Fashion
Author: JOSH GLAZOV
Clothes make the man “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Mark Twain said it over 100 years ago. What you wear is your packaging. It signals a lot about you. It shouldn’t. But it does. Ask yourself: will you get a different reaction to a Tiffany solitaire presented in a No. 10 envelope instead of a robin egg blue box with a white ribbon? Here are the basics and a launch beyond.
Basic Traditional Business
Basic Business Casual
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Dark solid suit. Start with navy blue or gray in 100% worsted wool. What the little black dress is to a woman, the solid dark suit is to a man. You can wear it to the counsel table, an interview, Congressional testimony, or a friend’s wedding. After you acquire this basic piece, add suits in lighter shades and different colors, such as tan for the summer. Pinstripes are the best way to ease into patterns.
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White or light blue solid dress shirt. Start with a standard point collar, or add sophistication with an English cutaway collar. Reserve button-downs for more casual wear. Again, stripes are your best way to add pattern, particularly pencil stripes. Then it’s multicolored stripes and checks and the more pronounced checks like block and gingham. And more colors: ecru, pink, lavender, and yellows.
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Silk necktie. Start with solids in burgundy and blue. Then branch out into other colors and patterns. Use the traditional four-in hand knot. It’s easy to tie and always looks good.
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Shoes, Belt, and Socks. The rule is: with your suit wear lace-up shoes. The black captoe balmoral/oxford is the most traditional and most appropriate. But that ancient tradition has lately yielded, so that brown and oxblood shoes, and shoes perforated with brouging, are fine with your suits, too. The color of your belt should approximate your shoes -- black with black, brown with brown. And if the color of your socks must approximate your trousers or your shoes, approximating your trousers is the more flattering.
Odd Jackets. The blue blazer is classic and versatile. There are few things that this solid blue jacket doesn’t complement. Traditional blazers have metal buttons, but that can be a bit much. It’s nothing for your tailor to re-button this jacket.
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Shirts. Button-downs in light blue, ecru, and pink oxford cloth will keep you looking good. We find white a little too sharp and a little too fraternity row for the workplace. Add colors and patterns as mentioned above. But in a casual environment, you can be bolder with each. And don’t forget turtlenecks.
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Knitwear. Start with a blue and a gray sweater, either crew or v-neck. Both work well. Just ensure that they aren’t too baggy. Sweater vest v-necks complement a casual ensemble and can add an extra layer on cold days. But if you’re concerned about looking outdated, wear them only with your jacket on.
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Solid Gray Flannels Trousers. These are classic and superversatile. Dress them up with a dark odd jacket or down with a v-neck sweater or an oxford cloth button-down shirt. Then add on blues, browns, greens, and other materials like gabardine, worsted wool, corduroy, and linen for the summer
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Shoes. Your options for casual shoes are many. All the mainstay colors work – black, brown, and burgundy through brown – and burgundy suggests more casual. Styles available include derbies/ bluchers, monkstraps, and all sorts of slip-ons: tassel loafers (a/k/a lawyer shoes), mocs, and horsebits. And when it comes to taking shoes casual with elegance, nothing beats suede.
“Save your black suit for night clubs and funerals.” UNITING LEGAL COMMUNITIES TO RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE
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