Elegance is the Name @eleganceisthename - Tumblr Blog

The weather was cool, not cold. Also, living in California, it becomes important to understand how to be elegant without a tie. Here I am rocking the lightest flannel jacket I have, which is made by Suit Supply. It's soft and lightly structured. Great for a cooler evening and elegant with its forest green appearance. The pants are from the full gray flannel suit I posted a few weeks ago. The shirt is a light cashmere number that I can dress up or down, and the loafers are my all-purpose black tassel dress-down loafers. I think this is an elegant dress-down option.

Had to travel to Kansas City for a Business Dinner Banquet that required dressing up. While a lot of men opted for the black suit dark tie combo, I chose this charcoal flannel number. I don't personally have a black suit in my employ because I feel that a charcoal suit can fit the bill and is more versatile than its black counterpart. Also, the weather was cold, so the flannel had the added utility of keeping me warm. I also wanted to keep it simple. I am 6"8. So when I walk into a room, the height does its job of getting people to look. Thus, I keep the fit simple, a lot of times. You can never go wrong with a dark suit, white/light patterned shirt, and dark tie. Here, I have a light-patterned shirt with a grenadine tie and a simple TV fold to keep it elegant, formal, but classic. These shoes from Church's round it out with the watch from Breitling. I did rock an overcoat as well. I'll probably include that in another post.

The casual menswear equivalent of a three-piece: The only thing I don't have in my wardrobe (regrettably so) is a flannel three-piece. So, as a substitute, I will rock a combination like this or similar. A flannel sports coat, a spread collar shirt, a knit cardigan (usually wool), a textured tie (usually wool or mix), flannel pants, and a suede shoe or some form of loafer. The goal is to stay warm, comfortable, and to maximize the style points. All the pieces here are affordable (Spier and Mackay sports coat, Tommy Hilfiger shirt, Knottery NY tie, Polo Ralph Lauren flannel pants, and Alden shoes) at a doable price point, showing that money does not always equate to elegance. The tipping point, however, is understanding what constitutes quality and a good fit (not perfect) and understanding how to incorporate it.

Cold weather has finally touched down in CA, after a week of rain. That means I can finally break out the flannels and heavy wools. Decided to experiment with some earth tone colors and textures for Sunday service, so this was the result of that. This is my softest winter season jacket that I own. It's an unstructured, unlined soft piece from Isaia that I have owned for over 12 years now. It fits well after all these years and feels like a blanket. The pants are these warm flannel pants in an olive color that feel amazing. I just wish the rise was higher tbh. The jacket and pants are flannel, while the tie and pocket square are wool. Great when the temps have dropped, and when it gets even colder, I can add a Balmaccan overcoat to the piece. That will be for another post. Happy Monday, everyone!

As the vestiges of summer end here in California, the goal is to wear all summer-related clothing before having to break out the tweeds, flannels, and heavy wools. This is my favorite jacket. It's made by Attolini and is 100% cashmere. It is by far the softest and balanced jacket I own. The handmade details on this jacket also allow this jacket to conform and flow so effortlessly. From the handset collar to the hand-stitched and rolled lapel, to the hand-finished buttonholes, it's a beauty. I wanted to bring a little bit of color while still grounding it in some serious menswear, hence the high-low party-to-business display. I also wanted to up the ante with the patterns to see what I could add to bring some harmony, thus the four-pattern bingo up top. I finished it off with these sturdy brown captoes from Fratelli Rossetti, owned for over 10 years, and ground out a solid fit....JACKET- Attolini.. SHIRT- RLPL...TIE-Canali..PANTS-RL Polo..SHOES- Fratelli Rossetti.. POCKET SQUARE: Battisti Napoli

Emerald Green DB suit on a 6"8 (205cm) gentleman- This was a made-to-measure commission by a former local clothier. I wanted something different yet traditional that I could wear consistently. I also wanted something that would drape well, in terms of fabric. I actually sketched it out on a piece of paper, and we came up with this. The original design had four buttons, a lower gorge, more curved lapels, and a lower buttoning stance. It did not all come together, but it was my first commission with them, and it's never perfect the first time. It did come out as a four-button, but the buttoning point was too high, so I recently added the last bottom row of a button and its accompanying button hole. Overall, I like the suit, and it's good to give it a spin every now and then

New Suit- I had not purchased a suit in 5 years until this purchase from a month ago. This had been sitting in my queue for a bit online because I was unsure of the dimensions. I have a 7-foot wingspan and a 37-inch inseam and like cuffs. So that requires a lot more fabric than your usual suit would afford. This suit had been in my queue for over a year, but I said, 'You know what, go for it. ' I got it, and while it was shapeless and big all over, the bones were perfect. Higher armhole, lower buttoning stance, longer sleeves, higher rise, and enough length on the inseam to create a cuff. I got this to my tailor, and he got to work. I got it back just in time for a wedding that I had to attend during the day. It looks and feels great! It's a 3-roll 2, where I had the tailor press the top button to go to a hard 2. I usually wear a navy suit, a white shirt, a dark, solid tie, and black cap toes to a wedding. This wedding was during the day, however, so I swapped the navy for this medium gray. It drapes spectacularly, and I see this being one of my workhorse suits.

I recall working at a brokerage firm in my 20s and receiving my first significant bonus. For a kid from meager beginnings, it was huge, and I ventured out to get my first of two made-to-measure suits. The first was from Zegna and the latter was from Samuelsohn. They were both single-breasted, peak-lapel suits, but of different fabrics. Zegna was a midnight navy herringbone, and the Samuelsohn was a glen check. This was over 22 years ago, and both are out of commission. The Samuelsohn was a suit I had been looking to replace for a long time. This beauty replaced it during the pandemic, 5 years ago. Samuelsohn is such an underappreciated brand, and to me, it stacks up with Zegna's entry-level the same. Softer shoulders, with a beautiful feel to the cloth and full canvas, are right there with what Zegna's Milano or its older stock, the Roma, would give you at their entry point. North America also has a similar take on the soft shoulder that differs from its European counterparts. I own this Samuelsohn, an Oxxford (from the 1220 line), a Paul Stuart, and an older Jack Victor blazer I no longer wear, and all the shoulders are the same. A soft shoulder with a structured square block towards the shoulder blade. It's a beautiful suit that I don't get to wear often (I've worn it twice since I purchased it in 2020), simply because I work remotely and have so many suits. The fit could be better in some areas, but overall, I give it a solid 8/10. Thanks, guys!

Brown in Town- So, I have been on a rewatch streak the last couple of months, and I came across this movie I watched a good 16 years ago when I was still living on the East Coast. The movie, A Single Man, chronicles a man grieving the loss of his love and contemplates ending his life, using the day to meet with all of the people that make up his life. The story is beautiful, but beyond that, the wardrobe pieces are truly inspiring. The movie is set in the 60s, so the attire is representative of that time period. The protagonist, played by Colin Firth, often wears a dark brown suit, a white shirt, a dark tie, and a white pocket square throughout the movie. My goal was to emulate that here. This suit I have worn a few times because I just am not a fan of the cut. I favor wider lapels (I have discussed that ad nauseam), and the lapels here are 3.25 inches at their widest. The buttoning stance is also pretty high for me. However, I believe this fit did channel the spirit of the fit for the movie. I went with a brown suit (Isaia), white shirt, chocolate brown grenadine tie, and brown cap toes. I finished things off with a white TV fold pocket square.

Wore this the other day. All the items in this fit are over 12 years old. Also, all of the items in this fit have not been worn in at least 5 years. Decided to see if it still fits. The jacket is a half-lined linen piece, and the pants are made of tropical wool from a custom suit I was required to have made for a wedding 11 years ago. The jacket was a mess, but I kept the pants and wear them in the summer as odd trousers. The shoes are from Allen Edmonds' 7 line, which was made in Italy. They don't make them anymore, but the last is definitely a lot more European than its American counterparts. The tie is one of the first grenadines I purchased in 2011 from Ascot Chang. Pocket Square is a linen piece from Batisti Napoli. The shirt is sky blue (sorry, the pic was taken a little bit past 7pm, so lighting was not the best), from Suit Supply that I purchased back in 2013, I believe. MY message that has been consistent is to buy good, quality, timeless pieces and take care of them. They will treat you right, and in turn, you can wear with confidence

Just another day, heading into the office after the gym. With scheduled meetings in tow, and the weather being nice (in the 80s), I broke out the simple yet effective big guns. Outside of a solid navy suit, there is nothing more elegant or straightforward (business-wise) than a classic charcoal suit. It's somber and serious in its intention while conveying a sense of authority in its presentation. Here I have on a suit made by Attolini in an Italian classic, 3 rolls 2. It does not stick out because there are very few gimmicks with this suit, yet I believe it puts me forth in my best light. I always want to communicate professionalism and knowledge in any office setting and I believe this suit conveys that. The portfolio is an oldie but goodie from Ferragamo. I have owned this bad boy for over 15 years now, and it just gets better with age. This is my work bag when in black attire. The shirt is silk/linen/cotton from Kiton, with the tie being from Eton. The pocket square is a wool/silk number from Battisti Napoli, and the shoes are Crockett and Jones.

Nothing like a well-made DB suit to make an impression. This is my oldest DB (going back 15 years).. This was my first time wearing it in over 5 years as I simply do not get the opportunity to suit up as much anymore..Everything in this fit has aged like fine wine.. the shoes are over 17 years old, the tie is over 10 years old and the shirt is over 20 years old..When you take care of something, it can last you forever..

The temps are back to normal here in central California (67 degrees), and I had to dress up for my nephew's in-laws' baptism this past weekend. My brother-in-law wanted us to dress formally for the pictures afterward, so I donned this double-breasted suit from Suit Supply. It's not all the way formal due to the patch pockets and the overall soft nature of it, but the fact that it's a DB and a navy blue puts it in the mix. I decided to ride the conservative middle ground with these tasseled loafers from Crockett and Jones. I have always been ambivalent about this suit as well for several reasons. First off, the length. The jacket clocks in at 31.2 inches (as mentioned before, I usually like it to be 32 inches), and the patch pocket on a formal suit. I initially purchased it as a blazer to dress down but bought the accompanying pants a couple of years later to wear together and apart. It does drape well and is not God-awful tight like the average Suit Supply suits these days. I would wear this same look (with a solid shirt), to a semi-formal wedding as well, and in this, the versatility of a blue suit can be seen. The tie is a grenadine from Drakes, the shirt is an MTO from Proper Cloth, and the pocket square is from Battisti Napoli.

When the cooler weather starts, you can break out the three-piece suit you have not worn in almost 3 years and it still fits..I don't get to dress up as much anymore. So when I get the opportunity to I go for the kill.. this was inspired by Ari Gold from the show Entourage.. I remember watching this show in the mid-2000s while working in finance and being blown away by his powerful three-piece suits..20 years later and the three-piece suit is still a statement maker.. a bonus when you can find one to fit a 6"8 frame. Thanks Tom Ford!

Another day in the office in this four-pattern bingo..

Casual days here with the weather being cooler, but not cold.. working these flannels from Suit Supply (blazer and pants) with my favorite tassled loafers from Alfred Sargent..Worn for Sunday service..

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Elegance is the Name