The Style Guide for Men

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Formal Attire

You’re going to a fancy dinner, get a wedding invitation, or have a big event coming up soon… at the risk of sounding like a girl, you think quietly to yourself, What am I going to Wear?

Formal attire can be a daunting and sometimes confusing description. Something about it sounds uncomfortable and vague, and then there are all the synonyms that get thrown in: Business Formal, Cocktail, executive dress, blah blah. The overriding theme here is to look good.

So we broke down some of the “formal” categories into some basics to follow:

Formal Wear – The Rules:

Semi-Formal or Cocktail

• A full (matching) mens suit sebastian taheri uomo, with vest optional.
• A tie, either bow or straight, should be worn
• Shirt should be a simple button down.

There is room for creativity here. You can wear a dark shirt and accent color tie, or a color scarf for added flair.

*If your feeling a little rebelious, you can go without a tie and be a badass, but you must go tie-less with confidence and added swagger. No tie runs the risk of looking sloopy and incomplete. You’ve been warned!

These are straightfoward guidlines to dressing up, and as always make it your own. An extra word to the wise, a splash of great cologne is always the perfect final touch and willl make you that much more memorable…

Black Tie

• Men need to wear a black tuxedo (or your nicest black suit), formal (pleated front)
• white shirt
• black bow tie
• black socks and shoes

*An old faded black mens suits does not count as black tie, don’t do it!

White tie

White tie is worn only to events after six o’clock, and in ultra formal settings.

The defining components for men are the:

• dress coat and vest
• white bow tie and waistcoat
• starched shirt

* White tie requires some primping, as it is the male equivalent of the ball gown. Wear you nicest metal watch, and pick up a set of cufflinks. Patent leather shoes are also totally appropriate for this look.

The Power of the Pinstripe

The pinstripe suit is the consummate symbol of power and professionalism. The almighty stripe is evolving and becoming a style statement out of the office as well. However, there is a trick to getting the stripe right; not too formal, not too casual, but in the right situation, it’s the perfect option. Stripes create an elongating effect, so it works well for short and/or stocky guys: taller and slimmer is usually the desired look of anyone. Here are some suggestions on how to make the stripe work for you.

The Pinstripe Suit

The pinstripe suit is a bold fashion choice for men. It’s a very grown-up suit, dawned by businessmen, executives, and was formally the suit of choice of gangsters everywhere. No matter the man, the message is the same: Power. A pinstripe suit is a dapper option, right for board meetings, power lunches, and high power situations where you need that extra edge of assurance to get the job done.

The Pinstripe Shirt

The pinstripe shirt works great to accent a social outing outfit. Matched with the right jeans and good dress shoes, it’s a very sexy look for a night out. This option is especially beneficial to tall, lanky men, who might be overwhelming in a full suit. A pinstripe shirt also adds character to a solid colored suit, when matched with a monochromatic (one color) tie.

The Pinstripe Tie

For those boys, who aren’t ready to take the leap into a full suit of stripes, there is an alternative. The pinstripe tie is a perfect piece of flair for a simple shirt and suit. It can give just the right amount of pop needed to catch the eye, without going overboard. It can also be complimented with a matching accent hanky.

Some things to remember when wearing the pinstripe suits, everything in moderation. Too many stripes can clash, so simplify the other pieces and let your suit stripes speak for themselves. When wearing a pinstripe shirt, stay with darker colors for a dressier night look. Neutral and light colored stripes work better during the day. A striped tie can work wonders for a boring outfit, so feel free to use a little more color when choosing the right one. Whatever you chose, remember to love the stripe, be the stripe, own the stripe, and you’ll be very well suited.

The Cufflink Comeback

Cufflinks are an essential accessory when you’re wearing a tuxedo shirt or French cuffs. But no longer are they a sign of the serious and stuffy, the Cufflink has evolved with every aspect of men’s fashion.

Traditionally cufflinks are worn for white and black tie affairs, or with a fancy shirt where cuff buttons don’t come standard. Recently though, the cufflink, one of the best man accessories, has a new identity. Surgical steel cufflinks are becoming more casual, fun, and easier to wear. You can personalize them with anything from your initials to a small laser etched photo of your dog. No need to be made of solid gold, or carry any kind of bling, its more about what they say about you, and the bit of flair it adds to complete your everyday look.

The official rules say formal events call for silver, gold or platinum cuffs; they can be adorned with jewel stones and embellishments and should be elegant. Day to day cuffs dress up any work or night look and are really an indicator of your personal style, (and yes women do notice and appreciate these small touches!) Casual cufflinks are the new must have for the fashion-conscious man.

The almighty link is alive and very well, and now a symbol of style that can be seen on every cuff at any occasion.

The Dress Shirt Collar Explained

It’s true that colors are the very first thing you notice about a dress shirt. Yet, it's the details that will really identify its style. You might want to take careful notice to the style of your cuffs, pockets, and collar before you decide to buy.

Keep in mind that the dress shirt collars should match your face shape. For instance, men with narrow faces can look really good if they will wear narrow collars with pointed tips. There are several types of dress shirt collars, each type has several variations, here is some insight into a few:

Straight-point - this is a V-shaped type of a straight-point collar, a very popular style that matches most face shapes.

• Button-down - this promotes a less formal look compared to other dress shirt collars. This is generally fashioned from softer fabric and pressed with a smaller amount of starch.
• Spread - it features a bigger gap between the tips. This type of dress shirt collar provides a different visual impression to slim and compliment round-shaped faces.
• Tab - Tab features a higher collar and a smaller spread, this will look best on men with long necks.
• Club- This is also popular in another name, a rounded collar. The club collar is short, with rounded tips and looks fashionable for any dress shirt.
• Pinned - What makes it distinct from others is the high collar bearing a resemblance to the tab collar. In addition, a pinned collar features a straight pin responsible for fastening the two points. Collars without buttons or pins are designed to be held in place with either plastic or metal buttons to keep them pointed.