Bespoke Shirts

Yesterday I had the fortune to go to Michael's Custom Clothiers and order six shirts for my wardrobe.  These six shirts were at a very reasonable price of 440 which comes to $73 per shirt.  These shirts are custom made and will fit my body type.  They are all meant to be worn for business and with ties, but can be worn without a tie.

I have a thick neck, 17 inches, but like my shirts to be slim fitting in the arms, chest and waist.  The medium size store bought shirts that I prefer, typically come with a 15 inch neck, much to small for me to button and wear a tie with.  The shirts big enough for my neck look like moo moos on my frame.  This means that I must purchase custom shirts to achieve the desired look.

I went in and picked the fabrics and the design elements for these shirts.  They are all going to barrel cuff and most with a medium spread collar.  One, in a light blue oxford cloth, has a button down collar.  Another in a white and subtle light mint stripe, pictured, will have a spread collar.  I also picked up some striped and checked shirts as well, including a banker stripe, also shown.

These shirts will be finished in the next month or two.  When they are finished I will for sure show off the finished product on here.  With bespoke shirts you can also choose the type of collar, cuff, monogram and pocket or no pocket, as well as any other customization you prefer.  Custom shirts are certainly a great option for any man with unusual dimensions that ready to wear shirts can not accommodate.  Try some out, they can help out your wardrobe too.

Berluti Shoes

Arguably the best made-to-wear shoes in the world are Berluti.  They are a French company that have a few places in two stores in New York, one store in Los Angeles, Las Vegas & Dallas, as well as stores all over Europe that sell the masterpiece shoes.

They have been making shoes 1895 and have some of the most beautiful patinas on the brown shoes that they make.  The shoes all are the most luxurious and highest quality shoes that can be bought.  They are classic and traditional, but also groundbreaking and quite bizarre.  The most beautiful versions in my opinion are the minimalist sleek designs made from a single piece of leather.  But then again I think for some reason if I wore the purple Berluti shoes few people would have room to mock.

They seem to be able to cross the line between appropriate and inappropriate, classic and informal, elegant and gaudy without ever being a shoe that I would not be proud to own and wear with most any suit I own.  For Berluti I think it is simple, luxury, quality and style are apparent in every shoe made and those three things are of the highest level made of any shoe in the market.

Berluti shoes are certainly inspiring.

Style Profile - Duke of Windsor

The Duke of Windsor might have been one of the best dressed people to ever walk the earth.  He owned the double breasted suit, practically invented the rules to wearing suits, epitomized the idea of permanent style and he collection of suits are highly sought after in auctions.

The Duke of Windsor lived in his suits, except when on the golf course.  His tuxedos were as impressive as his suits.  His suits all fit him perfectly, were all bespoke and all had subtle flairs that are mimicked by designers to this day.  His father was even credited with the reason that no man should ever button the last button on a vest.  This is such a hard and fast rule that the best tailors will often make the vest without a real buttonhole for the last button, since it should never be done.  He certainly let his style be influenced with the ebbs and flows of the tides of fashion and in fact was so unwavering that the fashion of the times was influenced by his permanent stylistic approach.

Style Profile - Paul Newman

Paul Newman was the king of a sophisticated style.  He was able to cross from weekend casual to suit & tie and then to motorcycle and car racing without a problem.  He was always very masculine in everything he wore and looked good into his old age.  He was still looked genuine in rugged weekend wear as much as anything else he wore.  Newman's style was classic, male and based on utilizing basic building blocks to make a strong overall wardrobe.

 

He had classically tailored suits, well made boots, utilitarian peacoats and dock appropriate topsiders.  Newman wore the right stylistic elements when they were supposed to be worn.  He never looked out of place or like he tried too hard to find the right outfit.  Everything fit well together, since it was built on basic essentials that every wardrobe should be built around.  He wore white oxford shirts, navy blue ties, rugged work coats, navy double breasted suits and weekend chinos.  And he wore each item when they were supposed to be worn.  He never made the outfits work too hard to fit in.  Essentially he wore the clothes, he never let the clothes wear him.