Truthfully who wouldn’t want to sport a suit everyday outside of the conventional work requirements? I found myself looking for the best alternative to a great wool suit, preferably for the colder months. I traveled a rather unorthodox route, searching for an alternative to the usual gray, navy or black. I found the perfect flannel pattern in the fairly new men’s boutique SUIT SUPPLY.  By no means do I want to sound like an annoying advert, but the store provided in-store tailoring, great fabrics, different cuts, and last but not least a reasonable price. I happily walked out  of the boutique with a great 3 piece wool-flannel suit without breaking the bank for the product/tailoring (success!).

Featuring – A familiar face around these parts Black Ivy compadre James E.Jean of Modrockers, a great friend of ours from the start of this website and is also a budding stylist. We headed over to Cheeky’s Sandwiches for a bite to eat, good ol’ New Orleans style creole eatery between L.E.S/Chinatown, and some of the best biscuit sandwiches around town. A beautiful day in the city, conversation and some great eats at the end of the all ends up to be a perfect day in the Lower East Side.

Listening to [ Miles Davis - Blue in Green ]

The song itself is a auditory journey led by the great Miles Davis, accompanied by legends John Coltrane and Bill Evans. To say that we solely find the music inspiring would be an understatement,  it’s pretty obvious that Jazz musicians were  one of the first prototypes and examples of personifying the terms cool and hip.I ask myself what song could be more perfectly crafted without a word.  Speaking of hip it’s kind of interesting that the original diction of the term hipster was someone who took a great liking to Jazz music, and  aspired to live similar lifestyles of Jazz musicians in the 1940s.

Addresses :

Suit Supply NYC

• 453 Broome St
• (between Mercer St & Greene St)
• New York, NY 10013

Cheeky’s Sandwiches

• 35 Orchard St
• (between Canal St & Hester St)
• New York, NY 10002

For years, neither Travis nor myself felt rushed to explore suiting. Even after high school, we still saw suits only as a uniform for special occasions. My interest in suiting only came with age and a growing comfort in wearing them. My dad wearing them every day no doubt influenced my eventual fondness for the suits.

We decided to break our suit post into a more in-depth series called “Suit Etiquette.” It would be impossible to cover the suit in one post given the garment’s numerous facets. I’m looking forward to exploring different elements of suiting, with vintage and bespoke suits being a few that immediately come to mind.

Although I’m not totally fond of 3-button jackets, this one differed in that you have the option of rolling back the top button if desired. The sleeves also boast functional buttons, affording you the ability to roll your sleeves up when it becomes too warm. It’s not the most conventional look, but it will save you on those sweltering summer days.

The summer season is definitely not the time to add extra bulk. Lightweight fabrics and light colors reign king for majority of the season. One of the more popular fabrics available is seersucker. As you can see, seersucker is Travis’ preferred suit fabric in this post. LL Bean Signature gave a spin to the classic fabric by producing it in a luscious olive colorway.  I think one of the more important aspects is that both suits in this post are reasonably priced under at less than $500, making it affordable to most people.

Photography by Cleon Grey of The Aveder Outfit

The porkpie holds a brim of history, linking certain music subcultures such as the early platform of Jamaican ska and the jazz scene. Similar to the majority of menswear pieces, the porkpie was commenced by English men that displayed its style about town. Trilby hats and fedoras are similar in design, but the porkpie dons a noticeably flat top paired with a short brim. The hat comes in a variety of styles and colors that are less commonly manufactured in straw material.

Hats are an accessory that can provide an edge and distinction to your getup. It’s important to find the correct style to not only suit your appearance, but also compliment your look. I went through a few dozen hats before I came across the one below that I felt was on point.

Fit Description: The average 19th century man would have paired this hat or anything similar with a suit. The expansion of modern menswear, though, lets us pair them with t-shirts, sweaters, and blazers. The hat, which I found at a thrift store, originally had a black band with a red feather peaking out of the left side. Kadeem and I eventually replaced the materials with our own rendition of a porkpie.

With the weather noticeably cooler weather, I’ve been frequently wearing my Flathead raw denim. They’re a bit more difficult to break in than my last two pairs of raw denim (both APC New Cure) because of the sturdy construction and quality. I can only imagine what they’ll look like in March or April with heavy amounts of wear.

• Vintage porkpie hat – rec (Fine & Dandy ) (Brixton)
• J.Crew sueded polo
• Zara Sherpa reversible vest
• Tanner Goods belt
• Self Edge x Flathead
• Mens COACH Harrison slim tote
• Vintage Cole Haan horsebit loafers (thrifted)

The outer of this suede bag may scream luxurious, but I’ve been lugging it everywhere I can to give it some character.

Photographer Kadeem Johnson (aka Kjohnlasoul) is no stranger to our site. Participant and student in our latest editorial Black Ivy his eccentric personal style speaks for itself. The fellow Bronx resident started his own personal style blog titled Kjohnlasoul where he depicts his own style occasionly accompanied by friends.

• Elizabeth & James Chunky Knit Cardigan
• Vintage Dockers shirt
• Cheap Monday jeans
• Vintage boots

People often ask where  do we specifically acquire our wrist accoutrements – He explained how the task of filling up his fingers and wrist with such great jewelery was a process, he  eventually compiled different pieces as months and years passed by.

Location : Fort Washington Park

History: The porkpie hat is a type of hat made of felt, or less commonly, straw. It is somewhat similar to a trilby or fedora, but with a flat top. The crown is short and has an indentation all the way around, instead of the pinch crown typically seen on fedoras and homburgs. The porkpie hat originated in the mid-19th century. Originally referring to a type of woman’s hat, the porkpie gets its name from its resemblance to a porkpie.

Jazz  legend Lester Young sporting his notable pork pie hat .

Last fall was our first time taking part in NYFW.  For our newer readers, we provided you guys with a taste of that experience first hand. In the span of a year, things changed dramatically for us, including a site re-design and overall post presentation. Even with that growth, we remain as excited about the festivities as we were the first time.

* Note – A special thanks to all the designer shows we’re invited to.

We had the pleasure of working with photographer-model Bill Gente of BackYardBill on a style series presented by GQ Magazine. Each day of the seven-day, style-filled week, Gente would snap a photo of us for the online feature. In between all the shutter snaps, we built a meaningful relation with Gente as we took on conversations spanning from personal style conundrums to marriage. Expect to see us on his great photography blog very soon.

Below are some of the entries from Gente’s week-long project:

GQ Magazine: Five men—and one beautiful woman—with serious fashion-world street cred and totally individual senses of personal style. Seven action-packed days in New York City. One intrepid, artful photographer with an eye for detail and a knack for portraiture. Every day during New York Fashion Week, Bill Gentle—otherwise known as Backyard Bill—will be shooting our superbly-dressed subjects in what they happen to be wearing out on the town. So without further ado, an ever-expanding photo diary of real-life sartorial splendor.

Day 1 -

Joshua

• Vintage Levi’s trucker jacket  (eBay)
• Uniqlo Merino wool V-neck
• J.Crew Stanton Pant (Urban Slim Fit)
• Vintage brown horsebit loafers
• Men’s COACH Harrison slim tote
• Brixton Gain trilby

Fit Description: The usage of the trilby is not only great for stylish use, but also for those oh-so-dreadful bad hair days everyone encounters at some point. I’ve had a growing fondness for the hat and you should expect an upcoming post on the piece. Strangely enough, these orange chinos – ideal for summer use – got their first use on this day, with the weather feeling more like autumn. Regardless, who doesn’t love the color palettes of orange, brown, and maroon for the current season?

Travis

• Vintage denim paperboy
• Vintage Tommy Hilfiger crewneck sweater
• Nudies Black Grimm Tims
• Ralph Lauren loafers

Day 5 -

Joshua

• J.Crew pocket tee
• Zara linen blazer
• Lands’ End pleated trousers
• Tanner Goods belt
• Soludos espadrilles

Fit Description:  In all the years of receiving Lands’ End catalogs, it never occurred to me that I would be ordering pleated trousers from the brand. For many of those years, I was a knucklehead to anything outside of the box in a  sartorial sense. But as we all know, things change and this brand has great quality pieces for the pricepoints, after some slight alterations (depending on your preference to fit).  The important factor with pleated pants is the realization that the overall fit has to fall between slim and straight. Because of the pleats, the option of skinny fit is not the best one.

Travis

• Vintage Ralph Lauren
• Uniqlo trousers
• Ralph Lauren belt

Day 2 -

Joshua

• Vintage Haris tweed blazer (eBay)
• Vintage Ralph Lauren paisley shirt
• Topman trousers
• Del Toro velvet slippers ($195.00)
• Men’s Coach Harrison slim tote
• Thrifted pocket square

Fit Description: Judging by this picture, we can all agree that a well-fitting blazer is essential in any man’s wardrobe. The fall season, where layering comes with comfort, I’d recommend having a creative mind with the concept. Here, Travis has a nice beige jean jacket under his blazer. I scored these nice velvet slippers from a brand inside of the U.S called Del Toro. It’s great  that  a $600+ price tag wasn’t attached to them, like usual velvet slippers.

Travis

• H&M blazer
• Levi’s jean jacket
• Uniqlo corduroy
• Brooks Brothers velvet slippers
• Billy Kirk tote

Day 4 -

Travis

• Vintage tweed blazer
• Uniqlo oxford shirt
• RL pocket square
• Zara messenger bag
• Vintage jeans
• Sebago Boots

Once again, we paired up with good friend and film director Jake Davis. Street style photography is an influential medium for online readers to view the personal style of millions of different people throughout the world. I feel like street style video will have just as strong of an influence when done correctly, and Davis is the best example of why that is. His work provides the ideal mix of style and great music to create the perfect 60-second video. This time around, that mix includes some sound bytes by myself.

-

Fashion Night Out w/ Rugby

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Fashion Night Out at Rugby. Special thanks to Kerry Folan and the Ralph Lauren team.

(click for more photos)

Although the polo shirt is discussed here as a strictly Summer item, it can also be transitioned into a great Fall layering piece by throwing a nice tweed blazer on top, giving it a touch of casual with class.  The selection of polo shirts can vary from sleeve length to material, tucked in or out (but you can wear it however you feel comfortable doing so). Once again, here we have an item that, as years have passed, has been taken out of it’s traditional function of being worn solely by polo players as sporting attire in the 1800s and has morphed into a current American prep staple.

Banana Republic Pima cotton Polo – GAP Selvedge Straight Jeans (Tailored) - Sebago Black Tasseled Loafers – Vintage YSL Briefcase – Kente Cloth bracelets (Self Made)

Ode to the ‘Lo from CJ Something on Vimeo.

Fit Description : On one of the hottest days in New York City a pima cotton polo was probably the best choice to go with because of its breathable cotton and soft feel.  In this weather it’s very difficult to wear 14 oz. raw denim jeans without passing out after walking a two block radius. In general, the mission would be to actually wear in one of my raw denim jeans to the fading stages of these jeans. Since that wasn’t possible, these GAP Selvedge Jeans were found and bought for under $20. They are a nice light wash which has allowed me to make a change versus the current denim selection in my wardrobe.

Location : Harlem , NY -(Hamilton Heights) Sugar Hill section ( West 135th-155th ) Not only am I a fan of the brownstone architecture, but the history that runs rampant in this particular area of Harlem. During the Harlem Renaissance influential individuals from W.E.B Du Bois to Langston Hughes called this area home.

Friends : No stranger to this site and a good friend of ours, fellow Bronx resident, photographer/stylist and master of ‘accessories are a necessity’, here is Kadeem – another 20-something-year-old of our generation looking to express his artistic view on the world. If you happen to follow our tumblr you have definitely seen his pictures pop up from time to time.

Photography : Pictures taken by photographer Rog Walker, part of the great site Culture of Creativity. Special thanks to Suhaly, Raleigh and Carl.

Pictured above are players playing polo.

The first pique tennis shirt that was mass produced was created by French tennis champion Rene Lacoste in the 1920s after being fed up with tennis attire that was not comfortable. In 1927, Lacoste sewed a small crocodile logo on the left breast of the shirt. After retiring from tennis in 1933, Lacoste joined with Andre Gillier to market his tennis shirts with the well-known crocodile logo in Europe and North America. The term “polo shirt” dates back to the late 1800s at the Hurlingham Club in Buenos Aires. – Kayla Layne Crawford

Vintage DB Blazer – J.crew madras shirt – TM Jeans – Dexter Hand-sewn  – Vintage YSL Briefcase

Videography/Photography : Due to my own camera ( Canon Rebel XTI ) being out of commission presently, I called on a friend to help me with our new post , Adam Kerchman. A graduating photo/video student,  he pretty much sold me on my next camera purchase with everything from the photos to the video shot with a Canon 7d w/50 mm 1.4 lens . The video was an experimental project that I came up with to change the pace slightly, at the same time bringing life to still images with some personality. There’s a possibility that we may continue to incorporate visuals other than photos to accompany our post. A special thanks to blogger/friend James Jean, no stranger to this blog and one of our ‘Sewn From the Soul’ contributors, for making a brief cameo in the video. Check out his blog.

Location : New York City

Neighborhood : Tribeca

Fit Details : I scored this lovely 4-button double-row double-breasted blazer off the Internet. I knew I wanted a double breasted blazer but for the first time around wanted to stray away from the typical navy blue, 5 -6 gold button blazer I see so often. The double-breasted jacket is really known for its formality, but here I avoid any neck accessories/pocket squares to give it a more casual look, therefore putting my own spin on the jacket.   Ebay can be a mans best friend for thrifting if you have some semblance of patience, and it definitely delivered in this instance.

A great image via LIFE Archives showing the double-breasted blazer being worn by a young gentleman in the 1930s. The blazer has its broad shoulders and overlapping lapels and, of course, one row of functional buttons with the rest being simply decorative.

My good friend  Antonio Centeno from A Tailored Suit and writer for Art of Manliness gives a nice run-down on the double-breasted jacket.

“The original double-breasted jacket has six buttons, with three to close. This originated from the naval reefer jacket. Because shorter men may find that six buttons overwhelms their shorter torso, a four or six button configuration in which only the bottom one fastens may be a better option. The four-button double-breasted jacket that buttons at the lower button is often called the “Kent”, after the man who made it popular – the Duke of Kent”

Rugby Madras Blazer – Uniqlo Oxford – TM Trousers - Bostonian Saddle shoe

Fit Details : As many of you may know from the previous summer the lightweight fabric madras is a favorite of mine. Last time around I dedicated an ode to madras where I wore a pair of J. Crew madras classic fit pants. Now 9 months later they have been tailored and I can’t wait to wear them this Spring/Summer.  A slightly misfitting blazer  purchased from a friend has been transformed into my own liking with a bit of tailoring.

Photography : This time around we chose a slightly different path by working with San Diego native photographer Chaz Cruz . In this day where many can grab the label of being a Photographer, this gentleman actually embodies the hard work , vision and clarity of one. We decided to change up the scenery from our familiar background to the world famous Central Park: 843 acres of green, asphalt and concrete for all to roam through.

Vintage Ralph Lauren ‘Vertical Stripe’ shirt – Uniqlo pants – J. Crew Saddle shoes

Left image – 1953 ||| Right image – 2010

Searching for saddle shoe images I stumbled across this image, apparently an Iowa resident by the name of Tom Alex back in 1953 on his first day of kindergarten and around the same age as my nephew Jeremiah. Intriguing to see 57 years later and 4 years late of their 100-year anniversary the saddles are still being worn. Simply a perfect example on how history repeats itself time and time again.

Here are some behind the scenes footage from the shoot. The shoot was done by Colin Leaman and the interview was done by Bobby Whigham, two very cool guys. Check out their blogs!

Genesis of Style –  Coming JAN 2010.. (Full Video)

Location in picture  - Harlem

Check out the video teaser below

Michael Andrew, a good friend of ours residing in Harlem by way of Austin, Texas, goes into detail on what the word ‘style’ means to him. What I most admire about the video is that he gives his definition of style effortlessly, as if we rehearsed previously. The internet is one of the most powerful engines ever created giving us the ability to link to individuals all around the world simply because we posses  something in relation.  The fact that in the early stages large companies chose to ignore the might and impressionable power of the web displays why many of them are now looking for  ways to get inside a loop that, at this point, is almost closed.

Genesis of Style - Genesis –  ’a coming into being’ or ‘the beginning of’ and when you think of it in relation to style –  ’a way of expressing something that is characteristic of a particular group or period of time’. This “genesis”, so to speak, is not about convincing different individuals to dress similar to us; from the video you can see the variation in style from person to person, but more about a revival of awareness of personal style. This multi-borough video project, starting out in the Bronx, should change the face of Street Etiquette and everyone involved.

*From the Bronx to Harlem  to Lower Manhattan to final destination of Brooklyn*

Fit Description – 3sixteen duffel coat & Billy Kirk Bag - Everyone seems to love this duffel coat it definitely a nice camel wool that is well constructed. The leather bag made my the brothers of Billy Kirk gives off a sleek masculine look and is a great travel bag to compact items inside but at the same time look comfortable.

“There’s a sense that this return to style, or to a consciousness of how you look, is an attempt by young men to recover a set of values that were at one point very much present in American society and then lost.”

- Professor Samuel Rascoff of NYU

Taken from the New York Times article “Dressing for Success, Again.” This is an article I think everyone should read as it talks about the return of gentlemen into style.

Fit Details – Shuron Ronsir Zyl – Uniqlo – A.P.C NC – Clarks

The classic American eye wear company Shuron has been manufacturing glasses to the public ever since 1865 . This alone attracted me to the brand even more knowing that quality products played a important role in their longevity. The specific style that caught my eye were the Browline glasses which aren’t made by a lot of companies today, but Shuron still produces them.  Brow line glasses were invented in 1947 by Jack Rohrbach, then vice-president of Shuron Ltd. The Ronsirs are one of the more significant frame designs of the 20th century, totalling up half of the sales sold during the 1950s. The company Shuron provided me with great customer service answering all of my sometimes tedious questions. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for great quality eye wear from a company that has been producing glasses for decades now.

It’s great that we can still grab what was considered a trend in the 1950s and still wear it today. This style of glasses probably looks a bit familiar to some with recognizable people such as Malcolm X to JFK wearing Browline style frames.   This will not be the last time you will  see me wearing a pair of Shuron glasses.

Special thanks to Chris Watchhorn and It’s Bongo Boy for helping me capture the first two pictures.