Timepieces, a stance

I, like most gentlemen I know, love a fine timepiece. A good friend of mine has one of the best collections I have seen to date. He also has the best explanation I have heard for a fine timepiece. I paraphrase, "As I sit here, I am wearing standard looking jeans, a nondescript belt, and a white oxford shirt (it was warm, he was shoeless). There is absolutely nothing about my appearance that dictates my personality, except my watch.". This was an excellent point. He loved a beautifully constructed, mechanical, timepiece and he only bought ones that said something about him. I also have a nice watch or two, and each one represents some part of me. In a day where our cell phones are never far, and every moving object we enter has a clock, a watch is not as much a necessity as a nice, all be it utilitarian, item for a man to wear.
The justification for an expensive timepiece is unfortunately illustrated in one of my most hated ads. "You never actually own a Patek Phillipe, you are simply holding on to it for the next generation". It has to be the snootiest ad I have yet to see, but shit, our fathers hand down their legacy in whatever form they can. For most men, the materialization of that is a watch. And a good watch, will be handed down to the next generation. I do not intend to own such a timepiece from such a righteous brand, but I do intend on handing a fine timepiece down to the next generation. Does that make me a hypocrite? Probably, but hell, nobody's perfect.

Lifestyle Ettiquette

Today I am going to talk about a very touchy subject, lifestyle. First it stands to be said, that while I intend to promote a certain lifestyle, I find it far more important that the world is comprised of many. Now, during the worst of the Great Recession, the gentleman's magazines started to endorse a less flashy lifestyle. This subdued way of living is something I have long promoted. In order for me to explain this I need to start with where I came from.
I was born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Whilst in Connecticut, I attended private schools. By no means am I stating this as a lifestyle suggestion, it was merely the best form of education my parents could provide me with, given the schools in the area. However, there were many children that came from decent to extreme money. By the time I was in high school, every girl I knew (without exaggeration) had some form of Tiffany's silver jewelery. It was sad. Sad for two reasons. First, and the far more important reason, it was wasteful. Cow-towing to a trend that was an ostentatious waste of money, especially in a world that has too little to begin with. Second, and a bit more pertinent to the point, in economics, the quickest way to devalue the dollar, peso, loony, etc, is to make more of it. Tiffanys used to be an equinox in the jewelry world, a place where someone went to buy a fantastic piece of jewelery, made by the best craftsmen. I would venture to bet that, outside of the bridal department, over half of their current business comes from items with the classic Tiffany & Co. stamp clearly visible. I am not saying that they are sacrificing quality to meet their demand, in fact I am surprised at how well the quality has remained, but while the brand is loosing its shock value, it is also making those Americans with money look like they don't care about the other 99% of the world. Tiffanys is not the only guilty perpetrator here. Louis Vitton, Burberry, Gucci (less so now), and Coach are equally, and in most cases far more, guilty of this. Coach used to be made in Turkey, by hand, as an example of the finest leather items available. It's now made in China, and they do have a "factory outlet" line, that I venture to guess sacrifices either quality of leather, leather treatment, or construction to hit its price mark.
The purpose of all of this is, these companies built their reputation on quality of construction. They are now status symbols. In some instances they are about unique style. I believe that spending money, just to show that you have money, is rude. If you intend on investing money on an item, do it for quality. Do not push it in other people's faces. I take the subway at least twice a day, every day. I have yet to step into a car and not see a Louis Viton bag. It makes me uncomfortable. Please do not be ignorant, a fair portion of the world hates us (Americans). I guarantee the constant flaunting I encounter only serves to make the situation worse.

Choice Construction - Shirt Edition

Knowing what makes a well constructed shirt is paramount. Below, I aim to explain what choices you may face when deciding to purchase a shirt. This article will weigh the pros and cons of differing methods.

As I had mentioned in a "Quality Construction - Shirt Edition", I believe the mitered yolk is the correct construction method for a shirt. This stems from the fact that the only criticism is that it may be useless. If it is not, however, it allows the fabric to be cut and sewn in the natural direction of the shoulders. The alternative would be a straight, single, piece of fabric for the yolk. At best, this would provide equal drape and feel as the mitered yolk and cost a very small percentage less to make. If, however, the stigma that there is a difference is true, than the down side to a single piece yolk is that it provides an inferior drape and feel. Long story short, Mitered Yolk - Pros: Possible better drape/feel, Cons: Realistically, none. Straight/Single Piece Yolk - Pros: A small fraction easier to make, Cons: Could be inferior. Translation, you gain nothing by going with the straight/single piece and possibly lose something in trade. The trade off is minimal enough though, that I saw fit to place it in this section about construction options.

The next topic about construction options would be stitching. Previously, I said that the best stitch is a running (straight/old fashioned) stitch. I have yet to hear a real argument for anything better. The real alternative here is hand sewn. Hand sewn shirts are a rarity these days. Turnbull and Asser, in my opinion the best shitmakers in England, don't even bother with it anymore. Some custom companies, as well as some Italians (Kiton, Borrelli, I believe) still do it. Time consuming, to say the least, and much more expensive, there is a benefit, mobility. Mobility here does not mean while being worn, but rather while ironing. If you have ever tried to iron a regular shirt it always seems to pucker slightly at the seams. Looser, hand sewn shirts do not do this. As far as machine sewn shirts are concerned, there used to be an English company Coles Shirtmaker, now W.H. Taylor, that made its shirts with 20 stitches per inch. That is an overly technical detail about how tightly, and securely, their shirts were sewn together. According to them, the average in the industry is 15/in. I would imagine hand sewn is closer to 10/in. So you loose the durability of more stitches, but gain the ease of ironing, and more importantly, the providence of displaying beautiful craftsmanship.

A more trivial option is shirt length. Most high end shirts are very long. Ideally, you wouldn't be wearing a dress shirt untucked, henceforth, the excess length keeps it tucked in better. I know a few guys that will use their dress shirts on the weekend too, most commonly untucked. This is really your choice, I have "generous" length on mine.

Gauntlet. This is the section of the shirt at the forearm with the button. I have a tendency to get mine made without the button, resulting in a shorter opening. This my have been poorly thought out on my part. With the button, you tend to get a longer opening, thereby making it easier to undo all buttons and roll up the sleeves. So, if you roll up your sleeves, go with the button, otherwise you will eventually rip your shirts. Trust me.

Monograms are a dicey choice. Some people thing it looks regal, some think it's just ostentatious. Personally, I believe I have found a nice medium. Hide it. I get my monogram on either a shirt tail or inside of my collar (just above the shirt label). It's still there, but only my tailor, my lady, and now all of you, know that I have one.

The final choice should be collars and cuffs. I group these together because they are strictly a matter of choice. There are a few things that deserve to be pointed out. With regards to French/Double cuffed shirts, you need them to wear cufflinks, and you need cufflinks to wear them (there is a style called convertible cuffs, a hybrid, but its a bit indecisive for my taste). Opinion: like monograms some see French/Double cuffs as "flashy", to circumvent this I always try to use modest cufflinks, nothing with gems, nothing too big, nothing that says BAM! Also, there is a great article (click here) about what collar style goes with what type of face. It is helpful. If you feel overwhelmed, I have found that most people will look just fine with a medium spread collar, but do take the article into consideration.

Most importantly, the choice is yours. Don't F* up. Lest,you could be left with a shirt that costs hundreds of dollars and doesn't suit your needs. But, no pressure.

Quality Construction - Shoe Edition

This article is a basic breakdown of what makes a well made shoe. It is a compilation of my knowledge of construction methods, and what I have found to be the best.

The visual aids below are provided by a friend in the cordovan (shoe-making) industry, Scarpe di Bianco. Di Bianco makes some of the best shoes I have ever seen, a fantastically crafted product.

There are three construction methods for proper shoes. McKay/Blake, Goodyear, and Norwegian.

McKay/Blake is where the upper (the side of the shoe) is sewn with a running stitch to the insole. It is a simple way of making a shoe, and not a terrible one either. The standard Italian loafer in a man's wardrobe, the Ferragamo, is constructed in such a method. The simplicity of the design allows for maximum mobility.

Goodyear is constructed with an additional piece of leather. The piece of leather is placed outside of the upper and above the sole. This piece (called the welt) is sewn first to the insole, through the upper (think of the welt on the outside of the upper, the insole on the inside of the upper, and one stitch connecting all three). Then this whole construction is sewn to the sole with a piece of cork below the insole to allow for a perfect fit. Goodyear shoes are able to be deconstructed and reconstructed easier than McKay/Blake shoes. They are, therefore, praised as having a longer life ability.

Norwegian shoes are an art form due to their complexity. The upper is tucked under the welt in this construction. So, to the outside observer, it would appear that there is a welt, another piece of leather (actually the upper bent under the welt), and then the sole. Placing the welt on top of the upper means that the stitching connecting it to the insole, through the upper, is visible on the outside of the shoe. To those that know what they are looking for, it is a sort of craftsman's tell. As with the Goodyear, there is cork between the insole and the sole. Also, much like Goodyear, given its re-craft-ability, it has a long life expectancy.

There are many, many pieces to a shoe, and they all have proper names. I am happy to do an article on this, but thanks again to Scarpe di Bianco, we have an excellent diagram to summarize for us. As far as choice of materials is concerned, this is very important, natural is better! Leather, wood, cork, possible metal for the shank. Anything else just doesn't work as well. It is possible with an excellent cordovan to get rubber fused to the bottom of the shoe. This is a utility for comfort and grip. I personally like the straight leather bottoms, although there is something 'Bambi on the ice-esq' about the first time you wear them.

It deserves to be said that from a waterproofing standpoint the more complex of a construction, the less likely water is to enter the shoe.

Care for your Garments

Great garment care is rather simple to teach. With suits, the more you dry clean them the more the material is negatively affected. Only send a suit to be dry cleaned when it is stained or smells. Most issues men have with suits can be solved by letting it air out on a hanger for a day or two then having it pressed by a reputable tailor. With shirts, I always wash my shirts with a delicate detergent (I use Penguin sport wash, it washes completely out and it take care of odors). I always let the shirts air dry. Then I press them by hand. Seem tedious? When it comes to expensive/custom shirts I want them to last as long as possible. With white shirts, (this works best for white bed sheets too), I use "Spray and Wash Stain Stick" for the inside of the collar and cuffs, as well as spots. I pre-soak them with "Oxi-Clean" for an hour in very hot water. Then I proceed with my standard practice for dress shirts. Bleach destroys fabrics as bad or worse than dry cleaning chemicals. If you have nice fabrics, a pre-soak with Oxi-Clean, wash with gentle detergent, and air dry is the safest and most trusted method of care.

Quality Construction - Suit Edition

This article is a basic breakdown of what makes a well made suit. It is a compilation of my knowledge of construction methods, and what I have found to be the best.

It needs to be noted that the most important element of a suit is in the construction of the jacket. Between the wool on the outside and the lining on the inside there is, or should be, a piece of canvass. This piece of material should be made from either horse hair, linen, or a combination of the two. The canvas should run the full length of the front of the jacket. Most importantly, the canvas should be sewn in, and definitely not glued. Gluing the canvas to the wool makes the wool stiffer, less breathable, and can cause puckering when dry cleaned. The only reason to do this is to save money on construction (or to make a suit look unnaturally stiff). The canvas serves a real purpose, it absorbs moisture, thereby saving the wool from you. Every time it does this it expands with the moisture and contracts while it dries in the air. This means that over numerous wears, it is naturally shaping to your body and provides a bit of "memory" as to how a jacket should drape over your body. While the canvas is remembering how to hug your lines, the wool worries about having a clean and beautiful drape.

This is an image of the underside of a well made lapel. There are three things to be noted here. First, the suit fabric folded over the felt (located under the collar). This is a method of re-enforcing the construction of the collar. Next, I apologize for the poor picture quality, but if you look closely at the button hole you will notice that it is hand sewn. Hand sewn button hole, are a representation of the quality and care of craftsmanship that went into the garment. Similarly, buttons that have been sewn on by hand are more likely not to fall off (not easy to photograph). Lastly, you will notice the small stitch under the button hole. This is because the button hole on a lapel is intended to be used with a boutonniere (flower). The small stitch is there to hold the flower's stem in place. I never wear a boutonniere, but it's nice to know if I did, my suit has my back.

Functional button cuffs. My biggest pet peeve with most suits. The reason there are buttons on the cuff, is in case you ever need to pull up your suit sleeve. They are also called surgeon's cuffs, a reference to a day where in an emergency a doctor would not take off his jacket before starting surgery, merely roll up his sleeves. If you will never use them, that's fine, but why would a manufacturer put buttons on a sleeve if they serve no purpose. Make them work, or don't put them them in the first place.

This is an image a secure waistband. These pants are made with two buttons on the waist band itself, and one button level to the top of the zipper. The flap you see, just past the zipper, on the section with the black buttons has a button hole. That hole works with the white button. This allows the pant fabric to be securely fitted over the hips. It also takes the stress off of the waistband when your hips are moving. The two buttons on the actual waistband re-enforce each other. NB: hook and eye clasps work just as well replacing the two black buttons.

This image illustrates three features. First, the black strip on the inside of the waistband. That strip has little pieces of rubber sewn to it. This does not at all affect the fit. It simply serves to hold your shirt, securely tucked in to the pants. Next, you will notice just under the black strip there is an inch of fabric that is "scalloped" That is to say, it is pleated (most recognizable below the left-most button pictured). The reason for this is to allow the trouser material to transition from the rather tick waistband to the rather thin lining with an extra layer of padding. It allows for a smother drape of the trouser wool just below the waistband. The reason for the scalloping is for premium ventilation on hot days. Finally, note the pocket sewn into the actual waistband. Commonly refereed to as the "Napoli" pocket, it is a secret stash zone in your pants. The reason it is called the Napoli pocket, is it originated in Naples, Italy. Naples in the home to some of the best Italian tailoring houses. It is also home to the best gypsy pickpockets outside of Tijuana. Necessity is the mother of all invention.

This image also shows three things. Quickly, the name sewn into the fabric shows that the suit is more about you than the tailor. Second, the fact that the wool is wrapped around the interior pocket is a key element. To wrap the wool like this is costly to the tailor. He need an extra 6" of fabric, latterly. There are plenty of fabrics that are $1000 a yard. This shows that the tailor is more concerned with the garment looking proper than the extra fabric he has to cut. The last item to be noted here is the piece of fabric to the right of the pocket. This is actually located right at the pit of the arm. It is a sweat guard. It stops you from staining the lining, or worse yet seeping through to the wool. It is replaceable and a nice feature.

This is a picture of pick stitching. Most people will show you pick stitching on the lapel. Here we see it around the breast pocket and, if you look closely, don the seam of the stomach dart. You can also see it below on the side seam of the pants. It is rather easy to incorporate pick stitching on the lapel, it is much more time consuming to incorporate it on every seam. It shows the love that the garment was tailored with, it also shows that the garment was well tailored.

Lastly, a nice addition to a pair of slacks. This is the inside of the pant leg bottom. Look at the piece of vertical fabric. This is called a "kick guard". The kick guard is meant to take any abrasion, abuse, or discoloration inflicted by the heel of your shoes. When you are shining your shoes and run that black sponge around the sole of your shoe, that can get on the inside of your pants. Also, the fact that the heel is constantly rubbing against the inside of the cuff puts wear on the wool. This little piece of fabric takes all of that abuse and is easily replaceable.

Quality Construction - Shirt Edition

This article is a basic breakdown of what makes a well made shirt. It is a compilation of my knowledge of construction methods, and what I have found to be the best.



This is the first element. Removable collar stays. This allows you to have crisp looking collars, without worrying about the plastic inserts breaking in the wash. Also, metal stays (sometimes called collar bones) are relatively cheap and will last forever. Most custom shirt makers will even give you a set that is right for your collar.



The part of the shirt just below the collar, running lengthwise along your shoulder is called the yolk. There are differing schools of thought on construction, my best recommendation is to have it mitered (two pieces sewn together at an angle). The argument for it is your shoulders slope from your neck downwards. Accordingly, the piece of fabric covering your shoulders should be sewn the same way, for a better "drape". The argument against it is that it is unnecessary. I prefer to air on the side of caution. Typically the English prefer a mitered yolk (Turnbull & Asser, Kilgour, etc) and the Italians don't bother (Luigi Borelli, Kiton, etc).



Almost every good shirt I have seen has the bottom buttonhole sewn vertically. Put simply, this makes it harder for the button to come undone whilst the shirt moves around your hips inside your pants.


This picture serves two purposes. It is the inside of the shirt, at the bottom of the side seam. It shows a "butterfly gusset", or a small piece of fabric used to re-enforce the bottom of the seam. This is a small detail that makes the shirt less likely to rip when stressed. I also took this photo to show that a good shirt is sewn entirely with a single line stitch. Notice that you can see every stitch in a straight simple line, not crisscrossed. This is a more expensive type of stitching, and in my opinion, the strongest/most reliable. I will talk later about the pros & cons of machine vs. hand stitching.


This is a personal preference of mine, but I always get my shirts made with back "darts". A dart is where the excess fabric is "sewn out", a process of pinching the excess material, cutting it out, and sewing a taper. Alternatively a tailor might choose to take a shirt in on the sides. The perk to darts is that your back naturally arches inward in the center then back out over your arse. Darts force the fabric to mimic that natural line, taking in a garment on the sides only pulls a flat piece of fabric closer to the side seam.


Pictured is commonly referred to as shoulder pleats. This is where the fabric is pleated on the left and right shoulder, just below the yolk. Typically it is a 1/2" pleat. The practicality of this feature is when you move your arms in a hugging motion, you gain an extra 1" of leeway without putting stress on the seams. When combined with darts, it gives an exceptionally well tailored look and drape.

This is a picture of a Kiton shirt via Esquire.com. It is an example of a construction method not used on any of my shirts. The different piece of fabric under the collar is called "panama weave". It gives the shirt more structure in the collar, especially with finer shirt fabrics. It is an excellent construction method, and one I hope my tailor will adopt.

Lastly, buttons. Genuine mother of pearl buttons have been used forever. Honestly, they do make a difference. Not only in looks, but also in durability. They show you that your shirtmaker doesn't sacrifice quality for cheap plastic knockhoffs just to save a couple of cents.