We’ve started the new decade and it’s still “anything goes” with guys’ clothes. Preppy’s in full swing after getting a jump-start in 2007 though it’s got a modern interpretation on the boxy old-guard New England prep. Dressing like you’re smack in the middle of the 80s – neon/big sneakers/skinny ties/puffed-up hair – is open to you if you want. Of course, conservative looks are still available. One thing that’s held firm for five or six years now is the slimming-down of the man’s silhouette. Trimmer and slimmer clothes are what most designers are still pumping out into stores this year and frankly that’s a good thing. Too many guys have been schlumping around the office or at bars in clothes that are at least a size too large. And that just makes guys look like slobs.
In this Spring’s Five Easy Pieces I’m focusing less on specific items of clothing and more on items to go with what you’ve got – glasses or a belt or a pocket square. The mainstay items in your wardrobe – khakis and jeans and dress shirts and jackets – we’ve been writing about in previous Five Easy Pieces and they haven’t changed too much in the last couple of years. How you punch them up has changed, however.
Warby Parker Hornrims
Horn-rimmed Glasses. Most of you didn’t see “A Single Man” featuring Colin Firth in blocky horn-rimmed glasses. But if you watched the Oscars this year you may have seen several presenters and awardees sporting frames a lot like Colin’s. Big thick horned rim- style glasses like the ones popularized in the 1950s are back strong this year. So trade in your rimless specs for a pair of horn-rimmed, but be sure to not go overboard. We’re not talking about Swifty Lazar-size frames. Be more Buddy Holly and Elvis Costello in the early days than Kanye West’s sometimes goofy-Erkel look. Check out Warby Parker where you can do a virtual try-on and the frames are about $100 with a sizable inventory. People with more cash can go for the Big Daddies – Oliver Peoples and Tom Ford – where the frames are in the $300 range…though not sure you’ll get triple the impact for the price.
Paul Stuart Pocketsquare
Lightweight Messenger Briefcase. Leather bags to carry your stuff to and from work are great. It’s what I use and it holds my laptop and notebook and pens and business cards. But they can be a little heavy to haul around when it gets into the upper 80s in temp. For not a lot of money you can mix up your look and lighten your load with one of the modern canvas or nylon bags. This is NOT to say you should be like a girl and have different bags to match your shoes on a given day. No. Rather this is because YOU may want something a little lighter weight to lug back and forth every day of your grinding life. Check out the a nylon messenger bag from Banana Republic 
for $150 in black or olive and a slick over-the-shoulder bag from Jack Spade for $195.
Boxfresh Cardigan
Fabric belt. More 80s prep style with these striped and solid-color fabric belts. I like ‘em because they’re inexpensive and – like a punchy pocket square – can add some color to an otherwise conservative get-up. Brian and I once led a speaking engagement in which a young Africa-American guy in dreads showed up. He sported khakis and a standard blue and white-striped button down shirt. But around his waist? A bright orange fabric belt that told the rest of the room that he was a full-on individual. That’s what these belts can do for your look. We’ve got a muted navy one shown here from JCrew for $65 as a good way to wade into this style of accessory and you can go bold with this orange belt from Abercrombie and Fitch– which they’re unloading for $6!! I may scoop one up right now!
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyhow, just wanted to say great blog!