Classy and Simple.

Like many of you, I’ve noticed how well dressed Don Draper and those fellows are over at the wildly popular television show Mad-Men. And probably like many of you, I’ve said to myself “Yeah I wish I could dress like that!” Well here I am to let you know just how possible that is!

For starters, the woman behind all of the mad men suits and other wonderfully well dressed folks is costume designer, Janie Bryant. Luckily for us, Madmen has become so popular that Janie Bryant is coming out with her own line of Madmen inspired clothing. While the line isn’t out yet, Janie did design a single suit for the usually conservative cloth maker Brooks Brothers.

This classically grey suit is designed after the regular suits Roger Sterling wears. This is slimmer than Brooks’ usual suit and has a sharkskin like pattern, 2 buttons and a very narrow lapel. The armholes are cut a tad higher to create a slimmer fit as well. What I love best about it is the fact that you can tell how the suit longs to hug your body in all the right places ( ie. arms, chest, shoulders, while subtly becoming less slim around the waist and stomach areas saving you from the worry of showing us your tummy.)

While the suit’s price is a fair $998 dollars, I know many of you out there will say that this is far too expensive for a young man like yourself. But the best part about dressing vintage is that many of these suits are sifting around thrift stores and resell stores alike. Your best bet after finding a material and pattern you like at the thrift store, is to take it to a tailor you trust and ask him for a trim that fits your silhouette.

Add a pocket square, a slim tie, a shirt that is ironed-starched to the max and you’re ready to go. Just remember that those clunky square “power” dress shoes won’t cut it. You need something more streamlined like these, Cole Haan’s Air Jefferson Moc Ox (Oxford.):

Remember that you can never go wrong with a classic look folks. Stay classy and simple, and you’ll be the best dressed guy at that next cocktail party.

-Trey

Keeping Company

Everyone goes through phases. Everyone goes through phases with the patterns they dig. One month it’s plaid, the next it’s argyle, the following is paisley. Right now, it’s gingham. The variety of patterns makes your options endless, and makes many of us indecisive.

Keep Company feels your pattern pain and they are here to heal (heel) it. With twelve different shoes that have a multitude of colors and patterns available, at reasonable prices, they give you the option to be flexible with your style.

The Ramos - Brown Herringbone

As previously mentioned I’m a sucker for gingham of any sort, and Keep Company has some attractive shoes accented with some attractive colors. The Ramos above comes in 17 different colors and patterns, and three different colors of Gingham. I do have a problem with the fact that a few of their shoes are too similar to the standard Vans’ Chukka Boot, but considering the breadth of colors that Vans’ Chukka Boot has been unable to reproduce I forgive them.

Wish I could pull these off.

You may be thinking “that pattern is for girls and I hate anything evoking scandinavia”. If you are, you are right. All of Keep’s shoes are for women. But because the majority of their models are fresh as hell and their patterns are generally unisex, they give men’s sizes right along the with women’s sizes on their website.

And how are you going to pass up these “boat shoes for the landlocked”?

Houndstooth and Red Check!

You aren’t.

The shoes are generally under $90 and some are on sale for as low as $50. Imagine, for 150 ducketts you can pick up three different shoes with three different patterns to match your style du jour.

Now all you need to do is decide.

www.keepcompany.com

- Brad