What if your best friend was in charge of your wardrobe for one month? Let’s say that you were given a stipend to buy 5 new investment pieces but the rest of the makeover depended on your usual budget? The difference? New criteria for fit, rise and pattern mixing.
Smart dressing doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. Fashion is an expression of personal style and our educational report is made to help readers look and feel their best.
Artisan Books Senior Publicist Patrick Leonard of New York sent our editors a review copy of creative couple David Fung & Yena Kim’s guidebook on blending classic and modern menswear on a budget. The timing? Perfect. Our editors reported on Oakland’s Queer Fashion Week that showcased modern menswear for all bodies this Spring. Previously our editors reported as guest contributors for Black Girl Nerds for fashion and technology in Vegas that included an analysis of musician Janelle Monae’s choice of menswear.
Our readership, male and female, expects our practical guides to include humor. SmartyPet Bodhi, the model Shiba Inu dog, brings a light-heartedness from his Tumblr-fame and demystifies: dressing for the gym, date-wear, and unflattering rise and fit to avoid. Fashion principles shared by David Fung and Yena Kim and modeled by Bodhi can be borrowed by all readers. Think of the androgynous fashion example of Comic Tig Notaro.
Photo Credit: David Fung & Yena Kim Menswear Dog
Fit
Armholes! Paying attention to armholes can make a world of difference how the wearer is perceived in a t-shirt, polo, or long-sleeve dress shirt. Wear a size that is snug but does not display your nipples. For example, ribbed trim on polo sleeves flatter your arms by highlighting your biceps. Think of sleeves as arm hugs! Smaller armholes = slimmer sleeves for a tailored look says Bodhi.
Rise
Crotch! To avoid an unintentionally old timey look, select mid-rise for suit pants and for jeans. Bodhi explains that the rise measurement is from the middle of the crotch to the waistband. Dad-jeans have higher waistbands, at 12″ for instance. A modern rise is closer to 7″.
Pattern-mixing
A pop of pattern! Late Comic Rodney Dangerfield was known for wearing loud madras plaid sport coats to match his loud comedy. Bodhi gives the reader the option of more subtle ways to introduce fresh patterns such as gingham, floral and plaid by using small accents. Our editors think it’d be fun to add a surprising floral pattern on the shoes. But readers may be more comfortable with a starter gingham pocket square before diving into a collared floral shirt.
Photo Credit: Hawaiian Floral Dr. Martens Shoes via Asos.do
Check out the New York Times article on Menswear Dog and summer destination weddings smarts also from Bodhi.
As Seattle bike commuters and fog-dwelling San Francisco readers prepare for autumn they might consider Bodhi’s idea to layer a quilted vest under a modern suit jacket when cooler temperatures hit. Central Time Zone and Eastern Time Zone readers might already be adopting Bodhi’s advice for layering fisherman’s sweaters over oxford shirts and henleys under tweed blazers. What’s new as a contemporary fashion tip for cold weather dressing? Seek a shorter crop such as windbreaker jackets that end at the hip and slim-fit hooded sweatshirts that are shorter than mid-thigh.
Bodhi’s fashion wisdom summarized by our editors? Choose clothing that hugs you back and don’t hike up your pants too high!