Charlie's Wardrobe

DE Shaving adventures

2010-07-13T20:13:00.001-07:00

So I've had my 3rd shave with a DE (Double edge) razor and it's slowly getting better. I have a long way to go with my technique and blade angle, but was excited to receive my sample pack of razors and some after shave balm by Anthony Logistics.

I think I also need to work a bit on the pre shave side of things and will likely get some Prorasa Pre/Post shave on the weekend which has got very good reviews. Still getting a few cuts which are taken care of quite easily with a styptic pencil and my ingrown hairs (my whole reason for starting DE shaving) are getting better, but haven't disappeared yet.

I think the blade I started with (Dorco ST 300) is not quite sharp enough for me so will change it for one in the pack.

I've also switched from a cream to a soap in the Crabtree & Evelyn sandalwood scent which is a really cool old school masculine scent. Lets hope it just gets better & better from here.

Blades and balm were bought from mensbiz.com.au and soap/razor/brush/styptic pencil from the Shaver Shop if anyone is interested.

100th Post

2010-06-28T02:51:00.000-07:00

New Chukka's to celebrate......

Pitti looks

2010-06-18T23:46:00.000-07:00

Why can't I find this jacket in Australia?

Digging the red button

Summer double breasted

Great colour blue

No Bull - Advanced shoe polishing 101

2010-06-16T04:19:00.000-07:00

Image: Styleforum.net

Bulling, or spit shining is not for those short of patience. It takes time, effort, technique and a fair bit of elbow grease. You should never do the whole shoe, just the toes and heels if you must, though I do just the toes. From go to whoa, the whole process will take a couple of hours for 1 pair of shoes. Best to sit back with a glass of scotch or red and embrace it. In fact I'm doing a pair in between writing this.

To break it down
- Take the laces and shoe trees out
- Give them a condition with a good quality leather conditioner first (saphir if your a real polish snob)
- Do a base polish with a horsehair brush first to give a good all over general shine.
- Spit (real spit) works much better in my opinion than both water and champagne.
- You need to do about 4-5 coats min. of bulling to get a really good shine
- You'll mess it up the first few times so don't stress
- Between wears, give them a quick brush to remove scuffs. I do this when I take them off at the end of the day.

For actual technique, I can't recommend the following link enough. I had read many different ways to do it and this was the first that really worked for me.

http://www.cadetstuff.org/archives/000200.html

Happy bulling!

Introducing M.J Bale

2010-06-15T03:36:00.000-07:00

On the weekend I visited the new flagship store of M.J Bale, which for those of who are unsure of what that is, it's the new venture of Matt Jensen, one of the founders of Herringbone. The venture first started as Yensen (how his name is pronounced) but that didn't last too long as Ganton already has a line called Jensen and rather than fight a legal battle, he deemed it best to re brand early on.

The store is literally next door to the Herringbone store on Queen st, Woollahra. The similarities don't end there as the cuts of the suits and shirts are almost identical to Herringbone also, which is not a bad thing at all and in fact they are using the same suppliers in Japan, Pakistan and Italy.

The girl in the store (also ex Herringbone) was very knowledgeable and nice, and took me right through the range and I was very impressed I must say and she relaxed a lot when I told her I also used to work for Herringbone.

A quick overview of what I found -

Classic Range - Similar to Herringbone's core range at a lower price point in basic navy, grey and black. Starting at $695 for suits and $99 for shirts. Shirts are particularly good value if you are used to paying Herringbone shirt prices.

Contemporary Range - A more fashion forward range from $1095 with better fabrics than the classic range, they felt quite nice and both ranges seemed to have the working sleeve buttons featured on Herringbone's suits.

MTM - Starts at $1500 for suits and $150 for shirts. Very interestingly, they also have Thomas Mason shirting's in the MTM range from $220. I will most likely try a few $150 MTM shirts in the future as it's still cheaper than H/Bone off the rack, and it's always been a bug bear of mine that neither company seems capable of doing an off the rack shirt with a spread collar and button cuffs. They all have french for some reason.

Odd Jackets - They had a wall of jacket's, but I wasn't too impressed with these. They were all a bit fashion forward and a shorter length and the one I did like, which was a nice grey flannel, I eventually found out was a cotton flannel, which for $500 is too much.

Ties - The low light of the store unfortunately. They are all to thin, verging on skinny and I don't even wear wide ties! The fabrics were nice with a few wools thrown in and I would have bought a few if they were more like 2.75-3 in, but most were around 2-2.25 in.

So that's it. In conclusion, well worth a look I think. www.mjbale.com.au.

Some required reading

2010-05-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

http://shaveblog.com/?p=185

I have been only a semi regular shaver for the last 10 years or so because I get ingrown hairs frequently on my neck. I have recently discovered that all of the 5 blade razors are actually worse for your skin, because all of those razors cut the hair and then the last 2 or 3 push the hairs back under your skin and bingo, in grown hairs aplenty!

So I have now swapped to a 2 blade razor (baby steps at this stage), a non foam cream and purchased a shaving brush and a different ingrown hair balm on recommendation from the very helpful lady at the shaver shop in the Canberra Centre.

I'll report back after my first week of born again shaving.

Anyway, read this blog and get educated. Happy Shaving.

The downside to the internet

2010-05-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

I'm selling off 2 of my favourite pairs of shoes at the moment because they don't fit right. Maybe I'm getting fussy, maybe not, but this is the big drawback to buying shoes on the internet.

1 pair is too small, 1 pair too large, and even though I'm well versed on different makers lasts and sizing, without trying them on it's impossible to get things right every time.

I still think the pro's outweigh the cons and usually an email to the seller for some advice and measurements proves very useful. Hopefully they will both go to a good home and will be enjoyed for years to come (and make way for me to replace them with some more!).

Inspiration

2010-05-14T03:53:00.000-07:00

Image: Styleforum.net

This made me want to go out and buy a maroon tie, something which is sadly lacking in my collection. And a Panerai, but that'll have to wait a few years.

Lets make an effort

2010-05-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

I love living in Canberra. I'll just say that right now. I lived in Sydney for 5 years and have been back for 5 years and to romanticise it, fell out of love with Sydney a long time ago.

But.... the thing that annoys me in Canberra is the partners/husbands of all the beautiful women of Canberra not making an effort! Weekend after weekend, I witness women who have spent a large amount of time getting ready to go shopping/out and looking great (or not so great but the effort is there) and the guy just looks like a slob. Tracksuit pants and fleecy jumpers and joggers. Come on guys, at least respect your ladies enough to put some jeans on and make some effort while your sitting on the couch waiting for your woman.

Make an effort... if not for me, for your lady.

2 out of 3

2010-05-05T02:31:00.000-07:00

More shoe damage, another of my suede purchases. A pair of Grenson Grey Suede chukka boots with rubber soles To be worn with denim and maybe slim chino's. One more to come and then my shoe purchases will be done for a while.

Something about suede

2010-05-02T02:46:00.000-07:00

I'm on a bit of a suede shoe kick at the moment and have just received the first of 3 pairs on the way. The purpose of this post is not to brag, but to educate on how to look after them to ensure years of enjoyable wear. This particular pair will be worn with navy on occasion but mostly grey and in particular, a fantastic pair of pure cashmere flannels I have in the works for winter (a whole other post).

First thing you need to do is give them a few coats of protective spray, such as scotch guard or something similar.

Secondly, I headed to my local Florsheim store and picked up a new pair of shoe tree's and a nu buck/suede care kit, complete with a cleaning block and brush. Many of the shoe's I buy come with shoe trees but these didn't. Canberra has a very poor range I must say and the Florsheim were the best I could find but good value at $35.

My only other tips are to give them a brush after each wear, never wear them 2 days in a row and if it's raining or looking like it, keep them in the closet and wear leather instead. Oh, and wear them in good health!

I'm back!!

2010-04-27T23:47:00.000-07:00

Hello all, hopefully from now on I'll be back updating regularly 4-5 times a week. I'll be off to Sydney tomorrow morning for a quick 2 day trip, with a visit to the Herringbone store for a new suit and to check out the very tasty Crockett and Jones shoes they are now stocking at the Macquarie place store.

Some topics I'll cover in the near future will be -

- Achieving a complete shoe collection
- Caring for your shoes to get the most out of them
- Investing in clothing Vs buying something just because it's on sale
- Destination stores in Canberra and Sydney
- Dressing for Canberra's Winter

That should keep me going for a while, in the mean time dress well and happy reading.

Jason

Along time coming

2010-03-02T22:09:00.000-08:00

My first post in over 3 months! I'm still not sure how frequent they will be for at least the next 2 months but fingers crossed.

This weekend, the Black Opal Carnival is on out at Thoroughbred Park and after seeing how badly the fellows that won the Melbourne Cup day fashions looked (no dis-respect to the judges), took it upon myself to use a few connections to get on the judging panel for this one.

So I'll be one of the judges for the guys, but part of the deal is I have to do the girls and couples too, what a hard life!

Fingers crossed that the pinnacle of men's style in Canberra wasn't seen at the Melbourne Cup day. A bit of advice for the guys, I want to see something different, but in a good way. Some lighter coloured suits in cotton/wool would be a good start, pocket squares, maybe a bow tie if you can pull it off (just not pre-tied) and just make sure it all fit's well. Oh and polish your shoes.

Things that will be instant rejects are black suits, square toed shoe's, ridiculously pointy toed shoe's, polyester, anything fluoro, sports sunglasses with suits, overly drunk and swaying by midday.... you get where I'm going with this I'm sure. I'll post a report next week in any case with how the festivities went.

Cheers
Jason

My new watch project

2009-11-26T01:23:00.000-08:00

I recieved this vintage 60's Omega Seamaster this week purchased off eBay in Switzerland and although I had a frustrating 3 week wait to get it, it has now arrived I am very happy.

I bought with the intention of doing a bit of a restoration job, as you can see the casing and bezel are in need of a good buff and polish and the strap, while new and leather is pretty horrible. It's quite a small watch so will really be used for dressier purposes and won't get much run on the weekend. It is as you can see by the picture an automatic movement, which for the layperson means it has no batteries and self winds from the movement of the wearer (kinetic energy) meaning it needs to be worn reasonably frequently or it will stop (once every 3 days or so).

I'll be removing the straps tonight to start the polishing process while in the mean time I will look for the perfect new strap. What I have in mind is a plain tan leather with white stitching which will contrast well with the charcoal face. I'll post after pics when it is done.

The best thing about watches like vintage Omega's is they hold their value so well. At over 40 years old now, I can easily wear it for 5 years and sell it for what I paid for it if not more, where as your everyday quartz Seiko depreciates viciously over that same 5 years.

Different scents for different seasons

2009-11-17T01:49:00.000-08:00

Yeah I probably have too many of these, but I've never been one of those people that can just stick to one and leave it at that. I do envy those people but I doubt I'll ever be one. I'm fascinated by different scents and how they can make what you are wearing feel totally different, even if it's the same thing you wore last week.

Out of my current 6, I break them up as follows L-R -

1, 2 and 3 - Paco Rabane XS, Gucci Pour Homme 2 and Ralph Lauren - All 3 of these are really good all round scents, wearable most of the year round and in all sorts of formal and informal situations

4 - Paul Smith Men - A really great light summer fragrance. Very citrusy like most summer fragrance and great for warm weekends. The only issue I have with it like most lighter fragrances, is it doesn't last as long as you would ideally want.

5 - Burberry London - I've written about this one before, this is my perfect winter scent. Strong wood and leather tones make it a perfect match with grey flannels and an overcoat.

6 - Tom Ford for Men - I've only just bought this a few weeks ago. Pricey, but one of the most traditional scents I've worn, and I like it that way. In fact it reeks of masculinity. But what else would you expect from the straightest gay man on earth, Tom Ford? The only thing manlier is Tom Ford Extreme, which gives Old Spice and Drakkar Noir a run for their money!

Slow posting and more

2009-11-14T22:47:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that the number of posts has dropped a lot in the last few weeks. There are a few reasons for this, mainly that I have just started training for my first marathon in April next year, I'm preparing to move in to my new apartment and I am focusing my attention on to the up coming website for a few months, along with still working a full time 9-5 day job!.

During this time, I'll still hopefully get 3 posts a week up and then pick back up again afterwards.

In the mean time, an interesting forum if you are interested in learning more about men's style is www.styleforum.net. It's totally free to sign up and there are some great quality posters on there from designers to tailors to just style nuts like myself. You want to head to the men's clothing section.

Wearing in leather soles

2009-11-10T02:58:00.001-08:00

Dress shoes should all have leather soles. There is no argument against that. Leather conforms to the foot better, breathes better and when made with Goodyear Welting construction, are much more comfortable. In Layman's terms the upper is stitched to welt, which is then stitched to the out sole is a very quick explanation of welting. Google it if you want to find more info.

Most cheaper shoes found in retail shops (Aquila, Zu etc) are all cheaply glued to the sole, often which is rubber and have to be thrown out after a year or less. Welted shoes can be easily re-soled on the other hand and worn for years given the right care.

Anyway, back to the topic. Leather soles can be a nightmare on the first couple of wears, simply because they are a bit slippery. I have found a way to combat this, which is by scoring the soles and heel with a sharp knife/blade like you would score a pork roast before putting it in the oven. A new pair arrived today, these are made by Loake and from their top line 1880 Range, which is still made in Northamptonshire, England, where all fine English shoes hail from. You can see from the below image the way they have been scored, which will make wearing them in a lot easier the first few times.

Loake are by no means super high end in the world of English bench made shoes, but they are many many times better than most of the crap on offer in Australia. There are a few stores around Australia that carry them, albeit at over inflated prices not far shy of the $500 mark and very little range.

The best bet is to try somewhere like www.pediwear.co.uk which is where these came from, for almost half the above amount, including free shoe trees, shoe polish, shoe horn and even a silk tie! You obviously need to know your sizing first however.

A dash of colour

2009-11-06T03:27:00.000-08:00

I love wearing my red socks. When asked why I prefer red, the best answer I could come up with is "It's like a party at my ankles". These are a new pair of Paul Smith that are a very thin cotton, perfect for summer.

They brighten up what was otherwise a very conservative suit (navy herringbone weave) with a white/blue striped shirt, white pocket square and brown wingtips.

Indulgence in tie form

2009-11-05T01:18:00.000-08:00

I received a nice surprise in the mail today in the form of the above tie. I say surprise because I only ordered it 4 days ago and it's here already. It's quite dark so hard to see in real detail, but it is a dark brown herringbone in whats called a 3 fold construction.

3 fold construction essentially means that in place of a canvas centre piece and silk lining, the same fabric is used throughout and folded over on itself. It's a more expensive way to make a tie because of the extra fabric used but they hang a lot nicer and provide a much better knot. Made in Texas of all places.

With the Aussie dollar so strong, ordering things from the states has never been more tempting. This was $100 US shipped, which was barely over $110 once converted. If you could actually find these ties in Australia, they would retail for well over $200.

Why is it indulgent? It's PURE CASHMERE.

Head to http://www.kentwang.com/ to get on his mailing list. The website is not much, but he has lots of cool ties, pocket squares and socks and they are all limited run production of around 10 pieces or less, so your pretty much guaranteed of not seeing the same thing ever.

The Bow Tie: Staging a come back?

2009-11-03T23:14:00.000-08:00

Images: news.com.au

The first photo is Chris Smith, one of the Australian Wallabies, at the Melbourne cup yesterday sporting a bow tie with his very well tailored 3 piece suit. Certainly bowtie's won't be a mainstream day to day item in men's style in our lifetime for all but the few eccentric and traditional gentleman that already wear them, but I do think they have some merit for events other than formal black tie occasions like the races or perhaps a wedding.

One rule with bowtie's is that if you are going to do it, do it properly and get an untied version and learn how to tie it yourself. Pre tied bows have that all too perfect knot and none of the character that a hand tied knot contains. It takes time to learn, but even an idiot like me can get it eventually.

The second fellow, while his sunglasses could be a tad more discreet and his jacket sleeve's are too long, still looks quite dashing (this was from the Melbourne Cup also). If only such good things could be said about the men's style at the Canberra Races yesterday.....

The Hour Glass Magazine: Where have you been all my life!

2009-11-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

To be fair, it's only the second issue of this magazine to be made. The Hour Glass is an international watch retail chain specialising in high end time pieces that are now producing their own magazine . I'm actually kicking myself that I didn't know about them before I went to Sydney this weekend and I would have gone in for a browse. I was lucky enough that my parents picked it up for free in the Qantas club lounge on the weekend.

From Panerai to Patek Phillipe to Hublot and anything in between, this magazine has you covered if your the kind of guy to blow a months worth of mortgage payments on a watch. As someone who is still a novice in the wide world of watches, this is a great magazine for education purposes. Some of them, such as a $391,000 Breguet I can only dream of owning but it is inspiring to read stories of real collectors that aren't necessarily millionaires, but have great collections built up over many years.

There is a fantastic story on a book shop owner that has over 20 watches including 5 Panerai's! My hope is that as my collection grows over the years, it represents a timeline of memorable and fine purchases getting better and better with age. It seems to be a free magazine, so I will contact them to see if I can be on their mailing list.

Thank Christ! or someone....

2009-10-29T04:15:00.000-07:00

Don Draper has been voted the worlds most influential man, by Yankee magazine despite being a fictional character. I'm so glad no. 1 wasn't Ryan Seacrest!

Why you need to buy a Navy Blue tie....

2009-10-26T03:47:00.000-07:00

I have tons of ties, to be honest. Probably around 50 at the moment, but in current rotation maybe 15-20 regulars. Of those regulars, the ones I wear the most are always the plain Navy ones.

Why you ask? Because put simply, it's the easiest to wear with anything. It also lets you have a bit more adventure in shirts and suits, allowing checks and stripes to be worn with much more ease and much less chance of clashing.

I quickly pulled out five shirts and put them all with a Navy tie in front of them. Now this is only around maybe ten percent of my shirts, but they are all in the same colour families really. Mainly white and various shades of blue with the odd bit of extra colour.

White

Sky Blue

White/light blue stripe

Purple

Pink/white check

So I challenge anyone out there to come up with one tie colour that compliments these five shirts better! This is a great lesson for those who only have/need a few ties. It's easy when you are buying a tie to get something with too much pattern and colour that can only be worn with one, or maybe two shirts. I can confidently say that this one Navy tie could be worn with at least 40 of my shirts no problems.

So that's why you need to go and buy a Navy Blue tie. Off you go......

CW Website in the works

2009-10-24T03:09:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting my act together to set up a website that will run alongside the blog, operating more for the business side of things. I'm super excited about this project and will be working with my friend Sarah on the design side of things over the next few months to hopefully have it up and live by xmas.

In the mean time, I have made a "CW in the media" section on the top right of the blog which has some of the media exposure I have gotten so far. It's only small now but hopefully will grow in the near future.

Stay tuned.....

Tissot, in the flesh

2009-10-22T03:58:00.000-07:00

Picked the new watch up today, couldn't be happier. It's a shame the same can't be said about the service at Mazuchelli's.......

For all the watch fanatics out there, it is a quartz movement, not automatic. Tissot do make automatics but they are around $300 more than the quartz equivalents, though from what I found there was not an automatic in the range as elegant looking as this.

Note to self: Start looking through Tag, Omega and Raymond Weil ranges for the next one in a few years time.

Going belt-less

2009-10-21T03:47:00.000-07:00

I read a good blog last week from an Australian made to measure suit maker, that suggested the advantages of going belt-less. While I couldn't agree more, many of the comments he received were not in favour of it. Why I thought?

As someone who sits at a desk pretty much all day, the thought of a hard piece of leather sticking in to my gut constantly doesn't exactly fill me with glee. The fact is, your trousers should fit so that they don't need a belt in the first place. If you are relying on them to keep your trou' up, then a trip to the tailor is in order quick smart.

The last suit I had made, I specifically requested no belt loops and had side adjusters put on instead, and they are so much more comfortable and actually quite a good talking point when people ask about them. The adjusters mean you can lose or gain weight slightly and just pull or release the adjuster to tighten or loosen them if need be.

Click the image for a better view of the adjuster on the waistband

Style Icon: The late Gianni Agnelli

2009-10-20T03:06:00.000-07:00

Gianni Agnelli was the emperor of Italy at one time. Not literally, but as the head of Fiat which could lay claim to 5% of Italy's GDP at one point, he wasn't too far off.

He was and still is an inspiration for many a gentleman looking to dress better. Famous for his sprezzatura, defined as "The art of doing a difficult task so gracefully, that it looks effortless" (or essentially a host of little style quirks) such as wearing his watch over the cuff of his shirts among others, many men have tried and failed to copy his style. Mr Agnelli passed away in 2003.

Image: Vanity Fair

One man who could lay claim to the title of luckiest bastard in the world is his grandson, Lapo Elkann, Fiat heir and himself some what of a style icon depending on who you talk to. When his grandfather passed, Lapo inherited Gianni's entire collection of bespoke suits and jackets, said to be around 100 or so in total.

Lapo's playboy days seem to be behind him after a widespread run in with a transsexual prostitute a few years back, but he still dresses the part of a playboy adding his own sprezzatura along the way and keeping his grandfathers memory alive.

The Groom: To hire or not to hire?

2009-10-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

Today one of my friends asked for advice on places to hire suits for her wedding and it got me thinking about how it is such a tradition for the bride to spend a lot on the dress, shoes and jewellery etc for a once only wearing and the groom normally ends up with a hire suit, which if bought could be used for years down the track for various other function's.

So let's weigh up the pros to buying your own suit if it's your special day and the cons to hiring a suit. You can see this will be biased by now surely....

PROS to buying
- Having one really nice suit is a good investment, even if you only wear it for weddings and funerals.
- The suit will pay for itself in 3 or 4 wears. If you don't believe me, shop around to see how much hire suits are these days.
- It's something to remember your special day with the woman you love. Every time you wear it you will be reminded of it.
- Having a suit that fit's well will take you a long way to being the best dressed man there. If your the groom, you SHOULD be the best dressed man there by the way

CONS to hiring
- Compromises. There will be tons of them, from the fabric, to the cut, to the colour. Rarely will you find anything at a hire place that will tick these boxes.
- Sweat. Most people get married during the nicer parts of the year. Most hire suits are made of heavy, poly mixed fabrics. They don't mix so well.
- Almost certainly, a 17 year old kid has had the same suit for his year 12 formal and almost certainly the same kid has been sick in it. I don't think that needs anymore explaining.
- The alterations on hire suits are notoriously shoddy. At the last wedding I went to, 2 of the groomsman's sleeves were at least a full 3 inches too short and you could see the whole cuff of their shirts.

It's a lop-sided argument I know, but you all know what I think now. If money is an issue, then perhaps consider compromising by buying your suit and hiring the groomsman's. After all, they are only stuck in it for a day, but it's your memory for life.....

Reader Question: Brown Shoes

2009-10-17T23:26:00.000-07:00

I received an email from a reader, which I thought was worth sharing:

James wrote: You seem to like brown shoes quite a bit. I too like brown shoes but am never really too sure what to wear with them. Can you give me some advice? Regards, James.

Well James, yes I do prefer brown shoes over black, it must be the non conformist in me! The short answer is that brown shoes can be worn with pretty much anything except black.

The long answer is, if you have worn black shoes all your life and are new to brown, then start slowly and work up from there. Buy a simple pair of darker brown oxfords, having them darker means you won't be so self conscious and continually glance at your own feet while walking, not a good look! As you get more comfortable you can play around with different shades of brown like mid brown and tan's and then even venture in to the wonderful world of suede.

The important things to look for are leather soles (preferably goodyear welted), leather upper and lining and no square toes. Something in a slim but not pointy last shape like the 2 below are about right.

Different brown's work well with different colours as well. I believe almost all browns go well with navy. But very dark charcoal's tend to look better with a mid-dark brown rather than a tan. Tan is fantastic with navy, mid and light greys and most of the beige colour spectrum. And yes, all browns look good with jeans. I'm actually wearing my mid brown Tod's driving mocs with jeans and no socks as I type this.

My brown shoe collection is up to seven now, and I have most of the basics covered. Recently I have been taken in by double strap monks like the 2 above. The top are Crockett and Jones Lowndes model. Whilst I really want them, even off the internet they run at around the $500 mark and much more at Henry Bucks.

The bottom are Loakes blackfriars model, and are about half the price. So if I decide to make it pair number 8, it will most likely be these. In case you're wondering what I would wear them with, the answer is suit's (navy, grey and beige), grey flannels, odd jackets/trousers and possibly even dark jeans and a Navy blazer.

Hope this helps James.

P.S I did buy the Tissot with the Navy face! Real pics and review to come over the next few days.

Stuck in the trenches

2009-10-15T03:59:00.000-07:00

Image: J.Crew

Today is halfway through spring. And what better way to celebrate it than with a cold, miserable rainy day of 15 degrees! Much like the rest of spring that Canberra has had so far.

After work today, I had to duck in to the city to pick a few things up and to be frank, it was pissing down. Walking around well equipped and dry with my Mac on and a sturdy umbrella, it became quickly obvious that pretty much everyone that works in the city came ill prepared for any sort of rain fall today. Which is weird since we have had the same weather for 2 weeks straight. I saw a total of 1 other person wearing a Mac/Trench the whole time in there.

Umbrella's aside, a Mac is the best thing to keep you dry in the rain, because they are made of waxed cotton that water beads off of, just like Teflon. I saw plenty of overcoats, which are really the wrong thing for spring, because the heavy fabric just gets wet and becomes more and more heavy and cumbersome. On top of that, the weather, while depressing is not that low that we still need to be wearing thick overcoats now.

Bring on next week when it hopefully warms up. In the mean time, look for a Mac! (in beige or navy). Oh and this is one time it's ok to flip the collar up, they are meant to be worn that way to keep you dry!

P.S Just as a quick style history lesson, trench coats are called that because of a literal meaning. British soldiers in the first world war wore them in muddy trenches during battle to keep dry.

Reader help needed: Watches

2009-10-14T03:54:00.000-07:00

It's time for a new watch and I can't decide! It's narrowed down to about 3 and I need your help to make the decision. Ideally, I want a Tag Heuer Carrera, but feel it would pretty irresponsible to spend over a grand on a watch, when I will have a mortgage in 2 months time.

So....it has to be metal as I have plenty of leather straps. Swiss, because they make the best watches and a neutral diver style that's not too chunky to wear with suit, but not too dressy to wear with jeans. The final three are -

1. Tissot T-Sport with Navy dial

Image: Amazon.com

2. Tag Heuer Formula 1

Image: Amazon.com

3. Wenger Airforce XL Chrono

Image: Wenger.com.au

At this stage I think the Tissot is my favourite because of the navy face. The navy and silver look so good together. The Tag is, well a Tag, but the wrong side of $500 once shipping and exchange rate is taken in to account (go aussie dollar!) and I'm worried it's a bit too casual. The Wenger is nice and like the Tissot, the right side of $500 but I'm not sure on the black face. It's a nice looking watch in any case though.

Opinions please?

The Lynx Effect?

2009-10-13T03:49:00.000-07:00

If you believe marketing, then to get fantastically good looking women like this then all you need to do is spray a bucket load of Lynx on and your in like Flynn. Lynx reminds me of high school. Why do you ask? Well it brings back memories of a mate, and he is still one of my best mates, that would play footy all lunch time, then to mask the stench of grass and dry sweat, spray on half a can of this stuff before going back to class. I still remember it vividly.

I like to keep fit and go to the gym around 4-5 times a week. When I am there during the week I normally go straight from work and get changed, and almost certainly someone is getting changed or fresh out of the shower, drenching themselves in this horrible odour. I can't seem to tell the difference between any of them, I'm not sure if I'm alone. Perhaps it' all the same, just with different labels on it.

As a grown man, my advice is that any deodorant you use should be a) Roll on, it's better for the environment and b) unscented. Unscented because as a grown man, you should own a few different fragrances, of which scented deodorant will clash with. And be secure about yourself enough to admit it.

I probably have more fragrances than most, around 6 at the moment, but tend to wear only 1 or 2 regularly and the rest sit there gathering dust. If you get to the gym and your a bit on the nose, then stick one of the unused ones in your gym bag and do a few discreet sprays when getting changed. Trust me, the gorgeous brunette on the treadmill next to you will appreciate it. Just don't expect it to make her fall for you like the Lynx ad's would believe..... She will probably just think you smell nice.

Herringbone on the web

2009-10-13T03:43:00.000-07:00

I just realised yesterday that the new Herringbone website is now up and running. I hope to drop in there on the weekend when I am in Sydney in a couple weeks time to see the improvements from the Van Laack take over in person. I will report back then.

In the mean time, head to http://www.herringbone.com.au/ to see for yourself.

Dressing for a wedding

2009-10-11T23:00:00.000-07:00

I attended a wedding on the weekend (ceremony only) for a friend that was getting married, it was a nice ceremony and the bride looked great and the weather ended up being not too bad at all, if a little cold.

While it would be disrespectful to go in to the details of the style blunders made at this particular wedding by some of the guests, I thought I might outline a few tips and things to avoid for the average fellow that doesn't wear a suit on regular occasions with a list of DO's and DONT'S.

DO

- Invest in 1 good suit if you don't need to wear it often. Make sure it is charcoal, grey or navy blue, single breasted and not a loud pinstripe or check.
- Buy a few different shirt/tie's that can be mixed around easy enough. Stick to simple white and blues for the shirts and solid coloured or discreetly patterned ties. A plain navy tie is the one to buy if you are only getting one, just be careful of only wearing the one "outfit" to all functions, it'll start to look like a uniform.
- Wear some classic black or brown lace ups, no square toes and preferably no rubber soles.
- Get a haircut 1 week before the wedding. It doesn't look so box fresh this way and most guys hair looks best when given a week to grow out.
- Have a shave (no explanation needed), unless you have a beard.
- Take a change of shirt if it's hot, especially if you are in the party and getting photo's taken in the sun all afternoon before the reception.
- Wear Sunglasses (see below for explanation)

DON'T

- Wear sports sunglasses. As Patrick Johnson in the article link from the below post said, you'll look like a PE teacher at a wedding. Please stick to something classic like subtle aviator's or Ray Ban's.
- EVER EVER EVER wear black tie during the daytime. It is meant for when the sun goes down. Unless the invite specifies it, don't wear black tie, period.
- Wear black suits either, your going to a wedding, not a funeral. See the DO's for further explanation.
- Buy a suit the day before the wedding, or worse still the morning of the wedding. You need time to get alterations done and try it on at home to make sure they are all ok. Give yourself at least 2 weeks head start.
- Undress straight after the ceremony. By this I mean yanking your tie off and rolling up your sleeves as soon as the groom kisses his bride. If your not used to wearing a suit it may feel a little restrictive, but it's only for one day. So suck it up.

Sports sunglasses: Leave them for the cricket field

Image: Boisestyle

So there you have it. Next Monday I will have a column coming out in a special edition lift out of the Canberra Times focusing on the Spring Racing Carnival's. There may be a few things doubled up, being that both events generally involve being outside, sunshine, alcohol and many questionable outfits, so I apologise in advance.

A good article

2009-10-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

I came across this article late last week, it's a nice light hearted read of mistakes many men make when dressing up.

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-10-worst-things-aussie-men-do-with-their-suits/

I'm going to follow up tonight with my own wedding do's and dont's for attendees.

Some proper shoes

2009-10-08T02:57:00.000-07:00

I received a nice present in the mail today, a new pair of shoes. These are not just any shoes, they are real proper English like. The best shoes in the world are made in Northampton, where Grenson, the company that makes these derby's has been based since 1866. So there's just a little history in there.

I have wanted a pair of Grenson's since I spied them in Incu earlier this year. Incu are the only place to my knowledge in Australia that carry Grenson. Full price here is $420 for these bad boys and when I saw them they were on sale for $290. I managed to get these brand new off eBay from England for $200 shipped, so it's not a bad deal really.

They will be worn with tan/beige, most shades of grey and of course navy, possibly the best colour to wear brown shoes with.

My project this weekend is to make a mini photography area at home so I can start churning out some much better quality photo's.

What happened to spring?

2009-10-07T02:15:00.000-07:00

This time last week I was sitting in QLD with a t-shirt on, a cold beer in hand and the air con on. Now back in Canberra it's around 4 degrees, windy and I am sick with the heater on. Fun times....

The reason for my whinging is that I am really missing out on wearing my favourite summer suit, the tan linen/wool number pictured. This suit was the best bargain I have ever found. It started at $799 full price and by the time I laid eyes on it the price had gone to $300, then $99 and then finally $45! It was too good to pass up. The fabric is an extremely light weight linen and wool mixture that is so good when the temps are up over 25 degrees.

To get it fitting this good from off the rack I've had the waist nipped in, sleeves lengthened slightly and the trouser width narrowed. So it's safe to say that a lot more has been spent on alterations than the purchase price of the suit, but still I have a fantastic suit that cost me around $200 in total.

I was hoping to wear it to watch a friends wedding on the weekend but with a forecast of 15 for Saturday it's not looking good. Fingers crossed we get some nice weather soon!

Quote of the day

2009-10-06T02:44:00.000-07:00

"A man should look as if he has bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care then forgotten all about them" Sir Hardy Amies.

A great one to keep in the back of your mind if your over analysing things in the wardrobe department.

Trim the fat

2009-10-05T03:39:00.001-07:00

Want to know the easiest way to lose 10 kilo's quickly? Either get some slimmer shirts or take the ones you have to your tailor to have them taken in. Let's compare the 2 photo's of the same guy.

Here we have a loose fitting shirt that bags at the waist, the sleeves are too wide and the tie is too long (and thick). It's a classic public service look seen in APS buildings all around Canberra.

Images: Hilary Walsh

Now everything has slimmed down, he looks much thinner and fitter, without even going to the gym, although I recommend not relying on nice clothes completely to flatter your figure. The shirt is trimmer and tie shorter and slimmer. He also proves that you don't have to wear a belt if your pants fit properly (i.e they stay up by themselves).

Tomorrow I will finally finish my 10 Part Complete Wardrobe series.

An unexpected shot of colour

2009-10-04T04:35:00.000-07:00

Sorry posts have been super slow this week. Having been in QLD for some work in my other job and having a few days R & R while I was up there, it's been tough to find time. It hasn't helped that almost all hotels in the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast haven't seem to have discovered in room internet access yet... but a relaxing time was had.

Anyway, I am back today and this post is about introducing colour, but subtley. Socks are a great way to do this and red socks are a favourite of mine, though 4 out of 5 days of the week I would still match my socks to my pants. I have a cool pair of red Paul Smith socks that are on high rotation. Bright socks are best worn with an outfit a little more conservative. This chap from head to ankle seems very conservative really, except for the little surprise at his ankles.

And that's the best way to do it!

Images: Scott Schumam

Keeping cuffs in proportion

2009-09-30T02:37:00.000-07:00

I was not an every night watcher of Masterchef when it was on, but did enjoy the occasional episode. One thing that never impressed me was the way the judges dressed. George Calombaris was an exception, and kept things pretty simple in dark dress shirts that fitted him well and dark denim, hiding the extra girth very well that comes from being a chef and putting mountains of cream and butter in your dishes.

Matt Preston, while having an individual touch with his Cravat's, really picked the wrong thing as a signature when your sporting a double chin like his. All Cravat's do is draw attention to that area. He would have been much more suited to colourful pocket squares.

To the point of the post, Gary Mehigan, the third judge is on the shorter side like George and has the chef's paunch also. Wisely to his credit, he gets all of the sleeves on his suits shortened to be in proportion with his shorter arms. What he fails to do (and I've seen this on a number of occasions) is get his shirt sleeves shortened. So we end up with a huge amount of cuff showing when he bends his arms. Actually the whole cuff showing. A tailor can easily take up sleeves on a dress shirt, the same way as he does suits, but it's simpler.

Mr Mehigan, like myself is a perfect candidate for Bespoke shirts, though I have the opposite problem of the sleeves being too short.

I like a bit of cuff showing, but this is taking it a bit too far

No posts sorry

2009-09-28T23:53:00.000-07:00

I arrived in the Gold Coast last night for work, only to discover that my apartment has no internet access apart from a pay as you go service in the lobby which I'm using now. Hopefully when I get to Brisbane tomorrow I will catch up with a new post. At least the weather is great!

The customer is mostly right

2009-09-25T21:05:00.002-07:00

Last night I took a trip to the Hyatt to an appointment with my tailor from Hong Kong, Raja's fashions for a couple of new shirts and to take my suit they made me 2 months ago back for a few minor alterations.

When I pointed out that I thought the sleeves were too long the tailor was insistent that they were not and that the idea of showing 2cm of cuff was ridiculous, which is what I show on all of my jackets. Because I am fussy and know what I wanted, the thought of compromise never entered my mind so we disagreed for about 5 minutes before finally agreeing that for the trouble of sending the jacket back to Hong Kong to shorten the sleeves 1.5cm, I would get my local tailor to do it and instead we would get a deal on our shirts.

We (my brother and I) ended up getting 6 shirts for $500, a $100 saving in total which was pretty good really but I was disappointed that he did not listen to what I wanted.

The point of the post is that most tailors have there own style they like to stick to, but if it doesn't agree with yours, then it doesn't hurt to insist on what you want, whether it matches his opinion or not. This is twice as important when buying bespoke, as having something that no one else does is the reason for buying in the first place for many.

The Complete Wardrobe Part 9: Outerwear

2009-09-22T03:51:00.000-07:00

It's not really the right time of the year to write about outerwear, so I'll keep it as brief as possible. There is probably about 10 different coats you could really have if you wanted, but I'll stick to 5 of my favourites.

1. The Mac - A raincoat basically, not really used for keeping you warm, certainly not in Canberra's winter anyway. Better for rainy days to keep you dry.

Image: J.Crew

2. The Pea Coat - A great coat with both jeans and trousers, mine is black though I wished I had held out for the same one in mid grey like Mr Borelli here.

3. The Camel Overcoat - Something a bit different for someone who wants to get noticed a bit more. I also have one, though it needs altering before next winter.

4. The tweed coat - Great in a dark grey herringbone or a charcoal and nice and thick.

5. The Barbour - A good casual alternative and many Italians love wearing these with suits or just generally dressed up rather than casually. Then again, so do Americans such as this Ralph Lauren model/employee.

All other above images: Scott Schuman

Brownlow special: Black tie and how not to wear it

2009-09-21T03:24:00.001-07:00

I was just flicking through the news and stumbled upon some photo's of the Brownlow ceremony happening tonight. I'm no great AFL fan but I don't dislike it either and most guys that live in Melbourne are a bit more style conscious than the rest of Australia. This obviously doesn't apply to most AFL players.

Lets start with this fellow below. Apart from the way to matching pink pocket square has anyone noticed that mortal sin being committed here? That's right folks, he is wearing brown shoes (bad brown shoes at that)! You don't ever wear brown shoes with black period, but to Black Tie events this is much worse. You would think that earning well over 100k per year money wouldn't be that tight that he can't afford to go shopping beforehand, so I'm going to have to say he has no idea. And his missus may possibly be colourblind...

Number 2, and things are heading south fast. Old mate looks OK even if his suit is a bit big for him and I think he has probably not said anything to his other half because he's about 100 and she's about 35, and he probably feels good in the knowledge that he'll only have to take half the required viagra dosage tonight based purely on what she is wearing.

On the other hand, she looks like a slapper. I'll leave it at that.

There is some hope here though, as the guys below demonstrate. Sure they have had some help from a designer/stylist but in general everything has been kept simple. Slim black tuxedo's, white dinner shirts and black ties/bow ties. It's really not rocket science.

Lets hope finals football is a lot more stylish than the top 2 shots.

The Complete Wardrobe Part 8: Shorts

2009-09-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

Shorts are very relevant for us in Australia at the moment while we move in to Spring and then Summer, my favourite time of the year. They are particularly on my mind at the moment because in a week and a half I'll be enjoying the warm sun of the Gold Coast, Brisbane and then the Sunshine Coast.

I'm not a surfer, but I do love swimming and the beach so there will be focus on both casual shorts and swimwear. Rule number one for any type of shorts be they swimmers or casual shorts is that they should NEVER go past your knees. Leave the long baggy surfie shorts for crusty surfie's and if you are still holding on to shorts past your knees that you wear on the weekend, then give them away. Especially those way too feminine 3/4 length things that for one reason or another became popular around 5 years ago. I can help you if the decision between pants and shorts is far too difficult so you just decided to have the best of both worlds....

Casual Shorts

You can't go wrong with a pair of worn in cotton shorts in a chino fabric like this or something with a bit more pattern to it. Just remember though, patterned shorts, plain shirt. Simple as that.

Image: J.Crew

Another option that has never really become popular in Australia but has been an American mainstay for decades is Seersucker. Marcs are stocking some very nice Seersucker shorts in various colours this year with a cuff on them similar to the below.

Image: Gap

At present, shorts are being worn a bit shorter, an inch or two above the knee which is fine for most builds unless your a little husky, in which case they will just draw attention to your white, flabby legs. Go for something that hits at the knee with a slightly wider leg, but not baggy.

Swim Trunks

As I mentioned at the top, I'm not a huge fan of long baggy shorts for swimming at the beach. If you have the build, trimmer and shorter ones like the gent has on below are much more flattering and even have a practical purpose, they are easy to swim in.

Image: men.style.com/gq

Swim Trunks have gotten shorter too, though you wouldn't know it by going in to any surf shops, they are all still enormous! The only label I have found that do a consistently good shorter trunk is Zanerobe and while I'm not a fan of the label itself, they are fairly cheap and easy enough to find. I picked the below trunks up at the Parliament outlet for $30 a few weeks ago for my upcoming trip.

The Complete Wardrobe Part 7: T-Shirts and Polo's

2009-09-16T03:12:00.000-07:00

As much as I enjoy wearing nice clothes, what I enjoy just as much is putting on an old beat up t-shirt with jeans or chino's on the weekend to bum around it. I get attached to t-shirts, to the point where I'm wearing them while they have holes in them. I think it gives them character.

As is true with many things, T-shirts are best kept simple and focused on fit rather than the huge gaudy Ed Hardy or Zanerobe logo on them (can you tell I'm not a fan of either). I pretty much wear plain white, grey or black t-shirts and for polo's bring a bit more colour in because they are normally used for golf.

Nothing is as classic as a white t-shirt. Below is probably the most classic white t-shirt photo of all time, Marlon Brando. His is a bit tight and short in the sleeves, but classic none the less.

A grey marle, looks good with anything. I buy my t-shirts from mostly Industrie now they have taken the 10 logo's per t-shirt off that they used to have, for about $25 per pop. They fit great even though the label itself is not really my style. I also get the plain Levi's t-shirts, again around $25 a pop. There is no point spending $100 on a t-shirt. 'Cos it's a t-shirt. Whatever the label, you can bet it cost around $5 or under to make somewhere.

J.Lindeberg polo's, my new favourite.

Lacoste, another classic though you have to be careful with the Italian slim fit if you are tall because they are quite short.

With polo's I'm happy to spend a bit more on, there is more construction involved and most of the cottons are much more luxurious like the pima cottons of the JL ones. Just don't buy them with sleeves hanging down to your elbow and 3 sizes too big. The way they fit on these guys is just right.

The Complete Wardrobe Part 6: Knitwear

2009-09-14T04:49:00.000-07:00

Past the halfway point now we start moving in to more casual territory. In Canberra's winter, knitwear is necessary for a good 4-5 months of the year and the right knitwear doesn't just keep you warm, it can make you look like all the things you wish you were (i.e taller, thinner etc). You don't need everyone of these pieces, but each of them serve a different purpose. If you are like me and know what you like, then you may get multiples of the same. For me this is thin dark V-Necks I can wear over T-shirts or crisp white shirts. 5 favourites are -

1. The V-Neck knit - Keep it slim, lightweight and dark. Preferably in Navy, Charcoal or Black

2. The Crew Neck - Again keep it thin, these are knits designed for modern day air conditioning. If you like colour, give it a shot like the dark purple in this one.

3. The Cardigan - Cardi's have been back for a few years now, though personally I'm not a huge fan of them casually. I do have a very cool sky blue Puma one I wear to play golf in occasionally though.

4. The Shawl Collar - This is meant for the outdoors, so don't wear it to work! Keep it heavy and thick and use it in place of a jacket with beat up chino's and desert boots.

5. The Vest - The perfect Autumn knit, keeps you warm without being too warm and is great under a jacket without the bulk of sleeves.

So that's it, when it comes to knitwear it's not rocket science. If you can afford it, go cashmere, otherwise fine gauge merino wools more than suffice. Just no polyester or poly mixes.

Slightly off topic lastly, all of the images here are from J.Crew, which is kind of like Country Road in America but um, better. If your ever in North America or Hawaii, I highly recommend you check them out.

Frightening trend that won't die - White dress shoes (NOT endorsed)

2009-09-13T01:55:00.000-07:00

It seems the bogan masses that attend the races at this time of the year on a regular basis with no other goal for the day than to get legless and lose money on horses they have never heard of won't let this one rest.

Either the races or the local dodgy nightclubs (Mooseheads cough cough) seem to be full of douchebag like characters wearing dark pants and white dress shoes. You know with the spiky douchebag hair? Yeah you know them.

Practically speaking, wearing white shoes for a night of stepping on peoples feet on dance floors and spilling bourbon and coke everywhere would seem pretty dumb no? Available at such horrid shops as YD, Tarocash and Betts, they are poorly constructed with rubber soles (bad for dancing) and lets face it, most of them won't see a cloth, polish or shoe brush in their lifetime.

If you own white dress shoes, please go and throw them away right now! Shoes that are more than acceptable in white are trainers, sneakers, golf shoes and just about any other sporting shoes, but dress shoes, sorry they are not. Stick to black or brown in various shades.

Audi keeps getting stronger

2009-09-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

I'm on a countdown of around just over a week until I get my new car so have been reading plenty of blogs and websites for reviews on it in the hope of reassuring myself it's all that I hoped and more.

While doing this I came across the new Audi R8 spider this morning and man is it nice, though the jury is out on the colour.....

The Complete Wardrobe Part 5: Denim

2009-09-10T00:03:00.001-07:00

I have done a previous post on denim so I will make this one fairly brief. 2 or 3 pairs of jeans is about all you need as a minimum in your denim wardrobe. I must admit that I have about 10 pairs of jeans and wear only 3 on a regular basis, but just can't seem to part with the others.

Pair 1) A pair of dark, raw denim with no finishing/distressing etc on them. The best thing about this kind of jean is that you make it your own. Try not to wash them too much and they will develop their own natural whiskers and shape.

Image: A.P.C

Brand new

Image: Levis.com

Denim can look like this naturally, from years of wear. You don't need to rely on factory workers to do this for you.

Pair 2) A lighter denim jean, this one you want to show a bit of wear, so at the risk of contradicting myself then I say it's ok to have these a little distressed. That doesn't mean any rips or tears though.

Image: Scott Schuman

Pair 3) For the average guy, then another pair of darker ones similar to the first pair are in order. If your confident and willing to take a few risks, then try some white jeans or off white. The key I believe is wearing something muted and dark with them like grey or navy blue, like this chap. I don't have them, but will be taking the plunge this summer once it heats up.

The Complete Wardrobe Part 4: Shoes

2009-09-08T03:55:00.000-07:00

I'm not gonna beat around the bush here, there are 6 essential shoes you need to see you through almost any situation. I'm talking proper shoes too, not limited edition Nike Air Force re issues from Hype DC.... Classics.

1. Black Oxfords - Wear 'em with a suit, with jeans or with a tux, they are probably the most versatile of the 5.

2. Brown lace ups - As above expect the tux, brown is my preferred choice day to day. Perfect with a pair of grey flannels like I wore today.

3. Brown Wingtips - If your wearing proper shoes everyday of the week, you ideally want 3 pairs to give the others plenty of rest in between wears. These are a different option, also look cool in brown suede if you can find them.

4. Driving Mocs - Tods are the top of the tree at around the $400-$500 mark (and worth it) but there are plenty of cheaper options around the $100-$200 mark also. Wear them with jeans or chino's, and always with no socks.

5. Desert Boots - Clarks are the classic and I must admit I don't wear mine as much as I should, but are good with beat up chino's and lighter coloured jeans like beige or white if you have the guts (another post for a later date).

6. Converse Jack Purcells - A more grown up, stylish version of Chuck Taylors. Wear them with anything.

Notable mentions as we are in Australia, yes you should have thongs in your wardrobe but no you should not wear them all the time on the weekend. Save 'em for the beach or super hot days.

Everyone obviously also needs running shoes/cross trainers etc which I won't go in to, but as a runner personally prefer Asics and Mizunos.

The Complete Wardrobe Part 3: Ties

2009-09-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

In the year 2009 a tie is not considered a necessity, even in the wardrobe of a man that wears tailored clothes to work everyday. Sadly, we have become more and more casual over the years to the point where many men don't even care how they look anymore. Re-wind to the 50's and you wouldn't think about leaving the house without a tie on during the week.

But we're here to talk about the present and I too fall in to the former category of having the freedom to wear whatever the hell I please (within reason) to work. If I feel like wearing a tie, then I do. I think a basic wardrobe should consist of at least 5-10 ties, but there is so much choice it's hard to know where to begin so I will list a few favourites of mine on high rotation -

1) A plain navy blue knit tie. A true classic

2) A plain black silk tie, can be worn in the week and easily substitutes for a bow tie at black tie functions

3) A light to mid grey woven silk tie, as plain as possible or with a slight check

4) Something in a pastel if your the Horse Racing type that attends Spring Racing Carnivals, preferably with classic diagonal stripes. Pastel's can be feminine at times so stay away from flowers etc in the weave/print and don't wear them with pastel shirts.

5) Something summery and cotton. No one likes wearing a tie when it's baking, but sometimes we have to. There are some really cool madras print ties going around if you look hard enough like the below, though they take some balls to pull off.

Image: J.Press

Of course at the end of the day, ties are a very personal thing. I myself like them fairly slim (not skinny) between 2-3 inches wide and very muted and most of my ties are very plain. I almost always wear a plain silver tie bar to keep it out of the way so I can let my shirts do the talking and plain ties are much much easier to match with various different patterns.... Oh and I've said it before, ALWAYS a four in hand knot for me and never ever a Windsor or Half Windsor.

Trenery: A big disapointment

2009-09-05T04:03:00.000-07:00

Trenery is Country Road's new spin off label, aimed apparently at the slightly older age group of 35+ (though they are confusing us by using models in their 20's). The Canberra store opened this week and I had a chance to go in and have a look. I must say, with respect to the designer behind this, it was hugely disappointing. Nor has their been a lot of "designing" going on, unless you see taking many of CR's pieces, make them roomier for the older market and re labelling it with Trenery designing.

The store itself looks great, and there are a few pieces of note, namely the mid brown wing tips well priced at $229, though they have been made on a much more round and chunky last than CR's shoes. There are some cool bright preppy inspired belts in Red, Green, Yellow and Blue's, though they should really be in Country Road with the guys that will actually buy them (i.e guys like me!). There were also some nice nylon swim shorts in various colours.

The rest is entirely predictable, Navy, Beige and Grey suiting and sport coats. Boring White's, Blues and some pastels in the shirting, mostly button down collars but all over sized baggy fits. Lots of beige and navy cotton shorts (all too long) and chino's, again too baggy.

I've become a fan of CR over the last 2 years or so, and really think it covers a good range of age groups these days from about 25 to guys in their 50's. Sure, the cuts have got slimmer lately but they are certainly not skinny, and not everything is slim fit.

So it begs the ultimate question to the people at Country Road?

If it ain't broke, why are you trying to fix it?

The Complete Wardrobe Part 2: Shirts

2009-09-02T23:58:00.000-07:00

Using the formula of the bare minimum required to complete the wardrobe, for someone who wears a shirt everyday of the week, then 10 should be the minimum you have. That way, you are only wearing them once every couple of weeks.

The break up is as follows -

3 x White shirts

1 spread collar/french cuff (for suits but can easily be used in place of a dinner shirt

1 semi spread collar button cuff (wear with suits or dressy jeans)

1 button down collar oxford cloth button cuff (jeans or suits, great for casual Friday)

3 x Blue Shirts

1 sky blue standard collar button cuff (perfect summer shirt with the Khaki suit in last post)

1 mid blue standard collar button cuff (wear it with anything)

1 button down collar oxford cloth button cuff (casual Friday/Weekends)

1 x Striped Shirt

A mid blue stripe is safe but if your not afraid of colour, then go for something like purple. Button cuffs, semi spread collar.

1 x Checked Shirt

A navy gingham is perfect, button down collar and button cuffs

1 x Black

Wear it when your out at night, just make sure it's slim. Button cuffs, standard collar (you can undo an extra button at night too).

1 x Pink

Don't be afraid of Pink! Unless you have a reddish complexion, then stay well clear of it unless you want to look even more red) If you have a tan, you look twice as tanned, great for summer. Take your pick with cut, just not too formal so no french cuffs)

These 10 will cover pretty much any occasion where a shirt is needed.

Image: gq.com

Image: J.Crew

Image: gq.com

Image: Gitman Bros

Image: Savilerowco

One final note, if it's in the week, then tuck it in. Can be worn un tucked on the weekend for some shirts that aren't too long, but once you hit about 30-35 you should think about tucking full time.

Good night, and good luck....

The Complete wardrobe Part 1: Suits

2009-09-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

At a minimum, if you wear a suit daily you should have no less than 3 suits. If your only going to have 3, then make them conservative and the emphasis on the fit and cut rather than drawing attention with bold pin stripes or checks. I would recommend a 2 or 3 button single breasted jacket with side vents (the flaps at the back) as it is the most flattering and timeless styles on the majority of men. Trousers should be flat front with cuffs or no cuffs depending on preference. Shorter guys should stay away from cuffs. Insist to your tailor that the sleeves show 1.5cm of shirt cuff and that the trousers have only a single break at the bottom. If you have room in the waist, get the tailor to nip it in a little to give some shape, an easy way to look slimmer and more V shaped.

1) The Navy Blue suit

This has a faint stripe, and is 3 button that rolls to 2, which essentially means that the top button is never done up. Do not EVER do the bottom button on a suit jacket up.

2) Charcoal/Dark Grey

A good alternative to Navy and goes with many of the same colours, making it easier to match with shirts and ties.

3) Khaki Cotton

Images: gq.com

You probably thought number 3 would be black, but no. Charcoal covers what black will and in the middle of summer you need something to stay cool. The above 2 might get a bit toasty in Canberra's climate. I have this exact colour in a linen/wool mix summer weight and always get plenty of compliments because it's a bit different.

Those 3 would take the average guy through all 4 seasons. If you wear suits every single day of the week without fail, you may want to consider a lighter grey for summer also and a grey flannel for winter.

Best stores in Canberra to look are

- Country Road and Oxford (mid range $400 to $700)

- John Hanna, David Jones and Bugatti (mid to high range $600 to $1000)

- Ken Cook and Blades - High End $1000 plus

- Raja's Fashions (my Hong Kong tailor, in Canberra once every 2 months, mid to high end but custom made to your body)

If these are above your budget, try the Oxford outlet at DFO, it generally has a few decent suits around the $300-$400 mark on sale. Anything below these prices and the quality really suffers.

Part 2 tomorrow, shirts.

Ten steps to a complete wardrobe

2009-09-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

Over the next few weeks I am going to do an online guide of building a minimum basic wardrobe for the average businessman that wears a suit most days to work and dresses more casually on the weekend and perhaps a Friday. The topics covered will be as follows -

1) Suits
2) Shirts
3) Ties
4) Shoes
5) Denim
6) Knitwear
7) T-shirts/polo's
8) Shorts
9) Outerwear
10) Pants/Chino's

This is designed for the average guy with a minimum budget and while I won't be recommending anything from Lowes, nor will I from the likes of Zegna or Boss. Enjoy!

New shoes? Think about brown

2009-08-31T00:16:00.000-07:00

Were talking about proper shoes here mind you. Trainers, loafers etc are all another topic all together which I'll cover at a later date.

I almost always wear brown shoes, but I don't see too many others wearing them in Australia. Look at the Italians and Brits and it's all they wear, but most guys in Australia stick to the old faithful black. Maybe it's the non conformist in me, or maybe they just look better.

You can't wear brown shoes with black obviously, but if you read yesterday's post then you shouldn't be wearing black during the day anyway! They do however go great with Navy blue, charcoal and mid to light grey suits. How lighter brown you go is up to you depending on how daring you want to be but most off the shelf shoes in Australia are fairly dark I have found until you get over the $300-$400 mark and more choice becomes available. The below shoes represent a few different shades to consider. Today I'm wearing a pair of Country Road dark brown wing tips similar to the bottom pair with a navy suit by the way. All of these colours look good with jeans also.

Just make sure you keep 'em polished, because plenty of people will be looking at your feet (in a good way).

Confidence is needed for a brown this light, looks great with lighter to mid grey though.

A good mid brown, suitable for mid to dark greys and navy blue

More conservative, wearable with almost anything but black.

Photos: Grenson uk, Alden shoes

Photo: Scott Schuman

This stylish fellow shoes how to wear brown and blue very well.

Wearing black in the daytime?

2009-08-30T02:29:00.000-07:00

It's a question many people argue about, should you or should you not wear black during the day? By black I mean black suits predominantly and shirts also for business purposes. Shoe's/belts/watches etc are perfectly acceptable any time of the day in black, which goes without saying.

Black during the daytime (we'll assume it's sunny) to me is far too harsh on most people's complexions making them look much paler than normal and direct sunlight on black gives the fabric the effect of being green, and no one wants to be wearing green suits...ever.

A much more sober and complimentary option is either charcoal grey or navy blue for suits and pants. They tick the work attire box while also being appropriate for weddings and funerals, can be worn with both black and brown shoes and many other shirt colours, just about any shirt colours in fact. And you'll never be mistaken for a waiter or sommelier!

For the record, I do own a black suit and a black velvet dinner jacket, with both getting very little wear apart from night time formal functions. I certainly don't look down on the way anyone dresses but if you feel you have to wear black for whatever reason then so be it, just please do it when it's cloudy outside and if we happen to run in to each other, you will have my nod of approval.

J.Lindeberg polos, golf and style come together again

2009-08-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

If you're in to clothes and you're in to golf, chances are you know who J.Lindeberg is. If your not, J.Lindeberg, or JL for short is a Swedish label founded by Johan Lindeberg in 1996 and in case you are not aware, is basically impossible to get in Australia. JL was worn early on by older Swedish golf pro and stylish bastard Jesper Parnevik but didn't really make it on to the mainstream in the golf world until all round ladies man and Colombian JL pin up boy Camilo Villegas started wearing it a few years back.....

As a golfer, I have all sorts of polo's in my wardrobe from Lacoste to Ralph Lauren to Penguin, but for some reason slim fit polo's seem to be always made for very short men, and at 6 foot 2 showing my bellybutton after a golf swing is not high on the priority list. So the hunt has been on for the elusive perfectly fitting polo.

The JL polo's have a great slim fit, they are long enough in the body(but not over your ass), short enough in the sleeves and have a few cool little quirks like the seam down the front and a really well designed 2 button placket that doesn't feel chunky around the neck. I just purchased my first one in red as below down in Melbourne at a great little store called Swensk, on Lt Collins St. They basically do only Swedish fashion labels. They also carry it in black and white and they retail for $129 each. They also have an online store at www.swensk.com.au.

A little bit of cuff never hurts

2009-08-27T03:06:00.000-07:00

My golden rule when buying suits and jackets, is that you should be able to show a bit of cuff. Everyone is different, but I like at least half an inch showing. I mentioned previously that I have gone away from french cuffs lately to barrel cuffs because I like to keep the cuffs unbuttoned much like these 2 stylish Italian gentleman. It's actually very comfy wearing jackets like this as it allows you to wear chunkier watches if you prefer without them snagging on your cuffs. These guys would both be in their late 50's or early 60's, but are still very relevant because of their timeless style. Well cut suits, crisp white shirts and a little quirk to set them apart from the everyday Joe, like unbuttoned cuffs or yellow reading glasses....

Images: Scott Schuman

Herringbone: The Interview

2009-08-24T23:55:00.001-07:00

I used to work at Herringbone once or twice a week for almost a year when the Canberra store was still open and still continue to be a big fan of the brand and a customer to this day. Full disclosure out of the way, Herringbone have had an up and down year so far going from voluntary administration earlier in the year to now having new ownership by German company Van Laack, along with a new focus and some exciting development plans for the near future.

I still have a contact working in the administration side of things at Herringbone who was kind enough to put some time aside to answer a few of my questions on what’s in store for Herringbone and their customers.

CW: For Spring/Summer 2010, what do you see as being the key pieces/trends for Herringbone’s mens collection?

Herringbone: Herringbone’s Spring/Summer collection (currently being released in all stores and David Jones) is about going ‘back to basics’ – identifying those pieces that customers have loved about Herringbone over the past 11 years, adding amazing and new details to these pieces to improve the quality, functionality and life of the garment, and teaming that with contemporary and fashionable colour themes which match back to the themes of the season.

This Spring/Summer, highlight colours will be berry tones, navy/red (nautical themes) with a splash of green as being identified as one of the key colours for Spring Racing this year. We will be re-introducing the classic shirtdress in a variety of patterns and colours and timeless suiting pieces in practical Navy and Charcoal Grey to last the seasons to come.

We are maintaining out previous product lines – Mens and Ladies shirting, ties, cufflinks, belts, suiting (suiting produced in the same factories as we have prior to purchase by Van Laack), boxer shorts, swim shorts etc, and are also planning to introduce new and exciting product lines that are currently in development i.e. Handmade Shirts, Ladies boxer shorts, a new and better than before Bespoke service with hundreds of fabric selections.

CW: I’m excited to see that Herringbone will be launching a new website soon. Do you have a date of release for the site? And will it still feature the online store?

HB: Our new website is currently under construction, and is due to be launched at the beginning of September.

This new site will encompass a new online store, catalogue and product detail shots (catalogue due for late August release), and also the potential to launch a ‘style-guide’ blog for the loyal Herringbone followers to converse with others of a similar mind, as well as the Herringbone staff and design team to learn about upcoming products and new design initiative that have increased the quality of our garments.

We would also like to continue to give customers the opportunity to join the Herringbone Customer database to continue to receive communication from our stores – this will be another feature to be accessible via our website which we plan to further develop (customer interaction) as we grow the web-based side of our business. Herringbone started as a solely ‘online’ brand, and we would like to support and grow our client base by getting back to these ‘roots’.

CW: Here at Charlie’s Wardrobe, I try and preach the advantages of classic tailoring and style, as opposed to what’s in fashion right this second. Just yesterday I read that Brioni is now moving in to T-shirts because of the financial downturn. Will Herringbone’s focus continue to be on classic, timeless clothing or will we see a change to a more casual approach?

HB: At Herringbone we have discussed this on a number of levels. We have a commitment to providing our customers with a classic, high quality, and detailed garment which is also balanced by the fashion/styling of the day. For this reason the design team at Herringbone has a challenge of harmonizing this classic tailoring with fashion-forward thinking.

As discussed earlier, this season we are focusing on the ‘basics’ of our collection in order to provide our clients with the elements of their wardrobe that are essential for day to day wear, while still peppering the range with our key casual and/or focus seasonal pieces which we are renowned for i.e. Mens Cotton Suits including Tailored Shorts for Summer, Trenchcoats for Winter, Ladies item jackets, etc. This will help to continue to develop and grow our range (through collaboration between our Australian designer and the Van Laack design team in Germany) in the coming years.

CW: Do you see Herringbone fitting in to a particular demographic or do you think that the timelessness of Herringbone defies age groups?

HB: Herringbone’s demographic is ever-changing – but we like to feel that our timelessness allows us to have a wide-spread appeal across many age-groups.

CW: Are you able tell me a bit more info on the new company structure and planned growth, as I’ve only read about the German buy out through the media?

HB: In April of this year Herringbone was purchased by Van Laack GMBH. This is a German company which is one of the oldest shirt makers in Europe with stores in New York, across Europe and Asia. Van Laack have been producing shirts in their own factories for over 128 years. Christian Von Daniels, owner of Van Laack, recognises the synergies between the Herringbone/Van Laack brands and is using these to develop both businesses. With key members of the Australian Head Office team retained in the new Woollahra Head Office (Retail Management, Buying, Design etc) Herringbone has retained its distinct feel and tradition of being ‘distinguished by detail’, while taking aboard the experience, knowledge and buying power of the international Van Laack label with a German-based Head Office.

Herringbone has started the new season strong and has planned growth in the coming twelve months. Refurbishments are occurring across all 10 remaining Herringbone stores across Australia, with a new location opening in the Sydney International Airport terminal scheduled for December 2009. The strong relationship with David Jones as the key wholesale stockist of Herringbone goods (store-in-store) continues, with plans to roll out Herringbone across David Jones stores all over Australia in the near future.

We are also getting our first experience in the International fashion market – with a ‘store-in-store’ concept opening in Dubai in October 2009, and further plans by Van Laack to extend stand-alone Herringbone retail stores into the Asian/European markets. Van Laack intends to have a Herringbone showroom setup in Europe by the end of 2009, to show the Australian label to potential European wholesale clients for the Spring/Summer 2010 buy to occur in Europe later this year.

I also have a few photo’s of what is coming up in the new catalogue below and have been promised a copy of the catalogue once finalised, by the sounds of things Herringbone is set for a great year ahead.

Enjoy!

Car I'll never own: Maserati GranCabrio

2009-08-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

Images: Autoblog

The new Maserati GranCabrio (a convertible version of the GranTurismo), it's a 4 seater, 433hp out of a 4.7 litre engine with a canvas roof. I personally thought Maserati had fallen by the wayside a bit in recent times but this is one sexy piece of gear.

Out in Spring 2011 (US Spring). That gives me a year and half to become a millionaire.....

I keep coming back to: Burberry London

2009-08-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not the kind of guy that can wear the same fragrance all the time, every time. I've worn many different ones over the years with some favourites being Issey Miyake, the original Dolce and Gabbana, PS Paul Smith and a Perry Ellis that is not available anymore. Currently it's Gucci Pour Homme 2, which is great but a bit light and about to run out! So time to buy something new.

It's almost definitely going to be Burberry London, it has everything a guy needs in a fragrance. Great packaging/bottle (half the marketing battle), it's not amazingly expensive and it has a real leathery, woody dense scent that doesn't fade after an hour. It's a great winter fragrance but I will likely wear it through summer this year for work and the much more citrusy PS Paul Smith for the weekends.

Any of the mass market fragrance discount stores sell this for under $90 for a 50ml edt. You could really do much worse for that kind of money. I've been quietly admiring what Christopher Bailey has done with the House of Burberry over the last 3 or 4 years, it seems to keep getting better and better which is good news for both guys and girls.

CW collaborates...

2009-08-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that I am in the final stages of sealing an agreement with my alterations tailor, TT Fashions located in Baileys Corner in the city which is sure to benefit clients and readers of the blog.

I plan do do a profile on TT in the future and the owner Tuan who has been doing my alterations on and off for over ten years (minus 4 years when living in Sydney), he is quite the character and always has a smile on his face.

Part of this collaboration is that I will get wholesale pricing for alterations, which I am pleased to pass on to my clients and readers of the blog. You will need one of my business cards to receive the pricing when you go in, so get in touch if you are interested and I can organise to get one to you. Pricing is POA, so send me an email if you are interested.

Have a great weekend...

Going Bespoke: Part 3 (The finale)

2009-08-20T02:53:00.000-07:00

Everything is here! About 1.5 weeks early I might add. It actually arrived mid week last week but I had a few little adjustments I needed in the waist of the jacket and the shirts. Herein lies the rub, I could either wait till they come back in another month and have a suit and 2 shirts I couldn't wear, or get my alterations tailor to fix it. They were minor adjustments and I was guaranteed they would re-imburse me for the costs when they come from Hong Kong again in Sept, which will come in handy when I get a few more shirts.

First the shirts.

1. The Tablecloth, as I call it. Great fit and will look good with both navy and grey suits as well as jeans and a knit tie.

2. The Classic White Poplin. Spread collar, but button cuffs for a little less formality. I've gone away from wearing cuff links a lot lately and like to keep the cuff buttons open for something different.

The suit.....

1. As it is, 2 button, side vents and pleat less trousers. Slanted pockets on the jacket draw attention to the nipped in waist.

2. The lining! Bright purple, I know I know. I had about 40 different linings to choose from and thought I may as well get something bright. I've since been told it was a good choice as purple is a calming colour, hmmm.

3. Working buttonholes. These take a lot of extra time to make and aren't seen on your off the rack Hugo Boss. And yes, I'll be leaving one open to show off to the suit snobs that will take notice.

5. My own name sewn in the lining!

So how does it fit? Judge for yourself

5. Pants from the back

6. The whole suit, I am very happy with the finished product. If I wanted to be super picky I'd have the sleeves 1cm shorter to show a bit more cuff, and that's it.

The tailor is Raja Fashions, and they often pop up in the google ads in the top right. Either click through or shoot me an email if you would like the dates of when they are next in Australia.

Put the iron away

2009-08-19T02:47:00.000-07:00

Don't listen to what your mum taught you, you don't need to iron your shirts, ever! One or two exceptions may be a black tie event or a very formal spread collar, french cuff shirt but everyday shirts look far better with a lived in, rumpled feel. Here's how.....

1. Out of the machine, hang them to dry on a coat hanger, never a clothes horse to get the natural shape of the shirt set in. Just make sure you button the top button to keep the collar in shape otherwise you will need to iron.

2. When dry, hang in your closet like normal until ready to wear.

3. On the day of wearing, just throw it in the dryer for about 5-10 mins in the morning. While your in the shower is perfect. This gets rid of the big wrinkles, but keeps it from looking stuffy.

4. The end result should be something similar to this

Photo: Esquire

I'm also just about to invest in a steamer, which you can get off eBay for around the $100 mark. Depending on how it goes, I may do away with an iron for good. The best thing about this is you can use them to freshen up suits, jackets, pants and just about anything as well as shirts. The steam cleans and freshens all fabrics, meaning your dry cleaning bills become pretty much non existent (unless your a slob and drop food all over yourself. In that case, wear a bib).

Car you'll NEVER, EVER own: Bentley Mulsanne

2009-08-18T06:09:00.000-07:00

Photo: Autoblog

This is the Bentley Arnage's replacement, the Mulsanne . This will likely have a retail of around the $800,000 to 1 million dollar mark, which is ridiculously unnecessary no matter how much money you have (ok I'd fork out for a Bugatti if I had the cash).

Personally I like it except for the wheels, way too bling for my taste. Hip Hop artists and rappers all over America are rejoicing.....

Stylish Woman: Giovanna Battaglia

2009-08-17T06:22:00.000-07:00

Almost no one will know who she is, unless you read either L'oumo Vogue Italia or are an avid fan of the Sartorialist, Scott Schuman, which is where I came to know of her. Giovanna is the Fashion/Style Editor for L'oumo Vogue Italia, which is the Italian Men's Vogue.

There is no doubt she is a very beautiful woman, with a great figure and fantastic, genuine smile. But to me her greatest asset is the way she knows how to dress very stylishly while still looking current and relevant without looking like a fashionista.

I could count the amount of stylish women I know on both hands, women that really know how to dress and have the confidence that goes with being really comfortable about the way they look. Most women brag about how much they love shopping or buying shoes but very few take a real interest in being stylish and creating their own signature style. Perhaps those looking for direction can take some inspiration from the lovely Ms Battaglia. And hope they are blessed with a set of legs like hers!

Pantherella Socks: My New Obsession

2009-08-16T00:53:00.000-07:00

I came accross these socks today on my travels in David Jones in Melbourne city. Pantherella are an English hosiery company that specialise in high end fabrics like cashmere and Sea Island cotton. I had been searching for the pure cashmere socks they make for quite some time now but just haven't been able to find them in stores or part with the cash for them over the internet. Were talking $80-$100 for a pair of socks here kids.....

DJ's here has a great range of Pantherella, no cashmere, but they do stock a broad colour range of Sea Island cotton Pantherella socks for around $35 each. Yeah I know this is still expensive, but Sea Island cotton is the cashmere or vicuna of cottons, the fabric is so soft. I have a lot of navy, grey and charcoal socks already, so I figured if I am going to part with the money, I may as well inject a bit of colour to my sock drawer.

I've now learnt that Sea Island cotton is extremely rare and only grown in the West Indies, and there are many fakes and companies trying to pass other cottons such as pima and supima off as Sea Island. All Pantherella socks however, feature the hologram label of the West Indian Sea Island association, to prove they are the real deal.

I would consider myself a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to tailored clothes, again plenty of navy, grey and charcoal suits and jackets and lots of white and blue shirts in various patterns/shades. If this sounds like you, a bit of colour around the ankles is an easy way to brighten up a very conservative outfit.

Man this is gonna start costing me!

The Jean pool

2009-08-14T03:24:00.000-07:00

Jeans can be a daunting task for a lot of guys. Where the hell do you start? Boot cut, loose fit, slim fit, skinny jeans, low rises. Denim definitely falls in to the category of too much choice, and for a lot of men this is not a good thing. They pick something out of the hat that is not right for them and end up unhappy, or with 10 pairs of jeans that never get worn.

For the majority of men, a slim fit (not skinny), dark, un-washed denim with a mid to low rise is about the perfect pair of jeans. They can be dressed up with a blazer and dress shoes, or dressed down just as easily with a pair of Chucks or Jack Purcell's and a tee, or thongs if your that way inclined.

I personally don't get the idea between buying pre distressed denim, to me they should be made your own, worn in to the shape of your body and faded and whiskered naturally, not by some guy in a Chinese factory.

A favourite of mine is A.P.C, a french label that makes most of their jeans in a raw selvage finish. Fellow blogger Michael William's from A Continuous Lean worked on his A.P.C's for a full year before washing them, now that's commitment! Not washing certainly helps a long the ageing process. Below is how they looked after a year compared to a new pair.

Fortunately and unfortunately for me, years of competitive cycling and triathlon have resulted in a small ass for me, which is a good thing I guess but always gives me grief with jeans. Denim stretches, and although I always buy a size smaller to allow for this invariably if I don't wash them regularly, the ass gets droopy and draws attention to my little problem. Washing gets them back to original shape quickly. But I digress, I could have much worse problems really.

A.P.C are stocked at Incu in Sydney and Cactus Jam in Melbourne and are around the $240 mark. If you want something cheaper, Country Road also do a great dark denim slim fit for $100 each, in fact I am wearing a pair now actually. And for classics, you can't go past Levi's or Wrangler.

Just whatever you do, if you are over 21, DO NOT wear skinny stovepipe jeans. You will look like an Emo and no one wants to see your package. Seriously. Peace.....

Coming soon....to a High street store near you

2009-08-11T23:25:00.000-07:00

The folks over at Men.style.com (GQ America) have released their picks of what's on trend for fall this year, or winter 2010 for us Aussies. Though I'm not one to use the word "Fashion" all that often, trends come and go and there is not much we can do about that. The way it generally works though is that some of the stuff that turn up on the catwalks in Europe that you would neither be caught dead in or couldn't afford, trickles down to to something more affordable and mainstream on the shelves of your latest chain store over the next year or so.

Here are my picks out of the list to what I hope we see....

1. Slim, monochromatic suiting. Calvin Klein is the master of this concept. Unfussy navy and grey suits, white shirts, matching navy or grey ties.

2. Double Breasted suits. Not the shoulder padded monstrosities out of 80's movies like Wall Street, but shorter slimmer versions for younger guys 25-40.

3. Titanium bold frames. No they are not plastic, but they are cool.

4. Classic Watches. These ones are from Dunhill, and they are bloody expensive. But you don't need to spend heaps for something similar, as my post in June explained.

5. Leather briefcases. Not as stuffy as the 'ol Samsonite, but dressier than a man bag type thing. I'm actually about to take my own advice on this one and retire my canvas Jack Spade satchel for something similar.

Well they are my picks, I'm actually so sick of winter now I hopefully won't think about this stuff again for a good 6 months or so. Bring on Spring I say. Check the list out yourself at http://www.men.style.com/.

Photos: Men.style.com

Melbourne next week

2009-08-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'll be off to Melbourne on Saturday until Wed next week, mostly for business but will get Sunday to myself to check out a few shops. I've actually spent little very time in Melbourne and way too much time in Sydney, so I need a bit of help off all the Melbournian's or ex pats reading on where to go.

So far the plan is to start at Collins St. and Little Collins St. for mid to high end stores, down to Chapel St. to check out the Puma concept store and Puma Golf gear. Puma are a client of mine in my regular job so I always like to see what the store's are doing.

Was also thinking of heading over to Dockland's to Harbour Town. Is this worth it? There is a Levi's store which I'm keen to check out but not really sure if the rest is junk or not.

If anyone knows of any smaller stores selling American/Euro labels similar to Incu in Sydney around the city area also let me know.

Thanks!

The rise and rise of golf style (again)

2009-08-09T23:23:00.000-07:00

Golf. Some people love it and some hate it, I fall firmly in the former category and look forward to daylight savings time in Summer when I can get a quick 9 holes in after work before it gets dark as well as my usual weekend round.

It's a game that has risen to popularity in recent years again thanks to the many young marketable, stylish stars of the PGA tour such as Camilo Villegas, Henrik Stenson and Luke Donald. These chaps are doing what fantastically hot women like Natalie Gulbis are doing on the LPGA tour, basically proving that it's not all 50 year old guys in beige chino's anymore. Or in Natalie's case, proving that professional women golfers don't all resemble frumpy middle aged women wearing culottes. Trust me they don't, the current LPGA Tour is full of amazing looking women.

My local course if full of bogans, let's get this clear. But I have noticed the dress is improving in the last year or so which is definitely good thing. It's probably mainly the clubs fault as they don't have dress rules like many others do and any booner from Charny' can rock up in his trackie dacks and Wests Tigers jersey and get on for a hit.

The new breed keep it simple, slim polo's, vests and pants that are made with golf and also athleticism in mind. Classic brands like Lacoste, Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren are suddenly being challenged by the likes of Puma Golf and J.Lindeberg. My take? It's all good, but I'll let the photo's speak for themselves.

And of course how could I forget the lovely Ms Gulbis!

Stylish Bastard: Simon Baker

2009-08-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

He can act, hs his own quirky style, the birds love him, he's an Aussie and not many people wear wrinkled cotton suits and shirts better than he does in The Mentalist. Need we say more?

Photos: smh.com.au, boston.com, theage.com.au

The death of Casual Friday

2009-08-06T23:53:00.000-07:00

I put it to you all that casual friday has been rendered obsolete by the Global Financial Crisis! We seen a preview of the end of this horrifying trend when the dot com boom of the 90's imploded. My theory to this is that amongst the sea of chino's and polo shirts that the IT geeks of the time insisted on wearing, no one actually took them seriously enough and it all came crashing down. I don't think it's too far fetched.

I mean seriously, would you trust this guy?

I don't wear a suit everyday, or a tie for that matter. In fact I wore jeans twice this week, but in saying that on Friday's I tend to err on the side of being dressier rather than casual just to shove it in the face of guys like the above that are too busy playing with their Iphone's all day. I'm not normally one for self portraits, but here is what I wore today just to ram my point down everyones throats.

Maybe I'm alone, but don't you feel ready to tackle the day with gusto when you are dressed for the job? Much, but not all of my office seem to see casual friday as an excuse to just let themselves go, a notion that I just don't buy. Anyway, if anyone asks you why your so dressed up on a Friday at least you can lie and tell them you have soem place more important to go afterwards.....

Have a great weekend everyone!

P.S Thanks Nina for taking the photo

Travelling in style....and comfort

2009-08-06T05:26:00.000-07:00

I have a fair amount of travel coming up in the next 3 months with the ol' 9-5, and being that I practice what I preach, I thought I should share some tips on plane travel while remaining stylish and comfy. Personally, I don't wear track pants outside the house apart from the gym, so there is no way I would ever ever wear them on a plane, but you don't need to be uncomfortable to look stylish. Allow me to demonstrate.

1. A dead easy choice for flying. Dark jeans, in case you spill some of the in flight meal. A collared shirt, to keep things dressy. A trim V-neck, for when the air con gets turned on (it always gets turned on). A pair of brown loafers with no socks, easy to slip on and off when the alarm goes off through security. And lastly, an unlined, unstructured blazer, because your a grown man damn it! Thats all you need

2. What kind of shirt? Who the hell wants to be ironing all the time when they are away? Get a button down mid weight oxford, and just throw it in the dryer for 10 mins before you wear it. The heat will get the bad wrinkles out and give it a lived in feel.

3. This is an unlined blazer, cotton and great for rolling up and shoving in the overhead. Again, it doesn't matter if it's not pressed, they are made to look rumpled. Get one in Navy or beige and you'll be just fine.

Photos: Men.style.com

Happy travels!

Woman of the moment: Christina Hendricks

2009-08-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

While I'm trying hard not to make this blog a Mad Men hommage, when I saw these photo's online from the new Esquire I couldn't resist posting. For those that aren't in the know, Christina plays feisty office girl Joan Holloway in Mad Men, and when the men aren't drooling over her the girls are at her beck and call. She is also being largely credited for making curvy women fashionable in Hollwood at present. Anyway, enough rambling, enjoy the pics......

Photos: Esquire

The best thing about these photos? They get bigger when you click on them....

Ebay bargain find

2009-08-04T00:11:00.000-07:00

Touching on my previous current obsession with knit ties, I have also been getting interested woolen plaid, or madras type ties and have found these couple of vintage ones on eBay. Both are slim in width and pure wool, vintage from the 60's and I got them both for around $22 Australian all up, shipped from the US.

In all honesty these won't get a heap of wear this year as winter is winding down, bit if they are already over 40 years old then 1 more year can't hurt.

I did almost splurge on a great light grey Borelli pure cashmere tie also (much more than $22 by the way!) which I may still consider it as it is still much less than retail, but more on that if it ever happens.

Business Card snobbery

2009-08-03T05:12:00.000-07:00

So my new cards arrived today and look great. In the past and with my regular work business card, I haven't had the choice of what they looked like, but this time was different. I wanted something that was good quality, simple and fairly minimalist. To be honest, I was all set for a Patrick Bateman American Psycho tribute card, but when I found out cylian brail is not actually a font and bone stock is expensive and hard to find, I had to change my mind.

Oh, and here is the original inspiration.....

This was by far my favourite I came across when doing my research though.....

A huge thanks goes out to Sarah who designed the card for me.

If the jacket fits......

2009-08-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

Following from last weeks trouser length post, as promised is the perfect fitting jacket post. The perfect fitting jacket should make a man look both taller and slimmer. Everyone has their own preferences for the style of jacket they prefer, for me personally this is 2 button single breasted or a 3 button that rolls to 2, always with side vents, which tend to flatter a much broader range of body shapes.

I have posted both a single breasted and double breasted take on what I consider to be perfect fitting jackets. Why? Because hopefully in the next year, the resurgence of double breasted jackets with a more modern fit from high end fashion labels will work it's way down, as it often does to the high street to something which both you an I can afford, as there is virtually zero off the rack DB suits around at present, unless your over 60 years old and a 52 inch chest. Maybe a bespoke one could be on the cards in the next year.....

What makes them the perfect fit? It's fairly simple, shoulders are the right width, sleeves slim and showing a bit of cuff, waist nipped in to create a V shape with the jacket and great length. By traditional stuffy Savile Row standards, both jackets would be deemed a bit short, though this is exactly the length I prefer it. No matter what length you like jackets to fit, as the saying goes, "a jacket should be like a good lawyer, it should always cover your ass"......

Mad Show: Mad Men

2009-07-31T03:26:00.000-07:00

Set in a time where conformity never looked cooler, Mad Men is just one of those shows you can't hate. Unfortunately in Australia, we are way behind and have only just finished season 1 on SBS, though the DVD has been out for a good 6 months. I doubt we will see season 2 until after xmas at this rate but what can you do (Season 3 is almost out in America).

Slim suits, thin ties, whiskey at noon, pomade, tie bars, sexy, voluptous women, Madison Ave, what more could you ask for? If you want to dress better and can't be bothered listening to me rave on, you could do much worse than spend the $30 on the DVD and learn from these guys.

Shiny happy people

2009-07-30T03:33:00.000-07:00

I could confidently count on one hand the amount of guys I know under 30 who regularly shine their shoes. Proper shoes I mean and proper shining, not that shine in a can crap. Our generation (I'm 29 for the record) doesn't seem to care too much for it for one reason or another. Me, I try and do it weekly if possible for all of my shoes that I wear regularly. Being that I try to be part of the solution and not the problem, here is my way to a great shine.

1. You need the right tools. A good sized brush, clean cloth (an old shirt will do) and some polish as below.

2. First, give your shoes a wipe with a damp, but not wet cloth to get rid of dust and surface dirt then dry with a towel.

3. Apply polish with the clean coth and allow to sit and dry for about 10 mins

4. Brush your life away! 5 mins polishing on each shoe should be the minimum. You need a bit of elbow grease and before you know it they will be looking much closer to what they did out of the box.

5. For super shine, do a second coat and shine and spray a little water on the cloth before applying polish, this is commonly called a "spit shine". It's not really needed though if you do it properly first time.

6. Put shoe trees back in shoes. Shoe trees are the best investment you can make for good shoes. Along with not wearing them 2 days in a row, they will literally make your shoes last 3 times as long as they would otherwise. The wood in the trees not only stretches the leather out, but it also absorbes all the moisture left in your shoes from the days wearing which can otherwise start to rot the shoes if left untouched.

Oh and most important, buy decent shoes! Leather soles, upper and lining is a good start.

Photo: Barker Black

Happy shining!

Car porn of the day

2009-07-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Ferrari 458 Italia, the F430 successor. 0-100 in 3.4 seconds, top speed 202 mph. Nuff said really.

Photo: Autoblog

Going Bespoke: Part 2

2009-07-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well I had my fitting for my suit last night, and it was a very interesting experience. The place we had appointments for (myself, my brother and father) had 3 fitters/tailors from Hong Kong spaced out over 2 suites at the Hyatt. They were all of Indian/Hong Kong descent and certainly knew what they were doing. Over the tables were piles and piles of fabrics to choose from, literally thousands actually for both suits and shirts.

After enquiring about what weight we would like (summer weight for me) our man Dennis handed us a bunch of books to look through to choose fabric while one of us at a time was being measured. About 20-30 measurements were taken, preferences on cut and fit given (I am a fussy bastard but they didn't flinch), photo's taken to assess posture and about 45 mins later I had ordered a suit and 2 shirts all completely bespoke.

The suit was one of their cheaper fabrics at $650, but still soft pure light weight wool and the shirts were only $100 each, which is fantastic considering I normally spend about $40 on alterations per shirt alone. I was impressed to learn that they come to Canberra almost every 2 months for fittings and you can bring garments back for alterations free of charge. For some reason I think I may not be buying many shirts off the rack anymore.....

So, what did I end up with? The suit, a light grey 2 button single breasted with side vents and purple lining similar colour to the photo below, flat front pants slim in the leg with side tabs on the waist rather than belt loops. All of their suits have working button holes on the sleeves and hand stitching on the lapels, something found on almost no suits off the rack. For the shirts, I got a very light weight plain white cotton, with spread collar and single button cuffs. For something a bit bolder, the second is a red gingham check, with button down collar and single button cuffs, think an italian tablecloth! Told you I was a fussy bastard.

So $850 and 4-6 weeks later, my suit and shirts will arrive from Hong Kong, time will tell what they are like, but from the reviews I have read, then the wait will be worth it. I'll post photo's when everything arrives, in the mean time get in touch if anyone wants their contact details for next time they are in town.

To tie a tie......

2009-07-26T00:07:00.000-07:00

Everyone has to wear a tie at some stage in there life. Work perhaps, weddings, job interviews, funerals etc etc, you get the idea. I don't have to for work, but I often do just because I feel like it. Most of my ties are on the slim side of things without going to the hipster skinny width so many kids seem to wear with stovepipe jeans and cardigans these day.

One of the big issues for those of us that don't wear them often, is the way to tie it. There are many different options around though the 3 most popular are the Four in Hand, the Windsor or the Half Windsor.

The Windsor and Half Windsor (a simplified version of the Windsor) are the two biggest knots so only lend themselves to wider ties generally, with slimmer ties they tend to look a bit weird and you also need a very long tie as the thickness of the knot takes up a lot of length. I personally never use either of these knots anymore as I find them far too perfect and symmetrical and even James Bond once said "The Windsor Knot is the mark of a cad". They tend to only work with spread to cutaway collars because of the size of the knot. The name by the way comes from the Duke of Windsor, a clothes horse and creator of said knot.

Image courtesy of howtotieatie.com

I use the Four in Hand, it's simpler, not as perfect and takes virtually no time at all to tie and caters for a larger variety of tie widths. It can be tied loosely as in the photo below or tighter for a smaller knot with thinner ties and smaller collars. It's also the easiest to learn and remember, but if you really have no idea then head to http://www.howtotieatie.com/ to find out.

Image courtesy of mensflair.com

There is of course the other minefield of Bow ties. I might wear one a couple of times a year at most to formal events and that's about it, but being that I practice what I preach I haven't gotten lazy and bought a pre tied one, I purchased a classic black silk formal bow that needs to be tied each time and lets face it, looks way cooler at the end of the night with it loosely hanging around your neck than a pre tied. So yes I can tie one, yes it was a pain in the ass to learn and yes it impresses most people when I tell them I can do it, so well worth it in the end.

Going Bespoke

2009-07-24T04:45:00.000-07:00

On Monday night I will be measured for my first bespoke suit. I have had several made to measure suits before but never bespoke. The difference you ask? Well made to measure suits start from a fitting model, and has adjustments made to it to suit your body type which is then made in to the suit. It's a cheaper way of having a fairly good fitting suit compared to off the rack for not too much money, but still has a few compromises.

Bespoke is made entirely from scratch, just for you. Tons of measurements are taken, along with digital photo's in this day and age to assess posture and help the tailors have something of a reference when you have left. I'm very particular about how I like suits to fit, slim in the legs at the ankle and very nipped in at the waist with slightly shorter jackets length and sleeves to show a bit of cuff, so I am going in to the whole experience with a clear idea of what I want.

So Monday night, I'll be going to a hotel room at the Hyatt, to see an Indian bloke who lives in Hong Kong to measure my inside leg! Sound dodgy? Well it's not, and this is the big advantage. This guy travels all around the world every few months to see his clients and measure up suits, measurements are emailed back to Hong Kong, where the tailors begin work immediately and about 4 weeks later, you have your suit. He is back every couple of months so any adjustments can be done free of charge when he returns if you don't mind waiting.

And how much for this privilege? Surprisingly, starting from about $300! You struggle to get an off the rack suit for that much, prices of course can skyrocket depending on the fabric right up to around $3000 if you want the best. He has thousands of fabrics, and I'll be looking for either a beige cotton or light grey wool for summer time and work trips up north.

I'll also get a couple of shirts made while I'm at it which are just as well priced and will document the whole process through, finishing with yours truly in the finished product. More to come on Monday....

The right trouser length

2009-07-22T00:02:00.000-07:00

Almost all men I know wear their pants too long, why I am not sure? Perhaps it's that they have never been taught the right way or they are simply too lazy to go to a tailor and have them fixed, either way it's not a great look. It can be very sloppy and if your short, make you look much much shorter.

Everyone has their own personal preference to trouser length, but it should definitely not be like the below 2 gents!

There should only ever be one break in the pants at the shoe and never anymore. How big that break is should be up to the individual. Personally I prefer it fairly small, similar to the gent in the middle of the below photo as I am not a real big fan of the Thom Browne look on the left being 6 foot 2 tall.

Jeans have a bit more play and can be worn longer, but the slimmer the leg, the less break you want to have. The only other advice? Get a proper pair of slim, leather soled good quality shoes (no square toes please!) and at least the bottom half of you will look great.

Next week - I'll tackle how a Suit Coat should fit.

Images courtesy of Men's Flair

What I wore today

2009-07-20T04:27:00.000-07:00

It was a bit chilly this morning so I rugged up a little

1. Country Road Grey Flannels, flat front with side tabs (so no need for a belt)
2. Herringbone White shirt w/ navy pin dots
3. Saba navy merino wool deep V-Neck knit
4. Country Road brown leather wing tips
5. Wool scarf
6. Oxford beige mackintosh

I can't stand when people wear labels for the sake of wearing them, so although most of these are what most people call designer clothes, they are actually quite classic and understated and apart from the quality and fit, don't scream designer. I purchased all because as separate pieces, they are timeless classics.

I must admit I am getting more conservative as I get older and develop my own style, even on the weekends when casual I am most comfortable in a plain white t-shirt and dark jeans. I almost bought a great Calvin Klein long sleeve t-shirt a few weeks back that was perfect. Except for one thing, the great big CALVIN KLEIN logo on the back! No thanks.....

A place for my crap

2009-07-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

Guys always have crap lying around. Keys, wallets, phones, cuff links etc and they tend to just take up space and make rooms messy and cluttered. I always think a guy should have a good place for all of this stuff, like a nice tray to keep it all together or something similar to what I got today. I have about 4 months until my apartment will be built so I am trying to start buying bit's and pieces when I see it that will fit in with the black/white/grey theme of the place.

This is a Georg Jenson egg like box type thingy, designed by renowned industrial designer Karim Rashid. The cover comes off and has a silicon lining so things don't get scratched. It's not quite big enough for wallets and phones, but will be great for hiding cuff links, tie bars, watches and maybe the odd golf tee that finds it's way in to the house on regular occasions.

And the best thing about it? Reduced from $270 down to $59.95 at David Jones. How could I not buy it???

A great view

2009-07-16T03:52:00.000-07:00

Still in Sydney, and looking out from the hotel window in Pyrmont to a great view of the city lights. My back is killing me and my legs too from being on my feet all day, but it's been worth it.

I had a few hours yesterday where I hit the Herringbone outlet, with great results I might add. I picked up a great navy cotton unlined sportcoat and a light blue cotton gingham tie, jacket $220 and tie only $20. The tie is below, but couldn't get a good enough photo of the coat on my phone so will post later when back home. The jacket is particularly unique as it was a one off sample that never went in to production, it just needs the waist taken in as all my jackets do and I can only imagine I will wear the hell out of it come spring/summer.

I ran out of time yesterday but luckily the shops are open late in NSW on Thursday instead of Friday, so after quickly looking in David Jones and being impressed that all of the high end shoes were half price the shops were closing and I had to call it a day.

So I went back this evening and picked up a great pair of Tod's driving shoes for half price, reduced from $450 down to $225, which for Tod,s is just amazing. For those not familiar, Tod,s are pretty much the holy grail of Italian made loafers, so again these will have the hell worn out of them over spring/summer. Some people will think even this is expensive at half price and it is I guess, but they are well worth it. I see them more as an investment which will last 10 years and get so much wear and are about the closest thing to wearing pillows on your feet that you can get.

So I've done great, but spent way more than I had hoped so no more shops while I'm here.

Why I love the barber

2009-07-14T00:11:00.000-07:00

Barber's are a rare breed these days, generally I have always gone to one of the more fashionable hair dresser's that Canberra seems to be full of but at the moment my hair is more like a Mad Men kind of short back and sides ala Don Draper, and there is no way I am paying $60 for a short back and sides!

They are a forgotten era Barbers are. I love the combs in the jar of disinfectant, the towel on the bench all lined up with the different scissors on it, I love the cut throat razor used to shave your neck, the powder used on your neck and the whole non conformity to modern hair dressing. I love that they actually have eu de cologne, usually in the Brut 33 or old spice variety, it's just all so old school.

Thing I love the most is the way I feel refreshed after the barber, he actually shaves your neck properly with a cut throat (and managed not to nick a small mole that bleeds everytime), puts some sort of ointment on afterwards to sooth and uses brylcream in your hair, MAGIC! For 20 minutes I even felt like I may have been on Madison Avenue in the 60's and afterwards, well it was back to reality but I just felt really good.

Happy Bastille Day by the way.....

Off to Sydney

2009-07-13T00:08:00.000-07:00

I'll be in Sydney for work from Wednesday to Friday so posting may not be too frequent during these times. I won't get a great deal of time to myself but should hopefully have a few hours Wednesday afternoon to hit a few stores and possibly spend some cash.

Herringbone outlet - Surry Hills: I used to work casually on the weekends at Herringbone before the store in Canberra closed. They have gone through a great deal of financial trouble in the last 12 months which is probably to be expected in the financial crisis when you are selling shirts for $200 each. I still wear Herringbone probably 2 days a week and am hoping to look for cotton sportscoats they used to do so well and maybe a shirt or 2.

Puma Shop - Paddington: I always try and make the hike up the hill on Oxford St to check out the Puma store and more specifically, the Puma Golf Collection. I'm a golf addict, and Puma Golf are really heading in the right direction lately. That means as far away from beige chino's and navy over sized polo's as possible by the way.

American Apparel - Darlinghurst: I've heard good thing's about their oxford button downs, but fear they might be a bit short in the body for a tall fellow such as myself. Only one way to find out though. I have never been to American Apparel, but it is all made in the USA which is a refreshing change from Chinese made everything these days and they have great provocative advertising campaigns. See www.americanapparel.com to have a look.

If I get time I'll do a few more posts and put photo's up of anything nice I might find along the way.

Style Icon: Cary Grant

2009-07-12T02:54:00.000-07:00

Guys like Mr Grant don't exist anymore. The only current man I can think of called Cary, is a motorcross rider married to Pink, (who is pretty much a guy according to Bruno) and in any case, he is not at all stylish. That's Cary Hart, not Pink by the way.

Anyway, Cary Grant would still be elegant if you were to see him walk down the street today. His style was kept simple, perfectly tailored mid grey suits, crisp white shirts and plain grey or black ties. Apparently he was extremely frugal and had written in to his contracts that he was able to keep all of the suits he wore in his films, which of course were made on Saville Row. Well the jackets anyway, he was so fussy that he had the jackets made on the row and his trousers made in New York because he liked the cut better.

I stumbled upon North by Northwest a few weeks ago on Foxtel, and although I don't have a major interest in classic films, I ended up watching pretty much the whole thing. Cary wore pretty much the same thing throughout the whole movie and looked very sharp the whole time.

Image courtesy of Mensstyleguide

Something about knit ties....

2009-07-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

I love knit ties. I don't know what it is, but in the last year or so I seem to have become obsessed with them. Many people that wear ties do so because they have to, and in many cases it really shows. It's really quite easy to see, it's everywhere. A certain disdain for the very item they are forced to wear for their job, or place in society or some sort of special occasion or event.

I say embrace the tie. Sure, I go tieless a couple of days a week and to my advantage, my 9-5 is the kind of job where I can (to an extent) wear what ever the hell I feel like. Sometimes it's jeans, a shirt and blazer, sometimes a suit and tie, sometimes a mix between both, say dark slim jeans, a button down, knit tie and navy cotton blazer. Always with a simple four in hand knot, never ever a windsor or half windsor.

I don't know what it is about them, but they are obviously different from a normal tie. Slimmer in most cases, more textured, square at the bottom instead of pointed and just that little bit something extra. I now own 5 knit ties, 2 navy blue, 1 black, 1 camel and one in a brown with horizontal white stripes I picked up at the oxford outlet for $15! I have also never paid more than $45 for one, so they are good value too. At CW, you really wont see me posting $250 Thom Browne or Gucci versions. Why? Because a) They are near impossible to get in Australia and b) Who the hell pays that much for a tie anyway?

So in the interests of teaching men how to dress better, whats the best way to wear them? I think they look best with a white or blue oxford button down, with either flannels or dark jeans and brown oxfords or wingtips. It's quite an Americana look, but I think it's great and I've not seen much better around Canberra lately.

So if you have to wear a tie, wear it with pride, not prejudice and for something different, think knit!

Not just about clothes

2009-07-08T05:33:00.000-07:00

The ethos of Charlies Wardrobe, is that style is not just about clothes. Sometimes I may just post random stuff that I think is cool or happen to come across in my travels. At work (9-5 work) the other day I was chatting with one of my co workers about cars as we often do and we got to talking about supercars, as we often do. I mentioned if he had seen the Alfa Romeo supercar, the 8C Competizione and he hadn't. This is one of the most beautiful cars I have ever seen, only 500 were made of the initial production, which of course were sold out in about 20 mins but I believe a spider version is due out this year sometime. Here it is for your viewing pleasure.

Anyway if you can't afford this one or have missed out (most likely both), then there is a mini version here, the new MiTo, which pays homage to Alfa's home nation of Italy. The Mi stands for Milano and the To for Torino, or Turin as we say in inglese by the way. The MiTo takes many styling cues from the 8c and is a fantastic little car. If it was 3 years ago and this was out and I didn't think it might break down every fortnight in true Alfa fashion, I would very much consider it. But it's not and my golf clubs definitely wouldn't fit in the back, so I'll be getting something bigger soon, but that's another post.

Top Tip for the day

2009-07-06T00:04:00.000-07:00

Every now and then when I am a little bit time poor I thought I would do a quick easy post with an easy tip to help you become more stylish. I'm also going to work on a top ten list of tips to becoming stylish for a quick reference guide but that will be down the track a bit more.

So tip number 1 is:

Find yourself a good tailor.

I go to the same guy in Bailey's Corner all the time and have done for about 10 years with a 4 year gap in the middle when not living in Canberra. A good tailor pays for itself as you can have the best Zegna or Boss suit money can buy, but if it doesn't fit properly then you may as well just go to Lowes, because no one will know the difference. I like my Jackets, shirts and pants on the slim side without being tight and he knows this and alters accordingly.

When you buy a suit, more often than not the store will organise the alterations but if you are like me and your body shape changes from time to time, even slightly, then your clothes should be altered accordingly. Most people are thinner in summer and carry a bit extra in winter, or you might be going to the gym a lot etc etc. I've had some suits of mine altered around 4 or 5 times to suit as things change. Come to think of it, I may just be keeping my tailor in business! It could be an addiction but I'm not sure. Maybe there is a support group for people like me?

My favourite part of winter

2009-07-04T02:11:00.000-07:00

It's freezing in Australia right now, which means one thing, it's summer in Europe. And that means another thing, it's Tour de France time! The tour is the one time of the year that I will happily stay up or get up to watch a bunch of lycra clad guys that are painfully thin ride their bikes through the french country side, up the Alps and Pyrenees and to the finish in Paris after 3 gruelling weeks.

You may wonder by now why I am talking about cycling right? Well, apart from having a cycling background, although my riding schedule now consists of a weekly 30km stroll (not sure I'd call it a ride) to civic to consume more calories in coffee and croissants that the ride burns, it's one of my great passions and has a place in this blog.

The reason is, and this is not specific to cycling, is that if you want to be more stylish, GET YOURSELF IN SHAPE MAN!!!!! This should go without saying, but usually doesn't. Getting fit has the obvious benefit's of being much healthier and feeling good about yourself, but you will look so much better wearing your clothes and most importantly, be a lot more confident. Clothes are easier to buy when your in shape, most labels (not all) worth wearing cut their clothes for a younger and thinner silhouette also so the choices you have increase tenfold being able to wear a bigger range of labels.

Everyone has their own fitness journey such as the Canberra Marathon next April for me, but whatever it is usually involves pain of some sort. But think about the rewards of the pain and at the end you will be healthier, feel better about yourself, be thinner and most of all, be a stylish bastard.

Vive le tour!!!!!

A word about jewellery

2009-06-30T04:24:00.000-07:00

It's my belief, that men should really err on the side of understatement when wearing jewellery. For me, that means wearing a nice watch, and nothing else. No rings (unless your hitched of course), no bracelets, no chains no nuthin! When a man tries to wear too much jewellery he tends to look either tacky, sleazy and cheaper than he would keeping it simple. Sometimes he even succeeds in looking like all 3! I must admit I am fond of my simple silver tie bar when wearing slimmer ties but I don't really see this as jewellery. So here are a few guides to jewellery -

Earrings - If your a male over 25, forget it, your too old to be wearing one pal.

Bracelets - Unless your on the Australian Cricket team, no dice. (not sure what it is with cricketers and bracelets)

Chains - If you have to, for sentimental reasons or what not then go for it, but they should never be visible under a shirt collar or be able to be seen through the shirt.

So back to my favourite, watches. I'm getting addicted to watches no thanks to my brother who has about twice as many as I do. But you don't need to spend a lot to get nice ones. Thanks to the internet there are many places to find respected brands that look and function great at very reasonable prices (I'm talking $150-$200 compared to over $500 at retail) such as some of the following.

Of course everyone has a dream watch and actually I have about ten, but eventually when I do spend some decent coin on one, this is at the top of my list, The Omega Seamaster. Unfortunately I'll be waiting a few years yet.

Welcome to Charlie's Wardrobe

2009-06-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to what will hopefully be the first of many informative posts for many years to come. I have started CW with small expectations but many ideas in my head as to how it can/will work. Okay so lets back track a bit, firstly, what the hell is Charlie's Wardrobe?

CW is a blog, a business and a lifestyle to a certain extent. The business side is essentially myself trying to help more of the worlds (or at least Canberra's) sartorially challenged chaps to what it is they want, be it to be more stylish, look younger, look thinner, taller etc etc. You get the picture right?

The blogs aim is to help CW not be so exclusive and realise that you don't need to be a client or even need any help to enjoy or benefit from what I am doing. I aim to give plenty of style tips, post things I like that may not necessarily be linked to clothes, plenty of things that are, style and design in general.

To sum up CW as a whole, I would describe it as about timeless style and individuality and less about what is in fashion right now. After all, fashions come and go but real style never dates. It was Oscar Wilde who once wrote, "Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months". Now I can't put words as elegantly as Mr Wilde did down on paper, but I have to agree with him and he was a very stylish man for his day.

Enjoy my blog!
Jason Charles Segrott