the well dressed man (pink rickshaw)

And as long as I've got my suit and tie
I'mma leave it on the floor tonight
And you got fixed up to the nines
Let me show you a few things
-Suit and Tie, Justin Timberlake

I do not keep up with men's fashion as much as I should but I was intrigued to read this article in the New York Times blog last month about the rise of the well dressed man. "Designer fashion is no longer just for gay men and Europeans. Welcome to the age of sartorial enlightenment, in which the average male has shed schlumpiness for style," writes Guy Trebay. He goes on to say, "Thus the frumpy Dockers and the men’s version of mom jeans and the oversize shirts billowing like jibs have been bagged up and shipped to Goodwill. Even dot-com geeks have slowly begun moving away from the hoodies and sneakers, knit-hat-and-sweatshirt Smurf look. In Silicon Valley these days, the stealth signifier of status is that throwback to the glory days of haberdashery: brightly patterned socks."

I have to say I agree. Observing friends and even a few minutes of people watching around the city and you'll see your average dude has embraced designer duds and a reasonable fit for his clothes. Hopefully gone are the days where being a manly man meant not caring about your garments. Here are a few chic (but classic) picks to add to any well dressed lad's closet.

Go custom
Most men are quickly learning how key design and fit are to looking debonair. That probably contributes to the popularity of men's online custom clothing stores. Some of the best sites are Blank Label, Proper Cloth and Indochino (Indochino's checkered shirt is pictured above). Most of the sites have shirts in the $100-$200 range and the process is fairly easy (usually there are simple instructions on how to take your measurement or you have the option to just use your known dress shirt size) with numerous combinations for fabric, collar and cuff style and fit.

Murse
Step one in achieving well dressed status is ditching that company issued laptop bag. Replace it instead with something classic (and not too flashy) like this J.Crew Billykirk Schoolboy Satchel.

All Tied Up
Ties don' t have to be just if you work on Wall Street or as a basketball coach, a casual tie is a nice way to make a statement and in a lighter color almost seems scholarly. This wool tie from Pierrepont Hicks is a great seasonal transition piece. Remember to also keep that tie accessorized and neat with a tie clip like the one pictured above from J.Crew.

Boy Beauty
A well dressed man, no doubt is also well groomed (which means having good skin and hair products). As a Birchbox addict, I was excited to see the company expanded with a men's version. I know my hubby has to get a little jealous when I get my monthly box of goodies. Now he can get his own filled with manly grooming and lifestyle products. The subscription is a little bit more expensive than the women's beauty version ($20 for the men's box versus the $10 for the gals) but the products also seem a little bit more substantial. For example, April's box includes fun socks, a portable wood speaker, lip balm and cologne. At a minimum, gifting your guy a subscription means he'll always have travel products on hand.

Wooden Sunnies
No look is complete without some cool shades, right? Eyewear made from eco-friendly materials like sustainable wood are all the rage. To keep it on trend but classic, these Proof wood sunglasses have a fun light look but are balanced with a traditional shape.

image source: indochino.com, jcrew.com, pierreponthicks.com, birchbox.com, iwantproof.com

-SD

Comments

You have no idea how helpful this is to me. No idea. Thanks for the links for custom fit. my husband has a problem with shoulder fit and sleeve length sometimes...I can't wait to read what stylegal and her pal have to say about this one.
Do you know of any websites for custom-fit indian clothes I can order? Inseam is always a problem for me....

Posted by: amee | April 15, 2013 at 11:33 AM