Appearance, Clothing
The Preppy style is inspired by American Ivy League colleges. These students primarily come from the upper classes and have a specific way of dressing and acting. It involves more than just an outfit; it is a lifestyle. In addition to clothing, a prep has a neat appearance with well-groomed nails and hair.
Published in 1980, the Official Preppy Handbook was a style guide that defined this look. Brands that embody this style are Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Brooks Brothers, and J. Crew. In addition to wearing certain clothing, preps play sports like golf, tennis, and sailing and drink bloody marys or gin cocktails.
There are a number of iconic clothing items that are part of the prep style, such as:
- Polo shirts, usually embroidered with the brand name
- Oxford shirts
- Chino jeans
- Tennis jackets
- V-neck sweaters, especially in pastel colors
- Blazers
- Bermuda shorts
- Boat shoes
Appearance, Clothing
Handkerchief is a piece of men’s clothing, which can signal that you truly have style. It is a small thing, but it really completes an outfit. It allows you to experiment with colors and express your individual nature.
A handkerchief, also called a pocket square, is a piece of fabric that is between 15 and 20 centimeters wide. It is now only used as decoration rather than as a function object. In the past, material like silk or linen showed the owner’s status. Today, handkerchiefs are made of many different materials. Silk is best for formal occasions, where cotton or wool are best for everyday use.
High quality handkerchiefs are hand-made. The edges of the fabric are hand-rolled and secured with broadly spaced stitches. Make sure that the label or monogram of designer or producer are not visible.
Handkerchiefs should harmonize with other elements of your outfit and complete the look. If you have a colorful tie, a solid handkerchief that compliments one of tie colors is best. If you are wearing a striped or patterned shirt, choose a plain handkerchief or one that color is the same of the stripe. Using multiple colors and patterns requires good taste and can be difficult.
If you are unsure, choose a white handkerchief, which is the most universal color and style. The only exception to this is rule is if you are wearing shirt in off-white, like ivory or ecru, white pocket square makes the shirt looks dirty.
Other good colors include yellow, grey, or pastels because they are easy to match. A man should have two or three handkerchiefs in neutral colors to easily match with any outfit.
Men who wear handkerchiefs are perceived as more stylish. The more elegant the man, the more attention he pays to details. Wearing a pocket square allows you to add color to an outfit.You don’t need to limit yourself to formal occasions or office wear. Pocket square looks great with tweed jacket and also adds the flair to more casual outfits.
There are many ways to wear them. Americans prefer to fold handkerchiefs (pointed fold), whereas Britons put them in the pocket in a more artistic way (flair fold). My advice: put it with the attention and wear it as you forgot about it!
5 tips to wear handkerchief
– White pocket square works with most outfits
– Choose pointed fold for business and flair fold for a more relaxed look
– Pick a color that matches either the shirt or tie
– The more formal the occasion, the more conservative your pocket square
– Wear pocket square for casual jacket to add a flair to your outfit
Appearance, Clothing
Why are so many people reluctant to wear brown? In the past, brown was a color worn by the lower classes because it didn’t get dirty very easily. Brown is common in English tweed, which is used for horse riding and hunting. Traditionally, black is designated for formal events where navy and grey were best for business events.
Brown has never been a popular color at formal events or in business meetings. Many people associate brown with coziness or homelieness, which is the opposite of power colors which project authority and strength. Brown is a traditional color and people who wear it are seen as unlikely to break with tradition.
If you wish to wear brown, keep it to weekends and social events. For business meetings and other professional gatherings, you should wear navy, gray, or black. When wearing brown, choose a cooler shade like chocolate instead of a honey or brass color. Wear a white or pastel shirt and a coordinating tie. Colors that match well with brown include dark green, burgundy, or beige.
Appearance, Clothing
A blazer is a type of jacket with large metal buttons that usually comes in navy blue. While blazers used to be part of sport dress for yacht or cricket, they are not the same thing as a sports coat.
Original blazers were single-breasted jackets with colorful stripes that had school or club emblems. There are many stories about where the term came from. One of the stories is that the name came from a rowing club in Cambridge, who were red jackets which looked like a blazing fire on the river. Another story says that a ship called the HMS Blazer created new uniforms that were navy jackets with brass buttons. Blazers became an important part of school outfits for boys, especially at schools like Eton. Blazers also became popular in America, but they were less formal.
Contemporary blazers are double-breasted. There are two ways to wear blazers. One is the more formal way, with trousers, and a shirt and tie. A less formal way to wear a blazer is with chinos or jeans.
Appearance, Clothing
In the spring, it is great to replace heavy winter coats with light spring coats. It also means a return to colors, not just in nature but also in our clothes. A trench coat is wonderful for spring. It is as classic as a black dress or a white shirt. Trench coats were created in the late 19th century, after Thomas Burberry invented gabardine, a cross woven wool fabric that resists wind and water. They were originally made for the military, which is why today they still retail elements like epaulettes or D-rings. Trench coats were also used in expeditions to the South Pole and Antarctica.
Trench coats initially became popular after the First World War and have only gotten more popular since then. Classic trench coats are beige or black, but today you can find them in any color or pattern. A classic trench coat also has a belt, but it can be clasped or tied. Leaving the belt hanging free makes you look sloppy and should be avoided for any professional functions. Likewise, removing the belt is also a bad idea.
Trench coats are universal and can be worn day or night and for both social and business occasions.
Appearance, Clothing
It may seem like all jackets are the same, but there are big differences between a blazer, a suit jacket, and a sport jacket.
A sport jacket has nothing to do with tracksuits or t-shirts. The term sport jacket came about because gentlemen used to do sports like horse riding and hunting while wearing them. A sport coat is less formal that a suit coat.
Sport coats are usually made of wool, tweed, or more exotic fabrics like corduroy, cashmere, or velvet. It usually has two to three buttons and can have a texture or pattern.
The cut is similar to a suit jacket. An American style jacket is has one cut in the back while a British style jacket has two cuts and a continental style jacket does not have a cut.
A sport jacket that is matched with nice pants and a shirt is a good for business casual events. For more informal occasions, a solid navy jacket can be paired with jeans or chinos and a colorful shirt. Sports jackets are not appropriate for formal meetings and parties.
Appearance, Clothing
A monogram is a symbol that is based on letters and is used as decoration. It usually represents the owners’ initials. Monograms first came about when people needed to mark objects with the initials of the owners. They have been used since ancient times, but experienced their most widespread popularity during the Victorian era. It showed that people were fond of having personalized objects, but it also came to be associated with snobbery.
Monograms fell out of fashion because of mass manufacturing and the prevalence of brands. Today using a monogram shows that you are an individual and have something that is unique to you. You may put a monogram on personal items like stationery, pen or briefcase. Some exclusive brands offer this service to its clients free of charge.
The most common use of monograms for men today is on custom-made shirts. It shows that the shirt was made for you by a tailor and demonstrates that you care about detail and an individual approach to clothing. Most tailors offer embroidery services to put monograms on your clothes. However, it can also be seen as ostentatious and an unnecessary luxury. But I like to think, that is is better to wear your own initials, than those of the tailor.
Monograms can be added by hand or by a machine in any place on a shirt, but they are usually on the cuffs, pockets, collars, or lower edge of the shirt. Monograms in bright colors or those on the cuffs are the most ostentatious. Most monograms are subtler and can only be seen by the owner of the shirt. They are in the same color as the shirt or are in a hidden place.
A tailor made shirt shows sophistication and good taste, but you don’t need to be ostentatious about it. A monogram will compliment your outfit and symbolizes the uniqueness of your clothing.
Guidelines for creating a monogram for men.
Monogram consist of an initials of name and surname or names and surname.
Appearance, Clothing
When choosing a shirt, a gentleman should also pay attention to the details like:
There are many kinds of collars. They can be straight or rounded, narrow or broad, high or low, and without or without buttons. There are also specialty collars, like the mandarin collar, which does not require a tie or bow tie, or collars that require a special pin or chain.
When wearing a straight and narrow collar, you should use a single knot tie, like a straight knot or a Kent. With broad and thick collars, you should wear thicker knots like the Windsor.
Good shirts will have collars with openings where you can put stiffeners to help keep the shape of the collar straight and stiff. Better and more solid stiffeners are made from metal or mother of pearl, while cheaper ones are made of plastic. Do not forget to remove the stiffeners before washing.
Shirts can have a short sleeve which ends before the elbow or a sleeve which reaches all the way to the elbow. A short sleeve can be straight or have a cuff, while a long sleeve always has a cuff. Short-sleeve shirts are less formal and should not be worn during business meetings, but they are appropriate in a more casual setting under a sport jacket without a tie.
Cuffs can be single and straight and have one or two buttons. Cuffs can also be double with buttons or holes for cuff links. A double cuff with pins is particularly elegant and looks stylish.
- Other style elements:
Some shirts look best with a pocket square, which can be square or diamond shaped. Other things to look for include decorative buttons and complimentary seam colors.
