jamesjasond asked: Just bought a banana republic herring bone blazer. I'm hesitant to wear it with patterned shirts (plaid, gingham, etc). Should I worry about this?
Depends on how big and distinct the herringbone is. If it’s fairly large then you should use caution with wearing large bold patterns. If it’s pretty subtle then you shouldn’t have a problem mixing in some gingham and plaids.
32levels asked: Big fan of the blog, its probably the biggest thing that got me interested in tailored clothing. I have a club monaco dress shirt with a point collar. Would it be possible to get that altered to a spread/cutaway? If so, about how much would it cost?
That is definitely doable, depending on how the collar is structured - my friend has had a number of point collars converted to spreads. It should run around 20-30 bucks a shirt at a good tailor.
Anonymous asked: Do you agree with Derek from Die Workwear! about keeping a sort of shopping list? How do you keep track of what you want to get? And if you do use a list, how's it organised? By need, by season?
Haha no I do not keep a shopping list. Sounds like a good plan for someone building a wardrobe or someone with a lot of wants, but I have a pretty decent idea of what I’m interested in. I just kick it from my head, you know what I’m saying?
Anonymous asked: Hi Jake, you seem ideally placed to ask this question as a #menswear aficionado and as a man with business savvy. I'm thinking of buying some Cucinelli stocks, it seems like a solid investment to me with the brand seemingly going from strength to strength and its star still rising. What's your thoughts? Any better menswear investments out there in your opinion?
Unfortunately, although I am currently still a corporate cog, my field of choice is not in equity research. Thus, I am in no place to give you any sort of financial advice, even informally. On the surface, Cucinelli seems like a strong brand with a growing business, catering to the best possible demographic, but you should really check out their fundamentals, multiples, and risk profile, and then do some comparative and historical analysis. Never make investment decisions until you have done as much research as possible.
I’ll leave you with one name to take a look at: 9983.
Anonymous asked: Great blog, very enlightening and educational. What are your thoughts on buying suits from J Crew, Suit Supply, and the like versus OTR? Quality material, pricey, but nice slim looks.
Thanks very much. Not sure exactly what you are comparing here, as both those options are off the rack, but I got the gist of it. J. Crew and Suit Supply suits represent very good value for the money as they both use solid fabrics and have attractive silhouettes. They likely cut corners on construction, but for most guys, that doesn’t matter as much as fit and appearance. They also represent differing styles however, and you should choose accordingly. The now-“classic” Ludlow suit from JC is cut slim, has thin lapels, and is a more structured suit (go feel the shoulders). They have a more British feel and some guys really like this minimalist look - if it works for you, go for it. On the other hand, Suit Supply has harnessed a style that is much more Neapolitan, with a lot of soft shoulders, wider lapels, and casual details in many of their models. Again, not for everyone, but a representative contrast to J. Crew at a similar price point.
On the scale of suiting, these two options are actually quite inexpensive. You can obviously go cheaper, but you will get more for your money with these options. If you meant to compare the two to MTM or Bespoke offerings, then that is a separate discussion on how much of a budget you have, individual needs concerning timing and convenience, and the balance between spending your money wisely and maximizing the quality of your choice(s). I likely would not pick a MTM suit at a similar price point to Suit Supply for example, but would pick up a well-made MTM suit over anything OTR in almost all situations.
Anonymous asked: I just got a pair of cool shell cordovan penny loafers by Alden from eBay. Any suggestions on how to wear these bad boys casually? Thanks a lot!
Nice purchase. Those are pretty versatile and you can wear them casually with a lot of different combos. I would go sockless in the summer and wear them with anything from khakis to denim. You could wear a popover with some raw denim for example or maybe a navy blazer and some colored chinos. Personally I think they look best with tapered trousers, as they tend too become a bit diminutive with wider legs.
