Going Ivy with White Socks

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One of the many #menswear sins that people like to spout out is to never wear brown shoes with a black suit.  It causes repulsion in some, conniptions in others, and a shunning glance to all.  Even so, there is one sin that is far worse than even that: wearing white socks with dress shoes.  In fact, I haven’t seen too much of it since the 1990s thanks to multiple #menswear bloggers and vloggers who aim to stamp out this inglorious affectation.   However there’s something intriguing about pairing white socks with formal clothing that has been calling out to me.  This practice started in the 1950s and 1960s, and while I take a lot of my cues from the 30s, it’s time we look somewhere else for inspiration.

Update 8/31/18:  Okay so I reference this article a lot, but I do white socks for a lot more than just sartorial stuff. Go figure.

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The Return of Drop-Loop Trousers?

Pleats and high waist pants are finally coming back into the minds of everyday people, being present at Pitti Uomo and other sartorial gatherings. Fashion isn’t always new, with discerning gentlemen always looking toward the golden age of menswear (1930-1960) for inspiration to their latest suits. B&Tailor has started offering a certain style of trouser that instantly screams 1940-1955: the drop loop pant.

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Tailored Casual with the Tucked-in Short Sleeve Shirt

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If you can’t already tell, I really document my casual outfits.  At one end, I typically dress down a suit or blazer with a polo shirt.  For the other side of the spectrum, I go full 1990’s inspired, with a faded sweater and some jeans and sneakers.  For this article, I decided to delve more into into an outfit that is more “casually tailored”, a term frequented by style bloggers like Dan Trepanier.  My version looks toward the cool summer/vacation styles of the 1930s-1950s, where tucked in shortsleeves were all the rage.  It’s perfect for summer, since you’re probably looking to leave your long-sleeve shirts at home.

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The Armoury for Less: Jake Grantham

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We’ve been looking at The Armoury for a long time now, with a majority of my outfits focusing on recreating ones by Dick Carroll.  As a result, it has been ivy focused, with repp stripes and oxford shirts.  For this article, I’m going to be recreating one of my favorite outfits of all time, worn by one of the first Armourers:  Jake Grantham.

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Dapper Day x LACMA: Jazz and Vintage/Modern Menswear

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It’s not everyday that that you get an email inviting you to be a host of an event. Imagine my surprise when Justin Jorgensen, creator and mastermind behind Dapper Day at Disneyland, invited me to be one for their collaboration with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The event revolved around two things: “Jazz at LACMA” (their weekly summer concert) and their latest exhibit, “Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715-2015”.  It was Dapper Day x LACMA.

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