Proper Cloth's Notes
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Proper Cloth custom dress shirts are made in America. Not partially made in America, but hand sewn from start to finish by Americans in North Carolina. And, not the I-just-drove-my-company-in
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 supplement 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 (read more)
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 (read more)
I've kind of stopped paying attention to the news lately - been getting a little depressing.
However, I couldn't help but overhear that last week, something like 70,000 125,000 people were laid off. This whole financial crisis thing used to just be New York's problem, but now it seems that ANYONE is a potential victim. With several friends and former classmates currently "inbetween jobs", I thought I might try to help with a list:
1.) Really (really) recognize that you HATED your job anyways
You were not happy there. Your boss was an asshole. You wanted to punch a koala. You were stressed out all the time. You never had time to date. You never had time to exercise. You despised flight AA4749 from JFK to Washington DC every f***ing Monday. You were not passionate about what you were doing. Actually half the time, you weren't really doing anything. An overpaid, under appreciated memo-writer. That's what you were. And now you're free.
2.) Don't stress out trying to find new work overnight
If you've ever been to Pamplona in July, you know that panic and stress can be contagious. Similarly, massive layoffs and CNBC encourage panic. Don't fall into this trap. It is pointless. Keep your composure... (Full Post: Maximize Unemployment)
However, I couldn't help but overhear that last week, something like 70,000 125,000 people were laid off. This whole financial crisis thing used to just be New York's problem, but now it seems that ANYONE is a potential victim. With several friends and former classmates currently "inbetween jobs", I thought I might try to help with a list:
1.) Really (really) recognize that you HATED your job anyways
You were not happy there. Your boss was an asshole. You wanted to punch a koala. You were stressed out all the time. You never had time to date. You never had time to exercise. You despised flight AA4749 from JFK to Washington DC every f***ing Monday. You were not passionate about what you were doing. Actually half the time, you weren't really doing anything. An overpaid, under appreciated memo-writer. That's what you were. And now you're free.
2.) Don't stress out trying to find new work overnight
If you've ever been to Pamplona in July, you know that panic and stress can be contagious. Similarly, massive layoffs and CNBC encourage panic. Don't fall into this trap. It is pointless. Keep your composure... (Full Post: Maximize Unemployment)
We’re not sure if Brad Pitt deserves the credit for how well he dresses, but (at least on screen) the guy can make an outfit work. One of our favorites is Mr. and Mrs. Smith - where he demonstrates how to really wear the men’s dress shirt with style. Here we’re going to examine what it is exactly that makes the outfit work - and how you too can get the right look.
Stick to Simple Colors
The first thing to notice is the color of the shirt. It is white. For most of the film it is just simple, plain old, boring white. There are a few scenes where he’s got some thin black stripes on the shirt, but for the most part the color and pattern is extremely simple. This is so important and often overlooked. So many guys... (Read More)
Stick to Simple Colors
The first thing to notice is the color of the shirt. It is white. For most of the film it is just simple, plain old, boring white. There are a few scenes where he’s got some thin black stripes on the shirt, but for the most part the color and pattern is extremely simple. This is so important and often overlooked. So many guys... (Read More)
Here at Proper Cloth, we like to think we’re pretty fashionable. Even if we don’t actually dress super trendy, we try to pay attention to what’s going on. Sometimes we really like the trends we see - and other times we’re just left scratching our heads.
Like for example, the current Prada ad campaign where the man is wearing two collars at the same time.
We’re not sure how to interpret this. Is the bottom one the actual shirt collar and the top one a necklace? Should Proper Cloth begin offering dress shirt collars as jewelry for men?
Or, is Prada trying to show off the selection of collars they offer? Is this a brilliant way to save advertising dollars. Instead of paying for two pictures (or two advertisements) to display your selection of shirt options, you put them all on the same model at the same time?
Another thought we had was that Prada collars are now removable (according to the experts: in the old (really old) days this was the norm). Why would Prada switch to removable collars? It’s not really a stylistic move - you can’t tell a collar i (Continue Reading)
See Original
This is a guest post from Amy Salinger, an “image consultant” in NYC - more about her at the end.
This is a guest post from Amy Salinger, an “image consultant” in NYC - more about her at the end.
As a fashion stylist people love to ask me the tough questions. For men, mixing patterns is
apparently the toughest task of all! Stop fretting, getting dressed should be the least complicated part of your day and I am here to be your superhero stylist of fashion.
Here are a three basic rules to keep your anxiety levels low and your style quotient high:
Rule One: Stay Safe by Mixing Subtle with Subtle
Mixing patterns should be complimentary, and the safest way to make this happen is to combine subtle patterns. Don’t be that guy with the crazy tie and the checkered shirt. Simply put, subtle patterns with subtle patterns will always be a winner. Think thin pinstripes with thin pinstripes or solids with solids.... (read more)
How to Buy Your Boyfriend the Perfect Gift
For all you ladies in committed, semi-committed, or not-sure-if-you’re-committ
Whoa hold on. Set down your Hazelnut Hot Chocolate and take a deep breath. Proper Cloth is here to help. Let’s go over some options. (read more)
For all you ladies in committed, semi-committed, or not-sure-if-you’re-committ
Whoa hold on. Set down your Hazelnut Hot Chocolate and take a deep breath. Proper Cloth is here to help. Let’s go over some options. (read more)
There are actually four different strategies for ironing a shirt and they should be approached in this order until all wrinkles are removed from the garment.
Strategy 1: Ask your girlfriend to do it for you.
The key here is to ask really nicely. Try to avoid a tone of voice that might be interpreted as “of course you should iron my shirt simply because you are a woman and that’s what women do”. Instead, phrase the request to sound as though you are just a man in dire need of a skilled female touch. Of course you appreciate her help and and celebrate all her skills. It’s what makes you a great couple. She iron’s the shirts, cooks the food and cleans the house. You kill the mice, fix the light bulbs and… other stuff…
We recognize that in some cases this strategy doesn’t work. If this is the case, move to strategy 2... (read more)
Strategy 1: Ask your girlfriend to do it for you.
The key here is to ask really nicely. Try to avoid a tone of voice that might be interpreted as “of course you should iron my shirt simply because you are a woman and that’s what women do”. Instead, phrase the request to sound as though you are just a man in dire need of a skilled female touch. Of course you appreciate her help and and celebrate all her skills. It’s what makes you a great couple. She iron’s the shirts, cooks the food and cleans the house. You kill the mice, fix the light bulbs and… other stuff…
We recognize that in some cases this strategy doesn’t work. If this is the case, move to strategy 2... (read more)
Difference Between Bespoke and Made to Measure
When you’re looking for custom clothing you need to know the semantics. Avoid embarrassment, read this and be ready to talk the talk when you’re on assignment in Milan.
Traditionally, bespoke refers to the process where the patterns for your suit or shirt are drawn completely from scratch to fit your body. Clearly this is an expensive process. Everything is done by hand. It takes a really skilled craftsman a lot of time and energy. Expect a second fitting when the suit is half made so that everything can be further fine tuned. If you want a bespoke suit, you’re going to be spending at least $3,000. Of course, if you’re shopping in the UK and the dollar keeps falling it will be much, much more.
In contrast, made-to-measure is... (read more)
When you’re looking for custom clothing you need to know the semantics. Avoid embarrassment, read this and be ready to talk the talk when you’re on assignment in Milan.
Traditionally, bespoke refers to the process where the patterns for your suit or shirt are drawn completely from scratch to fit your body. Clearly this is an expensive process. Everything is done by hand. It takes a really skilled craftsman a lot of time and energy. Expect a second fitting when the suit is half made so that everything can be further fine tuned. If you want a bespoke suit, you’re going to be spending at least $3,000. Of course, if you’re shopping in the UK and the dollar keeps falling it will be much, much more.
In contrast, made-to-measure is... (read more)
Bankers Vs. Consultants
Second year B-School students, we feel your pain. You're $150,000 in debt, your pre-MBA company is on the verge of bankruptcy, you don't have a job offer yet and you're desperately grasping for a way to salvage your reputation as the effortlessly-successful-go
You may have come to business school with the intention of "figuring out what you want to do". But you soon realized that certain jobs are for losers and certain jobs are for winners. You are a winner, and you're not going to let something as petty as enjoying your job get in the way of winning. You did some research last year, and realized the best industry to flaunt your winningness is finance. Constantly pestered with that nagging question of "why?" you perfected the ability to retort "I'm just really passionate about finance/banking/investing"
You may have come to business school with the intention of "figuring out what you want to do". But you soon realized that certain jobs are for losers and certain jobs are for winners. You are a winner, and you're not going to let something as petty as enjoying your job get in the way of winning. You did some research last year, and realized the best industry to flaunt your winningness is finance. Constantly pestered with that nagging question of "why?" you perfected the ability to retort "I'm just really passionate about finance/banking/investing"