Because of all the rain that’s been happening here in LA and the East Coast, I’ve been trying to find stylish yet practical jackets for some of my clients who are doing press right now along the soggy coasts. I found this awesome snokel jacket that fit the bill perfectly.
Jacket
I was so excited to find a lightweight snorkel jacket that fit the bill perfectly. A snorkel jacket is basically a parka. It’s a 3/4 length jacket hitting mid-thigh and has a drawstring hood that can tighten so your entire face is covered except a small breathing hole, hence the name snorkel. A lightweight jacket, like the one in the image, will also take you through Spring and is easy to layer under.
In this video, I talk about the 21 things men should never wear! These are the things that’ll curl your toenails, and offend even your grandmother. Just don.do.it.
This article & video is part of the Celebrity Style Inspiration Series, where Antonio Centeno from RealMenRealStyle.com and I pick out great outfits from actors from movies and tv shows and demonstrate how to recreate and incorporate them into your wardrobe.
In the other video/article, currently live on RMRS Channel & Website, we talked about Steven Yeun’s style from The Walking Dead, but I don’t think a lot of people know that Steven’s off-screen style is also very, very good. He’s one of the few male celebrities that I know who doesn’t use a stylist who looks amazing all the time. I’ve worked with him quite a few times over the years and he’s definitely one of the naturally best dressers I know – and a total sweetheart!
When I was deciding on which of his outfits to feature, I found this one from a red carpet appearance and loved it, so I texted to let him know that I was going to do a video about it. He said he was excited to see how I’d recreate it, so… Hi Steven!
Below is Steven’s outfit I’m going to recreate for you. I specifically like this because it’s casual but has just the right blend of edginess to it with the boots and cuffed pants.
The Jacket & Sweater
I like Steven’s cardigan jacket a lot, but I prefer a bomber-style jacket instead (in my model image below) because not only does it look great on all body types, it also helps break up the top and bottom halves a little bit more with the black waistband, which also lends itself well to the cuffed pant and chelsea boot look. I had my model wear a plain white t-shirt underneath the sweater because it provides an extra layer of warmth and adds a nice little neutral accent just peeking through.
Pants and Shoes
I added some dark wash jeans to stay true to the outfit and even though suede shoes are not my preference for most men, I went with similar suede boots because they work very well in Steven’s outfit. I especially love my choice because it’s a nice dark brown suede, which is easier to wear than a more reddish-oxblood brown or a lighter brown like Steven’s boots. My color choice will also look a little cleaner longer since it won’t show as many stains.
This article & video is part of the Celebrity Style Inspiration Series, where Antonio Centeno from RealMenRealStyle.com and I pick out great outfits from movies and tv shows and demonstrate how to recreate and incorporate them into your wardrobe.
As Antonio and I discussed in our other video about Chiwetel Ejiofor’s outfits to emulate, I love how unexpected this one was because who would watch a space movie and think they’d have amazing outfits in it? I thought Chiwetel Ejiofor’s style in the film hit the perfect sweet spot between dressy and casual that’ll be great for any man, regardless of his age or body type. I also wanted to include this one, because I’ve gotten a lot of questions from readers and viewers about how to wear shades of the same color. So I felt this was the perfect opportunity to show how it works.
Here’s the full outfit I’m going to recreate. I wish the full length images were a little brighter, but these were the best shots I could find. Also, they never fully show his shoes, so I’m having to guess a little bit on this one.
The Cardigan & Shirt
Chiwetel is wearing a blue knit shawl collar cardigan with an oxford button down dress shirt. I put my model in a sweater by Rag & Bone and a Brooks Brothers Oxford shirt since they’re just so damn good. Check the outfit details at the bottom of this page for images and links.
Funny enough, I created a similar look for my t-shirt story.
Pants, Shoes & Accessories
As for the pants, here’s wearing olive chino pants – which are just fine. But I don’t think olive is such a universal color and it’ll be hard to put them into other outfits. Since I’m a huge fan of dark wash jeans, especially for creating a more monochromatic look like I did with my model, I went with those instead. I also did this because it allows me to use some of my favorite shoes ever. Please follow my chino pants fit guide or my jeans fit guide so they’ll look amazing on you, regardless of your body type.
Like I mentioned in the intro, his shoes are never shown with this outfit, but to me this was an easy choice to go with some beautiful brown chukka boots. Blues like this are begging for a nice rich brown leather shoe and accessories, so I had to go with them.
Check my outfit details below to see the chukkas and accessories I’d pair with this outfit.
My Version of this outfit
Here’s my slightly modified version of Chiwetel Ejiofor’s outfit from The Martian. I hope you enjoy it!
Rag & Bone Avery Shawl Cardigan
Brooks Brothers Non-Iron Milano Fit Button Down Collar Shirt
Lots of readers/viewers have been asking me to do an article and video about how to roll or cuff men’s pants, so I’m finally doing it! The article is great and all, but the act of rolling your pants is not something easily shown in still images, so do yourself a favor and watch the video below for the fully experience.
With the exception of jeans and boots, you should only be rolling your pants in the spring and summer, unless you’re in a climate where it’s warm all year-round. This is very much a warm weather flair to add to your dark wash jeans, chinos or khakis or even wool pants and trousers. But it is a little odd to wear during the colder, winter months.
How To Quickly Measure Cuff Width
Before we begin, let me show you a quick and dirty way to figure out the proper width of your cuff by using your finger joints. The each joint of your index finger is roughly an inch long.
So if you need the cuff width to be about 2″ wide, the top of the cuff would hit right around the second or middle joint, like in the picture below:
The Simple Cuff
This cuff works especially well with slim fit jeans. I like to use this cuff when I’m going for a cleaner, sleeker look with a client. I’d caution against using it with chinos or other pants, as the fabric can be a little floppy around the ankles.
You also want to avoid using this cuff if you’re wearing straight fit jeans because your ankles will be swimming in a bunch of fabric. Use the pinroll cuff in the next section, instead.
Before you start cuffing, you should already have your jeans and shoes on. Otherwise, it’s harder to tell what the finished product looks like and if you’re showing the right amount of ankle. Hopefully you’ve already seen my men’s jeans fit guide so you know that your slim fit jeans should have a slight break at the hem. This cuff won’t look right with any other type of pant break.
How to Cuff
Low Top Shoes
If you’re wearing low top shoes, roll up your jeans’ cuff once. The cuff width should be between 1.5” to 2”. If you’re on the shorter side, get the cuff as close to 1.5″ as possible. If you’re on the taller side, go for 2″. This will maintain the proper promotions for your body type.
Make sure that the roll is the same width or thickness on the front and back of the pants before you do the second roll. After finishing the second roll, the bottom of the cuff should just hit the top of your outer or inner ankle bone, like in the image below:
Boots or High Top Shoes
It’s the same as low tops: do at least 2 rolls and make sure to maintain the 1.5″ to 2″ cuff width, depending on your height.
The bottom of the cuff should either lightly graze the top of the shoe or boot or go a little bit past the top of the boot or high top. The image below, has the pants rolled up 3 times on the left and 2 times on the right. Both are equally acceptable lengths. I prefer 2 rolls, as 3 makes it look a little too military for my tastes, but 3 is just fine if that’s what you prefer.
The Pinroll Cuff
This cuff is great for any cut of jeans, as well as chinos. I like this roll because it eliminates the issue of your pants swimming around your ankles when they’re cuffed.
Again, start with your pants and shoes already on. Check my men’s jeans fit guide and chino pant fit guide for details about the type of break your pants should have before cuffing. If your pants aren’t fitting properly or they’re too long at the hem, the roll will look big and chunky around your ankle, which you don’t want.
How to Cuff
Low Top & High Top Shoes and Boots
To start, pinch the fabric on the inside of your ankle so it feels slightly snug against your leg or ankle.
Now fold the fabric over towards your heel. The reason why we do this is because it hides the fold better than if you folded the fabric towards the front.
With your thumb still holding the fold against your ankle, start rolling the cuff up with both hands. Make sure the roll is between 1 to 2 inches wide. If you’re on the shorter side, keep it around 1″ and go closer to 2″ wide if you’re taller. This will maintain the proper proportions for your stature.
Now roll up the cuff a second time. You want to roll at least twice to make sure that excess fabric that we folded over won’t come undone. It won’t stay with just one roll.
if you’re wearing low tops, you want the bottom of the cuff to hit around 1.5 to 2” above your outer ankle bone, like the image below. If you need to roll 3 times to get there, do that.
The only exception to the 3 roll maximum is if you’re wearing boots or high tops. Then you need the cuff to just cover the top of your boot or lightly graze the top of your high tops when standing up. The image below has the cuffs rolled twice.
A plain, short sleeved t-shirt is an essential because they’re super comfortable, timeless, and everyone wears them. Now whether you need a crew neck or v-neck t-shirt is dependent on a few factors that I’ll get into later on in this article.
If you’re like most of my clients, you’re probably wearing a t-shirt or polo shirt most of the time, so let’s make sure you look amazing in them. Before we get into that, though, I have a few bones to pick with men in regards to their t-shirts. They completely crap the bed in a few ways:
Their shirts are full of logos.
They don’t fit properly.
The fabric is too thin, shiny, or worn out.
A horrible combination of the above.
Types of T-Shirts For Men
A t-shirt is defined as:
A lightweight shirt without buttons, with short sleeves and no collar. Often made of cotton and frequently bears a picture or slogan.
Before we get into the finer points of t-shirts, let’s talk about the two different types, first. Before I started in the fashion industry, I didn’t know that there were only really two types of t-shirts. So let’s quickly get this out of the way.
Crew Neck
These t-shirts have round collars that fit closely to the neck like the image above. You probably have these in your closet right now. They are great base items for layering or worn on their own. They work on most body types. See the below section about fit for more details.
V-Neck
If your powers of deduction are strong, you’ll already know that the v-neck t-shirt is named as such because the neck is in the shape of a “v”. They also work on most body types. See the below section about fit for more details.
Long Sleeves
Long-sleeved shirts are not technially t-shirts. I put this here, because when I was first starting out, I swore that long-sleeved shirts, like Henleys, were also t-shirts. But, they’re not. Also, in my professional opinion you shouldn’t really own any long sleeve shirts. Henleys would be the only exception, but they only look good on certain body types. I’ll do an article about Henley shirts at a later time. But I don’t consider them a wardrobe essential.
I discussed my hatred of logos in my polo shirt article. And it definitely applies to t-shirts. Maybe more-so.
No self-respecting man should ever wear t-shirts with logos plastered all over them. We have enough billboards and advertisements in our lives, don’t turn your body into another one. Sports teams and concert/band tees are fine if worn to an event where it’s appropriate. But the worst is when I see guys wearing “designer” t-shirts. It just screams sucker, amateur and douche. Just don’t do it. If you own any of these, either throw them out right now or
How T-Shirts Should Fit
See the T-Shirt Fit Guide for details. But I’ll quickly mention here, too, that no matter your age or body type, a t-shirt (any shirt, for that matter) should have a trim fit and lightly hug your body.
That doesn’t mean it should be skin tight, but it also doesn’t mean it should be baggy, either. A lot of my clients with larger builds tend to think that their shirts need to be baggy to hide their imperfections, but it actually works counter to that. It’ll highlight your imperfections if you attempt to hide them under larger swaths of fabric. And if you’re thinner, a larger shirt won’t add any bulk to your frame, it’ll just make you look even skinnier.
Fabric Choice
I can’t tell you how many nipples and belly buttons I see walking around town because guys are wearing undershirts or flimsy shirts with really thin or delicate fabrics as regular t-shirts.
Too Thin
I see a lot of guys wearing what looks like white undershirts because the fabric is so thin. I’ve honestly been searching for months for good white shirts that don’t show skin through. See my recommendations below. Thin shirts/undershirts are not the same as regular t-shirts. Undershirts, true to their name, should only be worn underneath another shirt – usually an Oxford Button Down Dress Shirt or a Semi-Spread Collar Dress Shirt. They’re thin and soft because they’re purpose-built to go underneath something else.
Silky or Shiny appearance
The quickest way to look like a creepy uncle is to wear a shiny or silky t-shirt. You should only wear cotton and matte (not shiny) t-shirts. Nothing else.
Distressed or Worn out
Your t-shirts shouldn’t look like the garment equivalent of those terrible worn-out baseball caps. A t-shirt should look clean, comfortable and relatively new. Once they’ve got holes or they’re faded, even a little bit, they need to be replaced. Such is the nature of being a well-dressed gentleman. There’s nothing worse than old, stretched-out, or faded looking shirts, unless you’re deliberately going for that look.
You’ll get more usage out of your t-shirts if you wash in cold water and hang dry them. But once they’re stretched out or faded, it’s time to donate and replace them.
The Best T-Shirts For Men
Choosing the best t-shirts comes down to your body type, preference and the colors. I’ll reiterate again, because my older clients like to give me this excuse before they see the light: AGE DOESN’T FACTOR INTO WHAT SHIRTS YOU SHOULD GET – AT ALL.
Should I have V-Necks or Crew Necks?
Between the two, I would say it all depends on your preference. Some of my clients are adamant about their love or hate for one or the other. But if you don’t have a preference, I’d suggest getting one set of each. That way, you have the option to switch it up.
As for which ones you should get, there’s 3 points to consider:
If you have a longer neck, go with crew necks. A v-neck would visually lengthen your neck and make it look longer. Unless you can find shorter v-necks with a shorter “v” like the white shirt on my model below.
If you have a shorter neck, go with v-necks. It’ll make your neck appear a little longer.
If your neck is average, the t-shirt world is your oyster and you can have whatever you want!
What colors should I have?
Every man should have these colors to start since they’ll go with everything else in your Essential Wardrobe.
White
Heather gray
Navy
Black
As for how many of each you should have, I suggest getting at least 2 of each, that way you can easily get through a week without needing to do laundry.
Best T-Shirts For Men
Designer Options
The fabrics of these options are really amazing and super comfortable. The James Perse ones are a personal favorite and I use them on a lot of my clients. I wish I could make all my clothes out of some of these materials. See my note in the section below, before making your decision. All of these shirts come in the colors I recommended above.
I’d probably default to these options over the designer ones because I find very minute differences between them. The biggest factors would be fit and slightly better fabrics. I don’t find the added costs are worth what you get in return, especially because t-shirts will need to be replaced much quicker than other items in your wardrobe. All of these shirts come in the colors I recommended above. I especially love the RibbedTee shirts and the American Apparel Summer Shirts.
All Saints White Figure Crew T-Shirt
Armani Exchange Grey Pima V-Neck Tee
Armani Exchange Black Pima Crew Tee
American Apparel Grey Tri-Blend Short Sleeve Track Shirt
American Apparel White Sheer Jersey Short Sleeve Summer T-Shirt
RibbedTee White Rex Cotton Modal Tee V-Neck 1-Pack
