[James82]

Stylish might not be the right word. Just put together.

 

[Gurdon]

Really good fit.

Sounds to me as though you are moving in the right direction as far as getting what you describe as American tailored-fit clothing.

I like the idea of Anglo-American style, but, it can really uninspiring, especially sack jackets.

A major sartorial step for me toward stylish appearance came with finding a really good tailor who could alter OTR jackets and suits to fit really well. This individual was also able to make custom tailored suits and jackets that fit really well.

Good luck,
Gurdon

 

[medhat]

Google "Japanese Americana fashion". A weird place to start, but from the looks of it the Japanese reverence for all things Americana has resulted in not only a renaissance of hand-craftsmanship and attention to detail, but with regards to menswear a resulting blend of contemporary tailoring of traditional Anglo-American staples, with often very attractive results.

 

[Matt S]

Paul Stuart is the best place to shop for such style.

 

[SG_67]

Paul Stuart is the best place to shop for such style.

Complete agreement. Definitely classic with a more modern sensibility, but not over the top. If you can pull off Phineas Cole, even more interesting.

I'm not sure where in VA you are, but if you're relatively close to D.C., go check it out.

 

[Flanderian]

I have looked through this forum and other sources but havehad difficulty finding the exact advice I am looking for.My preference is for clothing which followstypical Anglo-American themes-blue blazers, tweed sport coats, khakis,corduroys, etc.The problem is that theadvice I encounter on how to wear such clothing largely goes into one of twocategories.In the first place, thereare such sources which promote American Trad as a sort of extreme conservatism,a look which is presentable but lacking in any stylish distinction.I once saw an advocate of this approach writethat when such a look is done correctly you can walk down the street and nobodynotice how you look.The otheralternative seems be the "how to be trendy in tweed" school of thought, theapproach that would advocate an ultra-slim fit tweed sport coat with ultra-slimfit jeans and a t-shirt.
What I try (and too often fail) to achieve is a look whichis classic rather than trendy but stylish rather than "conservative."A few things seem to have helped me, such asthe following:
1)Wearing a checked shirt with my blazer ratherthan with tweed or with a neutral colored summer check jacket, or if I wear itwith the latter jackets wearing jeans rather than khakis or cords.
2)Darker colored, solid shirts such as dark blueor dark gray as a standard with tweeds or neutral colored summer check jackets.
3)Fitted jackets such as an English "classic fit"an American "tailored fit" or Brooks Brothers "Regent fit" rather than American"classic fit," especially avoiding sack jackets.
4)Stylistic details like slanted pockets andticket pockets can help.
5)Plain front or, if necessary, single pleatpants.
6)Avoid button down collars.
7)Ties are a place where conservatism is moreeasily avoided without departing from a more classic look.
I often enough see other men wearing the type of clothing Ilike and looking stylish in it.Butagain and again it seems that the way I put it all together tends away fromstyle and towards the more conservative.In part this may be due to a need for an expanded wardrobe, the mostversatile articles of clothing not always seeming the best for a more stylishappearance.
I seem able to do fairly well putting together an outfitwhen wearing a dark gray or dark blue suit but rarely have an occasion forwhich I do so.Odd jackets are prettymuch daily wear.
Any places I can look or any specific advice anyone mighthave would be useful.

First, I take it from the nature of your questions that you are a younger rather than an older man. And the reason this is significant is that the advice I would offer a man who is 25 is substantially different from the advice I would offer a man who is 55.

To summarize my understanding of your inquiry; you know the kind of thing you like, but you don't know how to put it all together. You like more or less classic clothing, but you don't like the narrowest definition of what is presented under the category of Trad.

Speaking for myself, learning how to dress to my own satisfaction was a process of decades. (But I will assume you're not so slow a learner! ) Still, it will take some time and require some patience. Put simply, you need to see a lot more and try a lot more. Determine what you truly like, and of that, what you believe makes you look your best.

My teachers were catalogs and better men's stores. Better men's stores can still be very valuable, but there is now a far more extensive, quicker and easier to use tool (Though one that must be viewed critically.) in the Internet. There are men I consider excellent examples who have decided to publish Tumbler blogs in which they share what they've been able to accomplish. In addition, you may wish to study other AAAC members in the WAYWT thread at the top of this forum. I personally think that member Upper Crust puts himself together about as well as anyone can.

And there are plenty of others as well.

There is another resource I consider invaluable in addition to blogs and retailers, and this are some of the illustrations done for Esquire and Apparel Arts during what many consider the golden age of Anglo American men's clothing, the 1930's. And no, I am not suggesting you need to dress as men did 80 years ago, but rather to absorb the brilliance of what illustrators like Laurence Fellows and Leslie Saalburg did in putting together the outfits they depicted. Apparel Arts is hard to come by, but fortunately, Esquire has made all of their archives available on-line for a nominal subscription fee. I find them invaluable -

https://classic.esquire.com/

Some blogs by men who I believe put themselves together well include the following, in no particular order -

https://legrimod.tumblr.com/archive

https://www.voxsartoria.com/

https://cleav31.tumblr.com/archive

https://forumdepiedencap.tumblr.com/archive

https://wineandblazer.tumblr.com/archive

https://savilerow.tumblr.com/archive

A few stylish vendors -

Fox Brothers, maker of superb English flannel cloth -

https://themerchantfox.tumblr.com/archive

Drakes, beautiful pocket squares and scarves -

https://www.drakes.com/pocket-squares

O'Connell's - Classic Anglo-American, though perhaps too conservative for you. Still, very nice stuff.

https://www.oconnellsclothing.com/?...rce=Email+Created+2012/10/31,+7:24+PM&utm_campaign=New+Website&utm_medium=email

 

[Flanderian]

Paul Stuart is the best place to shop for such style.

From the mid '70's through the mid '90's Paul Stuart was both my inspiration and my mentor. And while they still have some very nice things, and were never cheap, I felt they began to chase fashion, and abandon their precise aesthetic balance between daring and restraint and too often slip into just bad taste and cliche.

$165 for a tie!?!? Really!?!? That of itself is bad taste!

 

[Greenshirt]

I wonder if shoes are not an issue on your quest for Anglo American clothing?

I go for O'Connell, Paul Stuart and J Press clothing. I never been disappointed on the choice that I took.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SG_67]

I think Upper Crust's Phineas Cole suits are an excellent example of the best of Paul Stuart.

True on-line the tailored clothing is staged in such a way as to be very stylized and dramatic, but when fitted properly it's very classic yet with a bit of flourish so as not to look like the typical suit.

 

[Flanderian]

I think Upper Crust's Phineas Cole suits are an excellent example of the best of Paul Stuart.

True on-line the tailored clothing is staged in such a way as to be very stylized and dramatic, but when fitted properly it's very classic yet with a bit of flourish so as not to look like the typical suit.

I know he's very fond of them, and he wears everything well, but among the things he wears, they're not my favorites.

But your point is well made; the fits and layouts for both print catalogs and on-line sales depict the most extreme examples for Cole and everything else.

By coincidence, yesterday evening I was revisiting my fall-winter 1983 Paul Stuart catalog, which I do for pleasure from time to time, and going through the ensembles. There is not only virtually no items I wouldn't wear, but almost none I don't still lust after. And virtually none I wouldn't much prefer in style and detail to anything they sell today. And I smiled remembering one, I assume younger AAAC member, characterized the prevailing style of that era as those depicted in Miami Vice and other Hollywood vehicles. :biggrin:

 

[SG_67]

^ are those posted online for perusal? Just curious.

 

[Flanderian]

^ are those posted online for perusal? Just curious.

Sorry, not to my knowledge.

Some day I may become sufficiently ambitious to boot-strap my I.T. acumen to the degree necessary to scan such publications into my PC. PS's catalogs often were works of art, and this is a prime example. The cover reproduces the image of a vintage book cover with marbleized paper and leather. The photos, (Magnificently photographed!) are staged in beautiful old library type sets. 41 pages, with the back also simulating the back of the same vintage book.

From Southwick, soft green Irish herringbone tweed with Southwick's original glorious natural shoulders. Introduces their Cabot model unstructured jacket (Shirt jackets really.) including a magnificent navy cashmere version worn with a white silk broadcloth shirt. A Loden cloth wind breaker. A 3-piece Samuelsohn Cheviot glen plaid with with an interesting 8-button vest. Gorgeous rust colored reverse calf suspenders, with baby crocodile findings and gold plated hardware.
(And they're mine! :happy

Still wear them to this day.