New Year, New Look? (Part 2)

Ten Sure Ways to Successfully Mix Up your Look (aka rejuvenate your wardrobe)

Colorful Language

There is no more effective way to rejuvenate your spring season wardrobe than to add some color. Color is a language all its own. Second only the basic cut of what you are wearing, color is a powerful influence on how others perceive you. Of particular importance are the colors nearest to your face. Do they encourage eye contact and positive connection with others, or do they serve as more of a distraction?

If you think I’m overstating the power of color, why not put it to the test? Choose one new color to mix into your wardrobe this season, even if it’s only shirts and ties. Then take note of the response you get. Whether you do it on your own or with the help of your clothier, select several shades of one color that complement your complexion – skin tone, the color of your eyes and hair. You can thank me later, once others start telling you that you look ten (ok…five) years younger, ask you if you’ve lost weight, or more of the ‘close ones’ go your way.

Note: Take care not to over use the color effect, lest you appear to be trying too hard, or end up looking too much the circus clown.

By the way, to give you some additional direction, here are some timely colors to consider this season:

For clothing (jackets and pants): smoked blue, earthy shades of brown or ash gray.

For shirts, ties and other accessories, as well as sportswear: unapologetic pink and ice blue, lilac and berry tones, as well as margarita green and warm honey.

Put Some Buttonholes to Work

You’ve heard it a million times that “it’s all in the details.” Did you think that was going to change just because it’s a new year? You have buttonholes that work on the front of your tailored jackets, but what about the sleeves? While getting working (functional) buttonholes on the sleeves of your jackets may cause you to ask: “but why?” they are a detail that will get noticed for all the right reasons. A winning cocktail-party-feature if there ever was one.

Among all of the possible coat detail options, far from ostentatious, working buttonholes up the style quotient, but in a quiet, sophisticated manner. That is, unless you decide to finish those buttonholes in a contrasting color or colors, in which case the sartorial volume just got turned up.

You know your personality and the statement that you want to make. Detail and add color accordingly!

Sartorial Regards,

Tom@tomjames.com

Tom and Thomas:

A Marriage made in Heaven… or was it somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic?

Either way, Tom James Shirt Making and Thomas Mason Shirt Fabrics are a perfect marriage. World class shirting fabric from the Albini mill in Bergamo, Italy under the Thomas Mason label (England’s most venerable group of mills) made into beautiful shirts by the shirt making artisans of Tom James in the USA, under our exclusive Holland & Sherry 1838 and Bespoke labels, resulting in the most prized and appreciated shirts that you will ever wear. And as you can see from the images below, they present the perfect opportunity to introduce some fresh color into your look this season.

In addition to the new Thomas Mason collection, our entire Holland & Sherry collection is imbued with a British Sensibility. I suggest that you dress up these sophisticated, elegant, and distinguished patterns with a mix of spread collars, French cuffs or two-button cuffs, and no pocket on the front if you can live without it. With or without an appropriate necktie, a few of these shirts will raise your game and command attention!

Click here for the History of Thomas Mason

British-milled Fabric meets Made-in-the-USA Shirt Making = Holland & Sherry 1838 and Holland & Sherry Bespoke, the new Benchmark for the World’s Finest shirts.

Tom James offices just received a new bunch of these fabrics. Get your order in now to energize your look for the coming Spring!

Sartorial Regards,

Tom@tomjames.com

New Year, New Look? (Part 1)

Ten Sure Ways to Successfully Mix Up your Look

Aaron W. writes: It’s a new year and I’m looking to really change up my look. You know, take it to the next level, as they say. Any thoughts on a few simple ways to get it done without having to re-do my closet?

TomTalks: It may come as no surprise, but I live to answer questions like that. What could be more fun than figuring out a new way to mix up or punch up your style? In this regard, I like to keep things simple and direct. During the month of January I’m going to give you 10 great ways to mix up your look this Spring. Here are the first three to get you started:

Add a Ticket Pocket to your Jackets

While this trend has been gaining steam over the past few seasons, the ticket or "cash" pocket likely originated in British equestrian and hunting circles so that riders and hunters wouldn’t have to unbutton to access money to pay the toll or tip the gatekeepers while on the hunt. Some would suggest that this additional pocket is a sporting detail and makes the garment less formal than it would be otherwise. Whether or not you will ever actually use it is really not the point. While some designers have been adding them to ready-made suits, the ticket pocket remains mostly a custom detail that adds a modern, distinguished, British accent to any tailored jacket.

Practically, the ticket pocket is good design for the tall man (especially the tall and thin man) for whom the more details the better. Forgetting what I just said earlier about its dubious potential usefulness, I recommend stashing within a small stack of business cards and maybe an extra twenty or a C-note in each one. You never know when you may need to reach in there for it to save the day. Why not have one added to your next custom suit or sport coat?

Go West Young Man!

You’ve been wearing flat front pants for several seasons now. With American/USA Heritage styles continuing to drive fashion, consider evolving your look with the same cut and fit, but a change of pockets. Western pockets make a rugged, old west statement while maintaining a clean, trim look. The western pocket is just one of many available trouser options.

See more great looks in our Spring 2012 Look Book.

Stripes are Strong!

Whether a bold contrast or a more subtle complement, striped ties are substantial and trusted.

Note: Striped ties show best on shirts of solid color or muted pattern.

See a full range of fresh tie options.

There you go. Three quick ideas and more to come.

What’s one way that you are mixing up your look this season?

Sartorial Regards,

Tom@tomjames.com

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Proper Fashion Etiquette for a Formal Event

The rules of fashion etiquette are clear for formal events. Certain terms and events require a certain protocol.

First, some general rules to go by:

1. Unless you are in a wedding in the USA, it is considered to be in poor taste to wear formal attire before evening, roughly 6 pm. The UK and other regions have their own set of rules for this situation.
2. If you are wearing a waist coat (vest), the bottom button should be left unbuttoned unless you are wearing it for a white tie event.
You may wear a cummerbund and bow tie or a waist coat and bow tie or satin cravat (necktie). You may wear braces with either a cummerbund or a waistcoat.
3. The pleats of a cummerbund are to be worn facing up as they were originally designed to hold opera or theater tickets.
4. Because a double-breasted dinner jacket should be worn closed at all times, you do not need to wear a cummerbund or waistcoat under it.
5. If at all possible, wear a bow tie that you tie yourself (as opposed to a pre-tied bow tie).

With at least seven categories of formal dress to consider, we will reserve discussion of the two most formal – White Tie and Morning Dress – for another time. For Semi-formal to Black Tie occasions, the following suggestions apply:

1. Black Tie – Although this is a very formal event, it is not as formal as that of the white tie. A black tuxedo is required (AKA a dinner jacket or “D.J.” in the UK.) A white wing collar or pointed collar shirt is worn with a black bow tie and black cummerbund or black waist coat. Black studs and cuff links would also be worn. The lapel of the dinner jacket should be peak or shawl.
2. Black Tie Preferred – means that the host prefers black tie, but a dark colored suit and conservative tie is allowable. (The suit is acceptable, but not preferred.) This is when it is also proper (or at least acceptable) to wear a patterned bow tie/cummerbund or patterned bow tie and waist coat. This is a formal event but not as formal as black tie or white tie. You may also consider wearing your White Dinner Jacket provided that you are in a tropical climate, on a cruise, or it is between Memorial Day and Labor Day (Derby Day to Labor Day in the Bluegrass state.) Dinner jackets of other colors and patterns may also be considered. Our recommendation would be that you wear your formal clothing in both the “preferred” and “optional” situations. It shows your respect for the event and your hosts.
3. Black Tie Optional – Not as strong as “Black Tie Preferred” but the same rules apply.
4. Black Tie Invited – Not as formal an event as Black Tie Preferred or Black Tie Optional. A dark suit and tie are required or you may choose to wear a tuxedo or white dinner jacket (providing the season and climate are correct.)
5. Semi- Formal – Historically, this was synonymous with “black tie”. Today this could mean anything from a tuxedo to a dark suit and tie. In a more relaxed setting this could allow for a dressy sport coat with or without a tie depending on local culture or particular setting. If you are unsure of what to wear, it is considered proper to call your host and ask.

Shall we all be “puttin’ on the Ritz” this Winter when the occasion calls for something beyond business as usual? Time to raise our standards, gentlemen. And in case you need some tips on formal dress, like How to Tie a Bowtie, check out The Virtual Tailor.

tom@tomjames.com

Shall We Dress for Dinner?

Formally Speaking: This is no time to relax your Standards

“Shall we dress for dinner?” asked the always stylish and cool Nick Charles (Leading Man in the 1934 Film “The Thin Man”) of his equally charming wife, Nora. In other words, “Shall I wear my tuxedo for dinner tonight, or will the standard suit and tie get the job done?” More often than not, Nora would reply with “Oh, why not?” (Or she just gave Nick ‘the look’ that said in no uncertain terms ‘but of course.’ She probably had a new cocktail dress to break out.)

A common question of a man to his wife for most of the 20th Century, the relative question for today might be (much to the chagrin of modern ‘Nora’) “Should I wear a sport jacket to the restaurant tonight or can I get away without it?” A less frequent but timely question, due to the season, revolves around what to wear when the invitation reads “Black Tie” or “Black Tie Optional.”

Traditionally the response to an invitation reading “Black Tie” was simple. For men it meant a proper dinner jacket and trouser, typically black, of fine worsted wool, with a satin or grosgrain lapel and trouser braid, pleated front shirt with a point or wing collar, black bow tie and cummerbund, and plain toe dress brogue or slip-on shoes, preferably of patent leather.

But as Ray A. Smith recently wrote in The Tux and the Suit Duke It Out, WSJ, October 5, 2011, “With more relaxed dress codes at parties and on the red carpet in recent years, many men have eased into a looser definition of ‘black tie.’ (Beware of ‘looser’ definitions.) The penguin suit with bow tie moved to the back of the closet, and the black suit with straight black tie hit the dance floor.”

While even I, Tom,..., gave in to the trend and have worn a black suit (Duopioni silk, no less) with a regular, albeit dressy, necktie to a formal event during the past few years (Bless me, Father, for I have sinned!), I am happy to report that my shawl collar, mohair blend tuxedo is ready to go and that tuxedo sales are rising sharply this season.

The sartorial tide has turned in favor of the tuxedo and the more classic accoutrements, including a black bow tie that you tie yourself (as if I needed to tell you that). Affirming this trend, entertainers and actors like Brad Pitt and Justin Timberlake, who have tended toward edgier dress in past years for formal occasions, have been spotted wearing classic tuxedos and bow ties this year.

Though the notch lapel dinner jacket dominates the formal offerings at most stores, I prefer the classic panache of a peak lapel or the graceful line of a shawl collar.

Stay tuned for the next post when I elaborate on the ‘Rules’ of formal dress. And in case you need some tips on formal dress, like How to Tie a Bowtie, check out The Virtual Tailor.

tom@tomjames.com

What to Wear

Once again, one of Tom’s most trusted female friends is here to offer some advice, this time on what to wear to that holiday party.

“What to wear?” Isn’t that always the question in the rush of planning your outfit for a holiday party? No? Well, if it isn’t, it should be. Women are probably the most stressed yet the best prepared for what to wear; men tend to….wait, put off or procrastinate in the face of such decisions. Whether well-planned, or at the last minute, both face the challenge of trying to be neither underdressed nor overdressed. We girls often use our peer groups as sounding boards for ideas, “no no’s” and critiques.

The professionals of Tom James agree that it’s far better to be overdressed than underdressed. “People tend to dress up during the holidays and you should, too.” Consider the quiet confidence (not to mention the sublime luxury) of a cashmere sport coat and scarf, plaid or houndstooth slacks, winter white and anything black, timeless and classic. TJ women love winter white suits, Holland and Sherry cashmere scarves and plaid slacks or black skirts. Faux fur has made its way back into our wardrobes - on jacket lapels, as vests, and shawls.

Ladies, it’s time to pull out your tights and knee high boots to wear with your skirts and faux fur jackets!! Gentlemen, if you are in a pinch, black cashmere jackets are a safe staple piece. You can remove your jacket if you are overdressed or insert a pocket square if you need a little extra holiday pizzazz. If it says business casual, this means a sport coat or blazer but a tie is not necessary. When the invitation says semiformal, translate: suit and tie.

Still, your outfit is not complete without shoes and accessories. Plan this carefully. And please tell me that this part of the outfit does not include ties that sing Christmas songs and light up like the tree in Time Square, obnoxious Christmas jewelry, or a tacky holiday sweater…. unless it is ENTIRELY clear and noted in the invitation that you are to somehow emulate the look of Clark W. Griswold in Christmas Vacation. Let’s stay clear of that and join the other well dressed attendees so that we are not the entertainment of the party.

tom@tomjames.com

Does RSVP still mean what it means?

Today, Tom has asked one of his most trusted female friends to offer advice on interpreting invitations.

RSVP. Precisely what does this mean? In the 21st Century we too often mistake this acronym as “respond only if you are coming.” The long version of RSVP is répondez s'il vous plaît which translates as “Reply Please” or “Please Respond.” Could it be that a lack of response may be felt as an insult to the efforts of the host? He or she deserves the courtesy of, at a minimum, knowing how many and who to expect. “Common courtesy is to give a response within 48 hours after receiving an invitation.” Receiving a less formal invite via social media, i.e. Evite, Facebook, still requires a response.

A second all-too-common social faux-pas is improper arrival time etiquette. For example, a “dinner party” may be mistaken for a relaxed social gathering, allowing you come and go as you please. However, if the party planner specifies a time to be seated, your dinner will be cold and the party planner might be slightly annoyed if you show up late. For other gatherings, it is important to know the nature of the event because showing up too early may cause the host or hostess inconvenience or added stress. Not only does he or she have to continue to prepare but will also feel obliged to entertain the early arrivers. Who really wants to be an annoyance during the holiday season?

Lastly, is it appropriate to show up empty handed? The invitation will likely allude as to whether you should bring a bottle of wine or some other food item. You should act accordingly. Remembering what most of us learned in our youth or college years, to repeatedly mooch is a sure path to “no more invitations “. Consideration and contribution are always appreciated and properly rewarded. That lovely law of reciprocity is for real. “So long as you endeavor to treat others as you would be treated, you already have the most important part down.”

Good advice to be sure. Whether as a host or guest…

Enjoy the season,

tom@tomjames.com