Advice

Greg, the Man of No Man Walks Alone, once told me he couldn’t stand the fake “fallen noble” look of Arnys, which was once a niche shop on Paris’ Left Bank and is now a minor legend in the fashion firmament. It is known more widely than is what it was known for, so it stands for many things now that it did not or should not have while it was still a quaint, shockingly expensive store one could visit, as I often did.

I recently returned to work at a retail suit shop and since my return, many a potential shopper has asked me how they should be dressing at work now that most of their workspaces no longer require a full suit and tie. So in honor of these confused men, I’m going to do my best to teach you and your most swaggerless homey how to take some of the best tailoring pieces and make them into elevated street wear ‘fits. 

Just as the return leg of a journey seems shorter, as if the mental energy has already been spent on the outlay, and now you are being pulled magnetically back home, unpacking feels easier than packing. The difficult decisions are already made. Did I need that second whisk, or the book about Alexander von Humboldt? Either way, it’s too late.

To quote one of my mentors, “there is no try - only do.” The great masters of style make elegance look effortless because to them it is truly no burden. Being a man of grace lightens life’s load. I am unfamiliar with the travails of the “jeans and polo guy,” but doubt if these unpadded shoulders could carry such a burden.

Autumn has always been my favorite season to dress for. While I enjoy the longer days of summer; I find that the high temperatures make it so that I can’t dress the way I’d like to without looking like a sweaty mess within two seconds of stepping out of the air conditioned confines of my apartment. Most people start to make plans about what the upcoming year is going to be like but to me, this is a perfect time to start making changes and why not begin by getting rid of that nagging voice in your head that tells you that you can’t pull off certain looks.