Guest Contributor: Paul Walters "Breaking the Rules"

Hello, and welcome back! Without a doubt you are all on your way to developing your personal style and backing it with integrity! I am excited about today’s post, because learning to break fashion’s rules is key in developing one’s own personal style. In today’s discussion we will go over some of the stylistic barriers that have reduced men to conformity for decades, and tastefully tear them down. The way that you break the rules allows you to insert individualism into the equation, once again producing a finished product that is you, and you alone.
Why break the rules, you might ask? Well, many of them are there for no reason. Some were established by dated tradition no longer applicable. The well-dressed sophisticate of 1990 would have cringed if you told him that his “power-suit” shoulder pads would look ridiculous ten years down the road. This illustrates one of the pitfalls of simply “keeping up with fashion” per our last discussion. Keeping up with fashion does nothing but date your ensemble. Things change. What looks good does not.
Our first rule deserving scrutiny is probably the most obvious and involves abstaining from wearing white after labor day. Whoever decided that fall and winter required a more somber code of dress jumped the gun. While wearing a white linen shirt with epaulets or an all white suit may be pushing the envelope, worrying about wearing white after labor day should not dictate your wardrobe choices for the cooler seasons.
My simplest suggestion for breaking this rule is to pair white or cream-colored trousers with a well tailored navy blazer. White shoes, quite frankly, are a little much for fall and winter. Wear a shade of brown from tan to chocolate, but maintain consistency with the color of your belt. Loafers work very well with this look, but simplicity is key. Refrain from tassels. Top the look off with a heather or light grey v-neck sweater. I would not recommend wearing white pants when the weather calls for a topcoat, which if you were to picture it, would look quite ridiculous. Also, whatever type of shoe you choose, suede would be the most complimentary material.
Another way to integrate white into your post-labor day wardrobe is by wearing a white dinner jacket to formal occasions, anchored of course by black trousers and shoes. The white dinner jacket alludes to Sean Connery’s James Bond or Humphrey Bogart, so the association with something classic is instant in the mind of anyone who notices you. When choosing a white dinner jacket, I would recommend a shawl collar. Since you are bending the rules with this look, the shawl collar backs up the “hipster” persona.
While the next item of discussion is not necessarily a rule, it deserves mentioning. In America too many men seem to feel bound by the black dress shoe. In Italy, a common philosophy is that black shoes should be reserved for weddings and funerals. Brown shoes lend themselves quite well to many of the outfits where one would typically wear black; navy, grey, olive, khaki, reds, and denims alike all benefit from brown footwear. If you’ve never worn brown shoes, it can be hard to break the habit, so begin with a dark chocolate shoe in a classic wingtip or cap-toe, and work your way up to lighter colors, such as tan or chili. Astor & Black carries excellent American shoes by Allen Edmonds as well as and top quality English shoes by Loake, both of which supply shoes in countless shades of brown. Neutral polishes applied regularly work great, as many brown polishes are of a very specific hue. You wouldn’t want to use a dark brown polish on a tan shoe. Your belt should match the shoes.
Many are of the mindset that shoes, belts, and watchstraps should all match. This brings us to our next rule. Shoes and belts should definitely match. I believe this rule to be a staple of men’s dress, but your watchstrap, however, presents a wonderful opportunity to express yourself. One of my watches boasts an alligator strap in cerulean blue. For more conservative occasions, I would not wear this watch. It doesn’t have much place in a boardroom meeting, but when the blue echoes a suit’s pinstripe, or a tie or pocket square’s color pallet, the watch is a wonderful way to add panache to an outfit. I frequently wear a Panerai with a peanut butter leather strap and will unabashedly wear this watch with darker shades of brown, and even black on occasion. A man’s watch says a lot about him and is the most acceptable form of jewelry a man can wear. Feel free to push some limits with your watch.
Regarding suits, rules can become rather dodgy. One item I’d like to touch on concerns functional buttonholes on cuffs (these are referred to as surgeon cuffs, by the way). It used to be that only well-made suits bore this attribute, while now some makers of low-quality garb are utilizing the surgeon cuffs to make their suits look more costly. I have heard older stylists say that to leave one of the buttons of your cuff undone is at “the height of vulgarity” or that someone wearing a high-end suit should not have to justify such a display of its quality. To these individuals: you have my respect. But I like the look, and for those of us who do, we deserve to break the rule. We paid for the right when we bought a decent suit!
If you are of the mindset that the cuffs should remain buttoned, stick with it. Or unbutton only one button on one sleeve. In my recent Astor & Black suit purchase, I chose a different colored thread for the first buttonhole of my cuffs, so that leaving one unbuttoned has more meaning than displaying its function. Again, regardless of the quality of your suit, surgeon cuffs allow a way to stand out from the masses and inject a little bit of personality into your outfit. Don’t be stifled by stoics.
There is an Italian style term called “sprezzatura”, which refers to an almost disheveled elegance. This can be displayed in a variety of ways, such as a marginally sloppy tie-knot or the skinny side of the tie being slightly longer than the front. Brightly colored socks that flash when you cross your legs or the seemingly careless “piled in” pocket square are all examples of sprezzatura. Leaving a button undone on surgeon cuffs? I believe this qualifies as well. Have fun with it and stand out for the sake of being who you are.
Why should you break the rules? Because they’re there.
Until next time,
Cheers!
Paul