derek guy Profile picture
Apr 5, 2024 13 tweets 7 min read Read on X
Let's talk about some of the tailoring and choices in this photo, and how you can avoid making the same mistakes. 🧵
A lot of guys have a hard time accepting that good tailoring is not about making things as slim as possible. When clothes are this tight, they will restrict movement. I suspect this is why a lot of guys say that tailoring is uncomfortable. Image
A lot of guys should first get it out of their head that slimmer is better. Some outfits can be slim! But the point of tailoring is not always to make things as slim as possible. It's about flattering your body's shape, not recreating it. Image
The shoulders and sleeves on the purple suit are too small, making the person look like he's about to burst out of his coat. The second coat doesn't even look like it can be fastened. Both men are wearing trousers that are too narrow and tapered.
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A lot of athletic men assume they look better in this type of tailoring. They do not. Look at these athletic men who are wearing more classic proportions. A fuller coat with higher-rise trousers. The clothes have *drape and shape.* This is both comfortable and elegant.


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Some may feel those outfits are too boring. But check out Domingo, who has a similar build. His clothes follow the same principles (drape and shape). Lines are clean. There is room for comfortable movement. The creativity comes from cut, silhouette, and fabric.
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Although you don't always have to choose classic footwear, doing so will provide you with the guardrails against falling into stuff like this. Two-toned, tasseled driving mocs and double-monks look like five open browser tabs set to various menswear blogs. Image
A safer, more tasteful choice would be brown or black oxfords (pic 1) or conservative tassel loafers (pic 2). If you want to be dandy, then Prince Albert or Belgian loafers (pics 3 and 4).


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Patrick's outfit here is pretty good, except for a critical part: the jacket's collar should always hug your neck.

It's difficult to judge why a jacket isn't hugging a person's neck online without seeing the outfit in person.
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But you can see this in any example of quality tailoring. Here's Fayard & Harold Nicholas (The Nicholas Brothers) dancing in the 1943 film Stormy Weather. Notice that even in such extreme movements, the collar hugs the neck.

Finally, jacket and trousers should always work together to form a harmonious whole. When trousers are too low rise and tapered like this, they look at odds with the coat. Image
The trousers should hang clean and the jacket should flow into the trousers. Jeans should not be cut like dress trousers, but even when wearing something like chinos or jeans with a tailored jacket, you can see how the two parts need to form a coherent whole.


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IMO, we should take our country back from made-to-measure clothiers run by marketing people instead of tailors; from bad-taste shoes; and from the idea that everyone needs to squeeze into slim-fit tailoring instead of dressing for their body type Image

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More from @dieworkwear

Jul 1
Trump released a $250 fragrance (one for women, one for men).

Sometimes a fragrance can be expensive because it contains certain ingredients or involve artisanal, small-batch production. But with no note breakdown or even a description of the scent, what justifies this price? Image
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I'm reminded of this 2016 blog post by Luca Turin, one of the best writers on fragrances. Even for niche perfumery he warns: "Niche perfumery stands a good chance of disappearing up its own rear end if it merely becomes yet another golden opportunity to rip off the customer." Image
If you're into fragrances, as I am, I encourage you to not support celebrity bullshit like this. Go to real perfumers. Some of my favorites include:

— AbdesSalaam Attar: He's a self-taught Sicilian Sufi perfumer who only uses natural ingredients. Many of his perfumes feel like you're walking through a Middle Eastern bazaar or spice market. Milano Caffe, Cuoio dei Dolci, and Tabac are worth a sniff. He can also do bespoke perfumes using your favorite notes.

— DS & Durga: David Moltz describes himself as doing "scent travel." He has an uncanny ability to transport you to far off places. I like Cowboy Grass, Debaser, Amber Kiso, and Burning Barbershop. If you can get a sample of his Pale Grey Mountain, Small Black Lake Sample (made part of his Hylands collection), it's really good with tailored tweeds.

— Anything by Jean Claude Ellena: One of the most famous perfumers in the world. His scents have been likened to watercolor paintings and chamber music because they're light, airy, and have a transparent quality. This makes them particularly good for spring/ summer. Check his scents from Hermes, such as Terre d'Hermes and Un Jardin sur le Nil, which are easy to find on discount. L'Eau d'Hiver for Frederic Malle is also great, but a bit more expensive.

— Tauer Perfumes: Andy Tauer is a chemist and self-taught perfumer who specializes in dry, spicy, woody scents. L'Air du Desert Marocain makes you feel like you're in the middle of the desert at night. Lonestar Memories is like being next to a crackling campfire while picking up on the scent of tobacco and leather. IMO, a must try if you're exploring niche perfumery.

Always try to get samples before buying a bottle. Check shops such as Luckyscent, Surrender to Chance, and The Perfumed Court. Also pick up a copy of Perfumes by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez.Image
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Read 4 tweets
Jun 29
People think I'm biased against Jeff Bezos, but here's F. Caraceni Sartoria, widely considered one of the best bespoke tailoring houses in the world, commenting on Bezos's wedding suit.

"The most terrible, frightening, horrible tuxedo ever seen in my life. I'm really suffering" Image
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Nothing to do with politics, only quality tailoring. F. Caraceni made suits for Silvio Berlusconi, who was hardly beloved by progressives. Many people don't know much about tailoring, which is fine, but this doesn't mean that rich or expensive = good.

Caraceni's work: Image
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Here is a dinner suit F. Caraceni made for Yves Saint Laurent. Image
Read 4 tweets
Jun 28
Since my tweet about Jeff Bezos, I've been getting a lot of replies such as these. "Where do these dress rules come from?" "When do they change?"

These are very good questions, so let me answer them. 🧵 Image
Let's first run through some experiments. Please make up your mind at each step, so you are not influenced by what I'm about to say.

Here are two men wearing tailored jackets with jeans. Which do you think looks better? Image
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Here are two men wearing a tuxedo. Which outfit do you think looks better? Image
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Read 23 tweets
Jun 27
Let me make the case for why the NHL should abolish its dress code, which currently requires players to wear a suit and tie while heading to and from games. 🧵
The arguments I've seen for the dress code fall into one of two categories: players look better in a coat-and-tie (some use descriptions such as "classy"). Others say that requiring players to dress in this way shows respect for the game. I will address each argument in turn. Image
It's true that tailoring once played a larger role in sports. Basketball coaches, for instance, used to wear tailored jackets pretty regularly, even at games. Some even looked quite good in these outfits. Image
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Read 24 tweets
Jun 20
It's true that progressives valorize "ugliness." But I think this person doesn't interrogate this position enough and thus lands at the wrong conclusion.

Let me give you a new perspective on ugliness. 🧵 Image
In popular discourse, the world was once good, people were virtuous, and all things were beautiful. Then modernity came along and destroyed everything. In this view, beauty is an objective standard that has been corrupted by liberalism. Image
I contend that beauty in personal appearance is subjective, not objective. In fact, its standards rest on the shifting tectonic plates of politics, economics, and technology. Let me give you examples.

Today, we think of these photos as the standard for male beauty and dress: Image
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Read 21 tweets
Jun 19
Earlier this week, I asked which tie knot you think looks better. Of course, you can wear whichever you like. But here's the social history behind both knots and why some people consider one better than the other. 🧵
In the mid-19th century, as ready-to-wear tailoring started to take form, people got around in horse-drawn carriages. After all, the car had not yet been invented. During this time, some formed driving clubs, where they rode drags.

Check out the text in this lithograph: Image
The term "drag" refers to the carriage you see above, which was a sporting vehicle that was lighter than the more robust stagecoach. Men in driving clubs raced drags. Hence the term "drag race" first appearing in an 1863 issue of Racing Times. Image
Read 20 tweets

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