Tag Archives: casual style

Casual meets Classic – The Evolution of My Wardrobe Incorporating Casual Outerwear

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Wearing casual outerwear with more tailored, classic menswear has quickly become one of my favorite styles. In this article, I want to give some insights into how I built my current outerwear collection, along with what styles I plan to add in the future. I’ll also touch on some of the basic principles I use when pulling outfits together, and finally, I will provide some guidance on what items I feel pair best when incorporating casual outerwear into your wardrobe.

Building My Casual Outerwear Collection

At the beginning of 2017, I owned only two pieces of outwear: a lightweight bomber jacket for spring, and a heavier jacket for winter. I made it my mission in 2017 to focus on adding quality, casual outerwear pieces to my wardrobe. I’d first like to review the process I used when choosing these items, in addition to how I pair them with work attire.

When it comes to choosing outerwear, versatility is the name of the game for me. I have a fairly tight clothing budget so I carefully consider how much use I am likely to get out of an item before deciding to pull the trigger. When starting my outerwear search, I turned to Instagram for inspiration, searching hashtags like #styleforum, #mnswr #ptoman, as well as a few of my favorite accounts such as @stylejournaldaily, @drakesdiary, and @sartorialviking. With my research in hand, I was able to narrow down a few styles I felt could be dressed up or down with relative ease. I found myself gravitating towards field jackets, chore coats, safari jackets, and classic waxed 2 pocket jackets like the Barbour Beaufort. I quickly realized that a combo of these casual styles in staple colors would be versatile enough to wear with a ton of looks – everything from trousers and a tie during the week to jeans and a tee on weekends.

I remember first trying to find field jackets and suede bomber jackets, the latter of which I have still yet to get in my hands. I searched relentlessly through the Styleforum buy & sell section looking for anything that may fit the build. There were pieces like the Eidos “Ragosta” and suede bombers from Valstar that were perfect but out of my budget. As my search continued, about a year ago I posted a wanted ad looking for any that might be sitting in people closets not being used. When that failed, I realized that it was probably for the best considering the price point; then, I turned to eBay to see what more affordable options I could find. After stalking Luxe Swap eBay listings for weeks on end I ended up bidding on and winning a couple amazing field jackets: a navy from Brunello Cucinelli and an unlined tan cotton by Aspesi. A short while later, I added a vintage Private White VC “Squaddie” waxed wool jacket (also from eBay) and a few used Epaulet field jackets off of Grailed.

The last style I wanted to add to my wardrobe was a classic chore coat, and this one took me a few tries to get right. After trying out a few brands and having to return or sell them due to fit issues, Epaulet released their updated chore coat design called the “Doyle”. I quickly snatched up one in olive duck canvas and it became one of my favorite pieces in my closet. I have since added two more “Doyle” jackets, one in an indigo dyed cotton sashiko fabric and another in banana yellow wool.

Future Acquisitions

Looking into 2018, I do have some additional outerwear items on my wish list. These items will be ones that can further bridge the gap between casual and classic menswear as I transition to more tailored items.

A field jacket like the Eidos “Ragosta” in a navy Donegal fabric is first on my list pending budget. I’d also like to pick up a slightly more tailored piece of outerwear like a raglan topcoat or belted coat but in a casual patterned cloth, such as a herringbone or houndstooth. I will be keeping a close eye on Styleforum affiliate Spier & Mackay as they hinted at adding some patterned topcoats to their line this fall. Epaulet also took to Instagram to preview plans for an updated version of their field jacket, which I am very excited to see finalized. Lastly, I am looking forward to what Private White VC does in 2018; they sold off a lot of their current 2017 inventory, which I can only hope means big things are coming.

Putting it all Together – How to Blend Casual Outerwear and Classic Menswear

The one challenge I have found with casual outwear is that you can never really get the pieces to work all that well with suits or full formal attire – unless the former is very casual in cut and fabric. With this, I like to stick to layering casual outerwear over unstructured sport coats and textured fabrics and accessories. These are the kinds of items I have found incorporate easily into an outfit with a casual jacket: oxford shirts, flannel or cotton trousers, denim, tweed or cotton sport coats, and knit or shantung ties.

When it comes to building an outfit that includes casual outerwear, I like to start from the ground up. I first choose my trousers as I have less variety to choose from at the moment and therefore need to build my outfits around them. I have a wide variety of shirts so I typically select this piece based on my plan for layering/outerwear that day. For example, if I am planning to wear a bold cardigan I may opt for a simple white or light blue shirt. However, without the sweater, I would likely choose a striped shirt to make more of a statement. Getting comfortable pairing items in my wardrobe took practice and experimentation while I got a feel for what I liked and what would work well with my personal style. After pairing outfits like this for many months it has become second nature, which is great because a couple years ago this process could be rather daunting at times!

Finishing Touches

When choosing a tie I’ll look at my chosen shirt and cardigan, or lack of a cardigan, for guidance. My current collection of ties is quite casual, including lots of soft fabrics, knits, slubby shantung, and grenadines. From there, I will select my footwear and outerwear last. I’d like to say I have some sort of method to my madness here, but in all honesty, both items get chosen almost exclusively based on the weather that day. I’ve built a strong base of versatile items in both categories and will likely go into much more detail on my footwear collection at another time. Like other areas of my wardrobe, my footwear collection falls on the casual end of the spectrum (i.e. I do not own any balmoral shoes or anything in black). When it comes to the weather, if it’s wet or raining outside I’ll typically grab a waxed jacket like my Private White VC “Squaddie” jacket and functional footwear with rubber soles. When it’s dry out, which is about 4 months of the year in Calgary, Alberta, anything goes in my eye! As mentioned above, with my outerwear pieces being quite versatile, the last factor I consider is what piece would contrast best with my chosen trousers. My favorite casual outerwear as of late is the olive duck canvas “Doyle” jacket from Epaulet.

Why Blend Casual & Classic Pieces?

Pairing casual outerwear with classic pieces gives you a chance to experiment with textures and more saturated colors. It’s also a great way to spice up your business casual attire. Don’t be afraid to pair up some less conservative color palettes and outerwear that you may have written off as exclusively casual. If you try something similar out and are on Instagram I’d love to see – tag me (@burzanblog) in your pictures so I can check out how you guys style your casual outfits.

For more inspiration, you can browse the What Are You Wearing Today – Classic Menswear, Casual Style thread on the forum.

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Know When to Dress it Down

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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.”

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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.

 

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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. 

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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.

Wear a Black Turtleneck Under Everything

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Remember when I said that I almost never wear black? Well, I’m here to tell you about the one exception I make: the black turtleneck. Because in Denver, the weather has finally turned, which means that it’s the season when I wear a black turtleneck every other day.

We’ve discussed roll-necks in the past, but I’m specifically talking about the cotton, shirt-weight black turtleneck, which is the ultimate cheater’s garment. Let me explain: it is a t-shirt that looks fancier than a button-up. Well, not always. But a lot of the time, wearing one instantly takes you from “slob” to “suave” (zing) in perfect comfort. Besides, it fits every style out there, regardless of whether you pine for James Bond-ian masculinity or Creative Artsy Dude Vibes(tm).

Although you can find these anywhere, in a wide range of fabrics, my favorite black turtleneck comes from Uniqlo. It’s very unassuming – thick-ish cotton, relatively relaxed in fit, and it only cost me 15$. I like to wear it under my quilted ts(s) blazer, under an SNS Herning “Stark” cardigan, or alone under a piece of long outerwear or flight jacket. The point is that it looks really good with everything I can think of at the moment. It’s an especially great option for the dreaded company holiday party, when you don’t really know what to wear but you sure as hell don’t want to wear a tie.

The black turtleneck is the kind of shirt that you could stock up on, wear every day of the week, and look great. And as a plus, that whole myth about black being slimming isn’t entirely a myth, which – if you’re as predisposed to holiday overindulgence as I am – can come in pretty handy. The only downside to these cotton pieces is that they don’t insulate as well as wool. So, if you plan on sweating a lot, a good way to combat that is to wear an insulating undershirt beneath it and stay nice and toasty. Of course, Uniqlo also offers Heattech turtlenecks. I have no experience with those, but I’ve worn plenty of “athletic” undergarments under casual clothing, and the idea is sound.

It’s the ideal garment for days when you want to look good but can’t be bothered to try looking good: choose pants and shoes, put on black turtleneck, and outerwear goes on top of that. Done. That’s the kind of ease I can get behind.

Sunday Styles: Museum Visit

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If you’re looking for casual style that’s perfect for a weekend museum visit, still sharp and forward-looking enough for a business meeting, look no further than Styleforum favorite Stephan Schneider. This basketweave jacket pairs beautifully with relaxed trousers and loafers to keep your feet as comfortable as the rest of you.

 

1. Stephan Schneider “Thinner” jacket from Suspension Point

2. Native Youth “Meteor” Trouser from Need Supply Co.

3. Solovier Pantome Slipper from Other-Shop

4. Wings + Horns Henley from Uncle Otis

5. Linjer Portfolio

 

Sunday Styles: Urban Explorer

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Functional clothing never felt so good. The combination of a sharp utility jacket, heavy chinos, and fine cashmere means that everywhere you go this fall you’ll be prepared – and comfortable. Comfortable suede derbies round out the walkability of this look, and rugged luggage from Master-Piece will keep your prized positions safe from autumn weather.

1. Engineered Garments “Bedford” from Portland Dry Goods

2. John Laing Cashmere Rollneck from Hang Project

3. Canvas “Rivet” Chino from Epaulet NY

4. Chatham Windsor Derby from A Fine Pair of Shoes

5. Master-Piece Backpack from No Man Walks Alone