What you need to know when buying a men’s belt

Men’s Belt Basics:  Buying a Belt
Very similar-looking belts sometimes vary widely in cost.  The quality of the leather is one common factor:  calfskin is the most common material used for belts, and a good belt will have a soft, supple leather.  Flex the belt to make sure it hasn’t turned brittle or started to crack.  Another good test of leather is to score the back very lightly with your fingernail — if a faint line appears, the leather is still soft and fresh.  Old, hard leather will resist your nail.
Construction is the other major factor affecting the price of a belt.  Look for small, tight stitching with no loose ends wherever the leather has been sewn.  Buckles attached with a snap on the back of the belt can be changed out, while a buckle stitched in place is the only one you can wear with the belt — some men may find the flexibility of a snapped belt worth paying more for, especially in good leather.  Belts can be custom-cut at some leather goods stores.
Brand name will also play a factor, but means quite a bit less than the other factors.  Your belt is too small for most people to be able to tell at a glance whether it’s designer or not.  Spend the money on quality instead.

Men’s Belt Basics:  Belts and Jean Labels
Speaking of designer goods, some high-end jeans have a famous label right between two of the belt loops.  You may be tempted to leave the belt off, so that the label can be displayed more prominently.
It’s not a great idea in general.  Unbelted jeans, even expensive ones, make you look like a slob.  Choose a slim belt that lets part of the label show and leave it to other people to notice your fantastic style — or not.  If they weren’t in the know you weren’t going to impress them anyway, right?
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Cotton is King Of The Men’s Clothing World

The world’s most important apparel fiber makes up over 50% of the fabric sold throughout the world to including men’s cotton suits, cotton dress shirts, hosiery, underwear, and just about every piece of casual wear to include jeans and sweatshirts.
The popularity of cotton is no accident. Cotton fiber has a long history with man, and it has endured because its unique properties make it ideal for clothing.
Cotton fabric is attractive, durable, comfortable, takes to dyes, and most importantly has proven itself to be a superior fiber for men’s clothing manufacturing.

Physical Characteristics of Cotton Fiber
Cotton is divided into various groups depending on its physical characteristics; we will focus on two of the most important characteristics, the length of the cotton fiber and its fineness.
Cotton Fiber Length in Menswear
Cotton fibers vary in length considerably, from half an inch to 2 inches. Higher quality is often associated with longer length, and achieving this desired state is more expensive due the risk of a longer growth cycle and an increased demand on resources.
Long fibers make up only 3% of the worldwide output, and their use is typically reserved for high end shirt fabrics and other luxury.
A few varieties of this long fiber cotton used in shirt fabrics are American Pima, Egyptian, and Sea Island Cottons.
Cotton Fiber Fineness in Menswear
Cotton fiber fineness (the fiber’s diameter) is the second important quality of this king of fabrics.
High end fabric producers look to weed out irregularities and immature cotton fibers – these latter tend to be 20% thinner than mature fibers and can lead to early wear in shirtings fabrics due tot he fact they are less durable. Between length and fineness, even a bale of quality cotton can lose a large percentage of it’s fibers to QC. Thus the cost of high end cotton used in quality mens clothing can rises substantially.
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How Far Up to Roll Your Sleeves

You’ll notice there’s no measurements in inches or centimeters on either of our methods.  That’s because how far to roll the sleeves is up to you — with some caveats.

• Above the elbow is a more practical place to keep the sleeves if you’re actually working with your hands. Aesthetically though, it violates the “rule of thirds” and never looks quite as stylish as leaving the rolled sleeve a bit below the elbow.  Also, if you have a loose cuff or a lot of sleeve fabric it can start to look odd as more and more fabric gets bunched up around your elbow ruining the line of your bicep.  Stick to thin, tightly-fitted shirts if you’re rolling your sleeves high.

• Below the elbow is a less practical, more stylish option.  It’s good in situations where you’re deliberately trying to look relaxed, and works great with the .  You may need to roll the turned-back fabric over on itself a few more times to keep it tight on your forearms (unless you have very thick arms), which will thin the finished band of cloth out some.

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What Bond Never Wears

A few things that get passed off as “black tie” nowadays are anachronisms with no place in formal dress. James Bond avoids them and you should too.
Men renting a tuxedo (and there’s nothing wrong with renting, so long as you’re careful) need to be particularly wary of anything that crosses the line from “black tie” to “costuming,” as more and more rental tuxes do these days:
• Colors should be entirely absent. A classic black tie ensemble is black or midnight blue with a simple white shirt.
• Shirts are plain white with studs or mother of pearl buttons. Collars are either point or wing. Do not try to introduce color here or bring in patterns. It’s not creative – it’s hideous.
• No colored lapels, vests, or cummerbunds. Yes, we said it before, but it bears repeating. These are not black tie elements. They’re purely novelty items introduced to the rental tuxedo industry in the 1970s that sadly surface at every high school prom and most American weddings. If you have someone try to sell you this – run like the wind friend, run.

My definition of dressing sharp

Dressing well does not mean wearing a custom 3- piece suit everywhere you go. It just means looking your best in whatever environment you are in.
Being a well-dressed man may mean having a well-fitted suit as opposed to something cheap and off the rack, or it might mean adding a blazer or tie when you could get away with just a dress shirt in a less formal work environment. It can be as easy as putting on a sweater or vest when you are out with friends and wearing nice loafers instead of tennis shoes.
You can look well-dressed in anything if you always make sure the men suits you wear fit properly. You can’t look good squeezed into something you bought five years and 20 pounds ago, even if it was a really nice piece of clothing. Just make sure you’ve got a good, consistent fit all around: long sleeve shirts should extend just to the wrist and hang reasonably close to the body. Pants should fit close to the body and “break” by resting lightly on the tops of your shoes. Jackets need to give your arms freedom of movement without pinching and to cover your bottom when you stand.
One of my favorite outfits to wear when meeting with a client, speaking to groups about my business, or meeting up with friends is a dress shirt, a tie and a buttoned vest paired with a nice pair of jeans. It works in business environments but also works in a more casual setting. For an “off-the-clock” look later in the day I even loosen the tie a bit.

Buy Jeans That Fit

Over the years denim has evolved into its own little world of terminology and numbers that you won’t see elsewhere in menswear. Boot cut…..
….Low Rise….
….Slim Cut….
…..Loose Fit….
….High Rise….
For the casual shopper, these terms and inconsistencies gets frustrating fast.
Do you need a low-rise slim fit?
A high-rise relaxed fit? Bootcut, skinny, straight-leg?
And where do numbers come into it all?
It’s a mess!
But we’re here to help.
This guide gives a definition for all the major terms used to describe men’s denim trousers, as well as some hints on how to find the style that suits you best.
We’ll start with the easy part: finding your measurements.
Most jeans, unless you’re having them custom-made, will be sized by two measurements: waist and inseam.

• The waist measurement is the circumference, in inches, of the waistband of the pants — that inch-thick or so horizontal strip of cloth around the top. Wrap a tape measure around yourself where you want the waistband to sit. That’s your “waist” measurement, even if you’re wearing your jeans down on your hips.
• The inseam measurement starts in the center of the crotch (you’ll see the point where four seams all intersect in a kind of a cross-shape) and runs down the inside of the leg to the cuff. To find yours, measure from the place where your legs join down to the floor, standing barefoot. That’s about the inseam you want.

On most commercially-sold pairs of jeans you’ll see the numbers written together, with the waist size first. A tag that reads “36 x 32″ is a pair of jeans with a 36-inch waistband and a 32-inch inseam, for example.
In addition to the listed numbers, a third measurement is often used to determine how the jeans are described:

• Rise is not usually listed on the tag, but many companies use the rise measurement to distinguish between “cuts” or styles of jeans. It’s the measurement from the center of the crotch (again, that middle point where all the seams come together) up to the center of the waistband, where the button usually sits. You won’t see it on tags unless you’re buying very specialized denim, but it does have an effect on terminology.

Those three measurements — waist, inseam, and rise — are the Big Three of off-the-rack jean sizing. If you’re having bespoke jeans made, of course, your tailor will want other measurements, and you should follow his or her instructions, or use a custom sizing guide like A Tailored Suit’s.

Styles of Waxed Cotton Jacket

Traditional makers like J. Barbour & Sons offer a wide range of waxed cotton styles. Most have practical, tradesman’s roots: the fisherman’s slicker, the gamekeeper’s hunting jacket, and so forth. Here are a few of the most common:
The Slicker or Oilskin: The traditional fisherman’s coat falls to the mid-calves and has a wide, double-breasted front and an attached cape on the back. Most also include a hood that buttons beneath the chin. They are extremely protective, especially when paired with waders, but are heavy and not the most stylish choice.
The Hunting or Hacking Jacket: A thigh-length coat with a vent (slit) up the back to allow for riding. Double- or single-breasted models are both common, going up to the neck in either case and meeting a turndown collar. The collar is often done in brown corduroy.
The Field Jacket: A military style falling to just below the waist, with large front pockets and a built-in belt. Epaulets are common but not required.
The Moto Jacket: A tight-fitted, waist-length coat with a mandarin (non-turndown) collar and buttoning cuffs. Designed for motorcycle riding — Barbour in particular has a long-running association with cycling, dating back to the early 1930s.
The Trench Coat: The iconic military style: knee-length, built-in belt, epaulets and storm flap. Waterproofed cotton and wool were the original materials for the World War One-era trenchcoats that gave the style its name
There are many variations on all these basic styles. Hoods are quite common, as are all sorts of extra pockets designed for specific activities and items — shotgun shells, rolls of film, notebooks, and more.
Colors vary depending on brand and marketing, but earth tones are the most traditional. The original chemical process turned the cotton black or dark olive, which early manufacturers balanced with a brown corduroy collar, and all those are still quite common in modern waxed jacket styles.
In any cut or color, the sturdy, finished look of a waxed cotton jacket is a big selling point over more modern outdoors wear — unlike a brightly-colored plastic poncho, it looks like part of an outfit, rather than something draped over it. If you’re hiking the Appalachian Trail it probably doesn’t matter much; if you’re doing business in a big city you’ll be grateful for the added class.