A gentleman's jacket must match his trousers in all circumstances. Further jacketing advice (pertaining to thorny issues such as lapel shape and width, venting, buttons, permissibility of elbow patches, length, shoulder whimsicality, and buttonholes) is sadly beyond the scope of this article. Kindly consult your tailor. On the subject of pocket squares, however, I feel able to provide the following brief maxim. They are to be seen, but never used. Shirts should be appropriately slim-fitting and well-pressed. Crispness is everything in the outfitting of a modern gentleman. A wide variety of plain pastel colours is now permissible, as are thin stripes. (Always alternating with white, of course. Just imagine two different colours in the same shirt. Absurd!) Checks are to be treated with caution, suggestive as they are of childhood picnics and the attendant nanny. If you are personally able to stomach this effect, by all means flaunt your bravery. But spare a thought for us chaps who cannot.
Finally, a word on hats (I speak of course of genuine hats, structured and with full brim, not appalling functional items like 'beanies' and 'baseball caps'). Though hats are steadily following spats into the vestiary wilderness, and may soon be seen solely as the preserve of the terminally pretentious, they may still be worn (only outdoors, of course, and without feathers). Never, however, should they be employed to mask or compensate for a lack of personality. If you fear your desire to wear a hat may stem from deep psychological feelings of inadequacy, it is best to go without. A cold head will fortify you.
Both single and double cuffs are happily within the realms of decency in the 21st Century, but short sleeves are never justifiable unless you are a primary school PE teacher. Any cufflinks must be demure, and non-political in their form and content. Contrary to popular belief a tie may be worn or eschewed with equal propriety in the modern world, unless of course you intend to see anyone at all, in which case naturally your lower neck should be entirely obscured from view with a gracious and polite fastening of medium or slightly-lessthan-medium width. Wide ties are no longer on fleek. Neither are they lit. Cease their airing immediately. Illustration: mphp-ao
Sleeves Magazine
39 Ian thomas mcmillan schauspieler Ian thomas mcmillan actor