Your clothing says a lot about you. The matching of a shirt and tie, the color of your socks, to the finish of your trousers, these small pieces all put together show off your personality and style to the world. Putting single items of clothing together to make the perfect ensemble can sometimes be a daunting task.
Over the years, we have received numerous questions ranging from the correct way to tie a tie to finding the right pair of shoes for a suit. Here we have collaborated a few of these questions along with our answers to help you become more familiar with the clothing you choose.
Click on the questions to the right to view the answers to our current questions on style.
The navy blazer can be worn with a variety of trousers, from grey flannels
to chinos and jeans. A pale grey trouser has long been accepted all over the
world as the standard complement to the blazer. When picking out grey trousers
to complement your blazer, stay away from really dark hues. Dark greys tend
to wash out the outfit and pull the attention away from the blue of the blazer.
Long recognized as a great combination in the Eastern United States, and considered
the "uniform" of our hometown Charleston, chinos are easily paired
with a navy blazer. The always-standard colors of khaki and the darker British
khaki help create a good background for adding a colorful striped tie. In
fact, trousers of many different colors can be tastefully combined with a
blazer. However, it is best to stay away from blue, unless, of course, you
are pairing your blazer with jeans.
Cordovan leather is famous for its soft and supple feel, nearly indestructible nature and an always polished look. What many people don't realize is that cordovan is not a calf skin but rather horsehide taken from the horse's hindquarters. Cordovan leather was made popular in shoes by the American shoemaker Alden, and to this day the production of cordovan leather remains a specialty of the Americans.
Finding men's clothing items made of cordovan leather is a rarity today. Only one manufacturer in Chicago still tans cordovan leather. The hide from the hindquarters of a horse is only sufficient enough to produce two or three pairs of shoes, and the tanning process for the hide is expensive and very time consuming. It can take up to six months to produce a piece of leather.
The beauty of cordovan comes from its distinctive look and the minimum requirements in care. Generally, cordovan has a reddish brown color but it can be dyed black, tan, or even left natural. Cordovan leather simply needs to be wiped to return it to a fresh state. If polish is desired, a special fine paste wax from Alden, made especially for cordovan leather, is available. Shoes and belts made from cordovan should last an extremely long time and keep a unique look after many years of use.
The type of jacket required for an evening is usually indicated by the invitation.
If the invitation indicates that the event is "white tie" then tails
should be worn and a white bow tie is also on order for the evening. These
days, there are fewer and fewer events in which a gentleman is in need of
tails and a white tie. A formal ball would be the most common requirement
for "white tie" attire.
More popular is the requirement for "black tie" attire. A "black
tie" event indicates the requirement for the gentleman to wear a black
or midnight blue tuxedo and a black bow tie. For this type of event it is
also acceptable to wear a white tuxedo, or dinner jacket, if the party is
outdoors after Memorial Day and before Labor Day. In the tropics, a white
dinner jacket is acceptable all year. Most occasions of this type are a little
more flexible with the color of bow tie required. Depending on the occasion
and the time of day, you may have the option of adding a print or color to
your bow tie.
There are a few differences in the type of trousers required when wearing
a tuxedo or tails. The trousers worn with a tuxedo should be black or midnight
blue to match the jacket and should also have a single silk stripe covering
the outside seam. Black or midnight blue trousers are also worn with a white
tuxedo. The trousers for tails, however, should have two silk stripes on the
outside seam. Trousers for either style should never be finished with cuffs.
When picking out socks for an outfit there are numerous options. Generally, socks should coordinate with the color of your shoes, but not contrast too strongly with trousers. Black socks with black shoes and shades of brown with brown shoes, but no darker than the shoe itself are appropriate. To have a little more fun with your socks, you can use them to bring out some of the other colors of your selected clothing.
Take into consideration your jacket, shirt and tie when selecting socks. Use your socks to complement the color of a stripe in your necktie or bring out the color of your shirt. Bright colors can work perfectly to bring out the colors in a summer tie. It can be especially interesting to use socks to compliment a jacket. Blue socks can be a great addition to a navy blazer, helping to make the blue of the blazer stand out. With a tweed jacket, consider wearing earthy colors of burgundy or green.
The general rule for picking out the belt for an outfit is
to match it with your shoes. Black shoes require a black belt and a brown
belt should be chosen to go with brown shoes. A black belt with a solid brass
buckle should be a staple in every man's closet. More than likely, this will
be required for a dressy suit. With brown, however, you have few more choices
to have a little fun. The specific shade of brown does not necessarily need
to match the shade of brown of the shoes. Even a wine red can be acceptable.
For a more casual look, canvas, grosgrain, cotton, and braided leather belts
can be worn with chinos, jeans, and corduroys. Again, colored belts should
match your shoes but can also compliment the color of your shirt. Once you
have belts in the staple colors of brown and black, along with belts for casual
wear, belts of exotic leathers can be added to a wardrobe. Belts of cordovan,
crocodile and ostrich add a significant flair to an otherwise overlooked mens'
accessory.
Traditionally trousers are shortened so that they break at the third shoe lace from the toe of the shoe. The back of the trouser leg will then just brush the heel of the shoe. A shorter length is also widely accepted among younger crowds, and can help make one look taller. However, most would agree that a trouser leg that is too long never looks good. The leg should never fall below the heel of the shoe.
Along with hemming trousers to the correct length, the decision has to be made whether to have them cuffed or left straight. Although cuffs, should not be worn with tuxedos or tailcoats, they are always correct with all other types of trousers, blue jeans excepted. The proper height of a traditional cuff is 1 1/2 inches.
At first glance, choosing a tie to go with a patterned shirt can be daunting, but your options aren't as slim as they might seem. Of course, a solid tie matching one of the colors of the shirt is always a tasteful addition. However, this should not be thought of as an only option. Nevertheless, choosing ties other than solids takes a bit of experience, and the development of taste and style over time.
To begin with, a simpler strategy can be evoked. Some patterns need not be thought of as patterns, but can be used almost as a solid. In a shirt, very fine line stripes can appear as a solid. Therefore a strong patterned tie will not conflict. However, you cannot assume that a striped necktie would be appropriate with such a shirt. Treat patterns which appear to be solid from the distance as though they are solid in both ties and shirts; a crested tie with a wide repeat - a pattern with a wide setting - can be used as a solid against a busy striped or checked shirting. Striped ties with wide spacing or large block stripes can be great complements to shirts with vibrant grid or plaid patterns.
The width of neckties has always seemed to change with the fashion of the moment. However, traditional style lends itself to neckties which are in balance with the size of the jacket lapels. A traditional American or British garment, or any finely made European garment requires a necktie 3 1/2" to 3 5/8" in width. The proper width of a tie has traditionally been 3 1/2" and most Ben Silver neckwear is cut to this size, with exceptions for larger men who require a slightly wider blade (the outer, visible portion of the necktie.) This is a size that will never be affected by the vicissitudes of fashion. The length should be approximately 56 to 57 inches. A longer tie, for taller men, is generally 60 to 61 inches. A necktie should be tied so that there is no collar space showing at the knot. The tip of the tie should end at the belt, not above it.
Fine neckwear is entirely handmade. Originally all four-in-hand neckties were cut from a single large square of silk, which was folded over 7 times to give it body and fullness. Only a few ties are made in this way today, because of the high cost of silk and the absence of many remaining artisans. However, every finely made necktie is still cut on this bias, to assure that it falls straight after being tied, without curling to a side.
The silk for a necktie is cut into 3 pieces to include the back, the front, and the neck, allowing it to conform to your neck; it should have a stitch joining the two sides on the back, called a bar tack, and applied by hand. It should have a slip-stitch, whose end, knotted, can be found loose under the bar tacked area. This stitch gives resilience to the tie and assures that it will fall out to return to its original shape when hung in your closet. All ties, except 7 fold neckties, are lined. The object of the lining is to provide the proper weight for the tie, so that it knots perfectly. With some silk, a heavier lining is needed to accomplish this; with other silks, it is quite the opposite. In fact, sometimes makers of lesser ties will attempt to pass them off as quality materials by adding a thick lining, as an uneducated consumer might think the thickness of the tie indicates the quality of the outer silk. Fine linings today are made of wool, whose weight is denoted by gold bars.
Whether a gentleman chooses to wear his trousers with or without pleats is really a factor of personal style and taste. Traditionally, American and English Gents wore forward pleats. After WWII, plain fronts, modeled after Army issue trousers, became fashionable. Today, many trousers are cut with reverse pleats. Here at Ben Silver, we prefer the forward, more traditional pleat. We always, however, offer some reverse pleat and plain front options, especially in our sports trousers.
For a large part, pleats help to determine the overall fit of the trouser. Trousers with a plain flat front typically have much less fabric in the thigh area giving the pants a much slimmer profile. The addition of pleats adds a small amount of fabric to the thigh area. Many prefer the extra room pleats add when sitting, but the pant won't look baggy when standing.
