A follow up to a post I wrote a few months ago:
Flip flops: Not in the house, not at the beach, and definitely not in public. When wearing sandals I prefer Adidas slides in navy.
“Sporty” sunglasses: So basically anything Oakley. Running theme of this Tumblr - stick to the classics! Aviators and Wayfarers are two great, affordable examples, but once you up your price range to brands like Persol, Oliver Peoples, or Moscot there are a lot more options. Frankly, I can’t justify spending $300+ on sunglasses, but these brands offer a lot of inspiration for finding more affordable, handsome frames. Check out Put This On’s guide for a great series on buying shades.
Prep overkill: This is a plague in the South. Sperrys, critter pants, canvas motif belt, pastel shirt, blazer, visor, and Croakies all worn at the same time makes me want to vomit. One thing I think I do well is wear very loud pieces as subtle as possible. Let me explain. I have green and red blazers, a blue windowpane tweed sport coat, obnoxious madras shirts, orange flannel pants, and lavender corduroys. But I don’t wear them together. I wear one piece at a time and keep the rest of my outfit very muted. If I wear the orange pants I do it with brown captoes and belt, solid blue oxford, navy blazer, and gray wool tie.
Epaulets: They look so fucking stupid I can’t stand it and they ruin what is otherwise a handsome jacket or shirt.
Hoodies: Gentleman of VCU and colleges nationwide, take off that damn hoodie. Do you know what a hoodie says? “I was too lazy to put on actual clothes this morning.” If you’re cold then put on a sweater. Hoodies are sloppy and should only be worn to and from the gym.
Cotton sweaters: I can understand why people disagree with this choice, but I find them lifeless and ineffective at containing body heat. If you’re in need of a lightweight sweater, check out thinner ones in wool and cashmere.
Big brother’s suit: Improperly fitting clothes really gall me, but a suit or sport coat that swallows up the man it is supposed to flatter drives me up a wall. There is no excuse for a jacket that is too large and too long, because well fitting suits are made at all price levels. If you know someone who has suits that look like they were hand me downs from his linebacker brother, refer him to this excellent PTO guide on fit.
Square toed shoes: This is obvious. Completely unflattering.
Pleated pants: First, my style leans trad and pleats aren’t trad. Second, I don’t like the way they look on me or most people. Pleats draw the eye to the belt line, which isn’t desirable if you have a large stomach. I can see myself bending a little on this, but only if the pants have a single pleat or if I was wearing a tuxedo.
Breaking up a striped suit: Wearing the striped jacket with solid pants or a solid top with the striped suit pants screams, “I have no idea how to dress myself!” Solid suit pants are easy to rock without the jacket, but a solid suit jacket should not be worn separately. A solid gray jacket looks out of place and instead of a rocking a solid navy suit jacket, a navy blazer is ideal.
Short sleeve button downs: If you want short sleeves and a collar, put on a polo. Nothing else.
Currently 30% off with free shipping, these Oak Street Bootmakers Oxfords ($179) are a gorgeous shoe for the summer. I like them a lot more than the other OSB shoe currently on sale, the penny loafer. The upper on it is gorgeous, but the crepe sole is dreadful. Here’s a description of the oxford courtesy of the Lands End website:
