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Birkenstocks, Fanny packs and Band tees? The state of fashion in 2k18

There’s a lot of things the teach you when you go to school to study “fashion”. From fabric identification to different knitting and dyeing techniques, we leave with a head full of terms and definitions no one else on the planet cares about.

What they don’t teach you is how to cope when the worst items in fashion history collide and become one major trend. If you had know that your Avenged Sevenfold t-shirts from Hot Topic were going to be de rigueur; would you have let your mom toss them out the summer between senior year of high school and freshman year of college? High fashion models are getting paid to look like your one ex in high school who would color her nails in with sharpie and get high behind the cafeteria and tell you that the last great rock band was Escape The Fate...before Ronnie Left.

Did you ever think that purple nylon fanny pack your dad pulled out every family vacation would suddenly be cool, but only if you wear it around your chest and allow the strap to choke you because you’re into some weird shit. The actual pack is so high up near your neck, you can’t reach into the pack to grab anything out without having to dislocate your shoulder first.

Fashion and trends are cyclical, but god help the next generation of hype beasts this vicious wave hits.

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Bottom Line: Camicia Denim Shirt

There are a plethora of online MTM clothiers who claim to offer the best fit, the best construction and the best fabrics. However, only a select few stand out, over the next few weeks we will try and determine who is leading the pack.

We got in contact with Camicia who offered to send us a shirt to review here on the site. We chose a Premium Cotton, Blue Denim Fabric.

The Fabric: The fabric is a 2/1 twill woven fabric. This means that two warp yarns cross over one weft yarn. As a reminder, warp yarns run lengthwise while the weft runs in the crosswise direction. The color is a medium-light blue, with good color saturation throughout the fiber. The hand is surprisingly smooth, yet feels like there is a weight behind it. the stitching used throughout the shirt matches the color of blue used in the warp yarns, making the shirt extremely uniform in color and design.

The Details: A seven button placket makes up the front of the shirt. The shirt has a straight hemline with reinforced gussets, to provide extra durability. The buttons are beautiful mother of pearl that catch the light and reflect back a multitude of beautiful colors. The cutaway collar is extreme and features removable collar stays, a much welcomed detail. The two button mitered cuffs are sharp and hold their shape well.

The Problems: There was a problem with shrinkage throughout the shirt, most noticeable however in the length of the sleeves. This was after the shirt was washed on cold and laid out to dry. After the first wash the seam on the inside portion of the placket was ripped, leaving loose threads and fabric showing.

Bottom Line: On a scale of 1-10 this shirt from Camicia is a 6. If the shrinkage and tear on the placket had not happened, this shirt would have been a 10 with no questions asked. The fabric is great and can be worn with a sport coat and odd trousers, or chinos and sneakers. The design details were executed perfectly, and the shirt fit extremely well pre-wash. We’d recommend giving Camicia a try, just speak at length with their excellent customer service team if you have any questions at all.

Images are the property of WhenToWear

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Plagiarism: A Problem Plaguing #Menswear

When writing about clothes online it’s easy to write about the same thing that hundreds of other sites have already written on. For instance, how many more menswear sites are going to write about the quintessential navy blazer, which can easily be dressed up or down, and is a staple item in a man’s wardrobe?  If you copy that last line and paste the text into Google, a plethora of sites will pop up that say almost the exact same thing. It’s not unique and it’s not a new revelation, and as annoying as this is, it is not the issue at hand today.

Stealing is wrong; stealing the words spoken or written by another and claiming them as your own is just plain lazy and stupid. This is why it was so irritating to see that Dan Trepanier, of Articles of Style, had copied and pasted large chunks of text onto his website for use in his editorials without properly citing the source. This is the type of lazy editing that has plagued articles of style for months now. From misspelled words, to incomplete sentences, it felt like the team was trying to push out articles as fast as possible, without out having the text proofread.

For his editorial titled Return of The Belgian Loafer, Dan copied and pasted 238 words out of a 318 word article written by Jacob Gallagher, who is currently the Fashion Editor for Off Duty which appears in the WSJ; for his Dropping Knowledge series on GQ. When the editorial went live on Articles of Style, one eagle eyed commenter called out Dan and the AoS team, pointing out how he had lifted the piece written by Gallagher, and used it without properly citing the source. The original comment and following discussion have since been deleted by the AoS moderators, and instead is replaced with a comment by Dan saying the article is now cited correctly. This was irritating because Gallagher has been writing about the history of garments from his days at his blog Wax-Wane, to his stint at A Continuous Lean, and is considered by many to be a respected source.

The problem did not stop there. For the editorial titled A Connoisseur’s Fabric: Solaro which went live on August 10th, 2015; Dan copied and pasted 282 words out of a 316 word article written by Mansel Fletcher for the blog section on bespoke tailor Chris Kerr’s website.  Again, it took another well-read commenter to point out the deceit, which was later corrected by Dan and the AoS team. While browsing the comments on the Solaro article, another commenter pointed out how the text in the Menswear 101 article A Menswear Guide to Waistcoats was also stolen without being properly cited from an article on Wikipedia.  All it takes is using a free plagiarism check tool like Plagscan, Dustball, or Plagiarisma to see just how much of the article is copied from Wikipedia, and how many more websites just lifted the text verbatim and posted it without properly citing the source material.

Dan should know better, and the problem appears to be that he doesn’t care. Dan is an Ivy League graduate who studied psychology; which I am positive led him to spend many late nights writing research papers in APA format. Not only did Dan graduate from Columbia, he then went on to study at FIT. As anyone who has had to write a research paper knows, you cannot lift chunks of text from a source and add quotation marks at the beginning and end and call it a day.  The addition of quotation marks doesn’t negate the fact that you still copied someone’s work and are now claiming it as your own. You need to rewrite the original source in your own words, and then you must still credit the original source because that is where you drew your knowledge and understanding of the topic from.

Dan is highly educated and highly knowledgeable on the subject of men’s tailoring; and has built his career off of the blog he started while still a student at Columbia. Because this is job, Dan needs to take the precautions a traditional journalist takes; copying and pasting text from articles written three years ago in the hopes that no one will call him out on it is entirely unacceptable.

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Embrace The Sheep

It never fails; year after year men’s publications and blogs are flooded with questions from readers about how to stay cool during the summer while having to wear a suit. Predictably, the answer is always a suit made from a cotton chino fabric, or full linen. While both options are lightweight, there is one fabric choice that reigns supreme, regardless of the season.

Wool is an excellent choice for summer suiting, and year round wear as well because of the natural properties the fiber possesses. Wool is hygroscopic, which means that the fiber is able to absorb moisture from the surrounding air without ever feeling damp. Wool fiber can absorb anywhere from one- third to half its weight in water. The water the wool absorbs helps the wearer keep cool, even if they don’t feel the water on the fiber.

While fiber choice plays a big factor, the type of weave the fabric is made from is arguably the most important factor.  When looking for your summer suit, you want to choose one made from a fabric with a loose, airy weave.  When held up to the light, you should be able to see through the fabric with relative ease. Cotton on the other hand, needs to be woven more densely just so it retains its shape; that denser weave is going to block air from passing through and will keep the heat from dissipating.

This Canali jacket, is a Wool/Linen blend and is completely unstructured with a minimal bemberg lining. When held up, you can see how light passes through it, and it isn’t hard to see what is on the other side of the fabric. This jacket is so light, it’s easy to forget you’re wearing it.

Another example is this 100% cashmere jacket from main line Donna Karan.

The cashmere is soft and warm to the touch, but the minimal lining and almost gauzy weave allow air to pass through.

Both jackets feature casual design details, like patch pockets and a notch lapel, but since both jackets are made from a woven wool fabric, they wouldn't look out of place being worn to the office with a pair of medium grey trousers and a tie.

Embrace wool during the warmer months, you will be surprised how cool you’ll stay.

*The Images Used Within are the Property of WhenToWear

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Bottom Line: Modern Tailor Trial Shirt

We got in contact with one of the most well-known online MTM companies, Modern Tailor; who offered to send us two shirts. One would be from their $19.99 trial collection, and the other would be of a fabric of our choosing.

  This is the Oxford Cloth shirt from the Modern Tailor trial collection. This shirt has a spread collar and two button miter cuffs.

The Fabric: Online reviews had said the $19.99 oxford cloth that Modern Tailor wasn’t a real oxford cloth. We’re here to put that to rest. The oxford cloth in the trial shirt category is a true oxford cloth, it is 100% cotton and is a basket weave. The reason for the confusion was that the cloth lacks the heft found on almost every other Oxford shirt on the market. The yarns used are thin, making the shirt appear to be a regular plain woven cloth.

The cloth has a nice hand; it’s smooth and feels ok on the skin. The cloth has quite a bit of luster, and does have some very nice color variance depending on where the light hits it.

The Details: It should come as no surprise that this shirt has the traditional 7 button placket with mother of pearl buttons. The buttons are quite thin, but are a good fit for the weight of the cloth. The spread color sits nicely with and without a tie, and the interlining moves easily with the fabric. The two buttoned miter cuff is cut with a nice, sharp angle. The straight hem stays tucked in nicely; even after a lot of movement. This particular shirt had some of the cleanest seams out of all the reviews. Stitches per inch were consistent and we could not find a stray thread.

The Problems: We ordered a monogram on the shirt. The monogram was to be placed on the left hand side of the chest. They used an Iron On piece of white fabric to put the monogram on, and left it on the shirt. Now the shirt has the outline of the adhesive fabric making it unsightly up close; it is quite apparent in the first image.

However, the shirt came in the measurements that were given, the seams were clean, the arm holes were cut nice and high, and the color stays up when the shirt is left open.

Bottom Line: Modern Tailor offers many fabrics and man ways to customize your shirt. They have plenty of positive feedback and their customer service was quick and courteous. So far, this has been the first review where we could find no faults with the product received. I think its safe to say that if you are in the market for new MTM dress shirts, give Modern Tailor a chance.

*Images are the Property of WhenToWear

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Obvious Life Hack: If you're looking to upgrade your watch, but have yet to pick a new make and model; upgrading the band on your current watch can really breathe new life into it; regardless of how inexpensive the watch actually is.

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We're trying out some new typographic logos across all our social media channels. Take a look and let us know what you think!

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Bottom Line: Matthew Appery MTM Shirt

There are a plethora of online MTM clothiers who claim to offer the best fit, the best construction and the best fabrics. However, only a select few stand out, over the next few weeks we will try and determine who is leading the pack.

  We got in contact with Matthew Appery; who offered to send us a shirt to review here on the site. We choose a 100% cotton Brown, Blue and White gingham fabric.

The Fabric:The fabric is a simple, plain woven gingham fabric. However, there is a subtle roughness to the hand. It is not unpleasant; one would just expect a smooth finish. The stitching around the placket and collar, while white, it is extremely noticeable even from a few feet away. Because of the colors of the shirt, an off white or cream thread would have been a better choice.

The Details: A seven button placket makes up the front of the shirt. The shirt has a small curved hemline, which really helps add shape to the body. The buttons are plastic MOP imitation, and they look it. The cutaway collar is rather small and features sewn in collar stays. This is a deal breaker for almost any man with an interest in clothing because after a few washes, the plastic collar stays will warp causing the collar to become misshapen. The two button mitered cuffs are smaller and more dull than those on the other shirts that were sent.

The Problems: The buttons and button holes on one of the cuffs were inappropriately spaced, so when both buttons are buttoned, there is a small bulge that forms.  This bulge is evident in the photo above. There was a problem with shrinkage around the midsection, this was after the shirt was washed on cold and dried on delicate. One suggestion would be to wash it on cold, and then lay it out to dry.

Bottom Line- On a scale of 1-10 this shirt from Matthew Appery is a solid 8. As a whole, the shirt is great, and considering this was a first time order with the company, they really got the measurements down and sent back a really great fitting shirt. Their Customer Service team was attentive and always respectful. It’s a great sport shirt that will be in heavy rotation during the fall season.

 Images are the property of WhenToWear

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Bottom Line: Modern Tailor Brown Stripe

There are a plethora of online MTM clothiers who claim to offer the best fit, the best construction and the best fabrics. However, only a select few stand out, over the next few weeks we will try and determine who is leading the pack.

  We got in contact with one of the most well-known online MTM companies, Modern Tailor; who offered to send us two shirts. One would be from their $19.99 trial collection, and the other would be of a fabric of our choosing.

Up first for review is the 100% Brown Striped Cotton fabric with the Wide Spread Collar.

The Fabric:Right out of the packaging, the shirt has a smooth, almost silky hand. One reason this may be is that the longer staple cotton fibers were used in the production of the fabric. The shirt is on the lighter side, however, it does not feel cheap.  There is a bit of luster from the fabric which really causes the brown stripes to pop in a visually pleasing manner.

The Details: It should come as no surprise that this shirt has the traditional 7 button placket with mother of pearl buttons. The buttons are of a medium thickness; they feel good in the hand and fit through the button holes with ease.  The shirt features a straight hemline which drapes well. The wide spread collar is of a good width, and holds a knot nicely. 

One detail that truly makes this shirt stand out is the Portofino, or cocktail cuffs.

The origin of this unique cuff is debatable, with some saying they were intended as a substitute for French cuff shirts in evening wear ensembles, and others saying they were commissioned specifically for Sean Connery in Dr.No. Regardless of where they come from the cuff is unique, and is a welcome detail.

The Problems: In all honesty, we can find no faults with this particular shirt. Seams were clean and even, special instructions were followed regarding interlining and monogramming, and the measurements were exactly what was submitted.

Bottom Line: Modern Tailor offers many fabrics and man ways to customize your shirt. They have plenty of positive feedback and their customer service was quick and courteous. So far, this has been the first review where we could find no faults with the product received. I think its safe to say that if you are in the market for new MTM dress shirts, give Modern Tailor a chance.

*Images are the Property of WhenToWear

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​A preview of the shirt that will be up for review tomorrow afternoon! Don't miss it!

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Bottom Line: Gagliardi Accesories

We were recently contacted via Twitter and email by Gagliardi. They reached out to WhenToWear to see if we would be interested in receiving four separate articles of clothing; that together create one full outfit. In return WhenToWear would publish an honest and impartial review of their accessories.

                  Gagliardi was kind enough to send us two accessories from their latest collection to review.  We choose the Navy and Sky Geometric Tie and the Pearl White and Navy Pocket Square. Both items are made from 100% silk.

  The Tie:  

Out of the Box: The first thing one notices is the texture and color. The fabric is lustrous, and depending on where the light hits the fabric, the color seems to shift, from light blue, to a deep indigo. This is due to the weave that was used to create the fabric. The tie has a nice weight, and is soft to the touch.

Tying The Knot:  As soon as you get the tie around your neck you start to feel giddy about how the knot will look. Will it be flat and shapeless like other inexpensive ties? Or will it create a knot that is full of life? Thankfully, it was the latter. When using the four in hand, the tie creates a knot that has personality and pizazz. The tie doesn’t feel limp and stiff either. The tie is hefty, but it is able to be manipulated quite easily.

The Pocket Square:

Reviewing pocket squares can be difficult. On the surface it is just a rather large square piece of fabric that is used as an after thought to spruce up an outfit. Deeper than that, it is an accessory that many men cant leave the house without.

The fabric is soft, silky and reflects a lot of light. The navy border is enough to break up the plain white fabric.  The pocket squares are inexpensive, so don’t expect to see hand rolled edges, but for the price it is beyond what you will find retailing in stores at a similar price point.

Bottom Line:

We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the tie. We saw no problems with the stitching used or any flaws in the fabric. The tie retails for ~$39, and is quite comparable to ties that retail for $70. Gagliardi ties and pocket squares offer another option to guys who buy most of their accessories on sites like the tie bar. We recommend that if you’re in the market for a new tie to just go ahead and give Gagliardi a try. At $39, you don’t have much to lose.

 *Thank You Gagliardi

*The Images used are the property of WhenToWear

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Earlier, news broke that Coach would be offering a full line of men’s shoes for the 2014 fall season. The prices will supposedly range from $175-$495. The line will include 15 different styles of shoes, and will be composed of everything from Monkstraps to Long Wing Boots.

Coach’s bread and butter are their leather goods, specifically those target to women. Their men’s offerings have been hit or miss and often leave many feeling dejected. However, these shoes are comparable in appearance to what you might find at Allen Edmonds or Alden; which has many male shoppers salivating.

Coach has suffered in recent years due to the exponential growth of the global luxury market. These shoes could be just the thing Coach needs to regain their foothold as a viable, luxury product.

*Images via GQ and Fashionista

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We have a great new review coming up later this week. Stay tuned!

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Bottom Line: Taj Tailors

There are a plethora of online MTM clothiers who claim to offer the best fit, the best construction and the best fabrics. However, only a select few stand out, over the next few weeks we will try and determine who is leading the pack.

We recently got into contact with Taj Tailors, who offered to send us a MTM shirt to review on our site. We gladly accepted, because regardless of how many good reviews are out there for MTM companies, there are just as many poor reviews. When submitting your measurements you can either measure an existing shirt that fits well, or measure your body. We measured an existing shirt, which was the easiest and best option for us.

The shirt we chose is a 100% cotton oxford with the English cutaway collar and two buttoned mitered cuff.

The Fabric- Out of the packaging, one would expect to feel the unmistakable weight of a good oxford cloth. Not on this shirt, the fabric is lightweight and thin. On closer inspection you realize that this is in fact a pinpoint woven shirt. While a pinpoint fabric uses the same weave technique, the yarns are usually lighter and thinner than those used in a traditional oxford cloth. While some might like the weight, others will miss the heft that comes from a quality oxford cloth.

The Details- A seven button placket makes up the front of the shirt. The shirt has a rather large curved hemline, which causes both the front and back of the shirt to flare outwards when not tucked in. The buttons are plastic, but they do not feel, or look cheap. The English cutaway is large and features removable collar stays. The two button mitered cuffs are nice and sharp. However, the interlining on both the collar and fabric is stiff and slightly uncomfortable.

There is no seam allowance on the side seams, but the seams themselves are clean and even.

The Problems- Besides the stiff interlining in the collar and cuffs, the large curved hem makes the shirt unwearable when not tucked in; as it causes the wearer to look as if he is wearing a tent.

Another issue is the placket itself. The buttonholes seem to be placed back on the placket, which causes the front of it to lift and curl when buttoned. While this may be solvable with a good ironing or starching, it is still a nuisance.

Bottom Line- On a scale of 1-10 we give this product a 7.5. Overall the shirt is nice, but there are just a few things that could be improved. If we were to order again from Taj Tailors we would have to specify to use a softer interlining on the cuff and collar and to move our button holes slightly forward on the placket to avoid the curling.  We recommend Taj Tailors if you have experience ordering from online MTM retailers as you should already have your preferences down and will know how to effectively communicate them to customer service.

 *The Images used are the property of WhenToWear

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Pay For Play: ALLIANCE: The Mechanical Watch of Stylish Elegance

Shopping for watches is hard. There are countless factors one can consider when looking to pick up a new timepiece. The watch strap, the watch face, the watch hands, the movement, all these features determine the quality of the piece.

The Alliance, a new watch from Victorinox, hopes to help ease the burden, and stress that comes from watch shopping. The Alliance features a polished 40 mm diameter stainless steel case, a scratch resistant sapphire top, triple antireflection treatment and is water resistant to 10 ATM (100 meters / 330 feet).

The dial is available in either eggshell or dark grey; which will work nicely with a variety of colors from navy blue to lilac, a date window, the ever favorite red second hand, and luminescent hour and minute hands; to help you see in low light.

The band is available in either black leather, or steel. Both band choices come equipped with a clasp closure.

The watch features an ETA 2824 self-winding mechanical movement, which Victorinox claim is “…among the most robust and reliable in Swiss watchmaking.” (Victorinox Press Release, April 2014)

The Alliance is available this summer, and is a piece experienced watch collectors, and novices, would love to have in their collection.

Pay For Play is a section on WhenToWear that functions as advertising. Companies offer compensation in exchange for a post on a product or service. Pay To Play allows WhenToWear to bring in some income, without bombarding readers with advertisements.

Compensation was received upon posting, however the opinions expressed within are solely those of WhenToWear* 

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Getting To Know: Brock McGoff

In a world of tailored clothing, one size does not ever fit all. Men have different body shapes just like women, and that makes it hard for some guys to find clothes that work. Enter Brock McGoff of The Modest Man. Brock helps short guys find clothes that complement their body type, rather than swallowing them whole.

Name and Occupation

Brock McGoff, Digital Marketing

WTW: Favorite Book

MM: Shantaram (fiction), 4 Hour Work Week (non-fiction)

WTW: Favorite Warm Weather Activity

MM: Just chilling. Spending a whole day in the backyard – preferably one with a pool – grilling, talking with friends, making drinks, listening to music, playing Bocce ball and smoking cigars.

WTW: Was there one moment that pushed you to start the blog; a moment where you decided that you needed to share what you knew, and what you were learning about clothes with other short guys?

MM: Yeah, I had switched jobs and started working in a more formal environment than I was used to. I needed new clothes and couldn’t find anything that fit my 5’6” frame. You can find advice about almost anything on the internet, but there was barely anything on clothing and style for shorter men. Just the same old “wear vertical stripes” nonsense from the GQ’s and AskMen’s of the world.

I figured there were probably millions of other men just like me, so I started The Modest Man. Its growing popularity validates the fact that men under 5’8” have really been ignored. Short shifted, if you will (I got “short” puns for days).

WTW: What is the most costly alteration needed for guys who are on the shorter side?

MM: If we’re talking single alterations, probably shortening the sleeves on jackets with functioning buttons. But what really gets pricey is when one item needs several fixes. Like if trousers need to be hemmed, tapered and taken in at the waist – it adds up quickly.

WTW: Can you share a DIY tailor hack that guys, regardless of their height can use to get a better fit?

MM: I use this one easy trick pretty regularly, especially for chinos. If you don’t want to get a pair of pants hemmed, or maybe you prefer to roll them up, get some no-sew glue or fusion tape to hold the cuff/roll in place. That way, you can get a nice tight roll that stays put, and you don’t have to mess with it every time you put the pants on. Plus you leave yourself the option to get them hemmed later on.

WTW: Favorite brands to shop where you need little, to no alterations?

MM: There are a couple of brands who focus exclusively on short men, which is awesome. My favorite is Peter Manning NYC. I have a couple of shirts from them that fit better than any other off-the-rack button ups I’ve worn. For dress shirts and suits, I pretty much only buy custom or made-to-measure these days. It ends up being about the same price after you factor in the “tailor tax”.

I shop at all of the normal places – J. Crew, Banana Republic, Club Monaco, Express, Zara – but it takes some work to figure out which items fit from each brand. I usually can’t buy shirts and pants from the same store. Plus, you have to wait for sales since everything needs at one basic alteration (pants hemmed, for example).

But there are so many cool menswear start ups that look really promising for those of us who don’t fit in standard sizes. This company Threadmason just sent me a t-shirt that fits perfectly. They have a proprietary sizing system for t-shirts. How cool is that? After all, even casual clothes should fit properly.

WTW: You wrote an ebook, or e-guide, that helps men achieve a better fit, how was that experience? Is it something you’ll ever do again?

MM: Writing the guide was a great experience. It’s like the blog, in that it’s all about understanding how clothes should fit, but it’s more thorough and organized. I still get excited when I get an email from PayPal saying someone bought the book. Even better is when customer reach out to say how much it has helped them. I definitely plan on writing more ebooks and even Kindle books in the future. Blogging is great, but I think many people prefer the structure and depth of a book.

Image via The Modest Man