T-Shirt Under Your Shirt

v neck & suit

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;

FCUK – Powder Blue

powder blue suit fcuk cover

We all know FCUK, they were particularly big 10 years ago when everyone was wearing their white branded t-shirts. Now they have lost their hype amongst most of us but still remain a very popular brand in the world of fashion. I’m not the biggest fan of the brand, they are more expensive than Topman & Zara but to be fair to FCUK, they are definitely a band above most retailers in terms of quality. I’m not really a fan of the whole controversial branding variation of “f***”.

Branding name aside, have you ever tried on a french connection suit? They feel great. This powder blue suit is exactly what you would expect from a £250 purchase. Its comfy, the fabric breathes and is quite flexible. The annoying thing about french connection is most of their suit blazers are paired with trousers, meaning you don’t get to pick your size. What happens is; you pick your blazer size and they automatically give you a trouser size six inches smaller than your jacket size.

Aside from the annoying picking of trousers I can’t fault the FCUK Powder Blue Suit. Three piece suits are fantastic for dressing up or dressing down and can be worn in so many variations. Made from a mixture of wool and polyester the suit shouldn’t be too hot during the summer, while also keeping you warm during the winter months. Obviously tweed and cotton would be better for winter & summer respectively.

Pair this with a plain t shirt or jumper for a casual look and a dress shirt and tie for a perfect formal look.

FCUK Powder Blue Suit

Ralph Lauren Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit

Ralph Lauren Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit 3

So after a long time I have given in to a lot of your requests. I was always adamant that I wouldn’t post products that were considered luxury but rather just stick to retail items. However it seems that you guys enjoy spending money on yourselves and too right. Ralph Lauren UK have had their Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit on their site now for such a long time and I’ve just been watching it, thinking I’d love to write about this beauty. So as soon as I decided to do a luxury product, this one immediately popped into mind.

The Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit is an masterclass in tailoring. The suit is made from high quality wool so as you would expect, it is extremely comfortable. The black fabric used on the suit is a beautiful dark colour which looks solid and won’t be like those cheap black suits that look brown in the sunlight. The pinstripes are a nice cream colour, not too bold or not too thin, just right.

A lot of Ralph Lauren UK suits are three buttoned, which I just don’t like, this beauty however is a standard two button suit. Designed to be a professional slim fit, it’s perfect for events or just a normal day at work. The suit is finished with the little details that make this suit really worth the money, among them are; four buttons on the cuff, the jacket being double vented at the back and the trousers having buttons on the inside ready to be combined with braces/suspenders.

This suit really is quality combined with quality – perfection and definitely one of those suits that will last you well into 2020. So for this kind of suit, you can expect to pay more than most peoples first car. A suit is a man’s modern day armour and the Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit priced at £495, it’s definitely what I would call my suit of armour.

Get your’s here; Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit

Ralph Lauren Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit 4
Ralph Lauren Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit – £495.00
Ralph Lauren Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit 5
Ralph Lauren Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit – £495.00
Ralph Lauren Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit 1
Ralph Lauren Polo Beaded-Stripe Wool Suit – £495.00

Get The Look #4

get the look #4

I haven’t done a get the look post in awhile and you guys have been bugging me for it, so here it is.

This weeks Get The Look is based upon two of my favourite colours. Black & White! These two colours aren’t generally consider to be peoples favourite colours but could you live without them? Black and white are the two most simple colours you could ever wear. They fit perfectly into all outfit combinations and are almost completely neutral. This outfit today is very simple and won’t cost much at all, but if you get it right, it will look amazing!

get the look #4

The Suit

Wearing a black suit is really easy, theres not much thought needed with it, simply just wear black socks. The only problem with black suits is finding a quality one, there’s too many cheap ones out there. The two suits I’ve added below are from Moss Bros and TM Lewin – two giants in the suit retail world. Both of these suits are quality, I personally prefer the Franco Suit from TM Lewin as it’s a blend of polyester and wool. The Moss London Black Mixer Suit is still a quality suit, however as its a blend of polyester and viscose it falls slightly short compared to the Franco Suit.

Franco Suit Jacket
Franco Suit Jacket By TM Lewin – £149.00
Moss London Slim Fit Black Mixer Suit Jacket
Moss London Slim Fit Black Mixer Suit Jacket – £129.00

The Shirt

The shirt is very simple black and white checked shirt. However purchasing a black and white checked shirt isn’t an easy choice and it should be done with care. You need to know the difference between a weekend/summer checked shirt and a business formal checked shirt. In this look, the shirt is single cuffed, although I believe a double cuffed would suit better, both are fine. Understand that in order to pull off this look, you need a firm shirt, with solid collars that are not flimsy and look like you mean business. I found it really difficult to find shirts that are similar quality to the one in this picture. I did however manage to find one I really liked from ASOS.

ASOS Smart Shirt with Long Sleeves in Gingham Check – £20.00

ASOS Smart Shirt with Long Sleeves in Gingham Check
ASOS Smart Shirt with Long Sleeves in Gingham Check – £20.00
ASOS Smart Shirt with Long Sleeves in Gingham Check
ASOS Smart Shirt with Long Sleeves in Gingham Check – £20.00

Bow Tie

The bow tie in this outfit is really simple, its a basic black bow tie with white polka dots. You could also wear a grey bow tie with white polka dots and that would go perfectly with this outfit as well. Where you buy your bow tie from is pretty irrelevant really, you can buy them from many different retail stores but I’ll be nice and offer you a few.

Black with White Polka Dots Bow Tie
Black with White Polka Dots Bow Tie – £8.99
Reclaimed Vintage Polkadot Bow Tie 2
Reclaimed Vintage Polkadot Bow Tie – £16.00
Ted Baker Spotted Print Bow Tie
Ted Baker Spotted Print Bow Tie – £40.00
Jack & Jones Knitted Bow Tie
Jack & Jones Knitted Bow Tie – £15.00

The Bracelet

Bracelets are easy to come by and not a necessity in your outfit. However, you can wear whatever type of bracelet you prefer with this outfit and it will pretty much go. In this look, the wearer is wearing a plain bead bracelet and a metal link bracelet. Here’s a few;

Tassel Bead Bracelet
Tassel Bead Bracelet – £5.00
Beaded Tassel Bracelet Multipack
Beaded Tassel Bracelet Multipack – £10.00
Lovebullets Barrel Bead Bracelet
Lovebullets Barrel Bead Bracelet – £35.00
Designsix Chain Bracelet
Designsix Chain Bracelet – £12.00

The Lapel Pin

Lapel pins are a great way to add something special to your outfit. In this look it’s just a simple musical note pin but you could replace it with any silver lapel pin. Don’t spend too much money on these, you can get them for pretty cheap. I would recommend having a look on ebay here so you can find your taste.

The Pocket Square

Pocket squares are among my favourite pieces of an outfit and are so simply to apply. This look is no different, just a simple checkered pocket square.

Black Bow Tie And Pocket Square
Black Bow Tie And Pocket Square – £10.00
ASOS Pocket Square With Polka Dot
ASOS Pocket Square With Polka Dot – £6.00

That’s All

Have fun creating your own look and let me know how it goes.

River Island Brown Check Three Piece Suit

River Island Brown Check Three Piece Suit 5

I’ve noticed recently people pretty much wearing the same type of suits with similar colour schemes. Obviously blue, black and grey suits are standard but who wants to look like everyone else. I definitely don’t like it. So I figured today I would bring you something different. Something that doesn’t look like its off the rack, yet still won’t actually break the bank.

This Brown Check Three Piece Suit is from an unusual source for myself, River Island. I’m not the biggest banner holder for River Island but I must admit there suits aren’t too bad. The quality you will get from River Island suits is similar to the suits you would get from Next or Burton.

This three piece suit is quality and for quality you will definitely have to pay a bit more than average. Made from mostly polyester but combined with wool, known as a polyblend suit, this isnt one of those lightweight summer suits. Polyblend suits are incredibly comfortable and do tend to mainly worn in winter but really and truly, we live in the UK, it’s always winter here except in July. So this polyblend suit will cost you £135 for the suit and an extra £40 for the waistcoat. Whether you choose to go for the two-piece or go all out with the three-piece, you definitely won’t regret it.

The whole suit has this beautiful brown checked design, which really makes the suit look and feel vintage. That vintage look just gives off this persona about it’s wearer as being a man of absolute class. If you are going to wear the suit on a weekend, please don’t wear the trousers, the blazer by itself is perfect for the weekend. The full suit with waistcoat is perfect for formal events, while the two piece is great for everyday work.

You really can’t go wrong with this River Island Brown Check Three Piece Suit

ASOS Antony Morato Check Suit Jacket

Antony Morato Check Suit Jacket in Slim Fit

Blazers are the main talking point for any outfit and this Antony Morato blazer is no different. There’s so many different fabrics to choose from, everyone should really own a variety from wool to cotton. This blazer is made from 100% cotton meaning it’s useless for winter but perfect for summer.

Really, every man should own some blazers that he never wears to work. A Blazer that’s unique, that not many people own. That piece of clothing that can be thrown over a white t shirt and black trousers and make it look like you spent an hour getting dressed this morning.

Antony Morato Check Suit Jacket in Slim Fit 4

Priced at £140 , I’d say the Antony Morato Check Suit Jacket in Slim Fit does a pretty good job at all of the above mentioned areas. I suppose £140 is kind of a lot of money but it wouldn’t exactly break the bank.

I’m not going to say this blazer is special because it’s not. I could pick out a few different blazers you could buy that would be unique and not many people would own. So whether you buy this one or not is up to you. However, make sure you get one. What ever blazer it is, this summer you will need a quality checked blazer that is neutral, can be worn with different outfits and looks fantastic.

Come to think of it again; you should probably just get the Antony Morato Check Suit Jacket in Slim Fit.

Please note: This brand’s slim suits are cut slightly larger than average, for a close fit it may be advisable to buy a size down.

Moss London Slim Fit Grey Check Suit

MOSS LONDON SLIM FIT GREY CHECK SUIT

The Moss London Slim Fit Grey Check Suit is one of those suits I’m not a big fan of. Is it unique? No! Is it something new and fresh? Not really. Could you wear this to a special event? Please don’t!

So why would you buy a grey checked suit. Well..

Grey checked suits stand out in an amazingly subtle way. Grey suits can pretty much be worn every day of the week, whether worn to work with a tie or on the weekend with a bow tie. People love checked suits and grey ones are no different. I don’t know why but everyone just assumes a checked suit is an expensive suit. The Moss London Slim Fit Grey Check Suit is a normal single breasted slim fit suit with one button fastening.

For some reason Moss decided not to allow us to pick our own trouser size and actually just design the trousers to be six inches smaller than the chest size. Although I find this extremely weird for a company to force you into wearing a certain trouser size, it does however make sense as most people generally are 6 inches smaller in their waist. I’m actually a size 40 chest in slim fit and 34 waist so well done to them. If you find the trousers don’t fit you could easily send it back or take it to your local Moss Bros.

Made from 100% polyester, its just a normal quality retail suit really. As you would expect in a retail suit, the Moss London Slim Fit Grey Check Suit is priced at £99.

So I don’t know if you have been convinced by all of this, I personally havent. I love checked suits, I like grey suits, I’m not the biggest fan of one button fastening and don’t like the fact I can’t pick my own trouser length. If you don’t mind these things and just want the suit.. Here you go..

Moss London Slim Fit Grey Check Suit

Size Down

size down sizing guide above the ankles 2

When buying a suit, there are so many things that could go well and also just as many things that could go wrong. If you ask any woman what is her favourite thing about a guy in a suit, 90% of them will say that it is the fit. A cheap well fitted suit is always going to look better than an expensive baggy suit.

Now the tip when buying a suit is to always try on the size below whatever you normally wear or whatever the store assistant says. Just because they work in TM Lewin or in Marks & Spencer, doesn’t mean they know what they are talking about.

By sizing down, you are going to find the jacket a bit tighter, you will fill a lot more restricted. So where does it get too much? If you can raise your hands high above your head then it is a perfect fit. If however, when you raise your hands above your head and your suit feels like it’s about to rip or you can’t close your blazer buttons, take the jacket off before you have to pay for it because you ripped it.

If you are a size 40, try on a 38, no harm in trying so. I have been doing this for years and it always work.

Leave a comment below and let me know if this has helped you.

size down sizing guide above the ankles 2

Black Shower Resistant Belted Trench Coat

Here’s a great reason why you should sign up to your favourite retailers newsletters so you get notified of all their sales. Burton at the moment have 25% off literally everything! All you have to do is enter “STYLE25” at checkout. So as I always do when a sale is on, I went through loads of their products and found a really nice trench coat.

Black Shower Resistant Belted Trench Coat

When buying a trench coat you have two options really, either you get a nice thick warm one that kind of works as a blazer at the same time or you get a lightweight trench that is just a throw over your outfit. In this case with the Black Shower Resistant Belted Trench Coat it is a smart lightweight black coat that’s waterproof and perfect for all seasons.

I love lightweight trench coats as I can wear it during summer or winter and it’s really easy to carry around. Trench coats are generally priced quite highly as they everyone wants them. This one is no different, normally priced at £70. It’s now on sale for £49 and if you buy it today you get an extra £12 off.

The jacket has those extra buttons to create that double breasted look, along with the smart black belt to make the jacket look professional, both done up or open. Made from a mixture of polyester and cotton this jacket should last you a couple of years at least.

Black Shower Resistant Belted Trench Coat

Black Shower Resistant Belted Trench Coat
Black Shower Resistant Belted Trench Coat 2
Black Shower Resistant Belted Trench Coat 3
Black Shower Resistant Belted Trench Coat 4

Diversity In Suits

mens wardrobe suits

If you want to look dapper and be known as the guy who dresses really well then; open your wardrobe and have a look at your suits. Have a nice good look at each suit. You should see a great range of colours, designs and fits. If all your suits are summer colours, skinny fit, single breasted, single vented and one buttoned, then you have done something wrong. Similarly if you have all tailored fit suits, all black, grey and navy, then yes you have also made a mistake.

Looking good is all about being different, never wearing an outfit that was similar to yesterdays outfit. Your wardrobe should consist of, tweed suits, wool suits, polyester blends and cotton. You should also have different fits and colours.

When you switch between fits (tailored, slim & skinny) or between material (wool, cotton, polyester), what you will find is that people will tell you that they love your new suit, then a week later ask you regarding the same suit, if you just bought a new suit and swear they have never seen it before.

There is no “best” material, fit or colour. All are great and as long as you switch it all up you can make 5 suits look like 20.

mens wardrobe suits