Updating My Collection

Question: I want to update my closet with a couple of good suits. I wear a suit almost every day, and I have around 8 in the stable now. I need to cull a few and add a couple more. I have owned Warren K Cooks in the past, and found them very well suited, but mostly had made to measure. Now, I really don't want to spend what I have in the past ( The Cooks came to be over $1200 each over 10 years ago). I have a stocky athletic build, and I am not tall, 5'8". I live in an isolated area, so appropriate suits are almost always special order, which adds to the price significantly. Like almost everyone, I love a bargain.

Reply: You need a nice suit as you are accustomed to the quality of Warren K. Cook. I highly recommend that you consider our Manzoni line. Their fabrics are excellent, primarily from Italian Mills, and the construction of the suit is excellent. Another option is a nice custom suit in a style and fabric of your choice for $550 - $650.

The Windsor Knot

Question: How do you effectively dimple your tie, when wearing the Windsor knot? Thanks, William

Reply: To dimple your tie when making a Windsor knot, slide your index finger through the knot as you are pulling the blade of the tie through for the final time. While doing so press down on the center of the blade to form the dimple and pull up the sides with your thumb and middle finger. A little practice and your dimples will be the envy of every fair maiden. Let me know how successful you are.

Dressing for the Casual Christmas Party

Question: I'm a tall guy 6'4", how should I dress for an office Christmas party, where the dress code is 'elegantly casual'?

Reply: Tall guys are lucky, they have a lot more room to show off their good taste in clothing. Elegant casual is fun. Wear a nice sport jacket with a check to deemphasize your height. Coordinate with a nice knit top; a 3 button polo or a low neck mock neck sweater but definitely not a high necked turtle neck. An open collar sport shirt will work as well. Pants should be dressy and contrasting. Do not wear bright colors!

Communicate With Your Colors

The colors of clothing are an integral part of visual presentation. Not only do they enhance appearance and direct attention, colors invoke feelings, emotions, and responses. Whether physiological or psychological, colors have been proven to subtly alter moods, ways of thinking, and first impressions.

Here is a list of colors and the emotional responses they create. Be conscious of what you wear!

How to Dress for an Interview - Women

ExecStyle.com is proud to present our "Guide to Dressing for Interviews - Women". This comprehensive manual will provide you the tips and tricks needed to make that crucial first impression.

Check it out here:

http://www.execstyle.com/interview.asp

How to Dress for an Interview - Men

ExecStyle.com is proud to present our "Guide to Dressing for Interviews - Men". This comprehensive manual will provide you the tips and tricks needed to make that crucial first impression.

Check it out here:

http://www.execstyle.com/interview.asp

And here's a little preview:

A Hot Pink Dress

Question: I have a dance coming soon and I have this black suit with light blue almost gray pinstripes. My date is wearing a sort of hot pink dress. Can I find a way to match her with my current suit or should I get a different outfit altogether.

Response: You sound like every girls dream if you are willing to buy a new suit just to match her outfit! The suit you have sounds fashionable and can be accessorized with pink to match your date. You can wear a pink shirt and then get a tie that brings your suit and shirt together.

Leather Jacket - Shrinking

Question: I had to buy a 2x leather coat. However, the sleeves are to long. How or what can I do to shrink them a little? Should I spray it down with water and let it dry in the sun?

Thanks, William

Reply: Wetting the coat and drying it in the heat is the worst thing you can do to shorten the sleeves. You are better off taking growth hormone and hope your arms will grow. Seriously, just take your coat to a good tailor who has equipment to handle leather and he can shorten the sleeves for you.

The Executive Cut

Question: What is an executive cut in suit sizes?

Reply: The executive cut is made for the man with a larger mid section. This suit is also known as a portly.

Tailored Coat Lengths

Question: Greetings, Are you aware of any suit makers who make coat lengths for "tweeners", i.e. short/regular for 5'7.5" - 5'9" guys and regular/tall for 6'2.5" - 6'4"? With all the customized sizes for shirts and expensive alterations, it seems nuts that the coat length is still so standardized.

Reply: Our custom department will gladly tailor a suit for you in a specified jacket length. You will be able to choose fabric, styling and certainly appropriate measurements. We will help you ensure that you are making the correct choices for your needs and deliver an impeccably tailored garment in accordance with your schedule.

Warm Overcoats

Question: Is gabardine in an overcoat warm as compared with wool? Thank you!

Reply: The warmth or insulation characteristics in a coat are created by the amount of insulating air bubbles that the fabric can trap. In general a fluffy, softer fabric will trap more air than a high twist and stiffer fabric, and will consequently be warmer. Gabardine refers to the weave, not the fabric type, however gabardine is usually a tight weave not commonly known for its warmth. Cashmere and angora are among the warmest natural fabrics you will find.

Little Black Dress

Question: I would like to match my wife at an upcoming event. She is wearing a black dress with various shiny/silver bits etc, but the core dress is black. Is a charcoal suit for me inappropriate against her black dress? I have a black suit I could wear, but it is not quite as nice as my charcoal one. Also what shirt/tie combo would you recommend for either suit colour option. THANKS!

Reply: Why is it that we always have to match them? I have never gotten a note from a wife asking me how she should dress to match her husband. In any case, as she is wearing a black dress with silver trim, I assume that you are going to a formal event. A black suit would be the right choice. To be super elegant coordinate with a white shirt and a silver or silver and black tie.

Wedding in Cancun

Question: What should the groom wear for a Cancun wedding. We are on our second marriages. We want this to be nice but not completely formal. Please advise.

Reply: Remember that when you are dressing for your wedding you are not only dressing for the moment. The wedding pictures will stay with you forever and they will be among your most important memories which you will hopefully show to children and grandchildren.

Let me know what type of wedding you are planning i.e. a beach wedding, inside a catering hall, what is the bride wearing, how do you expect guests to dress, how many guests will you have, when is the wedding - time of day and year etc. With these details I will gladly help you dress your man.

Suspenders?

Question: Are suspenders still in style?

Reply: Suspenders are not part of the current fashion rage. That does not mean that they cannot be included in your own personal expression of personal style - like the fellow that wears a bow tie rather than a tie or the man who completes his jacket with a pocket square. These fashion accessories that are an element of personal style rather than the fashion trend of the day sets the individual apart.

Custom Pant Sizes

Question:
I am looking for a man's suit with the pant size of 32/40. Having a hard time finding men's pants with the length of 40 inches.

Reply:
As you must know this is a difficult pant length to find on an off the rack suit . Please let me know what your jacket size is as well as an idea of the shade you are looking for and I will check in our inventory as well as with our suppliers.

An additional option available to you, still at a reasonable price, is to make a custom suit for you. This option will allow you to choose from a wide variety of shades fabrics and styles.

Shirt Alterations

Question: Do you handle alterations for shirts purchased from you?

Reply: We have a complete tailor shop with very qualified personnel. We will gladly perform any necessary alterations.

Dark Grey Suit w/Blue-Black Pin Stripes - Shirt Selection

Question: Hi Leo, I have just gotten a dark grey suit with dark blue and black pin stripes. The pin stripes are not overpowering but not too subtle either. I was wondering what kind of shirt and tie combinations would go with this kind of suit. I am going to a wedding and want to look fashionable and trendy. One option is a soft light blue shirt with a tie that has large squares of grey, blue and silver with prominent silver lines dividing the squares (the tie does stand out from the suit) and the other option is a alternating aqua/navy striped shirt with a black, navy and gold striped tie in thick and thin lines. I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer. Thank you SP

Reply: Without seeing the suit and accessories I will try to help you by passing on a few general principles on how to coordinate different pieces of clothing. The pale blue shirt you mention is safe with almost any color of suit and is a particularly good choice with dark grey. When matching accessories to a suit use designs that are very different in size. For example, do not mix narrow stripes on your shirt with narrow stripes or small polka dots on your tie. Blend small patterns with big patterns, narrow patterns with broad patterns and so forth.

Sport Jacket Sleeve Length

Question:
Where should my suit and sports coat sleeves come to in relations to my thumb? I have one arm longer than the other due to an injury.

Reply:
The jacket sleeve usually looks best when it reaches the base of the thumb which is really the top of the palm. This way you will see a little shirt sleeve exposed when wearing the jacket. Don't worry about the variance in length of your 2 arms. If your sleeves are tailored otherwise and the sleeves finish on different points on your hands this will more than likely attract attention to your injury.

Symmetrical bodies are really the exception rather than the rule so a small difference will really not be noticed. If the difference in length between your arms is 3 inches or more, I would suggest that the sleeve of the shorter arm be tapered to match the other side.

Grey Suit - Shirt Choice

Question:
What shirt colors match with a grey suit? Thanks!

Reply:
Matching a grey suit should not be a problem. As you have not mentioned any patterns, I will assume that that the suit is a plain grey. The classic combination would of course be white or light blue. The fashionable alternatives today are pink and orange. Pink will work particularly well with grey for the whole shirt or just as an accent shade i.e. a check or stripe. Lots of other possibilities will work with grey, but this should cover the basics.

Sleeve Length

Question:
How long does the sleeves of a suit jacket have to be exactly? I recently got a suit altered and everyone is saying the sleeve should stop at your thumb knuckle. Is this true? My suit sleeve stops at my wrist. Is this too short?

Reply:
The suit sleeve should come to the point where your wrist and base of your thumb meet.

Cuffing Suit Pants

Question:
Should I cuff suit pants on a three button navy suit? The suit has a plain front - no pleat.

Answer:
The fashionable choice for a flat front pant is to wear plain bottoms. Let us know if you have any further questions.