The man who, as is often said, can get away with wearing a trench coat over his dinner jacket, or an old school tie for a belt, is the one who, in fact, understands best the rules of proper dress and can bend them to suit his own personality and requirements
– G. Bruce Boyer
This is easily one of my favourite quotes about menswear and style because it sums up what you should be thinking, rather than just blindly following the fashion herd.
I often get asked about old clothes, more specifically, how old does something have to be before you can't wear it anymore? And I honestly believe that there's a really simple answer to that question - you can't put an age limit on something if it's well constructed, It should practically outlive you.
They say that fashion is cyclical and changes every 6 months, so I might be throwing a massive spanner in the fashion works because I regularly wear clothing that's past its 6 month 'used-by' date. You can make it work by mixing these older pieces back with newer items of clothing.
The trick is knowing what's already in your wardrobe. This makes shopping easier and minimises the chances of buying the same item of clothing over and over again. If you examine the contents of your closet you'll be able to identify gaps that need filling.
Another thing that I've discovered while helping men develop their personal style, is that people tend to be drawn to the same things time after time. One gentleman wanted to break away from his norm and slowly introduce different patterns and colours into his wardrobe and while helping him choose a tie from a selection of twenty, I bet him that I could pick the tie that he would go for. He pointed towards the one that he liked and not surprisingly it was the one that I suspected. How did I do it? Easy. It was the most similar to the tie he was wearing, so it seemed obvious that he was attracted to that certain style.
The only way to get around this is to keep in mind what's already in your wardrobe and go after contrasting colours and patterns that'll work with what you already have. There's no point in buying another solid navy blue suit if you have one or two already, so why not try charcoal or shade of grey, both of which compliment navy, or if you're really attached to your navy palette, try introducing different shades and subtle patterns, then work your way onto another colour or shade.
So in the theme of today I wore my forest green overcoat from last year, layering it on top of my new navy herringbone suit and brown cardigan. I added on a recently purchased brown/green knitted tie and a pair of new suede loafers. I'll be able to wear all of these pieces next year and for many years to come.
Do you have any wardrobe favourites that you find yourself pulling out year after year?
Suit, Overcoat & Shirt by Oscar Hunt Tailors
Cardigan by Uniqlo
Tie by Christian Kimber
Loafers by Carmina
– G. Bruce Boyer
Photos by Dylan Nie
This is easily one of my favourite quotes about menswear and style because it sums up what you should be thinking, rather than just blindly following the fashion herd.
I often get asked about old clothes, more specifically, how old does something have to be before you can't wear it anymore? And I honestly believe that there's a really simple answer to that question - you can't put an age limit on something if it's well constructed, It should practically outlive you.
They say that fashion is cyclical and changes every 6 months, so I might be throwing a massive spanner in the fashion works because I regularly wear clothing that's past its 6 month 'used-by' date. You can make it work by mixing these older pieces back with newer items of clothing.
The trick is knowing what's already in your wardrobe. This makes shopping easier and minimises the chances of buying the same item of clothing over and over again. If you examine the contents of your closet you'll be able to identify gaps that need filling.
Another thing that I've discovered while helping men develop their personal style, is that people tend to be drawn to the same things time after time. One gentleman wanted to break away from his norm and slowly introduce different patterns and colours into his wardrobe and while helping him choose a tie from a selection of twenty, I bet him that I could pick the tie that he would go for. He pointed towards the one that he liked and not surprisingly it was the one that I suspected. How did I do it? Easy. It was the most similar to the tie he was wearing, so it seemed obvious that he was attracted to that certain style.
The only way to get around this is to keep in mind what's already in your wardrobe and go after contrasting colours and patterns that'll work with what you already have. There's no point in buying another solid navy blue suit if you have one or two already, so why not try charcoal or shade of grey, both of which compliment navy, or if you're really attached to your navy palette, try introducing different shades and subtle patterns, then work your way onto another colour or shade.
So in the theme of today I wore my forest green overcoat from last year, layering it on top of my new navy herringbone suit and brown cardigan. I added on a recently purchased brown/green knitted tie and a pair of new suede loafers. I'll be able to wear all of these pieces next year and for many years to come.
Do you have any wardrobe favourites that you find yourself pulling out year after year?
Suit, Overcoat & Shirt by Oscar Hunt Tailors
Cardigan by Uniqlo
Tie by Christian Kimber
Loafers by Carmina