Where Does J.T. Shop??

Dear H,

How do you feel about the following clothing items for men:

 

1) Vests without suits

2) Those knit ties

3) Velvet/Corduroy blazers

4) Cardigans

 

I've been tempted to incorporate some of these items into my wardrobe, but I can't find any that work for me.   Any help?

 

Clueless in Arlington

Clueless,

Good question.  While Chuck Bass and Justin Timberlake seem to pull these looks off effortlessly, it's going to take a bit more consideration for the average guy to bring sexy back with these items.  All four of them could be incorporated into two types of styles--preppy or hipster--so a good start might be to figure out which look you are going for.  Are you trying to match your cardigan with your Neon Jordans or your knit tie with your tortoise shell glasses?

 Here are some other tips when shopping for these items:

1.)  Vests without suits

To be honest, I'm not a fan of this look on men ever--you'll have to find another blog to get some tips on this one. Here's one: The Smart Stylist.

2.) Knit ties

I generally like throwbacks to vintage style, so I really appreciate knit ties.  In my opinion, knit ties should be incorporated into an entire look that is generally "vintage."  Think along the lines of 50's prep. Ralph Lauren Rugby has some great vintage-feel blazers and sweaters that would pair well with a knit tie.  For the tie itself, I like the solid ties in a variety of colors from J. Press.  They have stores in New York and DC, or stop by my alma mater in Cambridge and pick up this one in Crimson:

J. Press Square Bottom Tie, currently on sale for $52

3.)  Velvet or Corduroy Blazers

The trick to pulling off these blazers in non-conventional fabrics is to wear them in conventional colors, unless you are really trying to make a statement.  A velvet blazer in navy would make a nice winter substitution with some khakis, or a brown corduroy blazer would be great paired with a light blue button-down shirt.

A big tip for corduroy in general:  make sure the wales (i.e., the vertical ridges that form the "stripes") are not too wide.  Narrow wales have the added benefit of being softer to the touch. 

4.) Cardigans

The most important thing with cardigans for men or women is that they are made of a good fabric--cashmere is always your best bet.  For men, this is a style that may take some getting used to:  depending on your comfort level, you may choose to button it, or you may choose to have it hang loose.  There are no hard and fast rules to making a cardigan look good--this is one that's up to you to rock, or you'll end up looking like Mr. Rogers.  Which brings up a good rule of thumb for sweater closure:  cardigans should button, hoodies should zip.

Cardigan no-no:  Mr. Rogers

In general, a good place to find some of these trendier items are men's stores geared toward a younger crowd, which tend to follow the runway looks.  Martin & Osa is American Eagle's new high-end line that seems to have a fresh take on these suiting items.  And you can never go wrong with prep staples Ralph Lauren or J. Crew, which seem to have these items perenially in the mix.

Good luck!

H*

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