The Reality of Winter

Right about now, all of the magazines out there are starting to tell you what you should be wearing this spring, but the reality of the issue is that you probably have 2-4 more months of cold weather... depending on what Punxsutawney Phil has to say. Sure, it may be great to know that orange, pink, blue, and earth tones are the colors this spring or that, for some reason, designers feel the need to resurrect the 70's garments, but those won't really help when the wind chill is -10. Instead we could focus on some trends that will look great right now.

After the holiday buzz has died down and trash cans are full of fallen evergreen needles, how does one dress? One thing that I've noticed over the last several years is that January seems to be a month for black and charcoal. It's kind of funny when you think about it, as January is all about new resolutions and another chance at life. You'd think people would be trying to put a little color into their outfits to signify their new resolve, but instead we gravitate towards the morose. Perhaps it is because we know that, much like the leaves of summer, most of our resolutions will fall and die... so on our part we subconsciously engage in preemptive grieving.

As odd as it seems, the dark tones do look great contrasted by the occasional snowfall and concrete frost of the urban scenery. One way I try to add a little life to my outfit is to bring out the rich wine shades or regal purples. These accents look great with either black or charcoal and tend to work with most skin tones... even the deathly winter pallor.

Final Verdict: Embrace the tried and true morbid tones, but try adding a violaceous pop.

Scottish Standout

Whew, like many of you, I have been running around like crazy trying to complete my laundry list of holiday activities. In between writing cards, shopping, wrapping, working, attending parties, hosting guests, and a myriad of other time-occupiers, I've somehow come up with some more helpful tips. Attending all these parties has made me realize that perhaps some of you could use a little refresher on what to wear to a holiday-themed event.

The end goal of your festive ensemble should be to evoke holiday cheer without looking like a plastic lawn ornament. Unless your party tells you to come dressed with tacky reindeer horns attached to a velvet headband, please refrain. Instead, reflect the Christmas season with a little tartan. Now, I started to look around for reasons why tartans have become a winter wonderland staple, but I couldn't find a definitive answer. Instead of sharing the history, let's just focus on some various ways to work in these festive patterns.

There are quite a few holiday tartans, so you can find colors to work with just about anything that you have in your closet already. The most classic of checks usually focus on a green or red base, but don't feel limited by these constraints. For example, the Black Watch tartan is a very muted pattern that is often considered to be acceptable in some formal situations which makes it a great jumping off platform for the holiday season. You don't have to start with a plaid tux jacket, but you might work it in subtly, for instance with knee high socks (for females), a pocket square (for men), or a tie (for either).

For a little bit bolder of a choice you can start to mix in the rich reds of a Stuart Tartan or a Buffalo Check. These will certainly make you stand out, but if successfully executed will make you the buzz of the party. When going for a statement piece try to keep the rest of your ensemble understated.

Final Verdict: Remember to not overdo it. Be more like the Mona Lisa, in that people just like looking at you but they really can't put their finger on why.

All Tied Up

So for all of you out there in reading land who wondered where I went for 4 days, I was working on the next batch of rakish articles. Fresh off the press we have an article about the dress shirt. Strike that, the dress shirt actually has a very minimal role to play in this post. I am more concerned with pairing it with its eternal mate: the tie. Personally, I really don't understand why this is such a hard concept, but what I have noticed over the last 5 years or so is that men (and even about 50% of women) seem to have difficulty blending the two. Of course, I'm not talking about pairing a basic tie with a solid shirt. I am referring to matching patterned shirts with patterned ties. This can be anything from stripes on stripes to matching a wide checked shirt with a smaller checked tie. In general, the main concept that you have to consider when matching is the rule of 3. This simply refers to the fact that 2 out of 3 things that you are wearing can be the same pattern. For example: if you are wearing a pinstriped suit. then either your tie or your shirt can be striped, but not both. When it comes to patterns, you want to watch that the patterns aren't too similar in size. This goes with stripes as well. The stripe widths need to be different or it looks too much like you cut a piece of your tie/shirt/suit and made the other striped piece. For checks on checks, I often opt for a large box check for the shirt and use a smaller pattern for the tie. Sometimes it is nice to mix up the direction of the checks as well. A small diamond shape on the basic windowpane is a nice classic look.

If you really have a lot of trouble with the matching, pick up a magazine and cut out the pictures that you like and use them for shopping. In a 2008 interview with the CEO of Armani, one of the main things talked about was how he found it ridiculous that men refused to use their resources for shopping. There is nothing wrong with taking your favorite advertisements and trying to replicate them within your wardrobe. I know you love Michael Bay, but those Victoria's Secret ads aren't going to help you become better dressed... just put those back. Another helpful tip is to find a sales associate who seems to be very knowledgeable and take their advice... unless of course you hate what they are wearing. When worse comes to worse, just shop off the mannequins. They are probably "store set" which means that they were picked out by people with a degree in visuals or who at least seem to have "good taste."

Finally, what is the deal with men only knowing how to tie one knot? Are you kidding me? Every man should learn how to tie, at the bare minimum, the basic three knots. Each has a different time to be used. I've found that most men learned how to tie the only knot that they know from their father. There is nothing wrong with that, but one knot doesn't fit every situation. Oh, and if you are the kind of man that leaves your tie tied when you are not wearing it, please stop. For the love of all that is good in this world of fashion, please stop. All that does is press permanent wrinkles into the tie. So back to the knots...the first knot that we come to is the four-in-hand. This is the simplest of options and leaves the smallest result. It is used with forward point and button down shirts. Next we come to the half-windsor. This is the lazy brother of the Windsor knot but works well when the larger knot just doesn't seem to fit. Finally, the full windsor knot (named after the Duke of Windsor) is the most elegant knot and, as consequence, the most formal. Regardless of what type of knot you tie, the dimple must be present in the tie just below the base of the knot. This "crease" should be centered and pulled tight.

Final Verdict: no excuses... master a couple knot variations. Once you have that down, try being more creative with your shirt/tie combinations. You may ask why, but I need go no further than the words of ZZ Top: every girl's crazy about a sharp-dressed man.

The Art of James Bond

Suave: having a sophisticated charm, smoothly agreeable, and smugly convinced of their respectability. What an absolutely wonderful word. It is something that everyone should strive towards. Few men in our day have mastered the art of being completely debonair. When you have achieved this rakish element, women melt at the mere sound of your voice. Being handsome/well dressed usually goes along with this attribute, which is why I've decided to talk about it. Personally, I think that being suave is most simply broken down into two parts: wit and confidence. It is about knowing when to say something and knowing that when you say it that you are going to get a preset response, thus you are never off your game. Recently I decided to take it upon myself to help a fellow worker out with his suavity due to his complete lack thereof. His personality is amazingly agreeable, but the charm factor was just lacking a little bit. We began by talking about a specific situation where he struggled to find the correct words to use. By going back over the situation and presenting other alternatives he is now equipped if another situation should present itself. Being charming to the opposite sex is something that is not innate in most men, so it is a skill that needs to be honed and practiced until the desired outcome is achieved.

Final Verdict: get out and practice this lost skill and you may be surprised by where it can take you...items off your dinner receipt, good customer service, or just plenty of smiles.

Something A Little Different

Most of the time when I am talking about shoes for the female sex, I tend to recommend footwear with a heel over 3.5". I do this mainly because they are the sexiest option, but every once in a while a flat option comes around that I find worthy of my stamp of approval. These boots by Loeffler Randall have earned that high honor. These fantastic combat boots would look amazing with anything from jeans to a plaid dress. They work perfectly with the hues this fall/winter, yet their classic design will allow them to be fitting year after year.

Much like my last designer recommendation, Simon Spurr, this is a young brand. The label was created by Jessie Randall when she couldn't seem to find the exact boots she wanted to own. She must have been onto something because in 2007 she won the CDFA award for accessories, and then in 2009 Loeffler Randall was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the top 500 fastest growing private companies.

Final Verdict: If you are in the mood for a new yet respected brand, give these boots a whirl.

Suit Obsession

Every once in a blue moon a menswear designer comes out that just nails the rakish elegance of the male ensemble. These designers can do for the male frame what Valentino or Carolina Herrera can do for the female silhouette. My latest designer obsession is the inspired Simon Spurr.

Simon, originally from Kent England, worked his way up in the industry until he was recruited to be Design Director for Ralph Lauren Black and Purple labels. After a few years of working for Ralph he launched his own denim line, before branching out to a broader range in 2007.

Final Verdict: His designs are amazing, and to top it all off, he's a really down-to-earth and pleasant guy in person.

On A Quest

Now that Santa has closed out the famous Thanksgiving Macy's parade, the holiday season has begun. Every store under the planet is ready to bombard you with shopping incentives, gift wrappings, and the smell of cranberry and cookies. In all the flurry you have to find time to go out and get that tree for your place. If you are one of those pathetic souls that has a pre-decorated trees in a box waiting in storage you might as well stop reading now. I'm talking to those out there that must embark on the quest for the perfect tree, much like the Griswolds in Christmas Vacation.

Now, just because you don't have a designer axe and amazing leather sling like the one above from Best Made Company, this doesn't mean that you still can't dress the part. Whether you are going out to chop down your evergreen or just going to find your ideal tree at a local lot, you should still aspire to channel your inner woodsman. The key is to look like you could be going out into the great unknown, or perhaps just came back from there.

Starting from the bottom, you should begin with boots. The below Paul Smith Fremont oakwood suede pair should do the trick, although most lace-up versions would work. Don't forget to throw some heavy socks underneath. The camp socks from J.Crew should do nicely.

Following with the outdoor trend, denim pants should be a no-brainer. Perhaps something by Levi's, now that they are offering a selection of fits and washes to suit just about any desire you may have. Also, they have created partnerships with many retailers out there, so you can find their wares at everywhere from Macy's to Brooks Brothers.

Moving upward, we come to the torso. The obvious choice is some sort of a flannel shirt which you can layer over anything from chest hair to a heather waffle t-shirt. For a lower price option peruse the wares at Urban Outfitters, or for a more vintage feel locate the nearest Double RL store. In fact, I think you could get just about every item needed for your entire wardrobe at Double RL, but you may go broke in the process.

Finally, we come to the outerwear and cold weather accessories. The jacket is a key part of the entire outfit; and you don't want it to look too dressy. This gorgeous Trailmaster Replica Evolution jacket by Belstaff fits the bill. As for the cold weather accessories, Rag & Bone has some great options, including these Knightsbridge Patch mittens that will keep your fingers toasty, while still allowing the tactile dexterity of touchscreen texting.

Final Verdict: You only get an excuse to dress like a mountain man a few times a year, so embrace this glorious time of year and make your fellow men proud.