Tag Archives: Friday Style Debate

Friday Style Debate: Is the tuck already dead?

Time to Debate!

FSD boots tucked in look

Friday Style Debate: Is the tuck already dead?

I was struck earlier today as I passed two separate guys downtown who were both rocking the pants tucked into the boots look – I say “struck” because to my eye the look has all but disappeared this winter.  Last year the look was everywhere – both on the runway, with celebrities (think Kanye West) as well as with the average fellow on the street.  Not the case this year – to the point that its demise is as quick as we’ve seen a trend go in awhile.  Perhaps if we could all pull the look off as well as the chap on the left it would’ve stuck around.

As such I ask the question – is the tuck already dead?  And if so is it being replaced by the cleaner look of slim pants being rolled to expose a more sleek style boot?  Let the debate begin…

Friday Style Debate: Is this the most versatile of coats?

Time to Debate!

FSD - top coats

Friday Style Debate: Is this the most versatile of coats?

For those paying attention we missed two debates while I was away in Paris splitting time on holiday as well as conducting some business.  What quickly became very apparent on the streets of Paris was the prevalence of the top coat on both men and women.  Unstructured, structured, fitted, over-sized, in lighter shades or dark – all of the above were on display.

On the men’s side what was most noticeable was the varied way they were worn; from the traditional manner over a suit, to a dressed down aesthetic with casual clothing and sneakers all the way to pairing them with ‘athleisure’ gear like jogger pants and trainers.  At every level the influence on the over-all look was the same – it added an extra hint of flair that further elevated the guys look.  Which brought me to the conclusion that by far the top coat is the most versatile coat there is.  What other coat can be as comfortable in such a wide variety of styles?

So – what do you think?  Is it the most versatile coat out there or have I overlooked another option?  Let the debate begin…

Friday Style Debate: how do you scarf?

Time to Debate!

scarves - color vs basic

Friday Style Debate: how do you scarf?

With the cold rudely arriving this week it’s definitely time to be breaking out the scarf collection. As I did exactly that it got me thinking as to how others approach what in my view is the ultimate winter accessory.

In my case it goes without saying that I’m a fan of the more muted and subtle approach; I tend to focus more on the richness and depth of muted colors and their texture as opposed to pure boldness.  That said I do marvel every time I visit London in the winter and witness the incredible barrage of color that the English favor in their scarves.  Nothing screams a Mayfair businessman quite like a muted navy suit paired with a dose of color from their socks at the bottom and a scarf from the top!

So – how do you scarf?  Do you lean towards the muted and subtle or do you get pulled to the boldness of color?  Or perhaps you’re someone who likes to dabble on both sides of the sartorial spectrum and keep the rest of us guessing?  Let the debate – or poll in this case – begin…

Friday Style Debate: the thin line of contrived…

Time to debate!

FSD - too Affected- II

Friday Style Debate: the thin line of contrived…

A bit of a conceptual debate this week; all based on my reaction to this image that was posted on The Sartorialist last Friday.   My initial reaction is that he absolutely nails it – here was the quick analysis:

The denim shirt and knit tie are paired perfectly with the heavy wool herringbone jacket – a combination that creates an elevated look but one that is definitely casual in nature due to the less formal materials chosen.  This is coupled with the fact that jacket itself is already on the casual side of the formality scale due to the military inspired cargo pockets on what is otherwise a traditionally designed jacket.  The weathered belt is a great touch while the pocket square softens the entire look.  I even like how the sunglasses are nonchalantly tossed in the breast pocket – it’s practical place for them after all.

But something wasn’t right for me – somehow the overall look felt too polished and slightly affected.  What was throwing me off?  The flipping up of his shirt cuff.

This decision screams out to me that he is actually trying to be stylish and fashionable.  The problem is that to my eye this overpowers all of the other details which he has absolutely nailed.  I loved it when it was all about the subtle details of the cloth and the design but with the flip he crossed the line and became too contrived for me.

Harsh?  Fair?  Somewhere in the middle?  Let the debate begin…

Friday Style Debate: to turtleneck under the jacket or not?

Time to debate!

turtleneck + blazer II

Friday Style Debate: to turtleneck under the jacket or not?

Over the last few seasons the 60’s throw back of the turtleneck under a jacket has re-emerged and it shows no signs of slowing down as of yet.  At this point everything is fair game – whether it’s a thin turtleneck or something more chunky; or whether it’s combined with an odd jacket, a blazer or a full blown suit.

The main question of course is how do we feel about it – are we on board with the style or is the overall look a bit too contrived for your tastes?  Perhaps the individual needs a touch of je ne sais quoi to pull it off?

Personally I’m starting to warm up to it after a bit of a slow start.  This feeling was enhanced by a client who dropped by for a fitting last week executing the look beautifully – that said he has a hint of je ne sais quoi assisting him though!

Let the debate begin…

Friday Style Debate: to roll your dress shirt sleeves or not?

Time to debate!

FSD - sleeves II

Friday Style Debate: to roll your dress shirt sleeves or not?

This is no definitive rule on this matter thus it’s a subject totally open for debate and to the whims of your personal sense of style.

I’ll get the ball rolling as for me the moment your jacket comes off the sleeves must go up.  This is the case regardless as to whether you are wearing a tie or not.  A dress shirt is exactly that – and by that I mean it’s dressy and to be worn to a certain degree of formality.  The moment a jacket is removed or not worn in the first place means the formality of the situation has been lowered and hence it’s time to roll.  As such I think the guy on the right looks comical – he’s totally looking formal but lacking the most important element of the look in the jacket.  The fellow on the left however looks completely put together.

Do you agree? Disagree? Perhaps you have another theory as to what you do in certain situations?  Either way I’d love to hear your opinions on this subject matter – I look forward to hearing from you.

Let the debate begin…

Friday Style Debate: who wears the odd suit best?

Time to Debate!

FSD - odd suit

Friday Style Debate: who wears the odd suit best?

This is a fitting subject matter considering the debate always falls on the traditional business casual day that is Friday.  Last week I received a text message urging me to do a debate featuring well executed odd suit combinations – the impetus being that this person was seeing too many guys in the office dressing down suit jackets with poorly executed casual pant.

As such here are two examples of very solid odd suit execution – in this case both going with the timeless and classic blue + grey combo.  By breaking things up you’re clearly dropping on the formality scale but you’re keeping things elevated at the same time.  To be more casual still it’s an easy play – especially for the guy on the right.  Drop the tie and he’s just as perfect as the layering cardigan brings a bit of a pop from a color and texture point of view yet he’s totally put together.  For those who want a bit more information check out this previous post on the odd suit that I posted a few months back.  Let me know if you have any questions and/or thoughts.

So – let’s get down to business.  Who is wearing the odd suit the best?  I’d love to hear you thoughts on this one – let the debate begin…

Friday Style Debate: IDS West Edition…

Time to debate!

IDS FSD

Friday Style Debate: IDS West Edition…

The studio at Clark & Venables has been going through major renovations over the last couple of months – as such a final addition might have to be a new statement furniture piece.  With IDS West taking place this weekend I thought it fitting to showcase a few of Vancouver finest furniture designers.  Clockwise from left; Knauf and Brown, Brett Riekert and our neighbours around the corner Propellor.

I know it’s a tough question for those who haven’t seen the studio + we’re really looking to celebrate all these local talents.  With that in mind let’s make this the softest debate on record!

Let the debate begin…

Friday Style Debate: experimenting with pant widths…

Time to debate!

FSD - pant width

Friday Style Debate: experimenting with your pant widths…

We’re continuing with the pant theme after last week’s provocative jogger discussions.  For those of you paying attention to the fall previews in the men’s magazines you’ll have noticed a bit of a push towards a fuller cut trouser.  To some this as a natural progression from the trimmer silhouettes we’ve been seeing lately; for others it’s nothing more than the need to show something new and different.

The question is what are you going to be doing this coming fall?  The examples above show three distinct ways of executing a slightly looser look while maintaining a crisp silhouette.  Does this inspire you to experiment with your pant widths or will you be sticking with the slimmer silhouette a while longer?

Let the debate begin…

Friday Style Debate: The Jogger Pant Phenomenon…

Time to debate!

FSD - joggers

Friday Style Debate: The Jogger Pant Phenomenon…

I try to keep my views out of the debate as much as possible but this week I’m giving myself a mulligan as I think this could be a contentious one.  I’ll open by saying I have not been a fan of this look from the outset – from both a personal perspective as well as from a general stylistic point of view.

That said my view point was opened somewhat this week as I saw a friend and two clients wearing the style – all three executed the look very well and it got me thinking as to what they were doing that made it work.  In each case they were fashionable but clearly casual and more specifically they wore them trainers.  One with Run-DMC inspired Adidas high tops and two with Nike Frees.  Which brings us to the images above and the fellow on the right – fashionable though clearly casual and looking great.  As for the image on the left – it simply looks like he forgot his pants and had no choice but to throw on his joggers.  In other words confused.

So – for success do the joggers have to be clearly casual in nature?  Or is the dress jogger allowed to replace a proper pant?  You know where I stand – I look forward to hearing your opinions.

Let the debate begin…