photo by jurvetson

There is much to a man’s attire including business shirts, ties, jackets and pants, belts, shoes, cufflinks. If you want to make a positive impression in the office you must give some consideration to a number of these components, mess one up and the consequences could mean you a branded unstylish for life! (this may be a slight exaggeration but you get our point!). So let’s turn our attention to suit jackets and delve into the merits of single breasted jackets vs. double breasted..

Single breasted jackets have a single row of buttons that allows the jacket to overlap just enough to button together. Double breasted jackets have two rows of buttons; the front of the jacket overlaps enough to allow each flap to attach to the opposite button row.

Your jacket style is whatever you prefer…although Australian men tend to use the single breasted jackets. There are exceptions to this norm however- if you think you a some form of royalty or you own a mega yacht and a sailor’s hat!

Now, your suit jacket is going to have either one row of buttons or two rows of buttons. If you have chosen the single breasted jacket, you’ll note that it’s got anywhere from one button to four; however, two and three button suit jackets are also very common. It’s more traditional to see the three button configuration. Two button jackets allow the person to show more of their business shirt and tie and can give the person a slimmer look. When you have a two button jacket, the top button should be the only one used. Unless it’s one button jacket, the button bottom should never be done up.

A look at lapels

When you look at jacket lapels, you’ll see that they have an array of styles. There have also been numerous fashion experiments with them over the past few decades. In fact, it’s difficult to look at the styles of the 1970s and not shudder from the horror of seeing lapels extending toward the shoulders. No doubt, this was not flattering to the men of this time (but they sure thought so). Who knows flairs and big lapels may not be that far away from a revival…

As with any classic clothing, the best and timeless lapels are ones that are of moderate width and match the wearer’s proportions than the fashion trend of the time. If you can use the lapels that match your proportions, your jacket won’t look too big or small.

A look at the main pockets

Jetted pockets – When you’re going for a formal look, you need to have jetted pockets, which are pockets that are sewn into the jacket lining and a narrow horizontal opening will show on the jacket’s side. Jetted pockets are practically invisible and give a sleek, polished appearance; it’s often seen worn in very formal occasions.

Flap pockets – When you don’t need something so formal, you can go for a jacket with flap pockets. These are closely identical to the jetted pockets but it also includes a flap that’s sewn at the top of the pocket, which will cover the opening of the pocket. Most jackets have these pockets. If you want to, you can tuck in the flaps and mimic the jetted pocket look.

Technorati Tags: belts, business shirts, cufflinks, jackets and pants, lapels, pockets, shirt, shoes, ties

photo by D'Arcy Norman

When you need men’s business shirts, you’re going to find that they come in an array of colours. However, you may be like other men and stick with colours that have been tested for professionalism and individualism. You should always pay attention to your surroundings and watch for the unspoken dress rule. For example, law offices and search engine companies are going to have different dress codes.

Business shirts colours

Solid shirts

The most common business shirt colours are white and blue; most men have these colours in their wardrobe. You should always have several of these basic shirts in your closet and keep an extra at the office (just in case… accidents do happen). The colour white for business shirts goes back a long, long way. It’s been thought that men who wear white would do more work with their mind than with their hands; thus, their shirts would never become stained- also known as white collar professionals.
If you smoke or drink coffee and you don’t bleach your teeth, it may be best to use an off-white shirt rather than the brilliant white. A white collar loves to enhance yellowing flaws.

Striped shirts

A pin striped shirt adds just that little bit of flair to your business shirt. They fit in nearly every work office around the world. The thinner the stripes are on the shirt, the more formal the business shirt is. When you’re wearing striped shirts with a suit or tie, make sure that the patterns and lines are different from one another. This is where things start to get a bit tricky so if you think you’re not up for some basic pattern matching we suggest you stick to solids.

Checkered shirts

Originally designed for more casual environments and still often worn on weekends, checkered shirts have now well and truly made their way into the closets of corporate professionals around the world. Checkered shirts add you to add a little bit of individually to what can sometimes be seen as a boring outfit. They are a perfect choice for a smart business casual setting (ie no tie required). We suggest if wearing a tie with a checkered business shirt go with something as plain as possible.

Technorati Tags: business shirts, checkered, colour, colours, coordinate, matching business shirt, shirt, solud, striped

photo by Steve Snodgrass

When you’re going to a formal event, chances are you’re not going in a pair of jeans and ‘wife beater’ tank top. You’ll be going formal, which means pulling out a good quality business shirt, suit and tie. However, you’ll also need to remember to bring the cufflinks too. Formal events tend to require guests to dress nicely (usually a nice suit or tuxedo), which means you’ll need to include cufflinks in the mix, making sure they’re the right type of cufflinks for the occasion.

It would seem that choosing cufflinks is easy but turns out that’s actually easier said than done. If it’s not chosen correctly, the entire outfit will look wrong and you’ll come off looking like a total closet klutz who doesn’t know how to dress himself right… perhaps even scaring off any potential lady friends.

The World Wide Web has massively increased the amount of choice on offer, and made getting the right kind of cufflinks much easier. If you can’t find what you need in a brick and mortar store, consider the assistance on an online store.

Choosing cufflinks

When you’re trying to buy cufflinks, the first rule you need to remember is not to go cheap. Cufflinks need to say a bit about you and you certainly don’t want them to tell people you’re cheap and don’t know how to dress. Don’t get the fake silver cufflinks that’s supposed to pass for sterling silver ones.

Many cufflinks have actual stones in them, regardless of what kind of stone. You have a wide array of choices and because of the internet, there’s some steep competition. Thus, you should be able to get a decent price for them.

What type of event are you attending

Make sure you know what kind of event you’ll be attending. Some events are more formal than other ones. Some events want you to dress in a reserved manner while others want you to be a bit more extravagantly dressed.

Choose your cufflinks based on the event. You want to look good but too much uniqueness can be bad. While cufflinks are a small part of the suit, they still play an integral part in men’s formal wear.

Who’s going to be your date

If you have a date, then you should know what she’ll be wearing. Why? The cufflinks you buy can complement her attire that evening. Of course, if she’s the type of person to choose her clothing at the last second, you may have a problem with this.
If you’re able to pull this off, you can give yourself an extra bit of class, which will propel you to look better than the other guests who attend. You may be even more attractive to your date because you thought of what she was doing.

Never be ashamed about asking your significant other or date her opinion on the cufflinks. Her opinion is going to be invaluable since she’ll be able to see from a distance how you’re going to look with them on. Plus, it’s something the both of you can do together…something that’ll make her feel appreciated. If you involve her, the chances of you getting the right cufflinks the first time around are certain.

Technorati Tags: cuff links, cufflinks, event, formal, tuxedo, wardrobe, what to wear

photo by wonderferret

If your job calls for business casual, what does this really mean? Believe it or not, this is the one question that has plagued working men for a long time. In fact, this very wondering has caused issues in the workplace. It could be the possibility of not using a tie, wearing a golf shirt or using menswear on that casual day. Casual Friday can vary greatly from workplace to workplace.

What does casual mean?

When you work in an office, you should know what it means by casual there. The quickest way to determine your workplace’s definition of business casual is by speaking to your colleagues but to put to rest your fears, maybe just talk to your manager. Co-workers may accidentally give you the wrong information; it’s not because they want you to fail, it’s because they may not fully understand the dress code/casual policy themselves.

What does semi-casual mean?

Businesses which have a very formal culture may have a casual day that only means not wearing a tie; thus, you’ll need to still wear a business shirt, dress shoes and jacket… no tie whatsoever. For some people, it would come across as why bother having the day?

What does very casual mean?

When an office goes truly casual, it tends to mean that employees can wear jeans… seen as very casual. These kinds of settings may even allow for t-shirts and sneakers rather than business shirts and suits. T-shirts and sneakers are generally seen with more artsy or creative businesses.

Go between very casual and semi-casual

There are many businesses that could be defined as having a ‘between casual’ stage. Usually casual days mean wearing a polo shirts, and semi-casual footwear such as sneakers rather than wearing a business shirt, formal slacks and dress shoes. This kind of wear is much more casual than the usually seen and worn jacket and tie; however, it’s not Saturday wearing of jeans, t-shirts and thongs (flip flops for international readers).

Whatever the case may be, you should find out what kind of casual your workplace has before you make the mistake of going too casual or not casual enough. Of course, going business casual is a great way to ease in to the weekend, as tempting as it is, just be conscious that it’s not the weekend quite yet!

Technorati Tags: business casual, casuel, formal, semi-casual, semicasual, very casual

photo by antwerpenR

When woman shop for clothes, their tastes are often going to be as fickle as the market changes rapidly every year. However, the great thing with men’s fashion doesn’t vary as often. The general components of men’s closets consist of the business shirts, the pants and the jacket. So with fewer items to work with how can a man mix up his outfit from time to time if he is stuck with the same clothes?
How to break up the monotony of wearing the same style of clothes

Look at the details

Take a step back and look at your closet. What is the overwhelming colour in that closet? More than likely, you’re going to go, “Wow! I have a lot of white.” With so many different colours of business shirts on offer, you don’t have to have just white business shirts lining your closet.

Consider having shirts of different colours, pattern and cut. Switching from a standard cuff to a French Cuff for example can make a big difference on your looks. Little changes can make a huge difference in your outfit and keep you looking trendy all year long.
You can also stop looking the same way all the time by mixing the colours and patterns of your ties, business shirts and suits.
Standard shirts

When you want a change, consider going for a bold looking tie to go against your white business shirt. You can also go for an ordinary coloured shirt with a discreet coloured tie that will contrast with the shirt. Try a tie with patterns or shapes with a plain shirt.

Patterned shirts

Add some mixture to your shirts such as herringbones, stripes or checks. Make sure to stay with toned down colours even with the stripes and their thickness; this is especially important for your workplace. If you have narrow stripes, the shirt can be a bit more discreet. If you wear a patterned shirt, go with a plain tie.

Warning about patterned shirts

Patterned shirts with patterned ties are no-no’s since there are just too many things going on; it can hurt the eyes (not literally). You should never wear a striped suit and striped business shirt, as they don’t mix well together. It’s just too many stripes for a person’s eye. You either do pattered shirt or suit with a plain shirt or plain suit. Make sure to get your outfit right if you’re going on a date.
Now that you know what kinds of men’s business shirts, suits and ties there are, you should be able to stop wearing the same outfit constantly. The one good thing about being a man is that you need only a few general items for your attire and you can come off looking the money!

Technorati Tags: belts, clothes, fashion, matching, outfit, patterned shirts, shirts, shoes, suits, ties

photo by Richard Thomas

When people talk fashion these days, it’s not uncommon to have the subject turn towards men’s fashion. The term fashion doesn’t always relate to your clothes; it can also relate to your style or attitude. Regardless of your profession, having a good sense of fashion and dressing the part is always a motto to live by.

When you meet someone for the first time, your impression of them is going to last a long while. Guess what? The same can be said about them about you. Thus, you should always do what you can to look good when meeting someone for the first time. This is especially true if you’re going to a job interview, want a promotion from your current employer or are trying to woo a lucky lady.

Here are a couple of things you should know when trying to look good

First, you need to understand what are the ‘now’ looks… while at the same being careful to not be too much of a fashion victim. Flick through some men’s fashion mags, or if you’re working in advertising or marketing, your company may have a subscription to WGSN http://www.wgsn.com/ – the world’s leading fashion and style forecaster. There’s a  portion of WGSN that’s open to the public without subscription where you can pick up some key themes on men’s style.

Second, always have a think about what you can do to mix up your outfit. Details are everything so think about accessories as part of your wardrobe, such as watches, ties, belts and cufflinks. Cufflinks for example can be great in turning crummy old business shirts into a stylish look.

It could be said that men have been lagging in the fashion area for many years. However, there are many reasons to step it up to make an impact on your boss and your significant other. Fashion isn’t just for women anymore. You don’t have to be heavily into fashion to get the most from it but remember it’s a complex part of life so it doesn’t hurt to focus on being a bit fashionable to get ahead. Just keep in mind – little bit of fashion knowledge can go a long way.

Technorati Tags: fashion, mens business shirt, mens business shirts, save money, skinny ties, socks, suits, tailor, ties, tips

photo by KB35

When you’re thinking about purchasing business shirts and suits, it’s important to consider quality rather than quantity. Think back to a time when you might have been studying at uni, and were hitting the clubs or bars every weekend. If you felt like you were wearing the same outfits repeatedly, you probably went out shopping.

You probably now see this act as money wasted, as you are older and realise that while the designer items were nice for a time, you need clothes that are actually going to last while not breaking the bank. Wouldn’t you want to pay for quality and have them last you for a good long while instead of maybe two or three seasons at most?

With the GFC in full force, this is the time to get crafty with your clothes and shoes and buy things that you know is going to last and still fit your personality. If you think you can pull it off, try shopping at vintage stores, as you’ll find all kinds of garments that are from the last several decades. You’ll find these garments are rather inexpensive as well. Consider mixing up your business shirts and suits with the vintage clothing you buy.

Look at your current wardrobe and put some thought into how you’re going to shape it up. If you have doubts about how you should coordinate, resort back to the threes-rule: never have more than three colours on an outfit.

Remember, it’s important to dress the part and be well-groomed if you’re going to keep up your gentleman-like appearance, even if you’ve been affected by the GFC.

Technorati Tags: business, clothes, GFC, quality, quantity, wardrobe

formal semi-formal occasion

There are several basic pieces of clothing that must be in a man’s wardrobe; items that will work across a semi-formal or formal occasion including a date, interview or wedding.

Six articles of clothing that should be in a man’s closet

Suit

Every single man should have one tailored suit in the closet in case of special occasions… regardless of how many times a year that special occasion occurs. When you have a suit on hand, you won’t feel embarrassed or cheap (which can be the case when you go to some occasions without wearing a suit)

It’s always best to stick with the common suit colours such as dark grey and black; it should also be single-breasted. Make sure you pick a medium weight wool because it’ll last longer, maintain its shape and is versatile in any season. Steer clear from the trendy cuts and stick with the classic style, which can be used for many years. Sticking with basic suits allow you to only change your business shirt and tie so that you keep your fashion sense current.

Slacks / pants

You’re going to need pants in that closet so why not make it a well-made pair of dress slacks? Make sure that the pants are in a black/navy blue. These slacks are versatile when you have an event that doesn’t necessitate the wearing of a suit but needs something more than just jeans. Make sure you choose medium weight wool so it lasts longer; it can also be used in every season and keeps its shape.

Classic sweater/jumper

Make sure you have a favourite woollen jumper in the closet… v-neck, cardigan or crew. Always wear a flattering colour and a fit. Sweaters are perfect when you’re going to a function that’s not very formal.

White or plain blue business shirt – This shirt type is a must have for your suits and dressy pants. Remember that white shirts will always be stylish and look good with pretty much anything. You can wear them underneath a sweater with only the cuffs and collar showing.

Several ties

It’s a necessity to have ties in your closet as they need to be worn with suits at more formal events eg Spring Racing Carnival, job interviews etc. However, they can also be worn with a shirt or underneath the sweater. Make sure to have several kinds of ties available, as you can mix and match them with different outfits or with your overall mood. Purchase new ties every year since styles can often change – skinny ties for example seem to be doing the rounds a bit at the moment. If you’re the type of person to always wear suits, then you’ll want to purchase ties every season that way you can change them up more often and mix up your wardrobe attire.

Black shoes and belt

A big fashion blunder when it comes to men’s attire is not to have colour matching belt and the shoes. If you’re wearing black shoes, you should also be wearing a black belt, as it will serve you on all kinds of occasions, formal or informal. Be sure you always have black leather shoes and a black leather belt in your closet. We like the range of men’s shoes at Aquila, there’s a lot of choice on offer and they’re reasonably priced.

Good quality shoes should last for a long time… depending of course on how much you’ll be wearing them. You’ll still need to take good care of them; belts can last just as long. Whatever you do, don’t spoil the look with the socks you wear. Go with the common black pair of socks made of wool, as these tend to keep their colour and shape.

Technorati Tags: belt, closet, clothes, clothing, event, formal, jumper, pants, semi-formal, semiformal, shoes, slacks, sweater, ties

photo by Banalities

When the weather turns warmer, there’s nothing better than busting out some shorts. Problems can occur at times, with the types of shorts people choose to wear. You want to avoid wearing shortie shorts or those which are more suited to speed walkers. If you want to look your best, here are some dont’s to think about…

The don’ts

1. Don’t wear pleated shorts, unless you decide to start playing professional golf. Pleated shorts make you look like an old man. All you need is black socks, white shoes and a walker to complete the look.
2. Don’t wear athletic/gym shorts when you’re going out to dinner, hanging around town or in the workplace. Regardless of how you look in them or how good you are in the sport, they are not a great look and should stay at the gym. You can, however, where them in your house… when no one else is going to be looking.
3. Think twice before adopting the jean shorts/cut-off look, they make no fashion sense whatsoever. Wearing them just looks totally odd and makes you look a bit like a scout leader with a clip on mobile phone. Denim jeans are best kept long, and if it’s nice weather, you can always wear some thongs (flip flops for international readers!)
4. You need to remember the ratio for the cargo short pocket and it’s based on the age of the person wearing the pocket. The older you are, the smaller the pocket should be. Large pockets are more suited to those in their teenage/uni years and from there, get increasingly smaller. By age 50, they should all but be gone.
5. If it’s just the start of the warmer months, have a think about how pasty white your pegs might be.  You may want to consider taking the edge of that moon tan with a bit of sun exposure before exposing them to the world.

Overall, we’re not against shirts here at Amalfi Shirts, apply the tips above, and you should be fine to pull them off.

Technorati Tags: advice, fashion, mens shorts, shirt, shorts

photo by Sh4rp_i

Most people are trying to save a bit of money these days, so it’s likely they’re spending only on items they actually need (not want). Regardless of what the world’s economy is like, this should always be done. One of the best ways to save money in the long run is to care for your clothes such as your business shirts, suits and ties properly. If you can do this, you can slash your budget and put more money toward something else… perhaps a night out on the town, or if your save enough, a holiday away!

Now you’re going to need a few tips to help you lengthen the life of your clothes. Many people already apply the tips below but if you don’t…perhaps you should.

The key way that clothes start to wear down is washing. Every time you wash, the colour will fade and their fibers weaken. You must wash your clothes… that’s a given, as you don’t want to scare anybody (including the ladies) off with your stains and odours. However, you can wash your clothes and still be gentle with them. Use the six tips listed below:

1. Always use cold water to wash your clothes
2. Separate your colours from your whites before you wash. Dark coloured clothes often have lint on them when washed with lighter coloured clothes; plus dark clothes have a tendency to bleed onto white clothes.
3. Use the gentle cycle to wash clothes
4. Wash soft and rough clothes separately from each other.
5. Use a gentle detergent for your clothes
6. Turn clothes inside out so the colour won’t fade; important when you’re dealing with jeans.

Don’t wash your clothes every time you get done wearing them. Wear them more than once to lengthen their lifespan. If it’s stained then do wash it but if there are no odors and stains, then it certainly doesn’t hurt to wear it more than once before you wash it. Of course, you do this mainly for jeans/pants, not underwear, socks and some shirts.

If you notice a stain is small, spot clean it rather than washing the whole thing. Not only can washers cause damage to your clothes but your dryer can as well. The low heat setting can still cause harm to the dryer. You know the lint trap you clean out every time you go to start your dryer? That’s the clothing fibers. If you’ve got really expensive business shirts, suits and jeans, consider air drying them. While you’re doing that, you’ll save money and energy.

Technorati Tags: cheap, fashon, inexpensive, mens fashion, money, shirt, shirts, tips, value