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 They like to cite quality concerns, fit issues, and an overall outdated or boxy look look that is made worse by the “overpriced yet crazy discount”model that the company operates with.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!
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.
The Armoury has always been a deep source of inspiration for my outfits, due to their “international classic” aesthetic and their stylish staff. We’ve already replicated outfits from Dick Carroll’s ivy-trad style and Jake Grantham‘s 1980’s redeux, but now it’s time to look to Mark Cho, one of the founders of the Armoury.
This past weekend, I decided to challenge my self and wear a Double Breasted jacket every day. Most guys don’t like to wear double breasted suits and blazers since they think it’s too old school or it never fits right. Well, I’m here to prove you wrong; the double breasted jacket is awesome and is a definite great addition to your sartorial wardrobe. To add to the fun, I also decided to take the opportunity and craft outfits for three of my favorite styles!
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.
Just look at those pleats, courtesy of Permanent Style. If you show this to any mainstream fashion guy, he’d recoil immediately. Flat-front pants have been the way to go for the past few years. Favoring the clean look, the mainstream #menswear community has renounced all ties to the dreadful 1990s business look. But classic enthusiasts in the community have always favored pleats and have still had them in their trousers without looking terrible! Here, we look at the brief history of pleats and how they have evolved through menswear. Hopefully you’ll agree that pleats are, and always have been, cool.
Nothing is more classic than the colors of blue, grey, and brown. They are staples that every man should have in his closet, whether they take form as a suit, sportcoat, pants, or even ties! This article recreates an outfit from the Armoury (and Brycelands Co) utilizing these classic colors. The fact that my outfit costs $300 while the other costs $3,000 is an added bonus.
I’ll admit that sneakers weren’t always my thing. At first, I looked down upon sneakers as a plebian shoe, only meant for people who couldn’t handle suits and dressy clothes. Then I matured and learned through GQ and MFA that sneakers are actually very versatile and can work with a lot of different outfits. My first real foray into the sneaker world was the Nike killshot. For my second sneaker purchase, I went back to J. Crew and got their Onitsuka Tiger in navy blue suede. At $50 bucks, it’s my new favourite sneaker.
A short article, featuring my own version of a classic summer look by Aussie Armoury shop manager and illustrator, Richard Caroll.
a little bit of rest 