Basic Fashion Do's and Don'ts - Page 3

Not sure these are technically Rules, but how about:

- No sports watches with suits
- No watches worn outside the cuff

Some traditionalists frown on wearing sports watches with suits, but I don't think it was ever really a rule. Personally I'll wear whichever style of watches I'm in the mood for, although I'll try to match the face color to my ensemble in the case of a metal watch, and of course the strap color for a dress watch.

My opinion, and by no means is it definitive, is that dressing well is a balance between individual tastes and social context. Meaning that you're always trying to find a middle ground between personal whimsy and conformity.
Sometimes it is best to dress in a way that doesn't draw attention to one's self out of decorum or courtesy, other times it simply doesn't matter what other people think.
Therefore the trick to dressing well is understanding when it's appropriate to let yourself go with your personal taste and when you should play it safe and fit in.

Personally speaking, I'm impressed whenever I see a well dressed person with an inconspicuous sports watch on. To me it says that they value utility.

Keep reading the forums. Post some pictures of your outfits. Develop your own personal style.

thou shalt not believe what giorgio, miucci, louie, salvatore, tom, thom, hedi, and even ralph as what thy should wear.

Bollocks to both of those; French cuffs can be perfectly fine without a jacket of any kind. The second is just far to impractical. That would require at least two different wedding rings. At least 2 or 3 belts per color in order to get an adequate number of differnt buckles. Any number of dress and sports watches... And what do you do when you have a horror of horrors, two-tone anything?


Bollocks, monochrome can be a nice look. Assuming they match in color, not shade.

Sartorial rules generally have reasons for existing, whether aesthetic or practical. Then there are the social shibboleths and anachronisms.

Aesthetic rule: Make sure everything fits well and the colors don't clash. This requires some basic sense and assumes that you even care how you look in the first place. Some people don't.

Practical rule: Shirt cuffs should extend slightly beyond the suit jacket cuff. This ensures that your jacket cuffs don't get grimy with dirt from your bare wrist. You're going to launder your shirts far more often than you're going to get your jackets dry cleaned.

Social shibboleth: Visible logos, conspicuously chunky sports watches, and self-consciously fashion-forward clothes tell the world you're a peasant who's trying very hard to convince everybody you're "classy." To the sartorially knowledgeable, these things scream "insecurity."

Anachronism: The rule about not wearing a wrist watch with formal wear dates from the time the well-heeled used pocket watches. Pocket watches are now largely considered an affectation. If you can use a pocket watch without coming off as affected, you've honed your style to the point that you don't need to be asking about the rules on Style Forum.

Always wear alligator, croc, lizard, or stingray skins. Wear bright bold colors no matter the season. Style and profile and walk the aisle. Be FLAMBOYANT IT IS THE BEST CHOICE YOU WILL EVER MAKE.

Never wear a polo with a suit. Fullstop.

And..

Never ever buy a black double-breasted suit from a thrift shop. Or borrow one from your Dad

It looks horrible and cheap.

What if you find a Black db Kiton at a thrift shop?

I dont think there's anything inherently wrong with wearing a polo shirt with a suit. I admit it's far mor right after hours than it is "on the clock" But there are some industries where it pays to dress this way and it is detrimental to wear a tie, I mean if you want to get on. I admit that a washed out cheap polo shirt is a bad choice and an expensively made (good construction, hand finishing) one in a high count cotton, merino wool or even cashmere is a better choice. Make sure the collar is large and substantial enough to stay under your jacket collar.

Additionally, this is a look with a tradition, it isnt "just" contemporary.

This might be of interest to you:

http://www.filmnoirbuff.com/article/...-casual-attire


And as texas-jack said, what if the DB black suit is custom or from a sumptuous ready to wear manufacturer?

Excellent advice. I feel ashamed or uncomfortable each time I see a man wearing a decent suit and complementing it with one of those otherwise perfectly acceptable windbreakers.

Versace Silk Shirts are beautiful-wear them.

I think that the rule would be more correctly stated as no french cuffs without a tie. This rule is made to be broken, but it represents the general idea that french cuffs are more formal than barrel (at least in the US). If you're careful you can pull it off with a blazer and odd pants. My chosen means of breaking it while acknowledging the effect of the french cuff is to use silk knots when not wearing a tie--this brings down the formality of the total effect at least a little bit.

You should never wear a jacket in the office, with or without french cuffs. Only freaks do that, unless the heating is out of service.