Book 6 with cover by Print Digital Plus Inc.

Esquire Start with your shirt then pick your tie

Fall 2012 Your New Wardrobe

Welcome to Fall 2012 Does your wardrobe need a complete makeover???

We will come to your home and review all your current garments and help you make decisions on what to discard — and what new garments are needed to get you back on track. We can fit almost any size. Give us a call to set up an appointment. Welcome to Fall 2012 Your wardrobe specialists at Hinsdale Clothiers have shopped the Italian, New York and Chicago clothing markets to bring you some of the most beautiful garments in the world. We are bringing you the “Spirit of Young America” fashions from Southern Tide, Hugo Boss and Vineyard Vines, three lines capturing the shaped fit of American men. The allure of Italy’s crafstmen gives us such lines as Montichairo and Codice, incredible sweater makers, as well as trousers from Vigano, Santorelli, and Gianni Manzoni. Sport shirts from Italy have the best color and pattern work featured with Ingram, Gemelli, and San Remo. Our customers love the vibrant color and patterns of Dolcepunta, Italo Ferretti, and Altea neckwear, some of Italy’s finest. We love to serve you, and give our most personal attention. We meet many people who do not fit standard sizes. Our custom clothes offerings feature suits, tuxedos, sport coats, trousers, dress shirts and sport shirts. We can fit just about any shape or size. Our specialty is hard to fit men, and we would love the opportunity to serve you. Watch for our special events with a number of new lines, as well as some of your favorites. Announcements will be in the mail, website and email. Sincerely,

Steve

777 N. York Road, Gateway Square Hinsdale, Il 60521 Tel. (630) 323-1858 • Fax (630) 323-2732 Hours: M-T-W-F 10 to 6, Thursday 10 to 8, Saturday 9 to 5 Website: www.hinsdaleclothiers.com

Steve Potter, proprietor

FALL CLOTHING SPECIAL Save

%OFF

Any Single Suit or Sport Coat

MAD

E IN TH

U.S.A.

The

n e w de a l [part 4 of 5]

t hir

the

slim-fit shirt

sent the es

i a L : The Cana

SH IR TS & TI ES

Fifty more shirt-and-tie combos—plus everything a stylish man should own this winter—at esquire.com/style-blog.

FIRST, THE bad nEwS: All those shirts in your closet right now? The ones that bag around the sides and bubble out when you tuck them in? They don’t fit. The collar might feel good, and the sleeves might hit the sweet spot on your wrists, but if a shirt doesn’t hew closely to your torso, you end up with tons of cloth that bags, gathers, and wrinkles. Which brings us to the good news: Dozens of mass-market and fashion labels now offer more tailored, fitted options in dress shirts. Take this style new It’s cut close to the body in the waist and shoulders, and ● in the back there’s part 1 shoes darting—a technique in which the ● part 2 cloth is folded and suits sewn over—which ● stops the shirt from part 3 ballooning out. It watches fits in all the ways ● your other shirts paRT 4 shirTs don’t but should. & Ties Invest in a few now ● and collect your part 5 compliments later. coats The New Deal: Our ongoing series to rebuild your wardrobe, item by item.

The

ne w de al SHI RTS & TIES

the extra 10 percent: your brand-new shirt the details you should master before making your next purchase

THE poInT collaR

THE bIg SpREad

THE mEdIum SpREad

The sharp, angled stance of this American standard elongates a short neck and helps compensate for a round face. The limited space in the middle calls for a small knot, like, say, a four-in-hand.

General rule: The bigger the spread, the bigger the knot. A spread as big as this one requires a Windsor or half Windsor, and so it is a statement-making detail. quite italian, traditionally.

The great thing about a medium-spread collar is that it looks great with any face shape and with pretty much any knot. Of the bunch, it is the one that screams of british heritage.

T H E o n E- b u T To n ba R R E l

THE fREncH cuff

T H E T wo - b u T To n ba R R E l

You’ll find this on most shirts you own, which means it’s a more casual cuff and ideal for everyday wear. style note: You can ask a tailor to replace standard mother-of-pearl buttons with colored or patterned buttons. Good for adding personality

it’s long been indicative of a man who knows he needs to be dressed up and will do his damnedest to do so. invest in at least one conversation-starting pair of cuff links and rotate them with your more basic links.

imagine the two-button barrel inhabits a space somewhere between the one-button and the French. it exudes the inherent dressiness of a longer cuff—best for exposing a bit of shirt below your jacket sleeve—without the fussiness of cuff links.

the endorsement: the Wool tie

We like a good silk tie around here. but a wool tie, the likes of which we’ve seen in abundance this season, has character. it offers depth and the suggestion of substance, especially when paired with a light cotton dress shirt. it might be anything from a fine gray knit to a bolder plaid—just make sure you stay away from any knot thicker than a four-in-hand.

The

ne w de al SHI RTS & TIES

start with your shirt, then choose your tie Or is it “start with yOur tie, then chOOse yOur shirt”? either way wOrKs, PrOViDeD yOu KeeP a few thinGs in MinD.

so you’re a shirt Guy . . .

SolId SHIRT: You’ve got free rein with the tie. A basic shirt is a blank canvas, and the only constraint is common sense.

PaTTERnEd SHIRT: Pairing patterned shirts with patterned ties can be tricky, but a solid knit tie makes up for its lack of a pattern with an interesting texture.

Bold SHIRT: You can play it safe with a solid tie, or you can look for a conservative striped tie in the same general color scheme as your shirt.

so you’re a tie Guy . . .

PaTTERnEd TIE: The fuzzy herringbone of Bold TIE: Tread carefully, for such ties can overwhelm all around them. A white shirt works, this tie and the thin stripes of the shirt work in as does a solid shirt that matches a minor color each other’s favor. Think of them as a team. in the tie.

BaSIc TIE: if you’ve got a bright solid red (or blue, or yellow) tie and don’t want to look like you’re running for president, pair it with a bold striped shirt.

ballin.com

Toscano firenze logo Pantone cool grey 7 C 50% Pantone cool grey 1 U

a s k n i c k s u l l i va n the esquire fashion director will now take your questions

Whenever I vIsIt neW York CItY, I spend a lot of tIme WalkIng. and for me, that means sneakers. WhICh means lookIng lIke steve Carell. Is there anY shoe that Would alloW me to enjoY a Complete afternoon In Comfort and stYle?

f i g. 1

Nicolas crocco MoNtevideo, UrUgUay

I never understood why people think proper shoes unsuitable for walking. A good, solid, well-fitting dress shoe should never be uncomfortable. I also think hybrid shoes—sneakers masquerading as dress shoes or vice versa—are the footwear of Beelzebub. But if you must indulge your poor little tootsies, there are good choices that give you a dress shoe with added comfort. The secret is not to sacrifice style for it. Cole Haan has f i g. 2

f i g. 3

f i g. 4

traded on its Nike Air technology for over a decade with aircushioned heel insets that act like shock absorbers. From its latest ranges, try the Air Trafton wingtip oxford[Fig. 1], and do yourself a favor: Avoid Times Square at rush hour. I have recently been gIven a sterlIng sIgnet rIng from my parents, and the watch that I usually wear Is gold. can I wear the sIlver rIng and the gold watch at the same tIme? JasoN FUller ciNciNNati, ohio

I tend to think that gifts of sentimental importance lie outside the realm of matchymatchy. There seems to be little in the way of hard rules on which finger you would wear a signet ring: Basically, it’s the fourth or fifth of either hand, which means you can skirt neatly around the issue by putting your signet ring on the ring or pinkie finger of your right hand and your watch on your left wrist. If anyone calls you on it, simply deploy the third finger of either hand in the traditional singular and vertical manner [Fig. 2]. I am conscIous of the need to match leathers (e.g., belt and shoes). but I often carry a concealed weapon, and the bestfIttIng holsters (made by don hume) are expensIve. thus, I can afford only the black one I have. Is

there an exceptIon to be made here relatIve to matchIng leathers? aNoNyMoUs

Mr. Bond, I’ve been expecting you. . . . The only logical answer to this unique question is to ask yourself: Do my underpants match my tie? The answer should be no, because that would be laughable. Something that is by its nature concealed is not going to be seen with something that is visible, like your shoe. Unless, of course, you failed to read the instructions and are wearing the holster over your jacket. (See Spy Tips 101, by Ernst S. Blofeld.) The question of matching holster to shoes is therefore a nonissue. And with that, I have reached my limit of questions about the rules of matching. Moving on . . . what Is the word on wearIng band-collar shIrts? are they stIll In vogue? chester dolatoski

They are totally in vogue for the coming spring 2013.

I have four suIts—all pleated wIth cuffs—that I need to have altered. Is It worth It to have a taIlor “skInny” up the suIts, or should I just buy two to three new suIts? garth Moore riverdale, Md.

Any tailor will tell you it’s rarely worth trying significant alterations to a suit, because it was built a certain way in order to look a certain way. It’s like having a Cape Cod–style house and trying to turn it into a Frank Lloyd Wright bungalow. Now that the really skinny suits have given way to slim but more sensible proportions, you’d be well advised to look around for new suits. For a contemporary look that is inexpensive and extremely well cut for the price, try [Fig. 4] from Banana Republic. Got a question for nick sullivan? e-mail him at esqstyle@hearst.com.

coppley.com

JACKVICTOR.COM

TRAVEL BLAZER