Dear Simon,
In a recent post (The modern man needs a good blazer) you
explained how versatile a blazer
or odd jacket can be, and how to wear one. The image, however, showed a jacket
with a shirt and tie, and jeans. Do you think this works well? Or is a tie too
formal with jeans? I like the look but don't know whether I could 'pull it off'
as they say.
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy,
It absolutely can work, but it is
one of the hardest things for a man to get his head around because there are so
many moving pieces. The contrast with a navy suit and black shoes is pretty
stark.
The keys are colour and texture. More
subdued colours and rougher textures are more casual. Match these to the
casualness of the jacket, trousers and shoes.
As jeans are pretty much the most
casual trousers you can wear with a shirt and tie, both should be as casual as
possible. A blue shirt is more casual than a white shirt. A wool tie is more
casual than a silk tie. A knitted tie is more casual than a printed tie. An
oxford-weave shirt is usually more casual than a smooth twill.
That extends to design elements as
well. Single cuffs are more casual than double cuffs; plackets are more casual
than plain fronts; button-downs are more casual than spread collars.
Hopefully you get the idea by now.
The image from Brunello Cucinelli
that you refer to (reproduced below) includes a white shirt with a spread
collar and single cuffs, and a woven, cashmere grey tie. Personally I would
have gone with a button-down shirt rather than a spread collar, or a blue
shirt, but you can see how casual elements have been included to make the shirt/tie
fit better with the jeans and brown jacket.
The image at top, taken from The Armoury's wonderful Tumblr account, also uses a white shirt but you can see how the knitted silk tie adds a casual element. Suede in the belt helps too - more texture.
Good luck with your combinations.
Simon
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no simon, never wear a tie with a button-down shirt...
ReplyDeleteYou're clearly not much of a Ivy League fan
DeleteThanks Simon, most helpful. I look forward to trying this out.
ReplyDeletejeans should be as dark as possible, preferably indigo, and slim. APC and Uniqlo selvedge jeans both work.
ReplyDeleteI wear Albam (have a search for posts on them), but Kapital and 45RPM are the best
DeleteAh, one thing has just occurred: I'm a smidge over six foot, and knitted ties seem to be made for much shorter men; they all seem to end above my belly button. The only way to avoid this would be to tie it so that the flattened area which is supposed to go around the neck is actually part of the knot. Is it acceptable to have a knitted tie very short, or is there anyone who makes them in longer sizes?
ReplyDeleteIt's annoying isn't it? They do tend to stretch over time, but that doesn't help for the first few months. Try wool ones, which are often cut longer, or yes, wear the back blade shorter and keep the front long enough.
DeleteExcellent post Simon, Italian ties seem to be cut longer,maybe for more intricate knots.Either way just adjust the back blade's length and all is well.Ties and Jeans work if the jeans are darker, as mentioned above,and not distressed.Broken in good, worn through bad and sad.
DeleteSimon-- Your suggestions have made the tie/jeans combo as palatable as possible.
ReplyDeleteHowever nothing will ever make me like it.
Shocking to me that this combo still leaves some befuddled. I can go back 30 years to prep school (American equivalent of your public schools), and recall younger faculty sporting such a look without note. By the way, Simon, you looked great in your cycling togs. Thanks for your blog!
ReplyDeleteI strongly disagree that plackets are more casual than plain fronts. At the very extreme, yes, a bib-fronted evening shirt for wear with white tie will have a plain front. But in every other formal context from black tie down (the abomination of pleated and fly fronts aside), it's plackets all the way. By contrast, when I want my shirtmaker to run up a casual short-sleeved number for the seaside, I'll tell him to give it a flat front.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good point, but I think by the time you're talking about the seaside most of the subtleties of formality are less relevant anyway. It's less obvious than a button down etc, but I'll stick by anything that interrupts a shirt front makes it more casual.
DeleteI don't like the jeans-and-tie look at all. Partially because I think trousers should always have a crease. But the look either says "I have to be formal by wearing a tie but I want to be comfortable wearing a jeans." or it says "I am young and fashionable. I am wearing a jeans and a tie as fashion accessory."
ReplyDeleteI ike this look a lot but probably wear with a tie loosened around nthe neck and deliberately left a little undone .. makes it look more relaxed, and although not strictly correct gives a little sprezz to the look..
ReplyDeleteOne issue I have with this though is can you wear any type of coat over this? With a suit it is natural to put on an overcoat ( perhaps a camel one like the one you had made at gb or a mac in more temperate but rainy weather), with a blazer or sportscoat can you
Cont... With a blazer or sportscoat I not sure a mac or overcoat would work although may be equally necessary? How would you play this Simon?
ReplyDeleteMicheal
I think you just have to bear in mind the same thoughts of formality. A tailored topcoat may look too smart, but anything in a tweed or otherwise thick wool would be fine. Equally with a raincoat.
DeleteHard to draw any hard lines without considering each piece in turn, but formality - or 'smartness' - is what you want to be considering, with the same ideas of colour, texture and details
Simon, I have read that you are a fan of selvedge denim and I I have also read that it can leave marks on furniture etc. Have you had any problems with it marking other items of clothing ?
DeleteIt's fine after a wash or two or wearing for a few days
Delete