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Much has been written about the supposed death of tailored clothing, but as office dress codes relax, tailoring is transitioning more into a celebratory role than a required one. If you want to wear something fun this summer, consider the cream-colored dinner jacket. A formal rig traditionally involves a black or midnight blue tuxedo, usually finished with silk or grosgrain facings. But in the summertime, you want something a little bright and more celebratory. Proper Cloth has two cream linen dinner jackets this season—one peak lapel, the other shawl collar. Both have a slightly warm color — like milk with a touch of butter — and can be worn with formal black trousers, a formal white shirt, and black slip-on shoes. You can also team them with brown wool trousers or, as the model does above, with light-washed jeans for more informal settings.
For something more casual, consider Proper Cloth’s new line of t-shirts constructed from lightweight cotton and innovative merino wool blends. The Supima and Japanese cotton crewnecks utilize an extra-long staple cotton fiber, which gives the fabrics a softer, silkier hand while making the more durable and less likely to pill. In the last year or so, Proper Cloth has updated its design so these t-shirts have a smoother drape across the shoulders and chest, a straighter, more classic sleeve shape, and an improved collar design that prevents puckering. The merino-lyocell blends will also wick sweat away from the skin, making you feel cool and refreshed. Despite being 50% wool, these are still machine washable.
If I’m being honest, sometimes I just want to buy something nice for myself. But with dress shirts costing over $100 and outerwear commonly reaching into the four figures, it can be hard to justify a purchase. This is why slowly upgrading a dress sock wardrobe is such an easy way to scratch that itch. Dapper Classics’ dress socks cost about $25/ pair—more than what you’d spend on Gold Toes, but less than anything else that could be in your closet. Yet, better socks will make a meaningful improvement to your wardrobe.
Dapper Classics’ dress socks are made in North Carolina at a third-generation, family-owned mill. They are constructed from silky mercerized cotton and fine merino wools, and then hand-linked at the toes to give them extra comfort. For some reason, their patterned socks—such as the fine pin dots pictured above—hold up better than any other patterned dress socks I’ve owned, including those from respected companies such as Bresciani and Marcoliani. I once asked Fred Rich, co-founder of Dapper Classics, how they do it, and he gave me a technical answer that flew over my head. Regardless, they have many conservative and not-so-conservative patterns, such as pin dot, herringbone, houndstooth, and grenadine. These patriotic USA flag socks are also great for Fourth of July parties and election years.
If you want something nice for summer, consider Dapper Classics’ cotton socks, which come in a durable but breathable weave. They wear considerably cooler than their wool counterparts, making them ideal for hot, humid days when you’ll appreciate any extra bit of relief.
Ten years ago, if you wanted a wardrobe full of things such as suits and sport coats, and couldn’t afford to spend thousands of dollars, your options were mostly limited to a range of not-so-great options such as J. Crew and Land’s End, each of which came with various trade-offs. Today, the market has gotten much better, especially with the entrance of Spier & Mackay. They’re a Canadian company that has distilled menswear forum advice into a line of affordable tailored clothing. The shoulders are soft and natural; the jackets are (refreshingly) long enough to cover your seat. Things are trim but not skinny. Trousers don’t sit below your hip bones. Yet, you can find half-canvassed suits and sport coats here starting around $300.
If you’re just starting to build a tailored wardrobe, consider getting a solid navy, single-breasted sport coat. You can wear this with grey wool trousers, tan chinos, and even blue jeans. It works for taking mom out for Mother’s Day, going to Sunday brunches with friends, or even most offices. It’s the one jacket you should bring with you when you travel, as it’s so versatile and works in almost any situation. Spier & Mackay has a few options in wool-silk (which will have a little sheen), linen, cotton, and knitted wools. The most versatile option is the simplest: a plain wool hopsack rendered in a rich shade of navy. The slight texture on this jacket will distinguish it from orphaned suit jackets.
Chipp is an old Ivy-era clothier who’s dressed the likes of JFK and Andy Warhol, and since they’ve been around the New York garment trade forever, they also have access to some of the city’s best tailors. If you’re in NYC, they can make you a custom garment, but for shoppers online, they also have both ready-made and custom-order accessories. Their standard ties, for example, measure 3.25″ x 58″, but they can also shorten, lengthen, widen, or narrow ties for just $10. To place an order, go to their site and order one of the 60″ or 62″ ties. Then in the comment section, specify exactly what you want (say, a 3″ x 60″ tie). Turnaround time for custom orders is two weeks. And like everything Chipp sells, these are fully made in NYC.
Our friends over at LuxeSwap put up hundreds of high-quality menswear auctions on eBay every Thursday. These auctions run for a little over a week—ten days, to be exact—and end on the second following Sunday. If you’re looking to get a good deal, you can hardly do better than browsing their offerings every week. At the moment, they have black Filson tincloth jackets, special Barbour collabs, Wythe moleskin snap-button Westerns, black Margiela side-zips, Stephan Schneider scarves, New Balance sneakers, and classic high-quality dress shoes from the likes of Alden and Edward Green. Apple fans will also want to check out the bespoke sport coats once owned by the legendary Jony Ive. All of the ones on the auction block right now were cut by Thomas Mahon, who once worked at Anderson & Sheppard (now head cutter at Redmayne).
If you’re looking to clear out your closet, don’t forget that LuxeSwap can do the same consignment service for you, helping you earn some extra cash back by selling your clothes on eBay. They do all the hard work of taking photos, creating listings, and fulfilling orders. In return, they take 40% of the net profits. But if you’re willing to take your share in the form of store credit at No Man Walks Alone or Epaulet, they’ll lower their fees and those stores will top off your credit. Sending LuxeSwap stuff now means you’ll get credit in the bank just in time for this coming fall’s new arrivals.
