June 14, 2013

Ten classic menswear pieces that will never go out of style


It's more than a little fair to say that, sartorially speaking, the focus on this blog does generally fall on the female side of the spectrum. This is understandable, given that I'm a gal myself and the vast majority of those who enjoy wearing vintage fashions in this day and age are women as well.

However, there are plenty of members of the opposite sex, too, who also delight in sporting both timelessly classic and distinctly yesteryear styles, and in honour Father's Day on Sunday, I thought that today would be a marvelous time to devote a post to all the chaps out there who fall into this category.

This is a topic I've thought about covering before, but it wasn't until I received a Facebook comment from a fellow in response to my post last February about Ten investment worthy vintage wardrobe items (in which he asked me what some of my suggestions on this topic would be for gents) that I really started to put the gears into motion, so to speak.

Though I will readily admit that I know more about women’s wear, both past and present, I (humbly) have a fair bit of knowledge about menswear too, and greatly enjoy talking about men’s fashion and style, be it yesteryear or current. In the case of the latter, there are - in my opinion - far less dapperly attired fellows out there than there once was. Of course it can be said that elegant style has declined across the board for both men and women (amongst the general public, I mean), and I don't wish to pick on or single out men in any way here.

Quite the contrary, instead of bemoaning trucker hats, baggy pants, and athletic shoes being worn in non-athletic settings, I'm here today instead to focus on ten classic garments and accessories which I feel can go a tremendously long way towards turning any man's wardrobe - be he a fan of vintage styles or not - from merely so-so or nice into show-stoppingly fantastic.

I should preface the following ten items by saying, point blank, that I like a smartly dressed man who looks as though he's ready to run a company, hop on his yacht, or set up a campsite in the woods. I've always been very specific when it comes to my favourite kinds of styles and garments for chaps, and I make no bones about that fact (certainly most men have their favourites when it comes to what they like to see us ladies wearing, too).

That said, while my personal preferences no doubt factor into today's selection, they're by no means the only thing dictating the items of clothing in the spotlight this fine Friday morning. Some of these items are investment pieces there's no doubt about that, but they'll pay you richly in well dressed style dividends in no time at all, I assure you.

And so, without further ado, may I present...




{A wonderful wool (or cashmere and wool) overcoat}




{A sharply tailored three-piece suit}




{Gorgeous silk ties }




{A well cut vest}




{A handsome leather strap watch}




{Well cut dark denim jeans}




{Shawl collar cardigans}




{A vintage or vintage appropriate hat}





{Forzieri shoes}


{A very cool little side note about this particular pair of Forzieri shoes: they're the exact same style Nucky Thompson is wearing in the opening scenes of the intro on the TV show Boardwalk Empire.}


{A great blazer}




{To learn more about a specific image, please click on a photo to be taken to its respective source.}


♥  ♥  ♥


I spent a good long while thinking about this topic and brainstorming various possible selections before narrowing my list down to just ten. I wanted to go with pieces that had a vintage look to them, but which could easily be found in today's market and which would appeal to a wide range of guys.

These items needed to exude taste and quality, but not be so off-puttingly expensive that they'd be completely out of reach for those without a trust fund. These are fashions that any chap can - and should - consider adding to his closet. This list is by no means a complete "what's what" of a well stocked wardrobe for a smartly attired gentleman, but it's a great jumping off point for those with a passion for dressing with classic sophistication and an eye towards detail and quality.

While this blog will always veer more towards vintage ladies wear, it's thoroughly fun to shift the focus onto men’s fashion sometimes, especially in honour of Father's Day and well dressed men everywhere this week.

I'm very happy that I received the Facebook comment that I did (thank you, Kevin!), as I loved putting together this post, daydreaming about stocking Tony's closet with some of these amazing pieces, and reflecting on the way that - just as for us gals - there are certain classic wardrobe items that will really and truly never go out of style.

40 comments:

  1. Agree with every single one of these. Npw if only I could convince hubby....

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  2. Great post. Menswear is often overlooked. When I started practicing law (in 1982), I wore a three-piece suit every day. They were not common then but were permissible. Now, I never see one. Ever. Vests are such fun I wish they'd come back. (I also owned a collection of a dozen separate vests of wild design.)

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    1. Thank you very much, Ally. Well tailored three-piece suits are just spectacular - I so wish they'd come back into vogue again. I love (tailored) vests, too, they're in my all-time top five favourite garments a chap can sport (bonus points for if it's with a crisp white button down oxford and dark - non-skinny! - jeans).

      ♥ Jessica

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  3. WOW awesome outfits:) and very sexy men haha

    Check out my new post..My summer living on a lovely island:)

    have a great weekend dear

    LOVE Maria

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  4. This is a great list of items for presents for grads, too!

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  5. Oh wow, I love vintage inspired, tailored men's clothing! This is a great post, and very timely, as Sunday is father's day...at least here in the states :)

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  6. Love this post and love seeing a well dress man. These are all fabulous!

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  7. Can I add one? A french cuff dress shirt so you can add vintage cuff links- an extra bit of vintage goodness.

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    1. Wonderful addition, dear Debbie - thank you! It was hard to stop at just ten here, let me tell you. If a second edition ever appears, French cuff shirts will be on it for sure.

      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Love this list!! And reminds me that I need Patrick to do his review of his latest Freddies of Pinewood he bought!

    xoxo
    -Janey

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  9. Only 10? That's a killer that leaves holes in my closet no matter what, but I'll try to get creative...

    Shawl collar tuxedo (with braces and self-tied bow tie)
    White button down collared shirt with French cuffs (and cuff links)
    Long ties (silk and wool) with vintage tie bar
    Tailored blazers (navy blue and camel hair) with accessorizing silk pocket square
    Wing tip Oxfords
    Casual shoes (black monk strap and suede bucks)
    High waisted wool trousers with bracer buttons
    Stylish silk calf length socks
    Seasonal vintage hat (straw boater or panama (summer) / 7 panel tweed newsboy (winter)
    Seasonal wear: Wool overcoat and silk scarf (winter)/Seersucker or pin cord suit (summer)

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    1. Ten is just a jumping off point, by no means a complete list. I really appreciate your great additions - wing tips and tailored blazers are firm menswear favourites of mine, too.

      ♥ Jessica

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  10. What a sense of style you have! All absolutely gorgeous, and the clothes aren't bad either ;) xx

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  11. Another wonderful post! Jessica, your suggestions are perfect. My beloved is fond of vintage tweed caps. I think people would be happier if they donned jaunty chapeaus :)

    Hugs,

    Kymberlee

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    1. Thank you very much, dear Kymberlee. It's marvelous that your DH is a fan of vintage tweed caps. Be they past or present versions, Tony is keen on fedoras (and looks just as cute as a button in them).

      As a massive vintage hat fan (and frequent wearer), I couldn't agree with you more about the fact that plenty of folks would be happier if they still wore a wonderful looking hat most days. It's such a shame that this classic accessory fell out of common use amongst mainstream society.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. For most people, menswear has become even sloppier than women's clothing, particularly if you live in a place like I do, where the climate is always warm and often ridiculously hot. Unless men have a job where they are required to dress very nicely, most men don't seem to care what they look like. While that is true of many women these days too, it seems more common with men, which is sort of strange because menswear trends are more subtle changes than women's. Anyway, love the pictures of all the classy men's clothing. I think the shawl collar sweater and the hat are my favorite. I don't see a lot of articles on menswear on the blogs, so it was a really nice change of pace!

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    1. I completely agree that, on the whole, far fewer people put a lot of thought or attention to style into how they dress these days. I noticed that about a decade ago, as gym/ultra casual wear left realm of exercising or lounging at home in, so many people quickly jumped on that bandwagon and forgot, by and large, about the joys that come from putting together a well styled and classy looking ensemble (though of course, this trend had started long before then - I'd argue from the mid-60s onward).

      While I admittedly believe that we all have the right to dress as we please, I do so wish that more people (men and women alike) would take things up a few notches in terms of their personal style. Luckily not quite everyone has abandoned three piece suits for track suits 24/7, especially in the vintage world - let's just hope society never reaches that point!

      ♥ Jessica

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  13. You have no idea how much I like to see men well dressed. Specially suits and tailored pieces...
    I have been going back and fourth on this and I agree on all, with one exception, the Forz shoes.
    Mostly because I recently saw someone wearing a pair and it made him look very, very dated.

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  14. Gorgeous pieces! I just swoon over guys who dress up like this!
    xx
    http://thescreensiren.com

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  15. Nice stuff. I wouldn't mind some of that for myself actually...

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  16. Oh my!!! Sure wish that men still dressed like this! Got to say there I've been in love with most of the male actors in the movies pre 1960's. That's my little confession for the day.

    Oh and I think that you should go to the Calgary Stampede for sure! I've been volunteering with a rodeo the past couple of days, and then I'm attending the last performance tomorrow night and going to the dance. I can't wait! I love rodeos and have been attending and volunteering for years! If you all go please take lots of pictures! I'd love to attend that rodeo one day.

    Adios,
    Jessie Lou

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  17. great pics, I am not knowledgable mens style and my husband wears jeans a t shirts every day and thats fine with me. I think the ultimate male style icon, maybe ultimate style icon is fred astaire

    urban hounds

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  18. So very dapper! Every guy should read this post and dress this way.
    xo

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  19. Lovely ;) I always think that for modern male sartorial splendour, you can't beat Ralph Lauren :) Then again, he does have a rather vintage flair ;)

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    1. Thank you, dear Rachel - I completely agree, Ralph Lauren will always be one of my all-time favourite designers (for both men and women), too. I so adore a vintage meets preppy vibe, and Ralph's lines excel at this.

      Have a marvelous weekend, my friend!
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. It's always nice to see a bit of mens fashion on blogs - I do love a well dressed man and you have picked some great photos/items =)

    Wishing you a wonderful weekend,

    Corinne x

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  21. Totally agree with you Jessica - the overcoat never goes out of style!!!

    http://julesfashionweek.com

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  22. I do love seeing a dapper chap and when I look for old photographs or knitting patterns I look for ones which feature lovely men's clothes as much as women's. I like your list and just like for women a good coat and good shoes ( especially a nice pair of brogues) can really make a man's outfit. Another interesting term for clothing difference, what you call a vest I would call a waistcoat and a vest is a sleeveless top you wear under your tshirt or blouse or shirt to keep you warm in winter.

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    1. Oh, I adore seeing a dapper chap in smart clothing, too - it's becoming a rarer and rarer sight in mainstream society these days.

      All of the various UK vs US/Canadian terms for clothing are interesting. I've been an anglophile my whole life (and also lived in the ROI for a couple of years, though sadly didn't get the chance while there to explore the UK), and have read a lot of UK books and magazines over the years, so I don't give either set of terms a second thought (aka, they're one in the same to me), but it does make one stop and wonder when the split (from the original British English) came about, or if (in some cases) both sides of the pond just decided to give a certain item a different name.

      Tons of thanks for all of your wonderful this week comments, my dear!
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. There are so many ways to expand on this! Your fragrance and storage posts came to mind instantly. Those shoes are very unique and I really like that suit. Which of these items could women wear? The ties? The shoes? This has got me really thinking!

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    1. Aren't those shoes amazing? Tony wants a pair soooo much! (I would too if I was a chap!). Now, granted I've never really been pulled towards wearing menswear (love the borrowed from the boys looks on others, but on me I just feel like a shorter, curvier version of my little brother in menswear pieces), but I think that just about all of these pieces could be interpreted from a female perspective. The tie, watch and cardigan seem like natural jumping off points, but I'm sure stylish menswear loving lasses could do amazing things with the classic pieces here (and create the kind of looks I bet Marlene Dietrich and Katherine Hepburn would have loved!).

      ♥ Jessica

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  24. Lovely, Jessica, simply lovely!

    I adore great-looking men's clothing. Although my husband does not do it so often anymore, he loves dressing up. Deep inside, he is a very classy fellow who loves vests, tweeds sports coats, and a fine over coat.

    ♥Hope

    P.S. I saw your comment on Vixen Vintage on her War era Superman sweater. Doesn't she look super adorable in that outfit?


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  25. Now if only more men would go to you for fashion advice instead of having their pants fall off their butt, which started in prisons, {yeah, that's something everyone should try. Let's all get orange jumpsuits...} but look like they haven't showered in a month and they expect us to swoon...as if! :)

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  26. Love this! My boyfriend doesn't wear pieces like these very often, but I would love it if he did! Maybe I should take him shopping. Haha.

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  27. Great post Jessica! It was nice to view some dapper dudes in all those masculine loveliness. I'm with you, nothing can make me swoon faster than a sharply dressed man!
    -Jamie
    ChatterBlossom

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  28. What a great list! As I was reading, I was mentally checking off the items in my partner's closet, and I think he's got most of these! He's a well-dressed chap.
    I'm certainly going to be sending this post to some of my more dapper male friends.

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  29. Aah, yummi! :) I would love my DH in a three piece suit, but since he is a mechanic it is very rare it happens. Super great choices, I love them all.

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  30. I have read many article regarding to this topic and done lots of research for the same. but here i get something new.thanks for sharing.

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  31. Yes, yes, yes!!!

    Best Regards,

    Heinz-Ulrich von B.
    averageguysguidetostyle.blogspot.com

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