Michael Kors

The Michael Kors website boasts a mission statement that states “The company’s heritage is rooted in producing polished, sleek, sophisticated Americana sportswear… and to bring our vision of a jet-set luxury lifestyle to women and men around the globe.” with beautiful women fawning at his feet and stylish men asking for his fashion advice, it’s no wonder Decalo fashion has selected Michael Kors and his suits to represent a large part of their collection. Don’t you want all that in your next suit?

Over the Shirt
There are two kinds of men who were their watches over their shirt – overly sensitive nerd types or absolutely clueless types. The first of the two, the geek, is probably allergic to his watch but wears it anyway because it reminds of something he saw on the SciFi channel. The dense guy on the other hand probably either got dressed in the dark or for some reason thinks his watch looks great over top of his sleeve. Maybe he saw it that way in “Watches for Dummies.”

Upside Down
Upside Down wears often put their watch on the wrong side of their wrist, on the bottom side to be exact. They must then flip to the backside of their arm to be able to read there watch. This leads us all to one conclusion, they probably got the watch from their parents, are of collegiate age and just plain don’t know how to wear their watch.

Loose
A loose watch wearer often wears his watch because it is a prized family heirloom from good old grandpa. The looseness either means he’s wearing it because his wife makes him since she deems it so ‘precious’ since grandpa died or because he simply likes to be a little more comfortable than those tightwads that wear them the right way.

Firm
When a man wears his watch firmly in position he is often a business man, a goody two shoes or both. He puts his watch on this way, perfectly in position, because that’s how he probably runs the rest of his life… or tries to anyway.

Not at All
A man that doesn’t wear a watch at all might be considered a free spirit. He’s independent and won’t conform to that thing called time. No wonder he’s always late!

A good tailor will also give you several sans belt options. Your chosen one should be able to add in adjustable side tabs. These little guys won’t show from the outside but you know that you can adjust them to achieve maximum comfort through holiday feasting. You should also be given the option of buttons for suspenders to hold those pants up. Don’t ever allow them to fall to a ‘low-rise’ level because crack kills. If all else fails, just keep the loops, wear a belt and say to hell with fashion trends!

Photo courtesy of Dzianis Rohach.

Once you have everything together, you can start in on your pocket square. Smooth out your skills and place the pattern on top. Draw a line directly onto the fabrics. Allow ½ to ¾ of any inch on each side for the rolled edge. Carefully cut your silk on the drawn line. You may also use a rotary cutter if it is easier for you. Be sure the blade is new to allow for a precise line.

After you cut, your square is ready for rolling. Gently press the edges around the silk to make the rolling easier. Slowly roll one side. Do not pin or iron. This will flatten the fabric. With a gentle touch make a nice even roll. They can be as thick or thin as you’d like.

After you’ve rolled one side, start sewing by putting the needle down into the roll and coming up into the flat area of the fabric. Repeat in an even manner. Soon you should be able to sew and roll at the same time. Five to 10 stitches per inch is all that is needed. Once the first side is done, start again on the opposite side. Keep going until all sides are complete.

Presto! You have your own pocket square. Martha Stewart better watch out!

Spring: Spring complexions are warm and usually creamy white or peach. You will generally have light, strawberry blonde or red hair possibly accompanied by freckles, rosy cheeks and blue or green eyes. Bright colors will work for you – peach, light pink, coral, yellow, camel, turquoise and any shade of green from lime to hunter. Dark, muted colors as well as highly contrasting black and white should be avoided at all costs.

Summer: Summer’s are cool. These complexions usually have a blue or pink undertone. Your skin will be pale and pink. More often than not, summer people have naturally blonde or brunette hair with pale eyes. Wearing clothes with blue or rose colored undertones is the way to go. Wearing dusty pink (pink is manly!), lavender, rose gold, silver, white gold, pale yellow and nearly any shade of blue will work well. Orange can be deadly.

Autumn: Autumn’s are warm. If you’re an autumn you will have golden undertones. A lot of red heads and brunettes with golden brown or hazel eyes fall under this category. Your colors are easy to remember. Just think of leaves changing color in the fall such as caramel, beige, orange, gold, copper, bronze, dark reds and olive. Tans and browns should be your colors of choice while pink should not.

Winter: Winter’s are cool and often have blue or pink undertones like summer. The difference is that the skin can be a very pale white, yellowish, olive or dark. You will mostly likely be brunette with deeply colored eyes. Many Asians and African Americans are Winter’s. The best color combos for you are true white and true black as well as cool grays, reds, bright pink, silver, platinum, white gold and jewel tones. What’s a jewel tone? Think about all those rocks your girlfriend has asked you for – emerald, sapphire, ruby – now that’s a jewel tone! It would be best to avoid beige, orange, gold, brown or any other washed out shades.

Now that you know your colors, get out their and get the suit, separates, belts, shirts and ties that work best for you. You can thank me later for all the compliments that will start pouring in. 

Photo courtesy of Marja Flick-Buijs.

In 1960, A.J. Drexel Biddle, the Adjutant General of Pennsylvania, was dubbed best dressed man in all the land (the United States that is). Why Biddle you ask? Because his wardrobe always looked new and spectacular but at home is simple wardrobe consisted of seven suits. They were:

- Three blue solids, two double breasted and one single
- Two blue pinstripes, one single and one double breasted
- One charcoal gray single
- One light-grey semi-solid double breasted in a lighter weight fabric

Most men today don’t wear suits, jackets and coats as frequently as men of the 1960’s did. The point is that men can be very well dressed with a very small yet well chosen wardrobe.

First, you should be willing to spend a little bit of money when building up your wardrobe. Suits should be high quality to last a lifetime. This expansion will take years and careful consideration but, in time, will be well worth your while.

For a man who does not wear suits often, starting off with dark colors is key. Dark gray, black or navy are appropriate for evenings and formal occasions. The gray is a great daytime suit for meetings and job interviews.

For a man who wears suits every day, five suits (a possible sixth to allow for cleaning and repairs) is a good idea. It allows for great wear so your every day doesn’t become stagnate. A basic suit collection for the everyday suit man could be:
- Dark gray solid
- Midnight blue solid
- Medium gray semi-solid
- Gray pin-stripe
- Navy blue chalk-stripe

This collection is great for the working man but the selection can also take him out for cocktails, to a formal event or to a meeting. If you opt to get the sixth suit, it can be a less formal one for weekends or “casual Friday’s.”

Another factor to consider is fabric weight. Think about your life style. A man should choose what fits in around him. If you live in cold weather, suits of 13 ounce weight in wool are a good choice. They are block cold but are also comfortable in the office.

If you live in a warmer climate, 10 ounce fabrics in a looser weave such as mohair or wool will work well. They are lighter and more breathable than other light weight tropical wools.

If you live in a climate that goes back and forth between warm and cool, opt to have your six suits split right down the middle – 3 in heavier 13 ounce and 3 in 10 ounce fabrics.

If you so choose, you may continue to grow your closet until you  have a wide variety. Having lighter weight suits in nearly ever color for the warmer seasons as well as heavier in nearly every color will ensure that you will be fit for every occasion. Also having a spring/summer and fall/winter casual suit collection for leisure times is ideal. Start your suit collection now. The collection will only mature and grow more sophisticated with you. You will surely become known as the best dressed man in all of your land.

Photo courtesy of Lotus Head.

I am here to tell you, no matter big or thin, short or tall, it should not have to be this way. Decalo Fashion provides an enormous variety for those Big & Tall’s in need. There are suits and suit separates available from size 42 all the way up through 60. Dress shirts come in 36/37 and sleeves range from 16.5 to neck size 20. Trousers are available from a 44 through a 60 waist size. There is a complete range of hues for whatever color “suits” your fancy, a large selection of styles to compliment your personal look and enough sizes that no man is left behind. 

Tall men should embrace their height because there is not much you can do to stifle it, not that you should even want to. One suggestion to you tall boys out there is to wear a solid rather than a pinstripe since stripes will further elongate a willowy figure. On the other hand big men can wear slimming colors like dark navy or opt for pinstripes for a trimmer look.

Photo courtesy of David Schauer.

Think about your collar style. The right one will frame your face and make you look like a stylish stand out. Consider this – a tab collar, which has height, will shorten a long neck while a straight point collar will length a wide face due to its straighter proportions. Choose a collar proportion that will compliment your faces shape.

Your cuffs should fit just right, nice and snug, around on your wrists. This will avoid any mishaps like your sleeves riding up or your cuffs being so tight they cut off circulation to your hands.

Make sure you choose a hue that will suit your own coloring. The blue family looks good on just about everyone. Off white will make paler skin appear a little bit more alive. Fall colors like olive green, orange and mustard yellow are often difficult to pull off for most. Choose accordingly.

Quality over quantity is always a good rule to keep when buying dress shirts. Make sure all of the seams disappear into the fabric and that everything is on the straight and narrow. Make sure nothing is fraying, puckering or uneven. Quality fabric is also an essential, not only for the comfort factor, but for the lifetime of the shirt. The higher quality the fabric, the better wear you will get.

Photo courtesy of Ramasamy Chidambaram.

2. Gloves.  No matter what type of fabric you pick, choose a darker glove which will hide wear and tear better. Leather gloves are the ultimate indulgence and will keep your tips toasty.

3. Sunglasses.  We’ve all seen Nicole Richie and her massive sunglasses, as well as all the other women on the planet following suit. Although you don’t need bug eyed ones, sunglasses are a trend for men too. Just because it is cold doesn’t mean those UV rays aren’t pecking away at your skin. Aviators are always a classic if you are unsure about what style to go for.

4. An Umbrella.  Axel wasn’t kidding when he sang it out about “cold November rain.” Get an umbrella or three to store in convenient places like your home, office and car.

5. Laptop Bag.  No, it’s not a purse for your handbagphobes out there. It’s a bag to carry your laptop around in. If you choose, you can also store some other stuff in there too but it’s a laptop bag, not a women’s tote!

 Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.org.

King Edward VII, also known as Bertie, son of Queen Victoria (1814-1910) became so heavy in life that he could not button the darn tootin last buttons on his vests, coats and jackets. Or it could’ve possibly been that he might’ve just not seen them due to his bulging stomach. Regardless, his subjects began to follow their majesties lead and left their bottom buttons undone as well. So thanks to Bertie’s eating habits and need for more comfortable attire, the trend still sticks today.

Most single breasted suits have one to three buttons. Two and three buttons are classic cuts while one is a bit more fashion forward and more suitable for social times than business times. Fastening the top two or the middle button in most circumstances is acceptable. If there is a fourth button, unfortunately it was probably made for all of them to be buttoned up, even that lousy fourth one down.

Double breasted suits are deemed more formal and usually have four to six buttons. They are often identified in a number such as 4/2. The first number gives the total number of buttons and the second gives the number of functioning buttonholes. Button accordingly.