Bravado Living

Throw away your old ties that span from nipple to nipple, or at least stop wearing them. When it comes to ties- thin is in. Go out and buy a few solid 2-2.5″ ties that compliment your best suits. Don’t buy them so thin that people mistake you for the drummer of the Jonas Brothers, but buy them thin enough to look modern and elegant. 

Before

After

Notice all the little upgrades- round shoes, pocket square, thinner tie, fitted suit.

Come to think of it- your belt should be thinner too.

Suit, $595, by DKNY. Shirt, $40, by Van Heusen. Tie, $135, by Ralph Lauren Black Label. Shoes, $190, by Geox. Tie bar and pocket square by Paul Stuart. Watch by Alfex.

Louis Vuitton has finally come around to designing masculine watches worthy of this fashion powerhouse’s name. Long gone are the flowery accents and feminine bezel’s, their spring collection oozes power and begs to be worn for both work and play. Check out their website to see the new collection.

One watch that flaships the line- you won’t find on the website-the brand new Tambour Mystérieuse. This is Vuitton’s first attempt at creating it’s own movements. Usually outsourced, the movement is set on crystal disks giving it that beautiful floating appearance. Everything is customizable down to each individual stone. You would expect that type of service for $265,000. Also start saving now, because these bad boys take a year to create.

Louis Vuitton Tambour Mystérieuse

Louis Vuitton Tambour Mystérieuse $265,000

One of my cardinal rules of clothing is that clothes MUST fit. A $300 “off the rack” suit that fits well will look better than a $5,000 Brioni suit that looks like it belongs to your dad. So before you buy anything, try it on, makes sure it fits slim, and get it tailored if it needs be. Look at the difference a few extra sizes can make:

Before

After

P.S.-Notice how the collar stands straight up when unbuttoned. Any shirt you buy that you desire to wear unbuttoned should do this. 1MX shirts at express have great stiff collars and only cost $50 regular price and as low as $20 a piece on sale.

Sweater, $780, and shirt, $260, by Salvatore Ferragamo. Jeans, $231, by Nom de Guerre. Shoes, $158, by Banana Republic. Belt by Coach. Watch by Rolex.

If you’ve been stuck wearing the same dull box-toe black shoes with all your shirt and tie combos it’s time for an upgrade. I recommend a round toed shoe, but instead of going for black this time, get a little riskier and buy a nice pair of chocolate brown shoes. They are more versatile than black, look phenomenal with almost any color suit-especially navy, hold a shine better than black shoes, and can dress up a pair of fitted jeans with a nice blazer. Pair it with a matching gold buckled belt and your grandfather’s watch and you will look timeless and modern in the same breath.

Allen Edmond "Weybridge" Oxford

Allen Edmond “Weybridge” Oxford $325 www.nordstrom.com

If a jacket has a breast pocket, there should always be something in it. Period. Ideally, it should compliment but not match anything on your outfit, but when in doubt, match your shirt color. Traditionally silk, a pocket square used to be placed effortlessly into a pocket and forgotten- looking sloppily like it just prevented a mess being sneezed in your hand. A modern man wears it neatly flat, exposing but a simple elegant line to compliment his silhouette. Buy cotton or linen as it tends to hold its shape better than silk. Check periodically to ensure it stays that way, but fix it only in the bathroom- never act like you care about your appearance for it spoils the effortlessness of your outfit.

Kenneth Cole New York Suit

P.S.- Round Toe. Not Square. End of Story

Suit, $296, by Kenneth Cole New York. Shirt, $45, by Nautica. Tie, $150, by Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers. Shoes, $680, by Salvatore Ferragamo. Socks by Punto. Pocket square by Paul Stuart.