The cold winter temperatures offer the perfect opportunity to bring your sweaters out of storage. Whether it’s cotton, wool or cashmere — or a combination thereof — wearing a sweater will enhance your appearance while keeping you warm and comfortable in the process. But you can add a touch of style to your outfit by pairing it with a dress shirt. However, there are a few things you should know when wearing a sweater over a dress shirt.

Stick with a V-Neck

You have one of two different options when choosing a sweater: you can opt for crew cut, or you can stick with a lower V-cut. Assuming you intend to wear a dress shirt over your sweater, it’s best to stick with the latter. Why is a V-neck preferred? Well, simply because it allows you to show off your dress shirt collar more easily. You can still wear crew-cut sweaters, but they are best worn by themselves rather than paired with a dress shirt.

Line-Dry Your Sweater

Don’t make the mistake of tossing your sweater in the dryer. Depending on what it’s made of, doing so could shrink it — and not by just a size or two. To prevent your sweater from shrinking, it’s recommended that you line-dry it after washing it. An alternative solution is to use a special sweater dryer.

Press Your Shirt Collar

In addition to line-drying your sweater, you should also press your shirt collar. This “look” requires a wrinkle-free collar; otherwise, it’s messy and unflattering. You don’t have to necessarily press your entire dress shirt. Rather, make sure the collar is pressed and wrinkle-free.

Check the Bottom

Something else you should consider when wearing a sweater over a dress shirt is whether or not you can see the bottom of your dress shirt. Ideally, just a small section of fabric from your dress shirt should be visible. If your dress shirt is too big with 6+ inches of fabric showing, you should probably rethink your outfit.

Choose a Contrasting Color

What color dress shirt should you wear under a sweater? A good rule of thumb is to choose a color that contrasts with the color of your sweater. If you wear a white sweater and white dress shirt, the two garments will seemingly blend together, offering nothing in terms of aesthetics. But if you choose a dress shirt in a darker color, such as navy blue, it will stand out.

References:

http://ashleyweston.com/mens-wardrobe-essentials/the-v-neck-sweater/

Ever heard the saying “less is more”? Sure you have! Well, this adage holds true for many areas in life, including men’s fashion. By focusing your outfits around simple, basic garments and accessories, you’ll create a classic look that compliments your personal style. So, how exactly do you build a minimalist wardrobe?

Take Inventory of Your Socks

Socks are a fundamental component of a man’s wardrobe. Regardless of the occasion — casual or formal — you’ll need socks. Unfortunately, though, it’s not uncommon for socks to become lost over time. Instead of 20 pairs of matching socks, perhaps you have just a few matching pairs and a dozen mismatching socks. This is why it’s a good idea to take inventory of your socks, matching them up and discarding the ones without a match.

Remove Damaged Garments

Next up is removing damaged garments from your wardrobe. Even if you take good care of your clothes, some of them will inevitably damage over time. If a shirt has torn fabric, for instance, you should go ahead and remove it from your wardrobe. You don’t have to necessarily throw it away, but you should remove it from your main wardrobe. By eliminating damaged garments such as this, you’ll have an easier time choosing the right clothes to wear — clothes that are actually complete and not damaged.

Separate According to Type

When was the last time that you actually organized your wardrobe? Many men, including myself, are guilty of rarely, if ever, doing this. There’s no time like the present, however, to organize your wardrobe. Go through your clothes and separate them according to type. Maybe you can place your t-shirts at the front of your wardrobe, followed by polo shirts, button-up shirts, and then sweaters. This is just one of the many ways in which you can organize your wardrobe, so feel free to experiment with your own setup.

Define Your Style

You can’t expect to create a minimalist wardrobe without first identifying and defining your style. What type of “look” do you typically go for? No two men have the exact same style, and that’s okay. In fact, it’s actually good to have your own unique style. Once you’ve defined your style, you’ll have an easier time removing unnecessary items from your wardrobe while including more garments that you actually wear and use. So, take a few minutes to think about your personal style and what you hope to achieve with your outfits.

References:

http://lifehacker.com/create-a-minimalist-wardrobe-with-these-essential-cloth-1684956296

There are several factors you need to consider when shopping for a new suit. What material is it made of? What colors and/or patterns does it feature? Is it made using high-quality craftsmanship? These are all questions that you should try to answer. However, you should also consider whether it’s an off-the-rack, made-to-measure or bespoke. These are three different ways in which suits are made, and each style has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Off-the-Rack

The most common type of men’s suit is off-the-rack. When shopping at retail stores, department stores and suit warehouses, you’ll come across this style more than made-to-measure and bespoke.

Off-the-rack suits live up to their namesake in the sense that they are sold “off the rack,” without any customization or personalized tailoring. As such, you can expect to pay less for an off-the-rack suit as opposed to other styles, making them an excellent choice for budget-conscious consumers. However, it’s nearly impossible to find an off-the-rack suit that fits perfectly. So even if you pay less for it, you may still have to pay for professional tailoring services.

Made-to-Measure

A step up from off-the-rack is made-to-measure. This term is somewhat confusing, however, as made-to-measure suits aren’t necessarily made from scratch using a customer’s specified measurements. Rather, they are customized from a pre-made pattern. This allows for a deeper level of customization than off-the-rack, yet still not quite on the level of bespoke (we’ll get to that soon).

Bespoke

The third way in which men’s suits are made and sold is bespoke. Bespoke refers to a personally tailored suit that’s made from scratch. There are no pre-made patterns or cut-outs used in its production. A bespoke suit is made from scratch using the customer’s specified measurements. When you find a bespoke suit you want, you provide the vendor with your measurements, at which point he or she will make it from the ground-up.

The obvious benefit of choosing a bespoke suit is the ability to get the perfect fit. On the flipside, however, you’ll pay more for a bespoke suit that made-to-measure and off-the-rack.

So, which style of suit should you choose? Many men prefer made-to-measure, as it offers the perfect balance of customization and affordability. Made-to-measure suits are cheaper than bespoke, yet they still allow for a custom measurements. Of course, you could always choose an off-the-rack suit and have it tailored. But if you want a suit that fits perfectly, there’s no substation for bespoke. Hopefully, this will give you a better understanding of made-to-measure, off-the-rack and bespoke suits.

For many men, myself included, the polo shirt is the perfect “go to” choice for warm weather. When it’s sunny and warm outside, you can’t go wrong with a high-quality polo shirt. It offers a clean and polished look that’s guaranteed to enhance your image. However, you’ll want to follow a few basic steps when wearing a polo shirt.

Press it

Don’t make the mistake of wearing a wrinkled polo shirt. Granted, this rule goes for all shirts, but it’s particularly important for polo shirts. Polos typically attract more attention than other shirts and garments. As such, more people will be looking at you when wearing it. Always take a few minutes to press your polo shirt before wearing it.

Choose the Right Color

The right color can make a world of difference in the appearance of a polo shirt. Think about what other clothes you’ll be wearing it with, and choose a color to compliment your outfit. Bright colors like aqua blue and lime green are perfect for the summer, assuming you pair them with the appropriate pants. Even black is another great choice, though, especially when trying to achieve a slightly more formal look.

High-Quality Fabric

Many men overlook the fabric when choosing a polo shirt. 100% cotton polos are the most common. And while they aren’t necessarily bad, certain types of cotton like “pique” cotton are softer and more comfortable. You can expect to pay more for a 100% pique cotton polo, but most people will agree that it’s well worth the investment.

Another great alternative to traditional 100% cotton is stretch cotton. This fabric is actually a blend of cotton and some other elastic fabric, such as polyester. Stretch cotton polos are more form-fitting and perfect for men who want to show off their muscles.

Avoid the Deep-Cut Polos

Pay attention to the neckline when choosing a polo shirt. Some polos have deep V-cuts at the neckline, which isn’t exactly flattering. Normally, polos with three or more buttons at the neck suffer from this problem. While some men prefer deep-cut polos, most do not. Always check the neckline when choosing a polo shirt to see how deep it does.

Check the Sleeves

You should also check the sleeves when choosing a polo shirt. The sleeves should rest comfortably against your arm, but not so much that it’s uncomfortable to wear. Assuming you are shopping for a polo shirt in person, try it on to see if it fits in the sleeves.

References:

http://www.gq.com/story/polo-shirt-how-to-wear

https://theidleman.com/manual/advice/how-to-wear-a-polo-shirt-3-ways/