The Best Sneakers to Wear with Suits

The keys to pulling off the suit + sneakers look:

1. The fit of the suit is everything, especially the trousers which should tapered with little-to-no break
2. The suit needs to be unstructured. Shoulder pads with sneakers will have you looking like Jerry Seinfeld.
3. The fabric should be textured and seasonal. This gives the suit an appropriate, leisurely, non-corporate vibe.
4. The right sneakers, or course. Think low-top, no-frills, classics.

We tapped downtown NYC legend, and former backcourt mate, Niko Scott to show us a few kicks that are designed to be well-suited. 

Lanvin Captoe Trainers

The quality of the sneaker goes a long way in keeping up with a good suit.

Vans Authentic Low

If you’re planning to sharpen-up a pair Vans, make it a pair in a unique fabric that is slightly more luxe than the traditional cotton canvas – like these genuine suede versions, for example.

Common Projects Achilles

Readers often ask if Common Projects are worth the $400 price tag. As anyone who has owned a pair will tell you, yes, they are. There’s something about the leather and construction of these – they last incredibly well and actually build a patina over time, similar to pair of benchmade lace-ups.

This pair is more than four years old and have been worn through the worst of NYC winters. The “serial number” is completely rubbed off, but they are still kicking – a fresh shine would probably go a long way as well.

Adidas Stan Smiths

If the $400 price tag is too steep, you really can’t go wrong with low-top classics in all white, like Stan Smiths.

Scoring a rare release (like these “whole-cut unstructured” versions) will elevate the selection for the sneaker connoisseurs, too.

 

Thank you for reading.

Credit: Dan & Niko

How to Fold a Suit & Shirt in a Suitcase

Here's a quick guide on how to fold a suit and shirt to avoid wrinkling in your suitcase.

The Suit

First, lay the jacket flat:

The key is that all four panels are laying perfectly flat (front and back, including the vents). The pin is optional (I wouldn’t use it on cottons or fragile fabrics):

Flip the perfectly-flat jacket over:

Fold the side of the jacket, lined-up with the center back seam:

Flatten and smoothen the sleeve along the fold line:

 Repeat on the other side:

Now to the trousers. Fold them in half, keeping the front crease in tact by inverting the front waistband (fly open):

One more fold to get the trousers into quarters:

Place the trousers on the top half of the jacket, waistband along the sleeve edge:

Fold the jacket in half over the trousers:

Flip it over. Boom.

The Shirt

Fully button the shirt and lay it on its front. Fold the right sleeve straight back at the shoulder:

Fold the sleeve upward over the center of the collar:

Fold the cuff (buttoned) downward:

Repeat with the left sleeve, on top of the right:

Fold the right side of the shirt over the folded sleeves, creating a straight fold roughly one inch from the edge of the collar:

Repeat with the left side over the right side:

Fold the bottom third of the shirt upward:

Fold one more time from where the hem landed. The first folded edge should land just below the collar:

Flip it over. Boom.

Finally, to really avoid wrinkling, place the garments in extra-large ziplock bags and seal them with a little air so that the garments do not get squashed by other items in your suitcase (the pressure creates wrinkles). For a video tutorial check out this guy – he really gets it.

Another trick to avoid being a wrinkled mess while traveling is removing all of the garments from your suitcase and hanging them on proper hangers ASAP upon arrival. If needed, most hotels have irons, too. If not, you could always get away with the old shower steamer trick.

Thanks for reading and safe travels!

Credit: Dan Trepanier

The Capsule Wardrobe: Chocolate Linen

Welcome!!! Hope you enjoyed the Men's Fashion History and how it evolves over the year. Here at Luxury Men we don’t want you to buy more clothes. We want you to buy the right clothes, so you can wear them comfortably and not have to replace them every year. A smart wardrobe is one that is built around versatility and longevity. Ideally, the majority of the pieces can be mixed-and-matched to create different outfits for different occasions.

To illustrate this point, here’s the first installment in our “Capsule Wardrobe” series, where we give an example of a smart wardrobe built around, what else, a tailored suit in a seasonal fabric. Here’s 10 pieces (with a couple accessories) to make 5 different outfits.

• One 3/4 length khaki trench coat
• One chocolate brown pure linen suit
• One washed selvedge denim jacket
• One green striped oxford shirt
• One chestnut brown patterned silk tie
• One long-sleeved striped linen crewneck
• One pair of stone grey chinos
• One pair of chocolate brown suede chelsea boots
• One pair of cognac brown leather loafers
• One brown felt fedora

All Business

 

A lightweight trench coat is an essential for Spring, especially if you live in a rainy climate. It’s functional, versatile, and it’s never going out of style. Trench coats like this were invented by the military to keep soldiers dry and anchor their weapons, and they’ve been a staple in classic menswear ever since.

Date Night

We just highlighted the uber-versatile slim-fit denim jacket. The chocolate suede chelsea boots are part of our current Spring Menswear.

Business Casual

 

A neutral chino, especially in light grey, is one of the best pieces you can invest your hard earned money in. Have them properly tailored and you’ll be wearing them for just about any occasion.

Dining Out

An unstructured suit jacket in a textured fabric, like this pure linen, is virtually identical to a sportcoat. It works just as well with chinos or jeans as it does with the matching trousers.

Weekend Chillin’

I really can’t say enough about unstructured suits in seasonal, textured fabrics. They are the foundation of my wardrobe, and the cornerstone of the upcoming Articles of Styletailoring collection. Just like the jacket, a well tailored suit trouser in a seasonal cloth can be a workhorse in your casual wardrobe too.

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I hope this gets you thinking about adding some versatility into your wardrobe and getting the best bang for your buck by investing in quality menswear that you can rely on.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Credit: Dan Trepanier

A Brief History of Men’s Style - 2000s: Hip-Hop & European Tailoring

2000s: Hip-Hop & European Tailoring

Menswear in the new millennium was influenced primarily by hip-hop culture for the youth, and European “slim fit” tailoring for the older gents. The suit finally started to slim down, as the “European cut” became highly sought after in America, to the point where eventually it became hard to find stores that didn’t carry “slim fit”. The internet also made it easier for men to learn about menswear and share their opinions with fellow style enthusiasts. We saw the birth of the first menswear blogs, with this one starting in 2009.

credit: Dan Trepanier

A Brief History of Men’s Style - 1920s – Broadening Horizons

1920s – Broadening Horizons

After the war (which introduced numerous classic menswear designs which are still used today, like trench coats and cargos), business started to pick-up and Americans had more money. More money allowed them to travel more and broaden their horizons culturally and aesthetically. Many crossed the Atlantic to England and France. Naturally they returned with suitcases full of the latest fashions being worn overseas.

Of all the countries, England had the most influence on American menswear. In the 1920s American college students began putting their own spin on pieces being worn at the legendary Oxford University, including button-down shirts, natural-shouldered jackets, regimental ties, and colorful argyle socks. Furthermore, the Prince of Wales, who later became the Duke of Windsor, was the world’s most important and influential menswear figure. Through newsreels, newspapers, and magazines the elegant Prince became the first international “style icon” and became widely known and renowned for his impeccable taste in clothing. He was a legitimate trendsetter for every day people and it was the first time in history that clothing advertisers would use a celebrity face to sell clothing, shamelessly plugging their items “as worn by the Prince”.

credit: Dan Trepanier