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Browsing All Posts filed under »Formal Fashion«
Suit Yourself: Panther vs. Lobster
Readers of my red-carpet reviews are well aware of my disdain for the short and skinny suit styling (formal or otherwise) that’s been so popular recently. Today’s National Post has a pithy debate on the subject by advocates of the three different fits: tight, loose, and somewhere in between. The best comment is from the moderate who describes the effect of low-waisted […]
A Tom Ford Tribute
October 7, 2014
Next to the James Bond franchise, menswear designer Tom Ford has been the most influential promoter of classic formal wear in the new millennium. Ford began his career in 1986 and just four years later joined the faltering luxury goods company Gucci which was then on the verge of bankruptcy. His early success in the fashion house’s womenswear line led to […]
Review: Indochino Tuxedo
August 6, 2014
Overall Rating: Price: good Style & Options: good Ordering & Customer Service: excellent Fit: very good Quality: very good Vancouver-based, Shanghai-made online tailors Indochino have been in business since 2007, making them veterans in this relatively young industry. They were founded by two university classmates frustrated at the lack of quality suits available at affordable prices. The fact that […]
Leon Drexler Bespoke Hats
July 30, 2014
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Temkin, the Torontonian behind Leon Drexler Bespoke Hats. Temkin, a writer, designer, and avid hat wearer, launched the label in 2009 after spending over two years seeking out the old tools and researching the techniques required to pursue what is a nearly forgotten métier: the traditional handcrafting […]
After Six Expands Offerings
May 22, 2014
Two years ago I posted that After Six, America’s largest and most influential tuxedo manufacturer and wholesaler, had been liquidated in 2011 and the brand had been purchased by The Dessy Group. At that time the new owners had just launched their first tuxedo under the After Six name, a contemporary 2-button notched-lapel style called The Paragon that […]
Review: Shoepassion.com Patent Shoes
April 29, 2014
German shoemaker Shoepassion.com wanted to spread the word about their handcrafted shoes sold for mainstream prices and asked me if I would review their product. I accepted the offer as an opportunity to add patent lace-ups to my formal wardrobe and came to learn a fair bit about shoe construction in the process. What I discovered was that their footwear offers impressive value […]
Profile: Hansen’s Clothing, Robert Talbott and Gitman Bros.
March 28, 2014
Last month I mentioned that I had recently investigated two of the few American menswear brands that offer classically inclined formal wear. Having profiled the offerings of Paul Stuart, it’s time to take a look at Robert Talbott formal wear and its primary supplier, Hansen’s Clothing. The Robert Talbott company originated in 1950 when New York […]
Spotlight: The Marcella Shirt
March 19, 2014
The Marcella shirt is a uniquely British compromise between the formality of the traditional full-dress shirt and the comfort of the American black-tie shirt. The term evolves from Marseilles in reference to that city’s production of quilts with distinctive raised patterns beginning in the early 18th century. In the latter part of the century, Lancashire […]
Brooks Brothers Spring 2014 Catalogue
March 11, 2014
Besides the parade of exposed shirt navels and one inappropriate pair of velvet loafers, the black-tie spread in the latest Brooks Brothers catalogue isn’t too bad. Yes, most of the jackets feature notch lapels but at least all of them are one-button models. And the shirts all feature turndown collars which sets a good […]
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October 18, 2014
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