Affordable Style, Part II: Buying Used

A few weeks ago we shared some tips for getting good style value while buying new. Today we want to share some tips for buying used clothing. We'll cover two sources: thrift store/garage sales and eBay.

Thrifting (and garage sales)

While shopping at thrift stores or garage sales can be a great way to save a lot of money, it can also be more time-consuming than buying new, because you have to sort through a wide variety of merchandise. Your time is valuable, so you have to take this into consideration.

Some folks like to browse through thrift stores to see what they can turn up, and this can yield some great finds, but it's also going to take the most time. If I'm on the lookout for a specific clothing item, before I go to buy new, I like to stop by a couple of local thrift stores for a quick, targeted search for the item.

When thrifting (or going by garage sales, or buying used in general), you'll want to have some familiarity with labels to help you know whether you're looking at a quality item or not. Fortunately, today's smartphones make it a lot easier to do on-the-spot checks if you run across an unfamiliar label.

Condition is obviously an important consideration when buying used. In addition to surveying the garment overall for holes and tears, pay special attention to cuffs, collars, seams, elbows, and buttons. These are the areas of a garment that will tend to show the most wear.

Even if a garment does not fit exactly right, keep in mind that an article in great condition may be well worth the purchase and some investment in tailoring to get the proper fit. Waist suppression and sleeve or cuff length on jackets and pants is generally pretty affordable. But be aware that sometimes there might not be enough material to lengthen the sleeves in a jacket.

Finally, if you live in a larger metro area with multiple thrift stores, we've found that, generally, those stores closer to the affluent section(s) of town will tend to more consistently have a greater selection of higher-quality merchandise.

eBay (or Etsy or other online used clothing markets)

There are some great deals to be had on eBay and other online sources for used clothing. However, because you won't be previewing the items in person and thus won't be able to try them on, there are a couple of online-specific points to keep in mind.

First, learn how to measure your existing well-fitting clothes and do so. Online used clothing sellers use some unique measurements beyond the typical chest size and sleeve length measurements (including a differently-measured sleeve length standard), so use the instructions at that link to determine your measurements for eBay purposes. However, different folks can measure the same garment using these methods and still come up with different figures, which leads to our second tip...

Either buy so cheaply that it won't be a big loss if the item is in poor condition or doesn't fit, or else buy from a seller with a decent return policy. Most folks selling used clothing on eBay offer adequate return policies, but always be sure to take a look at the return policy before buying the item, just to be sure.

 

Building your wardrobe: the essential tie(s).

So we've covered the shirt and the pants in our "essentials" series; time to move on to the tie! Because our goal here is to give helpful suggestions for additions to your wardrobe, and not to establish a uniform for men everywhere, we're going to provide several "basic" tie suggestions. All of these are classic and would be a solid addition to your wardrobe...add all of them for some variety that will cover you for all situations!

Before we list our specific suggestions, a few general tie tips. First, know what tie width you want. These days, the "mainstream" tie width is about 3.5".  Get much wider and you'll look dated; go 3" or below and you'll look trendy. What width you want is up to you, but a commonly-observed rule is to wear a tie that is about as wide as the lapels on your suit coat or sportcoat. This helps keep everything proportional.

Second, know that silk ties can be bought woven or printed. Woven means that the pattern is woven with differently-colored silk, while printed means that the pattern is printed on the same silk cloth with differently-colored dye. There are high-quality ties available that are made with either method. Our own preference tends to be for woven ties, as they give the pattern more depth and interplay with the light, but we'll buy a quality printed tie, as well.

Third, buy your ties from thetiebar.com. Their ties are the best bang for the buck you're going to find: made from substantial silk, many of them woven, for $15 each. These are better ties than you'll find in most department stores for $40-$60. Many of their ties are offered in different widths, depending on your personal preference.

Okay, on to the recommendations.

The Repp Stripe

"Repp" actually refers to the pattern of the weave of these ties. Their different stripes originally denoted membership in different military units, clubs, or universities. Find stripes in your school colors or favorite colors and wear this classic English tie that was later adopted as part of American Ivy League or prep style.

The Pindot Tie

More formal than the repp tie, the pindot will be appropriate in any setting with your suit, or it will dress up your sportcoat. 

The Grenadine*

Okay, the asterisk is because this version isn't actually a grenadine tie, which is more expensive. This is the Tie Bar's "Grenafaux," which gives much the same visual effect at a fraction of the price. Although this may be the most formal of these three ties, it is also the most versatile. You'll never go wrong wearing it.

Affordable Style, Part I: Buying New

Perhaps you've seen some style tips or ideas on this blog or somewhere else and would like to put them into practice. Perhaps you make a decent living, but don't exactly have a huge clothing budget. What's the best way to improve one's style without breaking the bank? We'll cover that in a two-part series, and today we'll cover the first part: buying new.

There are three cardinal rules we have for buying new. We've found that sticking to these rules gets us a lot more clothing for the money. What are they?

1. Stick to the classics. If you base your wardrobe on the classics, instead of following the latest trends, you'll save money because you won't be dropping the cash to follow the trends each season. The classics stay in style year-in and year-out, so instead of permanently storing last year's acquisition, you can bring it back out when the appropriate season rolls around again. Adopting this strategy also makes it possible to follow the second strategy, which is:

2. Think a full season ahead. What happens when a store starts getting its shipments of clothes for the upcoming season? It has to clear space by putting the outgoing season's clothing on sale. And that's when you want to be thinking about making purchases for next year. Since you're buying the classics, you won't have to worry about the trend going out of style if you buy the item and save it for 6 months. Instead, you'll save 50%-75% (and sometimes more) off the regular price of the item. So when a store puts out its fall/winter selections and puts the spring/summer items on clearance, you'll want to be thinking ahead to what you might need, or want, for next summer.

3.  Never pay full price. With only a couple of limited exceptions, you should never be paying full retail price for clothing. Even if you're not shopping clearance at the end of a season, e-mail and the internet are awash in sale codes these days, so if you're buying something without getting at least 20-30% off, you're paying too much. It's not difficult to find a code through Google or through forum threads dedicated to the topic.

With those rules in mind, let's take a look at some specific retailer categories and retailers that we've found useful.

Internet. Practically every major brand or retailer has an online shopping presence these days. The advantage of using their websites to shop is that it is usually more convenient, prices are often lower or special coupon codes are available, and inventory is usually better than at a brick-and-mortar store. One of our favorite places to find deals is LandsEnd.com. They offer quality, classic clothing and run frequent clearance sales and coupon codes. It's easy to get free shipping at Lands End, and if you have a retail store close to you, it's easy to return items bought over the internet at the store.

Outlet/Factory Stores. Outlet stores used to be a place to find regular merchandise at better prices. Then companies began branding their outlet-mall stores as "factory stores," which may still carry some regular merchandise but usually sell mostly merchandise specially made for the factory store. This merchandise tends to be lower quality than what you'd find in the regular store, but it may still be acceptable quality. Just make sure you don't buy anything that's not on sale, unless you have a coupon. Most of the time you can stack coupons onto sale prices for even greater discounts. Brooks Brothers, Banana Republic, Gap, and J. Crew all have factory store locations, and some of them have factory items available on their websites.

Discount Stores. These are stores that sell regular merchandise from a variety of labels at a lower price, serving as sort of a centralized, multi-brand clearance sale. They include Marshalls, TJ Maxx (owned by the same parent company), and Nordstrom Rack. Shopping can be kind of hit-or-miss at these places, but they tend to always be a solid place to at least find affordable dress socks and ties.

Flash Sale Websites. These are the "deal-a-day" type websites like Gilt, Rue La La, and MyHabit. The only one of these three that we've found to regularly have well-priced, useful offerings (for our style pursuits) is MyHabit (run by Amazon).

Department / Regular Stores. No problem if you want to shop at your local Dillards or J. Crew, but we like to focus on the clearance racks at these stores. We've found that Macy's, in particular, tends to have a useful clearance selection of dress shirts.

One final point to remember: you're looking for good value, not just what's cheapest. You may find a $5 shirt, but if it's uncomfortable or wears out after a few days, your money will not have been well-spent. That's why we like to find brands that make quality products and then shop them on sale or clearance. We may still spend a little more than we could on a similar item from a different maker, but in the long run, we'll spend less because the higher-quality product will last longer.

That's our summary of how to save money when buying new. In our second article in this series, we'll take a look at ways to save money by buying used.

Socks

Happy Socks

When it comes to socks, there are several "right" answers with regard to the rules, with only a couple of pitfalls to avoid. Sockwear is easily matched to the personality of the man and is one of the easiest ways (along with ties) to show a little personal flair.

First, the things to avoid. Never wear white socks with your non-athletic shoes. It is also a good idea to avoid wearing socks that are the same color as your shoes, as this combination can make it look like you're wearing booties.(Black socks with black shoes and black slacks would be an exception to this guideline.)

There is a continuum of allowable sockwear. At the most basic level, there are a couple of muted colors (charcoal gray and navy blue) that you can wear with most combinations of slacks and shoes. If you want to get a little more advanced, match the color of your socks to the color of your slacks. This will help emphasize your height a bit by visually extending your leg. These are the more conservative options and thus usually the better choices for a formal business environment or interview.

The next option is to use your socks to echo an element in your shirt or tie, such as a color or pattern. However, be careful that you don't match these too exactly: you don't want it to look like you purchased a matching tie/sock set. Argyles and polka dot patterns can be a good way to carry out this option.

The "most advanced" option is to go with brightly-colored or patterned socks that don't match any other color or pattern you are wearing but that nevertheless harmonize with your outfit. This means you have to use your style eye to evaluate whether the pair of socks contributes to or detracts from the overall look you want to achieve. Here's an example we recently ran across:

Admittedly, we can't see the shirt in this photo. However, a blue OCBD or gingham shirt, among other options, would be a good look with what we can see. (Also, note how the marled look of the socks helps mute the bold style choice of pink.)

If going with a bolder sock choice, you'll probably want to avoid a bold tie or other element. Such style accents are generally best limited to one per outfit.

Remember also that the break in your trouser leg will determine how much of your sock will actually show. In a similar vein, the other sock rule you'll want to always keep in mind is that you never want to show bare leg above your socks. So be sure to wear long enough socks (usually over-the-calf length) to keep your leg covered even when it's crossed and is thereby shortening the length of your trousers.

Off the Cuff: Brooks Brothers; Breaking the Rules

A new post category for miscellaneous items not worth a full post each.

• Looking for some fall style inspiration? You could do worse than browsing Brooks Brothers' Back to Campus catalog online (the unfortunate quilted blazer on page 38 notwithstanding).

• We discussed the rules for jacket buttons recently. Because we like to also feature examples of how someone might break such rules and get away with it, here's a jacket button example. As usual, when you're going to break a rule so blatantly, your overall outfit better say that you're a man who knows what he's doing. (And it doesn't hurt if you're a gray-haired style icon whom many consider to be one of the best-dressed men in the world, if not in history.) Bottom line: almost all of us are best served keeping those jackets buttoned properly.

             

• Finally, speaking of the rules and how to break them, here are a couple of lines we recently ran across that put the matter well: "Personally, I would certainly not wear it like that but it is a different approach of someone who clearly thought about it." -- Gentleman's Gazette. "Regardless of the shirt or the style these are always good guidelines. If you're going to break one, have a very clear stylistic goal in mind, and double-check the look in the mirror." --  Antonio Centeno at the Art of Manliness.

Peeved: They're called "under"shirts for a reason.

As we stated at the beginning of this blog, wearing a polo shirt to work is not wrong; it's just not distinguished or interesting. However, there is an unfortunately common variation when wearing a polo that stands out for the wrong reason:  the white crew-neck undershirt showing at the neck of the polo. And this problem isn't limited to the polo shirt, as we see guys showing the undershirt at the open neck of their dress shirts much more often than we should.

Please don't.

We're not sure how this look escaped its acceptable confines at the end of the day when a guy took off his tie to kick back and drink a cold one, but it's now a premeditated part of work wardrobes. Perhaps the advent of "business casual" as standard workwear is to blame: "this dress shirt says business, but the t-shirt I'm going to let show underneath will say casual. Boom."

As we see it, there are two major issues with showing your undershirt. The first is that an undershirt is underwear, and people in a professional environment should not be publicly displaying anything in that category. The second issue is aesthetic: the bright patch of white at the base of your neck instantly draws attention to itself as it contrasts with the color of your shirt, drawing attention away from anything else you're wearing and focusing it on the most boring piece of your outfit. Still skeptical that this is an issue? Don't just take our word for it.

If you're wearing a polo or dress shirt with the top button undone, wear a v-neck undershirt with a deep enough v to stay hidden. Ideally, the v will lay just below the collar line of your outer shirt. If you get a v that's too deep, it may show underneath your shirt, which is also a look you want to avoid.

Another option is to skip the undershirt altogether. This makes sense for fabrics like linen or seersucker that are used to stay cool during the summer. Wearing an undershirt negates most of the cooling effect you would otherwise get from these materials.

That being said, there are several good reasons to wear an undershirt, including protecting and prolonging the life of your dress shirt by absorbing perspiration and deodorant. On a warm day, it's better (and less noticeable) to change to a spare undershirt than to a different dress shirt. Undershirts are also good to wear with dress shirts that are more translucent, especially for hirsute gentlemen.

Speaking of chest hair, some guys insist on wearing a crew-neck undershirt to help keep hair from appearing at the neckline. If you think you have to wear a visible crew-neck, then a better alternative to white would be wearing a gray, black, or other color of t-shirt that complements your outfit or stands out less than white. However, know that some hirsute gents, including GQ's Style Guy, recommend a little trimming to resolve the issue in favor of a v-neck or no undershirt.

Under thinner fabrics or on well-tanned guys, a white undershirt will sometimes be pretty visible underneath a dress shirt, especially where the short sleeves end and the bare skin of your arm begins. If you want to minimize this effect, a light-heather-gray undershirt will often be much less visible in such situations.

When should you wear a crew-neck undershirt? When you're wearing a tie, so that the v-neck doesn't show underneath your dress shirt. Note also that the more you wear a jacket with your tie (or without), the less you'll have to worry about the undershirt's short sleeves showing under your dress shirt, which will help minimize the issue described in the previous paragraph.

Finally, when buying undershirts, buy on the small side. You don't want a bunch of extra fabric under your outer shirt, and a snug undershirt can help you look just a bit trimmer.

Jacket Buttons

"Which buttons do I button on my suit jacket/sportscoat?" may be the all-time most-asked men's style question. It's also one of the easiest to answer.

One-button jacket: classic tuxedo jackets feature one button, which is to be buttoned.

Two-button jackets: button the top button, leave the bottom undone.

Three-button jackets: this one is just a little more complicated. First, always leave the bottom button undone and button the middle button. Whether to button the top button on a three-button jacket depends on the style of the lapel. In a "3-roll-2" jacket, the roll of the lapel covers the top button, essentially turning the jacket into a two-button jacket.

A 3-roll-2 jacket.

However, some three-button jackets do not have this type of lapel roll, and with these you can choose whether or not to button the top button. With these, take a look in the mirror and determine which is the better look for your particular jacket.

This jacket may maintain cleaner lines with the top button buttoned.

Four-button (or more) single-breasted jackets: buy yourself a 2- or 3-button jacket.

Double-breasted jackets: with these, the bottom button is optional, with all other buttons buttoned.

When should your jacket be buttoned? As often as possible, but always while standing. Your jacket was designed to be buttoned and, if properly tailored, is more flattering (i.e., slimming) when buttoned. Some single-breasted jackets will not present as well if buttoned while sitting, though, so you may want to unbutton it to sit. (Double-breasted jackets generally look better buttoned at all times, including while sitting.)

Addendum [8/15]: a wise reader writes to suggest we mention the royal origins behind the bottom-button rule. The Art of Manliness has a good description:

Historically, in the early years of the suit as everyday menswear, it appears there were no formal buttoning rules. Look to trade magazines and illustrations from the earlier part of the 20^th century, and one sees jackets with between one and five buttons, each buttoned in a manner that suited the personality of the wearer or the cut of the garment.

But much of this changed with a king who was too fat to button his jacket. Or at least, that’s what legend says.

According to the lore of menswear, in the early 1900s King Edward VII started the trend of leaving the bottom button of a suit undone.

Apparently, he grew so rotund that he was unable to fasten the bottom button of his waistcoat and jacket. To not offend the king, those associated with him started doing the same. The custom then gradually spread the world round (as England was still largely an imperial power with great influence across the globe).

For today's purposes, the most important reason to follow these rules is that nearly all modern men's jackets are designed with the intent that the bottom button will remain unbuttoned. Thus, buttoning the bottom button will likely negatively affect the lines and drape of the jacket and may cause unsightly bunching.

Building your wardrobe: the essential pants.

We started this series with shirt advice, so now let's move down to the pants. We'll assume you already have serviceable chinos/khakis in your wardrobe. Those are great for everyday casual or dressed-down office wear, but it's time to add another basic that can be dressed-up more than chinos: gray wool trousers.

A Brooks Brothers offering.

Like chinos, gray wool slacks are highly versatile. While there are many situations where chinos or gray wool slacks could be worn equally well, chinos also occupy the more casual end of the spectrum (t-shirts) while gray wool serves the more formal end (coat and tie). Thus, with these two types of pants in your closet you will have every situation short of "suit required" covered.

Now, there are some US climates where one medium-weight pair of gray wool slacks will suffice. The Midwest is not one of those places. Our extremes of heat and cold mean that you will actually want to obtain two pairs of gray wool slacks: a lighter summer-weight pair (look for "tropical weight" wool) and a heavier winter-weight pair (flannel is good here). Color-wise, we would recommend a deeper charcoal shade of gray for the winter pair and a lighter shade for the summer pair.

While we're on the topic of pants, here are a few pointers to keep in mind when shopping for them. Plain-front trousers are the standard these days. If you really want to go with pleats, try to stick with a single pleat and as trim a look as you can find. Pleated slacks should be worn higher than plain-front pants: this is how pleated slacks are designed and will help keep the pleats from puffing out. The general rule of thumb is cuffs with pleats and plain hems with plain front trousers, although the weight of cuffs can help maintain a good line on any pair of pants. When you're having your slacks cuffed or hemmed, you'll need to tell the tailor how much break you want, which determines how much of your shoe is covered by the slacks and how much extra fabric bunches at the bottom. You'll probably want to ask for a slight (quarter) or medium (half) break.   No break is a popular look in some quarters these days, but will definitely attract attention in the Midwest. Whatever you do, avoid the full break, which can look sloppy. (Remember this when selecting the length of pre-finished pants, as well.)

American Men's Style

On this Fourth of July, why not check out Esquire's 12 Styles of American Man, a tongue-in-cheek survey of 12 common American men's style categories? It may give you some ideas as you declare independence from a t-shirt-and-polo-heavy wardrobe and work on finding your own style.

Tweeting @BeyondThePolo

We've opened a Twitter account and installed a feed from it in the right sidebar. The plan will be to use the account to provide alerts regarding sales, pass along interesting links not worth a longer post here on the blog, and follow up on ideas that we've previously blogged about. Follow the account at @BeyondThePolo.

Button-downs and suits.

Since our last post recommended the blue OCBD as the first building block for the Midwestern guy looking to upgrade his style, it seems appropriate to address perhaps the most well-known alleged rule relating to button-downs*: that they aren't properly worn with a suit.

The interesting thing about this rule is that, evidently, no one bothered to pass it along to Brooks Brothers, who are the generally-accepted foremost men's clothiers in the USA. The same can be said of J.Press, another of the upper-echelon American men's retailers.

It is true that the Europeans look with horror upon the button-down with a suit (and often even with a tie), but in America the button-down has regularly been worn with suits and ties, at least in the Ivy League tradition.

That being said, the idea that a button-down is inappropriate with a suit has gained significant traction in the USA. Thus, we would highly recommend against pairing a normal OCBD with a suit. At the least, go with the finer pinpoint oxford button-down. To play it safe, a straight or spread collar is always suit-appropriate (because they are more formal in the shirt hierarchy than a button-down), so why not invest in at least a couple of those to wear with your suit...remembering your collar stays, of course.    

* We should clarify here that the term "button-down" is properly used to describe a shirt with collars that button at their tips. Some folks use the term when referring to any shirt that buttons in the front, but the proper term for that use is, logically, "button-front."

Building your wardrobe: the essential shirt.

So let's get into some specific recommendations for building your everyday business/upscale casual wardrobe, assuming it currently is based on the short-sleeve polo shirt and khakis. We'll approach this from the standpoint of the first purchase we'd make if we were looking to make some upgrades.

It may not be a no-brainer, but it's pretty close: find and purchase at least one quality blue oxford cloth button-down (OCBD, for short) shirt. You'll be hard-pressed to find a more versatile workhorse for your everyday wardrobe. The no-iron or pressed versions are a classic look with a tie, wool slacks, and blazer on the high end. Or pair it with some chinos for your business casual look instead of a polo. When the weekend comes, forget the iron, embrace the rumpled look, and roll up the sleeves and wear it with some shorts. Once broken in, it's hard to beat the oxford cloth shirt for comfort and durability.

Where to buy? The classic is from Brooks Brothers, but it's also pricey. Lands' End and L.L. Bean have more affordable options. You can find used shirts from all three at your local thrift store or on eBay. Sources like Lands' End Canvas provide more trendy offerings (slimmer fit, smaller collar). If you find yourself in New York, check out the Uniqlo version, which has good reviews. Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger also have OCBD's, although purists take issue with their visible logos. Even bargain retailers like Old Navy or Target usually have blue oxford cloth offerings.

Personally, we've been well served by the Lands' End versions. One consideration of buying a blue OCBD is finding the proper shade of blue. We would avoid the deeper french blue, which calls to mind the late 90's/early 2000's trend toward that shade. Opt instead for a lighter blue. Our favorite is a weave that uses coarser medium blue and white threads to produce a shirt that reads lighter once you're about a foot away.

 

Avoid.

 

Okay.

Our favorite (buy from Lands' end here).

Finally, we would note that we're not the only ones who have this preference for the blue oxford: more prominent men's style sources share our sentiments. So whether you go the affordable or upscale route, this is an easy first step toward achieving classic men's style.

Peeved: Stay Classy

(Note: Peeved is a series in which we'll briefly discuss the men's style faux pas that we see most frequently around us here in the Midwest.)

I'll fly away.

Let's quickly talk collar stays. It amazes us how frequently we see men around here in a jacket and tie with point or spread collars that are wings out and ready to take flight. We are left wondering whether these gents don't look in a mirror, whether they look in a mirror but don't realize how noticeable and poor the effect is, or whether they didn't put their tie on until later in the day and forgot to bring collar stays with them.

Some of your shirts may have collars that are stiff enough to avoid curling up with your tie. For those that don't, it's easy and cheap to rectify the problem. Your shirt probably came with collar stays, but if it didn't or you've misplaced them, buy some and use them: just slide them into the little pocket behind the point of the collar that's there for that purpose. Keep those collars grounded!

Of course, there's always the exception for those men who know the rules. Here's an example. And here's another (although it involves buttondowns, rather than collar-stay shirts). The point being that these gentlemen's overall outfits show that their curled curled collars are not the result of oversight or ignorance, but rather a personal style choice made by men who know style. These are not choices we would make, but they show it can be done.   

Help with finding your style.

To supplement our previous post and the post on finding your style, we've added a few sites, blogs, and forums to the sidebar that we've found to be good resources. We hope you find them useful, as well. They include:

• Put This On, which provides solid general advice on men's style and useful recurring features like their eBay roundup.
• Dappered, which offers tips on affordable men's style, including links to sales and recommendations for particular sale items.
• The Style Blogger, The Midwestyle, Unabashedly Prep, and Tetino-tête, which all focus on look ideas and are good places to visit for inspiration.
• Ivy Style and Social Primer are "trad" or "Ivy League"-focused blogs that have fewer look ideas but more thoughts on the history of that style and etiquette for gentlemen, respectively.
• Three forums from Ask Andy About Clothes (AAAC): the fashion forum, the trad forum, and the deals and steals forums. Useful for general style questions and information. Obviously, the trad forum is focused on the trad style while the fashion forum has a more general outlook. The deals and steals forum has information about sales and coupons.

Now, none of the sites we listed traffic in "out-there" looks (at least, not regularly), because we're interested in focusing on classic men's style here in the Midwest. Of those listed, you'll tend to find more daring looks on Style Blogger and Unabashedly Prep.

A note on influences.

Before we begin making specific recommendations regarding items of clothing, we thought it would be appropriate to acknowledge our influences for the sake of "full disclosure." While we don't strictly follow a certain identified men's style, we are probably most often influenced by the "trad" and "preppy" traditions. A paragraph from the article linked in the last sentence helps explain why trad influences our choices:

All of which helps explain the current appeal of American “trad,” short for traditional: an Ivy League–inflected style that’s managed to retain an old-school sensibility without seeming dated or costumelike. Trad is, quite simply, a safe haven for sartorially selective gentlemen amid the ever-growing chaos of department stores and runways.

In the more conservative Midwest, trad-influenced clothing choices represent a safer way to upgrade your daily wardrobe. Many trad looks may be considered "normal," albeit dressier, which makes it a great option for a blog focused on upgrading your daily business dress from the short-sleeve polo shirt and your casual wear from t-shirts and cargos. Preppy is often thought of as an Ivy-influenced style that is more fashion-forward than trad, so it may be a better choice for those of you looking to stand out a bit more.

That being said, we don't limit our influences to trad and preppy and wouldn't recommend you do, either, unless you're certain you're content with those styles. Our recommendations for finding your own style include sources that will present you with options far beyond those found in the trad or preppy traditions, so consider them as you continue to develop your personal style.

Wearing white.

Tom has the White Stuff.

It's getting warmer as May approaches, so what better time to address one of the better-known Rules? Perhaps you already have a light-colored linen jacket or even a seersucker suit hanging in the closet, or maybe you're considering acquiring one for the rash of summer weddings. So when can you start using it?

Ask folks in different parts of the country when you can start wearing white suits, jackets, or shoes, and you'll get different answers. Up in New England, they'll tell you the rule is Memorial Day to Labor Day. Down South you'll hear it's proper from Easter until Labor Day-ish. Since we're in the Midwest, why not split the difference?

Let's remember this rule developed because these types of white clothing items were worn in the summer months for their cooling properties (besides the sunlight-reflecting properties of white materials, they also tend to be lighter and more breathable than winter-weight materials). Things start to warm up around here as May approaches, and since it splits the difference between Easter and Memorial Day as the Midwest splits North and South, May 1 serves as a good rule of thumb. The first warm spell following (say, 80+ degrees) would be a good opportunity to break out that white or natural linen jacket.

Let the origins of the rule also serve as your guide when it comes to summer wedding wear. Barring explicit instructions from the couple to the contrary, any outdoor summer wedding or reception, day or night, should be an appropriate venue for wearing your seersucker or linen.* After all, you'll be subject to the sun during the day or to the summer heat and humidity once the sun goes down. Indoor weddings and receptions during the day also tolerate lighter wear, as you'll be outside traveling to and between venues, and likely during portions of the events themselves. However, a late-afternoon-to-evening indoor wedding with indoor reception following often calls for a summer-weight darker wool suit, or perhaps a darker poplin suit.

Speaking of poplin, a khaki, tan, or olive cotton suit can be a great alternative for summer wear if you're not quite adventurous enough to go seersucker or white linen. Because it's not white, you can also get away with wearing such a suit earlier in the spring and later into the fall. Style Blogger had a recent post highlighting some good options, including cotton, linen, and seersucker suits, for summer weddings.    



* The rule you may have heard relating to only the bride wearing white is applicable only to female guests. However, you should still be mindful of what the other guests are likely to be wearing. Courtesy dictates that you not dress in a manner so unlike the other guests that you draw attention away from the bride on her special day. On the other hand, weddings are one of the best remaining opportunities in our casual society to celebrate through your style, and well-dressed guests contribute to a classy celebration. So if the other male guests are likely to be wearing jackets but not linen or seersucker, go ahead and wear yours, but maybe tone it down a bit by wearing brown shoes and belt and a blue shirt, and forgoing the bow tie for a conservatively-patterned-and-colored regular tie. If it's a casual outdoor wedding, try wearing your jacket with a knit tie and jeans. As long as you stay within a half-step of formality of several other guests, you'll be fine. 

Learning the rules.

This is the obligatory rules introductory post. You've heard of the "rules": when to wear white, which buttons to button, how to match your tie, etc. Chances are, part of the reason you're at this site is to find help with some of these rules.

If you've read much of anything about writing style or personal style, you've no doubt run across items not just about the rules, but also about how to break them. It's okay to break the rules as long as you know you're doing it and you've got a reason. But you have to know the rules first.

The importance of the rules will vary depending on your environment and the particular rule at issue. Some rules developed due to practicality and therefore may have practical consequences if they are not followed. For other rules, any practicality was lost long ago and now they persist due only to tradition. The breech of some rules will be easily noticed by many people and will reflect on you personally; it is left to you to decide whether the message it sends is one you intend, or whether you care at all. Other rules may be easily ignored with little or no consequence. Of course, there are regional variations to some rules, and because we are a site focused on the Midwest, our discussion of rules will be centered on the interpretation most recognized by or suited to this region.

Finding your style.

Everyone has a style, in the loosest sense of the word, because everyone has a certain manner of dressing and presenting himself. What we're talking about here is finding style, in the sense of being a person who knows how to dress well. Dressing well is not equal to dressing expensively. An inexpensive suit worn well speaks more to your ability to dress than an expensive suit worn poorly. Dressing well means giving thought to your outfit, putting together elements that complement each other, and wearing your ensemble in a way that shows you care about your appearance.

One of the benefits of living in the Midwest is that it's easier to upgrade your style. It's not as difficult to improve your dress relative to those around you, because most men around here are content with their khakis and polo shirts. Trends do not change as rapidly here and tend to arrive later, if at all.  You can adopt a traditional approach to dressy clothing and be confident that most elements of your wardrobe will remain appropriate for some years, leaving you the flexibility to incorporate some trendier items as you desire into your base collection. Of course, you can also adopt a trendier approach if you find that's what you like, and it will be easier because you'll have to worry less about the constant game of one-upsmanship that can take place in those areas where everyone's striving for trendy.

So how do you go about figuring out where you want to head with your style? Open your eyes: pay attention to what guys are wearing on TV or in movies. Buy some magazines like GQ or Esquire and flip through them. Browse some street style blogs or some men's style blogs.* Go down to the Plaza or your local shopping center and stroll through different stores, browsing their displays. Take note of what you like and use those ideas to help direct you in your determination. Once you've done this, you should have some idea of labels and stores that carry items you're interested in incorporating as part of your style.

* Keep in mind that many of the examples in magazines or on blogs will be more "cutting edge" (some might say "extreme"). You may not want to head out and try to recreate the entire outfit, but at least take note of particular elements you'd like to incorporate into your wardrobe.

Moving beyond the polo.

Don't get us wrong: there's nothing wrong with a good polo shirt. Our intent here is not to denigrate a time-tested staple of the male casual wardrobe. Our own closet contains at least a dozen such specimens at the moment.

It's just that there's so much more out there. But here in the Midwest, a lot of guys think getting "dressed up" means throwing on their best polo shirt and their tan microfiber pants. And, truthfully, that's all some guys may really need. There are others, however, who sense that there's more out there...who want more...but who just don't know exactly how to get there.

That's where BTP comes in. We're here to help you get there. We'll help you learn or better understand the basics so you can better expand your personal style.

Because our focus is on the basics, you won't find much here in the way of designer showcase posts or "what I'm wearing this season" posts. There are plenty of places that do that and do it well, and we will highlight some of them as we proceed. Such sites can be a great resource to you once you've got the confidence to begin expanding your personal style. We're going to focus on getting you that confidence.

Thanks for joining us. You can learn more about BTP here.