What James Bond Would Buy on Mr. Porter

Mr. Porter has, apparently, worked with the costume designer and wardrobe supervisor of the ‘Kingsman’ movie franchise to put together one of those capsule collections we all love so much. Mr. P’s always been, in my mind, the go-to e-store for dudes who want to look like James Bond, so I guess I’m not surprised. Still, I say bollocks, because I frankly couldn’t believe the one trailer I saw for the upcoming Kingsman film wasn’t a joke. I guess there’s only room in my heart for one secret agent (hint: it’s Kim Possible).

Even so, you (and I, I guess) are in luck, because if you want to dress like Bond MP’s still got your back. There’s probably no better time to do so, especially since there’s supposedly going to be another film in 2019, even if we don’t know who’ll be in it. Hell, maybe I have a shot. If I had to guess, here’s what Bond would buy on Mr. Porter:


1. Nothing says Bond like a Dinner suit, and apparently Jeffrey Deaver (who writes books) dressed Jim in Canali in a recent novel. No complaints from me – that’s a nice tux. Black tie season is coming, and a real secret agent would be prepared in advance.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Canali Tux, $1,975

 

2. Okay, so maybe the other garment that really screams BOND is a dressing gown, because it totally makes sense that a secret agent dude has time to wear one of those when hunting down baddies. Anyway, this one’s got a nice pattern on it, which is probably good for distracting people who barge in on you, guns drawn, while your tongue is halfway down a supermodel’s throat. It’s like dazzle camo, but for a gentleman.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Derek Rose cotton-jacquard robe, $525

 

3. I’m pretty sure it’s written somewhere in the top secret James Bond contract that you must wear a turtleneck at some point. And, frankly, this one’s pretty badass. Heavy wool, a trim fit, and a solid rollneck make this a sweater for a rough ‘n ready Bond. Wear it the next time you get thrown into the ocean.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Inis Meain merino/cashmere rollneck, $595

 

4. Similarly, the white cotton shirt is a Bond staple. Given film Bond’s predilection for Turnbull and Asser, it seems only fitting to suggest one of the London house’s staple staples: white cotton, and nothing else. Bring extras, because bloodstains.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Turnbull & Asser white cotton shirt, $365

 

5. Every Bond worth his liquor needs a good ski vacation. That means you need a wardrobe worthy of après-ski celebrations (and libations), and that means you need ridiculous leather hiking boots like these ones.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Ralph Lauren Purple Label Hiking Boots, $1,500

 

6. All joking aside, a black captoe oxford really is a wardrobe staple. You can even wear them with your tux if you’ve got nothing else. Smart shoes such as these showcase the best of Bond: quality, no-nonsense, generally ready to kick some ass, get drunk, or do both in the same afternoon.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Church’s oxford shoes, $595

 

7. After you’ve been to the Alps, you may as well head to the beach for a well-deserved rest, along with a taste of local delights with a side of murder. Connery’s Bond has always been a good source of swimspiration (hashtag #swimspiration) [note: I just googled ‘swimspiration’ and apparently it’s a thing], and this Orlebar Brown terrycloth polo is the perfect option to showcase your chest hair.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Orlebar Brown terrycloth polo, $165

 

8. On that note, short, light-blue swim trunks are definitely in order. Just make sure they’re tight, and that you haven’t been skipping leg day.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Frescobol Carioca swim shorts, $250

 

9. Oh, and don’t even think about trying to vacation Bond-style without a camp-collar shirt. Sean Connery loved these, and lucky for you, they’re having a moment. Pick one with long sleeves so you can wear it as the days start to grow shorter. This one also gestures, idly, to Connery’s predilection for safari shirts.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Camoshita striped camp-collar shirt, $430

 

10. Sometimes Bond (or, more accurately, Daniel Craig) does in fact wear jeans, and when he does, he usually wears chukkas. Not a bad choice – they’re comfy, and go with most things you’ll find in a tailored wardrobe. In fact, if you read Styleforum you probably have some, Bond fan or otherwise. Perhaps you’re James Bond already.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Brunello Cucinelli chukka boots, $1,075

 

11. Bond. Grey flannel. The two go together like sex and guns, and we at Styleforum (read: Peter Zottolo) are huge fans of suits such as this. Even if you don’t want to be like Bond, you do want to be like Peter. Trust me on this one.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Alexander McQueen POW suit, $2,855

 

12. At home with jeans, slacks, or full nudity, nothing says “I’m rugged, refined, and ready for anything as long as it doesn’t rain” like a suede blouson. Even if you’re tragically uncool and un-dashing, you can drape this over the back of a fancy chair and just look at it for a while if you want.

what james bond would buy on mr. porter james bond mr. porter styleforum

Valstar Valstarino suede jacket, $995

 

Absurdly Expensive Men’s Shoes to Buy Right Now

Sometimes, there is nothing more satisfying than window-shopping for things we will never buy. How many times have we stared in awe at the window of a prestigious boutique, like a kid in front of a candy store, despite knowing we’ll never enter the realm beyond those automatic glass doors?

I present to you the 11 of the most absurdly expensive shoes you can (and should) buy right now. Naturally, I’m leaving bespoke options out of the list, and I’ve limited the number of exotic leathers – because they are the equivalent of adding truffle to a dish and they always make it to the top of the “most expensive” lists. Sneakers are out too, because there are just too many rappers competing for who wears the most ridiculously overpriced kicks.

This is just a treat for the eye, as I’m ready to bet none of you reading this article could put together such a sybaritic footwear collection. If by any chance there is a spendthrift among you who can, please consider donating 1% of your shoe expenditure to a girl who’s been saving for her first Chanel bag.

Enough with the idle chatter. Let’s get to it!

 

  1. TESTONI BEIGE LEATHER LOAFERS $1109

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

It’s hard to say no to shoes that bring up memories of your maternal grandmother and her antediluvian cane chairs. Lucky you! There are plenty of sizes left.


PAOLO SCAFORA MERGELLINA IN AMALFI CALF $1175

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

“There is something special about a pair of Norwegian Split Toes,” says the description of the shoes – “and it’s not that they resemble a vagina,” I might add. You’re also walking on what seems to be a royal emblem, probably borrowed from some fallen Neapolitan aristocratic family. Cool, isn’t it?


STEFANO BEMER MONK STRAP SHOES $1205

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

A little over a grand will buy you these classic monk straps from Stefano Bemer, the leather of which shines brighter than your future.


GAZIANO & GIRLING SINATRA WHOLE CUT SHOES $1420

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

Gaziano & Girling brag about having just a handful of people working painstakingly at their workshop in Northampton, but I bet in reality they employ Santa’s little helpers for 11 months a year, and that’s the reason why you’ll never get this pair of shoes for Christmas, even if you keep asking.


EDWARD GREEN GALWAY CAP TO SUEDE BOOTS $1570

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

393 Big Macs; 78 manicures; 6 years of membership at Planet Fitness. If you can give up all this, you’ll have enough cash to bring home these handsome English-made boots by Styleforum favorite Edward Green.


GUCCI DONALD DUCK BOOTS WITH APPLIQUÈS $1790

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

If you’ve been dreaming of Donald Duck embroideries and feline heads appliqués on your footwear, you can breathe a sigh of relief, as Alessandro Michele for Gucci just made your dreams real.


JOHN LOBB ALDER LACE-UP BOOTS $1815

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

Okay, perhaps they’re not exactly what we would call a staple color, but you can always tell your billionaire friends that these rare boots are crafted from the skin of one of the heads of the Lernaean Hydra.


CORTHAY DOUBLE MONK-STRAP LEATHER SHOES $2100

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

If you trust yourself to buy shoes from a country that has given us Christian Louboutin as well as ASH, for just over two grand you can take home these bicolor monk-straps and safely ride your bicycle in the dark without having to worry about using reflective gear.


SALVATORE FERRAGAMO MONK-STRAP CAPTOE SHOES $2700

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

Black leather and buckles don’t always equal a Fifty Shades of Grey scenario. However, should you decide to bring a little kinkiness into your shoe closet, don’t miss on these Ferragamo monk straps. They’d pair wonderfully with this other leather accessory.


STEFANO RICCI SUEDE AND CROCODILE LOAFERS $3000

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

Loafers are having a moment right now, and you certainly cannot go wrong with these carta da zucchero casual loafers by Italian luxury brand Stefano Ricci. Besides exquisite crocodile details, these shoes feature galvanized palladium details. I Google’d it, but I wasn’t able to figure out what galvanized palladium is, although it seems to be just another word for “plated”, used by Italian luxury maisons who like highfalutin descriptions. If there is a goldsmith among us, please humor me.


BERLUTI LIZARD OXFORDS $5050

Absurdly Expensive Men's Shoes styleforum

A staple in every Russian oligarch’s wardrobe, these oxford shoes in lizard leather are created from a single piece of hide, and have no visible seams. Do you have an idea how big a lizard we’re talking about here? If some hunter in Costa Rica has risked his life to hunt down Godzilla-like reptiles to satisfy your need for shoes crafted from sub-tropical animal skins, then you deserve to pay the ludicrous price tag.


Let us know in the comments if you’re the proud owner of any of these shoes, and please do comment leaving a link in case you are aware of even more amazing[ly ridiculous] deals we might have missed.

Beginner’s Guide to Thrifting Menswear

Ethan Wong has already shared his love of thrifting menswear with our community. In this piece, he details how he chooses the pieces worth saving, and lays out a guide for thrifting that any men’s clothing hobbyist can follow.

We created a downloadable PDF guide with a checklist that you can consult whenever you’re out shopping for thrifted goods.


It’s no surprise to anyone that I can’t afford to always buy bespoke or MTM clothing, considering how much I love menswear. Instead of buying cheap knockoffs from fast fashion retailers, I almost exclusively buy thrifted and vintage pieces for my wardrobe. With a good eye and some education, I’ve found that it’s a great way to acquire quality garments for an extremely affordable price. Here’s some a brief guide that I live by when I go thrifting.

  • Check your local thrift stores

    • You never know what you’re going to find!
    • Wealthier places may have better pieces (contemporary, designer/brand), but they may already be popular with other pickers.
    • Not all thrift stores operate on donations; some receive general shipments of clothing.
  • Stay cognizant of promotions and holiday deals

    • Some stores have rotating promotions around certain colored tags or item categories.
    • There’s almost always sales during holidays that can apply to clothing!
  • Put your education to Use

      • The amount of stuff you see at a thrift store can be overwhelming; use the “touch test” and run your fingers through the racks. If something feels familiar (wool, flannel, tweed, cotton), it’s worth inspecting!
    • Your knowledge of brands and manufacturing can come in handy. A Purple Label RL suit will be much different than a Lauren by RL one.
  • Check interior labels and tags

      • Fabric labels will let you know if there is a semblance of synthetics (ie; polyester) within the garment, as well as any other blends. I typically go for 100% wools.
      • If you’re in America, union tags will be present on anything made pre 1980s. Different union tags correspond to different years, so this can be helpful when encountering vintage suits and sportcoats!
    • Font can play a difference. “Artsy” labels are usually earlier while stiff, corporate ones usually denote the 1960s-1970s era.
  • Consider the design and cut of the piece

      • Shoulder padding varied throughout eras and especially from designer to designer. Make sure that the jacket you get has the right amount for you, because that is something you cannot fix later.
      • Vintage and quality made garments usually have half-lining or less; most mass produced stuff post 1970s will be fully lined.
      • Always look at button stance and configuration. If the last button on the suit is below the pocket line, the overall buttoning point will be too low and results in an extremely dated look.
    • Trousers with a long fly (11in or more) will usually mean that they feature a high rise.
  • Focus on Unique Pieces, not Workhorse Stuff

    • Keep an eye out for cool details like patch pockets or belted-back jackets!
    • You can always find a quality navy suit at any store, so try to find pieces with great patterns like herringbone or houndstooth since they’re pretty common in thrift stores.
  • Be Aware of What You Can and Can’t Tailor

    • Make sure the shoulders fit!
    • Inspect the garment carefully for extra fabric allowance.
    • Sleeves and chest can always be taken in, but letting them out/down depends on how much fabric is available.
    • You can shorten a jacket by less than 2”; anything more will ruin the balance and proportion of the garment.
    • Trousers are the easiest to alter, provided that you take in the waist and taper the leg. Like jackets, making them bigger depends on the fabric allowance.
    • Tailoring will always cost more than the purchase price, but it can be worth it to make something wearable!

thrifting menswear thrifted menswear guide to thrifting styleforum

  • If you like it, buy it; if you don’t, pass on it.

    • Buy it when you can, since someone may take it when you put it down!
    • They add new things everyday, so you can always come back if nothing catches your eye.
    • Normal wear and tear is expected with thrifted pieces, but pass on anything with holes or major non-seam rips.

This is typically how I approach thrifting. It takes some time to get used to, but it’s really fun if you have the education, eye for detail, and a great tailor. It’s how I’ve gotten great stuff like a 1960’s olive green ivy jacket, the infamous 3PC brown chalk-stripe suit, or even a Camoshita suit. Whether you want to build a wardrobe or find some statement pieces to experiment with, it’s always worth it to check out your local thrift store from time to time!


You can keep up with Ethan’s thrifting and vintage adventures on his Instagram (@ethanmwong) or on his blog Street x Sprezza.

Nesting and Cutting Leather with Grant Stone

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

Styleforum’s Most Popular Brands: Summer, 2017

While Styleforum’s diverse cast of members can be counted on to both discover and argue over the merits of countless brands, both casual and tailored, there are a few names which, year after year, occupy the top slot in the interest of our internet tribe. This summer, we’re featuring another selection of Styleforum’s most popular brands.


Acronym

acronym styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum

The Dream: Tokyo at night. You crouch in a shadowed alleyway, hiding from The Corporation, while your corneal implant tracks the agents sent to follow you. They want you – not because of the state-toppling secret you carry on the drive hidden on your person, but because you’re special, destined to overthrow the shadow-government, score a sweet babe, and ride a motorcycle in the movie adaptation.

The Reality: You spent way too much money on pants you found third-hand on the internet. People call you “Naruto,” and it’s not a compliment.


Buttero

buttero styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum buttero shoes buttero sneakers

The Dream: You’re a cowboy. An Italian cowboy. You look, always, as though you may have just gotten off a motorcycle after a trip to a vineyard. And when you wear sneakers, you make sure they’re more than just sneakers. Like your motorcycle boots, they’re made in a family-owned factory in Italy, out of fantastic materials and in fantastic make-ups. They’re sneakers for real men, sneakers you can wear without feeling self-conscious, sneakers worthy of a rad Italian cowboy who rides a motorycle.

The Reality: You wear your sneakers on casual Friday, and you are neither Italian nor a cowboy.


Buzz Rickson’s

buzz rickson's buzz ricksons buzz rickson styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum

The Dream: You call your wardrobe your “Collection.” Everyone you know thinks you’re fantastically well-dressed, but  can’t figure out why, and when they ask how you got interested in fashion you say: “I don’t care about fashion. I appreciate fine objects.” Your home, like your closet, is stocked only with the finest examples of the last 150 years of design.

The Reality: You can’t bring yourself to wear your reproduction military gear outside the house because you’re afraid of looking like a poser.


Epaulet

Epaulet styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum epaulet NY epaulet new york

The Dream: You support the best of the new menswear movement: your clothing is small-batch, artisanal, and 100% free range. You’re a new breed of consumer, one who cares as much about provenance as style, and if there’s one thing that excites you, it’s quality.

The Reality: You own over 50 nearly-identical button-down shirts.


Gaziano and Girling

gaziano and girling gaziano girling styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum

The Dream: Your liquor cabinet is full of aged scotch and fine cigars, and when you arrive at home you change into a dressing gown worth more as much as a small car. People tell you that you look half your age, and that they wish more men remembered how to dress well.

The Reality: Your friends really wish you’d stop putting your feet on their furniture.


Luxire

luxire styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum

The Dream: “It’s custom,” you say to the numerous people who ask you where you got your clothes. Your entire wardrobe is built to your exact specifications; you know, to the tenth of an inch, how much space is between the cuff buttons on every one of your painstakingly-designed jackets. When you see an interesting garment on one of your global travels, you take note of it, and plan to have it turned into yet another hit piece.

The Reality: You’ve never ordered from Luxire, because you can’t figure out how and you’re too embarrassed to ask.

 


RRL

RRL double RL styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum

The Dream: You’re a historian of life’s finest pleasures, and that extends to your wardrobe. Every item is a beautiful re-imagining of a fine vintage garment, executed to the finest standard. Sometimes, you look inside your closet, and you let out a deep sigh of self-satisfaction, because the stories behind the clothes you own are as varied and moving as the story of your life.

The Reality: 50% of people assume you really like steam engines, 100% assume you really like the sound of your own voice.


Sartoria Formosa

sartoria formosa styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum

The Dream: Your evenings are a combination of cocktail hours and black tie affairs, your weekends spent at Instagram-worthy vacation locales. People ask you for wine recommendations, and laugh delightedly at your stories. You are a cultural icon and global influencer; a single one of your posts on social media is worth tens of thousands of dollars.

The Reality: Greg Lellouche, proprietor of No Man Walks Alone and champion of Sartoria Formosa, is swimming in a pool of your money like a French Scrooge McDuck while his minions toss confetti made of fabric swatches into the air.

 


Stephan Schneider

stephan schneider styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum

The Dream: Your life is modern but accessible. You don’t care about fashion – not at all! – you just like to live well. Your house is never messy, your car is always clean, and you’re always happy to go see your friend’s new art show downtown. Your closet is a zen garden, perfectly organized and immaculately laid out by color and tone.

The Reality: You only wear your Stephan Schneider trousers with a company polo, because you’re terrified of standing out.


Vanda Fine Clothing

vanda styleforum styleforum's most popular brands styleforum vanda fine clothing

The Dream: Every month, you’re featured on the cover of a new men’s interest magazine. You know all the best people, and they all know you. This year you’ve planned several trips to sample bespoke tailoring offerings from around the globe, and your trusty photographer is even more excited than you are.

The Reality: You can’t stop. You’ve tried, but your collection of pocket squares now requires its own room. Every time you think you’ve got it under control, a new fabric or a new pattern is released, and before twenty-four hours are up you’ve crawled, shaking, back to the computer. Just one more, you think, as the world narrows to the image on your screen; you don’t own this exact shade of cream, and once you do, your wardrobe will be complete, and you will finally be free.


 

 

Women in Menswear: Dalila Palumbo

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!

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Seersucker: Sartorial Athleisure

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.

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Know When to Dress it Down

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.

The Best Ties For Summer

Even though most of us dread the unbearable humidity and heat that comes with summer, we still need to dress professionally. While we can likely endure wearing year-round or three-season suiting in air conditioned offices, the clothes that tend to bring us the most joy in summer – as in winter – are those made from fabrics specific to the season. Our garments for summer can be as particular, as interesting and as beautiful as those for winter, in that they have different characteristics in make, color, weave, and the like. However, in order to complete the outfit, you still need the right accessories; only then will you ensure that the ensemble is complete.

Fabrics for summer ties are similar to those for our garments. While there are ties that can work all year long, or for most seasons – grenadine, silk rep, printed silk all come to mind – you might want to add a little seasonal variation by adding an interesting element into an outfit. Just as is the case with an odd sport coat, crunchy or slubby textures, open weaves, or unstructured designs all help make a tie more summer-friendly. Playing with color, as you would with said odd jacket, also helps a tie to be more appropriate for warm weather – pastels or subdued neutrals work well for summer. Personally, I enjoy a six or seven-fold tie for less structure, especially when paired with a more open weave, such as grenadine in a light but muted blue or green. It gives it a sort of nonchalant look that works for most occasions, excepting the most formal or serious business meetings.

Shantung, or tussah silk, offers a slubby texture that helps bring an informal element to the tie. This is a wild silk that is obtained from silkworms that feed on leaves in an uncontrolled environment; because there is less control over the process, the silk worm hatches to break the filament length, creating shorter and more coarse fibers, which provides a more ‘matte’ look.

Ties made of linen or linen blends have the benefit of inherent slubbiness, but they wrinkle easily. They do retain that crisp nature that all linens share, which allows these fabrics to drape well especially when lined. Just keep in mind that they work best for less formal outfits, and work especially well when paired with linen or cotton suits.

Cotton and cotton-blend ties are similar to linen, serving as a more relaxed option. They tend to wrinkle – like linen – but do not have that crisp characteristic; this means that they exhibit less of an elegant drape. I recommend cotton ties for the most relaxed environments, and they would be at home more with an odd jacket or a cotton suit.

Here is a list of some examples for summer appropriate ties that we think are worth considering, and a few tips on how to pair them.


This tan shantung silk tie from Calabrese 1924 via No Man Walks Alone provides a classic stripe, but the subdued, neutral tan and the slubby fabric help to make it more of a summer affair. This self-tipped tie provides a structured neckpiece that could work in most occasions.


liverano summer tie

This Liverano&Liverano seven-fold silk tie is the epitome of a tie for the more conservative striped style. The colors scream Ivy League (if you ignore that the direction of the stripes are European instead of American), and it begs to be worn under the staple hopsack blazer in everyone’s closet. The orange almost evokes that quintessential go-to-hell attitude that you might not dare pull off with colored trousers.


drake's tie linen summer

This tie from Drakes features tussah silk in a natural color. Paired with an odd linen sport coat, the tie would wear well, seeing as it has hand rolled blades and less structure than a normal tie.


seersucker tie vanda fine clothing summer

How many times in your life have you seen a seersucker tie? This gorgeous muted green tie from Vanda Fine Clothing is extremely neutral, and would pair lovingly under blue, tan and brown jackets. The handrolled edges and light lining complete the nonchalant air.


vanda oatmeal tie summer

This tie made by hand from Vanda Fine Clothing out of Solbiati linen is a great warm weather accessory. The texture and wrinkles with the classic Glenplaid pattern and subdued neutral colors makes this an exceptional tie under a wool-fresco or linen jacket.

Airport Style for Vacation Comfort

It’s vacation time, which means it’s time to consider what you’ll be wearing to survive airports, airplanes, layovers, and transportation – all while not looking like a slob. Modern air travel is largely a miserable experience, and it’s hard to resist the urge to do what you can to make yourself as comfortable as possible. Most of the people you see on airplanes and in airports will probably be wearing sweat pants or workout pants of some variety, and frankly, considering the tiny seats, flight delays, violent flight attendants, and lost baggage, I can’t fault them for that.


Jacket

Pockets, pockets, pockets. Gum, chapstick, wallet, passport, boarding pass – all of these will have to go somewhere, and I absolutely hate carrying things in my hands through airports, because I’m certain I’ll drop something without noticing, or set something down and forget to pick it back up. Internal pockets are key, as is a cut comfortable enough to allow you to wear it all flight long or place luggage in the overhead bins.

 


Shirt

There’s something about airports that makes everyone look like a slob. Things spill. Things wrinkle. If you’re the kind of guy who usually wears a crisp white tee and feels good, you’ll probably end up looking like you just rolled out of bed after a cheeto binge. A collar, or at least a button placket, keeps this effect at bay. Oh, and white is not a great shirt color choice – nothing stays clean on an airplane.


Pants

Yes, pants. If you opt for shorts, you run the risk of finding yourself freezing when the aircraft air-con kicks into hyperdrive. Additionally, I haven’t worn denim on a plane in years, and can safely say that even slim jeans are terrible airline pants. Instead, opt for a breathable, woven trouser of some kind (or at least a loose-cut twill) that will keep you comfortable when you’re sitting on the tarmac and the AC’s not on, as well as when you’re in the air and it’s blasting. As long as the cut is comfortable, the fabric shouldn’t matter that much – as long as it allows at least some airflow.


Shoes

Slip-on, slip-off. You know this, don’t you? Loafers, slip-on sneakers, or slippers are all good choices – shoes that you can remove and put on while the seatbelt sign is on are worth their weight in gold. Anyone who’s ever experienced the horrible feeling of trying to stuff swollen feet back into laced shoes or boots after a long flight knows how truly hellish an experience that is, so keep in mind that after hours in the air, even the walk to baggage claim is going to make your feet feel as tired and uncomfortable as if you’d been walking all day.