Ask A Question, Get An Answer... - Post All Quick Questions Here (Classic menswear)

[E TF]



Thanks everyone for the input. What is the bare minimum to be lengthened for this jacket?

I like the length as it is, but you could try asking in the tailors thread for professional opinions.

 

[clarksdb]

I am looking for a pair of sleek boots. They will mostly be worn with jeans but also want them to be a bit versitile that they can go with chinos and wool slacks.

Keyword is SLEEK. Don't want anything that make my feet look fat.

My budget is $100-200. Looked at the marketplace here but could not find anything. Is that my best bet? Any other options?

 

[BrooksLauren77]

I am looking for a pair of sleek boots. They will mostly be worn with jeans but also want them to be a bit versitile that they can go with chinos and wool slacks.

Keyword is SLEEK. Don't want anything that make my feet look fat.

My budget is $100-200. Looked at the marketplace here but could not find anything. Is that my best bet? Any other options?

What style are you looking for? Jack Erwin has calfskin blake stitched chelsea boots for $210 and wingtip derby boots for $220; goodyear welted. If you can stretch your budget to 350, RM Williams will make you a screwed sole chelsea boot; very little if any sole protuding from the boot.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/362850/durable-modern-luxury-leather-chelsea
Post #4.

In the 350 range, Loding has sleek boots; chelsea, chukkas and jodhpurs among those.

 

[clarksdb]



What style are you looking for? Jack Erwin has calfskin blake stitched chelsea boots for $210 and wingtip derby boots for $220; goodyear welted. If you can stretch your budget to 350, RM Williams will make you a screwed sole chelsea boot; very little if any sole protuding from the boot.

http://www.styleforum.net/t/362850/durable-modern-luxury-leather-chelsea
Post #4.

In the 350 range, Loding has sleek boots; chelsea, chukkas and jodhpurs among those.

I'm looking at wingtip or cap toe boots. Don't personally like chelsea style boots.

The $220 Jack Erwin wingtip boot looks pretty good. Do they go on sale and where are they made? Quality is on par compared to Allen Edmonds? They seem more sleek than Allen Edmonds Dalton?

 

[ImTheGroom]

I bought a navy blazer from Spier and Mackay. One of my female colleagues today said I looked nice in it but that it didn't look enough like a blazer to her. I suspect it's because the buttons aren't metal. I'm looking for some opinions on which of the following two buttons would look better with the blazer:

http://www.britexfabrics.com/button...antique-silver-blazer-button-made-in-usa.html
http://www.britexfabrics.com/buttons/blazer/fouled-anchor-silver-blazer-button.html

Or if there's another one that you have in mind that's close to the price, please feel free to mention it.

Here's the blazer (sorry for the bad lighting):

Given that this shows up as charcoal on my screen, I'm assuming it is a dark navy, pushing midnight? Do you want brass, or pewter? Do you want something less flashy? What buttons are on it now? If you prefer to be more subtle, bronze buttons with lots of petina might suits you. Or you could do something enameled, that would not pop as much. The darker, and more matte, obviously the less they'll stand out. I have just bought a nearly midnight DB that has gorgeous bronze coloured buttons on it, and it looks smashing.

The standard flap pockets may also be part of what she thinks makes it look more like a suit's jacket. Patch pockets are more common on a blazer, I believe, but flaps are certainly not unusual, unorthodox, or unacceptable.

Of the two you posted, I like the eagle buttons, assuming you're American. I wouldn't put them on one of mine, as I'm Canadian. I'm of English descent so I have Three Lions buttons on one blazer, and a set of St. George & The Dragon buttons that never ended up on a blazer yet (that's a long, funny story), and the one I just picked up seems to have the crest of the Prince of Wales on the buttons, which I absolutely love! Oddly, I would happily wear the Eagle buttons if I found them on a blazer already, but would find it inappropriate to put them on a blazer, specially. If you do not share my hang-ups about national symbols, and don't think anyone else would care, go for the Eagle buttons.

You can order solid brass buttons (as I have in the past) from a handful of places on Savile Row. My Three Lions and St. George buttons came from there, and buttons with initials, etc., were available, as well as many other classic designs.

 

[BrooksLauren77]

I'm looking at wingtip or cap toe boots. Don't personally like chelsea style boots.

The $220 Jack Erwin wingtip boot looks pretty good. Do they go on sale and where are they made? Quality is on par compared to Allen Edmonds? They seem more sleek than Allen Edmonds Dalton?

I believe the Jack Erwin boots are made in Portugal, but they don't go on sale to my knowledge. From what I've read, the quality is comparable to Meermin Mallorca shoes. The Fine Young Gentleman has a good review on a pair of oxfords.I would say the Dalton is sleeker buy only somewhat.

http://www.thefineyounggentleman.com/shoes/jack-erwin-shoe-review/

You could also check out Meermin Mallorca, but potential duties and customs would blow your budget way over.

 

[coohand]

Any idea how to fix a brown shoe that the leather has been burned? It's my own fault, I did it. I am thinking of using a lighter shade to buff out the spot, I use cordovan on the rest of the shoe.

 

[ter1413]



Any idea how to fix a brown shoe that the leather has been burned? It's my own fault, I did it. I am thinking of using a lighter shade to buff out the spot, I use cordovan on the rest of the shoe.

Didn't you ask this? Post flicks...

 

[coohand]

 

[BrooksLauren77]

Jaysus, take it a cobbler and see what he/she has to say.

 

[CruzAzul]

 

[Andrew Ryan]

Anyone have an opinion on mixing (white) royal oxford cloth shirts with heavily textured sport coats and jeans?

When I'm doing what I like to think of as louche casual (going out for drinks, dates, &c.), I do blue, grey, and blue/grey SC's, all heavily textured but essentially solid (linen, incl. tan in S/S) with solid white (mostly twill) tall-banded two button spread collars worn open, white linen square, and jeans. Usually topped off with MoP cufflinks and Gucci loafers, to boot... it's my preferred mix of 'high-low' - formal elements done, again, in a kind of louche casual style. I'm strongly considering replacing my white twill shirts for this look with royal oxfords, thinking it would a) add some nice more pronounced texture to the simple white, and b) also have that kind of formal element mixed with casual, coherent with the look I do in these situations. When I'm doing full on casual I swap the twills for standard white OCBDs with barrel cuffs, and the Gucci's for regular penny loafers.

With these considerations in mind, could royal oxford work with this look, or is it simply too suit-y?

This question might be better suited to the SW&D side, but I pretty much stick to this side of the forum so, yeah...

 

[mimo]

Five points to make you better:*

- Denim is Satan's cloth, so wear jeans by all means, just make them white or coloured but never the indigo/cowboy variety. Otherwise, back to SWD with you and be damned.

- Royal Oxford spread collar does sound too dressy; go for a button-down, which would work regardless of cloth almost

- Cufflinks are pushing it

- Try a pattern or two in the jacket

- I hate Gucci loafers, try a country brogue or Norwegian




*But I am a reactionary old ******.

 

[Isolation]

Twills have more texture than royal oxford, do they not?

I don't really like gucci loafers by association, but I don't think they are objectively unpleasing. I think what you're suggesting is fine, but I feel like something like oxford or linen if you're going to wear a white shirt is better. I like white shirts with denim but you have to really make it not dressy either via texture or other pieces, and if you're wearing a jacket I think texture would be the way to go, and not cufflinks especially. I think generally speaking the kind of shirt you want in this ensemble are the non french cuff ones anyway.

 

[Andrew Ryan]

Twills have more texture than royal oxford, do they not?

I don't really like gucci loafers by association, but I don't think they are objectively unpleasing. I think what you're suggesting is fine, but I feel like something like oxford or linen if you're going to wear a white shirt is better. I like white shirts with denim but you have to really make it not dressy either via texture or other pieces, and if you're wearing a jacket I think texture would be the way to go, and not cufflinks especially. I think generally speaking the kind of shirt you want in this ensemble are the non french cuff ones anyway.

Some certainly do, but I only own (and prefer) fine twills, which aren't really noticeable texture wise except up close (but sufficiently hefty and opaque, which is my main concern with white shirts). I actually have a batch of MTM white regular oxfords in the same configuration I described due in this week, both with and without french cuffs, as I wanted to experiment with those as well - perhaps that's what I'll end up settling with.

My thing with french cuffs is two fold: a) I just like them, after wearing them for years in my suit days, and would have zero opportunity to wear them anymore (or any of my cufflink collection) if I didn't throw them into a non-work look, and b) I sort of think they go well with the Gucci's (which are all classic or 1953 models, I might add, nothing too garish); laid back but with a bit of flash. I do go barrel cuff when I feel the situation demands it, but try and avoid it as much as possible for primarily reason a).

I've tried pure linen shirts in the summer and although I'm mostly okay with the wrinkling, they're just no opaque enough. Going to experiment with some linen blend fabrics next year.

- Denim is Satan's cloth, so wear jeans by all means, just make them white or coloured but never the indigo/cowboy variety. Otherwise, back to SWD with you and be damned.

- Royal Oxford spread collar does sound too dressy; go for a button-down, which would work regardless of cloth almost

- Cufflinks are pushing it

- Try a pattern or two in the jacket

- I hate Gucci loafers, try a country brogue or Norwegian

I primarily wear mid-light grey denim, khaki/stone denim in summer, and dark indigo denim only with my light grey cashmere SC and a navy/white houndstooth SC that basically reads as a grey. I hear you on them being 'Satan's cloth' - I far prefer regular trousers and would never give them up - but I find that wearing anything other than denim of some type at a lot of non-work related social functions puts you in a situation that I'd rather avoid (used to try and fight it, gave in). Also, the wimmenz seem to really like the SC + denim thing.

My collar is a custom spread that purposefully frames my face well. I get your point on dressiness, but I prefer it over button downs when I'm wearing a jacket. Royal oxford might be too much in combination with the other elements though, point taken.

I know cufflinks are 'pushing it' - which is exactly why I like them in this circumstance. See also above point a).

Hate patterend jackets (blame my years of suit wear, I guess), esp. with solid white shirts. Small-scale houndstooth is as crazy as I get.

Hate non-loafer shoes with jeans.

Tastes differ, &c.