THE POWER OF PLAID

Fall and Winter are the best seasons.
I love the rain, I love to layer and I love coats, so naturally I’m partial to this time of year.

And one of the biggest trends resounding through all mens lines this season: Plaid.
Plaid has become a staple to menswear and for Fall/Winter 2011:12 you won’t find a pattern more transcending.

Plaids are bold. Not for the faint of heart. If you’re going to wear plaid, you’re asking for attention so be ready & dress sharply.

Paul Stuart of New York did a whole homage to Plaid for their Fall window treatments titled: 

Mad for Plaid that I thought was brilliant, which was my inspiration for this post.

If you need to build your plaid esteem, start small. Adding a plaid tie, or a plaid pocket square can be just the right amount of pop you need to lift your look.

Nothing says confidence like a clean plaid shirt with a suit
or plaid shirt + vest combo, casual sophistication.
Plaid shirts aren't just meant for grunge wear.
When worn well, plaid can only say good things about you.

photo from mensstylepro.com

    photo from the styleblogger.com

Rocking the plaid suit...

Welcome to the big leagues.
Plaid = Power.

what's plaid without Burberry? showcasing their iconic plaid since the 1920s

and almost a century later it is still alive for fall/winter 2011/12

mix it up.

be bold.

have fun with it.

just go mad with plaid.
happy 11/11/11!

fashion . food . faith

- wulf

MENS TAILORED CLOTHING 101 part I : for suit virgins

What to look for in a suit.

Let me open this by saying…if you’ve never bought a suit or sport coat seek a professional salesperson that is well trained in sizing, fitting, and measuring; nothing looks more ridiculous than a jacket too big or too tight on someone. Get properly measured and find a garment that fits. Here are the three main measurements that should be taken when figuring out what size you are:

chest measurement.

overarm measurement.

waist measurement.

The Shoulders.

In a suit, the upper part of the jacket starting from the chest up to the collar, is where the majority of the construction and labor is put into. So finding a jacket that FIRST fits your shoulders is key. Depending on the model and size, this will determine how much tailoring you would need to make the garment look good.

Pants.

Now suits are already paired with a corresponding pant size, typically you subtract 6 from the jacket size and you’ll get your waist size i.e. 42R Jacket - 36 waist. Now with most European designers you would subtract 7 or maybe even 8 depending on the fit & model. Now humans are built in all different shapes and sizes and sometimes suits off the rack won’t cut it, then I would suggest finding an amazing Made to Measure program (will get in more detail later) different from being custom-made but you’re still given customizing options. It’s basically the next best thing.

 Alterations. 

In a perfect world, you’d try on a suit and only need the pant to be hemmed, but that usually isn’t the case. This is where having a good tailor that knows your taste and understands the contours of your body, comes into place. All suits are meant to be tailored, so if you’re going to invest in buying a suit, make sure the tailor you’re entrusting with your garment understands what you need and how you want to look. If you don’t have a tailor, word of mouth is the best way of finding one or doing some research online. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. 

Ultimately…

Looking for a suit is a trial and error process. With all the different brands and models out there, nothing fits exactly the same. So have fun with it.

happy suit shopping.

fashion . food . faith

-wulf

MENS TAILORED CLOTHING 101 (preface)

FIT FIRST.

Having been in retail, specifically in the mens realm for 8+ years, one of the top things men are more conscience and concerned about: it’s not the price tag, or the label/designer or even the color of the garment, don’t get me wrong-collectively every gentlemen considers these points when furthering his wardrobe, but his most important and utmost factor…THE FIT.

Whether something is $3,000 or $300, fit doesn’t correlate with an increased suggested retail price.

I was helping one of my best clients and he was debating whether he should stick with his Armani Collezioni tuxedo, standard notch lapel, no vent with pleated pants that he had purchased two years prior for a little over $2,500 out the door. He was a 38 short, slim guy, and wanted something more “modern”. We tried on several options but the one that fit him best was a Hugo Boss trim fit, three-piece tuxedo on sale for 599. SOLD.

Armani Collezioni vs. Hugo Boss; most people probably wouldn’t have even showed him a Hugo if there was no price resistance, but it came down to what fit him best.
Hugo won.

In jeans, trousers, dress shirts, suits, sport coats, outerwear or TOMS-fit is key.

For the next several posts I’m going to spend time covering what points to consider and look for when you’re shopping for those investment pieces (suits, blazers, trousers etc.)

To make things easier, let’s establish three reoccurring fits manufactured by most brands:

-       SLIM (slender/trimmer)

-       CONTEMPORARY (regular)

-       CLASSIC (traditional/more giving)

Now that we have our bases, we can start running around them…

fashion . food . faith

- Wulf

IN QUEUE...

mens tailored clothing & why your tailor should be your (2nd) best friend...

fashion . food . faith

- wulf

WELCOME TO THE WULF FORM.

I've been wanting to start my own blog for a while and now it's finally come to fruition. I'm excited.

The premise of my blog is to educate, enlighten, or edify in three categories that I've come to know and appreciate:

fashion . food . faith

the THREE F's I live by.

• Fashion//my approach will be more from a styling perspective...and trust me there is a difference between fashion & style. I like style
• Food//I love to eat. period. done. finished.
• Faith//I am absolutely a Jesus believer, but I'm not a radical bible throwing, sin condemning, righteous rhetoric christian. I love people. ALL types. Just like Jesus did :)

In no way do I consider myself an expert in all three...but I'd like to think I'm certainly on my way to getting there. That's the great thing about the Three F's, all three are progressive and growing(or declining) at all times, so even if you may think you fully know, something shifts and a new fad is starting. They're ever-changing, sometimes repeating, and always cultivating.

Lastly, in answering a question I know will rise once you visit:

what is a wolf form?

(my last name is Wulf, hence the Wulf form)

A handcrafted form replicating a human torso/body, used to showcase the current fashion trends in garments or accessories.

I thought it to be a perfect metaphor for what I wanted to blog about :)

Now I hope you enjoy what you're about to read and if I did it right, maybe you might learn something (I know I will) 

Here's to:

fashion . food . faith

-Wulf