.
Also, I hate the tm lewin site. I find it impossible to find more than 2 shirts in my size at a time.

hey I said 35" sleeve. I'm six three, if i recall you've got a few inches on me.

Tanglebones wrote:

The general consensus is that black is too powerful a color for men to wear, except at funerals; the nearest safe colors are gray and navy.

I'm too powerful not to wear black.

Seth wrote:

hey I said 35" sleeve. I'm six three, if i recall you've got a few inches on me.

Specifically one.

Tanglebones wrote:

The general consensus is that black is too powerful a color for men to wear, except at funerals; the nearest safe colors are gray and navy.

Maybe it's because I work in D.C.(100% suits 100% of the time), but almost everyone wears black suits.

KrazyTacoFO wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:

The general consensus is that black is too powerful a color for men to wear, except at funerals; the nearest safe colors are gray and navy.

Maybe it's because I work in D.C.(100% suits 100% of the time), but almost everyone wears black suits.

In NYC everyone wears charcoal or navy

Tanglebones wrote:
KrazyTacoFO wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:

The general consensus is that black is too powerful a color for men to wear, except at funerals; the nearest safe colors are gray and navy.

Maybe it's because I work in D.C.(100% suits 100% of the time), but almost everyone wears black suits.

In NYC everyone wears charcoal or navy

In San Francisco, everyone wears pink with sequins.

I like where this went! does the charcoal/navy carry over to Wall St? I ask because the executive management of my bank wears almost exclusively black suits.

Tanglebones wrote:
KrazyTacoFO wrote:
Tanglebones wrote:

The general consensus is that black is too powerful a color for men to wear, except at funerals; the nearest safe colors are gray and navy.

Maybe it's because I work in D.C.(100% suits 100% of the time), but almost everyone wears black suits.

In NYC everyone wears charcoal or navy

I wear charcoal suits in addition to my black ones.

Sheesh. I step away for a day and look what happens? I blame Q-Stone.

Seth wrote:

:( Okay mister. my job calls for slacks/shirt/tie standard, with a full suit maybe 4 times a month. I have three pairs of black pants, two pairs of brown (one with pinstripes) and a pair of gray. Not counting my suits, of course.

Just for laughs I went through my closet this morning. This is what I own (all 100% wool unless otherwise noted):

fresco-style (open weave) light grey
heavy taupe
the aforementioned flannel herringbone (favorite pair of pants I own)
charcoal with faint prince of wales pattern
dark brown
navy
3 pairs "dressy" cotton corduroys: dark brown, mid brown, white (yes, you can wear white in winter)
cream w/ light blue windowpane
white linen
white cotton
navy linen
heavy navy "dress" cotton (Mabitex)
hunter green cotton

and a few pairs of "f*ck you" pants -- these take a lot of confidence in your dress to pull off, and you'll still get some interesting looks:

totally ballin' yellow silk (RL purple label)
salmon linen (brooks brothers)
madras (brooks brothers -- notably the most comfortable pants I own)

With a couple exceptions, none of these put me out more than $25 or so, mostly bought used. The nice thing about wool is that if you treat it well -- always hang it, only dry-clean 1-2 times a year (dry-clean chemicals strip the wool's natural resistance to wear) -- even when you buy used they can last forever.

In general, you don't have to get this crazy. Several shades of gray -- I'm really partial to the lighter grays myself -- some darker browns, a couple navys, you're good to go.

...When did black pants come out of fashion? What might you recommend to go with some of those TM Lewin shirts I'm planning on getting?

The thing is, there are a couple different answers to that question. From a business dress perspective, they were never in fashion to begin with. From an Express and college clientele POV, they are still in fashion. From an "adult" perspective, though, black is simply too formal for everyday wear. It's reserved for occasions like funerals, and evening dress (e.g. tuxedos). Also morning dress, but that is unfortunately an art that has been lost in America; about the only time you'll see it is at Harvard's graduation.

That being said, I wouldn't sell your black pants; they are still the dress of choice for a night of clubbing (also the only time it's acceptable to wear solid-color crazy shirts like green or orange).

Seth wrote:

I know the answer to this, but black shoes with navy slacks is probably very inappropriate, correct? I have a nice pair of Cole Haan (black) that i fear would not get enough play without some black pants.

Actually no. Black shoes with navy pants is considered more business-appropriate than brown, though in the last few decades you are seeing more and more brown shoes. A nice burgundy perforated wingtip would perhaps be the perfect pairing, but you know. As long as your Haans aren't square-toe or elf-point, you should be good to go.

Brown and calf saddle oxfords. Cause I feel like it.

I recently upgraded from square toe for businesswear. I keep the old square toe stuff for informal stuff. Maybe I should just pitch them.

Do you troll ebay for pants, or secondhand stores? I've gotten very lucky at secondhand stores for shirts (there must be a rich guy almost exactly my size who gets bored quickly), but honestly have never bothered with pants.

I've picked up pants from e-bay, but it's rare. I have picked up several from the Styleforum "buying and selling" forum, and those have all been in immaculate condition. A lot of them I've just scored new on clearance or at a local consignment store.

Okay, Minarchist and friends: share your Kentucky Derby attire tips for 2012.

I'm debating between a very loud purple shirt and a more conservative french cuffed ivory shirt as the base. The ivory shirt would give me more freedom to play with pocket squares, hats, and cufflinks, but I really like the boldness of a huge splash of purple; I think it would give me more options for pants and jackets.

all underneath a panama hat.

what are your ideas?

Well, the Derby absolutely requires a hat, so you're good there. Straw, I assume?

What are you planning to wear suit/jacket wise? That may change my shirt opinion. In general, though, I shy away from solid bold colors in shirts* unless paired with a pale beige linen suit. On the beach. Sipping mojitos. If you want purple, though, a nice gingham or bengal stripe in a purple pastel could be good that time of year (see here for a very abbreviated rundown on patterns). In general I'd stick with the ivory and use it for more creative and non-matchy tie and PS combinations.

Also, are you actually going to the derby? If so, I'm sending you hateful envy rays out of my eyes. Pew pew pew pew!

*In general saturated solids look very fratboy-trying-to-be-grown-up, especially if paired with a tie that has that same color in it (e.g. a bright orange shirt with an orange-and-black striped tie). Black shirts are absolutely a dead giveaway for this. Note that no British shirt makers or "serious" American shirt makers sell these colors -- they're almost exclusively the domain of Express and their ilk.

Tl;Dr classics are classics for a reason dummy.

Two questions for the group:

1) I work in a very casual office. Most folks wear jeans and t-shirts to work, and "dressing up" consists of throwing on an untucked button-up. But summers around here are warm and humid, so I'm looking for something more comfortable than jeans without over-dressing too severely. Any recommendations?

2) I'm going to wedding in the fall and want to wear something other than a dark suit. I'm looking for ideas, so what would you wear?

Shalalm Baskur.

Polliwog wrote:

1) I work in a very casual office. Most folks wear jeans and t-shirts to work, and "dressing up" consists of throwing on an untucked button-up. But summers around here are warm and humid, so I'm looking for something more comfortable than jeans without over-dressing too severely. Any recommendations?

Kung-fu apparel. Breathes wonderfully, is loose and comfortable, and absolutely noone will screw with you when you go somewhere to get lunch.

IMAGE(http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/ColdstreamGWJ/kung_fu_uniform_540.jpg)

Alternatively:

IMAGE(http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/ColdstreamGWJ/51R5Ev5LdVL_SL500_AA300_.jpg)

Scrubs are also acceptable for work/kung-fu.

IMAGE(http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/ColdstreamGWJ/tumblr_lik6yvcEZY1qzcdbs_1300965056_cover.jpg)

Polliwog wrote:

1) I work in a very casual office. Most folks wear jeans and t-shirts to work, and "dressing up" consists of throwing on an untucked button-up. But summers around here are warm and humid, so I'm looking for something more comfortable than jeans without over-dressing too severely. Any recommendations?

Pants are pretty easy: linen and "fresco"-weave wool (usually 8-9oz wool weaves). Stay waaaaay far away from polyester. There are some very nice and classy linen pants around nowadays. Warm-weather shirts can be a bit more difficult depending on what you want to do. What are you looking for? If just a nice short- or long-sleeve button-up, lighter cotton and (again) linen can be nice. If you're planning on wearing a tie and jacket (note: tie without jacket not an option, it looks terrible and goes against everything fine menswear stands for), look for summer jackets and suits that are linen and fresco wool.

Or maybe you're looking for something else. Feel free to ask for further clarification.

2) I'm going to wedding in the fall and want to wear something other than a dark suit. I'm looking for ideas, so what would you wear?

What time of day is the wedding? And where? The Rockies would require something quite different than a beach-side wedding in the Caribbean.

Polliwog wrote:

Two questions for the group:

1) I work in a very casual office. Most folks wear jeans and t-shirts to work, and "dressing up" consists of throwing on an untucked button-up. But summers around here are warm and humid, so I'm looking for something more comfortable than jeans without over-dressing too severely. Any recommendations?

2) I'm going to wedding in the fall and want to wear something other than a dark suit. I'm looking for ideas, so what would you wear?

Shalalm Baskur.

I saw Minarchist's suggestions, but for a place that casual I don't know. Do you have any khakhi's? They're kind of part of the uniform around here. Anything made of chino or twill (or even maybe linen) would be good for the heat. My boss swears by Tommy Bahama (actually, if it wasn't for them he'd probably run naked in general). Try these to investigate. Those Irish Jetter pants look intriguing.

Bowing out totally on the suit thing.

Minarchist wrote:

Or maybe you're looking for something else. Feel free to ask for further clarification.

No, I was looking for exactly that, recommendations on fabrics. Momgamer, thanks for the link - those items are a bit out of my budget, but it certainly gives me something to hunt for.

Minarchist wrote:

What time of day is the wedding? And where? The Rockies would require something quite different than a beach-side wedding in the Caribbean.

Central Virginia in September. It'll be hot if it's during the day, hopefully cooler if it's in the evening (but probably still warm). I expect the wedding to be fairly formal, so I was looking at a light grey suit and then wondered if the color was appropriate. I'm guessing yes?

Coldstream wrote:

Scrubs are also acceptable for work/kung-fu.

IMAGE(http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn50/ColdstreamGWJ/tumblr_lik6yvcEZY1qzcdbs_1300965056_cover.jpg)

I love Turk.