The Proper Blog

We recently got our hands on Esquire Magazine’s “Handbook of Style” - a cool little black book with loads of information, advice and style rules for men.  We like it – and can definitely recommend it as a suplement to closely following The Proper Blog.  Just remember – rules are made to be broken, so do your own thing.  Here are the top ten tips the book provides (and our thoughts)

1.) Know your neck size – you should be able to fit one finger between your collar and neck when buttoned up.

Yes – without a doubt.  Sleeve length is helpful to.  You should know these.  If you don’t, drop by Proper Cloth and we’ll take your measurements for you.

2.) A tie’s stripes should always be bolder than a shirts.

This is pretty sound advice.  Of course there are exceptions to this rule though.  But, if you find yourself always being the exception, then please double check if you are dressing like an idiot.

3.) It’s ok to not wear socks in summer, but only if you give your sweaty shoes a break every other day.

Ok, this one left us speechless followed quickly by WTF?  I never understood the attraction of wearing sneakers without socks- but do what you want – at least until it starts smelling.

4.) An invitation saying “black-tie optional” means you can choose between a black tie (tuxedo) and a suit, but it really means black tie.

We generally disagree with this – but it depends on what sort of parties you’re going to.  In business school we had several formal “black-tie optional” affairs and at all of them, it was often a minority wearing tuxedos.  Depending on your age and the caliber of events you go to, there’s a good chance you don’t really need a tux – but – of course, it doesn’t hurt.

5.) Know the nuances of khaki pants – don’t roll up the cuffs to your calves like clam diggers unless you are actually digging for clams.

No comment.  We don’t wear khakis, we don’t dig for clams and we don’t roll our pants up.

6.) Never put eyewear, your cell phone, an ink pen, or a bulging key chain in your pants pockets.

Hold on!  Are you serious?  We understand that having stuff bulging out of your pockets can be distracting and unappealing, but there’s NOTHING wrong with having your cell phone in your pocket!  Those clip-on-your-belt cell phone holders are so nerdy looking.

7.) There are three proper ways to tie your shoes: straight laced, criss-cross, and over-under.

Ummm – who really cares?

8.) Your wallet is for credit cards only – cash goes in a money clip in your front pocket.

I had never heard this before – always thought that men simply had the option of money clip or wallet… turns out we need both… What’s so bad about putting cash in the wallet anyways? If you have ideas about this, please share them.

9.) The five terms your barber will understand are thinned out, layered, choppy, razored, and texturized.

Unless your barber is a man in china-town that doesn’t speak English…

10.) It is acceptable to wear your jeans five to ten times between washings – but fewer if they get visibly dirty or baggy at the knee.

Thanks for approving of our dirty secrets!

Stay Proper!

Fancy yourself a pretty cool bloke?  Consider yourself on the bleeding edge of fashion?  Think you have the confidence to pull off the truly original?  Then, maybe you’ve considered wearing your watch on the outside of your cuff?

Ridiculous right?  Well, apparently some people think it’s cool.  According to fashion guru the Sartorialist, this is

“…still extremely pervasive on Italian Sartorialists…”

Really?  Who are these Italians?  We want to meet them.

A bit closer to home, the Natty Banker says”

“It’s more a specialized, advanced, and interesting thing to do. But certainly not dominant or necessary! Also the occasion matters. I think it’s best saved for going out to dinner or having cocktails, as opposed to when attending a graduation, for instance, or just going to work.”

Ok, we want to meet that guy too.

In the photo above is Gianni Agnelli, the inspiration for any man that wears his watch on the outside of his cuff.  You may ask: who is this Gianni clown?  Well, he’s passed away now, but in his time he was a super successful Italian business man.  As the head of Fiat,  he controlled 4.4% of Italy’s GNP.  He’s also known for having impeccable style, a beautiful wife and for “allegedly” sleeping with Jacqueline Kennedy.  Basically what we now refer to as a Master of the Universe.

In this case, we suggest you think twice before copying trends from the uber successful.  There’s a lot we can learn from them, but there are also certain things they can get away with that us mere mortals cannot.  For example, while we strongly advocate dressing more like Brad Pitt, we also suggest you think twice before copying his new moustache.

So, in conclusion, no matter how gutsy and fashionable you are, we suggest you take Daphne Galizia’s advice:

“Watch – strictly to be worn BENEATH your shirt-cuff; when you wish to know the time, push up your cuff; this can also be used as a signal that a meeting is over and you wish the annoying person sitting across from you to be on his way.”

Stay Proper.

You may be asking yourself this question soon.  It seems many designers have plans to put bright colors on the shelves.  According to Gillian Koenig, writer for DNR, “Vibrant Colors [will] emerge as the common thread in the accessories market for spring ‘09″.  At the recent MAGIC fashion show, DKNY presented dress shirts in “pop colors of raspberry, orange and lime”, BCBG featured dress shirts in “vibrant colors”, Geoffrey Beene is planning to offer their sateen shirts in “52 different colors”, and Izod is bringing “brightly colored checks and plaids to market”.

Proper Cloth’s opinion here: bright and colorful dress shirts are not cool.  This smells like a trend and we don’t like getting swept up in trends.  Please, do not be “that guy”, who see’s the bright orange dress shirt on the front display in DKNY, thinks it looks really cool and wears it to work the next day.  You will look ridiculous.

You might be telling yourself “I’m so cool, I am ahead of the trend, everyone must think I am so stylish”.  Sorry Zoolander.  It’s not true.  Everyone thinks you look like a jack-ass.

We strongly recommend that this Winter and Spring, you don’t overdo the color thing.  Keep your personal identity in mind and be yourself.  If you’ve always loved bright colors and have been frustrated by the grays and blacks of recent seasons try some colorful cuff-links from Nautica, or a bright Ted Baker tie.  If you pair these with a plain white dress shirt and dark suit, you won’t look clownish.  For work, stick to the classics and stay professional.