Gentlman's accessories: Ties, cufflinks, shoes, etc

[bishop]

you're not "dressed" if you are not wearing sleeves.

+1.

 

[The Knize]

I just wanted to chime in here. Ian Fleming himself hated sleeved shirts of any type. He was very OCD in that regard. It would infuriate him to see the sleeve of a shirt sticking out even a fraction of an inch past the sleeve of the suit jacket, and would often go up to friends and acquaintances and forcefully tuck the shirt sleeve back under the suit jacket sleeve.

Fleming himself never wore long sleeved shirts, only short sleeves, regardless of whether he was wearing a sport coat or suit jacket over it.

That is amazing information CMR, as usual! I thought I knew my Ian Fleming/James Bond better than I do! Hard to think of James Bond with the short sleeves and suit coat look!

 

[D.Irving79]

i keep things simple. or try to.

ties: brooks brothers only for the most part. stripe/repp. nothing else. that goes for the bows too.

cufflinks: early edwardian potmetal cufflinks. most in silver, a few in gold.

shoes: any sensible captoes i may come across. brocading optional. i hate shoes that click.

etc: theres usually a foutain pen in my shirt pocket of some sort, a vintage eyedropper usually.

sock garters daily, sleeve garters only when needed.

a straw boater for the hot days, a few different newsboys for the cool/overcast days.




i think thats it..

 

[The Knize]

i keep things simple. or try to.

ties: brooks brothers only for the most part. stripe/repp. nothing else. that goes for the bows too.

cufflinks: early edwardian potmetal cufflinks. most in silver, a few in gold.

shoes: any sensible captoes i may come across. brocading optional. i hate shoes that click.

etc: theres usually a foutain pen in my shirt pocket of some sort, a vintage eyedropper usually.

sock garters daily, sleeve garters only when needed.

a straw boater for the hot days, a few different newsboys for the cool/overcast days.




i think thats it..

And detachable collars I take it judging by your avatar, which I think are very cool indeed!

I kind of like sock garters myself but do not end up wearing them much and am not sure I would confess that I did if I did. Very useful tool though.

Tell me about sleeve garters, though! My experience with true British double cuff shirts is that they come in only one sleeve link per neck size, "too darn long." Sleeve garters seem like a possibility so long as they give a classic look rather than drift over into the world of costume.

You and I apparently think alike for ties and shoes, although I do not generally admit to myself that I am as narrow as I seem to be. I like a fountain pen, to, and I admit that it it sometimes an accessory. (A truly well-dressed gentleman would probably never dream of having any "tool"/utinsle in his shirt pocket. Of course a truly well-dressed gentleman, at least a British one, would never have a shirt pocket in the first instance!

And have all sorts of cufflinks up to and including found objects.

No boaters or newsboys. Gotten so I like a Fedora sometimes when the weather is cold.

 

[D.Irving79]

And detachable collars I take it judging by your avatar, which I think are very cool indeed!

I kind of like sock garters myself but do not end up wearing them much and am not sure I would confess that I did if I did. Very useful tool though.

Tell me about sleeve garters, though! My experience with true British double cuff shirts is that they come in only one sleeve link per neck size, "too darn long." Sleeve garters seem like a possibility so long as they give a classic look rather than drift over into the world of costume.

You and I apparently think alike for ties and shoes, although I do not generally admit to myself that I am as narrow as I seem to be. I like a fountain pen, to, and I admit that it it sometimes an accessory. (A truly well-dressed gentleman would probably never dream of having any "tool"/utinsle in his shirt pocket. Of course a truly well-dressed gentleman, at least a British one, would never have a shirt pocket in the first instance!

And have all sorts of cufflinks up to and including found objects.

No boaters or newsboys. Gotten so I like a Fedora sometimes when the weather is cold.

yeah, i have a pretty heavy rotation of collars, most of which were NOS never worn.

the sleeve garters i get are actually metal. you can normally find them in gunmetal(ish), gold and chrome. they sory of look like an extremely compressed spring. i think these look better than the cloth ones. also, i think theres ones out there that look like small belts for that edwardian wall street look. and i think ive had the same experience as you with the sizing for double cuff sleeves. i dont muy many of those though, only when i have to.

speaking of narrow, i usually prefer narrow(er) ties, and the knit, square end variety akin to the turn of the century. hard to find made today, but usually all over ebay. my shirt pocket usually has the fountain pen and my pipe tamper.

 

[Obsessed]

(A truly well-dressed gentleman would probably never dream of having any "tool"/utinsle in his shirt pocket. Of course a truly well-dressed gentleman, at least a British one, would never have a shirt pocket in the first instance!

I really like the look of a dress shirt without a pocket, but I find that I've gotten used to keeping my subway fare card in the pocket of my shirt, and sometimes notes and other things. An embarrassing lapse that is far worse than a fountain pen!

 

[D.Irving79]

I really like the look of a dress shirt without a pocket, but I find that I've gotten used to keeping my subway fare card in the pocket of my shirt, and sometimes notes and other things. An embarrassing lapse that is far worse than a fountain pen!

i go often w/o a jacket, so the more pocket space the better

 

[The Knize]

<i think ive had the same experience as you with the sizing for double cuff sleeves. i dont buy many of those though, only when i have to.> D. Irving 79

What do you do for tunic shirts then? They seem almost impossible to find in the States. I guess I should go for some sleeve garters and see how they look!

The $ 64,000 question, of course, is where the heck to you have your collars laundered? PM me if you do not want to respond in public!

<I really like the look of a dress shirt without a pocket, but I find that I've gotten used to keeping my subway fare card in the pocket of my shirt, and sometimes notes and other things. An embarrassing lapse that is far worse than a fountain pen! > Obsessed

A true gentlemen, of course, is not tempted to put things in the shirt pocket he does not have, because since he never removes his suit coat, he has plenty of pocket room at hand!

Yeah I am always walking around with stuff crammed in my shirt pocket. A guy at my first job told me I looked like I was getting ready to price some cans.

 

[bishop]

yeah, i have a pretty heavy rotation of collars, most of which were NOS never worn.

the sleeve garters i get are actually metal. you can normally find them in gunmetal(ish), gold and chrome. they sory of look like an extremely compressed spring. i think these look better than the cloth ones. also, i think theres ones out there that look like small belts for that edwardian wall street look. and i think ive had the same experience as you with the sizing for double cuff sleeves. i dont muy many of those though, only when i have to.

speaking of narrow, i usually prefer narrow(er) ties, and the knit, square end variety akin to the turn of the century. hard to find made today, but usually all over ebay. my shirt pocket usually has the fountain pen and my pipe tamper.

You've got sort of a Tom Wolfe thing going on, then?

 

[D.Irving79]

<i think ive had the same experience as you with the sizing for double cuff sleeves. i dont buy many of those though, only when i have to.> D. Irving 79

What do you do for tunic shirts then? They seem almost impossible to find in the States. I guess I should go for some sleeve garters and see how they look!

The $ 64,000 question, of course, is where the heck to you have your collars laundered? PM me if you do not want to respond in public!

ebay usually. the biggest sellers are in the UK. or i make my own out of a regular collared shirt.

the barker group in the UK is the ONLY place i know of that launders collars, but i have yet to use them.

You've got sort of a Tom Wolfe thing going on, then?

whos tom wolfe?

 

[Cuttingboard]

Second, some will say that if suit trousers have pleats they should always have cuffs--be turned up in British parlence. That is, if the trousers are pleated they should never be finished just straight down. This was a new rule to me as of a couple of years ago that I was surprised to hear, but it makes sense to me that it would be a hoary old, respected rule.

For suit and other trousers without pleats, I am told the British rule would be never to have cuffs. (I am not British and I do not live in England, but lots of what is thought to be traditional rules of men's dress supposed come out of England.) However, I think in the States cuffs with non-pleated trousers are absolutely traditional coming from two sources--Ivy league universities and the American military--although I could not just now find anything about the military and trouser cuffs. In any event cuffs on non-pleated trouses are absolutely acceptable in the States. I much prefer cuffs myself on anything but jeans.

Some will say that one should not have cuffs if they are relatively short. To me those people are incorrect and this is a baseless rule. To me suit trouser bottoms look unfinished with no cuffs, and I am not going to notice how tall you are. I also think they make the trousers fall better.

I actually do have a couple of suits with pleats that are not cuffed and am wearing a suit with flat front trousers today that does not have cuffs. I would prefer that both had cuffs, but one does not bother me more than the other. But like I said, so are going to think that the pleated trousers without cuffs are simply incorrect!

I suppose one exception to all of this might be if one were wearing very light slip on Italian type shoes and the Italian style was clearly not to have cuffs. This is going to date me, but in the early 80s when folks were wearing Bally shoes and Italian cut suits, I think cuffs ddi not go so well. But to me, if someone is wearing, say, wing tip shoes, their trousers ought to have cuffs. And certainly if they are wearing khakis and "penny loafers" thouse khakis need to have cuffs. In fact, khakis need cuffs I would say. When some rapper is wearing Dickies (love Dickies, by the way) doesn't he have cuffs? I think Tommy Hilffigger a while back not was genius in combining street with preppie. I think he always had cuff on his trousers.

Anyway, check out AskAndy. Those folks are going to know better than I do and are willing to go on about it at some length! Have fun though.

I've had all the pleats in my suit pants removed and added cuffs to my pants. I really like the a cuff with flat front pants because the weight of the cuff and the flat front produce a really clean crisp trim silhouette. Add a Brooks Brothers wrinkle-free slim fit shirt with french cuffs and you're "Money"!

 

[bishop]

whos tom wolfe?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Wolfe

Somewhat controversial (in terms of writing style and methods) author with a penchant for white suits and detached collars. He wrote an essay years ago about "the secret vice," which is a suit with real buttonholes in the sleeves.

 

[The Knize]

I've had all the pleats in my suit pants removed and added cuffs to my pants. I really like the a cuff with flat front pants because the weight of the cuff and the flat front produce a really clean crisp trim silhouette. Add a Brooks Brothers wrinkle-free slim fit shirt with french cuffs and you're "Money"!

I did not know one could resaonably have pleats removed from trousers! Very cool to find that out. I think you are describing a very standard American style, which I agree looks great, and I would say on virtually any build, any height, whatever. Very Brooks Bros for one thing. I would say Ivy League, but it really a step up from Ivy League with the French cuffs. I do not mind the look of a button down collar with a suit, but I do think it is a bit less dressy, and for goodness sakes, button down collars should always be barrel cuffs, not French, unless one is intentionally making a statement.

Love those Brooks Bros "non iron" French cuff shirts, for sure. A modern miracle. Not sure the slim fit is for me though! Costco had some non-iron button down collar shirts in all cotton non iron the other day. They were sold out nearly intantly. Nice shirt. The non iron part did not seem as good as Brooks, but nice thick Oxford cloth shirts with nicely formed collars, etc. Actually, I forgot that I am wearing it today. Actually, I am not sure it is true Oxford cloth, not that I am sure what Oxford is. I really like how opaque it is, and the seams are straight as arrows.

Do the non iron Brooks Bros shirts ever seem just the slightest shade of off-white or yellow to you compared to the regular wrinkle up in an instant Brooks shirts. I am not even at all sure it looks bad and my color sensitivity is terrible. But some, not all, of the non iron shirts just seem a little less brilliant white than many regular all cotton shirts.

 

[Doc4]

I do not mind the look of a button down collar with a suit, but I do think it is a bit less dressy, and for goodness sakes, button down collars should always be barrel cuffs, not French, unless one is intentionally making a statement.

Button-down shirts with a suit is "intentionally making a statement"; putting french cuffs on that same shirt is "intentionally making a faux pas."


I suppose that depending on how much one wants to follow the old-fashioned rules, button-down shirts ought not to be worn with a suit ... but doing so is one of those stylish ways of bending or breaking those same rules which can really elevate your game. (Of course, one runs the risk of just being one of those guys who don't know any better, so care must be taken.)

 

[Obsessed]

Love those Brooks Bros "non iron" French cuff shirts, for sure. A modern miracle. Not sure the slim fit is for me though!

They are great shirts, but remember that they are "slim" only in comparison to Brooks's regular fit shirt, which is cut for the, shall we say, ample gentleman. I'm 6'3" and about 240 pounds (and sadly, it ain't all muscle ) and their slim fit shirts actually fit me. I currently wear shirts with the 17.5" neck, and the guy at the store told me that the regular shirts with that neck size are cut for pretty enormous guys. I almost laughed in his face when he suggested the slim fit, but he was right. The ended up fitting me much better than the regular.

 

[Obsessed]

Do the non iron Brooks Bros shirts ever seem just the slightest shade of off-white or yellow to you compared to the regular wrinkle up in an instant Brooks shirts. I am not even at all sure it looks bad and my color sensitivity is terrible. But some, not all, of the non iron shirts just seem a little less brilliant white than many regular all cotton shirts.

Great, now I'll worry about that next time I buy some. Still I guess a hint of off white is better than a blizzard of starch.

 

[ClubmanRob]

they are great shirts, but remember that they are "slim" only in comparison to brooks's regular fit shirt, which is cut for the, shall we say, ample gentleman. I'm 6'3" and about 240 pounds (and sadly, it ain't all muscle ) and their slim fit shirts actually fit me. I currently wear shirts with the 17.5" neck, and the guy at the store told me that the regular shirts with that neck size are cut for pretty enormous guys. I almost laughed in his face when he suggested the slim fit, but he was right. The ended up fitting me much better than the regular.

big +1.

 

[The Knize]

Button-down shirts with a suit is "intentionally making a statement"; putting french cuffs on that same shirt is "intentionally making a faux pas."


I suppose that depending on how much one wants to follow the old-fashioned rules, button-down shirts ought not to be worn with a suit ... but doing so is one of those stylish ways of bending or breaking those same rules which can really elevate your game. (Of course, one runs the risk of just being one of those guys who don't know any better, so care must be taken.)

I knew I was missing a trick here! Why ask questions when one can just go look at pictures? Go on over to the J Press web site and see if you think they think wearing a button down shirt is inappropriate with a suit! Also, re trousers and cuffs, J Press makes only flat front trousers, which they suggest be worn with 1 3/4 inch cuffs. Except for the bow ties, which are just not my thing, I adore J Press, although I almost never buy from them. They are not cheap. But when it comes to rules about how to dress, if J Press is wrong, I do not want to be right! Things could be worse than if someone assumed I went school in New Haven or Cambridge!

Thanks for the tips on the Brooks Bros slim fit.

Meant to say that one has to take into account that there is a certain Manhattan anti-prep attitude. There are folks in NYC who no matter where they went to school would never wear a button down shirt or a pair of khakis.

 

[Cuttingboard]

I've bought several suits at Nordstroms and they only charged me $60 to take out the pleats because the pant has to be completely redone. Good to know that I'm good with the flat front and cuffs, the guys at Nordstroms looked at me funny the first time I asked.

Agreed, it's not inappropriate to wear a button down collar with a suit but its too casual for me. I like them with sport coats, which I've really gotten into lately, especially during the summer.

Yes, I've noticed that the white non-iron shirts are just a touch off-white but there fine for every day wear. I really like the fact that the sleeves are not wrinkled when you take off your jacket. For more formal occasions, I like to wear a little more expensive shirt from a manufacture that's know to be cut thinner. I hate how the regular cut shirts bunch-up under the armpits and side.

I walk by the J.Press shop, across from Church's shoes, in DC but have stopped in. Will definately do that next time now that I know they only carry flat front pants. Brooks Brothers very seldom carry flat front.

 

[D.Irving79]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Wolfe

Somewhat controversial (in terms of writing style and methods) author with a penchant for white suits and detached collars. He wrote an essay years ago about "the secret vice," which is a suit with real buttonholes in the sleeves.

interesting man. the angelic twin of the old guy from poltergeist