When do I button all buttons on my jacket?!

In a word.... NEVER!

I've seen too much of this lately to ignore it here on Suitably Dressed, so we're going to talk about it - and before we begin, I apologize for the delays between posts here, life has gotten a little hectic and even though I want to do a bit more here, it's just been tough lately - it'll smooth out, I promise!

So back to the topic at hand.  The general rule of thumb for all those buttons on your jacket is that the very bottom button you don't button... like, ever!  It's not how it's meant to be, and quite frankly it just looks weird when people do this.  Two buttons on your jacket - only the top one gets buttoned.  Three buttons?  Follow the SAN rule: Sometimes, Always, Never (from top to bottom button).One button jacket? Alright, you got me; this is the one caveat to the rule, obviously you have to button them all when there is only one.



Look if you button every button on that jacket, I don't care how well it fits, how well it is coordinated, you ruined your whole look.  This is something you should feel good in, look good in, not like you are restraining yourself.

The general rules to follow is as follows: sitting down - unbutton your jacket.  standing up - button your jacket.  This is as simple as it gets.  Keep yourself well put together, and enjoy the holiday season without fussing about that bottom button!

Trust me, just watch this video -here is the power of appearance

So I actually came across this video on Esquire's website today, and it so well embodies what I am trying to help show and discuss in this blog.  Your appearance matters, taking care of ourselves matters, see this man's reaction and tell me it doesn't pull on your heart?

How to: complete a look

Alright everyone!  Sorry for the delay in posts - sometimes life just happens and slows down our intentions, but I'm excited to say that some of the first guest spots on this blog are coming soon, and they promise to be great contributions.

Today I wanted to spend a couple of minutes starting the conversation that a lot of men find very difficult - ties and pocket squares.  I can sense it already; some of you are cringing and wanting to hit the back button on your browser... DON'T!!! This is important stuff, and this will just touch the tip of the iceberg for you, so don't be scared of this!

I have posts about how to tie a tie, how to mix and match patterns - and you need to remember and reference those as we begin this next discussion.  The first thing that I want to point out is that a good tie, and a good pocket square can completely make or break your look.  So take a minute and think about what goes in the breast pocket and around your neck on the way out the door.

The biggest thing to remember is this: your tie and square should COMPLIMENT your look, not dominate it.  If the first thing someone notices on you is your "funky" tie or your neon pocket square, then you aren't doing it right.  They should notice you! The fact that you look damn good, and that everything just works together.  They can then pick out pieces of what they like, but that crazy print tie with 10 colors....

NO! NO! NO! NO!

It should be done tastefully, and should compliment a color you have on, or pick out a color in your shirt or suit to bring more attention to.  For example - maybe your shirt has a pink stripe in it, pull that color out with a pink tie.  Then expand with a pocket square that is edged with pink.  You get the idea hopefully.  The easiest way to make it look great is to utilize colors that are already in your jacket and shirt, not adding new ones altogether.  

As a final note - many men shy away from pocket squares, but it's time to embrace them!  If you don't want to go crazy with your pocket square, learn a simple straight fold and keep it simple with white, light blue, and white with a colored edge.