Tastehunter

In today’s video blog, my friend, client and style comrade, Tony Martignetti and I demonstrate how to mix high and low in menswear. We hear about this a lot in relation to women’s style but not as much for men. The idea is to be strategic about your clothing budget, putting your money toward classic pieces that will stand the test of time, and looking to fast fashion stores like Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, Uniqlo and H&M for trendier items. Tony’s custom shirt is from Cego ($125), and his chinos ($58) are from American Apparel.

What do you think? How do you mix high + low?

Tony is the founder of Martignetti Planned Giving Advisors. Tweet him here and check out his weekly radio show here

In our search for dashing rehearsal dinner options for grooms, Brian Leahy (founder of The Groom Says blog) and I start the day at Kmart and end up at Michael Andrews Bespoke. Part I of the interview (at Kmart) can be read on Brian’s blog here, and Part II (at MAB) here.

Clip-on ties: a must-miss

Doesn't get any cooler than this...

...or this.

Special thanks to our gorgeous models, Alex and Adam, and to Michael Andrews Bespoke.

Images courtesy of Joanna Wilson Photography.

The short-sleeve button down done wrong

...and done right. (Photo courtesy of WSJ.com)

It’s an exciting day here at Rath & Co! We were featured in today’s Wall Street Journal article entitled, “Stylish Guys Steal Short Sleeves From Nerds.” Please click here for our advice on how to wear a short-sleeve button down shirt and not look like Milton from Office Space or your IT guy (ironically enough, our IT guy was in our office when we did this interview — he claimed no offense).

Check out my latest Profiles in Awesomeness interview with the well-heeled and always entertaining Tony Martignetti, Founder of Martignetti Planned Giving Advisors and Host of Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio. Tony and I talk Garanimals, the Blockbuster Uniform, and why he can sometimes be found in women’s pants. We shot this video at the beautiful Michael Andrews Bespoke studio (Note how Tony’s tie and pocket square coordinate with MAB’s wallpaper. The man is a pattern-matching fool.).  Click the image above to play.

A lot will dictate how well you pull off your Valentine’s date look. Success depends on aligning your selection with what you’ll be doing, where and with whom. That said, here are a few ideas that will hopefully inspire you to create your own looks for whatever your Valentine’s Day plans hold. Keep in mind that the best choice for you is determined by your coloring, body type and personality, so these are meant to be broad suggestions.

Casual dinner at your neighborhood joint…

Navy blazer + thin grey cardigan (skip the top and bottom buttons) + white v-neck t-shirt + colorful pocket square + dark straight leg jeans + laceup boots

I love the addition of a thin cashmere cardigan beneath a blazer. It adds both warmth and visual interest. The colorful pocket square shows her that despite your decidedly casual look, you recognize the day’s significance.

J. Crew Navy Blazer $365

Scotch & Soda Cardigan $38

James Perse V-Neck $50

J Hanauer Pocket Square $20

J. Brand Kane Jeans $165

Crockett & Jones Northcote Boots $595

Fancy night out…

Navy suit + lavender dress shirt + grey pocket square + brown cap-toes

This year Valentine’s Day is on a Monday, which means most likely you’re meeting her straight from work. This is the perfect excuse to wear one of your most versatile pieces: the navy suit. Pair it with a lavender shirt (points for thinking outside the white and blue shirt box), and as you leave the office lose the tie and unbutton your top two shirt buttons.

Navy suit: I recommend Michael Andrews Bespoke $895 and up

Boss Black Dress Shirt $95

Johnston & Murphy Cap Toes $230

R Hanauer Pocket Square $17.50

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Somewhere in between…

White jeans + grey blazer + black and white plaid dress shirt + penny loafers

Contrary to what you might have been told, white jeans can (and should) be worn year-round. They’re a refreshing and sharp-looking surprise in the dead of winter, and they look terrific with black and grey. Try them without a belt for a leaner look.

Saks Collection Blazer $649

John Varvatos Bowery Jean $165

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Ralph Lauren Black Label Dress Shirt $295

Bass Dover Penny Loafers $49.99

And all looks are, of course, + flowers.

Photo courtesy of Michael Andrews Bespoke

Someone asked recently what my go-to power suit is. I think he was surprised when I gave my answer in three letters: F-I-T. It’s not about what brand you’re wearing because, after all, if your “killer” suit doesn’t fit you, it’s more or less harmless. Every client that comes to see me has different bodily proportions that dictate how his clothes will fit. If you have proportions that let you buy off the rack without any gapping or pulling, then lucky you. If not, then I recommend custom. When you want to bring out your big guns, nothing shows your in-the-knowness like a suit that fits like a glove. Go see my guys over at Michael Andrews Bespoke. They are the real deal custom, and you’ll get a flawless fit every time. Plus, you’re likely to spend less there than you would buying a luxury brand suit off the rack from a high-end department store. Not to mention that their new digs are the coolest surprise I’ve ever encountered down an NYC alley.

I was walking up 6th Ave the other day when I came across this cool cat. Meet Neal Ohm (brilliant last name — a constant reminder to stay chill). This guy knows how to put together an eye-catching ensemble. It’s no surprise that fashion is in his blood — his grandmother started the women’s department at Barneys with the Pressman family back in the 70s.

Here are the deets on his look: navy windowpane suit from Dolce & Gabbana, French cuff shirt Brooks Brothers, bowtie Robert Talbott, shoes Paul Smith, shades $10 off the street, and pinup girl cuff links vintage from a London flea market (the dreaded iPhone camera did not come through for me on my shots of these, but trust me, they were way cool).

As seen on the Brilliant Event Planning blog.

Every groom should look dashing at his wedding. If the dress code permits, ditch the tux in favor of a well-chosen, perfectly-fitting suit. The beauty of buying a knock-out suit is that once you have it, you can wear it for different occasions like job interviews or other important events. It’s a wise use of your wedding budget, and all guys look fantastic in a well-fitted suit.

Here are some of my top tips on suiting up your wedding:

1. Color: A navy or grey suit with a white shirt and black shoes are excellent options. If you’re not asking your groomsmen to buy the same exact suit as yours (which is a great way to build goodwill with them, especially if budget is an issue), you should give them guidance on color. In this situation, opt for navy because if you just tell them, “buy grey suits,” you’ll end up with all different shades and patterns. Black can work too, but it’s a strong color that not everyone looks good in, so go with the easier-to-wear navy.
2. Time of Day: If your wedding is a more casual, daytime affair, you can wear a navy blazer, shirt, and tie with khaki, grey or seersucker pants. To look really pulled together with this option, match the metals of your belt buckle and watch to the buttons on your blazer. So if your buttons are gold, wear a gold buckle and a gold watch. With silver-tone buttons, opt for silver accessories.
3. Ties: Neckwear provides a nice way to coordinate with the color the bridesmaids are wearing and with the color scheme of the overall event. Look for ties that pick up on colors that will appear elsewhere in the wedding. If you’re wearing a suit and you’d rather stick to a more classic and simple style for yourself, try a long white or silver tie, and let your groomsmen do the color thing. That way, you’ll have a look that pulls the event together as a cohesive whole.

I have always appreciated Brian Williams’ style, and this shirt and tie combo is no exception. What works in particular for me is the use of an analogous color scheme – i.e., colors that appear adjacent to each other on a color wheel, in this case blue and violet. (A color wheel is a circular diagram of the spectrum used to show the relationships between the colors, as seen below.)

Analogous color schemes are often found in nature and are harmonious because the colors involved are closely related. Beyond that, this combination strikes me as pleasing because the base color is blue, which conveys peace and order — a feeling I rarely get watching the news these days (so thank you for that, Brian Williams!). The Bengal stripes lend a casual air to the look, but the dark suit and solid tie ground it with a bit of formality. In addition, this pairing is fresh and eye-catching because, while it is harmonious, the violet-light blue shirt and tie pairing is somewhat unexpected.

For those looking to recreate this look, I found some similar options. For shirts:

from Canali ($200), Hickey Freeman ($117) and Nordstrom ($59.50) in descending order of wallet-busting. And for ties I like the violet chevron-textured one from Michael Kors ($85) atop the pile below,

Sam Hober’s Purple Oxford Silk ($80 but sadly out of stock at the moment),

or, for something with texture, try Sam Hober’s silk grenadine ($80).

Side note: in researching Brian Williams’ style for this post, I stumbled across a blog entitled “The Brian Williams Tie Report Archives,” dedicated to nothing other than painstakingly archiving the neck wear worn by America’s most trusted voice in evening news. This blog isn’t the strangest thing I’ve ever seen on the internet, but it’s close enough for rock n’ roll. In spite of that, I gotta say it’s a relief knowing I’m not the only one who watches the news mostly just to scope out what the anchors are wearing.

I’m loving this black and white striped Ralph Lauren tie that I got on sale for a client at Bergdorf Goodman. Originally $150, it rang up as $69. The deals these days are out of control.

We’ll pair it with a white dress shirt as shown above, a black vest and matching black trousers. I also like it with the striped and checkered shirts below. While pattern mixing may feel a little strange if you’ve never done it before, consider it as a “next step.”  Branching out this way will also give you more options to work with when putting outfits together. The main consideration when doing this is to make sure the patterns you pair up are of different proportions to one another. Here, too, the striped shirt works because its stripes run vertical, while those on the tie run diagonal. When done correctly, pattern mixing is an excellent way of adding versatility to your wardrobe.