Fashion

Transitioning into fall means that summer fashion gets traded in for autumnal apropos. For men, these five fall trends will be the one’s to embrace.

Quilting - Cozy up to the cushioned jackets, sweatshirts and even pants that will add texture and shape to your wardrobe. Pair a quilted bomber jacket with quilted joggers to get the full effect of this trend.

Slogan sweaters - The graphic t-shirt is replaced by the graphic sweater, as more knits get witty with words for fall. Slip one of these on to make an easy statement.

Too-big tops - Supersize your tees, sweaters and jackets to play with proportions. The slouchy look of an oversized top pairs well with slimmer bottoms. Tailored and well-fitting pants will keep the look from turning sloppy.

Orange - There’s no avoiding this secondary color this season. Bright, saturated orange, like the color of the changing leaves, will be preferred over any other fall tones.

Pleated pants - Relaxed fit pants are favored over the fitted varieties for this fall. Pleats give shape to a roomier fit, while wide leg trousers are preferred by those who dare to try them.

3 Steps to Color Coordination

Afraid to wear color because you don’t know what to pair it with? Follow these simple color coordination guidelines to standout in the crowd while looking like a professional.

1. Like goes with like

When you look at a color wheel, any colors next to each other make a winning pair. For example, greens go well with blues and reds look good with oranges. As a more general rule, cool tones (blue, green, violet) can go with other cool tones and warm tones (red, orange, yellow) pair well with warm tones. Sure, there’s room for experimentation later, but you can’t go wrong with this rule. If you don’t want to add a lot of color into your wardrobe, keep your suits, shirts and slacks neutral, and just add colorful accessories.

2. Pick a base color and an accent color

Choose a neutral (black, gray, brown, beige or navy) for the backdrop and then pick a coordinating accent color. So if you have a dark navy suit, wear a light blue shirt and a mid-blue printed tie and pocket square. The next step would be to apply the first rule and pair that navy suit with a lavender shirt, blue or purple toned tie, and a lavender print pocket square.

3. Add contrast

Once you’ve mastered the first two guidelines, venture out and try adding dimension by wearing contrasting colors. The color wheel can help with this, so you can smartly choose your colors. Instead of picking colors directly next to each other, choose the ones exactly opposite, because they enhance each other. Green can look great with red, blue pops with orange and purple looks brighter with yellow. When styling an outfit, keep a neutral color as the base, choose a secondary color for a shirt and then pick a contrast color for the accessories.

A light gray sport coat and slacks paired with a light blue shirt a pumpkin orange gingham print tie and a burnt orange pocket square will make you look like a style pro.

 

 

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Footwear Focus - Classic Men’s Dress Shoe Styles You Should Know

Options are essential for both clothing and shoes. Wearing the same pair day after day gets boring and expected, plus it shortens the life of the shoes. Stick to these tried and true classic styles to add variety to your attire.

The Oxford

This is the essential for any professional-looking man. It hugs the foot, has laces and has a low heel, making it a comfortable option. For business wear, this style is best in leather or suede in neutral colors like brown, tan or black.

The Derby

Very similar to the oxford, the Derby has almost the same silhouette except for the laces. Set wider apart, this allows for a more roomy fit than an oxford. It is also preferable in leather or suede.

The Monk Shoe

This style refers to the strap that fastens the shoe, called the monk strap (after the monks who originally wore them). It has the same profile as the oxford and derby, but instead of laces, a wide strap crosses the shoe and fastens with a buckle or two. It is just as versatile as the other aforementioned styles.

The Loafer

This slip-on shoe is reminiscent of a moccasin, but is dressier and more polished. The style can  either have a strap with an angled cut in it (referred to as a penny loafer), two tassels or a metal bar shaped like a horses bit going across the front.

The Chelsea Boot

An ankle-length, slip-on style boot, the Chelsea is simple and modern. They have a low heel and a plain toe. In leather, they dress up casual attire and look edgy and daring with a slim-tailored suit. A suede pair would lend itself to more casual ensembles only.

 

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It’s cuffing season – for pants that is. For casual summer-wear, rolling the hem of your pants adds a relaxed detail that shows you have a basic understanding of style. Cuffing makes pants look sleek, since it eliminates any excess bunching at the hem of your pants. Plus, it can be a simple way to draw attention to your footwear and fantastic sock choices. While it’s an easy trick, there are some rules of thumb, so follow these tips:

First, cuffing works best on pants that are slim fit and somewhat structured. That means you should try it on jeans, khakis, and chinos, but skip it for slacks and trousers.

Second, your cuff should be proportional to your height. That means if you’re on the shorter side, you want a thinner cuff (about 1 inch) – and if you’re taller you can get away with a thicker cuff (no more than 2 inches). This is because the wider the cuff is, the more it will highlight your height or lack thereof.

Generally, two rolls should put you at the right hem height for lowtop shoes. Of course, this could vary depending on the width of the cuff and your height, but you want to aim for the bottom of the cuff to hit right above your ankles. If you’re wearing boots, roll ‘em up even higher. You don’t want to hide the shape of the shoe/boot, so the bottom of the cuff should either graze the top of it or fall just below it.

That’s it! These simple steps are all it takes to add a stylistic detail to a casual look. And while you’re showing off your new cuffing skills, you’ll definitely want to sport a fun set of prince + pete socks.