Basic style tips

[MattHarris]

Hello,
Apologies if these questions sound very basic I am looking for some answers to help improve my style to these questions:

1. What should you wear under/with different types of sweater/jumper?
2. What should you wear under a hoodie?
3. Is it ok to have wear a print or graphic T-shirt under a hoodie or sweater or should it preferably be plain?
4. Would it ever be ok to wear a vest/undershirt under a T-shirt?

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Hello,
Apologies if these questions sound very basic I am looking for some answers to help improve my style to these questions:

1. What should you wear under/with different types of sweater/jumper?
2. What should you wear under a hoodie?
3. Is it ok to have wear a print or graphic T-shirt under a hoodie or sweater or should it preferably be plain?
4. Would it ever be ok to wear a vest/undershirt under a T-shirt?

1) I typically wear a collared shirt, preferably a button down collar.

2). The same though I’m not a hoodie person

3) why would it matter if it’s worn under?

4) WTF?

 

[adrianvo]

Hello,
Apologies if these questions sound very basic I am looking for some answers to help improve my style to these questions:

1. What should you wear under/with different types of sweater/jumper?
2. What should you wear under a hoodie?
3. Is it ok to have wear a print or graphic T-shirt under a hoodie or sweater or should it preferably be plain?
4. Would it ever be ok to wear a vest/undershirt under a T-shirt?

1. A striped cotton shirt.
2. I wouldn't wear a hoodie.
3. (IMO) It's not okay to wear graphic t-shirts if you've graduated high school.
4. ...

4) WTF?

 

[dieworkwear]

Hello,
Apologies if these questions sound very basic I am looking for some answers to help improve my style to these questions:

1. What should you wear under/with different types of sweater/jumper?
2. What should you wear under a hoodie?
3. Is it ok to have wear a print or graphic T-shirt under a hoodie or sweater or should it preferably be plain?
4. Would it ever be ok to wear a vest/undershirt under a T-shirt?

1. Depending on the outfit, you can wear either a t-shirt or a collared shirt. Some outfits look better with one or the other. If you're in a very casual outfit, I would do a t-shirt underneath. Sometimes it's better to choose one where the t-shirt doesn't show. If you're going for a dressier look, then you can do a collared shirt.

2. A t-shirt.

3. It doesn't matter much if it shows. But if the graphic underneath shows, like it would on a very thin cream-colored knit, then you should do a plain t-shirt.

4. No.

 

[Turboks]

I will add couple of my questions as well.

1. Can you pair plaid chinos with plaid blazer if they are not part of the same suit?
2. Is the last button on blazer always unbuttoned?
3. Do shoes need to match color of the belt while wearing a suit or a more classy outfit?
4. Is it okay to wear silver and gold watches with any suit?
5. Are dress shirt cuffs still used and is their only purpose to replace the button and look better?

 

[dieworkwear]

I will add couple of my questions as well.

1. Can you pair plaid chinos with plaid blazer if they are not part of the same suit?
2. Is the last button on blazer always unbuttoned?
3. Do shoes need to match color of the belt while wearing a suit or a more classy outfit?
4. Is it okay to wear silver and gold watches with any suit?
5. Are dress shirt cuffs still used and is their only purpose to replace the button and look better?

1. Only if you're a dandy

2. Yes

3. Doesn't have to be exactly, but yes. Should be in the ballpark.

4. Yes. Some say that watches shouldn't be worn with dinner suits, but I think this is anachronistic.

5. Do you mean cufflinks? Cufflinks go on French cuff shirts, which is a more formal cuff finishing than a barrel cuff. They are meant to be worn in dressy outfits, like suits, if you wish to.

 

[johng70]

I will add couple of my questions as well.

1. Can you pair plaid chinos with plaid blazer if they are not part of the same suit?
2. Is the last button on blazer always unbuttoned?
3. Do shoes need to match color of the belt while wearing a suit or a more classy outfit?
4. Is it okay to wear silver and gold watches with any suit?
5. Are dress shirt cuffs still used and is their only purpose to replace the button and look better?

1. Pairing 2 plaids is a very dangerous game - you generally want a bold pattern in only one aspect - having 2 bold but different patterns rarely looks good IMO
2. Yes
3. I would say they need to be close but don't have to be an exact matching shade
4. You can wear stainless or gold, IMO, but what is more important is the size of the watch - a 300m dive watch with a suit looks a bit too bulky. I think it also depends on whether you are styling your suit to be reserved (funeral or formal function) or fun. The more reserved you are styling the more your watch should be understated and not flashy.
5. Yes - i wear them and I know others who do. I'm not aware of a practical purpose for cuffs, it's a style choice

 

[BPL Esq]

Re: watches with suits (more specifically, dinner jacket) - I always thought there was something romantic about the idea of a gentleman not wearing a watch in these circumstances, as if to say to his guests or host(ess) that he is there for them, has no plan to cut things short to be elsewhere, and therefore isn't concerned with the time.

I don't presently own a watch. When I do, I think I'll stick to that mindset.

 

[Turboks]

Thank you for answering my questions. I hope you do not mind if I ask more questions that interest me.

1. Is it okay to wear moccasins (loafers) without socks?
2. How do you keep your shirt tucked in for a whole day (Tell me some tips)?
3. Since I always carry a lot of items with me (phone, wallet, cigarettes, glasses), I carry a bag. I was thinking of switching from shoulder bag to carry bag. I own this Tommy Hilfiger bag and I want to purchase something like this one on the other photo. What do you think?

 

[johng70]

Answers:
1. Yes, you can wear mocasins and loafers without socks
2. No great tips - back in ROTC a few decades ago I wore shirt garters which attach shirt to socks but they leave crease marks in the pants when you sit so I wouldn't recommend.
3. Sorry I cannot get on board with any type of man purse. Carrying some type of bag to/from the office is one thing - but taking the bag with you everywhere? Not a fan - especially not anything like the 2nd picture. Just my opinion though

 

[dieworkwear]

Thank you for answering my questions. I hope you do not mind if I ask more questions that interest me.

1. Is it okay to wear moccasins (loafers) without socks?
2. How do you keep your shirt tucked in for a whole day (Tell me some tips)?
3. Since I always carry a lot of items with me (phone, wallet, cigarettes, glasses), I carry a bag. I was thinking of switching from shoulder bag to carry bag. I own this Tommy Hilfiger bag and I want to purchase something like this one on the other photo. What do you think?
View attachment 1615160 View attachment 1615161

1. Yes

2. Some shirts are meant to be tucked, while others are not. Get shirts with longer shirt tails and they will stay tucked.

3. The bag in your first photo is called a portfolio, or sometimes shortened to "folio." I use them all the time. They're lighter than a briefcase and better if you're only carrying a small number of items. Not much to say about them except they're functional.

I have about a dozen of them.

 

[breakaway01]

Thank you for answering my questions. I hope you do not mind if I ask more questions that interest me.

1. Is it okay to wear moccasins (loafers) without socks?
2. How do you keep your shirt tucked in for a whole day (Tell me some tips)?
3. Since I always carry a lot of items with me (phone, wallet, cigarettes, glasses), I carry a bag. I was thinking of switching from shoulder bag to carry bag. I own this Tommy Hilfiger bag and I want to purchase something like this one on the other photo. What do you think?

1. Yes, okay, though I personally prefer no-show socks as those feel more comfortable to me (and arguably more hygenic?)
2. Second DWW's comment that it's important for your shirt to be long enough. Shirts that are too short in the body easily come untucked.
3. I'd also consider a sling or cross-body bag. I don't use one myself, but I don't think that bags or folios that require one hand to hold are very practical for everyday use.

 

[BespokeBrooklyn]

I usually wear Oxford cloth button-downs under crew neck sweaters. If I am wearing a cardigan in a casual context, I will often wear a henley underneath it — I find that the placket breaks up what would otherwise be a plain swath of shirt. On the rare occasions on which I wear a sweater without a collared shirt underneath, I prefer a henley from some sort of textured material, such as slub cotton, to a plain t-shirt, because if the sweater gets too warm I would rather have a shirt that stands on its own underneath it than something that would look more like a base layer.

Hello,
Apologies if these questions sound very basic I am looking for some answers to help improve my style to these questions:

1. What should you wear under/with different types of sweater/jumper?
2. What should you wear under a hoodie?
3. Is it ok to have wear a print or graphic T-shirt under a hoodie or sweater or should it preferably be plain?
4. Would it ever be ok to wear a vest/undershirt under a T-shirt?

 

[Duke Santos]

3. Doesn't have to be exactly, but yes. Should be in the ballpark.

How do you feel about scotch/country grain shoes. Should the belt also be grain or is ball-parking the color enough?

 

[dieworkwear]

How do you feel about scotch/country grain shoes. Should the belt also be grain or is ball-parking the color enough?

Matching belt/shoe is a general rule and doesn't have to be adhered to as a strict standard. Sometimes things can look overly fussy and paint-by-numbers when things match too closely.

Personally, I would be fine wearing a suede belt to match country grain, so long as the two are roughly the same color.

I once interviewed Mark at The Armoury and mentioned to him that I've noticed he wears this woven suede o-ring belt a lot (pictured below). He says he likes it because the woven suede goes with everything -- calf, suede, and country grained shoes in a similar color. That can be a solution. The belt is from Andersons.