style tips – Page 2 – Above The Ankles

Tips

Metal Collar Stays

Posted on August 10, 2015August 17, 2015by Hamed

Collar stays (also known as collar stiffeners) should be a part of your life, you should be sliding them into your collars whenever you finish your ironing. They are small in size but very important, without them, even the best of shirts look cheap and battered after a few wears. Cheap shirts have “built-in” collar stays, while decent dress shirts will have removable ones. If you don’t already use them often, you need to start – now.

If however, you are among the few men who take care of their clothes and pay attention to the “silly” things most men ignore, then you probably already wear collar stays. Chances are they’re plastic, am I right? Time to step it up.

Why Should I Upgrade To Metal Collar Stays?

The same way plastic collar stays transform a normal shirt great. Metal collar stays take the shirt to another level again. There is something about a man’s clothes looking rigid and sharp that just make him look the business. Metal collar stays make the collars on your shirt look sharp and when you move around they won’t. You won’t be able to feel the difference when wearing them but take a picture with plastic collar stays vs metal collar stays and you will see the difference clearly.

How Much Are They?

Some companies can go to the extreme with their collar stays and have some £200 silver stays. Other companies are more accommodating for us normal lads with prices around £10/£15. I strongly recommend grabbing yourself a pair, you only need one since you only wear one shirt at a time (I hope.)

I wouldn’t bother getting them engraved with anything, except of course, if you’re buying them as a gift for someone.

I personally prefer the pair from Moss Bros as they are cheap but solid/quality. I’ve added a few more collar stays to my store in order to spoil you for choices. Buy one pair of collar stays that will last a life time, trust me you won’t regret this purchase.

[products ids=”3408,3405,3403,3401″]

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Tips

My Transition From Skinny To Tailored

Posted on August 6, 2015December 20, 2015by Hamed

Ask me five years ago why men wear tailored suits and I would laughed saying; “because they’re old and overweight.” Although that may have been true, I now find myself right this moment shopping for a tailored fit suit. So what’s changed?

Well for one, I’m not eighteen anymore. Being twenty-three, my lifestyle is very different to how it was five years ago. All those late night takeaways have taken its toll and my lack of enthusiasm towards playing football has made me a proud owner of a 34 inch waist. Not only that but my desire to bulk up and pump weights in the gym has given me quite broad shoulders as well. It is fair to say, I’d rip a skinny suit easily in a day or two. Unfortunately two suits that are very dear to me are destined to stay in the back of my wardrobe until I am either able to drop a waist size, or pluck up the courage to give them to a charity shop.

Different Suit Sizes & Styles

We all have many different suit sizes and styles to choose from when we’re out shopping and knowing which style best suits you is essential. You have a choice between the school boy/rocker suits – the skinny fit. Then you have the slick and streamlined suit – the slim fit. Going up the ladder and getting old in age brings you to the comfortable and kind-of slim fit – tailored fit. The last and pretty much the least desirable fit – the regular fit.

Skinny Fit

Skinny fitted suits are the perfect suit for the young hairless man who is venturing out into the big bad world. Perfect for the stylish kid who likes to look cool, show off his dapper shoes and wear his Ray-Bans at night. Can you wear these to work? Of course! I did and they worked very well for me. If you are proud of your physique then this suit is perfect for you. Be warned, your movement may be restricted in these so watch out before jumping over that fence or chasing that bus.

Slim Fit

Slim fit is probably by far the best fit and if I hope I can slim down enough to get back into them. Slim fitted suits look and feel amazing. You can breathe and stretch freely in these suits without worrying that lifting your leg too high will cause your trousers to rip at the crotch. Yes that has happened to me, on more than three occasions. I wouldn’t advise running for a bus though. Want a suit fitted for all formal and casual events/days the slim fit looks fantastic and feels equally the same.

Tailored Fit

Want comfort without losing style? Tailored fit my friend. This suit will go in at the waist and your calfs allowing you space in your chest and thighs (the big parts of us real men.) Worrying about your ripping your suit is the thing of the past. You can look at the tailored fit suit as the dad of the family. Old and wise enough to know how to last a long time while still keeping it’s owner comfy and looking sharp. Feel free to run and jump in these as you wish.

Regular Fit

Regular fitted suits are by far my least favourite. This is for the men who want to wear a suit and don’t really care what others think. Style is out the window on this one and comfort was the one who kicked it out. You’ll never have to worry about durability as these suits will last you a lifetime. I have read that many people buy a regular suit from a retail store for cheap and get the suit cut and chopped to fit them perfectly – food for thought maybe?

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- Tips

Create The Illusion You Have More Suits Than You Actually Do

Posted on July 15, 2015January 2, 2016by Hamed

Many people used to ask me how I have so many suits and how they all look so new – not a question I’m asked much these days. Unfortunately I have outgrown most of my suits and I need to spend some well needed time in the gym. Shopping was easier when I was slim, I would buy a new suit every three to five months. Finding off the rack suits that fit me perfectly was a piece of apple pie. Nowadays I have to spend a lot more money and look a lot harder to get that perfect fit. I’ve come up with a trick to create the illusion I have more outfits than I actually do and it also saves me a lot of cash as well.

We all love change and wearing different outfits will definitely make you stand out amongst the others. Suits are expensive so we can’t always afford to buy a suit regularly, I simply buy nice trousers and forget all about the blazer. Trousers usually cost a third of the price of the suit, so if you buy two different trousers you’re still in pocket.

Combine your new trousers with a good quality shirt and people won’t notice your suit jacket missing from the back of your chair. Usually when I do this I end up with a enough compliments about my shirt to make my head explode.

Warning: don’t cheap out on badly made trousers. Leaving the suit jacket puts more attention on your trousers so you better make sure they are quality.

Not only does having more options when you get dressed in the morning help you look great, it increases the lifespan of your outfits, since you’re not wearing that suit you love three times a week anymore.

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Tips

Size 8? Go For Size 7! – Loafer Sizes

Posted on June 24, 2015June 24, 2015by Hamed

It’s fair to say it’s supposed to be summer now and even though the weathers not amazing, it is still loafer season. In the spirit of loafer season a couple weeks ago I bought some loafers from Zara and last Thursday I wanted to wear them to work with my blue pin stripe trousers. I took seven or eight steps out my door and realized my foot was flipping out the back of the loafer like sandals. Then it hit me, I bought the wrong size.

I’m a size 8 in every shoe and trainer except loafers. It’s important when buying anything that you try on a small size first to see if you can wear that size comfortably. If you can without feeling like you’re about to burst out your clothes and shoes, then go for it.

Everything looks better a size smaller and that is definitely true when it comes to loafers. Don’t ask me why, it’s just how it is. Size 10 shoes look better than size 11.

Next time you go shopping online or in-store, try goes a size down, if it doesn’t fit well you can always return it.

Continue reading if you want to hear how my returning experience went this weekend. I took my loafers back to return them and found that they were now £39.99 down from £59.99. Good news, to swap a size 8 for a size 7, I had to return the size 8’s for a full refund and then buy the size 7’s. I’m now £20 richer.

[products ids= “2958”]

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Tips

Stitching? – Should You Remove The Thread From Your Suit

Posted on May 28, 2015May 28, 2015by Hamed

Apologies Gentleman for not updating my blog recently. I’ve been working on the back-end of things and have not forgotten about all you stylish men. I’ve recently joined The Student Room and I’m really enjoying speaking to all these young students who have a million questions. I found one that really shocked me, it was from a young man who wanted to know if he should remove the stitching left by the manufacturing company in his clothing.

If you don’t know why this is done, it’s basically to prevent bits of the clothing from getting caught in any of the machinery or getting folded over and being creased in an awkward way for 6 months while in storage – thus potentially ruining the clothing.

Removing The Stitching

To answer the question; should you remove the tacking from your clothing? Yes.

The most common tacking done to suits would be on the lapel and on the vents. Sometimes you will find that the manufacturer has stitched down the lapel through the lapel pin hole on the left breast. The vents on the back, whether it be single or double vented, would also be stitched together in an “X” shape. It is absolutely essential that you remove both of these, no ifs no buts. Unlike most fashion rules, this one is agreed by everyone that it can not be broken. The moment you get that suit home, remove it.

Removing The Stitching – Optional

There are some common spots on your suit that are most likely to be stitched together as well. The back pocket of your suit trousers, the breast pocket of the blazer and the receipt pockets on the front of your blazer. These are optional and should only be removed if you intend on using those pockets.

I use my trouser and breast pockets every day so this is a must for me. The problem is if you open up the front receipt pockets of your blazer then you may be tempted to fill them. If you cram a coke can in them one night, you could potentially ruin the shape of your blazer permanently so be aware.

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Tips

Remove The Label

Posted on May 13, 2015May 25, 2015by Hamed

I can’t believe I’m actually writing about this one but it’s something I’ve seen a few times in my short life and I must say, it is annoying! Those temporary brand labels left on the sleeves of suits as if they are supposed to be permanently part of the suit. I’m going to guess most people do it out of ignorance.

I do however get how they make the mistake; they go to the store, grab themselves a bargain on a quality suit from a big brand and they want to show it off. Well there’s many ways to do that, they could take a picture of the inside label of the jacket so everyone knows they have an DKNY suit. Another option would be to tell everyone they come in contact with. Whatever way they choose I don’t mind but one way no-one should ever do, under any circumstance is leave that label on the jacket sleeve on.

The moment you get home with your new suit, remove all labels! Don’t think about it just do it. It’s cringy and really weird to leave it on. Unless of course you are planning on returning the suit and getting a full refund. Which is a bit weird, why buy the suit in the first place?

Next time you see someone with a label on their sleeve, let them know that it’s tacky, please.

Shake my head.

For more style tips click; here.

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Tips

T-Shirt Under Your Shirt

Posted on May 3, 2015November 13, 2015by Hamed

There are a million style tips you can start applying in order to make yourself look better. In my old job, we used to always say that if you could improve 50 things by 1% you are now 50% better off – true stuff! So who wears a t-shirt under their shirt? I definitely do. Living in the UK, its cold 300 days a year and the need to put on another layer is real.

The problem with wearing a t-shirt under your shirt is that if you don’t wear a tie, it can end up poking out of your shirt. I wear t-shirts outside which is fine if your casual but the moment you wear it under your dress shirt, your t-shirt automatically becomes underwear. Sounds weird but it’s true, whether man or woman, your underwear is to be as hidden as possible and if you want to be a man of class then this is completely necessary.

Having your t-shirt poking out under your dress shirt looks sloppy and is similar to a woman who bends over and shows off all her backside & her thong – not a good look! If you want to be known as a well dressed individual then hiding your undergarments is essential.

The easiest way to hide your t-shirt is to not wear one, but living in the UK between october and june would mean you would be pretty cold. The best option is to do what I do, wear a v-neck t-shirt. They aren’t expensive and it really depends how many times you go out in a shirt without a tie. I only leave the house without a tie twice a week so I only own about three or four v-neck t-shirts. I save all my crewneck t-shirts for the days I wear ties and you should do the same.

I’ve added two items to my shop in order to give you guys the perfect v-neck’s to be worn with your outfits to ensure you won’t end up looking sloppy.

[products ids=”2063,2053″]

See the difference a v-neck makes for yourself;

crew neck & suit

v neck & suit

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Tips

Keep A Suit Hidden

Posted on February 16, 2015August 10, 2015by Hamed

If you don’t already do this you need to start ASAP. Keeping one of your suits out of public eye is important, especially for those of us that don’t own a tuxedo. We need to have that special suit that no one has really seen or the last time they’ve seen it was so long ago they think it’s a brand new suit.

As people we love change, we love things that a different or new. I don’t know the phycology behind it but try it out, it’s so true. I have my blue pin stripe suit that I wear 3-5 times a year. It’s my favorite suit and for that reason I rarely wear it.

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