Guest Contributor: Paul Walters - "1st Impressions"

Greetings! My name is Paul Walters and I have grown up with somewhat of an affinity for men's clothing (no, baseball caps and sneakers don't count) and often downright dandyism, and am pleased to be offered the opportunity to share my thoughts.
Today's post expands upon the notion of looking one's best. Down the road my writings will be graced with more specificity, but as this is my first, let's discuss why we spend our time visiting sites such as this. I assume all of us here have a desire to not only put our best foot forward, but to smash it down in the face of mediocrity and insolence.
Will Rogers once said, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Makes sense, right? Well, studies have shown that, upon your first meeting, an individual will give you a primary sweep and evaluate you within 30 seconds; and, it can take up to five years for them to change their initial opinion of you! If that is truly the case, I would hate to face the potential of meeting anyone important while running to the grocery store in worn track shoes and sweats. If this sits with you well, please read on.
The first impression is only the first step. Continuity is crucial. Consider this scenario: you have a job interview for an important position under an important boss. Five people interview, and all of you have the same qualifications. Obviously, the way you look when you walk into that room is how you will be viewed throughout the hiring process (assuming you speak with more intellect than Gomer Pyle). Did you look the part? Excellent! Let's move on.
Why waste any time presenting an image of poise and polish if it cannot be repeated? Maintaining a standard of excellence in your dress assures an employer that when you wake up in the morning, you take your time preparing to do your job. This assurance manifests itself throughout the whole of your work relationship. If you prepare to come to work, the assumption will be that you prepare to do your work. This is why two associates hired at the same time cannot both get a corner office with a window! The one that stands out is justly rewarded.
Shave daily, for crying out loud! Press and iron your clothes! Wear a tie! Shine your shoes! And then, imagine that everyone else does, too. Breaking through the corporate mold is where individuality finally comes into play. J.F.K. said, "If you accept 2nd place when 1st is available you make a habit of doing it for the rest of your life." Dress for first place, and all others can be nothing better than second.
Obviously, the workplace is a metaphor for all other areas of one's life, as work encompasses most of our lives, but the theory remains the same. I've never gotten shoddy service at a department store if I was dressed well. I've never repelled women when I was dressed well, and consequently, I'll always make sure that I am dressed well!
Hopefully my dedication to "the cause" has been well represented. My next writing will further explore developing stylistic individuality rather than simply explaining the nuts-and-bolts approach to self-representation, but remember: If you've found yourself here, the desire to look like a million bucks (whether you spend it or not) is obviously an itch that needs to be scratched, and you've come to the right place.
Cheers,
Paul

Tie The Windsor Knot....

I get asked at least once a week about my knot and how to go about it. Well, here is the least annoying instruction I have been able to find. This video should do it for you.

The Windsor knot, also (wrongly) known as the "Double-Windsor" (a non-existing enormous 16-move knot), is the most well known knot in the world. The Windsor is a large, symmetrical, self-releasing triangular knot. The tie was named by Americans in the 1920-30's after the Duke of Windsor. The Duke was known for his fondness of large triangular tie knots, but didn't in fact invent this particular knot. His secret was a specially tailored tie with an extra thickness of material. There are four tie-versions that result in the "Windsor" knot; two self releasing, and two non-self releasing. This version filmed here is considered as the original (self releasing) version. The video is to be viewed as if you were looking in a mirror.

Anatomy of a well made suit...

A great article from FORBES about the anatomy of a well made suit. A good read for research. I am proud to say that every Astor & Black suit fits the criteria and then some...and it all comes standard, no extra charge for full canvass or functioning button holes.

Visit Astor & Black to learn more then call me for an appointment.

Charlotte Style Magazine - 25 Most Stylish.

Yes...this is a shameless plug. #22...not bad for a rookie. Feel free to see who else made the list by clicking on the logo...or go directly here:

http://www.charlottestylemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/25-most-stylish-11.pdf
#22 David Watkins

Charlotte native David Watkins graduated from UNCC with a degree in Sociology. He spent 10+ years as
a marketing and advertising executive, and then realized his true passion for custom clothing. He is currently launching the Astor and Black Custom Clothier label in Charlotte. Watkins loves bright socks, old school Adidas footwear, and describes his personal

Astor & Black Brings Babette Wasserman to Charlotte

Astor & Black will now be carrying the entire line of Babette Wasserman accessories. Here is a little history on the company and it's products. Pre-order now in time for the holiday!

HISTORY

Classically trained at Central St. Martin's
College of Art in Central London, Babette
Wasserman launched her own jewelery
label and cufflink collection in early 1997.
Widely regarded by the fashion industry
as the most progressive designer of
stylish, fashionable and innovative
jewelery, Babette Wasserman can be
found in some of the most exclusive stores
around the world. She is renowned for her
original and versatile designs which include
the popular Saucer (reversible) cufflinks
and her 'Reversible' pieces of jewelery.

Winter Special

Hello...Astor and Black announced today a few new Winter specials...be sure to order now so when the weather drops...you are well taken care of. Tremendous new fall fabrics to choose from...so give me a call and I will come see you!

Astor and Black Winter Specials:

ADD ONE CUSTOM MADE OVERCOAT TO ANY A+B PACKAGE AND RECEIVE 10 PERCENT OFF THE OVERCOAT

ADD TWO CUSTOM MADE OVERCOATS TO ANY A+B PACKAGE AND RECEIVE 15 PERCENT OFF BOTH OVERCOATS

Canvassed vs. Fused Suits

All of us need suits. For interviews, for work, for socializing.

This post will explain the difference between a well-made and a cheap suit. I'll begin by saying that price is not necessarily indicative of a suit's quality. Much of a the quality of a suit depends on its construction, namely whether the jacket is canvassed or fused.

Canvassed Jackets.

A little bit of suit history. Traditionally, men's suits were canvassed. This means that between the lining of the suit and the wool on the outside, there's a layer of canvas. This canvas creates the foundation for the suit, much like a foundation for a house. The canvas is cut to your body shape and the wool is hand-stitched to the canvas. As you wear the jacket, the canvas conforms to your body's shape, creating an excellent fit.

Because the wool is hand-stitched to the canvas, the fabric also drapes much more naturally, allowing a clean, well put-together look.

Fused Jackets.

Nowadays, however, most suit companies don't take time time to do this. Instead of a canvas lining, they companies fuse stiffer fabric to the wool of the jacket with glue.
This creates an unnatural stiffness in the jacket which does not allow the wool fabric to drape properly over the body. It's not just cheap brands that do this; Armani and HUGO BOSS, among others, construct most of their suit jackets this way to save themselves money (while still charging an arm and a leg for their 'designer' suits).

What complicates the problem of fused jackets is that the glue degrades over time, or may come unstuck during the dry-cleaning/pressing process. When that happens, inevitably, you are left with the problem of bubbling. Where the wool detaches from the fused backing, the fabric ripples and generally looks horrendous. Moreover, there is no way to fix this problem once it's occurred- the jacket is basically shot.

How to Tell a Canvassed vs. Fused Jacket.

In a canvassed jacket, most of the stitching attaching the canvas and wool is behind the lapels. If you look carefully on the reverse side of a jacket's lapel, you can see the tiny stitched holding the layers of fabric together. A fused jacket will have no such stitching.

It used to be the case that pick stitching, the stitching around the edges of a jacket's lapels, was indicative of a canvassed jacket. This is no longer the case, however, as many fashion houses now add pick stitching merely for the look.

The single best way to determine whether a jacket is canvassed or fused, however, is the pinch test. Because most of the stitching holding the canvas to the wool is on the lapels, the canvas "floats" under the wool fabric, allowing the wool to drape naturally. What you can do is first pinch the fabric on the sleeve of the jacket to get a feel for the wool's thickness (sleeves are not canvassed). Then, pinch the fabric on the chest of the jacket.

Does it feel the same thickness as the sleeve fabric? If so, it's canvassed.

But if the chest fabric feels stiffer and thicker, the jacket is more than likely fused.

What does all of this mean to me anyway?

Generally speaking, fused jackets do not last as long as canvassed jackets, nor do they look as good.

When you look at the price of some fully canvassed suits, you might get sticker shock. However, if you're going to be making the financial investment, it's better to spend $1,000 on one canvassed suit that on two $500 fused suits, or even for three $300 suits!

The canvassed suit will look better on you and outlast any fused garment you buy. Moreover, the canvassed suit is more than likely of generally higher quality construction.

Where Can I Go for a Canvassed Suit?

Astor and Black makes excellent custom, fully-canvassed made-to-measure suits starting around $600. www.astorandblack.com

What to Avoid.

Avoid most department stores. The staff are relatively ignorant about how suits should properly fit. The clothing quality is sub-par.

Fashion brands like Kenneth Cole, Hugo Boss, Armani, Burberry, Michael Kors, etc. are generally poorly constructed in 3d world countries and then sold to you at a ridiculously inflated price just because of their brand name. The employees generally work off commission and will generally tell you anything- wheeling and dealing- to get you to buy a suit.

Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank also make generally poor quality suits. The staff can by pushy as well by telling you that clothing that does not fit you actually does, or that your style is somehow wrong. Generally not worth the price.

Thanks to "Dissenting Opinon" for most of the info in this post. Good stuff lads.

We at S.O.L. hope that you learned something to help you in your suit search!