And I loved it!

It was a lot of fun interacting with an excited group and sharing my knowledge about men’s style.

So that got me thinking – why not do it again and make the live recording public.  

Although the recordings are only for The Style System Participants – to be archived in their private website and forum – I though quite a few of you might want to watch the live presentation and even hangout for a 30 minute Q&A session at the end of it.

My presentation tomorrow?

5 Actions You Can Take This Weekend To Improve Your Style

Space is limited to 100 men!

Sorry, but the software puts a cap on so please only sign up if you really are going to be there.

FYI – Those of you in The Style System – you’ll get a recorded version of it so no need to attend!

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:

SORRY – THE WEBINAR HAS ALREADY OCCURRED - TO BE NOTIFIED OF FUTURE WEBINARS YOU MUST BE ON MY EMAIL LIST!

In this fun 45 minute webinar I’lll discuss 5 action steps you can take this weekend to start dressing better on Monday morning. That’s right – improve your style in 48 hours!

Title: 5 Actions You Can Take This Weekend To Improve Your Style

Date: Friday, May 25, 2012

Time: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM CDT

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements

PC-based attendees

Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees

Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

This Malaysian Gentleman shared with me a picture of how he looks sharp despite 100 degree plus temps - an unlined linen jacket!

A rarely discussed point when buying a suit, sport jacket, or blazer is the issue of the jacket lining.

You see – most men don’t even realize they have an option.

But you do – especially when buying custom or at a higher end menswear store.

This leads to the question – which type of jacket is better -Lined or Unlined?

Because both unlined and lined jackets have their benefits – the answer isn’t clear cut.

In fact – the question above is in my opinion the wrong one to ask.  Instead the question should be:

Which jacket style – lined or unlined – is best for your individual needs?

In this article I’ll be discussing the pros and cons of jacket linings – because a man should always know what his options are.

Jacket linings come in a wide variety of materials and styles, ranging from a full lining of brightly-colored silk to a completely unlined jacket.

First, a few menswear definitions: 

The “lining” of the jacket should not be confused with the “canvas.”

The canvas is a layer of material attached to the inside of a jacket to give it shape, while the lining is a thinner layer of cloth that lies between the wearer’s body and the canvas and jacket interior.

Some jackets are unlined. In this case, the inside will be finished in the same material as the outside.

Since a lining hides some seams, an unlined jacket typically requires more professional finishing, which increases the cost.

Half-lined jackets usually have lining across the upper half of the back and down the sides of the jacket, but not on the lower part of the back.

Quarter-lined or butterfly jackets are similar to a half-lining, but with the lining removed from the sides of the jacket. Only a small panel across the back and the sleeves are lined.

Skeleton lining means what it sounds like — as little lining as possible, usually only a small covering in the upper back to protect the suit canvas.

Advantages of a Jacket Lining

A lined jacket has more weight to it. The extra layer of cloth helps tug the garment firmly down on your shoulders, making it fall smoothly from top to bottom.

Lining also provides protection for the inside of the jacket. Not only does it help absorb any sweat you might generate (reducing the need for frequent dry cleaning), it also provides another layer of cloth to stretch when your body moves. This reduces the amount of tugging on the actual suit material, extending its lifespan.

Certain pocket styles are sewn into the lining, particularly interior breast pockets (sometimes called “eyeglass pockets”). Unlined jackets lack these pockets, and usually need the somewhat informal patch-style pockets on the outside.

Lined jackets are usually less expensive than unlined because they require less interior finishing. Linings can also be replaced reasonably easily if they wear out, whereas a worn jacket interior means it’s time for a new jacket.

Advantages of an Unlined Jacket

Despite the advantages of a lining, many men swear by unlined or skeleton linings.

A primary reason for buying an unlined jacket is summer or hot-weather wear: unlined jackets are simply lighter and more breathable.

Quarter-lining can be a good compromise for men who want a bit of added durability and the option of interior pockets.

Loose-weave fabrics like seersucker, hopsack, and many linens are more difficult to fit a lining for.

The lining needs to be able to tighten and go slack whenever the jacket does, and a typical lining won’t have the same amount of tension in it as these looser weaves.

Getting it fitted right is a challenge even for a skilled tailor.  An improperly-fitted lining will make the jacket bunch and wrinkle, ruining its drape.

Unlined jackets have a softer and more natural shape that many men prefer for their casual styles.

Typical Lining Fabrics

Most jackets are lined with acetate fabrics. Bemberg is probably the most well-known material, and one of the most dependable. An alternative synthetic is the Ermazine brand, made from viscose.

Silk is sometimes used to make suit linings, particularly brightly-colored and decorative ones, but it is much hotter than synthetics and bunches easily. Most tailors will only make silk-lined jackets on request, and may try to discourage customers from them.

Cotton linings are cheap but uncomfortable, and should be avoided.

Conclusion: When to Line and When Not to Line

Linings add weight and durability to a jacket. However, they also stiffen the drape and hold in more heat.

Suits/jackets that should be lined:

· Business suits in light, delicate wools

· “Three-season” or winter suits

· Cotton sports jackets (they usually benefit from the added stiffness)

· Very frequently-worn jackets

Suits/jackets that should be unlined:

· Lightweight summer jackets

· Loose-weave fabrics like seersucker

· Casual jackets with a deliberately soft shape (stiffens them up too much)

Of course, you can often find a middle ground with partial linings, such as a skeleton lining to protect the canvas of a linen summer suit without adding too much extra weight to it.

Just remember that less lining usually drives the cost up, since it requires more complete finishing on all the interior seams.

Now I write about style here at RMRS because, frankly, men’s clothing is what I do.

It is not what Bloomberg News and Forbes do.

Or at least it wasn’t until Tuesday, when a number of market analysts — most famously Michael Pachter, whose tie was badly askew the whole time he was talking — weighed in on Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s choice to wear a hoodie to his big IPO meeting on Wall Street.

In a nutshell – he states that Mark Zuckerberg’s choice of clothing is a mark of immaturity.  Now I wouldn’t normally write about this but I have had 5 people in the last 24 hours email me about this and I’ve seen on one article over 1300 comments in the last 24 hours.

So I’ll go ahead and throw my thoughts out there:)

It’s interesting to note that a lot of the people criticizing Mr. Zuckerberg are guys who wear a suit every day and work in intensely competitive environments.

Seriously, this is why I don’t watch the news.

To all these critics I say - chill out! 

Don’t get me wrong, suits are great business wear.  I make them, design them, and sell them.

And when you want to be taken seriously, especially when money is being thrown around, it is a good idea for ALMOST all men to wear one.  If I had to quantify it – perhaps for 99.9999% of men out there I recommend that a suit or sport jacket should be worn when asking for money.  If you’re selling a high priced idea or on the road raising capital from skeptical investors for your IPO you want to put your best foot forward.

However Mark Zuckerberg isn’t any start-up entrepreneur asking for money.  He is the one in a billion – at least when it comes to being a young business owner who is in the driver’s seat of his company’s destiny.

And he knows it.  The guy is worth somewhere between $15-20 billion – yea, he lives in an entirely different world.

There are a lot of questions about Facebook’s viability as a long-term investment, but Zuckerberg’s fashion sense isn’t going to affect whether they are going to succeed.

In fact – I think he purposely tries to look like he is the same “normal guy” who founded the company.  Perhaps he thinks it’ll reassure the world that he won’t sell out and set expectations with outsiders that he’s about having fun.  Maybe the immature comment was a compliment:)

And looking back a few decades, he’s playing it very similarly to other big names in technology.  You might even say he’s following in the footsteps of other Silicon Valley successes who’ve defied Wall Street fashion. Steve Jobs’s turtlenecks or Bill Gates’s big sweaters, anyone?

The Point of this article?

When you’re a massively proven success, you get to break the rules.

Especially in the world of style.  Mark Zuckerberg could dress like Lady Gaga and still have investors throwing money at him.

So although I would love for a man of Mark’s exposure to be a leader and inspire men to dress better – it’s just not going to happen anytime soon.

However, I would warn any man looking to improve himself to be careful in imitating this tactic.  You have to be in a very strong position to be able to do flaunt the dress codes of a society and the defy the negative stereotypes that human beings associate with those they do not understand.

What Can You Take Away From All This?

I think this just goes to show how powerful visuals are in our perception of others.  We WANT to believe we’re logical human beings making decisions about others based off of their past actions and other things “more important” than looks.

But we’re not and we don’t.

Instead, we make quick visual judgments based off our desires and natural tendencies - then we try to justify our actions with logic so we feel better about our decisions. 

So – If you’re not incredibly famous and or successful, people need outward signs that they can trust you with their time and/or money. Wear the suit, get the hair trimmed; play by the rules. A guy who’s literally one in a billion gets some slack. A guy who’s just maybe one in ten thousand could still use some help from his wardrobe.

And Michael Pachter, fix your tie. You’re killing us here.

Summer is a tough time in classic menswear.

Most of our most recognizable styles descended from British military and noble fashions, and the British Isles don’t face the same kinds of summer that much of the United States does, to say nothing of warmer parts of the world.

So when traditional worsted wool suits and cotton dress shirts become unbearable, what should a fashionable man wear?

We’ve seen a couple different articles and style guides for warm weather dressing, but none of them complete or detailed enough to pass for a real comprehensive resource.

This guide is our attempt at a full hot-weather clothing resource. Everything in it should be functional at temperatures into the 90s (32+ C) and even hotter. The overall style is Western, but draws on knowledge from places like South and Central America, the Middle East, and East Asia for heat-beating fabrics and garments.

Part I: Priorities

What matters when it’s hot, and what doesn’t. The things you should think about when you buy hot-weather clothing.

Looks are always important, but the line has to be drawn somewhere. When the mercury climbs up above 80 degrees (26.6 C) you need functional clothing. Consider these the most essential characteristics for hot weather menswear:

This image is from Street Etiquette - Check out their blog for an amazing collection of images!

Light Weight

This should really go without saying. You want cloth that is physically light. The less ounces/grams of textile piled up on your skin, the less work you’re doing and the easier it is for air to circulate.

Wool is the only cloth that you can almost always get a weight for in specific ounces. You’ll see it for cotton and linen some of the time, but frequently you’ll need to try on a garment, or at least pick it up, to see how heavy it’s going to be.

Whenever possible, try hot weather clothes on before buying. Ten minutes of gently moving around the store or changing room will give you a very good idea of how easy it is to carry the weight. If you’re sweating after that, it’s definitely not going to be fun to wear on a hot day in the sun.

Breathability

This is just as important as light weight, if not more so!

You need air circulating over your body to stay cool. Fabric that doesn’t breathe well will trap both sweat and hot air near your skin, leading to rapid overheating.

Finer threads, looser weaves, and more porous materials all help add to a textile’s breathability. Artificial fibers are typically non-breathable, and will make a garment more likely to keep sweat and air in.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of a good weave as well as a good fabric. A lot of cheaper manufacturers will sell anything cotton as “summer wear,” regardless of whether it’s any good in hot weather or not. A tight cotton weave holds both air and moisture in — it’ll be pure torture to wear on an 80-degree day.

Sun Protection

Most men spend less time thinking about sun protection than they should. Even dark-skinned men will feel the heat more in the sun, regardless of whether their skin can burn or not, and lighter-skinned men can find themselves in a lot of pain if they’re not careful.

Happily, classic men’s styles lend themselves well to full-body protection. Long sleeves and full trouser legs can be more cooling than a T-shirt and shorts in the right conditions. Hats and sunglasses play their role as well. And light colors will reflect far more sunlight than darker shades, keeping your clothes themselves from growing warmer in the sun.

Every warm-weather outfit should include a moment or two of thought for whether it can cover more skin comfortably or not. The less direct sun you’re soaking up the happier you’ll be, so long as it can be done with light and breathable fabrics.

Deliberate Style

The trouble with most summer outfits is that they’re products of necessity, not style. You throw on shorts and a T-shirt so that you don’t overhead, not because they look good.

Looking stylish in the summer is as much about small, deliberate gestures as it is anything else. Khakis and a white shirt are comfortable, but you look like a low-level IT staffer.

When you make a summer outfit you need to be thinking about the colors, patterns, textures, and accessories all together. The difference between stylish and just functional could be as small as a different belt or the right pocket square.

But if you don’t take the time to make that small difference you just look like one more overheated office guy. So believe us when we say that style is as important an element of hot weather clothing as breathable cloth!

Part II: Good Hot Weather Fabrics

What your clothes should — and shouldn’t — be made of during the hottest months.

So how do you find clothing that combines all four of those characteristics we talked about above? Remember, you want all your outfits to combine the following:

· Light Weight

· Breathability

· Sun Protection

· Deliberate Style

That’s a lot to ask from one piece of clothing. Here, in no particular order, are the specific fabrics best suited for hot-weather outfits:

Linen

Linen is one of the joys of summer menswear. It’s light, breathable, and has a unique texture that makes it stand out in an ensemble. Some men dislike it because it wrinkles too easily, but the lightly-wrinkled texture is part of the charm of linen, and higher-quality linens are woven tightly enough that the wrinkling is minimal.

Linen can be used to make matched suits, odd jackets and trousers, and dress shirts. Traditional style manuals might tell you not to mix linens, but an unmatched jacket and trousers are usually fine. A linen shirt under a linen jacket can look a bit odd.

Pros:

· Very lightweight and breathable – often the coolest option available

· Unique texture is visibly different from the more common cotton

· Dries quickly and does not retain moisture

Cons:

· Expensive to manufacture, driving the price up

· Prone to creasing and wrinking

· Less durable than cotton or wool; can require careful maintenance

Wool

We don’t usually think of wool as a hot-weather fabric. Most of its properties make it ideal in the winter, and typical wool suitings are both thick and heavy.

There are, however, a few kinds of “tropical-weight” wools meant for summer wear. The more common kind are essentially the same worsted or flannel wool of a conventional suiting, but made with very thin, light threads to reduce weight.

An alternative technique uses a looser weave to make the wool more breathable, but twists the individual threads much tighter to compensate for the loss in strength. Fresco wool is probably the most famous example of these high-twist wools, which tend to be expensive but even lighter and more comfortable than traditional lightweight wool.

Pros:

· Neatest-looking and dressiest summer fabric

· Smoother drape and cleaner lines than linen

· More breathable and faster-drying than cotton

Cons:

· Heavier than linen or cotton

· Expensive

· Quality varies — not all “tropical-weight” wool is comfortable in the tropics!

Cotton

Most men probably rely on cotton for the bulk of their summer wardrobe. It’s light and breathable and substantially cheaper than wool or linen, so there’s some sense to that choice.

The trouble with cotton is that its performance can vary widely depending on construction. Wool fibers are actually much more airy than cotton, which means that cotton needs to be woven more loosely to let the same amount of air out. Breathable, lightweight cotton is mostly limited to specific summer weaves. Here are a few of the most common examples:

· Twill – Anyone will recognize twill weave from their blue jeans — the diagonal ribbing is very distinctive. Done in very fine threads it makes a light cloth, and is a common choice for cotton suits and jackets. There are a number of variations on the twill weave, but in general it’s used to make a garment sturdy and even. That gives it a nice drape, but can make it hot in the summer. While common (and cheap) as “summer wear,” it’s often not the best choice.

· Poplin – Poplin has a faint dimpled texture that comes from using two different sizes of threads in the weave. The dimples make tiny air pockets, making the garment much more breathable and faster-drying than a flat weave. Poplin is a common choice for higher-end polo shirts and summer dress shirts. You can also find poplin trousers (very comfortable), and even the occasional jacket.

· Seersucker – Probably the lightest cotton weave, seersucker is slow and expensive to produce but very comfortable. It has a much more distinctive dimple pattern than poplin, giving it a wrinkled appearance. Seersucker is used for shirts (usually short-sleeved), trousers, and suits, though the latter are usually not seen outside the United States.

· Madras – Madras is a specific weave, but is best known as a dyed plaid pattern. Whether it boasts the specific plaid or not it’s a lightweight summer staple used for shorts, shirts, and jackets. The surface is smoother than seersucker or poplin, but a very loose weave keeps it breathable.

· Gauze – We mostly think of gauze as a medical fabric, but this loose weave was actually used for British military wear in the tropics for many years. The individual threads are heavier than other light weaves but the weave is much loser (you can see through it if you hold it up to the light), resulting in a breathable cloth that allows moisture to evaporate quickly. It’s an uncommon but extremely comfortable choice for casual shirts.

These are only the most common examples — people have been making cotton clothes for hot climates for thousands of years. But the lighter the threads and the looser the weave, the more comfortable the cotton will be. Densely-woven cotton like oxford and broadcloth quickly become stifling in the summer, holding both sweat and body-warmed air in close to the skin.

An easy test is to simply hold a small section of the fabric up and tug it taut. Loose weaves will have stretch to them, while a tight weave like twill has relatively little give. You can also hold the weave up to a light to see how much passes through. The more see-through the cloth, the lighter and looser the weave.

Pros:

· Cheap, ubiquitous, and familiar

· Can be extremely light in the right weave

· Easiest fabric to maintain — most cotton garments can be machine-washed

Cons:

· Absorbs and retains sweat much more than wool or linen

· Lacks the smooth drape of wool or the breeziness of linen

· Tends to lose its shape and droop in humid heat — does better in dry climates

Silk

It’s hard to get fancier than silk, and in terms of strength for weight trade-off it’s an unbeaten champion. Unfortunately, the intersection of silk that’s fine enough to look good as dress clothing, sturdy enough to wear regularly, and light enough to be comfortable in the heat is hard to find.

Good summer silk needs to be woven loose enough to let air in and out. Lighter threads will make it more comfortable but also more fragile. Silk sturdy enough to make a jacket out of would be stifling in the heat — it’s best left as a material for casual, draw-string or wrap pants and the occasional loose shirt.

Pros:

· Smooth, comfortable texture feels good on bare skin

· Can make much lighter cloth than other materials

· Holds colors well and gives a distinct sheen

Cons:

· Fragile, prone to wrinkling, and difficult to maintain

· Retains moisture

· Expensive — often costs the same as much more functional cloths

Synthetics and Blends

We need to be very careful when we talk about synthetic fibers. Some are very useful in hot weather — most modern activewear and sportswear is made from proprietary fibers engineered for specific moisture-wicking and breathability properties.

However, traditional synthetic alternatives to cotton and silk like polyester are also still out there. Polyester, rayon, and their various relatives are plastic-like fibers that lack breathability. Their light weight is handy and they cost a fraction of even a plain cotton shirt, but they quickly become stifling and sweat-soaked in the heat.

Anyone who’s worn a good “underarmor” style liner shirt or underwear can attest to the usefulness of certain, specific synthetics. Avoid the older, cheaper synthetics, and the ubiquitous 50/50 cotton blends they often appear in.

Pros:

· Good synthetics can wick moisture away, making you feel less sweaty

· Extremely lightweight, often lighter than natural fibers can achieve

Cons:

· Entirely synthetic garments often lack breathability

· Can irritate the skin, particularly if the weave is fine enough to bunch up

· Often used for cost-saving rather than useful properties

THIS IS THE END OF PART 1 – In HOT WEATHER DRESSING – PART 2 I cover 

- How Clothing Should Fit In The Summer

- A Breakout Of The Hot Weather Wardrobe

 - Hot Weather Accessories

Over 3000 more words of SOLID guidance on how to dress for the heat.

However – part 2 is password protected!

To access this password protected page you have to own my FREE 47 Page eBook “The 7 Deadly Sins”.  Click here to grab it if you don’t have a copy.

The password is style sin #1, two words, 6 total letters, all lower case, starts with a “b” and ends with a “t”.

This is my way of rewarding those of you on my email list for supporting me – this article originally was only going to be given to the guys in The Style System but I decided to make it public. – Antonio

Click here to read PART 2 - A Man’s Guide To Hot Weather Dressing!

This is the time of year for high school proms, and that means it’s also the time of year for a lot of dress-related anxiety.

Relax and take a deep breath with us here. Sure, I set a towel on fire with a hair dryer when I got ready for my high school prom, but I’ve learned a lot since then, and you get all that wisdom of the ages handed down to you here on the blog and at our YouTube channel. (Also, hair dryer safety standards have improved a lot since then.)

Getting dressed for prom is fun. And there’s one simple trick that, more than any other piece of advice, will guarantee that you’re one of the best-looking guys there:

Keep it classic, keep it timeless; and keep it tasteful.

These are all three facets of the same idea — that you want to look like a man who took control of his clothes, not a man whose clothes got draped over him by a relative or a rental tux salesman.

That means staying away from the gaudy offerings you’ll see a lot of places. Whether you go for a tux or a suit, avoid anything — seriously, anything — that comes in a shiny, plastic-like, brightly-colored fabric.

Instead, deck yourself out in the powerful elegance of black and white. With just a few tasteful touches of color here and there you’ll be an impressive alternative to the guys in the goofier, novelty-style “formal” garments.

For most proms you’ll have two basic dress code options:

True Black Tie: The Semi-Formal Option

What most people call formalwear is actually semi-formal, and it means a tuxedo jacket and black-tie outfit.

Realistically, your prom won’t be a strict black tie event. It’s impossible to hold a crowd of high school students to that standard, to say nothing of unfair to students who don’t have the resources for an elaborate rental outfit. But it will certainly be an option at most proms, and for a guy who wants to look wickedly sharp it’s still the best choice out there. By dressing to true black tie standards when most of your peers are in more costume-like garments you’re sure to stand out.

You won’t want to buy a tuxedo at this stage of your life — you’re still growing, and they’re expensive garments to replace. Instead, you’ll be renting. Make it clear at the rental store that you want proper black-tie attire, including the following:

1. The Jacket - Tuxedo-style jacket in plain black with either peaked lapels or a shawl collar. The lapels can be faced in black satin or left the same surface as the jacket, though the former is more traditional and a bit sharper-looking. If you plan on wearing a boutonniere flower (which I recommend), make sure there’s a working buttonhole for it.

2. The Trousers - Matching black in the same material as the jacket. There should be a stripe of satin (the same satin that’s on the lapels) down the outside of each trouser leg. They should be held up with suspenders, not a belt, and the trousers should have tabs for the suspenders inside the waistband. You don’t want the cheaper metal clip style of suspenders showing from underneath your jacket while you dance.

3. The Shirt – Plain white with a stiff vertical band (called a placket) in the center where the sides join. The buttonholes will be holes on both sides, fastened with studs rather than sewn-on buttons. Cuffs should be French-style. The collar can be either a basic point collar (like you would see on most good dress shirts) or the raised wing-style collar with stiff, elevated points.

4. The Tie - A plain black bow tie. Take the extra five minutes to learn how to tie one yourself, rather than using a clip-on. It’s about as easy as tying your shoes, there’s easy how-to guides online if the rental outfit doesn’t come with one (Wikipedia alone can get you through it), and it’ll look much better. People will notice.

5. The Shoes - You could rent formal pumps to go with the outfit, but if you have a pair of plain black dress shoes of your own I’d recommend shining them up and wearing them instead. A night of dancing is a tough way to break in shoes you’ve never worn before.

6. The Waist – You can wear either a vest or a cummerbund. Either one is fine, but plain black satin is preferable for both. You can wear a colored cummerbund, but if you do, stick to very dark and sober colors. Bright colors look terrible. A colored vest of any kind is too much — if you opt for a vest, stick to black.

7. Accents - You can usually select your shirt studs and cufflinks from several options. They should either match or be complementing, such as plain black shirt studs and gold-and-black cufflinks. Never mix silver and gold metals in the same outfit. For a touch of color, consider adding a boutonniere — a plain red carnation is always striking, or you can talk to a florist about a matching boutonniere-and-corsage set for you and your date. Just stick to ones with a single flower for you; gentlemen should never be wearing a bouquet on their chest.

If this sounds a little too restrained to you, think again. The elegant simplicity of the black tie outfit brings out everything that goes with it. A single flower becomes a vivid accent; a darkly-colored cummerbund is suddenly a bold fashion statement. And, most importantly, it means that you and your date — not your gaudy outfit — will be the center of attention.

Dark Suits: The “Black Tie Optional” Alternative

Unless your school specifies in explicit terms that you have to wear black tie, you can treat prom as a “black tie optional” event.

That means that instead of wearing a tuxedo you can wear a plain, dark suit with a white shirt and a colored tie.

This is often a more affordable option (particularly for sons lucky enough to fit in their father’s business suits), and it gives you a little more leeway to add colored elements, particularly the necktie.

Just exercise restraint — you’ll look better in a simple dark suit with a nice muted tie in the same color family as your date’s dress than you will wearing wild patterns and neon colors.

It isn’t as striking as black tie, but a good suit (especially one that fits well) will still set you apart as one of the sharper-dressed young men at the prom.

A Word on Matching Your Date

Try not to get talked into matching outfits. A little complementing contrast between you and your date is a good thing. If she’s wearing a light blue dress, a dark blue boutonniere flower on your tux or a navy-and-gold necktie with your suit is more than enough of a nod to her choice. You’re trying to look like two charming young people, not a wedding cake topper.

It’s easy to get talked into some of the big fashion mistakes of prom — wearing bright colors, breaking the black tie rules, and matching your date too closely — but this is a great chance for you to take charge of your own outfit and stand out on your own.

Whatever you choose to wear, good luck — and remember that the most important part of your outfit is your demeanor and your respect toward your peers and your companion for the evening.

Some are great, some are good, and then there are many that I look at now and wonder….what was I thinking!

The purpose of this new article series is to bring you 3 of the best articles from my 3 of my peers.

I reach back into their archives to give you a taste of what they have to offer – and maybe spark an interest in the 100′s of other articles they’ve written over the years.

I want to save you the hassle of wading through thousands of posts, and bring to your attention the gems hidden amongst the rocks!

What do you think?

Background – To create good content you have to perform research – and over the years I’ve compiled a database with hundreds of articles, blogs, and other useful sites.  As I sat reviewing this information I thought you all might want to know what I consider to be some of the “greatest hits”.  Let me know in the comments if you want to see this series continue!

Street Etiquette

Safari and Travel Clothing - http://streetetiquette.com/2010/06/20/vintage-etiquette-banana-republic-safari-and-travel-clothing-co/

Wearing a Wool Suit – New York Style - http://streetetiquette.com/2012/01/02/suit-etiquette-wool-suit/

Riding The Subway With Style - http://streetetiquette.com/2011/11/27/subway-etiquette-nyc-brooklyn/

Put This On

25 Pieces of Basic Style Advice - http://putthison.com/post/10127535876/twenty-five-pieces-of-basic-sartorial-knowledge-so-you

The Essential Man’s Wardrobe - http://putthison.com/post/712103418/the-essential-mans-wardrobe-perhaps-the-most

The Non-Douchey Hat - http://putthison.com/post/365446401/hatsdouchesanddorks

Permanent Style

Rule 1: Your trousers should fall so that there is one clean break at the front, and none at the back. http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2008/09/rules-and-how-to-break-them-no1.html

Rule 4: Always button the waist button of your jacket. And only that button. http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2009/02/rules-and-how-to-break-them-no4.html

Rule 7: Wear a white linen handkerchief with your suit. http://www.permanentstyle.co.uk/2010/03/rules-and-how-to-break-them-no7.html

What do you think – would you like to see me selectively bringing you the best from more style writers?  Let me know in the comments!

I judge at the University of Texas’ Venture lab Investment Competition.  It’s a fun event where I have the privilege to work with entrepreneurs from around the world.

During my stay I’ll have some free time before and after the event – normally I would visit businesses by myself, meet the owners, and have great conversations.

But this year I’m wondering how many of ya’ll would like to join me?

Is there interest in an Austin Texas Meetup?  Tuesday May 1st or Sunday May 6th?

Tentatively this would be a full day tour of 3-4 stores (meet owners/manager/discuss style and excellence) – starting with a morning coffee and with a lunch break. Expect to walk – although having a car handy won’t hurt if we decide to visit a place a little off the beaten path.

When it comes to clothes, women act like magnets around the closets of stylish men.

We seem to be attracted to what you’re wearing through some strange, unexplained force of nature.

What was hanging in your closet, flung on your bed, on you even – whoosh – she’s suddenly got on and is heading out the door.

This clever vanishing act your female companion performs on the contents of your wardrobe can happen at any time, to nearly any article of clothing. The sweater you wanted to wear to work today? Sorry, it’s crumpled at the bottom of one of her purses (not the one she’s carrying now, of course) because she borrowed it a week ago at the movies. The sweatpants you were planning to wear to bed? She’s already got ‘em on.

So what are the clothing items most women want to steal?

Here is a quick hit list of the 6 clothing items your lady is most likely to swipe.

1. Your Light-Weight Jacket

We just need to run to the store for a minute, and yours slides on so easily over whatever we have on. Even better? How dainty we look when we’re wearing it. …Right? Don’t you think we look dainty? (Hint: this is a great time to say we look dainty)

2. Your T-Shirts

Where do I even begin? Which t-shirt? Every t-shirt. The best? Your oldest t-shirt. I close my eyes and daydream about the wonderfulness that is a guy’s t-shirt on my torso. You’ve spent years artfully beating the crap out of the tees in your dresser drawer, and I’d like to thank you for that on behalf of womankind. Now please let us put one on so we can snuggle next to you on the couch and watch a movie.

Tip to try: The next time your lady love stays over, have the t-shirt you know she likes the most waiting – clean and folded – for her.

3. Your Hat

Oh man, do girls ever love stealing hats from guys. The first hat I ever stole was a trucker hat from a guy friend who I just happened to be completely in love with my freshman year in college. (In my defense, my college years coincided with the short window in time when trucker hats were still cool) I wore that thing everywhere and was all too happy to tell people who it really belonged to. This love affair with men’s hats is universal. Winter beanies, snapback caps, fedoras of particularly small-domed men – none are safe from a woman’s grasp.

4. Your Favorite Sweaters

Now we’re talking. There is nothing a woman likes more than a comfortable sweater, and nothing’s more comfortable than a sweater two sizes too big. The chances of clothing robbery increase with quality level. Polyester blend? Perfectly safe in your closet. Cashmere or merino wool? If you’re really attached to it, you might want to hide it somewhere high up.

5. Your Suit Coat

Is there anything prettier than a girl in a fancy dress with her man’s jacket draped around her shoulders? Trick question, the answer is no. No there isn’t.

Tip to try: On your next date night out, make a point to wear a blazer, even if you usually never dress up. At the slightest hint of a breeze, offer it up. Even if she doesn’t need it, she’ll appreciate the gesture.

6. Your Hooded Sweatshirt.

While you may find us more attractive when we’re wearing more form-fitting clothes, I hope you don’t mind how much us ladies love wearing your oversized activewear. Your alma mater’s hoodie, the one with the grease stains on it and tear in the elbow? We would wear that thing to church if we could. Thank you, by the way, for breaking it in so well for us. A good hoodie is such a find that females will stoop to stealing any one they can find – boyfriend, brother, co-worker – no man’s sweatshirt is safe.

Tip to try: Wear yours over to her house, then leave it when you go. She’ll love smelling like you the rest of the week (or til she decides to wash it).

And the one item we *Don’t* want to wear:  Your Dress Shirt.  

Surprised? I know. It seems these days you can’t shake a stick without hitting a TV commercial or magazine ad featuring a woman wearing a man’s white dress shirt (and presumably nothing else), buttoned just high enough and stopping just low enough. But you know what? I have no interest in wearing a man’s dress shirt, and I don’t know of any of my girlfriends who do either (though maybe we’re just not Sex & the City-level comfortable with that kind of talk). The starched collars don’t exactly scream comfort, and besides, we already have a nighttime option from your closet; see “Your t-shirt” above.

A reaction to all this sartorial subterfuge could be to get mad or annoyed. Women’s closets are already stuffed with clothes; do we really need to borrow yours to round out our wardrobe? Not really, but I suggest you go easy on your wife or girlfriend the next time she nicks your favorite (fill in the blank). Women love wearing their man’s clothes, almost any of them, but it’s not like she’s going to stretch them out. And if you’re lucky, she’ll wash what she wore, and even fold it so you don’t have to.

What’s more, and you probably know this already – I hope you know this already – it’s not so much about the perfect fit of your intramural football team t-shirt, it’s about it being YOUR intramural football team t-shirt. Us ladies can get possessive too. Wearing your clothes is a way to mark our territory…sartorially.

This is a guest post from my friend Megan over at Style Girlfriend - visit her blog for more men’s style advice from a woman’s perspective!    - Antonio

Everyone understands the importance of dressing up for a job interview.

But did you know dressing well can help break stereotypes?

Stereotypes affect opinions of ability and intentions anytime you’re dealing with people from different ethnic groups, age groups, cultures, or the perceived “norm”.

If someone is harboring a negative stereotype, consciously or unconsciously, it can be very hard to get off on the right foot.

The Power of First Impressions

As an entrepreneur and businessman I understand the value of first impressions. I dress sharp as I never know when I am going to meet a new client.

I also am very sensitive to being judged because of issues beyond my control.

I’ve had people assume that I have limited mental ability and talk down to me.

All because I have  cerebral palsy and use an electric wheelchair.

People see a wheelchair and many make immediate assumptions.   They have no idea that I graduated from college with honors and have my own grant-writing and consulting business.

Little do they realize I could be – and often am – an asset to companies just like theirs.  They’re not doing either of us any favors by assuming my abilities are limited because of my appearance.

Side Note – I do have fun with this sometimes. When shopping at stores people often assume I work there, because hey, I’m driving a little machine.  I like to tell them everything is 50% off before I reveal I’m not an employee.

The Realization That Appearances Matter

When I began my career I began to think more about how I was dressing and presenting myself to counteract some of these negative first impressions.

I came to a very important realization.

If I waited for everyone in the world to learn that a wheelchair doesn’t mean I’m less useful – then I’m going to have a long lonely wait.

By dressing sharp and forcing people to see me as someone in control of his own appearance (and often someone in much better control than they are) I’ve preempted the stereotype. 

Dressing for Self-Esteem and Pride

Another reason I pay attention to my appearance is for my own self-esteem and pride.

When I am dressed well I feel more confident and more motivated to get things done. It’s a daily reminder that I define myself, not anyone else.

This ends up having a tangible benefit beyond how I’m feeling. People pay attention to men that are dressed well.  A lot of guys are just happy to fit in with the crowd, but I have learned that there are benefits to standing out.

Being well-dressed on a daily basis means more people know your name and remember you. This comes in handy when you are seeking a promotion or just trying to get noticed by someone special. For me it’s also a way to make sure I’m known as Brett instead of “that guy in a wheelchair”. And I don’t mind the extra attention from the ladies either!

My definition of dressing sharp

Dressing well does not mean wearing a custom 3- piece suit everywhere you go. It just means looking your best in whatever environment you are in.

Being a well-dressed man may mean having a well-fitted suit as opposed to something cheap and off the rack, or it might mean adding a blazer or tie when you could get away with just a dress shirt in a less formal work environment. It can be as easy as putting on a sweater or vest when you are out with friends and wearing nice loafers instead of tennis shoes.

You can look well-dressed in anything if you always make sure the clothes you wear fit properly. You can’t look good squeezed into something you bought five years and 20 pounds ago, even if it was a really nice piece of clothing. Just make sure you’ve got a good, consistent fit all around: long sleeve shirts should extend just to the wrist and hang reasonably close to the body. Pants should fit close to the body and “break” by resting lightly on the tops of your shoes. Jackets need to give your arms freedom of movement without pinching and to cover your bottom when you stand.

One of my favorite outfits to wear when meeting with a client, speaking to groups about my business, or meeting up with friends is a dress shirt, a tie and a buttoned vest paired with a nice pair of jeans. It works in business environments but also works in a more casual setting. For an “off-the-clock” look later in the day I even loosen the tie a bit.

My Personal Style

Like anything worth doing, dressing well takes some effort and time. I didn’t build my wardrobe by buying a bunch of expensive clothes all at once; I did it by being very selective and watching sales.

I’ve built my business/formal wardrobe up slowly over the last few years. Before that I mainly wore the t-shirts, hoodies and sweat pants that a lot of younger people favor. I still like hoodies and sweat pants for their convenience, but they are rarely seen outside my house.

Spending my day in a wheelchair has created some obstacles in my pursuit to dressing well. These obstacles include my neck size, the braces I wear on my feet, dressing difficulties, and the whole issue of look vs. functionality.

Proper Shirt Fit – Neck

Like some men my neck size does not fit my body type. For the top button on a dress shirt to fit the shirt measurement needs to be at least 17.5-18 inches, but most of these shirts are extra-large or extra-tall.

Even with a couple extra pounds I have a smaller body type and there’s no getting around the fact that I’m pretty short. Some of these extra-large shirts go down to my knees and almost look like a dress. When I tuck them into my pants I end up sitting on half of the shirt — not the most comfortable fit in the world.

I also found that these extra-large shirts were way too wide. I could gain 50 pounds and they would still fit my chest. I’ve since switched to “Slim Fit” (also sometimes just called “Fitted” shirts), and I recommend them for anyone that doesn’t have a broad chest. Even if you’re just a normal, athletic build most dress shirts are cut loose enough that you’d benefit from a slimmer fit.

Dress Shoe Fit

Another obstacle that I face is most dress shoes don’t fit with the braces that I wear on my feet and ankles. These braces are made of hard plastic and increase my shoe size by about 2 sizes. Because of the shape of the braces the only type of shoes that work are soft skateboarding shoes. Day to day I can look pretty good around the time in skateboarding shoes, but they don’t go over well in a boardroom.

My solution was to purchase a high-quality pair of skateboarding shoes that were entirely black with black laces. I keep them set aside for business occasions and make sure they stay dark and clean so that they can fit in with everyone else’s black leather oxfords.

If you’re someone else that has trouble finding shoes that fit and prefers to wear soft cloth shoes most of the time, my advice is: spend the money for one pair of comfortable dress shoes and set them aside for business and formal occasions only. If you can’t wear leather because it’s too stiff look for an all-black or all-brown cloth shoe with matching laces, sole, and stitching so you’re not drawing attention to your shoes.

Dressing Well Within Your Limits

Another thing that I consider when dressing well is my physical limitations. If I buy clothes without recognizing them I’m just wasting money on something I can’t use.

I don’t have full movement of my arms and upper body. This makes putting on and taking off suit jackets and blazers a daunting task. I also have a harder time moving my arms when I am wearing a suit jacket. Whenever it’s appropriate I substitute either a sweater-vest or a dress vest (like you might find as part of a three-piece suit) for a jacket. That keeps me nice and business-like without the struggle to put a jacket on and the difficulty moving in one.

Neckties

One of the most asked questions in men’s style is “how do I tie my necktie?”

There are hundreds of videos on YouTube. You can do one search and find out 10 different ways to tie your necktie in less than a minute — but most of them aren’t very helpful if you can’t move your fingers well enough to tie knots.

My solution to this problem is simple, I just buy neck ties that are already tied.

Most snappy dressers will swear that you can’t get a pre-tied tie that looks as good as one tied by hand, of course, but I’ve never had anyone complain about mine and they’re a great solution if you have trouble with knots. My favorite type is a zipper tie (not to be confused with “zip-ties,” those little plastic bindings), which come pre-tied with a zipper hidden inside the knot. They don’t have the obvious buckle-bulge you get with a cheap clip-on and I don’t have to spend half an hour fighting with a knot to go out looking good.

Pocket Squares

A pocket square really adds a special touch to an outfit. It tells everyone that you pay attention to details and care about personalizing your looks.

Unfortunately, just like the tie, I don’t have the dexterity to fold a pocket square the way I’d like. Instead I’ve developed my own little trick: I have one person help me fold the square once the way I like it, and then I sew or staple a small piece of cardboard inside the bottom of the fold.

When I want to wear a square I just slip the pocket square in, cardboard first, hiding the stitching/staples and leaving the nice fold displayed. You’ll see rental places using the same trick. Done right (and not all rental places do get it right, but I make sure I do) no one will ever know the difference. It limits the types of fold I can use a bit, but it saves a lot of time and makes putting a pocket square in an easy, solo operation.

Dress Trousers

My biggest obstacle to dressing well is the pants. Sitting in a wheelchair I have to balance comfort and style with function.

Many pants are uncomfortable when sitting all day long. Some make it more difficult to use the restroom, while others have too much fabric in unwanted places. The most comfortable pants I have are sweatpants, but they’re useless for any professional setting. Dark jeans are stylish and fairly comfortable in the legs but do not sit well on my waist — they’re cut with a lower rise that sits on the hips, which isn’t comfortable when seated.

Khakis and dress pants fit better on the waist but are usually fastened with multiple buttons. These multiple buttons create another obstacle for me when I need to use the restroom. I like to be independent as possible, but when you have a very difficult time unbuttoning a single button a set of buttons seems as difficult as climbing Mount Everest.

The most comfortable solution I’ve found is blue jeans and khakis with a half or full elastic waist band. They’re comfortable in the waist and legs while seated and are easy to manage in the restroom. Unfortunately, they’re not the most stylish pants in the world: the elastic band stands out and the pant legs are wider and only come in very limited colors.

My solution is to dress more formally on my upper body, in ways that keep people’s attention on my chest and face rather than my lower half. I usually pair my elastic-waist dress trousers with a dress shirt, some kind of vest, and a tie when it’s appropriate. The vest helps conceal the elastic band on the pants, and the business shirt and tie help guide people’s eyes up toward my face.

I’m always looking to improve, of course. I recently invested in a pair of custom blue jeans with a velcro fly. They fit like a glove, but they cost three times more than I had spent on blue jeans before! So like any improvement it’s a slow process, and the important thing is just to keep moving forward.

Conclusion

Some people say fashion is a pain and isn’t what really matters. For my part, I’m glad I’m not one of those people.

I dress well and it gets me the attention and respect I deserve as a businessman, instead of letting people form their own mistaken opinions based on the fact that I’m a guy in a wheelchair.

You don’t have to use a wheelchair to get the same benefits from dressing well that I do. If your shirt is too tight or if you don’t have comfortable shoes to walk in then you will be distracted and won’t be at your best. If you’re looking sloppy or underdressed people are going to dismiss you no matter what shape your body’s in.

My final words of advice – Dressing well might not make you a millionaire overnight, but it will help get you past stereotypes and give you the opportunity to make your own success!

For more information about Brett’s journey to success and how his grant writing business Achievable Ventures can help fund your organization’s dreams.