Category Archives: Style

Aperitivo Style: Dress for Italy’s Favorite Pastime

Posted on by

You might have heard the word “aperitivo” once or twice if you have Italian friends, as it is a common word we use to describe the light snack, usually accompanied by an alcoholic beverage, which predates dinner.

My job today is to describe in detail what aperitivo implies, so that Americans can hopefully adopt this custom, or so you’ll be prepared should you attend an aperitivo the next time you find yourself strolling the streets of the Eternal City.

Like every occasion related to food in Italy, it is a social occurrence more than a fulfillment of human bodily needs. Unlike American’s happy hour, where places offer drinks and food at reduced prices, aperitivo involves the consumption of a drink that comes with a complementary light snack. The purpose is stimulating the appetite while enjoying a conversation with anyone who is accompanying you – whether it is your colleagues after a day of work, a new date, your spouse, or simply a group of friends. The most similar thing that Americans have is that cocktail hour with the complimentary salted nuts.

The Milanese claim they invented the aperitivo, but the tradition actually originated in my hometown, Torino, in 1786, when the owner of a liquor shop invented vermouth, a white wine reinforced with an infusion of over 30 herbs. Vermouth started being served as a pre-dinner treat along with tiny bites – also typical of Torino – such as tramezzini, olives, and salatini.

What should you wear to an aperitivo?

First of all, you need to make sure your outfit is appropriate for the place and the people you’re going to see. If your aperitivo is going to be a quick meeting with your friends at a café after a football match on a Saturday, you can probably skip the blazer and save your expensive cologne for another occasion. However, if your aperitivo is a date or it takes place at a nicer bar or restaurant, I recommend going for a classic but always appropriate combination of blazer or sport coat and tailored pants. You can play with the accessories to add character to the mix, and to make sure you’re properly dressed for the weather. For instance, if you’re lucky enough to enjoy an aperitivo by the seaside, a light silk scarf might come in handy, and it instantly adds charm to the whole look; a pair of sunglasses will protect your eyes if you’re sipping your drink al fresco while earning you extra cool points (because really, who doesn’t look good in sunglasses?)

My only recommendation is to leave the tie at home – or remove it if you’re going out directly after work: it will make people around you more comfortable, it will show them that you value the leisure time you spend in their company, and that you left behind your work day.

aperitivo styleforum aperitivo style styleforum

Blazer: Sartoria Formosa
Pants: Rota Pantaloni
Shirt: Barba Napoli
Hat: Larose Paris
Scarf: Drake’s
Sunglasses: L.G.R.
Shoes: Barbanera

What do you drink at an aperitivo?

Today, vermouth is no longer the only option when you want to treat yourself to an aperitivo. For the summer months, the most popular drinks are the infamous spritz – a cocktail made of prosecco, Campari, and a splash of sparkling water – and the mojito. White wines are also a valid option, especially if bubbly, and typically every place serves its own aperitivo concoction made of fresh fruit and alcohol. For those who choose not to imbibe, alcohol-free options involve juice-like drinks made of fresh fruit and seltzer water.

During the winter months, the negroni is always a hit, along with red wines and any other cocktail the bar offers.

What do you eat at an aperitivo?

Most places will provide your table with free snacks such as olives, potato chips, and tiny sandwiches to consume while you enjoy your drink. In the past few years, many places adopted the concept of apericena (aperitivo+cena – dinner). With the purchase of one drink, the customer has access to a large buffet that is essentially all-you-can-eat. The selection varies, but it usually consists of cheese and cured meats, pizza, sandwiches, deep fried vegetables, salad, and – occasionally – warm dishes such as pasta and risotto. Apericena are understandably quite popular among young people, since they provide a fulfilling dinner and a drink for less than €10.

If you’re not likely to visit Italy in the immediate future, you’ve still got the chance to enjoy aperitivo in the comfort of your own home – just like I do.

In fact, when I moved to US three years ago I made sure to bring with me a few things I could not live without – the bidet and aperitivo were on top of the list. I will not bore you with the details of the former (maybe that’s going to be Jasper’s next assignment for me), but I can provide you with a list of things you need in order to organize an aperitivo at your own place.

  • Drinks. If you’d like to try your hand at bartending, a spritz is a quick and easy recipe and it’s likely to be appreciated by everyone in your group (but do keep a bottle of wine in the fridge in case a guest asks).
  • Food. If you’re not in the mood to prepare tiny sandwiches and warm dishes, you can just buy plain ingredients and serve them in small cups. Grab some olives from the grocery store – and make sure they’re not pitted and they come from Italy or Spain. Serve them with a plate of your favorite cheese and some cured meats, if you can get them fresh the same day (do NOT buy the packaged types that taste like fat-laden cardboard). Potato chips and similar snacks will work just as fine, especially if you don’t intend this to be your dinner.
  • Pay attention to the setting… Even if it’s just a late afternoon snack, make sure everything looks tidy and pleasant to the eye. Food tastes better when it looks good. Use matching cups and the appropriate glasses for the type of drinks you’re serving. For a full Italian experience, treat your table to a nice, clean tablecloth.
  • …and to the outfit. It would be a shame to present such a lovely table to your guests and not look just as glorious.
  • Repeat. That’s right. Aperitivo is not a special occasion. On the contrary, it is a trivial one, like having coffee after school. It is a time for people to get together and catch up on everything that’s going on in their life, whilst consuming delicious snacks and beverages. Having an aperitivo at your own place is also a wonderful way to save money if you’re on a budget, since it’s way cheaper than having a drink out (and you get to choose the music, which is not of little importance if you, like me, are already sick of Taylor Swift’s latest album blasting out of speakers in any public space).

Naturally, you don’t need to serve wine or cocktails each time; you can get creative and make your own, alcohol-free signature drinks for the aperitivo. It can be as simple as seltzer water with an infusion of citrus fruit and berries, or more elaborate using juice and maraschino cherries to decorate, but I would advise against sodas. As I mentioned at the beginning, aperitivo is a social occasion – and what matters in the end is finding the time to enjoy the company of your friends, your colleagues, your date, or even your partner at the end of a long day.

Food and beverages have the magical power to bring on conviviality; the Romans and the ancient Greeks knew this well, and those who could afford a proper banquet would organize the courses around the topics of conversations that they intended to discuss. The banquet described in the Satyricon by Petronius is a perfect example, with one of the courses being a statue of the fertility god Priapus with the belly filled with saffron-squirting cakes and fruits. Or, think of the power of gathering around the table in Plato’s Symposium, where inebriated men praise the god of love, Eros.

If you’re keen on medieval lore, you’ll certainly know that King Arthur made the round table specifically to encourage conversation and deliver a sense of equality among his knights, so that they all could be served equally and sit equally at its board. Each man’s opinion was therefore equally valuable.

Today, our lifestyles brought us to consider our food as merely either a primary need – thereby consuming our meals quickly in order to be able to return soon to our daily activities – or we focus entirely on the food by experimenting with textures, colors, and flavors, or perhaps calculating those macronutrients. Only during special occasions, such as Christmas or Thanksgiving, or other celebrations, do people and food reconnect to create that special experience that our ancestors so deeply treasured.

The good thing is that we can re-educate ourselves to find balance again, and enjoy company as much as food when the two happen to encounter. You can do so by picking up an exotic custom such as the Italian aperitivo, or you can research yourself the method that best suits your lifestyle and interests.

Whatever your intentions are, bring a good attitude along with a nice bottle and tasty food, and you’ll have the recipe for the best time of your day.

Cin cin!

Member Focus: KamoteJoe

Posted on by

You might be surprised to learn that Streetwear and Denim poster @KamoteJoe didn’t start his journey looking like a photo edit of impossibly cool Japanese brands. We all start somewhere, and Mr. KamoteJoe is no different. Follow along as he describes what brought him to his current, stand-out style, and what he learned along the way.

“Mixing similar shades of color in the same outfit?” was a question I posed to /r/malefashionadvice some 3+ years ago in the middle of my junior spring of college. My other open tabs most likely included TSBMen (now Articles of Style), Put This On, A Continuous Lean, and Fashionbeans. Though I had a penchant for rules and how-to’s, I asked this question because I often broke this “cardinal rule” of mixing blue and black together in my early WAYWT posts, much to the chagrin of others. My then go-to combo were these Black Heschung derbies purchased on ebay for $40 and a Diesel x Self Edge Iron Heart pair found in a Greenwich Village Goodwill for $10. I liked them for rather innocuous reasons: I got them for cheap and people online told me they were from quality brands.

My early interest in clothes originated from two sources: the Styleforum Thrift and Discount Bragging thread and my being in a northeast liberal arts college where oversized fisherman sweaters and vintage Reyn Spooner Hawaiian shirts dotted my peers like a Dunkin’ Donuts on the I-91. Back then, I barely knew what it meant to have a personal style. I was an international student starting a new life in the USA – and culture shock was the best way to describe my confusion with American customs and values. How could I communicate that I was beginning to understand these things? Through clothes of course! I made a habit of checking out the local Goodwill and frequenting ebay for cheaper clothing that allowed me to try All-Black, Vintage Americana, and the MFA uniform. I even started a photoblog with a dear friend as an excuse to skirt more pressing responsibilities. There was so much information out there that I never envisioned being able to narrow the endless possibilities into a concise vision of what I wanted for myself.

The time came for me to pack my belongings and head home to the Bay Area for post-graduate life. Because a “real job” was not waiting for me, I continued this thrifty approach until my breakthrough moment in the fall of 2015. I purchased a Kapital denim ring coat off /r/rawdenim with barely any knowledge of the brand and its offerings. Upon its arrival, I remember spending an hour trying to figure out the button configuration and how the heck I was supposed to wear it. It was the first non-form-fitting jacket I had ever owned and I could have easily passed it on as another expensive mistake in my style journey. But I didn’t bend this time.

Slowly but surely, I began trading my white sneakers, slim button downs, and bombers out for unconventional and wider pieces from more niche labels. One thing led to another and, feeling empowered to build up my wardrobe, I continued to scour Grailed and local consignment stores for the brands I wanted. As my style started changing, the impulse to purchase something based solely due to its label had waned. That’s when I thought to myself So this is what it means to have a personal style. It was no longer a question of what to wear but what would I wear.

To this day, dressing up in the morning is one of the things I look forward to when I wake up. There’s a consistent sense of pleasure that I derive from knowing that I’m wearing some of the best-made clothes out there. If you went and told my 2014 self that “Made in Japan” would dominate the care tags of my clothes, that I only wear slimmer fitting pants on a night out, and that I do not even consider wearing any tailoring except for special occasions, then 2014 me would have probably closed all those clothing tabs and chosen another hobby. It’s been a journey rife with mistakes and mishaps, but my fashion identity would not be what it is without this learning experience.

You’ll notice that my wardrobe leans towards Japanese Americana: Kapital, Engineered Garments, and Nepenthes labels (Needles, South2West8) to name a few. These are clothes that may seem normal from afar but there’s always a detail or two about them that makes them very unique. Kapital’s mantra of wearing clothes that make you happy really resonated with me and it’s made this hobby less about impressing and more about wearing clothes that are an extension of my personality. Looking to the future, I might venture into more Junya and artisanal label territory but I wouldn’t want to make any sort of compromise on my lifestyle because I still buy clothes that are meant to be lived in. What’s a garment without the story that the owner passed onto it? You carry your stories, values, and experiences on the clothes you wear – might as well enjoy them! I am still on an inexplicable honeymoon with clothing that has led me to the most knowledgeable, kind, and genuine people inside and outside this community. I cannot thank the Styleforum community enough for helping me find a unique way of expressing myself.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Outfit Inspiration: SprezzaTrash

Posted on by

SprezzaTrash (or Ethan), as you may know, is a big fan of thrifting and of vintage styles. Most of the time, he’s wearing vintage tailoring, but I liked this outfit in particular because it could have come from just about any decade, and offers a nice blend of vintage styles that still looks contemporary. Ethan suggests that it’s his take on Bryceland’s style, but it might be more recognizable as a take on the late Bill Cunningham’s signature look:

Bill Cunningham – Image c. Fashables.com

That certainly doesn’t take anything away from how nice it looks, of course, and Ethan’s interpretation is a bit more tailored. If you’re familiar with the Teba jacket, the chore jacket operates similarly here, albeit as a slightly more casual choice of outerwear. In any case, this combination also a great base for a casual outfit – the tie can be removed, the derbies swapped out for sneakers, etc.

If you’re looking for a bleu de travail, there are a number of companies that offer them. Vetra offers a very classic, shape, while Carrier Company also produces a work-ready version, though They don’t come pre-worn, however, so if want you want is sweet fades or patching, I’d suggest searching Etsy for bleu de travail, where you’ll be able to find a selection of vintage pieces in varying shades of blue. The rich indigo color is, obviously the draw.

Great Styleforum Member Outfits, Aug. 7-21

Posted on by

It’s hard to look good in the heat of summer. When August rolls around, most of us are more concerned with avoiding the heat or dreaming of autumn collections than we are with staying put together. That’s not the case for all of our members, though. As you’ll see from this gallery of great Styleforum member outfits, the best among us manage to look great no matter the month. Whether you’re interested in Classic Menswear, Streetwear & Denim, or a combination of the two, we hope you’ll find some inspiration in the photos below – enough, at least, to take you through to the changing leaves.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

How to Dress like Cleav

Posted on by

cleav outfit inspiration styleforum dress like cleav styleforum

Our man @Cleav dresses the way that many users of Styleforum aspire to dress: impeccably, gentlemanly, and fuss-free from head to toe. This week, I want to focus on an outfit he recently shared that shows off how strong a relatively simple combination can be when it’s put together perfectly.

First of all, @Cleav’s suit exemplifies why navy is still a men’s wardrobe essential. Paired here with a striped shirt, earthy-red tie, and split-toe derby shoes, it shines purely on the merits of the perfect fit, and is complemented – rather than overshadowed – by the accessories @Cleav has chosen. While this is certainly a more conservative combination than most of what is now shown on Instagram feeds or in Pitti write-ups, many beginners nonetheless struggle to understand that you don’t necessarily need a more complex outfit to stand out. In fact, part of what distinguishes @Cleav is that his outfit choices are consistently executed to perfection, without the distractions of gaudy fabrics, experimental cuts, or overbearing accessories.

Of course, in order to look as good as @Cleav does, you need to make sure your suit fits perfectly, you need to know how to choose a shirt that’s not too busy, and you need to know when a loud accessory is unnecessary. When you’ve managed all that, you’re left with a foundation that’s not just versatile, but sharp enough to pay respect to both the wearer and whatever event he happens to be attending.

Bravo to Cleav, for showing the rest of us how it’s done.

 

Note: this article has been corrected as of 8/21 to reflect that @Cleav is wearing a navy suit, not charcoal as originally written.

 

Buying Jeans for a Tailored Wardrobe

Posted on by

The ‘blazer and jeans’ look is as common today as it ever has been, championed by retailers and social media accounts of all sorts. Most commonly, you’ll see narrow black blazers paired with narrow black denim or torn jeans, or you’ll find true dad-wear diehards wearing stonewashed Levi’s with too-big sport coats. On the other side of the spectrum are Styleforum’s SW&D posters, who have long been sharing less rigid and rule-bound takes on the same combination.

However, if you fall more on the Classic Menswear side of things, don’t lose heart. There is certainly – perhaps more so now than ever – a segment of the denim market in which you can find some very versatile jeans for a tailored wardrobe. If that sounds like you, here are several considerations you’ll want to keep in mind when you’re shopping for denim, along with some tips from Styleforum members to send you on your way.

1. What to Consider

Remember that Jeans are Jeans

First and foremost: jeans are not trousers. The key to wearing them with tailored clothing is understanding that they don’t need to be forced into a role as stand-ins for trousers, but that they offer new and different styling possibilities for your wardrobe. If you think that jeans are too casual to be worn with tailored clothing, then you’ll likely be happier if you stick with trousers than you would be trying to force denim into your wardrobe.

Consider the cut

Before you consider the hem width or color of your jeans, make sure that you’re keeping an eye on the rise. Are you planning to tuck in your shirt? If so, you’ll want to stay away from low-rise jeans, which will result in untucked shirts and unsightly bulges at the crotch and belt line. If your tastes tend toward the classic, you’ll probably want to look for a ‘medium rise,’ as most men’s jeans won’t be marked as a ‘high rise’ (if you’re looking for explicitly high-rise denim, your best bet is to search Western and Cowboy supply stores for brands such as Lee and Wrangler). This has the added benefit of making your jeans resemble trousers more closely in silhouette, which means that if you’re sticking with your classic clothing, it will be easier to work denim into your wardrobe.

Determining hem width

Do you plan to wear your jeans with espadrilles and camp collar shirts? With loafers and a polo? With chunky, English footwear and a sport coat? This will help you do decide on the inseam length and hem width that you prefer. I suggest not going wider than 8-8.5″, as denim has its own characteristics and quickly starts to look sloppy when overly wide.

For example, you’re looking for a pair of jeans to wear in the summertime, consider a cream fabric hemmed to no break, as these will pair well with loafers. If you plan to wear them with chukkas in the fall and winter seasons, a longer inseam and some tasteful stacking will look nice.

Similarly, too-narrow jeans may look at home in a streetwear context, but be out of place in a more traditional getup.

Fabric

Texture is as important in denim as it is when choosing trousers. Wearing thin, uninteresting denim that doesn’t stand out won’t necessarily elevate your look – however, pronounced slubbiness or neppiness may not be what you want either. The latter fabrics can be difficult to dissociate from their rugged, workcloth origins, and don’t necessarily pair well with tailored clothing, while the former can read as bland and unconsidered.

There’s no specific ‘best’ denim for wearing with tailored clothing, but I prefer to err on the side of textured. This limits the chances that you’ll look like a boring office drone.

What about the color?

My personal opinion is that very dark jeans look silly with sport coats and a tucked-in shirt, as they go too far in aping the look of trousers and instead ignore the characteristics of denim. Jeans are not a formal garment, even in this informal world, and that’s not changed by pairing them with more formal clothing. A highly-textured denim can alleviate this effect somewhat.

Obviously, you may choose to go the raw route, and wear your jeans until they’re distressed to your tastes. Otherwise I’d suggest looking for a light to medium-dark blue, depending on the look you’re after. Faded indigo is a lovely color, and works very nicely with tailored jackets in a way that navy trousers can’t.

There are also more and more makers offering tasteful washes, should you prefer your jeans pre-washed.

To cuff or not to cuff

There’s no right answer here. Generally, I recommend avoiding thick, heavy cuffs – a single cuff or micro-cuff can look nice, but this depends greatly on the width of the hem and the shoe you’re wearing. Here are some examples that I think look good, followed by others that I think miss the mark. Ultimately, the choice is up to you.

A note on alterations

Don’t be afraid to hem or taper your jeans, the way you would alter any other garment. They’re still an off-the-rack garment, so the chances that anything you find will fit you or your tastes perfectly are as slim as they are in any other case. For example, Levi’s had so many customers request that the legs of their 501 jeans be tapered that they introduced a new fit, the 501 CT. Keep that in mind if you’re looking through thrift stores for the perfect, already-broken-in wash.

However, don’t get too precious – remember, jeans aren’t trousers, and part of what makes denim pleasant is its innately unkempt, casual feel.

2. Brands to try

The following are brands that offer denim in cuts amenable to tailoring or to a more classic wardrobe. Keep in mind that there are many, many others – a cruise through most of the Italian RTW brands on Yoox will net endless results. Levi’s offers numerous budget options, and would be my choice if you’re looking to keep costs down, but if you have the cash to spare there are far nicer options available.

Levi’s

Japan Blue Jeans

Orslow

Kapital

The Armoury

3. Member Tips

Lots of people have already figured out what works for them. Like other members, I happen to think that dark denim worn with a dark, office-ready blazer is a strange look. Here are some selected tips and impressions. For more, check out the Sport Coats and Jeans thread. I’d also direct you to our contributor Mitch, who nails the blazer-and-jeans look.

“I think the best way is to just throw it on and think no more of it. A very casual jacket helps of course.”

– E.F.V.

“I don’t do the denim+SC look often – I generally prefer chinos – but I do think it can work. When I’ve done it in the past I’ve usually reached for gray tweed, brown flannel, tan linen, things like that (depending on the weather). I’ve never tried the navy on navy, I just haven’t felt good about it whenever I looked in the mirror.”

– Brillopad

“It helps to have awesome hair. Or some interesting detail so it doesn’t feel like ‘I just got home from the office but only had time to change half of my outfit before going out to dinner.'”

– ChetB

“I’ve debated this with folks here before, but I think for all but the tallest of dudes, jackets worn with odd pants generally and jeans particularly should be shorter than a standard suit jacket. If this isn’t done, the jacket makes the look top-heavy and dumpy. One inch minimum, probably no more than two.”

– Sugarbutch

Nesting and Cutting Leather with Grant Stone

Posted on by

Grant Stone is a footwear company that focuses on making high-quality Goodyear-welted shoes and boots. With decades of experience in shoemaking, their offerings focus on comfort, well-made lasts, and a product that will last a lifetime. They offered to take us behind the scenes to take a look at one of the most important aspects of shoemaking: nesting and cutting the leather that will make a pair of shoes.

Grant Stone is an Affiliate Vendor on Styleforum. You can discuss the brand further on their affiliate thread here. 

Goodyear-welt construction consists of many steps which can vary depending on the footwear being made as well as on the materials. In this article we want to touch on one of the first processes and why we feel it’s so important.

First and foremost, every factory or brand has their internal standards and direction. This, combined with the material and construction, creates a guideline for manufacturing. In welted footwear, one side of the spectrum would be bespoke and the other would be volume production. Given the type of shoes we are aspiring to make, we try to ask ourselves, what would a bespoke maker do? The answer is usually a basic, proven method. However, bespoke methods will require more time and sometimes revolves around materials that aren’t used in volume production. If we want to make a great product and set a precedent for each department, this helps us look in the right direction.

Grant stone styleforum cutting leather nesting leather

Nesting patterns onto the leather is the first step to making the shoe or boot upper and is one of the most important. “Nesting” is when a person methodically maps out the upper patterns onto the leather hide. This allows the person to closely inspect the article and avoid any blemishes while utilizing the majority of the hide. It’s one of the most critical steps for a few reasons. For a factory, this is where money can be made or lost. It is a difficult job because there isn’t a straight-forward Standard Operating Procedure, and you may not know the result of a decision made until the shoe is nearly finished. For example, a questionable piece of leather may look okay once the shoe is lasted as the upper is supported. Once you remove the last, the upper may show wrinkling or other issues which were not apparent.

Grant stone styleforum cutting leather nesting leather

Every leather acts differently when it comes to aesthetics and performance. The pattern being used also plays a large factor, as some are broken in to multiple pieces while others can be a large, single pattern, which can make it difficult to find a suitable area on the hide. Even when sourcing leather from world-renowned tanneries, properly cutting the pattern (including direction) is critical. The majority of high-end footwear leathers are tanned with aniline dyes which purposely reveal the natural characteristics of the leather. While the transparency gives the leather a certain depth and character, it also exposes the blemishes such as veins or scars. It’s quite common to find subtle lines throughout the best areas of the article which tend to be near the rear-end of the animal, just beside the backbone. This part of the animal’s skin has endured less movement and encounters less everyday abuse such as cuts and scrapes.

Pictured below is a cow hide used on casual footwear which has a high wax and oil content. This article has an exaggerated “pull-up” effect which means the oils and waxes inside the article are able to move around freely. Not only does this give the article a lot of character, this will keep the article hydrated over the years when enduring water and other elements. When this article is pulled over the last, the oils and waxes are drawn out of the article highlighting the base color of the leather. This type of leather (especially in lighter colors) can be quite difficult because some blemishes that were not visible due to the oils will appear after lasting.

Grant stone styleforum cutting leather nesting leather

When mapping out the leather, cutting an extra half pair from a hide will improve yields but if the shoe is pulled aside later on in the stitching or lasting department due to quality issues such as excessive wrinkling or blemishes, the loss is much greater than just avoiding that part of the hide to begin with.

The standard comes down to the type of footwear being made, the cost and what the consumer expects. A bespoke maker might only cut one pair of shoes from an entire hide, while a volume manufacturer with very competitive pricing will try to use every last bit of the article. We have to find a middle ground, but tend be more cautious with our cutting, as we understand that there will be fewer issues later in the process and end product will be sound, as our customer expects.

Marks such as scars can’t be used on this type of footwear, so they are avoided altogether. If we had to summarize our cutting standard, we might say that we focus more on the overall grain structure. While most of the loose grain is near the edges of the article or the belly area, loose grain can also be found in the center of the article. To avoid using these areas, the person nesting has to inspect the area, lightly moving or flexing the leather to see how it reacts. This will give an indication of how the leather will look if it’s flexed during the make process or on the finished shoe. Another way to check is not only on the surface of the leather, but the flesh side. The below photo shows the grain side and flesh side of a prime area (A), versus the belly area (B). It is clear how the belly area has wrinkles on the surface and how it translates to loose fibers on the flesh side. While loose grain is usually considered a cosmetic concern, it can affect the integrity of the shoe as loose fibers are not as strong.

Grant stone styleforum cutting leather nesting leather

If there is an area we might be more lenient when cutting, it might be color variation within a pair. While it isn’t desirable for the right and left shoe to be two different hues, minimal color variation does not cause performance concerns and usually can be alleviated with hand stains and creams in the finishing room. Using these methods to finish the leather allows for deeper color while not concealing the natural grain or base colors. Since these leathers are not pigmented, there are multiple shades of color within an article and they will continue to change overtime due to the outside elements and wear.

Below is a photo of a new longwing being broken in, flexing the vamp. After flexing this shoe one time, it is clear there will be a clean vamp break and the leather has a tight grain. While the colors and other attributes may change overtime with wear, the vamp break will stay for the life of the shoe.

  Grant stone styleforum cutting leather nesting leather

 

This is sponsored content. To learn more about Grant Stone, visit their affiliate thread here. To shop the collection, click here. 

Women in Menswear: Dalila Palumbo

Posted on by

Dalila Palumbo is a young Italian designer with a very peculiar style. We spotted her during our last visit at Pitti Uomo, and we couldn’t stop taking pictures of her menswear-inspired outfits.
We asked Dalila to talk about her relationship with menswear and the sartorial world, which inspire her both on a personal level and for her work with her brand Isabel Pabo.

Styleforum: Dalila, we’ve seen you at Pitti Uomo with many personalities of the menswear world; what does Pitti represent to you, as a young designer?

Dalila Palumbo: In the past few years, Pitti Uomo in Florence, besides being a spotlight for important brands and for the menswear fashion system as a whole, has been a place for people of the fashion industry to connect. Young designers, like myself, and artists from all over the world get together to share their ideas and experience, while promoting their own idea of fashion (either for males or females) through what is known as “streetstyle”. Two years ago I decided to join this experience, and I timidly made an appearance at Pitti wearing a menswear creation from my brand Isabel Pabo. I received a lot of compliments from photographers, bloggers, and fashion insiders, and I made new friends as well as work connections. After this first experience at Pitti – which I call “not-just-Uomo”- the trade show has become an important part of my job in preparation for both AW and SS collections, as an inexhaustible source of inspiration.

SF: What do you think of where menswear stands today – and in particular of the re-birth of sartorial and artisanal brands – compared to the evolution of women’s fashion?

DP: Despite being restricted by cultural standards and market demands for many years, menswear seems to be finally blossoming into something new, especially thanks to the re-discovery of sartorial and artisanal techniques blended with innovative projects and styles. Something similar is happening in women’s fashion, although on a much smaller scale due to the greater visibility that women’s clothes have received throughout the years. We owe this change to young designers who have been trying to offer unique options that would suit everyone.

SF: One of the biggest differences between menswear and womenswear is the attention paid to the cut and fit of the clothes – something that on a sartorial level is almost as important as the style of the garments. The concept of “su misura” is basically non-existent in womenswear. What is the reason why women apparently don’t care about this aspect?

DP: The realization of a sartorial garment for men requires following specific rules and a rigid pattern that can be easily manipulated and altered in the creation of a garment for women – as the style is more variegated. I agree that “su misura” is a relatively unknown concept in “everyday” fashion for women. However, if we talk about an important piece linked to a specific occasion, things are different. From my experience, women choose to have a unique piece for special occasions, since there is no other way to reach a certain degree of perfection and personalization when on a ready-to-wear piece. “It’s not the body that needs to adapt to the shape of the dress, but rather the dress must model itself around the body, and create an aesthetically pleasant result to delight those who can appreciate true elegance.” This has been my idea of Fashion, and it seems like many have been adapting it lately.

SF: How would you describe your personal style, and how much is it influenced by menswear?

DP: I’d call my style “new underground”, as it blends ancient arts and artisanal aspects with modern techniques – creating a peculiar and defined style. It’s hard to create fashion for women with this approach, but I keep studying and dedicating my time to this project, trying to bring the infamous precision of cut and fit that we find in sartorial menswear to products destined for women. That’s what I hope to accomplish one day.

SF: What are the brands and tailors that you appreciate the most, for both quality and style of their products?

DP: As for big names and haute couture, the answer is predictable: Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Dolce&Gabbana, and many others. However, my education has allowed me to appreciate the work of tailors in Italy and abroad. I would have to mention all the tailors of the Accademia Nazionale dei Sartori – its president Ilario Piscioneri, Franco Puppato, Sebastiano di Rienzo, Mario Napolitano, Mario Pastore, Daniel Robu… they truly are the feather in the cap of the sartorial tradition.

SF: Your work with Isabel Pabo allows you to travel the world; where have you seen the most elegant men?

DP: In Italy, for sure. Italian creativity and fashion are famous all over the world for a reason, just like the brand “Made in Italy”. However, I’ve met many elegant men during my travels, and I’ve got the chance to appreciate different kinds of styles influenced by cultures that are not as known as the Italian.

SF: The tailleur (the suit for women) is a garment that’s associated for the most part with an office environment, or with formal ceremonies at best. In the United States, it is a symbol of women empowerment in politics, recently exemplified when Hillary Clinton made it a trademark of her presidential campaign in 2016. In your pictures, you wear pantsuits and jackets in vibrant colors, infusing new life in a garment that seems to be popular mostly among mature women in a business environment. Is this a pondered choice you intend to pursue with your brand?

DP: I actually think my idea of fashion is best expressed with a tailleur – whether it is a jacket-pant or jacket-skirt combination. I find it can be adapted to many occasions as it allows for a broad choice of fabrics and colors. You can craft a style for any occasion with a tailleur: free time, business, evening, special occasion, all the while maintaining the elegant sobriety of a “modern woman.”

SF: Lastly, if you were a man, what do you think your style would be?

DP: I really wouldn’t know, although as a woman I’m naturally attracted to men that are elegant and have good manners – which one can be even wearing a pair of jeans. Anyway, I’m way too involved in the matter to provide an objective answer!

women in menswear dalila palumbo

Follow Dalila on Facebook and Instagram.

Seersucker: Sartorial Athleisure

Posted on by

Once again, as with the Solaro fabric we wrote about earlier, we have to thank British colonialists for bringing us seersucker, one of the most  appreciated summer suiting cloths.  The British adopted the use of this traditional fabric from India as a summer option for their clothes and textiles . “Seersucker” is the combination of the Persian words shir and shekar – which mean milk and sugar. The distinctive texture of seersucker is probably at the origin of its name, since it presents both smooth stripes (like milk) and rugged ones (like sugar).

Seersucker is weaved in a way that causes the cloth to “pucker”. The cloth is woven on twin-beam looms that run at different speeds; the warp yarns are pulled to different degrees of tightness, causing the fabric to crinkle, in a process known as a slack-tension weave. The bumpy surface and the traditional white and pale blue pinstripes are intrinsic peculiarities of seersucker. Seersucker’s unique texture helped earn it a reputation as a breathable fabric. Because the surface doesn’t lay flat, it is less likely to stick to the body even in the presence of sweat, allowing the cloth to dry out quickly as air circulates through it more easily.

It is because of this characteristic of the cloth that seersucker originally made its appearance in the American apparel industry in the form of garments destined for blue-collar workers who needed a sturdy yet breathable fabric for their summer uniforms. Naturally, these were not suits, but rather overalls, work jackets, and headwear with the goal of keeping the worker cool even in presence of strong sources of heat, including furnaces.

We owe the surge in popularity of seersucker in classic menswear to New Orleans’ clothier Joseph Haspel, who started making men’s suits in seersucker fabric in 1909 as an alternative to traditional suits during the scorching, humid summers in the South. Haspel actively marketed his creation as comfortable and convenient –  the fabric not only allowed the wearer to stay cooler.  It also did not requiring ironing. To prove the value of his product, he swam in the ocean in his seersucker suit, hung it up in the bathroom, and wore it later the same day to a dinner party, amazing the attendants with tales of the cloth’s versatile properties.

Haspel’s notion – using a “poor man” fabric to create garments for the upper class – was a success; many professionals and politicians from the South started wearing seersucker suits.

Up north, in the 1920s, American undergraduate students started wearing seersucker for a very different reason. Little did the care about the versatility of the fabric, or its peculiar look: they adopted it in an attempt to elevate apparel that traditionally was linked to the lower class. Unlike genteel Southerners, preppy students favored seersucker for only one garment – usually a sport coat to wear with chinos, and never really adopted the full seersucker suit look.

By mid twentieth century, half of the United States was wearing seersucker during the summer months: workers on railroads in the South, students at Princeton, lawyers, writers, and even politicians adopted it, glad to be spared the embarrassment of either being soaked in sweat or be spotted on duty without a suit.

So what happened? Why is seersucker no longer an obvious choice for people throughout the nation to escape the heat and find ease in a cool, comfortable, and low-maintenance fabric?

Progress gives and progress takes.

When air conditioning started blasting in America’s offices and stores, white-collars ceased suffering in humid environments; they no longer needed clothes to protect them from heat and humidity. Seersucker slowly but inexorably fell out of favor, as people decided that they could wear a regular three-season suit at work even during the dog days of summer.

Today, seersucker has been relegated to a purely stylistic choice, and, in a surprising shift of events, the prerogative of people who had enough disposable income to invest in an unnecessary garment. The cheap, blue-collar favorite seersucker had become a luxury as soon as people stopped seeing it as a need. After all, that is true luxury: the use of resources on unnecessary goods and experiences.

As its popularity started fading, seersucker remained the choice of extravagant Americans who used it to express their social status, as the Rolling Stones explain in the lyrics of Under Assistant West Coast Promo Man:

Yeah, I’m sharp

I’m really, really sharp

I sure do earn my pay

Sitting on the beach every day, yeah

I’m real real sharp, yes I am

I got a Corvette and a seersucker suit

In recent years, seersucker has made a comeback on the shelves of menswear stores as an option for those who are brave enough to experiment with vintage-inspired apparel and accessories. 1920s clothes are experiencing a second life, partly due to Luhrmann’s Great Gatsby and its costumes; large lapels and Southern inspired garments and prints re-entered the market, this time to be stored in middle class American closets and available in relatively affordable ready-to-wear options.

Former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott introduced  Seersucker Thursday in the 90s – usually the second or third Thursday of June – in which Senators are invited to show up in Congress wearing seersucker to remember the days pre-AC when the cloth was a staple in Washington. The tradition is still going strong.

Still, seersucker remains an extravagant choice, and it is certainly not a staple in a man’s wardrobe, but rather a micro-trend that only a niche embraced.

Most of you probably don’t own a seersucker suit – which makes quite of a statement especially when worn on a daily basis – but there’s a good chance that you might have some garment made of seersucker in your closet. Perhaps it’s a sports coat, or maybe a shirt. Like most things that fall out of fashion, we are slowly reintroduced to them through bits and pieces when the fashion industry tries to reinvent itself season after season, tapping into old trends and giving them a twist.

In a day and age where comfort seems to be taking over the fashion industry (think of athleisure and athluxury), one would expect seersucker rising to popularity once again, at least amongst those who appreciate classic menswear.

Think about it: seersucker provides a great option for those who don’t want to give up their sartorial needs even during the hottest days of the year, and due to its crinkled appearance, it makes for a great travel companion. You can literally don a seersucker jacket from your luggage, as it will be just as good as when you first wore it. And the same goes for seersucker pants; if you ever cursed your trousers after sitting for a long period of time because of unaesthetic wrinkles running throughout the fabric, you might be a good candidate to appreciate a seersucker suit.

I wouldn’t be surprised if seersucker made its way back in our closets, this time as a polished form of athleisure – to fit the needs of those who don’t want to give up their sartorial needs but are willing to embrace comfort and convenience.

Feel free to comment down below with your thoughts on the matter.

Here are a few examples of forumites wearing seersucker this summer. If you’re curious about seersucker, I highly recommend browsing the Southern Trad thread on the forum, where gentlemen from the South (but really, from anywhere in the world) publish photos of themselves in amazing seersucker garments during the summer months. You’ll surely find more inspiration and a place to ask questions about this fascinating cloth.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Know When to Dress it Down

Posted on by

Soon after I joined Styleforum, a member whose name I don’t recall recounted a story that went something like this: “I was invited to a grill-out and wore a RLBL sportcoat with an open-collar shirt. Some guy yelled out, telling me I was overdressed. What the heck was his problem? That guy sucked.”

For a long time, I felt exactly like him.

When I first started to learn about style and became more active on the forum, my interest in clothing bordered on obsession. I was reminiscing about those years with my brother the other night, noting, “Menswear and clothing was all I could talk about; I was probably insufferable.” His gracious reply: “You weren’t insufferable, but… you did develop a reputation.”

know when to dress it down styleforum

Me, wearing a sportcoat to the Star Wars premiere.

Those of us whose passion for clothes lies in the tailored world can have difficulty in deciding when to dress down—and also what that actually means. It’s hard particularly because tailoring has such a long and interesting history, embodies influences from different regions of the world, and is associated with famous and well-dressed people all throughout the last two centuries. Plus, being neck deep in Apparel Arts illustrations, Duke of Windsor photos and Vox Sartoria’s blog tends to change your perception of just what dressing casual actually is. “What do you mean, ‘dress down?’ I’m wearing a pink OCBD and wool tie!” I once exclaimed at a birthday party.

 

know when to dress it down styleforum

Me, in a pink OCBD and wool tie at party.

Since those heady days of excitement, I have learned a couple of valuable lessons:

First, always remember to play it cool. Have you ever met anyone who’s recently run a marathon? If you’re not sure, then you haven’t—because they’ll definitely let you know. Likewise, many who are starting off, dropping insane amounts of money on B&S deals, thrift finds, Yoox discounts, and/or every brand carried by No Man Walks Alone, are desperate to tell whoever they can about the workmanship, the design details, the barchetta pockets! But that just isn’t interesting to most people, and it can be a major turn-off for some. Learn to play it cool.

Second, I learned to be okay with not wearing a sportcoat everywhere. Primarily, the problem is the desire to express my own style: I love tailoring, it’s what makes me feel good, and so I want to wear it more often than not. Another part of the problem is that I kind of have to justify the expense of all these awesome clothes. If I’m not wearing them out and about, why do I own them? I didn’t buy them just to look at them on the hanger. 

know when to dress it down styleforum

Me, fitting right in.

While I support both points of view wholeheartedly, I did come to realize that there were times my clothing choices were a bit precious at best, and somewhat alienating to my friends at worst. Much as we may want to wear the clothes that make us happiest all the time, we do live in the real world, and it’s possible to be overdressed. The guy wearing a sport coat to the grill-out probably did look completely out of place. Just as we all shudder at the people walking the street permanently clad in gym shorts, so too can it look out-of-place to be sporting coat and tie at a baseball game. 

The other issue at stake is how your choice of clothing affects those around you. I’ve heard enough side comments over the years from my friends to make me realize they sometimes feel underdressed next to me. Not that any of them would tell me to stop dressing how I want, but I’ve become more cognizant of how the clothes I’m wearing might make them feel. And I choose to dress things a bit down if our planned activities call for it.

With all this in mind, what’s a StyFo dude to do? Here’s my answer to how you can still dress in such a way that you feel good even when you’ve decided you should dress things down: focus on the details. Wear a nice watch that you know is high quality, but which doesn’t call undue attention to itself. Wear a navy polo with a rakish cutaway self-collar à la Agnelli. Wear your trousers that have side tabs and the extended waist closure. You can take pleasure in these small details, but they won’t call undue attention to themselves, or to you. If someone does notice them, it’s an opportunity to share a bit of what makes your clothing (and your hobby) special (but play it cool!), and thereby snatch sartorial victory from the jaws of defeat.