Tailoring can be a tricky thing so to help our gents out we got the sartorial sizzle from Alex Wilcox of Lord Willy’s.
Our thoughts on the subject:
Our mantra is simple: Buy Less, Buy Quality, Support Craftsmanship! Why have piles of cheap, ill-fitting items when you can have a tight collection of handsome, quality, well-made pieces you can be proud of? There ya go…
Tips from a tailor:
We popped around to one of our favorite tailors, Alex Wilcox of Lord Willy’s in New York City to ask him for some essential tips for dressing well. Alex and his wife Betty are British expats who have been whipping New York men into sartorial shape for years now.
1. A good shirt will save a bad suit, any day of the week. Your entire appearance comes from the neck down. A well fitted, clean, precise collar will set the tone and draw less attention to what follows. To the same point, a great suit with a bad shirt is going to do you no favors.
2. What color tie should I wear with this? When in doubt, go with a solid navy tie. It will “ground” your other choices and always look sophisticated. It’s the “Swiss Army Knife” of the sartorial world. The only color it doesn’t go with is black.
3. I need to buy a suit. It will have to work for work, weddings, funerals, and possible court cases. What should I get? A solid navy or a solid charcoal suit will work for all of the above. Grey and navy both allow other colors to breathe, so it’s up to you how to accessorize. A black suit (which seems to be most people’s first suit) is very limiting. It’s too harsh and, like a picture, it simply frames your other choices and should only be worn for black tie events or by people who know how to wear it.
4. Choose pieces that you wear, not pieces that wear you. If your personality is confident and playful, by all means, let your outfit show it. If you are the shy, retiring type, don’t go looking for the clothes to change you. Embrace your own persona and shine from within. There’s nothing wrong with sophisticated — it’s always fashionable.
5. Don’t spend more than 20 minutes getting dressed in the morning. Just go with the flow. If you botch it up, don’t worry, it’s just called “character building.”
Etiquette:
- Don’t ever buy something because it is expensive. Buy it because you like it.
- Do step out on a limb and try something new. Maybe not creepers but how about a pair of red socks?
- Don’t ever be rude to salespeople. They are there to help and have a family to feed too.
- Do take care of your clothes. Clothes don’t fare well on the floor, that’s what hangers are for.
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