Suiting Up Properly

Today I wanted to write a short post about how to prepare your suit for its first wear. Since most people buy suits off the rack rather than tailor-made suits, there are a few things to do before you wear them out.

• First, I advise getting measured and fitted. Many men skip this step, but it is one of the most important things for a man to know! Also knowing your measurements can make it much easier to make alterations by buying a better fitting suit initially. Lastly, if you are the typical guy who dislikes shopping, it allows you to bypass the typical shopping experience and take advantage of online shopping!
  
  
  
  
  

• Secondly, I would advise taking your suit to a tailor to get them fitted (if they don’t fit properly off the rack, which most won’t). Though you need additional time and money, this is really the best option to ensure you look your best in your suit! A few things you generally need to alter are the waist of the jacket and the length of the pants. Tailors are like barbers, once you find an excellent one you keep them FOR LIFE!

• This is one of my pet peeves… PLEASE REMOVE THE TAGS!!! As a person of Caribbean descent, I have personally experienced the extent of the name brand obsession. The tricky thing about suits is that they have both price tags and branding tags, please remove both! The little rectangles on the sleeves with the name brand are supposed to be removed! Thank you!

• Open the vents and pockets. Most suits have either a single or double vent, there is usually an “X” stitch holding the vent together, remove it! Also the pockets of the pants and jacket may be stitched closed, carefully remove these stitches as well. Once the jacket pockets are functional, you can take advantage of pocket squares as well as options with suit pockets. Most suit jackets have pocket flaps that can be tucked in for a more sleek and modern look.

• When wearing the suit, there are only a few basic rules. Today we will address the buttoning of the jacket. DO NOT BUTTON THE LAST BUTTON. 2-button suits, 3-button suits, double-breasted suits, this rule applies to almost every suit! 

•  Lastly, but completely unnecessary are functional buttonholes. These are also to be done by your tailor. The lapel buttonhole and sleeve buttonholes on most modern suits are nonfunctional because there is no really reason for them to be. If you really feel the need to roll up your jacket sleeves or have a functional lapel buttonhole, then do it, but it is an impractical detail. I will admit that I have a few jackets and blazers with functional buttonholes, but honestly, there is no real use for them.

With these basic tips, you will easily look your best!

The Clinical Stylist

No Tie Required!

Option 1: Yes!

Option 2: No!

Option 3: Maybe

Option 4: Maybe

For the past month, I have been rotating on Psychiatry. Due to the nature of some of the patients we deal with, certain precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of the patients and staff. Along with the absence of handles on doors and other means by which a patient may harm himself, we are advised no to wear ties, scarfs, and lanyards that don't easily detach. And because clip-on ties are a rather repulsive thing for an adult to wear, today's post is about proper ways to wear your dress shirt without a tie.

Option 1: Wearing with the top button unbuttoned. Personally, I do not normally utilize this option because I am very self conscious of the collar's tendency to wander and end up looking like Option #2. I believe that oxfords are the best style dress shirt to wear unbuttoned. Unfortunately, I do not possess enough oxfords to survive this psychiatry rotation. Instead, I use Wurkin Stiffs magnetic collar stays to secure the collar in place (yes... this is a shameless plug and yes you should go buy a set right now!) Anyway, this maintains the professional, neat look fitting for the work place.

Option 2: Spreading the collar over the lapel of your blazer or suit jacket. UNACCEPTABLE (unless you are a baby boomer, pimp, or head of a drug cartel)! As I mentioned above, Wurkin Stiffs and other collar stays can prevent this from happening to you accidentally.

Option 3: Having more than one button unbuttoned. Depending on the situation, unbuttoning more than the top button may be viewed as unprofessional. If its happy hour and you want to seduce the young lady across the room with your chest hair and man cleavage, why not? If you've been dancing the night away and could use a little extra ventilation, why not? Just remember there is a time and place for it.

Option 4: Buttoned all the way up. This is my personal favorite of the tie-less options, because I usually wear a dog tag or other neckwear as a tie replacement. Unfortunately in Psychiatry, substituting a tie with another strangulation hazard is not wise. Though this look is professional, it feels very unfinished to me.

With that, I will leave you with a motivational quote from my MCG classmate Daniel Johnson: "Doc on!"

The Clinical Stylist

10.9.2013 Early Fall

10.9.2013 Early Fall
Urban White Coat

Close-up

Hat- Reason
Vest- Old Navy
Short White Coat (top only)
Denim Shirt- Under Two Flags
Paisley Pants- Hawkings McGill
Boots- Polo Ralph Lauren
Watch Strap- Breda
Bracelet- Ambitious Forever "Cranial"
 Photo credit: Ashley Brown

Fall is here!! If you love layering, this is your season! Unfortunately, the weather can be bipolar in the transition period. There is nothing more annoying that cold mornings followed by hot afternoons! Either you freeze all morning, burn up all afternoon, or lug extra clothes around in anticipation. Which brings me to today's featured item: the bubble vest! It is the perfect piece to bridge the daily temperature gap between seasons. Feel free to through it over a long-sleeved shirt, white coat, sweater, or even a suit. While we are speaking of seasonal changes, its time to break out the heavy wools, tweeds, hats, and boots! Don't forget to use cold-weather accessories like scarves, hats, and gloves to provide elements of color and pattern to your typically darker fall and winter tones.

The Clinical Stylist

The Beginning

9.1.2013 All White on Labor Day Weekend
Cotton Photographer Suit- Express
Extreme Cutaway Shirt- Trashness
Knit Tie- Daniel Cremieux
Knit Pocket Square- The Tie Bar
Wayfarer Sunglasses- Ray Ban
Johnston & Murphy Carlock Tassel Loafers
H&M Socks

"Wear it like you love it!" My mother's motto still resonates in my head to this day. Growing up in the burbs of Los Angeles in the 90s was an awesome experience. I remember wanting the latest fashions, whether it was velour FUBU sweatsuits and Nike Air Force Ones or RocaWear jeans and Phat Farm sneakers. Unfortunately, my mother was a bargain hunter; meaning if it wasn't at least 60% off or in Marshalls, Ross, or TJ Maxx, I wasn't getting it!

When I look back on those days, I really believe that is where my personal style began to develop. Fueled by my rebellious and competitive nature, I began to see style as a challenge. To my mother's delight, I accepted almost every piece of clothing she bought for me AND wore it! No color was to bright, no pattern to busy, no style too outdated! I wore it all (sometimes in questionable combinations) and to my surprise I actually began to love it. 

Oakwood University, my alma mater, was where I really embraced the fashion world. I began modeling and organizing fashion shows around campus. In my summers, when I wasn't doing research or at a pre-med summer program, I was learning to sew from my mother. Bow ties are a staple accessory at HBCUs, so I made pocket change by sewing custom ties for other students and faculty. Of all the honors and awards I received at Oakwood, being voted as The Best Dressed Male by my peers in my junior and senior years has been one of my personal favorites. 

After I left Oakwood, I continued pursuing my other passion at The Medical College of Georgia. After years of being able to satisfy both my medical and fashion passions, I found myself without a fashionable outlet. So I tried to launch an urban clothing line in medical school (crazy right!). Well needless to say it was too much to handle, so I had to cut my losses and focus on school. So I continued through school rather miserably until I transferred to Howard University to be with my fiancee. After a few comments and inquiries from strangers, I was motivated to begin blogging and styling.

This blog is just about me and my self expression through attire. My style is eclectic, eccentric, and ever-evolving. My future mother-in-law describes me as a chameleon because each time she sees me I have a new look. I love what I wear and wear what I love. This is The Clinical Stylist.