The Levi’s 501 CT: High Rise Selvedge Denim

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Everyone knows that I’m a big proponent of high rise trousers.  They make you look slimmer and make your legs look longer; you can’t lose while wearing them!  However, you can’t wear trousers everyday.  Even I don’t do that.  There are days when I wear jeans, but I seldom wear them with tailored clothing (button ups, jackets, etc) due to the fact that most jeans out there have a super low rise.  I had tried on some vintage denim that had a high-rise but it was way out of price range. However Levis came through with the 501 CT line, which have become my go to jean.

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I Bought a Jos. A. Bank Suit

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People like to call out Jos A. Bank and Menswear House for making some of the worst suits out there.  They like to cite quality concerns, fit issues, and an overall outdated or boxy look look that is made worse by the “overpriced yet crazy discount”model that the company operates with.  Just look at some of their markdowns.  However, I absolutely pounced at the chance to buy one.  I did cheat though; it was on eBay!

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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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Q & A: Finding the Perfect Jacket Fit

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It’s time to start doing a new feature here on Street x Sprezza and that’s Q & As!  I know some of you have got some Q’s and I’ll try my best to supply the A’s.  This first one comes to me from Jacob, a reader who is concerned about finding a jacket that fits from eBay!  Since I buy a lot of my clothes online, I thought it best to tell him my process for buying these vintage pieces.  Here’s a hint: it’s all in the shoulders and length.

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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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