The Old is New Once Again...

One of the things I love to do as well as some of my most stylish friends is to bring classical, traditional men's tailoring into a young, often casual style. What's great about this is that you can make small purchases that can add a lot of style. Integrating men's suiting fabrics and suiting elements is the way to do it; they provide texture and contrast when paired with more casual elements. Include fabrics and patterns like tweed, lightweight wools, herringbone and pinstripe (avoid zoot suit high contrast pinstripes). Pieces to look for are:

• Suiting Vest- This is one of my favorite ways to bring classical influences into an outfit. Try a vest with a cool tee, dark jeans, and sweet kicks (high tops?) for a funky casual look. With this leave the vest open to keep it casual. At night, switch the kicks with a dressier option and leave the jeans on. Try the vest with an oxford tucked in and the vest buttoned up. When looking for a vest think neutral colors so you can get a lot of use out of it. My best tip with vests? Get the right size! you don't want to look stuffed in it when it's buttoned up or if it's too big you'll look like you're wearing daddy's clothes.
  
• Suspenders- Suspenders are cool. They keep your pants up and show that you are willing to try something a little different. I wouldn't wear a pair of clip-on suspenders with a suit (high end suits have button-on suspenders and generally means there are no belt loops). When wearing suspenders casually do not wear a belt. It's a little redundant. People will think "Why does he have such a hard time keeping his pants up?" Try wearing suspenders with denim and heavier fabrics (the clips on suspenders are rough on lighter fabrics). A great look is: jeans, black suspenders, a button-up oxford, dress shoes (think streamlined not clunky) and a splash of color with a bandanna in your back pocket. Experiment with these great stylish items!
  
• Blazers- This one is somewhat self explanatory. I like to wear blazers instead of a conventional outwear when needed-it just brings in that classical element I've been blabbing about here. I would say that a cotton blazer is great for spring/summer (think light colors) and wool/corduroy for fall/winter.
• Hats/fedoras- Sometimes these can go south really quickly-try not to look like you're trying too hard. Throw a fedora on with a casual outfit and you can get an eighties nerd-chic look that is worth a try.

Style and the quest for it is fun. Integrating classic elements with a casual style is one of my favorite tips for stepping out of the herd.