Weekend Brunch Fashion

Weekend brunch is great time to kick back, enjoy a meal and some good friends. It's a time to eat plenty of good food, chowing down on anything and everything from well cooked lamb roast to giant waffle with strawberries fresh whipped cream and plenty of honey. What other meal are you allowed to mix two great foods like that?  Plus it is socially acceptable to enjoy a few mimosas or adult beverages, all before noon. Could there be a better way to enjoy a three hour meal that starts before noon?  A weekend brunch always begs the question: "what to wear?"

For a weekend brunch I want to look nice, modern and successful, but also look relaxed and use the bright day to my advantage. During the summer, a brunch is the perfect time to wear a linen suit or your favorite white/off-white suit.  Fresco also works great in the summer as well. But now that we are in the fall and heading to winter, how do you dress appropriately for a nice weekend brunch?

I think brunch is a perfect occasion to break out the odd jacket. The jacket that comes in an interesting color, fabric or texture or all three. It is the least formal blazer that you own. It is the one that you wear on occasional Fridays to spice up the wardrobe. The odd jacket you choose should stand out in the crowd for its great combination of colors, without looking gaudy and out of place. The odd jacket should also utilize some fun colors that work well in the early afternoon sunlight. I always love an odd jacket with a great accent color like: light blue, purple, yellow or pink. It can be further accentuated with a playful and colorful pocket silk.

The Weekend Blazer from Indochino is the perfect brunch jacket. It has a classic check design with a yellow/goldish accent color.  It has two front patch pockets to make it more casual. It is also single
breasted three button, roll to two button design, which I think rock and look very Sprezzatura.  Wear the odd jacket with crisp dark raw denim jeans, a pair of well polished boots and a button down shirt that accents the jacket.

With the Weekend Blazer I would stick to a plain white shirt, or a white shirt with a pale orange check or stripes, as the orange would work well with the yellow in the jacket, without coming off as too matching. For the area of the country that are little colder wear a v-neck sweater over a crisp white shirt for extra layering. The sweater could be a mid-gray, pumpkin, brown or a light yellow.

For a good weekend brunch, let the jacket be the stand-out piece.

Suit: The three kinds of Lapels

For any suit that I would recommend wearing, there are only three appropriate collars: notched, peaked & shawl. Each lapel has its place on a jacket, each lapel works with the suit, the occasion and your body to provide the proper or improper look.

Notched Lapels - these are the classic lapel on most suits. They are the most common and basic lapel on a suit. The lapel works great for any body type and compliments men of all shapes and sizes. Notched lapels look great on single breasted two button and three button suits. Keep in mind the width of the lapel, too wide the lapel and you will look like a gangster, too skinny the lapel and you will look like a hipster trying to be cool. Stick to a medium to narrow lapel, a width that is classic and timeless.

Peaked Lapels - this lapel is most commonly found on double breasted suits. When buying a double breasted suit, do not purchase it unless it has a peaked lapel. A notched lapel should never grace a double breasted suit. Peaked lapels can work on single breasted suits and formal wear as well. A peaked lapel on a single breasted suit is more formal than a notched lapel, because it has the same lines as a tuxedo. A peaked lapel adds width to the shoulders, so it should be worn on slighter men and men who want to accentuate the shoulders. Men with more girth and size should be cautious employing the peaked lapel.

Shawl Collar Lapels - typically is only used on formal wear. It is always used on one, two or three button tuxedos. I prefer it with a one or two button tux and really recommend sticking with the one button look. Shawl collars are also seen in sweaters, but rarely seen in non-formal suit.

Know your lapels and avoid faux pas like notched lapels on a double breasted suit.

Chucks & Jacks - How to wear them, Suit and all

Today's Post is all about Converse Shoes. Chuck Taylor & Jack Purcell Converse Shoes have been a part of the American ethos and fashion since the early 1900s. Chuck Taylors have been made since 1917 and Jack Purcells have been produced since 1935. The shoes rose to prominence in an athletic since in the 40s & 50s. The shoes have been culturally significant for a long time and are a rare fashion statement that passes through multiple generations.

In recent years, Chucks & Jacks have made a resurgence in modern fashion; a resurgence not in the sense of a comeback, since they are ubiquitous, but instead in their use as not only a casual shoe but also as a companion piece for suits. I love wearing slip on Jacks or Chucks with shorts or jeans, but I like wearing them with a suit even more. Once again this is where style has to be personal. If you don't like the look of Chucks with a suit, I am sorry for you, but just don't wear it. It personally fits my style and are shoes that I will wear with any outfit. As long as you aren't wearing Jacks into the office with a suit, anything will fly.

The pictures above are some of my favorite ways to dress up chucks, done by common folk and celebrities. I love the pictures of Pete Marovich and others playing basketball in Chuck Taylors, its really the bees knees. James Dean as always looks so laid back and natural in his style and the pair of worn in Jack Purcells add a great ease to the style.

I like them worn with a simple suit that has good clean lines. Loosen the tie a bit, un-button the top button and don't forget the pocket square. Wear a casual belt or a casual watch, but not both. Leave the socks at home for the day and enjoy that you have comfy shoes on your hogs. Its old school cool with a twist, now act like it.