First, let's recognize why people are doing this. As dress norms have become more relaxed and casual, many men are trying to straddle the line between looking nice and looking overly dressed up. So they are trying to find ways to dress down their tailoring.
The problem with this outfit is that there's no harmony between the upper and lower halves. It's a business suit jacket with a white dress shirt up top, faded jeans and cowboy boots down bottom. This outfit looks like a giant mullet.
What you want to do is bridge the gap between the formality of the tailored jacket and the casualness of the jeans the best you can. This means paying attention to details and fine-tuning your outfit so there's less of a gap between the top and bottom halves of your fit.
To start, know the difference between a suit jacket and a sport coat. A suit jacket can only be worn with jeans if it convincingly passes for a sport coat. You never want to wear a jacket that's obviously part of a suit with jeans.
Generally speaking, a suit jacket can pass for a sport coat if it's made from a more casual fabric, such as tweed, cotton, corduroy, or linen, rather than smooth worsted wools. It also helps to have casual details like patched pockets instead of flapped, and swelled edges
You also want to wear a more casual shirt, such as a light blue oxford cloth button-down, rather than a dressier spread collar shirt made from white poplin
Despite what u see in fashion ads, u should also forgo the tie when wearing jeans. Combining the two often looks contrived.
Next is the cut. Jeans should never fit like tailored trousers, but you also want some harmony between jacket and pants in terms of silhouette. That means avoiding overly slim or low-rise jeans. Aim for a slim-straight leg with moderate rise.
Levis Vintage Clothing's 1947 501s, Orslow 107 and 105, 3sixteen CT-100x, Blackhorse Lane NW3, Full Count 0105, Warehouse 1002, The Armoury, and Drake's are all good models to check out.
While not an ironclad rule, it's also generally easier to wear dark jeans with tailoring.
Finally, avoid dress sneakers. Go for a classic, but slightly more casual version of a traditional shoe. Suede chukkas and loafers work well. If you must wear sneakers, do a simple all-white shoe, not some wingtip with a sneaker sole.
When put together, you get something like this: a slightly more casual version of a sport coat paired with a casual shirt and classic, but casual shoes. There is coherence between the jacket and pant silhouette.
The idea is to avoid all the mistakes you see here: obvious suit jacket + white dress shirt + red tie + low rise, skinny jeans + athletic or dress sneakers. There's no coherence between any of the pieces. Top half is too formal for bottom half.
Personally, I think most guys should just avoid the combo, as it can take a while to develop your eye for what works. Most guys are better off buying sport coats, not repurposing suit jackets as sport coats, and wearing these with traditional tailored trousers and dress shoes.
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Here's how these tariffs can affect the average American. 🧵
Although tailoring has mostly receded from daily life, it continues to be the expected uniform for some of life's most important moments, such as weddings and funerals.
Unfortunately, since these moments are few and far between, that means most cities don't have good tailoring shops. I often get emails asking: "Where can I get a suit for cheap?" Or "I'm an unusual size, where can I find a suit?" This is where online shopping comes in.
If someone has died, consider attending the funeral in black tie (also known as a tuxedo in American vernacular). Black, as we know, is the color of mourning, so black tie shows respect for the deceased and their family.
Do a little jump and dance at the funeral, so people can admire how your jacket collar hugs your neck. This demonstrates that you took the time to make sure your tuxedo is well-tailored for this somber occasion. Carry a martini around and toast during the eulogy.
When you buy ready-made tailoring, the pockets and vents are often tacked down with stitching—usually white, but not always. This stitching, known as basting, is done so that the garment moves from the factory to your closet while holding its shape.
Before wearing the garment, you'll want to remove this stitching. Especially if there's a label on the sleeve. This label is only there so that people working in the distribution and sales process can easily identify the garment. It's not meant to be worn.
Rumors are going around that Pete Hegseth might be on his way out. I don’t know if that’s true, but just in case, I want to do a thread on his style. To me, Hegseth’s wardrobe reflects a common pitfall guys fall into when they first start caring about clothes. 🧵
When men start dressing with more intention, they often fall into the trap of cranking every knob to 11—volume, gain, treble, bass. The thinking is: more = better. But like in music, maxing out every setting doesn’t lead to clarity—it leads to noise.
We see this in how Hegseth dresses. His belt buckle is USA. Pocket square is USA. Socks are USA. Open up his jacket and what do you see? USA.
Someone asked me why there aren't any high-end Chinese clothing brands. They are many! In this thread, I'll name a few, as well as answer the question why you may not have heard of them. 🧵
This thread will cover a wide range of aesthetics and business sizes, so that there's something for everyone. The first is Zhu Chongyun, a chic womenswear label that combines traditional Chinese aesthetics with contemporary design.
Their ad campaigns are highly stylized for marketing purposes, but when you look at their runway presentations, you can see how their clothes are very wearable. A bit minimalist in tone and sculptural in terms of silhouette. Very refined and chic.
I try to live by the rule that what may be obvious to one person may not be obvious to another, as people are getting into hobbies at different points. So for those who are just starting to build a better wardrobe, here's how to shop for clothes online. 🧵
Go to your closet and pull out your best fitting clothes—best button-up shirt, best sweater, best pair of tailored trousers, and best pair of jeans. Lay these flat on a hard surface and measure them with a flexible measuring tape (available online or local craft stores)
For button-up shirts and sweaters, you'll want to take four basic measurements:
— Chest: measure across the front from armpit to armpit. Make sure shirt is buttoned
— Shoulder: measure across the back from shoulder joint to shoulder joint. Use the shoulder seam to guide you.