Transformation through the finer details

The real beauty of menswear is in the details. We have said this many times but neither of us will ever tire of saying it. As we catch our breath from the marathon of fashion weeks, look books and press days, it is time to celebrate the finer details of menswear. It the small details which are so often overlooked and neglected which can transform any mediocre outfit in to something special. A number of recent spots online have combined to give me the required nudge to return to our favourite stlye mantra. First up, Fine and Dandy. One year on since launching Fine and Dandy (see our previous birthday post) is a shop which provides an abundance of finishing details to ensure that you are fine and dandy. Dressing each morning should be fun and accessories like these provide the required pomp and colour. From the grey Herringbone Newsboy cap to a small gold key tie bar (my particular favourite) to an array of handkerchiefs and pocket squares. Since we wished them a very happy birthday, I've been drooling over their selection of accessories whilst declaring my intent to add more layers to my everyday outfit.

Celebrating accessories. Two looks from Fine and Dandy.

The chaps over at Street Etiquette never fail to inspire and I've really enjoyed their Accessories Are A Necessity feature. After the first post on ‘Wrist Ornaments’ they turned their attentions to the humble 'Pocket Square'. JKISSI certainly has an enviable collection. The post is an effective plea for gentlemen readers to tear at the stitching in those unused blazer pockets and experiment with material. Back in July 2007 (man we are getting old) we looked at how they are so much more than hankies but I have to confess that I often over look them. When I talk about pocket squares, it isn't in the strict sense of folded cloth, one can be as imaginative and interesting with filling a breast pocket as possible in my opinion. There are amazing styling perks with a pocket square which most men do not realise; any average or worn out jacket can be instantly livened up with an inexpensive, casually folded pocket handkerchief. Let the below image from Street Etiquette inspire you...

Wearing it well. JKISSI and his enviable collection of pocket squares. Image courtesy of Street Etiquette.

Whenever we discuss the importance of details we always turn the Fred Astaire. Few have worked them better. Astaire was not blessed with the natural aesthetic beauty of some of the his icons of style but Astaire used his style to allow his aesthetics to bloom and even surpass his peers. His style is so casual that any surprises it brings seem ever the more wonderful. He excelled in a relaxed dandyism. His sartorial success is due to the combination of a number of seemingly small touches. Of course, initially these can go unnoticed but once seen, they never fail to excite and wow the viewer. The tie as belt (my personal favourite which I have salvaged for myself), the slanted tie clip and the slim cut sleeves on his suits to name by a few of his little touches. You can watch any one of his films again and again and no doubt you will notice detail after detail. Watching Fred Astaire never fails to inspire me to celebrate the finer details of dressing whilst have fun dressing each morning. I encountered the below Garance Dore shot of Cédric last week and loved his subtle declaration. On the surface he appears to be little more than a casually dressed but cool looking guy, reading a paperback in the sun. You would think that there is very little to talk about. You would be wrong. His wife had embroidered a heart on the inside of the pocket of his shirt. Transforming it from a mundane, dishevelled denim shirt in to a conversation piece. It is all about the finer details.

Cédric as shot by garance dore.

Advent - Day Eight

Video time again. This time it's Fred and Ginger in the snow singing 'a Fine Romance'. Boys, take note of Fred's winter dressing; he looks wonderful in his bowler hat and black, fur trimmed coat (though please go faux if you want to copy this bit!) complement by pale gloves and scarf. Enjoy!

The beginnings of colour in Manchester

Last weekend the Style Salvage twosome were united in EJ's adopted city of Manchester. As you will remember she recently challenged me to experiment with colour in my daily style so I thought I would rummage through my wardrobe and pack some colour in my suitcase. Here are my weekend outfits....

Saturday was a wet and windy day....as I expected Manchester to be. Here is what I wore to keep me warm and dry, with a hint of colour.

The outfit - J Lindenberg Trench worn with COS studded belt, polka dot silk scarf, polka dot polo shirt, purple sweater, navy wool trousers and purple socks all from Uniqlo, b store suede shoes.

The outfit - As above, without the jacket of course. You can also notice that taking inspiration from Fred Astaire, I wore a vintage leather tie as a belt.

Sunday was something of a surprise as it was a beautifully bright day. Here is my outfit shot in classic Next catalogue pose....

The Outfit - Grey knit with blue trim from Folk, red sweater from b store, apc jeans and blue shoes by swear.

This is only the beginning in my exploration into the wonderful world of colour. I am on the hunt for all kinds of colourful accessories and I will post regular updates.

Style Shrink for the day

Long before I became a mass consumer of magazines...even before those heady days of poring over The Face...my exposure to men's publications was limited. During my teens I used to read my Sister's boyfriend's GQ whenever I could though. Whilst my peers were consuming and ogling over magazines like FHM and Loaded (which to me were filled with on the most part unfunny jokes, boring/bad style and disturbing images...the only redeeming element were the sheer number of breasts on show) I was always more interested in the editorials and adverts (at times confused by the blurring lines between the two) within GQ... and I was fortunate enough to get my hands on them whenever the boyfriend left them lying around the house (which was pretty much every month). One of my favourite features within the magazine was the Style Shrink. I loved reading men's questions, ranging from enquiries into the right tie knot for a particular occasion to the correct way to wear a pocket square. Of course none of his really mattered to me, as I was just a youth quite happily wearing my favourite red Ralph Lauren Polo shirt, straight leg Levi jeans and Nike Cortez trainers. The worlds which these men were describing and asking about were so alien to me yet they captured my imagination in a way which is difficult to describe. Recently I have become aware (slightly addicted at times) to the online world of style advice with the likes of askandyaboutclothes and styleforum leading the way. I love reading about how men think about clothes and it is clear that at times they think about rules far too obsessively, we always suggest wearing what feels comfortable and what is right for the individual. Ultimately some rules are made to be broken..or at least tampered with.

So, you can imagine how pleased we were after receiving the following email...



If you can't read the above screengrab...here it is...

"Hey guys!

Just wanted to say hi and compliment you on putting together such an inspiring, hilarious, trendy and casual blog. I just found you guys this morning and been reading you the whole afternoon - cant stop laughing. At the same time, I've found soooo many things I've been looking for (on the streets) but was unable to find, talk about the deck shoes from Journal Standard. Keep up the good work because you just won another lousy reader from Milan lol.

BTW yesterday I got a foulard (little longer, brown silk very classy - as show above) and I have no idea 1. how to tie it 2. with what to wear it. Stefano Pilatti much?http://www.zimbio.com/Stefano+Pilati/articles/3/Stefano+Pilati+New+York+Times+Magazine Some ideas would be deeply appreciated!

Best,

Julian

ps - the entry about Modern Gentlemen. LOOOL. i'll start typing comments soon."

This was our first email which made us both blush and beam with pride simultaneously. We started the blog to open up a dialogue focused on menswear but we didn't really expect to receive emails like this where readers were keen to ask us questions and participate in the conversation so willingly (we only expected t continue chatting to each other with no one else even reading!)

The email sits in nicely with our 'Save the tie' campaign. The word foulard comes from the French world for silk handkerchief and to be honest with you I didn't know that much else about them other than Fred Astaire used to buy 50 a time from Brooks Brothers. if you want to learn more about them, I found this information courtesy of wisegeek. When men are wearing ties these days most like me are drawn to the skinny tie but why not opt for some traditional style?

I wish I looked like this after a hard day at the office.

Julian mentions within his email one of the best examples of a modern day foulard wearer: Stefano Pilati. When it comes to fashion, Stefano Pilati (see his feature on men.style) is certainly not afraid to lead by example. He embodies the louche elegance of YSL and of course the foulard is a key accessory for doing so. Pilati identifies with the forgotten glamour of tuxedos and scarves, a era where the foulard can complete an outfit...so why not revisit it today? It is all about style with a natural and relaxed elegance and looking back further than Pilati we of course have the wonderful Fred Astaire - "Astaire had the talent to construct a new model for men based on the democratic ideal of the classless aristocrat. He was a hero whose weapon was style, and that style was a distinctive casualness" (Quote from thesartorialist)

Here is Julian modelling the foulard extremely well - does he even need our advice?

Of course there is a danger of looking over dressed with any neck wear. I recently came across this informative article on asuitablewardrobe which offers some great advice. We suggest wearing the foulard with relaxed finishes - the folded cuff, the unbuttoned collar, Of course there is always the Fred Astaire way... teaming it up with a casual tweed jacket and wearing the foulard as a belt - again, effortless style. We suggest a great deal of experimentation. The above image demonstrates that Julian knows how to wear the foulard well already - he's just showing of to us all. I have tried searching for 'how to tie' instructions but to no avail. If Julian lived in the UK, he probably wouldn't be wearing shorts, instead I would suggest relaxed suit trousers. Jeans should be avoided but that's only my opinion. I recently found Lucas Ossendrijver's 10 rules of style and true style is all about making the clothes your own and ultimately dressing should be fun! Our main suggestion to Julian is build your confidence with the foulard by wearing it with a white shirt, as you become more comfortable you can be more adventurous...and of course you can always wear it as a belt!

Can you help Julian out better than we can? Are you an expert when it comes to everything foulard? Let us and Julian know your suggestions.

Just out of curiosity...

Is any who reads this planning on going to Fred Astaire: the Conference? I won't be but, as Steve will be visiting that weekend, we may have to have our own meeting to discuss Mr Astaire. We already have quite exciting plans for around then, so watch this space!

Short attention span

(Otherwise known as 'things that have caught my eye lately and, well, it's only 3 months and one day until my birthday you know' )

1. Print Liberation t shirts

I've not really been a fan of logo or t shirts with clever writing on them of late, probably after overkill on my part in my youth. That said, I really like the ones over at Print Liberation. I see this t shirt in particular as perfect Sunday gear, proving especially useful when the Sunday evening blues set in. I would be very tempted to wear the 'My boss is an asshole' tee one dress down day and see what happens...

If you're not tempted by their words, you can even custom order one that says whatever you want. Style Salvage t shirt anyone?

2. Flud Turntable watch

I know it's a bit gimmicky, but I'm a sucker. I never really got my head around those watches that cost more than cars, and at $70, the price seems about right. Found here.

3. Bontanika hooded coat

I saw this over at Brandish (it's environmentally friendly, as is the whole brand if you're interested in that sort of thing). I mostly love it because it's almost the exact same pattern as a coat I had when I was about 8 or so... and 12 coats is never enough, is it? You can buy it here, if you can handle Japanese.

4. Not for purchasing, just for... oddness

I'm slightly entranced by this. Not sure if it's genius or blasphemy.

EDIT: I get the feeling I'm going to be listening to this on repeat in the next month.

Why can't my Easter be like...

"Why didn't you tell me I was in love with you?"

A scene from Easter Parade (1948) starring of course the one and only Fred Astaire and Judy Garland

Bring back the top hat for Easter I say...at the very least let's have a Parade...we don't have enough parades if you ask me...

Losing it

Since reading this post over on iCiNG I have been mulling over the topic of losing your hair. I was racking my brains all over Christmas for some good bald/balding icons, only to kick myself for my stupidity when I caught a bit of The King and I on TV. Yul Brynner is surely the most obvious choice?
And while he is probably best known for his completely bald look (above) as sported in the King and I, I think he looked quite dashing in his younger days when he still kept a bit on top.

The supreme neatness of the hair he does have is vital to the look. And this just set the ball rolling. There are so many balders (not yet baldies, you see?) out there to admire! The trick to it, as always, is excellent grooming.

This is perfectly illustrated here by Mr Astaire. While he does have his hair reasonably long it is slicked down and back at all times with no attempt to hide the arches of his hairline. His skin is clear and healthy looking and, as usual, he is clean shaven.

I've noticed quite a few indie boys trying to disguise a receding hairline by growing a long sweep of hair to use as a fringe. I hate to break it to you boys, but I'm beginning to feel that this the the modern equivilant of the comb-over... you're fooling no one my dears. I did consider finding a picture to illustrate this point but I thought that would be a little bit too mean. Maybe your new influence, if you don't like the swept back look should be Brandon Flowers?

His hair is short here and ever so slightly pushed forward. I'd be interested to see what he will do once it REALLY starts going though. I was also going to use Jude Law as a muse here but, if I'm honest, he creeps me out nowadays.

Falling for evening wear

When most men think of evening wear they think that the available options are limited...a black tuxedo, a starched white shirt, a bow tie/tie. During the teen years these are by in large rented from moss bros. However, as we get older I would suggest that it actually makes more sense to buy a tuxedo, rather than renting one out. If you choose the right one for you, both in terms of cut and style, it will be well worth the investment! I personally think most men in evening wear look a little bit uncomfortable in their ensemble so we all have to get more comfortable! It is always best to show off with ‘I’ve already been to three black tie parties before this one’ look, wandering into the room with relaxed swept back hair, looking slightly dishevelled but still perfect at the same time...If in doubt I recommend reading through a recent post on Men's Flair that runs through a number of options when it comes to evening wear. For inspiration look at Fred Astaire who wore them tails as if they were pajamas and a tuxedo as though it were a part of his everyday routine, rather than borrowed from some Prussian general or Moss bros!

Having only just recently stumbled across the wonder of menswear editorials on show at fashion156, I thought I would share my current favourites (I have no idea why I've not given this site the attention and devotion that it deserves!). I have been thinking about evening wear over the last few weeks (as it is party season after all) and have fallen head over heels with these images.

Suit with piping detail by Alexander McQueen @ Selfridges. Shirt by Burberry at Matches. Bow tie by J. Lindeberg at Harvey Nichols.

I absolutely adore the J Lindeberg metallic jacket below!

Shirt by Number Nine at Liberty. Metallic black blazer by J. Lindeberg at Harrods. Black velvet bow tie from a selection at Harrods. Black dinner suit trousers both by Gieves & Hawkes.

If like me you couldn't quite afford the delights on show above Topman's new range of suits is well worth looking at. I'm a little unsure about the waxed tuxedo jacket having liked it online but not in person (for me the finish was all wrong, and the stiffness of the cloth affected the shape of the jacket!) but there are plenty more on offer. Whatever your budget it is time to embrace the suit. Instead of the classic white shirt why not wear a black ruffle neck shirt. Instead of the skinny black tie, why not wear a beautiful bow tie, over sized and woolly if you are feeling adventurous. All this talk of evening wear just makes me want to watch Top Hat...

Despite my love of Fred and near daily singing of 'Top hat, white tie and tails' (seriously folks, I cannot recommend this album enough), I've never really been a fan of men in tuxes. James Bond just never really did it for me- something about a bow tie just turns me right off... however, I must say that chap in the Alexander McQueen suit does look extremely dashing. The detail on the shoulders is just interesting enough without being ridiculous and that shirt is just brilliant. I know I try to be an exponent of doing things on the cheap but I'm afraid that when it comes to black tie... well, who goes to balls dressed in Primark? HOWEVER, the one thing that can be taken from the look is the hair. The sort of slicked-back-but-with-volume look is definitely one to copy and reasonably easy to copy I'd imagine. We'll definitely have to add it to our list of hair styles to do a how-to on.

That Sartorialist is stealing our thoughts!

Hey EJ

Have you seen how that pesky sartorialist has been inside our brains or maybe he is just one step ahead! I let him off the first time when he mentioned Fred Astaire's use of the tie as belt (although I mentioned this in an earlier post) but now it seems he is delving into the inner depths of my inspiration. Is this just a coincidence? I think not. I will have to don my trench coat and fedora and snoop around his archives. Regardless of whether he has or not (I really don't think he has been reading this blog) I am extremely happy to see him bring up the great style icons that are Cary Grant and Fred Astaire and to see the that the level of response following this post far out number the comments left for other posts. If you missed it, although I very much doubt you have, here it is.

My own personal favourite of the two has to be Fred Astaire. He was not blessed with the natural aesthetic beauty of Grant but Astaire used his style to allow his aesthetics to bloom and even surpass Grant's. The little touches within his style that at first can go unnoticed but once seen excite and wow the viewer, such as the tie as belt (my personal favourite which I have salvaged for myself), the slanted tie clip and the slim cut sleeves on his suits. In contrast Grant was always sleek and well styled but not stylish to the extent of Astaire whose style was simply breathtaking on camera and off. I commend the sartorialist in bringing this style debate to the fore. I hope to continue the good work and will post in much more detail at a later date.

I say we approach the sartorialist for a collaboration of some kind, are you with me?

Oh Stevie, you know my adoration of Fred. Looking at pictures today has made me realise that I might have been channeling him a little, but it's probably best not to dwell too much on that. My most favourite thing of all about him is his apparent lack of conceit and his fantastic smile. In every photo I see (bar the ones where he is concentrating on a scene) he has that lovely, open smile. He never seems aloof or mean, particularly not in any films that spring to mind. His style is so casual that any surprises it brings seem even more wonderful- dandyism without the pose and knowingness. Other people may disagree with me on this one and hold a completely different view, but for me he's the tops.

Pocket Squares - more than just hankies

First things first, yes I am calling them pocket squares...this is an Americanism but this isn't because I love all things stars and stripes, this is because they mean more than your average old hanky. On many occasions a look that involves a jacket or even a shirt can be greatly enhanced by a pocket square. When I talk about pocket squares it isn't in the strict sense of folded cloth, one can be as imaginative and interesting with filling a breast pocket as possible in my opinion. That said any dark jacket with shirt underneath looks so much better with a complimenting fold of material.

This accessory is associated most with evening wear and, yes, without one the evening look isn't quite right but it has far more use than just complimenting evening attire. There are amazing styling perks with a pocket squares which most men do not realise; any mediocre or worn out jacket can be instantly livened up with an inexpensive, casually folded pocket handkerchief.

On one of my frequent explorations of the sartorialist I came across this interesting quiz question. The common opinion would be that it is a bit over-the-top to put a pocket square in your overcoat but if you actually saw this on the street you would barely notice it and therefore this is a perfectly subtle sartorial detail. Style is all about details and this is where the pocket square can shine. There is so much more than the basic fold, there are a number of ways to fold your chosen material! The grace with which Milan men manipulate the silk or linen is represent their character more than any other element in their outfit. Remember to make the accessory your own, experiment, re-invent something you have seen and try something completely new.


Now here are some images demonstrating just some of the ways you can wear this versatile accessory.

Gary Cooper

Fred Astaire

Bandanna as pocket square courtesy of the thesartorialist

Picture postcards

Dear Steve,

Check this one out! I don’t think we could ask for a better picture to cheer us up after this week of unrelenting rain. I absolutely love the expression on their faces and the fact that it looks like they’re about to high five. Love that crisp white shirt on Fred and the shiny shiny shoes. The sleeves rolled up to that length just above the elbow always adds a nice casual air I think. Is it bad that those super high waist bands are starting to grow on me? I think I may have been watching too many musicals lately. In Brigadoon Gene has the highest waistband I think I’ve seen him wear in any film yet still looks so dapper. How does he do it? King of dares you to try it out.

How has your search for a hat been going? We shall have to continue it when you come to visit.

EJ

Morning Eliza,

This has to be one of my favourite photographs of all time, just look at Gene's face! I like to think that we are mere moments from THE best high five ever performed and it seems by his smile Gene knows it. You just don't see men dress like this anymore. I particularly like Fred Astaire's look, Gene Kelly looks a bit like he's on safari. Plus this is a great shot of Astaire's trademark mixed accessorising, see the tie/neckerchief as a belt. Awesome! I am still on the look out for the perfect hat but as yet have not found it. The weather has made this search a little less important as in my head the hat I want is a summer hat. The same goes for the shorts I wanted to buy...it is getting to the point where I might as well just think about autumn/winter clothes.

Don’t get me started on white shirts as I adore them and are their biggest champion. I do have four now and find myself drawn to them whenever I shop. This will be the subject of the next blog and my not so secret love for them will be clear to all.

During a recent window shopping trip (I did end up buying things, so technically it wasn't just window shopping but that was my intention) I was very tempted by similar shiny shoes. They were black patent shoes but I was unsure if I could get away with them at work. I think I could though. What do you think?

Now, the super high waist bands are interesting. As I was telling you the other night, ‘Edi’ is no more at Dior and the new chap, Kris Van Assche, has created a very different silhouette to the skinny clothes of Edi with tailored tops and loose, high waisted trousers - http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/review/CDMEN. I quite like it but I am not sure why and doubt i would feel comfortble wearing them. Maybe because it’s a nice change from the tight jeans.

I am now off to enjoy the weekend

Steve