A Lesson on Men's Fashion

So I'm at work and "multi-tasking". The new issue of GQ just came out with Christian Bale on the cover. I can't wait to get it!

I was browzing the webpage and this is what I've learned about men's fashion today:
http://men.style.com/gq/fashion/styleguy/pants/923

Suits
--Normally men don't wear more than four buttons on a cuff. Most bespoke-suit wearers leave their sleeve buttons unbuttoned, just because they can.

--One can't really take an old suit to the tailor and ask him to take in the pant legs so they’re slimmer. Slimming down pleated pants might even look silly. New clothes make a man look more prosperous and thus attract money.

--Both two- and three-button suits are completely acceptable for men of all ages. Sometimes the three-button suit, particularly the high-closing version, is perceived as more fashion-forward, which it was a few years ago. But in fact, real fashion hounds seem headed back to the two-button, because the three-button has become almost universal
--

"A suppressed waist is a British cut where the jacket hugs the body around the waist, as opposed to the American “trad” sack suit, which falls straight down from the armpit to the hem. My tailor, John Pearse, tells me that the closer-fitting English style is the result of the mother country’s lack of central heating. Whatever caused it, it’s a cool, contemporary way to dress."

--A man looks silly in a jacket that’s too small. Change makers, not sizes. Shop around for a jacket that gives the ideal shoulders and armholes. Look for a more English cut.
--Suits and sport coats are built around the shoulders, and this structure is essential to the fit of the garment. The problem is the overhang of the shoulder and how the sleeves are set in. When buying suits, always go for the shoulder you like. It’s the most important part of the jacket. If the shoulders are too big, it's the wrong brand.
Shirts
--

I moved to London for work about a year ago and quickly noticed that nearly everyone in my office wears French-cuff shirts. I’ve since bought all new dress shirts, almost all with French cuffs. But when I travel back to the United States, primarily to New York and Boston, I sometimes get looks when I’m wearing cuff links, as if I’m trying to be some sort of English dandy

The Brits put more effort and imagination into getting dressed. Perhaps they are more sure of themselves and more confident of their sexuality. Or maybe it’s simply the tradition of dressing like a gentleman.

--Tailors can't fix a collar. It throws the placket off-center.
Weird:

Men's necks get bigger as they get older, and if you live long enough you'll wear those shirts again. It's a fact of life and doesn't have anything to do with weight gain. I wear a full size bigger than I did in college, and I'm basically the same weight. I think carrying your head around is like lifting weights or something.

Grooming

Q: I’m applying to medical school and hoping to get an interview in the next few weeks. I have well-groomed shoulder-length hair. Should I cut it shorter for my interviews?

A: Anything that adds to the impression that you’re serious should be considered—including wearing a suit and tie and getting a shave and a haircut. Many years ago, I landed an editor’s job with Playboy after having interviewed with a neat haircut, but then didn’t shave or cut my hair for the next year. Once you’re in the door, you’re in the door.

--It's ok for straight men to get highlights.
--Men should apply a sunscreen/ moisturizer before work and use a cleanser and some kind of antiaging stuff before bed. Women have all these expensive antiaging products and looks about ten years younger than they are, why not for men?

The following is HILARIOUS

I’m a sophomore in college, and many of my frat brothers have started completely shaving their pubic areas. They say it makes sex better, and some are even contemplating waxing! I’ve trimmed down there a few times, but I feel that since I’ve waited all this time just to get hair and be a man, why would I want someone putting hot wax on Big Ed and the boys? Comments?

A: I found this letter in the “Are they kidding?” pile, and I do hope you’re attempting a leg pull. Do you zany kids belong to Iota Eta Pi? I could see the swim team going hair-free all over for hydrodynamic purposes, but this new form of frat initiation is incomprehensible. Is waxing replacing the traditional paddling ritual? It seems far too Greek and far too geek to this observer. Body baldness, to me, represents a kind of pedophile or chemo aesthetic. It is decidedly unmanly. What’s next? Cub Scout uniforms? Adult Pampers? My only waxing experience was at the hands of a stolid, muscular woman with a Slavic accent who held no charm for me but was thoroughly experienced in quick, efficient, and minimally painful but certainly not painless waxing. The idea of amateurs of either gender brutally uprooting one’s pubes, possibly under the influence of Boddingtons Pub Ale, strikes me as totally unthinkable.

Pants

What’s your take on black jeans? I’ve seen a lot of rock stars, like Billie Joe from Green Day, wearing them, and I think they look cool. My wife says I’m too old to be dressing like a punk rocker (I’m 39). What do you think?

A: I’m wearing slim-cut black jeans right now, from a store in New York called Supreme, and I’m looking good. I’m not wearing safety pins, leopard skin, or a dog collar. Just a plain white shirt. I can’t think of any reason why black jeans are any more inappropriate for adults than blue jeans. Tell your wife that Iggy Pop will be 60 on April 21. He can wear whatever he wants, and so can you.

-- The concept of long-sleeve shirts and short pants = geeky,

--a jacket can be worn with shorts, and if it doesn’t look right, it probably means your shorts are too short.

Another funny answer:

Q: This problem is driving me nuts! For some reason, I keep getting holes (the fabric wearing thin/out) in the non-visible part of the crotch area in my slacks and jeans. I would like to say it’s because of my package, but I’m being realistic here. Help! I’m spending a small fortune at my dry cleaner getting my pants patched up.

A: Dude, I believe it may well be your parcel. Or an enthusiasm for tight pants. If you have big, muscular legs, they can rub together, stressing the fabric. (Fat legs have the same effect, but I’m being positive here.) I think wear and tear is just part of the cost of doing business, unless you want to change your style and wear looser pants or more heavy-duty fabrics.

Q: A female coworker said I was wrong to wear a solid navy undershirt beneath my white oxford. I defended myself but really have no clue if I am right.

A: It seems like I’m always getting letters from guys who have been scolded on style matters by female coworkers. I wonder how these women would react if a male coworker told them that their skirts were too short or their panty lines were showing. Somehow, I don’t think it would fly. Guys, stand up for your equal style rights. That said, she’s sort of right. I have long worn colored T-shirts under collared shirts. Maybe I invented it. But I wouldn’t wear a colored T-shirt under a dress shirt if it showed through. A blue tee might look good under a red shirt, say, or pink under green, but navy under white…well, I wouldn’t do it. If you’re wearing white, stick with white.

Tucking the undershirt into the drawers is the quintessence of dorkiness. Some men do have a big recurring shirttail problem, and usually it is caused by (a) their trousers being too low in the rise or (b) their stomachs being too big for their britches. Some men obsess over this and go so far as to buy a paramilitary product known as shirt garters. Wearing shirt garters is beyond dorkiness—it’s totally highway-patrol anal.