Learned Not Inherited @learnednotinherited-blog - Tumblr Blog

As fashion overtook classic dress , the modern man stopped being sold what was right for him, and started following the dictates of those that represented fashions extremes. The lucky few with model figures and a lifestyle that started as the sun went down were at an advantage, as low waist...

Every Grown Man Should Own: A Real Shoe Horn

When a man starts to invest in good quality shoes, one starts to ponder how best to protect his investment. Shoe trees are often the first thing most are pointed to, second may be the trusty shoehorn. It's purpose is simple, to assist the user in putting on one's shoes more easily. Well made shoes are meant to be worn in such a way to be snugly fitted. To aid in getting your foot in the shoe, and to not destroy the back of the shoe (or counter) by crushing it, the shoe horn allows the heel to slide down a smooth surface.

What's that? Oh you have a shoe horn....one was given to you when you purchased a pair of shoes at the mall. Yeah through that plastic piece of crap out and get something that makes you feel like a man. Metal is good, leather shoe horns can be quite nice, but Horn is really what you need. Nothing makes you feel more like a man than grabbing a smoothed out beast horn to strap on your animal hide shoes in the early morning.

There are many different places to find good shoe horns. Some fine shoe stores carry them. I've seen them at some Brooks Brothers stores. You can find them online or ebay from time to time. Mine was produced in beautiful Ox horn by Abbyhorn, based in the UK and purchased through Mr. Kirby Allison's Hanger Project.

As someone stumbling their way through becoming a grown man, with all the usual dad things happening every morning (i.e. getting the kids dressed and ready for school), I find it important, even necessary to find pleasure in the little moments of being in this stage of life. Using something beautifully hand crafted is a subtle, tactile experience that one should really not miss.

#grownmanproblems #hangerproject

airows

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I recently found myself in need of an inexpensive suit that didn’t look like I picked it up at a Salvation Army. Like countless other men in the same position, I headed to J.Crew. As I walked over the wide-planked wood floors of the store, I admired the chain’s decor: framed copies of jazz albums issued in the 1950s by Columbia and Blue Note, movie posters from the French New Wave, Japanese fashion magazines, and a case full of leather bracelets, flasks, and knives. While one man took my measurements, I cheerily pointed to a copy of Leonard Cohen’s book Beautiful Losers, which was nestled atop a display of shirts and quoted the author’s best advice: Cohen “never discusses his mistresses or his tailor.” The man laughed uncomfortably, then, looking at the book, admitted he wasn’t actually a tailor (“I just work here on the weekends”) and revealed that the copy of Beautiful Losers, along with the other books scattered around the store, were really just for show.

jamesfucillo

Hmmm…what is that like 98% off. #thriftinghomerun #nwt

Laundry Day - Shirts

Recently a member on styeforum, Mafoofan, started a post discussing the creation of what would be his perfect blue shirt (check it out here). It’s a long read to wade through a lot of the snarky comments, but I like the premise and can’t wait to see how it turns out.

What I found most interesting though, was his reason for needing new blue shirts. It turns out his custom made Riva fabric shirts are wearing out after 20 or so laundering cycles. A few pages in Foo describes how he washes his shirts at home after each and every wear. Though I won’t get into my opinion about washing clothes every time you wear them, I think this is a personal decision and based on many factors. (i.e. do you sweat a lot, do you wear an undershirt, etc).

When my shirts need laundering though, here’s what I do. First, find a dry cleaner that launders shirts. You really shouldn’t “dry clean” shirts or any clothing for that mater unless the label specifically states to do so. To clarify, you should have the cleaners launder your shirts, and then press them, no starch. Ideally if you can find someone who hand irons that would be best. Now, after every once or twice to the cleaners I wash them at home, on the delicate cycle of my front loading washing machine and let them air dry. No shoving in the dryer, this is where most damage is done to clothing. And then iron them myself.

I think this is a skill a lot of guys don’t have, something like learning to shine your own shoes WELL. I’m fortunate (or unfortunate as it were) that my mother hated ironing and interestingly, I married a woman who despises it equally. So I’m left to my own devices. One of the reasons I chose to wash at home is, it give me the chance to really look at my shirt, to examine how it’s holding up and to appreciate the details of the shirt. Often this is when I can catch a loose button before losing it and tighten it up (another skill most guys don’t have a clue about - sewing on buttons).

Not everyone has the free time to do all their laundering at home, I know it’s tough for me. That is why I send my shirts to the cleaners, but every other time, it’s nice to slow down and take the time to admire what we wear. And isn’t that what #menswear is all about?

#Laundry

My sense of style

Over the course of 15 years or so, I've worked to develop my own sense of style. Not that I didn't have a recognizable style in college, the Gap was the only store in town and when you bought a sweater you'd see 20 other guys at school wearing the same thing. Not really a defined personal style, but I digress....

Once moving into the professional world I've had an internal battle raging. The battle between the desire for super nice, high quality things and not having the budget to sustain such purchases. It's taken me to time to figure out, but the way I manage it is to mesh high end, high quality, "focus" pieces in with low(er) cost fringe items. Originally that might mean trousers from the gap with nicer shoes, or a Banana Republic Suit with a custom shirt, J. Crew jeans with a killer designer coat. This also meant buying staple items on sale or in bulk to save for bigger priced items. The way I looked at it, and still do is, are people really going to notice these $20-on-sale pants, or will their eyes be drawn to these Ferragamos.

I think a lot of people might do this unintentionally, but for me it became "my thing". Not all of us have the endless income to purchase only bespoke clothing made for us by old italian men. And really who cares if you have on $100 underwear.

My point is, that you have to find what works well for you.

#personal style

Pocket Square Perfection

The other day Die, Workwear did a post on what he calls “the most intelligently designed square ever invented”. (you can read it here) While I can’t disagree with his assumption, Rubinacci squares are things of beauty. Paying $125 for a foot & half of silk, may seem a little much for most people. (Although I totally buy into the idea of pocket square = art and would accept this Rubinacci square from A Suitable Wardrobe as a gift wholeheartedly.)

But what do you do if you’re looking for a pocket square on a budget and love the versatility of the Rubinacci? Luckily for me, I found the one above at vintage shop for $5. As far as being versatile, this square is the workhorse of my meager collection. Were I to wear a dark suit with a red tie I would swing the square around so the red corner pops up and stuff it in. The size and volume really look great and because you’ll most likely get a little of the surrounding color showing as well, it doesn’t look cheap.

As I did a little research I couldn’t find much about the company Ashear, but I did find that these types of pocket squares are readily available on eBay and Broke and Bespoke has come across them with some regularity in his thrifting adventures.

So if you are looking for a versatile pocket square you can go on the hunt for a vintage one like above or go out and get the unquestionably beautiful Rubinacci Victory. While your at it, don’t forget I like the one of Naples titled “Mediterraneo”. I’m just sayin’….

#pocket square #rubinacci #ashear

Spring Kit

After yesterday’s dark and somber vibe. I needed a little jolt of spring. And with temps in the mid 70s, this just felt right.

Today’s kit:

Pants: Penny Stock, Spring Clean Pant

Shirt: Brooks Brothers, Extra Slim Fit, Ainsley Collar

Tie: Brooks Brothers, Madras

Belt: Will Leather Goods

Shoes: Alden, Cordovan Long Wing Blucher in Whiskey

#WIWT #alden #brooks brothers #pennystock

Custom Shirts: Taylor Stitch

There's a lot of digital ink spilled lately about the endless number of Made-to-Measure shirt options out there today. Just about every menswear blogger has thrown their hat into the ring to give their opinion why one is better than the other. Though there are any number of ways to go, with the whole custom shirt / MTM option, the reasoning behind it is simple. Shirts made specifically for you and your body are just going to fit better. For me specifically, though I'm average height for an American male (5'10"), I think my arms might be a little less than average. (Either that or I like my shirts to fit correctly and most off the rack shirts are too long) So custom just makes better since.

Once you've jumped into the custom shirt arena the choices are numerous, but they seem to boil down to two camps, On-line Shirt Makers or In-person Shirt Makers. From there the question is "where exactly are the shirts made?" From the general research I've done, and I don't claim to be all knowing, quite a few web based shirt makers have construction facilities in Asia. While nowadays this tells you less about the quality of construction as it has in the past, it is still an important point for most consumers.

When I have my shirts made I choose Taylor Stitch. Based out of San Francisco, the guys that run this company are young and energetic, and seem to have a real passion for creating a great product. I would say most of their design esthetic leans to the casual side of Business/Casual, at least for the OTR items. The bottom line is they know how to cut a shirt, have some great fabric options, and something that was important to me - they make the shirts locally, here in the bay area.

The shirts that I have made by them are great and I'd highly recommend them. The quality and fit is about as good as it gets (at least in my closet). I was measured in person, so the fit is spot on. Sleeve length is dead on, down to the adjustment made to accommodate my watch on the right (opposite of most people). Though if cost is a concern, they are not inexpensive, especially when compared to some of the on-line options.

For my first two custom shirts I chose a red and blue gingham both Japanese cotton, it's a little heavier in weight then some Italian cotton shirts I own, but it's still soft. I had them made with a medium spread collar (what they call "The English) about as extreme as I get with my round head. Single button rounded cuffs, rounded breast pocket and pleated plackets. They have options for buttons and I chose Pearl. One of the most important customization options though. And something I don't see discussed much, is the total length of the shirt. It's probably the option that I discussed most with the guys at TS. I wanted my shirts to hit at what I call the "sweet spot". Long enough to tuck in and not come untucked throughout the day, but short enough not to look ridiculous when going casual and leaving them untucked over jeans or under a sweater. And to this point they're perfect.

The bottom line is, I love my TS shirts. If I were to make one comment I would say that it would be nice to get some further fabric options (e.i. Thomas Mason). But this maybe a response to the fact that I've now had almost half a dozen shirts made and am looking for add'l options. But as far as fit, design options, and construction, not to mention knowing your shirt is made locally, you can't go wrong with Taylor Stitch.

P.S. As of this morning Tailor Stitch has added a bunch of new shirts to their online custom shirt ordering site. If you've been measured by them before in person, you can order and customize the shirts right on the sight. As of now they have about 12 shirt patterns (including the blue gingham like mine above), but I'm told they'll be adding more in the future. Check them out at:

http://taylorstitch.com/collections/custom

#taylorstitch #custom shirts

Watch what you say...

Write a post about not wearing black shoes and what happens....Funeral.

Anyhow, in case you were wondering. They're Allen Edmonds, Park Avenue. I'll talk about these at a later date.

#wiwt #allen edmonds #shoes

Black Shoes?

One of the easiest sell jobs known to man, would be closing me on the idea that most men really don't need as many black shoes. I'd totally buy it. I think guys rely too heavily on black as their go-to shoe. (Don't get me started on the black rubber soled quasi-dress shoe)

Black shoes, like black suits, are by nature conservative. They're best suited for formal occasions and those of a somber nature. I don't think they work well in work or other semi-formal/work-casual situations or in the daytime in general. (I'm looking at you dude in the Tommy Bahama shirt)

With so many shades and textures available, Brown and it's bashful cousin Burgundy, are the best choice in my opinion. In the light of day, the color of brown is so much more vibrant and alive. It's color and texture are warm and approachable. There's no point in trying to tell me otherwise.

Okay, okay...I'll give you that in a stylish man's shoe collection there should be a black shoe, you need just one. It can be a plain or cap-toed, leather soled shoe, shined to perfection. You'll need it for your great aunts funeral, or for that late night dinner with the love of your life or to moonwalk on the dance floor at your god-daughter's wedding. Any other time though, brown is the way to go.

#personal style #shoes

Today’s kit:

Suit: Brooks Brothers

Shirt: Kiton, Thrifted

Tie: Kiton, definitely not thrifted

Not Seen

Belt: Will Leather Goods

Shoes: Allen Edmonds, Evanston.

#WIWT #brooks brothers #kiton

abitofcolor

What An Antiqued Look On Your Shoes? - Check out this link to The Hanger Project http://www.hangerproject.com/closet/shoe-care-guide/shoe-antiquing-the-new-old.html

learnednotinherited-blog

Highly recommended way to antique (or add life) to your shoes.

Recipie For Disater - Good Shoes & Kids

As far back as I can remember I've been concerned about keeping my shoes looking their best. I can remember in the 4th grade, when after stacking up months of allowance, I got my first pair of Jordans. They were mostly white and I got pissed when someone stepped on my toes.

When I first started to invest in better quality dress shoes, I always got sucked into spending more money to buy the exact shade of polish. I needed it right! I've learned a little since then and no longer get up-sold so readily. Besides, I now have 20+ shades of shoe polish in my kit, I think I'm good now.

Over the years and as I've thrown down increasingly higher amounts of coin on shoes, my concerns have grown accordingly. This runs at odds to the fact that having and keeping things nice is difficult with kids. It's an ongoing battle really. I'm not sure I've come up with anything to advance my cause. No lessons learned here. I just thought I'd let you know....in case you cared.

Though, now I know why Mr. Rogers always changed his shoes to chat with the kids. He didn't want them scuffing up his good Aldens.

Rainy Day Shoes

Here in Silicon Valley, we're entering the season of spring showers. Though we may be nowhere near the levels of precipitation others receive (i.e. Pacific Northwest or East Coast), I think it's wise to be prepared. Leather shoes are beautiful things, and though the statement that "cows get rained on" may be true, tanned leather is a different beast and does not take kindly to torrential downpours. So what do you wear?

Though there are a few rules on rainy day wear, the general consensus is that leather bottom shoes are not the best option. With regards to uppers (the upper portion of the shoe), you'll find varying opinions. Some say cordovan is the best, others disagree. For a more thorough look, Derek over at Die Workwear did a great post a few years ago about this exact subject.

Here's what I find works best for me. Depending on what I'm wearing the three shoes above coordinate with most of the options in my wardrobe.

1. Vintage, Black Alpine Grain, Plain Toe Blucher by LB Sheppard - Hanover. I had the leather soles changed out to Dainite and are now good as new. Best for rainy nights or when I'm in a dreary funeral scene from a movie.

2. Kudu Leather Chukka by Alden - Shoe has a rubber lugged sole and the Kudu leather handles wet weather beautifully. ...whatever Kudu is.

3. Cordovan #8 Chukka by Alden - The upper echelon of rainy day dress shoes, though they have a leather sole so I tend to wear them when I know I'll be inside most the day.

This is by no mean my only options on wet weather days, and I'm sure others might have different thoughts on the correct shoes to wear in inclement weather. But for now, these work well for me.

Belts of a certain quality...

A few months back I read an article by Broke And Bespoke about his belt collection. In it he spoke about his thoughts on the current state of #menswear and his feelings on purchasing things that "...continue to look beautiful as they age". If you follow any number of menswear blogs you'll hear people go on and on about their ideas about buying things that last. About spending more money on quality up front and you won't have to replace it year after year. I would add, nowhere is this more apparent than in leather goods, specifically belts. The great thing about belts though is, great quality can also be affordable and last a lifetime.

It seems that, and I may be over generalizing, most guys don't put much thought into belts. They stock up on the basic colors, black, brown & burgundy and replace them when they start cracking due to the cheap leather or their partners tell them it's time for a new one. I say skip buying belts at the mall and invest in a good quality belt, it's not as much investment (in $$$) as you might think.

Like Broke&Bespoke, I feel the bulk of anyone's belt collection should be in bridle leathers. They're great looking, age beautifully and have been time tested. If it's good enough to hold a saddle to a horse, you can be sure, it's good enough to hold your pants up. His belts came from Narragensett Leathers, mine although extremely similar, came from Orvis (the top two in the picture above), both of which can be had for under $60. I haven't had a chance to wear, much less hold the belts from Narraganset. But if I were to recommend one, and if you have time to wait for production/delivery, I'd go the Narraganset route. Based on what I've seen the interwebs, the leather appears slightly better and the edge detail is little nicer to my eye. Though in the end both are great belts and will serve you well. I've had my Farrier belts more that 8 years now and they continue to look great.

#belts #personal style

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