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Nicole Fenton and Kate Kiefer Lee: Research Questions

Source: http://www.nicelysaid.co/research-questions

Research Questions

Whenever you’re planning a project or sitting down to write, think about what you’re making, who it’s for, and why it matters. These questions will help you with that process. As you practice and become more familiar with your subject matter, you can narrow down the list.

Audiences

Who is the message for?

Which groups of people or regions will see it?

Who will most likely read this? Why?

What are the reader’s priorities (ease of use, a sense of security, speed, clear information)?

If there are different audiences, do they have different priorities? How can we reflect those priorities?

Who is speaking here?

Do we have survey or analytics data to inform the writing?

How do people use this content or feature now?

Message and Goals

What is the message? What do we need to say?

What does the reader need to understand?

How does this content serve our goals? What’s its purpose?

What type of content is this?

When does a reader see this message? How do they get here?

What do we want people to do next? This could be a single action or range of choices.

Does this piece of content relate to a larger flow? Are there other articles, links, or policies that relate to it?

Are we working toward a particular metric (conversion rate, dollars per order)?

Are there legal or privacy concerns for this message?

Website

What are we making or designing?

What problems are we trying to solve?

What are the features of the website? How does it behave?

If this is a new feature or section, do we have anything like this already? Will there be more features like this in the future?

What does success look like for this project in 3–6 months?

Team

Who needs to sign off on this?

Does everyone understand their role in the project?

Who knows more about this topic?

Do we have any verified sources?

How will the content get published? Who is responsible for that?

Deadline

When is it due? Does it relate to an upcoming launch?

Are there budget or timing concerns?

How long will it take to write, review, approve, and publish the content?

How hard is it to change?

Does it need to be translated into other languages? How long will that take?

Should this roll out over time for different regions?

Format

What’s the final format (plain text, HTML, Markdown, etc.)?

Are there any technical constraints or character limits?

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Jason Fried : Questions I ask when reviewing a design

Source: https://signalvnoise.com/posts/3024-questions-i-ask-when-reviewing-a-design

I’ve been thinking more about how I review a design – both my own and someone else’s. So over the past couple days I’ve been writing down every question I’ve been asking when I look at a design-in-progress. Some of these I say out loud, some just go through my head, some are in person, others are posted to Basecamp or Campfire.

These are in no particular order, and I don’t ask all of them every time.

What does it say?

What does it mean?

Is what it says and what it means the same thing?

Do we want that?

Why do we need to say that here?

If you stopped reading here, what’s the message?

What’s the take away after 8 seconds?

How does this make you feel?

What’s down below?

How else can we say this?

What’s memorable about this?

What’s that for?

Who needs to know that?

Who needs to see that?

How does that change behavior?

What’s the payoff?

What does someone know now that they didn’t know before?

How does that work?

Why is that worth a click?

Is that worth scrolling?

What’s the simpler version of this?

Are we assuming too much?

Why that order?

Why would this make them choose that?

What does a more polished version of this look like?

Why would someone leave at this point?

What’s missing?

Why are we saying this twice?

Is it worth pulling attention away from that?

Does that make it clearer?

What’s the obvious next step?

How would someone know that?

Would it matter if someone missed that?

Does that make it easier or harder?

Would this be better as a sentence or a picture?

Where’s the verb?

Why is that there?

What matters here?

What would happen if we got rid of that?

Why isn’t that clear?

Why is this better?

How can we make this more obvious?

What happens when this expands?

If we got rid of this, does that still work?

Is it obvious what happens next?

What just happened?

Where’s the idea?

What problem is that solving?

How does this change someone’s mind?

What makes this a must have?

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Safari jacket

Source: http://www.stilemaschile.it/2012/07/23/sahariana-o-safari-jacket-1/

The Saharan, known in the Anglo-Saxon countries as safari jackets and in French-speaking as a safari, is one of the hottest masculine classic sports hats.

It is mostly made of cotton drill, a very durable and durable fabric, usually used for uniforms and used for the first time by British colonial uniforms. The Sahariana, in fact, is born as many other male urban leaders in the martial world. His civilization grew in the 1950s when actors, photographers and writers (Hemingway on all) wore it in free time, exploiting the practical presence of more pockets. The American writer, portrayed with his wife, made them pack in New York by Abercrombie & Fitch.

In the 1970s, the suits were full of Sahara jacket (both for men and women), especially thanks to Yves Saint Laurent who made his uniform passpartout. Today, there is no designer who does not propose it periodically. Let's remember to wear this boss also Roger Daltrey, Who's frontman, in the film from their work Tommy.

The Safari jacket has 4 pockets with skate, sketches and a waist belt. Of course, the variations are many, starting with the absence of the cuff, the type of cuff (with 1 or 2 buttons or smooth), the number of buttons (4 to 5, no more).

Close to but different is his shirt version, also known as bush shirt. The difference lies above all in the weight of the fabric and how to wear it. While the Sahara is a suede jacket, and goes over a shirt or t-shirt, the bush shirt goes directly to the skin, out of the trousers so that it can take advantage of the lower pockets. Finally, it can have short or long sleeves (better) to roll.

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The mysteries of shaving

Source: http://www.stilemaschile.it/2015/11/25/i-misteri-della-rasatura/

Every adult man has an almost indistinct daily appointment. As soon as he wakes up, having performed the most elementary physiological functions, he faces the mirror and the need to take care of his beard. This can mean keeping it long (do not give up, even in this case, adjusting and smoothing out the contours and smoothing it with the special brush) or, in most cases, completely remove it by shaving it.

This second option, to which I dedicate the following lines, can be faced at home or at a barberia, one of the places that, like tailoring, the gentleman feels closer and more sacred. Barberia is still one of the few rigorously and exclusively male institutions, one of the richest in history, and is still a place to meet, a lovable (perhaps banal but always relaxing) conversation, if not even tasty, spicy or secretive gossip. tradition.

A stroll in London's St. James district, a true paradise for lovers of traditional men's clothing, can not be said to be satisfactorily ended without a stop at the old shops of Taylor of Old Bond Street, at no. 74 of Jermyn Street, of "Geo Trumper" at no. 9 of Curzon Street, of "Truefitt & Hill" at no. 71 of St. James Street, for a haircut, a shaving of the rule of art or, at least, a full supply of products for male toilets among the finest and most prestigious.

Without necessarily having to go to London (which is quite difficult to do every morning ...) every city or country in Italy is still able to offer a discreet choice of handicraft shops where the gentleman can indulge in the pleasure of true shaving. In these places (which keep the red and blue rotating spiral in memory of ancient surgical activities - such as the burning - which was once practiced), the skin of the face, previously softened with warm wipes, is carefully soaked with a rate brush and, later, depilated with a very shaving razor. After shaving, the skin is refreshed with a careful and vigorous massage based on soothing or after-care balm that is more or less alcoholic.

The rhythms imposed on modern humans, especially in big cities, do not make the barber's daily rest easy. In addition, the number of men who stand alone is literally exploded since King Camp Gillette (1855-1932) patented in 1895 the "disposable" knife, sharpened on both sides.

A few years earlier, around 1880, the "free-hand" razor had blamed a hard hit, after centuries of absolute domination, with the invention of the so-called "Star Security Razor", patented by Otto and Frederick Kampfe brothers and based on the use of a sharp blade only on one side and encased in a metal guard that allowed only a few millimeters of blade to leak, reducing the danger of deep cuts.

The rise of the safety razor relegated the free-bladed folding razor within the shaving museums and a narrow circle of cultures, maintaining only the characteristics of a terrible torture instrument, exalted in some of the most disturbing scenes of history of cinema: in a surrealist masterpiece by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalì A chien andalou (1929), a man, having passed a razor on the carpenter (leather strip to sharpen the blade), approaches a woman, eye, wide open in front of a full moon, in turn "scratched" by a thin cloud also like a blade; in the pruriginal moonlight by Roman Polanski (1992), a pernicious and fatal Emmanuelle Seigner literally scoffs at shavings, the paraplegic, a frightened but still excited partner.

There is no doubt that the ingenious invention of the blade uses and throws, by Gillette, has led to a real revolution in the habits of men around the world, giving a great impetus to the spread of domestic shaving.

The latter can also be a source of pleasure. What matters is, in fact, the mental attitude of the style man, who leaves nothing to chance, not even the most banal of everyday occupations. He therefore will have the time of shaving not as a dull bother, but as a time of voluptuous and satisfying relaxation .

Homemade shaving can be made with the use of foam, water and blade ("wet" shaving), ie with electric razor ("dry" or "dry" shaving). The foam is used to keep the water in contact with the skin, to inflame it to let the hair out and soften it, so that the blade passes more effectively. The electric razor is exactly the opposite: the skin is kept dry to allow the blades to cut better and deeper.

The electric razor, invented by Colonel Jacob Schick (1878-1937) in 1931 and subsequently refined and disseminated by the Dutch house Philips, is a tool based on the action of small rotary knives acting in unison very quickly. Dry shaving is rather quick, as it does not require water or emollient products, but only requires an electrical outlet (or battery) and only requires the cleansing of the razor of the removed hairs every time that you use it. For these reasons, it is generally preferred by those who, living in the cult of practicality and comfort, tend to squeeze the time to spend on the daily toilet.

Handwash "wet" instead, replicates in the house what happens to the barber. The basic steps are as follows: you start with a series of emollient practices that tend to soften the hairs and lubricate the skin to prepare it for the blade; it continues with the removal of the hairs, slipping the blade on the skin; comes to an end with a thorough disinfection of after-care products and lotions.

Of course, these steps must be fully mastered and can be made more effective, as well as more enjoyable, with a number of options that will allow you to achieve a perfect shave.

We start from the first, that is, by the facial emollient treatment before the razor passage. To prepare the skin for shaving requires hydration and heat. It may be useful to wet a towel (preferably linen) with very hot water and keep it resting on your face for a few minutes. A more practical and quick remedy can be represented by shaving immediately after having a shower or a hot bath, thereby benefiting the effect that heat will have exerted throughout the body. The renowned London perfumery also offers the gentleman a remarkable variety of oils, lotions and plant-based gel, useful in producing a skin-emollient effect, or removing impurities, excess of sebum, dead cells, promoting smoothness of the razor.

Shaving starts with the application of shaving foam on the face skin. Practical lovers can opt for any of the foams or gels marketed in spray cans, to sprinkle on the hands and then pass on the skin. The other option, to which my unconditional preference goes, is that based on the use of soap or shaving cream to apply with the rate brush. In this case, the brush must be moistened with hot water, transferred to the soap and then into a bowl of metal, wood or porcelain, in order to create a soft and volatile foam that will gently pass through the skin of the face, following the inclination of the hair (in the case of the cream, it will place a small amount on the brush with hot water, which will then go directly to the face). In her beautiful volume The gentleman, Bernhard Roetzel writes that the difference between the spray shaving foam and that of a good shaving soap is "big at least as much as that between the canned cream and the fresh one to mount."

After bathing the bladder with hot water, it begins to shave the face, sliding the razor on the skin in the direction of hair growth. These do not grow evenly on the face: it is therefore appropriate to change the direction of the razor, as the blade caresses the cheeks, chin, space between nose and mouth and throat, following curvature and roundness. It will also be advisable for the blade to glide on the skin gently, depending on the inclination that everyone will study as appropriate for their face, and that it is frequently rinsed under the current hot water.

It will also be useful to have a magnifying mirror during shaving. This type of mirror generally has a normal lens on one side and a magnifying glass on the other, which is conducive to a more accurate view of the facial details.

With regard to blades, technology has made enormous advances over the last few years, offering increasingly sophisticated and effective shaving products. In this area, the most significant novelty is represented by multilame razors which, with the presence of a variable number of blades (three to five) located on the close-fitting head, can remove the hair deep with only one passage, greatly reducing the risk of irritation and cuts. Lubricants and disinfectants on the head make it easier to slide the blades, avoiding excessive shaving of the razor on the skin. Some of these razors also feature battery operated systems that can reduce the razor friction on the skin (thanks to micro-pulsations) or to direct the hairs in the direction of shaving,

The first and essential passage of the blade according to the direction of the hairs may eventually follow a second abundant soap and a new shave, this time in the opposite direction to that of hair growth (cd "shave" shaving). This second shave, leaving your face completely smooth and smooth, is only advisable if your skin is in a condition to withstand inevitable stress. In many cases, in fact, shake it counter, perhaps in a hurry and without due attention, it can cause hairs under skin or annoying irritation. These disadvantages are more common when the beard is more prickly and curly.

At the end of this second step, it will be necessary to rinse the face with cold water, which is useful for toning the skin, closing the pores and attenuating any possible irritation.

Even after using all the attention and precaution, it can not rule out the risk of some slight cut or irritation, which often occurs in the form of tiny bleeding brufolites. In these cases, physical discomfort also adds to the aesthetic discomfort when, by closing the shirt to knit the tie, a series of small red spots on the collar makes it completely useless.

If shaving has caused some minor bleeding, it is advisable, after rinsing with cold water, to pass on a razor-sharp rock stone all over the surface, and its disinfectant action will further soothe the irritation. The Rock Algae - or Potassium Alumina - is a translucent white crystal, usually found in cylindrical sticks or in the form of rectangular ribs, endowed with antibacterial, astringent and hemostatic properties. These properties favor blood clotting, reducing the flow, and hindering the formation of pimples or infections in the case of micro-skin lesions. The stick or crystal blade will go over the face with cold water and let it act for a few seconds.

The most insistent and insidious blood spills (which should not, however, occur if the beard is made in accordance with the skin's own characteristics) can be treated with appropriate hemostatic products such as blood vessels or stickers 'they are easily available in perfumeries.

At this point, the face will be ready for a generous aspiration with the favorite lotion or bald eyeshadow, whose more or less alcoholic composition will depend on the intensity of a virile, invigorating but still enjoyable burning.

I just have to give some indication of the best brands in the field of shaving products and tools. In this regard, and relying exclusively on my personal experience, I can only recall the already mentioned famous British barber shops (" Taylor of Old Bond Street ", "Geo Trumper", " Truefitt & Hill ", to which the multi-century pharmacy"DR Harris", al n. 29 of St. James Street), which also offer, via the internet, product lines that still represent the absolute excellence of shaving. While remaining in London, I can not forget other prestigious perfumery brands, such as Floris and Penhaligon's, which have always included in their catalog refined shaving products. I like to quote the words of one of the greatest perfumery experts, Silvio Levi, about the English attitude towards men's toilets: "perhaps as a legacy of Protestant perbenism, the British love to smell more with the After shave than with the Toilet water; Perfume is acceptable, but it must be matched with the virile act of shave. On the other hand, it is precisely from shaving products that people often approach the fragrance world. From almond or lime shaving soaps , go to lavender or verbena, then get to the thickest sandal or the most delicious rose. So, in this path you approach to After shave that are getting more and more perfumes. "

Lastly, some handicrafts (German "Dovo", French "Plisson" and "Kent") are still mentioned, using noble materials, such as razors, brushes, supports, bowls, mirrors, etc.

The most appropriate products, the most sophisticated and sumptuous tools, can make shaving a real daily pleasure. An intimate, innocent pleasure, all in all negligible. But I wonder if it really is worth neglecting it, as it can give man one of the best ways to start his day.

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Lo stile non va vacanza

I don’t know italian, and this article is great (you can use google translate) =))

Source: http://www.stilemaschile.it/2012/06/18/lo-stile-non-va-vacanza/

Siamo oramai entrati nella stagione più pericolosa dell’anno, per l’uomo che desidera essere elegante. Come resistere e offrire agli occhi inconsapevoli dei più un esempio concreto e virtuoso di stile maschile? 

I tempi – complessi e certamente poco eccitanti – in cui è dato vivere pongono l’uomo al centro di numerose tensioni. Chi sia giunto alla maturità aspira ancora a consolidare le mete che faticosamente ha ottenuto; al contempo, rifugge decisamente l’assunzione di troppe responsabilità. Anela a una tranquillità economica che qualunque onesta professione concede sempre più tardi e, al tempo stesso, convive con un bruciante desiderio di libertà. Sempre più impegnativa e difficile diviene l’acquisizione di un ruolo pieno e convinto nelle principali dimensioni del suo vivere sociale. Il matrimonio e la famiglia, in particolare, non costituiscono più spartiacque tra l’età del disimpegno e quella cd. “della ragione”.

Nell’abbigliamento maschile si osservano tendenze opposte ed egualmente preoccupanti.

Da un lato, è crescente il numero di uomini di mezza età (e oltre) affetti da penose sindromi giovanilistiche che si traducono nel culto esasperato di taluni capi d’abbigliamento: i jeans o i pantaloni a vita bassa entro cui si costringono – evidenziandole ancor di più – pancette e altre inevitabili imperfezioni fisiche; gli indumenti comodi e informali che – traducendo incontenibili smanie di libertà – lasciano spesso intravedere vaste aree di epidermide pelosa e informe; i capi cd. “tecnici” che, dovunque e comunque, richiamano il senso di eroiche avventure, vittorie sportive o imprese estreme (ovviamente solo immaginate, nel comodo tepore dei tinelli, sotto l’ipnotico effetto di giganteschi schermi al plasma). A tali atteggiamenti si affianca il rifiuto di accessori più impegnativi e simbolicamente più rappresentativi della maturità, quali il cappello, la cravatta, il cappotto.

Dall’altro lato, sono sempre più numerosi anche i nuovi (e falsi) dandies che, in nome di improbabili pretese di originalità, si dedicano con disinvolto e cinico accanimento alla rivisitazione dell’abbigliamento classico (molto spesso si tratta di veri e propri saccheggi), alla estremizzazione degli stili, delle dimensioni, delle forme e dei colori, al sistematico disconoscimento dell’etimologia e della storia dei capi che indossano.

Tra queste due opposte tendenze si colloca la gran massa di coloro che si professano del tutto disinteressati ai propri abiti, limitandosi ad accettare quel minimo di convenzioni che ancora resiste e che ancora suggerisce, ad esempio, di indossare l’abito a giacca e la cravatta per recarsi in ufficio, a un colloquio di lavoro, a un pranzo formale o a una cerimonia. Vi è, in molti di questi uomini, una sorta di rifiuto di considerare l’abbigliamento e il rispetto dei suoi codici come un aspetto importante della vita quotidiana; vi è una qualche vergogna o pudore nel dedicarvi tempo o nel parlarne. In molti casi, questi atteggiamenti – sospesi tra il senso di colpa e la compiaciuta mortificazione del piacere di vivere – tradiscono la ferma convinzione che preoccuparsi dei propri vestiti sia esclusivo appannaggio di vanitosi, superficiali, nullafacenti; di gente, insomma, vuota e inaffidabile.

Sospinto da quelle tensioni, costretto a muoversi tra differenti esemplari maschili (peraltro, di gran lunga più numerosi e influenti), l’uomo di stile, il vero uomo di stile, ha due possibilità: ripiegarsi su sé stesso e, inevitabilmente, soccombere sotto il travolgente avanzare delle nuove tendenze o sotto sferzanti giudizi di narcisistica frivolezza; oppure affidarsi – con orgoglio e silente consapevolezza – ai tradizionali valori e ideali dell’immaginario estetico maschile, alla sobrietà propria dell’eleganza classica, all’armonia che porta a vivere pienamente e naturalmente la vita, ad ogni età, anche attraverso la scelta dell’abbigliamento più appropriato.

L’estate ormai iniziata è, tuttavia, la stagione dell’anno più insidiosa per l’uomo di stile: le temperature elevate e la maggiore propensione al tempo libero e alla vacanza rischiano infatti di attenuare l’attenzione per i presidi estetici cui egli è naturalmente predisposto. Maggiori, inoltre, sono le occasioni di contatto e di confronto con le specie maschili in precedenza citate, di fronte alle quali ogni cura, anche minima, dedicata al ben vestire rischia di risaltare eccessivamente, di assumere un’evidenza innaturale e, nei casi peggiori, di essere additata quale fonte di esecrabile diversità.

Nelle righe che seguono, vorrei fornire modeste indicazioni circa taluni capi d’abbigliamento che considero più adatti ad affrontare le occasioni vacanziere offerte dall’incombente stagione estiva, senza tralasciare le insidie che, come già detto, esse possono riservare.

Occorre innanzitutto precisare che l’uomo di stile non dovrebbe mai vivere la vacanza come un’occasione che autorizzi qualsivoglia mutamento nelle proprie abitudini e attitudini. Come in altre situazioni e stagioni dell’anno, egli semplicemente si limiterà ad adeguare il proprio guardaroba al clima, agli impegni e ai programmi, alle località in cui trascorrerà il meritato riposo, alle attività ricreative in cui sarà presumibilmente più coinvolto.

Non solo le località e le modalità di vacanza, ma anche i capi d’abbigliamento da riporre in valigia saranno diversi a seconda che si vada in vacanza da soli ovvero con la propria famiglia e, in particolare, con bimbi ancora piccoli. In quest’ultimo caso, l’uomo di stile, quand’anche possa permettersi una o più bambinaie cui affidare le incombenze più gravose e fastidiose che la gestione dei piccoli comporta, non rinuncerà a trascorrere buona parte della giornata a contatto con i figli, vivendo tali momenti (più frequenti rispetto agli ordinari periodi lavorativi) come ulteriori occasioni di piacere. Sarebbe perciò auspicabile, per affrontare queste occasioni con la dovuta scioltezza e il massimo del godimento, che la scelta dei capi da indossare scontasse preventivamente un accurato calcolo dei rischi di macchie, strappi o altri tipi di danni. In definitiva, la grazia e l’eleganza di un uomo di stile si misurano anche attraverso la particolare “sprezzatura” con cui egli si mostra in grado di godere, con l’abbigliamento più adeguato, di ogni dono che la vita abbia voluto generosamente concedergli e, tra tutti, di quello – meraviglioso – della paternità.

Fatte queste premesse, vorrei richiamare l’attenzione su capi  d’abbigliamento particolarmente versatili e dotati di notevole capacità d’adattamento a situazioni diverse. Essi saranno da considerare, in qualsiasi tipo di vacanza, come “irrinunciabili”.

Tra le giacche, il blazer blu occupa un posto privilegiato. In trasparente lana ritorta a due capi, in fresca saglia, addirittura in seta shantung, prevalentemente sfoderato, in versione monopetto (a tre bottoni) o doppiopetto (a sei), con tasche a filo o (meglio) a toppa, bottoni in metallo o in spessa madreperla, esso sarà un fedele compagno nelle occasioni formali (abbinato a pantaloni in tela vaticana grigio medio o antracite), oppure in quelle più mondane ma meno impegnative (con pantaloni in lana o lino nelle gradazioni comprese tra il bianco, il ghiaccio e il beige). Oltre a quelli appena citati, la gamma dei pantaloni da indossare con il blazer dovrebbe comprenderne almeno un paio in tela o cotone rosso (splendidi quelli nel classico Nantucket red), un paio a righe bianche e azzurre in tessuto seersucker e alcuni in cotone chiaro (divertenti anche in colori insoliti come il verde mela, il rosa antico, il giallo limone, il rosso prugna).

L’abito a giacca in lino chiaro, tabacco o in un bel blu non troppo scuro, ha un fascino speciale. Da non sottovalutare, per i soggiorni in campagna, la potenza evocativa della canapa in colori naturali, declinata in abiti interi mono o doppio petto. Nell’indossare i capi appena citati in luoghi di vacanza, tuttavia, occorre una buona dose di disinvoltura (che è uno dei pilastri su cui poggia l’eleganza), onde sopportare con nonchalance inevitabili sguardi curiosi, divertiti o irridenti. Anche le località più rinomate, infatti, sono ormai prese d’assalto da orde di “ciabattanti”, al cui cospetto un abito di tal fatta può far sentire spaesati o fuori luogo.

Altri pantaloni indispensabili in vacanza sono quelli da indossare con la sola camicia. Occorrerebbe farsene confezionare alcune paia in drill di cotone blu, crema o bianco. Ad essi aggiungerei i classicissimi e pressoché indistruttibili chinos, di taglio più sportivo, e alcuni bermuda in drill di cotone chiaro o a righe seersucker con tasca tagliata, pinces e risvolto. In montagna, oltre a quelli in tela o cotone, faranno figura comodi pantaloni in velluto a coste, nei classici colori del bosco.

È doveroso dedicare qualche cenno specifico ai jeans, che occupano uno spazio più che degno nell’abbigliamento classico. Si tratta di un capo sportivo, da utilizzare in contesti coerenti con la sua natura, abbinandolo a capi altrettanto sportivi e informali (come camicie in tela, giubbini di cotone tipo “bomber”, ecc.). Sembra quasi superfluo ricordare che la linea asciutta e aderente di questi pantaloni ne sconsiglia l’adozione a chiunque non sia dotato di un fisico altrettanto asciutto, plasmato da almeno qualche ora settimanale di attività sportiva. L’uso del blazer blu con i jeans, praticato all’inizio solo da taluni fuoriclasse dell’abbigliamento (tra tutti, l’avvocato Agnelli) e diffusosi rapidamente tra tristi epigoni e “originali a tutti i costi”, mi pare oggi francamente detestabile, al pari dell’orribile verbo “sdrammatizzare” spesso usato per giustificarlo.

Per ciò che concerne le calzature, l’estate – e, in particolare, la vacanza – concede ampio spazio ai mocassini, sia in pelle liscia e suola in cuoio (bellissimi quelli con le nappine), sia in pelle scamosciata e suola in gomma o gommini (gli unici da portare senza calze). Al blazer e ai pantaloni chiari potrà essere efficacemente abbinato anche un bel paio di derby in pelle scamosciata chiara, con suola in gomma rosso mattone. Si tratta di una scarpa che, se realizzata a regola d’arte, mostra una classe travolgente.

In località marine si troveranno a loro agio, indossate senza calze, le intramontabili Superga in lino bianco o blu (ancora meglio se scolorite dall’uso), le espadrillas in colori vivaci, nonché le scarpe da barca, anch’esse in colori decisi e fondo chiaro. Zoccoli, infradito e altre tipologie di ciabatta saranno riservate – senza alcuna deroga! – ai pochi metri quadri da percorrere tra l’ombrellone e il bagnasciuga, ovvero a bordo piscina.

In montagna, le uniche scarpe da considerare, oltre ai mocassini per il passeggio in paese o le serate in albergo, saranno gli scarponcini da trekking in pelle o pelle e tela che, sopra pesanti calzettoni (magari a rombi), assicureranno il massimo comfort nelle escursioni.

Le scarpe da ginnastica (cui gli attenti cultori delle effimere leggi della moda hanno da tempo attribuito il suggestivo e onnicomprensivo nome di sneackers) sono oggi largamente abusate (persino sotto abiti completi) da aspiranti originaloni, sedicenti “neo-eleganti” e amanti del comfort estremo, in nome di una praticità che nulla concede alla bellezza e al gusto. L’uomo di stile trarrà da tali discutibili pratiche le dovute conseguenze, ignorando completamente le scarpe in questione al di fuori delle specifiche attività sportive per le quali esse sono state ideate.

Se ci si lascia guidare dal faro del buon gusto, non vi è limite, in vacanza, al numero e al colore delle camicie da mettere in valigia. Molte saranno button-down in oxford leggero, lino irlandese, chambrai o popeline, di taglio piuttosto ampio e rigorosamente con maniche lunghe. Le uniche concessioni alla mezza manica riguarderanno le polo in cotone a nido d’ape e, senza esagerare, qualche classica “caprese” (con il collo morbido e senza pistagna) o qualche “hawaiana” a colori e fantasie vivaci. In montagna, invece, avrà il giusto risalto ogni specie di cotone quadrettato.

L’uomo di stile nutre un’autentica venerazione per il cappello a tesa e, d’estate, sarebbe naturalmente propenso a indossare il Panama in ogni occasione consentita. Si tratta di un cappello che, per citare il mio carissimo amico Lorenzo Villa, “è metafora di una maniera di vivere e pensare”. Risalente al 1600 e definitivamente annoverato tra i grandi classici dell’abbigliamento maschile nel primo decennio del 1900, quando il presidente americano Theodore Roosevelt lo indossò in occasione dell’inaugurazione dell’omonimo canale, il Panama è il risultato dell’intreccio della toquilla, una paglia elastica ricavata dalla palma “carludovica palmata”. La sua lavorazione può richiedere fino ad alcuni mesi, per i modelli con trama più fine e leggera come il Montecristi, il che giustifica il limitato numero di esemplari in commercio e il conseguente costo assai elevato.

Anche per questo prestigioso complemento dell’abbigliamento elegante valgono talune avvertenze: si tratta di un capo da indossare con la massima disinvoltura, quando si è sicuri che ne vengano comprese non solo l’indiscutibile bellezza, ma anche l’appropriatezza rispetto al contesto e la coerenza con la mise e la peculiare sensibilità del proprietario. Purtroppo, sono sempre più rare le occasioni in cui è dato cogliere tali sforzi di comprensione, sicché l’uomo in Panama, avvistato per strada dalla solita folla di ignavi, rischia di scatenare irriverenti sberleffi piuttosto che sentimenti di soggiogata ammirazione.

Al mare o in campagna, chi voglia destare minori attenzioni potrà affidarsi, in modo del tutto adeguato, anche a cappelli in paglia di modesta fattura ma di indubitabile versatilità, ovvero a cappelli in cotone o lino, con tese abbassate, stile “pescatore”. Per i berretti tipo “baseball” e simili valgono le considerazioni svolte in precedenza per le sneackers, le camicie a mezze maniche e per tutti quei capi con i quali numerose specie d’uomini si limitano, con allegra incoscienza, a coprirsi.

In definitiva, un guardaroba è il frutto della lenta e accurata accumulazione di capi e accessori. Esso, poco a poco, grazie anche a un’attenta e sapiente selezione, finisce con l’essere il più fedele ritratto della personalità, del carattere e dello stile di un uomo. Gusto e conoscenza vi si trovano mirabilmente distillati. Anche il guardaroba per le vacanze risponde a questi principi fondamentali. Non solo la sua composizione e il suo assortimento, ma anche il concreto utilizzo dei capi che lo compongono saranno la misura di come l’uomo di stile, il vero uomo di stile, interpreta, secondo uno spartito unico e irripetibile, l’arte di vivere. In questo gioco (perché nient’altro che di un gioco si tratta…), equilibrio, sobrietà, armonia saranno le uniche regole cui sarà bene evitare di concedere troppe deroghe.

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Tailor's opinions

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“Plain-top trousers, I should mention, are suitable only for wear with braces.” - Cutting from block patterns

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The Extended Shoulder

There are a lot of guides these days on how to dress for your body type. I’ve read some people argue that shorter men do better in two-button jackets, as they give a longer lapel line, and thus the illusion of greater height (by virtue of extending those vertical lines). Others say that heavy men should avoid double-breasted jackets, as the extra bit of wraparound cloth can add visual weight. 

I’ve never bought too much into those arguments, partly because there are so many good counterexamples to every rule. Plus, most of those writers seem to rely more on rhetorical devices than actual evidence. 

There are two rule-of-thumbs I follow, however. First, shorter jackets make you look heavier than you are, which means they’re only ever really good on stick-thin models whose shoulders are broader than their hips. Second, if you have a less-than-athletic figure, you may benefit from having a little extra room in the shoulders and chest. The second is known as drape; the first an extended shoulder. 

Keep reading

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Dictionary about classic menswear

Source: Collecting from the internet.

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Blazer:

Classically, the blazer is single breasted, with patch pockets, and made of bright colours, or striped in a team or school colours. The term is said to have come from the crew members of HMS Blazer. When the ship was inspected by Queen Victoria, she was impressed by the striped blue and white tunics worn by the crew. An alternative theory is that the blazing bright colours of the garment were the origins of the name. 

Sports Jacket 

British sports jacket is a three buttons jacket with the hacking pockets and the flapped breast pocket.

example: by Alfred Webb Miles and Co., of 7 High Street, Guildford, Surrey from  The Tailor and Cutter, May 15, 1953

According to the name, obviously, the garments such as Norfolk jackets, the riding/hacking jackets, and safari jackets were intended as sportswear and so qualify as "sports jackets". 

In T&C, 1949, an interesting sports jacket was introduced. It has the full belt and patch pockets, the low crown height, reduced scoop of the undersleeve, which is required to be shrunk in (to improve range of movement)