RFK has a very athletic build, which may account for why his jacket's collar often lifts from his neck. It's fine for a jacket's collar to sometimes lift off your neck — be realistic — but RFK's collar gap is so bad that you know it's an issue of fit.
It's possible to get tailoring that fits an athletic figure well. But depending on the extremeness of your "drop" (difference between chest and waist measurement), you may need custom. Key is to get something that doesn't fit like saran wrap. This is good:
Another issue regards understanding the language of formality. RFK's black dress belt, which is 1.25" in width, is too dressy for his jeans. He needs a much more casual belt, such as something 1.5" in width. Dress belts are for tailored trousers; jeans require something casual
Finally, there's the issue of proportions. Tiny shirt collars, such as the one on the left, should never be worn with a tie (ideally, they should never be worn at all, but certainly not with neckwear). RFK should stick to the bigger collars seen on the right.
The charm of a button-down collar is entirely in the way the collar rolls when the points are fastened to the body. This forms an S-shape like a floating angel's wings. Tiny collars suffocate this effect and look like they're apologizing for even existing.
Finally, my guess is that RFK likes wearing these skinny ties because they were popular in the 1960s, when people such as John and Bobby Kennedy were style icons. A bit of family style history, which is admirable.
But RFK's ties lack the sleek, modish look of those 1960s designs. Instead, he wears skinny polyester ties from Otaa. They have little quirky designs, which feels more twee than cool.
Crucially, his ties are too skinny for his lapels. The best of those 1960s ensembles worked when they paired skinny ties with skinny lapels. When choosing a tie, try to get a width that's roughly the same width as your lapels to keep proper proportions.
Personally don't think you need to obsessively work out to look good at age 70 (or any age). Here's Yukio Akamine, who's older than RFK Jr. I think he looks great because he knows a few things about dress and has good taste.
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i dont think the ideas around dressing for an athletic figure are that much different from dressing other types of figures. the central prob is that many athletic men have bad taste and think clothes have to fit skin tight to look good, as they want to show off their body 🧵
the proportions btw these two outfits are not that different: jacket ends halfway from collar to the floor, shoulders have enough breadth to not pull on the sleevehead, trousers are not overly tight and thus flow into jacket's silhouette
I occasionally get asked what type of tie someone should wear to a wedding. If it's your wedding, then wear what you please. But if you want a suggestion, silk ties — solid or patterned — that resolve to a silver at a distance work well. I will explain why 🧵
Things such as rep stripes and foulards are lovely, but when paired with a dark worsted suit, sometimes you can look like you're headed to a board meeting. Which doesn't convey the kind of celebratory spirit that should be at a wedding.
Yet, you also want something tasteful (this will help photos age well). So one solution is to get what are colloquially known as "wedding ties." These are ties with black, white, and grey patterns that resolve to a silver at a distance.
Over the last 100 years, men's tailoring has become more austere. Just look at how the Duke of Windsor dressed in the 1930s and how Ronald Reagan dressed by the close of the century. (Pic 1 shows a section of the Duke's personal wardrobe)
Or pick up a copy of Apparel Arts, the leading men's style publication in the 1930s. Inside each issue, they included fabric swatches, which showed the variation in texture, pattern, and sheen
People who don't know much about clothes always reduce the topic to trends and status signaling. But clothing can illuminate almost any topic about society. 🧵
How did French leaders go from the lavish garb of Louis XIV to the monochromatic sobriety of Macron? You can't tell this story without talking about the rise of the Second British Empire.
Similarly, how did the suit, once the uniform of lowly clerks and shopkeepers, eclipse the more formal frock coat (preferred by the ruling class)? Again, you can't tell this story without talking about the emergence of modern bourgeois life.
Alain Delon passed away tonight and I'm again reminded that we're losing a generation of men who possessed an incredible sense of style. But what made Delon's style so extraordinary? Let's explore. 🧵
To be sure, one can't discount the fact that Delon was extremely handsome, talented, and famous. All of these qualities added to his magnetism. However, many men today have these qualities, but not Delon's style. Why is this?
It's partly because Delon always looked comfortable.
He looked comfortable because his clothes weren't suction fit. Check out this blue silk suit in the film Purple Noon. Notice:
— No straining
— Buttoning point at waist
— Jacket ends halfway from collar to floor
— Trousers are not overly slim
This is a great video that can help you dress better. I want to expand on some of the ideas here, but watch the video first before clicking the thread open.
Ken, the creator of that video, does a great job of explaining the design logic behind each jacket. So let's talk about how to put together an outfit given each logic.
First is Real McCoys, which is a repro of the classic original. So what should you wear with this jacket?
Obvs answer is other classic pieces. So raw denim jeans or workwear chinos made from a tougher twill. Pay attention to the cut of the pants. Since the original MA-1 bombers fit very round and full, you want a classic or slim-straight leg, not skinny.