Tag: fashion

Accessories, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

Getting Under the Right Umbrella

Spring is nearly sprung upon us, and with the changing of the season comes rain. Rain water is not bad for our clothes — after all, we need to wash them on a regular basis — but because our clothes are often made from organic fibers, and these fibers retain moisture, it’s possible for them to develop mold and bacteria if they stay damp too long, giving them a distinct odor. Rain can also harbor pollutants, which impart another odor to our clothes.

The simple solution to these problems is investing in an umbrella. The word umbrella comes to us from the Latin word umbra, which means shade, so umbrella literally translates as “little shade.” The umbrella as we know it today has been with us for at least 2,000 years. The earliest record of a collapsible umbrella is from ancient China and was made for the carriage of Emperor Wang Mang. From then until the 18th century, umbrellas were a mark of nobility or aristocracy.

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Daniel Allen
Patterns, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

Picking the Perfect Patterns

Today I want to talk about patterns and pattern matching. While this may seem like an overwhelming task to the uninitiated, it’s really very simple. But before we go into the how of pattern matching, it’s important that we have an idea of what some of the most common patterns are.

Stripes

Stripes are parallel bands of different colors. The bands of color may be of equal size or one or more stripes may be smaller, as in pin stripes.

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Daniel Allen
Accessories, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

Mastering Men’s Neckwear

History

louis-xiv-cravat cdn3dotbigcommercedotcom
Louis XIV

The modern necktie traces its origins to the cravat, which first gained popularity in 17th century France. A group of Croatian mercenaries in the service of France were wearing cravats when they were presented to the French royalty. A young Louis XIV was present and began wearing them. Later that century Charles II (returning from exile in France) brought them to England and the fashion quickly spread.

Our modern neckties evolved during the industrial revolution. The thin profile allowed them to remain tied for longer periods of time and to be easier to tie. Today’s necktie was truly born in 1923, though, when Jesse Langsdorf patented his tie constructed of three pieces. Langsdorf’s major innovations were cutting the fabric diagonally against the grain (along the bias) to allow for more elasticity, and adding a lining and a loose “slip stitch” to help the tie keep its shape after multiple twistings and knottings.

Today, ties retain few of their original functions. It’s speculated that the Chinese and Romans used colored scarves to show allegiance or membership; many schools and military units today use ties for this same purpose. Cravats were at one time used to protect the shirt from stains, but today’s ties are too thin for this purpose. Some speculate that ties are for hiding the buttons and placket of a shirt or for directing an observer’s attention upward or downward. There’s no way to know for sure, but for now the tie is an essential part of most men’s wardrobes.

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Daniel Allen
Outerwear, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

Cold Weather Coats and Jackets

Winter has arrived in full force and with it the need to keep warm and, of course, look good doing it. With that in mind, I’m going to be exploring the diverse world of men’s jackets and coats. I won’t be delving into any style advice but I will be delving into the history and basic characteristics of some of the most popular and classic outerwear.

 

Denim Jacket

Today’s denim jackets can trace their origins to Levi’s Type I jacket made in the early 20th century. It was initially made as work wear for laborers and the military but after it began to appear in film and on celebrities – like Martin Sheen in Badlands – it quickly passed into popular culture. We’re probably most familiar with Levi’s Type III jacket, also known as the trucker jacket. Today variations of it can be found everywhere from the runway, on tractors, and in Target.

http://www.complex.com/style/2014/09/a-brief-history-of-the-denim-jacket/

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Daniel Allen
Accessories, Best of the Web, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

Best of the Web: How to Tie a Scarf

After weeks of unseasonably warm weather here in North Carolina, winter is finally here. It’s time to break out the heavy coats, gloves, and scarves. I’m busy working on my first article for the year, but in the meantime, I wanted to share these videos I found from Burberry‘s YouTube channel. Each one is less than 30 seconds long, and while they have a Gap commercial vibe to them, they also show some practical ways to tie our scarves.

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Daniel Allen2 Comments
Shirts, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

How to Look Good in Our Dress Shirts

If our outfits were a sentence, our shirts would be the subject. Our shirt can dictate the rest of our outfit based on its color and cut. Shirts also frame our face and define our silhouette, so it’s critical that they fit properly. A shirt that doesn’t fit properly will make us look larger than we are. If it’s too big it will create a “muffin top” around our waist and make our sleeves billow like a pirate’s. If it’s too small it will highlight every bulge and curve on our bodies and restrict our arm movement. And keep in mind, very few store-bought shirts will fit us perfectly. Mass-produced shirts are made to mostly fit most people and a perfect fit likely won’t be found without the help of a tailor.

Collar

With the collar buttoned, our shirts should afford us enough room to breathe without making us look like we’re wearing our father’s shirt. We should be able to fit a finger or two between our neck and the collar of the shirt. The collar is one of the basic measurements of men’s dress shirts (the other being sleeve length). When we find a shirt that fits us well around the neck, we should remember the measurement for future purchases.

collar shirtsmyway-com
www.shirtsmyway.com

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Daniel Allen
Accessories, Bags, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

Men’s Bags: When, Where, and Why

Men’s bags have been around for thousands of years but it’s only been in the last 50 years or so that they’ve seen a revival, and it’s becoming fashionable to carry them again. This is largely due to the increasing number of things we tend to carry around. Whether it’s a new cell phone that’s three times the size of our old flip phones or our work laptops, we have more things and need a stylish way to carry them.

Carrying a bag may also send a subtle psychological message. Dr. Benjamin Wild argues in Parisian Gentleman that carrying a bag is an intentional handicap akin to a peacock’s feathers. (These ostentatious feathers are a functional detriment to the peacock but act as a signal that the peacock is of such fine stock that it has biological resources to spare.) In the case of strapless bags, reducing by half our manual utility could be a signal to others that our resources are such that we can afford to temporarily give up the use of one of our hands. The analogy also works when we consider financial resources instead of biological ones since some bags can cost over $1,000.

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Daniel Allen
Pants, Shirts, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

Wrapping our Heads Around Weaves

The way a fabric is created determines the way it looks, the way it hangs, the way it feels. From light and sheer to heavy and shiny, the weave determines the very character of a garment. When it comes to men’s clothing we only have to consider two basic types of weaving, but the variety within those weaves is almost endless.

Plain Weave

Plain weaves are defined by their simple over-under weave. The warp threads (those running vertically) alternate going over and under the weft threads (those running horizontally), just as the weft alternates going over and under the warp.

poplin wikipedia
www.wikipedia.org

Poplin

A popular and common weave, poplin gets its name from the Pope having a residence in the town where it was once made. Poplin was originally made with a thicker weft, giving it a corded appearance and texture. Modern poplins use the same size threads for warp and weft, making it smoother but also a bit sheer. Poplin fabrics are usually used for formal dress shirts and tend to have solid colors.

Broadcloth

Broadcloth is made with a normal plain weave like the poplin, but it is woven wider than its intended final width. Traditionally, it was stretched while immersed in water; when it dried, the fabric shrank to its intended size. Finally, the fabric was rubbed with special earth and beaten with wooden hammers to bind the individual fibers together, similar to a felting process. Because of this processing, broadcloth is softer and heavier than poplin, but it can still be used in formal situations.

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Daniel Allen
Best of the Web, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

Best of the Web: Denim College

I want to share a five-video series from G-Star Raw‘s YouTube channel. The videos are a total of 30 minutes in length and show us the process of raw cotton being turned into a finished product, explaining each step along the way. This is an excellent introduction to modern textile production and a solid fundamental for anyone who wants to understand style and fashion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whvqT0tR7mo

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Daniel Allen3 Comments
Shirts, Style Zero 2 Style Hero

Sizing up the Right Shirt for our Style

Originally considered underwear, shirts didn’t come into their own until the 20th century, yet of all the garments that go into our outfits, the shirt is the most diverse and the most visible. White shirts have always been at the top of the fashion food chain because it’s indicative of a lifestyle where the wearer doesn’t get dirty. Likewise, colored shirts have traditionally been more casual because the colors were originally meant to obscure stains between washings.

The easiest way I’ve found to organize this list is by the length of the placket — the reinforced piece of fabric onto which buttons are attached. A shirt with a full placket is one with buttons from the neck down to the bottom hem. Shirts with partial plackets have buttons that start at the neck but don’t extend to the bottom of the shirt. A shirt without a placket has no buttons.

Full Placket

Dress and Sport Shirts
First, let’s discuss our basic shirts with full plackets and collars. They come in a countless array of colors, cuts, and costs. A simple dress shirt in a conservative color is the foundation for nearly every formal outfit. Add a bold pattern or a unique cut and it becomes a sports shirt, ready for a night out. These shirts come in both short- and long-sleeved varieties. Whichever way we go, fit comes first, if it’s too billowy we’ll look like we borrowed dad’s shirt, if it’s too tight, we look fat.

sport shirt sierratradingpostdotcom
www.sierratradingpost.com

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Daniel Allen