VERITAS | Men's Style Blog

It's in the Details

2010-02-11T18:04:35-05:00

Here's a decent, good-looking fella. He's clean-cut and put-together. His clothes fit well. He seems like a nice guy, and there's generally nothing much to pick at. At the same time, he's just an Average Joe in a basic, ubiquitous uniform favored by millions of unimaginative American men: the always-flattering-but-totally-safe-and-utterly-boring light blue dress shirt, paired with it's southern counterpart — which, although not always flattering, is equally totally safe and utterly boring. Then cut the body in dead half with a black belt on an otherwise soft palette, and trouble brews. Clip on a cell phone holster to the waist? Pandemonium.

This leads me to a public service announcement regarding clipping your cell phone on your belt or carrying it inside your pant pocket: There is mounting scientific evidence that the electromagnetic radiation emitting from your cell phone, a low-power microwave (like the oven, but without walls) — in addition to all kinds of bioeffects, brain tumors and DNA damage — damage sperm. Over the years, I've been telling men that wearing cell phones clipped to the belt causes testicular cancer. Now I don't need to make it up. Science is finally backing up what fashion has known all along.

Now back to Mr. Average...

I want to show you that he doesn't need a radical wardrobe overhaul to go from looking alright to smashing. All a man needs to know is the proper balance of fit, proportion, color and texture. Let's go through this step by step:

He already seems to be good on understanding fit — tailored and lean without excess fabric bellowing in the breeze.

Next is proportion. His pant waist is too high up, resting on the natural, or traditional, waist. This does a few unflattering things: 1) This waistline, although appropriate in fashion movements of past, looks outdated and rather dad-like today. 2) The high waistline, especially cinched with the belt, emphasizes his hips, giving him a bit of a rounded, slightly feminine shape. 3) The high waist creates the appearance of a shorter torso compared to his overall body proportions – he would do well to elongate the area for a leaner body line.

On to color. Understanding the art of wearing proper colors that enhance your individual coloring is crucial to developing personal style. The right colors brighten and accentuate your face and bring out your character. This guy has rather strong features with good contrast between his eyes, hair and skin colors. However, the pale, washed out colors of his getup is fading him out instead of emphasizing his bold features. Although this color scheme will work wonderfully on men with softer, subtle colorings, this man would benefit from contrasting colors that complement his own contrasting coloring. This includes deep colors such as navy, purple or black, and bright colors such as bright white, lilac or ice blue. The shirt he's wearing is actually good, but he should pair it with other garments that help add more contrast instead of this pale chino.

I know that many men are afraid to wear color, but remember that "wearing color" isn't about wearing bright or loud colors, but rather, about wearing the correct colors — in any shade you're comfortable with — that make a real difference.

Texture keeps things interesting. It provides visual variety that breaks up the monotony of too many solid colors worn together. Texture can come in the form of surface interest, like an interesting weave on a cloth or from knits or sweaters, even if the garment is of a single color. Another type of texture comes from visual interest, in the form of colored prints and patterns as in checks, stripes and plaids.

Now let's bring this all together. In the image below, I morphed this guy's upper body with another image that I found, then painted over his solid shirt with the shirt pattern of the new image. Yeah, the forearms look a bit out of proportion — after all, it's not his — but all in all, I think this works well to drive the point. I then recolored the second image just to show you another color example, given the exact outfit.

Do you see the difference here? With just a few subtle changes, he looks like a new man. He didn't have to change his wardrobe preference in any way except to shift the proportions and add the right colors and textures. It's still the same exact button-front-shirt-and-chinos combo, but yet all the new components work together to make him look trimmer and well-proportioned. His facial features are more defined and there's strength to his coloring. He looks more youthful. Even his hair somehow looks better — this is a prime example of subtle shifts that make people ask curiously, "Hey, there's something different about you. Did you get a haircut or something?"

Add some stylish touches like nonchalantly rolled-up sleeves and a pair of cool shoes. If he wants to wear a belt, he should opt for a brown one that complements the shoes – this time the belt will sit at a lower waistline, so the horizontal line created by the belt will still keep his body in proportion instead of cutting him in half. Throw on a navy blazer or a corduroy or cotton sport jacket in navy or light brown, and with maybe even a slim tie, he's confidently ready to set forth. Upward and onward!

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Holiday Gear: Call of the Wild

2009-12-24T16:31:57-05:00

Perhaps your year-end ritual is to follow the beat of your own drum, and your idea of recharging for the new year is to retreat quietly for a few days of simplicity, solitude and contemplation. So you check out from the frenetic pace of the concrete jungle for a trek to where the wild things hibernate. Forgetting the bright city lights and central heating, you find solace in your cozy forest cabin, where, as you make fire, you quietly stoke your inner fire and resolve for the year ahead.

All you need for this inner pilgrimage is an outdoorsy lumberjack-patterned shirt, a chunky woodsman-worthy cardigan sweater, and a pair of your favorite broken-in jeans. While you're out chopping wood, protect your dome from the elements with a trapper hat and lace on some sturdy boots. A rugged waxed canvas duffel is all you need to throw in a few essentials, like a classic book to induce some deep thoughts and a bottle of good ol' Kentucky hooch to keep you warm, set you straight, and offer some company — in that order.

[Hover over image for product info.]

Holiday Gear: Tux Deluxe

2009-12-22T17:37:52-05:00

As the art of dressing makes a comeback in menswear, the tuxedo is back in the limelight. So for this holiday season — as well as for any special formal occasion — consider wearing the tuxedo as not so much a begrudging sartorial obligation, but rather, a rare opportunity to shine as the distinctive, dashing, debonair man that you are.

Today's tux is modern, minimal, molds perfectly to your body, with meticulous attention to detail that provides lots of options to leave your personal mark — qualities that you can never dream to have in an abominable rental. So invest in your own tux and never be mistaken for a groomsman again. A man of genuine style owns himself — and his tux.

A classic tuxedo jacket has a single button, but the 2-button is a popular option. The peak lapel or shawl collar is the standard, but the notch collar has come to be commonly accepted. Although black is the most widely worn color, midnight blue is also a classic tux color that offers a dose of sophistication yet "something different." Remember: no more than 2 buttons, ever, and most importantly, make sure you're wearing a jacket, not a box.

Although the stand-up wing collar (below left) is the traditional tuxedo shirt style, the most current collar style is the turndown collar, which is basically the collar style you see on your normal dress shirt (below, right). Please: no vest, no cummerbund, and no clip-on bow ties, although if you prefer a cummerbund, keep it sleek and subtle. Don't get too fussy with the shape of the pocket square either, i.e., no origami.

Daniel Craig gets my vote for the best dressed tux man in the world. I just about die every time I see him in a tux (or suit ... or anything ... or almost nothing). Here, he sports a midnight blue classic shawl collar with silk cuffs by Tom Ford. Two words: Freakin' Sublime.

Classic Done Right: Single button peak lapel. Polished. Natty. Gracious. Charming. Turner Classic Movies ... but 2010.

Bringing Sexy Back: Midnight blue over black says "evening." Modern, masculine, dark and sensual. Shows that black-and-blue can be a really good thing.

So Luxe: The velvet jacket is opulent and sumptuous. Plush, ritzy, and swanky, it's perfect for the festive, glitzy holiday season. Don't worry, you won't come across as self-indulgent if you pair it with more basic, modest underpinnings throughout.

The Skinny: Not for the Average Joe, but works splendidly for the man who knows he's the hippest man in town.

Winter White: The white dinner jacket will get you noticed in a sea of black. Traditionally worn only in the domain of balmy, summery evenings, this is a sharp option when you're inviting in the new year in style from somewhere warm, preferably south of the equator.

[Above 5 Photos by Paola Kudacki for GQ.]

Holiday Gear: Jingle Bell Rock

2009-12-16T22:41:41-05:00

Here's a getup for an edgy but refined downtown holiday soirée. The black-and-white color palette and the velvet-and-satin dinner jacket keep you sophisticated and luxe, while rock-and-roll details — like a vintage-inspired striped tee, talon necklace and leather-and-metal bracelet — make it patently clear that this ain't no stuffy uptown scene. Go for the kill with a pair of super sleek Chelsea boots.

[Hover over image for product info.]

Holiday Gear: In Good Company

2009-12-14T16:11:01-05:00

Holiday season is officially on, and that means you're going to end up in a number of quasi-social gatherings where your attendance is underscored with a subtext of obligation. I'm talking about the likes of the annual company holiday party, the schmooze fest at the big boss's suburban McMansion, or meeting your sweetheart's family for the first time at her parents' home.

Of course, those events can be delightful, but scratch just below the surface and there's often a sense of slight uneasiness in that you know that this isn't the type of party that you can let it all loose. Unlike the parties that you voluntarily prefer swinging in, this is no place for faux pas of any kind. In fact, this is an occasion to put yourself in the best possible light in the eyes of your colleagues, superiors, and possible future in-laws. So while I can't help you from making an ass of yourself, at least I can attempt to help you avoid looking like one.

Let's start with an example of how not to dress. In all honestly, there's exactly nothing devastatingly wrong about this look. He's rocking a pop of festive color and pattern on his tie, and the windowpane blazer adds another element of textural interest — even the fit isn't all that bad. It's not that anything's blatantly wrong with him, it's just that he's just so-so, boring, standard, and exhibits no style or personality. Although not offensive, he's surely not impressive. This is not the way to go if you want to leave a memorable mark.

To amp his style, he can start by switching up the fat silk tie to a colorful knitted or woven wool one that's slightly more narrow than the one he has on — about 3" at the widest point (2 3/4" for a bit slimmer). Another easy fix is to take up the jacket sleeve so that he has about 1/2" of cuff showing when his arm is hanging straight down. Those details alone should help.

Alternatively, he can pair a solid or subtly patterned wool tie with a cheerfully colored shirt in a pattern, topped with a navy blazer (shown above). Since these occasions are a bit more relaxed, you can optionally wear a button-down collar for a more casual vibe. And if you really want to leave an impression, do like Mad Men and embellish with a simple tie bar and flash a sliver of white pocket square. A clean, super dark pair of slim straight leg jeans offer a more modern and sophisticated option to chinos, although chinos or grey wool pants that are well tailored, cut slim and with a short-to-no break will elevate you just as well. Lastly, polish off your look with a pair of brown leather-soled wingtips — they add much more smarts and interest to your look than plain black shoes.

This is a type of function where you want to stand apart from the cubicle drones, or, for that matter, loser ex-boyfriends your lady friend has brought home in past years. While it's imperative to leave a distinctively confident mark, you also need to make sure you don't come across as a dandy. Keeping all of your wardrobe components simple and classic while maintaining a modern fit and sensibility is a surefire way to make a stylish, respectable, and memorable impression.

And for the season, a distinctive but subtle conversational accessory like a pair of holiday-themed cuff links will add just the right dose of holiday flair that's sure to be appreciated with cheer.

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