from our client's mouth to your ears
Tracy Xavier
an open letter to men: from our guest blogger
As a fellow 'male' I am continually baffled at how easily most men are quite content with just following the crowd, or copying what their friends do just to fit in. In the world of fashion, I have noticed that most men on dates in restaurants continually dress as though they are going to a sports bar with their buddies to watch a game. At best, if they do wear a suit, it is without a tie and pocket square. The ladies however, are ALWAYS dressed to 'visually' impress their dates (i.e. jewelry, makeup, sexy shoes, stylish dress etc.).
Why doesn’t a man reciprocate and dress sharp for his lady? If you think 'sharp' means a suit jacket WITHOUT A TIE . . . . YOU ARE DEAD WRONG! I have been in many restaurants with my wife (4 and 5 star category) where all the ladies were dressed to the MAX, but the men were at worst, wearing just casual slacks and an open plain shirt; and at best a suit but without any tie.
If you want proof that your lady secretly wants her date to look sharp, I can testify that in almost every restaurant my wife and I go to, there is at least one lady who turns her head and stares at my suit / tie combination while I leave; and they are with dates! One glaring example, my wife and I were eating at the PLUME restaurant in Washington DC. (Just ‘GOOGLE’ this name and look at the pictures of this restaurant.) This is probably the most elegant and exclusive 5 star restaurant I have been to. Every woman in the restaurant was dressed in FORMAL evening wear. I think I was the only man wearing a full suit / tie / pocket square in the place. When I got up to leave, at least 3 tables of ladies dropped their forks and just stared as I walked by.
Guys, wake up! Women appreciate men in FULL suits when going out! You not only feel good about yourself knowing you look sharp, but you are showing your lady that she is special and deserves an escort dressed as special as she is.
What NOT to wear: Plain slacks with plain open shirt - - Jeans and T-shirt with baseball cap - Suit jacket with jeans - Suit without a tie.
WHAT YOU SHOULD WEAR: Full coordinated suit / tie / pocket square. Pay attention to color coordination between the tie, shirt and suit jacket.
Generally, wear a lighter color shade of tie or a tie of a complementary color if wearing a dark suit. Example: For a Black suit, wear Red or Blue or Yellow colors in your tie with a WHITE shirt. Never black tie with a black suit. People need to see the tie as an additional visual element to the entire look.
For a pocket square, try to use the same or similar color shading as the tie color.
Trust me; I have been proven right over and over again. Women appreciate men in fine suits and ties. Just think, if you follow this dress code, you will stand out head-and-shoulders above the other men in the room who are still clueless.
Carlos
a treasured client of our ETSY store: Modern Renaissance Man.
From a woman's point of view: Fact, women love guys in ties. They love seeing them put them on, and taking them off.
There are a few jackets and jeans looks that work in non formal settings. Business casual with a little Peaky Blinders/ Deadwood worked into the mix.
