November of Dressing Nicely -or- Guys in Chicago Don't Care How They Look

I've recently had the pleasure of meeting (online but soon to be in person) a writer/social media director for Metromix, which is somehow related to RedEye, which is a faction of the Chicago Tribune essentially concerned with cool stuff for younger adults in the city. Ernest Wilkins could tell you better about what he does than I can.

Anyway, he is someone who has an interest in dressing better and wants to bring as many people as possible along for the ride. Much like Will over at Momentum of Failure with his 100 Days of Ties Project, Ernest has launched his own initiative. Enter November of Dressing Nicely (NoDN). The movement was inspired by a visitor to his office:

A guy from LA came into the office a few months back to take some meetings with my bosses. He was the best-dressed dude I've seen in years. I mean, suit was tailored, shirt had a monogram, sick longwing brogues, and a clean shave. The women went bananas. "Who is that guy?" "Is he working here now?" *wolf whistle*. A comment rang out that stuck with me. Upon finding out the gent was from LA, a co-worker stated, "Oh of course, no guy who lives here would look like that."

One of Ernest's #NoDN photos

Disturbed by this comment, Ernest asked his peers about Chicago men and their apparent disregard for dressing well. The general consensus was that "Guys in Chicago don't care how they look". Hell bent on being the exception rather than the rule, Ernest vowed to dress better for at least an entire month beginning November 1st, 2010. He has posted his photo every work day and has invited any one else to do the same. I've been submitting my self-taken photos and it's really encouraged me to avoid falling victim to laziness when I dress myself in the morning. It has already been a very positive exercise.

As I've stated before, my office environment is very casual and it would be easy to slip into a groove where a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers become a uniform. I now refuse this possibility and try to look good all the time. However, I still lean toward casual dress (I'm not wearing suits to work) so I'm not scaring my coworkers too badly. In fact, I'm probably wearing jeans more often than not. Even so, the ignorant will still assume I have a job interview if I'm wearing a coat and tie as well. Anyway, it is interesting to see the photos submitted by the others who participate (there's a loyal community of maybe 6 people) because of the range in level of formality and perspective on what "dressing nicely" is to them.

I see NoDN as a continuation of the Tie Tuesdays I've observed since last fall. It serves as a reminder to take extra care in laying out an outfit that I know will look good. I'm not sure how many of you follow my Tumblr but I've been posting most of the photos I submit there along side the ones that end up on the NoDN Gallery that Ernest has set up. Below are some of my better submissions (please excuse myself looking like a complete ass in most of these, it's just the way I am).

If you're a Chicagoan trying to get in on the action, e-mail Ernest with your photo attached and he should post it right up. Prove to the land that you care about what you look like!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mountain & Sackett Neckwear (a rare product blast)

Well it's time for my lame, bi-monthly, one-off post on TBTYH and I've decided to switch it up a bit. I'm going to do a SartInc-style brand highlight for ya'll. I'm a pretty big fan of neckwear of all kinds. I wear a tie every Tuesday and sometimes on the weekend when I want to make all my friends think I'm a weirdo. I also nearly exclusively buy neckwear secondhand or new at severe discount. Hell, I've even made my own tie and have loose plans to make more. Anyway, if there was one company to turn me over to the dark side of buying new ties at retail prices, Mountain & Sackett would be the one.

I heard about Mountain & Sackett through The Art of Manliness a couple of years ago. They have done a few promo giveaways with AoM but otherwise have been largely overlooked by the cool-kid blogs. This is likely due to the fact that M&S seems fairly off the grid in terms of social media utilization. Granted, they do have a Facebook page but we all know that Twitter seems to be the most effective way for small companies to communicate directly with niche customers.

100% Handmade

Mountain & Sackett is a New York based company that has been around since 1957. Their ties are all handmade in New York from fabric from European mills and are sold direct from the factory. I wanted to bring them to your attention because they seem like a legitimate family business putting out a high quality product for a reasonable price (most of the ties are betwee $60 and $74 with the more expensive ones topping out at $105). They have an amazing selection of not only colors and patterns, but of sizes too. Most of the ties are a pretty classic 3.5" in width and 58" in length but for some styles you have the option of a slimmer or bolder width (2.75" and 3.75", respectively) and/or a longer length (62"). Being of above average height, I appreciate the 62" option.

If it wasn't enough to make a high quality, sharp-looking product in the States, the good folks at Mountain & Hackett have their hearts in the right place by producing a line of neckwear and accessories adorned with the puzzlepiece logo of Autistm Speaks, a charity dedicated to changing "the future for all who struggle with autism spectrum disorders." Sixty percent of sales of these pieces go to the charity.

Anyway, let's hit some highlights:

REGIMENTAL STRIPE

Stylistically, the regimental stripe seem to be M&S's bread and butter. With 22 different variations, you're bound to find something you like. Made of English silk, these ties come in the standard 3.5" width and the standard 58" length. M&S also claims that these are the "World's Only 100% Handmade Regimental Tie(s)". Believe that claim or not, handmaking a tie is a real craft. It is a time-consuming and tedious procedure that should not be taken for granted in the eyes of quality.

                     Royal Marines                                             Sherwood Foresters                                             Ocassionals Hockey

KNIT

If a traditionally stripped regimental tie is not your thing, maybe you want to stunt like Kanye at New York Fashion Week (I thought every week Fashion Week?) and you don't want to go as bold as J.Press would like you to. Mountain & Sackett have quite an array of silk ($60) and wool ($74) knit ties at a 2.5" width, as compared to the 3" J.Press numbers. Also, it is worth noting that these are NOT handmade in the US, rather in Italy.

CASHMERE

Or maybe you'd care to get crazy-luxe-Italian and opt for a fine cashmere tie. A bit more pricey at $105, this ultra-soft tie is cut from fabric from Lanificio Cesare Gatti, a leading Italian textile manufacturer specializing in wool and cashmere. These ties only come in 3.5" widths and both standard and long lengths.

PAISLEY 

You know paisley stuff is gonna be the next it thing, right? Mark my words. These are pretty beautiful, traditional 3.5" width, regular and long lengths. Not much else to say.

PLAID

You can't go wrong with a wool tartan tie in the fall and winter. There are several patterns to choose from, some actual Scottish family tartans (any MacDonalds, Sinclairs, Stewarts, Thompsons, or Kerrs around here?) which is cool, as well as a few glenplaids. The black/white glenplaid pictured below is definitely my favorite tie offered by M&S and the one I'm currently talking myself into buying. This particular tie can be cut into any of the widths or lengths previously mentioned so you can customize to your heart's content.

Tie Tuesday: DO IT

I love finding and wearing awesome-looking neckwear; ties are one of the things that fit pretty well no matter how large the rest of your body is.  The problem is that I very rarely find myself actually wearing ties.  My job's dress code is extremely casual.  The most formally dressed (older) gentlemen who I work with usually wear dress pants, some form of leather shoes, and and varying forms of collared shirt.  The younger guys around me follow suite but mostly trade out the leather shoes for athletic or Sketcher's-style shoes (/facepalm).  Regardless of what any of my coworkers wear, a tie and/or jacket is out of the question.

For a while, I was caught in the same trap as everyone else.  That is, until I started caring about how I looked.  I began to dress better and began to feel better about myself.  One day, I realized: I have tons of ties that I rarely wear.  From that point, I instituted 'Tie Tuesday'.  Since then, I have worn a tie every Tuesday without fail.  I usually supplement the tie with a sportcoat.  My lower half is almost always clad in denim (Levi's, A.P.C., or Wrangler) and I wear nice leather shoes or boots every day.

The first time I wore a tie, I can't even remember how many people asked me if I had a job interview.  I remember looking down to my pants and thinking, "Who would interview in jeans?"  In truth, what I wear on Tuesdays would be considered casual by those who actually know what they're talking about.  To the left is an example of a typical Tuesday outift for me (please excuse the awful cell phone photo).  It is difficult to see so I'll break it down for you: raw denim, plaid button down, corduroy jacket, rubber-soled penny loafers, and to anchor it all, a knit wool tie.

Although I have observed Tie Tuesday for several months, even now when I don a tie I am asked at least once per day what is up.  This Onion article is pretty much is my life.

Over the years, I have amased an insane number of ties.  They are mostly hand-me-downs from a neighbor who was a lawyer but I have purchased most of my favorite ties second-hand.  To the right is an assortment of the neckwear I own.  The most I paid for one of these ties was ten dollars.  Most were had via various second-hand stores for around one to three dollars.  The bow ties I got from Rosemary at Rufflentuck.  Oh yeah, they were $6.00 a piece.  But seriously, go to your local thrift shop, Goodwill, Salvation Army, or whatever you have.  Spend some time rooting through the ties.  Odds are that you will find something decent and it will cost you no more than $5.  If you're a baller and have the cash for new ties, I would highly recommend Pierrepont Hicks and The Windmill Club.  They both make some beautiful neckwear.

Once you've got your ties, start wearing them!  Institute your own Tie Tuesday.  Maybe this could be your transition to wearing ties daily.  Power through the confused looks and questions from the unenlightened passersby. Take back the world from boring casual every day!