How to Build Your Golf Wardrobe…

Recently I read a Golf Digest article that suggested you do not need “golf clothing” and  to just “dress casual”. Here at Les Richards, golf is a major part of our lives and even at varying skill levels golf clothing is important. A regular polo will not flex or stretch. Additionally, regular cotton or linen pants will not flex the same way performance pants from brands like Puma and Callaway will. Golf shorts and polos from top brands will also wick sweat and keep you cool while you play. For both performance and comfort, golf clothing is important to own.

Here is what to buy…

1. Two pair of performance golf shorts in a solid basic color like black or blue from Puma, Callaway, Oakley, Nike, etc.

2. One pair of performance golf pants in solid black.

3. One reversible belt black on one side and white on the other.

4. Three performance golf polos and make them colorful (think Rickie Fowler or Bubba Watson).

5. A great pair of golf spikes. Nike and Adidas have more sneaker like spikes available that look great and are extremely comfortable. Although Footjoy is a comfort king and a go to brand in spikes.

Les Richards Style Advice on What to Wear to a Summer Wedding

It’s that time of year where all of us have a grocery list worth of friends tying the knot. If you are in the wedding the attire is pretty simple. In order to help out the groom, you should go to a store that makes custom suits and get a jacket measurement, waist measurement, neck measurement, sleeve measurement, and an outseam measurement at the very least. However, most of us are just attending the wedding and this article is for you.

There are two very popular suit options that work great for a summer event. A light grey or light blue suit is where I would start. Jack Victor has a light grey and a light blue pinstripe that would serve as a great template. There are some other brands that have great affordable options in those color palates like H&M, J. Crew, and Banana Republic. At the higher end of things, there are great light grey options available in Versace and for light blue try Etro or Tom Ford.

The shirt and tie for a wedding can be fun. Light color suits match anything and pastel colors in blue, lavender, and pink are a great look. We recommend mini-checks in any pastel color. Check out brands like Hugo Boss, Facconable, and Ted Baker for great checks and multi-color vertical stripes. The tie to match should be either a solid in a brighter color, a stripe in a color that matches the shirt color, or a miniature pattern.

The shoe and belt should match and the shoe color should be lighter if possible. Black matches both light grey and blue and so does brown, but the color of choice is tan. Some people call this color cognac or British tan but nonetheless it is the shoe color. Allen Edmonds makes a few great options. Check out the Strand and the Flatiron in what they call Walnut. Mezlan has a few great options as well, but then again so does Alden, Boss, Cole Haan, and several others. As always if there are any additional question feel free to email us. 

Stay Classy.

Top 5 Items that should be in every man’s professional wardrobe

5. One Pair of Dark Jeans…Dark jeans are the casual Friday go to. They are the easiest thing to match because you can wear black or brown shoes and anything up top. I recommend either AG or Citizens for a good pair. I know those brands run near $200 a pair, but they are made here at home and they feel like sweat pants they are so comfortable.

4. Two Button Down Shirts…Everyone looks clean in a nice white button down. It also seems to be the shirt women are most attracted to, but my sample size is small (1). The other color is a toss up, but I recommend a solid blue. The shirts should fit correctly to support a tie if necessary. Through the sides the shirts should fit your body’s shape and not have too much excess material. Its amazing how getting a shirt that’s just an inch or two more fitted (if you are accustom to wearing a tent) will make you look significantly thinner.

3. Two Accessory Sets…I’m grouping shoes into accessories because they really are. A lot of men could care less how what’s on their feet matches what’s on their body. A lot of men should start caring a lot more. Is it true that women look at shoes? I have no earthly idea. However, I do know that looking put together requires the whole look not ¾ of it. So, you need two shoes (black and brown), two matching belts, at least two pair of dress socks, and optimally two watches to match the whole look.

2. Two suits…Everyone wears suits. The last wedding I attended there were a hand full of construction workers, a golf pro, and at least one truck driver. Now those are three of the first occupations that will tell you they do not wear suits, but occasions come up. We suggest a solid navy and a solid grey. You have now created four outfits. You can wear the suits as they are or you can “break the suit” and wear the navy jacket with the grey pant and visa versa. Also, grey and navy are the best for interviews and in today’s iron curtain job market there will likely be a second interview where you will want a different suit.

1. One Jacket…There are certain areas of the world where this does not apply. Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and the majority of other major metropolitan areas are not those areas. I recommend a rain coat with a liner. If you are going to have one jacket it might as well do everything. A rain coat without the liner is light and keeps you dry. With the liner, the rain coat becomes a winter coat and even repels snow. Most importantly, rain coats can be worn just as professionally as an overcoat over the suit.

images from Ben Sherman, Faconnable, Allen Edmonds, Cole Haan, Citizens, Jack Victor 2013

Fashionable Father's Day Gift Ideas

Gift ideas for Fathers Day can be tough. If your dad is anything like ours, he always says he doesn’t need anything. If you are thinking clothing, my suggestion is to think about what he can use in either daily work life or leisure. 

source

Does your dad golf? There are countless brands like Golf by James Warren, Faconable, Puma, Oakley, Nike, etc. Does your dad fish? I would suggest Tommy Bahama or something in a light linen in any color including pastels. Does your dad like to party? There are countless brands that offer contrast color and cuff or mixed media options like Robert Graham. Does your dad wear a suit and tie everyday? I would not suggest buying dad a suit unless he wears one brand and one size and has forever, but a tie is always a great gift. I recommend small patterns and stripes because every man can wear them. 

Shoes are another easy gift. Sneak into Dad’s closet and check his shoe size and get him some Sperry's or a new pair of running shoes. An easy way to handle gifting apparel and shoes for your dad or any other special person in your life, is sneaking into the persons closet and checking out what their sizes are. Next, Flag Day. 

Sperry Top-Sider

                                                           

Robert Graham

Faconnable

Stay Classy.

Suits 101 - Men's Suit Lapel Styles

VIA WSJ

Men’s fashion is normally a slow moving beast, but today things are starting to speed up. The dress code for work has gone casual and the closet has been filled with unstructured suits and sport coats. News happens in a far away country and we can report it via Twitter before its in the hands of CNN or the Huffington Post. So if this means men’s fashion is starting to react a little quicker we should be telling you what’s next. 

In suits, the next big thing is a wider lapel. I want to stress that just the LAPEL is getting wider and not the suit. Pleats and larger jackets have been seen on runways for brands like Burberry (Prorsum) but this will not go main stream. Slim fit, two button, side vent is the template. However, a ticket or hacking pocket and a wider lapel are certainly welcome to the party. 

Most lapels are between 2 ¾” and 3 ¼” wide. Now lapels up to 5” are in stock and in style. Tom Ford would tell you that this is old hat and for him it is. The wardrobe team for the popular show “Suits” would tell you the same thing (See Harvey Specter). However, everyone else is just getting on board with wider lapels, 3-piece suits, and double breasted jackets.

Stay Classy

Suits 101-Matching with your Classic Suit Colors

via GQ

People often ask what matches with navy, grey, or black. The simple answer is everything. The long answer that always follows involves proving to people that everything, including pastel colors, match. Think about a suit like the paint on your car. The paint is on the outside and now you get to choose the interior (shirt and tie). Black Porsche, black rims, yellow calipers, red seats. What I just described is outlandish, but the colors work because the backdrop, the paint, is basic. 

via Getty and RCFA

In suiting, solid black, grey, and navy are the most basic options. Navy and grey are the real winners though. The reason why is unless you are at the height of confidence (not fashion) you should not wear black and brown together. However, blue and grey can be worn with brown and black shoes and therefore with almost anything. This is also the reason why we suggest people purchase either a grey or navy suit for their first interview or first suit. So, for our sake and your own, stop asking what matches grey and navy and start thinking about what you would like to wear. 

Stay Classy.

Italian Suit Sale Going on Now!

The Prom Suit

via GQ 

Prom is right around the corner for millions of young Americans. Gentlemen need to be dressed well in order to match their date, but specifically matching their date is a thing of the past. If she wears a blue dress you do not need to wear a blue vest and blue tie. A classy black and white tuxedo or suit combination will always work. Here is what we recommend

• Classic grey, navy or black suit. 
• Fitted shirt in solid white or blue or a pastel gingham check.
• A solid, small pattern or striped tie that picks up color in the shirt.

Invest in a Suit, Don't Rent

Renting a tuxedo is costly as previously mentioned in a post below. A tuxedo rental with shoes can cost upwards of $200, but normally costs between $125 and $175. For the same price, a young man can buy his shirt, tie and probably a better shoe than you can rent. The suit should set you back a few hundred more, but thinking long term, it will be beneficial to purchase.

A Good Suit Will take you from Prom to College/Internship Interviews

Senior prom normally means college starts in the fall and local schools like Drexel have co-op programs that will require freshmen to have at least 1 suit. So buy a solid navy, grey, or black suit. Any of these options will work for prom and interviews later on. Suits should act as a template. Once you have your basic suit you can really step out with your shirt and tie combination. It is prom and therefore color is key. You can also get away with the crazy suit (someone will wear duct tape). However, this article is for the modern, enterprising young man who has the foresight to realize that a sharp suit and tie combination are classier than a grey tuxedo and a purple shirt. So wear a suit or tux and dress classy and clean. Throw in a pocket square. Think Justin Timberlake “Suit and Tie” not LMFAO “Party Rock Anthem” and you will be the one “they” swoon for (whoever they is). 

Stay classy young gentlemen.

via www.socialprimer.com 

How to Tie the Bow Tie

How do you tie a bow tie? It’s a question I receive almost daily. It is normally followed by a long explanation about how the person has been practicing and just can’t get it right. My suggestion is to go to Youtube and search “how to tie a bowtie” and watch the video. This makes it easier because you can pause and review each step. My other suggestion is to use a mirror so a smart phone would be the best tool to use. However, if you don’t trust Youtube or you are a genius who can convert simple words into bowtie magic I will offer the step by step here.

1. Adjust the bow tie to a width smaller than your neck size.
1. The bow tie will stretch due to the nature of how it is tied. At first you may want to tie the bow tie at your normal neck size but as you tie it smaller and tighter you will make the length shorter.
2. Put the bow tie around your neck.
3. Make the left side hang approximately 1 ½” longer than the right.
4. Fold the left side over the right then underneath and pull it tight to your neck.
5. Take the side in your left hand with your thumb and fore finger and fold it into the ribbon shape.
6. Take the right side and put the skinny piece of the tie and place it over the middle of the ribbon folded section.
7. Then use your thumb of your left hand to push the portion in your left hand folded through the hole created between the right side of the bow tie and the original fold on your neck.
8. Finally, use the folded ends (known as on the bite) to tighten down the bow tie to the desired size.

There is a link to a video to help you with this. If you want an in store display stop by LR2. 

Stay Classy.

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The Super Suit...Not Your Average Super Hero Look...

The Ultimate Super Suit...or Super Hero Suit..

There is a lot of conjecture on what “super” means in suit descriptions. Suits are often tagged “Super 120s” or “Super 150s” etc. To this point in my career, I have heard hundreds of possible explanations. Basic or extensive research will render several results as to the origin and meaning of this term in suiting. This post is not about origin or meaning. This post is to tell you that if there is that much confusion about something it is unlikely that it is used congruently by everyone. This post is to tell you to stop relying so heavily on a term. The term “super” has become somewhat of a barometer for quality and nothing further. There are brands, like Loro Piana and Dormeuil, that use the term with conviction and mean it. These brands do not simply slap a label on something and call it “super”. However, most brands use the term as a marketing tool. My suggestion is to rely more on fabrics (hand or feel of the garment and how it lays), gram weight (300 grams is considered a winter suit and below 270 is considered a summer suit), mill (the better the mill, typically, the better the product produced), and construction (full canvas v. half canvas, is the suit hand made, etc.) than the term “super”.

An Everyday Super Suit Look 

A Few Words on the Tux

It is truly the time of year when business in men’s clothing changes from outerwear and suiting to servicing weddings and prom. For many men, this means either renting or buying a tuxedo.  Here are some rules to apply when it comes to choosing a Tux.

Jacket:

The same rules apply in style for a suit as they do for a tuxedo.  Our suggestions tend to steer people towards the classier and more sophisticated simplistic looks in formal wear.  We recommend peak, notch, or shawl in a one or two button, with side vents, flat front pants, and no cuffs.

Shirt:

In the shirt, one can wear either a wing collar or lay down collar with either a bow tie or traditional tie. However, more and more people are wearing shirts without the pleats in both wing and lay down collars. It looks cleaner.

Accessories:

Traditionally, a person would wear a cummerbund and a button stance that was lower with a single button along with wearing tails; a look you won't see often these days. Celebrities often wear a tuxedo with a plain front fitted dress shirt with a bow tie and without a cummerbund or vest. This is now the definition of clean and classy when it comes to formal wear.

Some Prom Advice:

Prom is an animal. The moment will likely be the most important one in any young individuals life until anything of any significance happens in college, but until then it’s the biggest deal ever. That being said, we place a lot of weight on making sure young men look good. Color is king in prom season and matching the dates dress with the vest and tie is still a popular concept. However, more and more young gentlemen are buying suits and just dressing well for prom. This has always been our suggestion because if you look good and so does your date that should be all that matters.  Also, rental prices have risen significantly often nearing $200 when a shoe is necessary. Therefore, for similar money a young man can and should get a full outfit he owns.

Searching for Color:

There are two things that will be quite hard to find in either search of the perfect attire for Prom or a Wedding; a tuxedo in a color other than black or white and a wing collar tuxedo shirt without pleats. For either option, we suggest having the garment custom made. If that is not an option unfortunately a person may have to acquiesce a little because these two common requests are incredibly hard to find on a shelf.

Stay classy.

3 PCs and DBs, Suits for Thought...

3 Piece Suit on "Suits" actor Gabriel Macht

There are two look questions we get on a daily basis. People ask "are double breasted suits back?" and “are people wearing a 3-piece suit again?” The answer to both questions is a resounding YES. Most older individuals will tell you that everything that goes will come back, in fashion at least. Fashion starts on runways as a fledgling idea or an ornate concept and then progresses into the mainstream very slowly. When major conventional manufacturers, like Ralph Lauren, are featuring 3-piece suits and DBs (double-breasted) in their RTW (ready to wear) lines the concept has gone mainstream. This also means that the look is back in full force. (Just so you know, these looks have been back for a few years) The next question becomes how to wear them. The simple answer is SLIM.

DBs have one common problem. The fact the jacket buttons across makes it larger through the mid section making even the trimmest individuals look as if Thanksgiving was the day before. The way to rectify the problem is to get a slim cut which most manufacturers sell. We recommend a wide stripe in a DB or a solid. The 3-piece has more options and more looks. Many people wear an opposing vest to the suit material or color. Other people combine the two concepts and get a double breasted vest under their suit. Try one or the other and you will be in fashion, on trend, and hopefully living well.

Stay classy.

via GeorgeHann.com

What's In Style Now?

It’s hard to say whether people are disconnected from fashion or simply don’t care, but on a daily  basis we hear people say “That’s the style now”. If you are into fashion the word “now” means right now, as in on runways in Europe or walking the streets of Tokyo. (If you did not know many Asian countries are on the cutting edge of style) So for a suit here’s what is in style-Two button, side vent, slim fit, cropped jacket, flat front pant, no more than a medium break. The only aspect of that list that is the “style now” is the break or length of the pant. For approximately two years, the pant leg has been slowly creeping up the actual leg. Many prominent fashion magazines would suggest rolling your jeans up or having your break above your shoe. This is uncomfortable and impractical for most men. It is important to note, however, that fashion is about confidence and if it feels right let it fly. While we are at it, here’s a few other items that are “the style now”-A double breasted fitted rain trench, a shawl collared sweater, v-neck t-shirts, dark wash straight leg jeans (try AG or Citizens of Humanity), bow ties and plaid sportcoats. 

As always, stay classy.

Hugo Boss

Vince Camuto

Facconable

To Bespoke or To Be Tailored...

Source

Currently, there is some confusion surrounding custom clothing due to the modern “bespoke” trend. This post is meant to set the record straight on loosely used terms in “custom”. The terms “ready to wear” or “off the rack” refer to suits that are pre-made by manufacturers and are sold as is and altered by a tailor or, if you are very trusting, your local dry cleaner. This is also a good time to highlight the confusion about the word “tailored”. A “ready to wear” suit, sport jacket, or pant is tailored by a tailor or seamstress to fit your body. All suits require some form of tailoring or alterations. The term “tailored” is often misused to describe truly custom or a made to measure program. Tailoring is a process. A suit that has been tailored has simply been altered, it is not custom made.

“Made to measure” refers to a garment that is made in accordance to a manufacturers’ template for your specific sizes in suit jacket and waist size. Additionally, made to measure goods often allow the purchaser to choose from available options for things such as lapel style and coat liner. Made to measure has a template or a style that the manufacturer is already producing. The advantage is the buyer can get a suit jacket and pant up front closer to their size and make some style selections.

“Custom” or “bespoke” are terms that are used loosely to mean all of the above. However, “custom” means that an individual is taking several measurements including chest, suit waist, hip, inseam, outseam, knee, bottom, etc. in order to build a template for the buyers body. Custom clothing typically starts by picking the swatch or fabric from a popular mill like Dormeuil, Zegna, or Loro Piana. Then extensive measurements are taken and style options are reviewed. Style options include everything from lapel type, number of buttons, liner, piping, pic stitching, personal labeling, functional button holes, cell phone pocket, watch pocket in the pant, etc. 

There are different types of custom clothing as well. The most basic form of custom involves picking a swatch, picking options, taking measurements and having that information sent to a mill for the suit to be made. However, some very (and I emphasize VERY) talented tailors (usually master tailors) are skilled enough to take a buyer through the entire process. This means the tailor will make the suit themselves in their work shop and will often due several fittings as they construct the garment. This process in the United States will often run upwards of $2500 and can take even longer than shipping goods to a mill to be made. I hope this clears up some of the confusion. However, if it creates more or if you have a question please feel free to direct it to matt@lesrichards.com 

Stay classy. 

Making a Statement with Bold Menswear Trends

Facconable

People always ask us about the latest trends in men’s clothing.  I hope to offer some suggestions on a weekly basis through this blog. Recently I visited Miami and realized that prints in men’s sports shirts and different color chinos are a good look and really hot right now. In places like Miami, fashion favors the bold, but the looks that are popular in Miami can be pulled off by anyone in the Northeast. 

A print in a shirt does not have to be a bold paisley or a loud multi-stripe. A print can be as simple as a tight small polka dot pattern. This type of small pattern harkens back to the UK fashion influence we first felt in full force in the 1960’s. The cool thing about that is “heritage” is a major men’s fashion movement right now. So, by itself, a unique small pattern or tight polka dot would be a vintage look. Unfortunately, we cannot just wear a shirt by itself and a small pattern shirt is pretty safe. A brightly colored pant is not. However, there is a starter course in colored slacks. Try a pair of light slate grey chinos or rust color. The advantage to these two colors is they are quite similar to what you already wear and are also very stylish. With a small patterned shirt and a funky slack color you’ll be in style on so many levels. 

Bespoken Spring 2013 

You’re stylish, smart and a little bit sarcastic – your eyewear should be too.

Les Richards named Top 5 Tailors in Philadelphia by CBS Philly

Les Richards named Top 5 Tailors in Philadelphia by CBS Philly

​March, 20th, 2012

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"Ever heard that phrase, “the suit makes the man”? Well, the men of Philadelphia are making their mark on the style scene. The streets of Philadelphia are filled with well dressed males who are taking cue from the style icons of late, such as the male cast of shows like “Boardwalk Empire” and “Mad Men.” Many men of Philadelphia experiment with bold ties, pinstripes, stitching and pocket squares to give their look some personality and enlist the help of expert stylists at these five stores."

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