Q&A: How to Wear a Black Jacket
It’s time to answer another question from a reader! We’re going to look at how to pull off an orphaned black jacket. It’s pretty tricky, but it can be done!
It’s time to answer another question from a reader! We’re going to look at how to pull off an orphaned black jacket. It’s pretty tricky, but it can be done!

I am a big fan of vintage clothing. They’re filled with so much character that you just can’t find today! Unless you go bespoke or completely custom, there’s no way you’re going to get specific lapels, particular cuts/designs, or even cool fabric. Vintage is a staple of my wardrobe and I am always on the lookout for something cool to add into my rotation! Outerwear and sweaters in particular are a great way to add some vintage pizzaz into your own outfits. A few articles ago we talked about the vintage M-43 field jacket and the Fair Isle Sweater vest. This time we’re going to look at a vintage Cowichan sweater.

There a bunch of places that I look to for inspiration. If you haven’t noticed, most are taken from the social media profiles of my favorite tailors and haberdashers. This time we look at one of the oldest places men got their style inspiration from: fashion illustrations.
Drake’s London is one of my favorite RTW companies that I’ve discovered during the course of my blogging. I think I’ve mentioned it many times (here especially), but their ties are probably the closest I’ve seen to 1930’s style ones especially due to the fact that they are usually untipped with handrolled edges. Overall, I’ve been a fan of the Drake’s style and I decided to dress in their style for this blog post! Not every brand (or blog) can advocate these three pieces to be worn together: a sportcoat, denim, and a sweater vest.

We love to wear sportcoats. Suits definitely have their place, but we typically like to wear odd jackets and odd trousers just for the sake of being able to combine different colors and patterns. As most people know, the most versatile sportcoat is the navy one; it’s used as a grounding device to play with other pieces. Numerous fashion blogs talk about the navy blazer, but we’re different. We like classic clothes, but that doesn’t mean boring! Instead of the expected #menswear spiel , we’re going to show you some cool NON-NAVY sportcoats that happen to feature one of our favorite details: patch pockets.

There are a lot of controversial things that this blog advocates. Spear point collars, collar bars, high rise trousers, and white socks are just a few of those pieces! Whether you wear these things together or incorporate one, you end up with a cool vintage look that sets your sartorial game apart from everyone else. Now it’s time to talk about another addition to “Ethan’s Favorite Things”: the fair isle sweater vest.

For the past 3 years, I’ve worn a tuxedo on New Years. I’d like to say that December 31, 2016 was no different, but the truth is that I’m wearing a sweater and jeans as I write this. However, I was able to wear my black tie ensemble to a NYE Eve (December 30th) party at the Cicada Club in Downtown Los Angeles! There was dancing, drinks, and a myriad of well dressed people ranging from vintage enthusiasts, swing dancers, and Hollywood types. Here’s what we wore to the event! You could also consider this a post on how to do black tie correctly!
The last time I went into downtown Los Angeles, I shot some new friends and wore some classic menswear, ranging from ivy style to a modern interpretation of 1930’s tailoring. However, I decided to change things up this time. I thought I would be fun to show more of our casual side, this time even more dressed down than our previous post on vintage casual. Our plans for the Broad didn’t work out, so we were able to explore and shoot next door at the wonderfully photogenic Walt Disney Concert Hall.
I know that we focus on tailoring a lot on this blog, but I think its time that we explore the seldom seen side of Golden Era Style: casual.