OK, so it’s been over a month and I still get giddy when I think of the good times that were had at PAX11 this year. It was held at the Washington Convention Centre in Seattle (where all the SQL kids are living it up at PASS this week!). The crowd was there for a good time and that’s exactly what they got. There were celebrities (I met Wil Wheaton, NBD) there was music (Paul & Storm! JoCo!) and of course there was every kind of game imaginable. So the following post is going to be about what to wear to these kinds of events assuming you aren’t going to costume up.
1) Topical T-shirt. No really, all the cool kids are wearing them. In this case you can be as obscure as you want and lots of people will still give you high-fives. My biggest hit was This Shirt for obvious reasons. Threadless and Thinkgeek are great sites, but the vendors are generally supplying them as well.
Only Wil can wear himself ironically
2) Weather specific pants. There was a heat wave in Seattle that weekend, so in this case shorts FTW.
3) Comfortable shoes-holy smacks you walk a lot! I spent the weekend in Birkenstock sandals like the Vancouver hippie that I am. I strongly recommend shoes with support, because you wait in a lot of lines.
4) A hoodie/Zip-up. Weird, I know considering recommendation #2, but some of the hotel conference rooms were heavily air-conditioned.
5) Anti-perspirent. Don’t be they person they smell before they see. As mentioned in #3, you will walk a lot.
6) A good point and shoot camera. You don’t want your phone to misbehave when your favorite celeb walks by…
Anyone going to Comic-Con this year?
My alma mater was kind enough to give me a shout out in the ‘Class Notes’ sections of New Trail Magazine, which was a surprise and a none to gentle reminder that I need to start posting again, despite the gorgeous summer weather…So stay posted for PAX fashion reviews (come on, you know it’ll be entertaining) and what the men were wearing in NYC this summer (aka the case for the straw fedora). Also, coming this fall: a Testimonials section and now a Media Section (Ooooh. Ahhhhh.).
Well, it’s about that time again- the muggy heat cannot be disputed, summer is here! In the spirit of being prepared, I present a few tips on wearing shorts.
A reasonable length and width
1) Length: aim for the knee or slightly above.
2) Width: Gents, please aim for a slim fit. Wide leg shorts are only appropriate for board shorts at the beach.
Everything is coming up millhouse!
3) Manpris? Absolutely, these are extremely flattering on a slim leg, and work well with flip flops.
A basic strap sandal
4) What shoes to wear? Sandals! If you are not of the opinion that men should wear sandals, I’d do a boat shoe. If you are attending a wedding in the Caribbean, feel free to pair linen short with a jacket and dress shoes (no socks) otherwise. If you’re just in the southern united states, that calls for a seersucker suit (another blog post altogether).
Summertime in the Shire
Final note: if you are wearing sandals, please consider some manscaping the in the form of a pedicure. Nobody likes Frodo foot.
I see this with men who wear dress shirts and no tie: they like to flash a little undershirt. Ask anyone who has an appreciation for the male form and they will agree, this movie scene is a classic. But there is a reason it’s called underwear- it’s supposed to be worn *under* what you wear. The long and short of it, layering clothing is ok when you are dressed casually (visible shirt under a T-Shirt or Sweater) but is not flattering under a dress shirt; it looks sloppy no matter how you wear it.
Ralph was shocked to learn he should not buy crew necks for his dress shirts
This is the exact reason the V-neck was invented. So gentlemen, if I haven’t sold you on ‘ties are awesome’ then please take this opportunity to make sure your naked neck looks the best it can.
image from www.deoveritas.com
P.S. If you want an undershirt that does a better job than your spotter at the gym, give this one a try. You’re welcome.
Hi Guys,
Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of ankle on the street. Now, the Europeans like to rock a short leg on their pants. If this is a look you appreciate, this is how you pull it off:
photo by Scott Schuman
You need a very slim (dare I say skinny?) pant, trouser socks and some damn fine shoes. Or no socks and loafers- hey, I warned you it was a European trend.
Now lets be honest here. I also see a lot of guys wearing pants that are an inch or two too short in the leg. I know what happened- you bought a pair of pants that fit you perfectly, only to pull them out of the dryer and realize that you are flashing skin. Fixing it requires another shopping trip (perish the thought!). It’s happened to the best of us. They can be rescued though: Your first option is to hang your pants to dry, then to iron them.
Ha! I know, you thought I was being serious. I was, but I know you’d never do that. In fact, if you’ve read my previous posts, chances are good you don’t even do your own laundry anymore.
So I suggest the following: next time buy your pants 2” too long, bring them home and wash and dry them right away. If they are still too long, bring them to a tailor, where for about $10 they’ll hem them for you (probably while you wait). Ta-da, perfectly hemmed pants that’ll never shrink on you again.
Advertising, Architecture and pretty much any firm who is selling design, ideas or lifestyles is going to need you to look like a creative professional. Start with a a monochromatic backdrop: pants, shirt, shirt, sweater/jacket of a similar neutral shade. Now add a pop of colour in your accessories and you are all set.
OK, I’ve got an awesome, reasonably priced shawl collared cardigan pictured above. It’s almost a jacket, but not quite. Layer it with a dark gray button down shirt, tie optional but lapel appropriate (more on that next week) and a slim charcoal slack. Now it’s time to accessorize. Some options might include:
A pretty sweet watch
Some eye catching specs, or even…
A green Radio CBC, courtesy of our local shoe legend, Mr. Fluevog. I have a good friend who swears these are the most comfortable shoes he owns.
This will pull together a clean, professional look with a hint of the imagination. One last word: creative does not equal casual. If you are opting for jeans (against my advice) make sure it’s dark, slim cut and properly hemmed. All the other suggestions still apply. Now go get ‘em, tiger!
It’s a suit-up occasion. Make sure that your coat is fitting you closely in the body, the sleeves end just past your wrists (so your shirt cuff is visible underneath). Pants should be hemmed to heel length, shoes shiny. For an excellent fitting guide, might I direct you here? For anyone who is getting back into the work world after a period of unemployment, I would direct you to Tip Top Tailors or Moores; they offer a really well priced suit and will make sure it fits properly, saving you a separate trip to the tailor. For a suit that will age well no matter what the price range you are spending in, look for a dark gray (charcoal) or navy colour, two button suit with a straight to lean cut in the leg. Because it’s easier to see the detail, I present you an example of a lighter gray, two button suit:
Don’t forget a tie and pocket square to polish off the look.
For the pseudo-corporate interview: this goes out to the folks interviewing for a non-corporate job in a corporate environment (here’s looking at you, tech support). In this case I would advise dropping the suit, but sticking to a dress slack (flat front- no pleats, please) and dress shoes. Pair a button down shirt with a sweater, skip the tie.
Once they hire you, take a look at your co-workers and the corporate dress code for cues on what is the norm for the non-corporate part of the crowd.
This is the uber casual workplace; dressing for an interview can be daunting as you manage casual without looking sloppy. You want to look like the creative professional that you are, so keep it simple- Slacks, jacket/ cardigan, shirt and shoes. Here’s the breakdown: Since I feel that wearing jeans to a job interview is only appropriate for labour positions (i.e. warehouses, construction etc.) I would recommend a cotton pant: try black, blue or brown chino.
You can do a sports coat, a cardigan or even a sweater vest might be a nice touch, if that’s your thing. I like this cardigan by BOSS Orange because it’s an interesting multi-colour that will dress up or down. I would recommend a light coloured cotton collared shirt for this occasion, though. Tie completely optional, but you know me, it’s encouraged!
Finish it off with a simple, comfortable pair of shoes and a coordinating belt, and you’re gold. I’m giving you a more casual example of a Kardos high top from Aldo, but a pair of Sperry Top-siders, your Geox Respiras, whatever you’ve got that have never seen the inside of a gym will do the trick.
For the record, I get a lot of heat for this particular opinion, and rightly so. Tech, start-ups and entertainment/video game companies simply aren’t known for any kind of formal, much less semi-formal dress code. In fact, there can be an almost backwards double standard in this industry, where people who dress well aren’t considered competent and are derogatorily classified as ’sales and marketing.’ So I lovingly remind you that I’m not here to teach you how to blend in. I’m here to teach you how to stand out, for all the right reasons of course.
A new year generally comes with a few resolutions, and for some that might include a new job. In an effort to put your best foot forward, I will offer you a few suggestions as to what you should be sporting to make a good first impression. Let me start with a caveat: You need to do your homework first. Each company has its own distinct culture. Some places are old school corporate, some really creative and some are casual and laid back. Where are you interviewing? What position are you interviewing for? The next few posts will examine what your best sartorial bets are for every level, keeping in mind the following basics:
1) Nothing you wear should ever be ripped, torn, missing buttons, stained or smell like anything other than laundry detergent, deodorant or cologne. This always applies, but even more so for a job interview
2) Day of the interview grooming includes the 3 S’s. Get a haircut the week before so that it doesn’t look too fresh
3) Make sure your shoes are polished, your references are in order and you get a good nights’ sleep before the interview.
The idea is to look the best you can, but still look like yourself. The right clothing only enhances your awesomeness. At the end of the day, it’s your mad ninja skills that get you the job.
Luke just couldn't get used to the new uniform...
