Style Guide

1. Is Linen suitable for office?
It is the perfect summer fabric, worn best with nary a care about wrinkling in keeping with the ease of summer style. Pair a linen trouser with a classic stripe shirt. The look is timeless and elegant, whether worn as a complete suit, blazer in neutral shades of cream, navy, ivory or tan. A light pressing after each wearing is in order when it comes to a business, for while we appreciate a stylish wrinkling or two, the neater look is always more appropriate for the office.

2. Should I wear a striped tie with a striped shirt?
For narrower striped shirts choose a striped tie equally narrower in its stripe spacing for proper pattern balance. For bolder wider shirt stripes opt for a tie with stripes even more widely spaced then those in the shirt pattern. Single collar and thickly banded regimentals work well here.

3. What is a trouser “break”?
The “break” in one’s trousers is the amount of fabric that rests over the instep of one’s shoes. Traditionally, trouser breaks may be a quarter, half or full inch although a full break can often create an impression of droopiness. The shoes you wear with a certain pair of trousers will sometimes determine the type of break required. For example, heavy-soled, chunky or bulbous toe shoes require a longer break than narrow, streamlined loafers.

4. What is the "rise" on pants?
The rise is the measured distance between the top of a trouser leg‘s inseam to the top of a trouser‘s waistband. Suit and dress trousers have a slightly higher rise than casual pants, which means the waistband sits at the waist, providing an elegant and flattering silhouette for most men. Your waist, by the way, is just below your navel, not below your belly where many younger men, used to a life in jeans, usually think it is. Speaking of jeans, jean-constructed pants tend to have a lower rise, thus sitting closer to the hips where they allow the wearer greater ease of movement. That‘s a remnant from denim‘s days as a work wear garment

5. Do you recommend flat-front or pleated trousers?
Though the late nineties saw pleats all but disappear from pants the way they did during the WWII when fabric rationing demanded it, the forgiving folds are now back—you once again have a difficult choice.
As a rule, flat-front pants have a sleeker, cleaner silhouette, but this means they conceal no flaws. If you have a little extra up front, pleats will ensure that the pants fall straight down, instead of hugging your stomach unflatteringly. Just make sure there are two pleats—the smaller one on the outside will take the heat off the larger, front pleat which should remain flat and closed.

When pleats pucker open, you‘re too big for your britches. (Or, if you prefer, they‘re too small for you.) At that point, rather than disguising any girth you‘re trying to hide, the pleats are accentuating it. Try moving up a waist size, because even the best-made clothes need to fit well to flatter you.

One last thing: generally you want your pleated pants cuffed. That doubled material at the bottom of the leg provides the extra weight that‘ll always ensure your pleats hang straight down

6. I can’t decide between a two and three-button suit. Any suggestions?
Why not own both? While two-button suits have been a favorite with traditionalists for many years, the new, younger looking three-button suits have become increasingly popular in recent seasons. While the longer silhouette of the three-button model does tend to look better on taller or leaner men, it doesn’t mean shorter or larger men can’t wear it well. Generally speaking, the two-button model is much more comfortable and forgiving on the man who has a fuller chest. But if tailored to fit correctly, the larger man can easily wear a three-button suit with style and poise—especially the classic .

7. How do I choose the right shirt collar?
It’s important to choose the right collar for your face. The straight collar works with most shapes, but it flatters a rounder face best. The collar’s roll on the all-American button-down accentuates the curves of a face, so choose a generous roll if your face is long, a smaller one if it’s round. The spread collar’s wider spread also flatters many faces, just remember to pair it with a bulkier four-in-hand or half-Windsor tie. Finally, the cutaway collar, with its widest spread, suits men with neither a too long nor too wide a face and is best finished with a full-Windsor knot.

8. How much shirt cuff should stick out from my jacket sleeve?
About half an inch of shirt should be visible. The visible cuff does not make the sleeve look too short. The visible cuff makes the arm look longer. It is the only correct way to dress your wrists, regardless of one‘s personal hang-ups or feelings. And if you don‘t believe us, you only have to check out any well-dressed man you see.