Classic Style

It can be done.  A stylish, masculine apartment space with nary a large flatscreen TV or sports memorabilia in sight. S everal additional points have come to mind during the last couple of days, which might also useful for average guys as they kick up their everyday style in the home several notches.  Here they are: 1) Consider Colors, Patterns, and Textures. In much the same way as developing a wardrobe, you need to think about this and develop a plan or scheme.  Don't be afraid to consult a few books on the subject of interior design for help.  It's not that difficult if you keep things subtle, and it's also kind of interesting at the same time. Keep in mind, however, that like wardrobe development, getting your place just like you want it will take some time and effort.  Unless you are independently wealthy, it won't happen overnight, but think of the satisfaction you'll feel as each little bit is completed and put into place.  That runs complet...

Yesterday evening's bottom half, featuring the new, pre-production Dapper Classics cream and brown herringbone socks, which I think are Merino wool from their feel. . .  along with khakis and Allen Edmonds loafers.  The top half featured a navy blue blazer and muted plaid sports shirt with a button-down collar.  No necktie last night, but I did stuff a very pretty silver and gray paisley Italian silk pocket square into the blazer pocket before heading out the door. T he regular academic year is over, however there is still occasion for another three weeks to dress up (sort of) on Tuesday evenings for a community education film course I'm leading on the Film Noir genre of the 1940s-1950s.  A perfect opportunity last night to have a little fun with the new socks you see above that were a bonus item sent to me by the people at Dapper Classics along with a couple of pairs I purchased on sale the other day.  Dapper Classics offer all kinds of snazzy, well-mad...

A great shot of the entry hall of James Bond's flat in Dr. No (1962), or perhaps from Russia with Love (1963).  Tasteful, elegant, and masculine. . .  mercifully without items like sports team posters and shot glasses cluttering every wall or table surface. A verage guys who realize the need for kicking up their everyday style several notches would do well to consider all areas of their lives and work.  Ultimately, we are striving for greater polish and sophistication in how we come across to others than seems to be the rule in most settings and situations in 2014.  You don't have to look far to notice grown men -- still boys, really -- looking and acting like inconsiderate cretins without a care in world about how they appear to the rest of the world.   The Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style set out in June of 2012 to draw people's attention to the fact that life in the 21st century does not have to be this way.  In the last couple of years...

Another great old Laurence Fellows illustration of menswear from the classic era, the 1930s. T he Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style is up and running on Ebay.  -- Heinz-Ulrich

"Lard Ass" in the Rob Reiner movie Stand by Me (1986) just before all hell breaks loose.  If you've seen the movie, no explanation is required. H ere's another post for average guys that has nothing whatsoever to do with clothing or shoes.  Most of it has been covered in one form or another somewhere on The Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style before, but I have witnessed various kinds of social gaffs and no-nos among young people, who are certainly more than old enough to know better, the last several days as the university semester has wound down.   Now, I don't know what in the hell Mom and Dad taught these kids, but clearly basic levels of politeness are something many parents no longer instill in their offspring, assuming the former are even aware of these concepts themselves.  And I'm well aware that there are many families where unappealing behavior, and joking about it, is common currency, as typical as discussions of politics, movies, or ...

Please ignore the skinny, pale legs and concentrate on the shoes themselves!  Up top, I'm wearing tan chino shorts with a navy blue polo top.  A little chilly now, but I'll warm quickly up once the raking starts. T oday is Earth Day, and since classes wrapped up for yours truly yesterday afternoon, I am about to head outside to pick up sticks and rake up any grass thatch, to help along our poor excuse for a lawn. Until late August, I am realtively free, save for some student term papers to collect later this week, reading through them, and then final course grades to submit after the weekend.  That means, sadly, that dressing up is on hiatus for the next three months.  Sigh.  Yes, there is an article I want to write and possible a translation or two to do, but my wife and I are fortunate enough to be able to do that from the confines of home offices, which means that more casual clothing is the rule until about August 21st or so. However, that does not ...

  The late Duke of Windsor in a double-breasted suit.  The man is still a somewhat problematic figure in British history, but he certainly knew how to dress well (most of the time). F or average guys working to kick up their everyday style several notches, here's a novel suggestion.  Let's rechristen 'Oy Vay Monday' as  'Double-breasted Monday' and leave home in either a double-breasted suit, navy blazer, or sports jacket.  I'll don an Alan Flusser double-breasted sports jacket (midnight navy with a faint mustard windowpane pattern), purchased in a thrift/charity shop two years ago, in a short while myself. Now, some might sneer, but whether or not the look is deemed currently fashionable, or not, there is no doubt that it is classic and timeless.  And you've got some chutzpah, right?   A double-breasted jacket also provides a nice change in silhouette from the more typical single-breasted look that reigns in 2014. . .  when men both...

'Easter Morning,' painted by Norman Rockwell in 1959 . H appy Easter to those of you who might observe.   If your Easter Sunday plans included attendance at a church service, I hope you put your best foot forward and dressed up a bit more than has become the sad norm among many church-goers here in the United States.  Sure, it is what's on the inside that counts.  But things like respect for, and an awareness of, special occasions and celebrations, to say nothing of respect for your fellow celebrants, (should) call for a certain amount of decorum, refinement, and polish in our attire and behavior.   But is it really necessary to say that?  Clearly, for many it is.  After all, you're not simply hopping in the car to pick up a half-gallon or liter of milk before lunch on a Saturday morning.  Attending a religious service, dinner at someone's home, or a special event beyond the confines of your own TV room is not the same thing as a b...

The GREAT Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie as Jeeves and Wooster (the latter in a tweed three-piece).  Besides the wonderful storylines based on the Wodehouse stories, the series is a feast for the eyes when it comes to period architecture, decor, cars, and clothes. A s average guys who have embarked on revamping and building your wardrobes -- and, perhaps, are also watching their pennies -- it pays to be vigilant, think ahead, and keep your eyes open when it comes to classic male attire.  That might very well mean purchasing an item when you see it in a thrift/charity shop or online even if it's out of season with your current climate and weather conditions. The J. Press tweed suit in question.  I've been on the look-out for something like this for several years. For instance, I was able (amazingly) to score this J. Press tweed three-piece suit recently on Ebay for a song.  I won't bore you with a crass enumeration of actual retail costs versus my savings,...

  Connery, Sir Sean Connery, wearing a wonderful gray Glen Plaid suit in From Russia with Love (1963). S ince we have had a delightfully sunny and warm spring day in my corner of the world for Good Friday 2014, my vintage Corbin wool-silk Glen Plaid two-piece suit had its first wearing of the year.  I have reached the conclusion that, except for the most staid occasions, this is my favorite pattern for a sports jacket or suit.  Just enough visual interest without going overboard.  If I were limited to a single suit or sports jacket, without a doubt it would have to be in a gray or blue Glen Plaid.  Hands down.   Another shot from the film for good measure.  Here, Mr. Bond chats with Ali Kerim Bey, played by the late Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings . Now, in no way am I in the same league as the young Sean Connery (sadly), but I still look and feel reasonably good in my own suit, which is a light tan/black with a very fine red and teal ...

A n interesting post yesterday at The Daily Prep on the nature of "character" has prompted today's thought here at The Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style.  Here it is.  The truly stylish man has character.  What exactly is character?  Off the top of my head, character includes various intangible traits like selflessness, charity, kindness, consideration, benevolence, and forbearance.  The Josephson Institute's Center for Youth Ethics describes character in considerably more detail, breaking it down into six distinct pillars, which are: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.  Finally, The Art of Manliness featured an interesting post on the subject of character here . It strikes me -- taking into account our incredibly self-absorbed, superficial, LOL, OMG, celebrity-obsessed, and reality TV-flooded era of false bonhomie (look it up) -- that few people seem to have any notion of character.  And you certai...

These are examples of what is acceptable Business Casual wear for men and women.  Do you see any flip flops, cargo pants, jeans, or club wear? T his post is inspired by a young man in my Contemporary Global Cinema course, who gave his term paper presentation today.  Before starting, he loudly proclaimed that he had read the ten detailed presentation guidelines (only one of which had to do with clothing), uploaded to our Moodle course page last week, and he had thus, "dressed for success in Business Casual attire."  His exact words.   Here's the skinny on Business Casual.  It is not old sneakers, dirty jeans without a belt, a wrinkled untucked shirt worn with a loosened necktie and tie clip.  Neither is Business Casual a hairy, pale pink, prematurely flabby belly peeking out now and then.  As you might imagine, the student's presentation, while not awful, was not exactly stellar either.  Clearly attention to detail is not this 22-year-...