Brit Style: Royal Edition

I'm going rogue here and breaking from our usual policy of original photos. I've paid little attention in the run-up to that wedding that's happening today, so I suppose my curiosity is somewhat justified. Don't worry; I'll keep it brief and relevant. And if you don't like the lyrics, you can press fast forward.

A confession: I love pretty much everything about Britain. Magnify that 10 times today. It's the anglophilia. Can't shake it. First of all, Kate Middleton. In that dress, outshining even Grace Kelly. File under: "How I want my bride to look." I had permanent tingles the whole time she was walking down the aisle. Guess I'd better start making a list of eligible royal British ladies.

Enter David Beckham for the men's style tie-in. Apparently everyone else on the Internet stole my idea, because when I Googled "royal wedding style," Beckham was all over the search results.

That tie, that collar, those tails. And how spiffy is that Order of the British Empire medal—which unfortunately wouldn't be appropriate to wear if you hadn't earned it. I realize this look is rather far from "Midwest," but I'd love to work it into my next formal outfit anyway. Well, maybe not the top hat. Looks good in his hand, not in mine.

Soccer, style, England, true affection. Everything I love.

Thrifty Thursday: Recycled pants

You guys remember when I was talking about making pants into a nontraditional pair of cargo shorts? Well, here they are. How? My girlfriend was kind enough to take on the project. Here's what it takes:

• An old pair of chinos (I conveniently chose these pants in particular so that I'd have an excuse to buy a new pair of khaki chinos, but that's neither here nor there.)
• A few buttons and some thread
• A sewing machine
• Someone who knows how to use that sewing machine

Originally, I said you should probably reimburse whoever constructs these things for you with some cash. Luckily, my girlfriend was willing to help me out. Why? Dinners, movies, gifts and unconditional love, of course. Honestly, what other reasons does she need? (And really, how many more sentences can I begin with an adverb?)

Seriously though, more power to you if you're skilled enough to pull off this feat of apparel construction yourself. If you're not, find a friend who is. Hopefully you've got one somewhere. And pay them well: Food, beers, yardwork... or money if you're not feeling creative.

The shorts turned out extremely well. The most obvious changes are the front pockets, which are great. The thicker belt loops are a little less noticeable, but they're probably my favorite change. Also, the roll at the bottom was intentional when these were first made, but ultimately they squeeze my soccer thighs a litte too much. A hem is scheduled for the near future. Overall, these are definitely shaping up to be my go-to/knock-around shorts for the summer months—and all for the price of four buttons and a spool of thread. Not bad.

And oh yeah: THESE RULE.

Spectator LX in "Incense" (courtesy of Vans) by Vans Vault, size 10; khaki chinos converted into shorts with pockets (originally from Urban Outfitters, $50) by Paul Frank, size 30; vintage plaid button-down (thrifted, $3) by L.L. Bean, medium; braided leather belt (thrifted, $4); Corter for Japan bracelet (Corter Online Shop, $25 shipped) by Corter Leather.

Photos by Jarred Donalson. And many thanks to the lady.

A look ahead: Nonnie Threads

Today, we're off adventuring and spending our allotted Midwestyle time with Nonnie Threads. Hence, no big post this morning. Nonnie's a local Chicago designer who makes her products right here in the good old U.S. of A., so we're excited to get an in-depth look at her operation.

We'll be dropping by Nonnie's studio this afternoon to explore her collection, snap some photos and interview her about her philosophy on men's style. Stay tuned for the full package in a few days.

Transmission will resume shortly.

midweSTYLE: Gold and wine

Let's be honest and admit that at times it is difficult to mix color, patterns and print. Sometimes it takes work to see what goes with what and how to change up that wardrobe of yours. Other times, things just work together nicely. Here are some questions and a few of my personal suggestions of tackling these issues. For example:

Can you mix black with brown? Yeah, why not? Just balance it out with other neutrals. Charcoal blazer + charcoal pants + brown shoes + brown belt + white shirt + neutral tie = you're in the clear.

Can you wear two different patterns with one another? Hey, give it a go. If it looks too busy, then try something more subtle. [See photograph below with navy + wine checkered shirt (busy) with the wine + brown zig zag tie (subtle) to mesh things well.] If you're wearing a busy shirt with an obnoxious color or crazy print, you can tame it with a blazer or cardigan along with a neutral tie.

Can you wear two shades of black? Well, as long as the contrast isn't too noticeable. I mean, the suspenders match the socks and shoes, but the pants are a shade light since it's a charcoal tone. Just maybe not a third major shade of black.

There aren't hard and fast rules about mixing colors, prints and patterns. Just some helpful tips and suggestion on what some, many or very few think.

It's your call on how you mix and match ultimately, that's the beauty about style. It's yours.

I'm not much of a fan of silver, but baby, gimme dat gold watch.

$2.50 for a pair of Target socks that will match my skull-and-crossbones bow-tie that I'll acquire someday. And come on, for $2.50, guys. Easy.

Wine colored tie (gift) by rag & bone; wine and navy checked shirt (Halls, sale $30, reg. $99) by Scotch & Soda, small; black skinny suspenders with gold hardware (thrifted, $2.99); welt pocket pant in charcoal (Country Club Plaza, $60) by American Apparel, size 31; skull-and-crossbone socks (Target, $2.50) by Merona; thrifted soft black leather dress shoes ($5.99), size 11.

Photos by Seth Putnam.

"Re: Fashion" — A Manifesto

"Fashions fade; style is eternal." — Yves Saint Laurent

A word about trends: Don't worry about them too much. Well, let me qualify that: If you can tweak your current closet to be trendy, go for it. Want to pin your collar à la "Boardwalk Empire"? Go for it. Want to roll your trousers so your socks and shoes are a little more visible? Go for it. But don't buy a brand new pair of pants with the cuffs pre-rolled and stitched into place just because it's thing to do this year. That's expensive.

Our style philosophy is this: Invest in a wardrobe that will last, not one that forces you to walk into your local boutique and buy one of everything each season.

Exhibit A: (Boom! Roasted!) The scientific graph above is the result of a thorough and legit studysurvey. Believe it.

The Spectrum of Style is a theme that keeps coming up in our conversations around the Midwestyle office. From Jeff to me to Israel (my brother/ideas man), there's a pretty wide gamut to our personal style sensibilities.

Israel, for instance, lives in a world of relaxed-fit trousers. He rejects rolling up his pants on principle. "It's trendy," he says, like that's a disqualifier. His world is not 'Nam; there are rules. (Like no black with brown under any circumstances.) But when Jeff flounces into the living room leather belt tied around his sportcoat, I draw the line. (Don't worry, fellas, I'm only ribbing you.)

On the "reserved" side of things, you run the risk of being governed by one era's rules and becoming outdated, which is fine if you're this guy, but we're not elderly yet. On the "bleeding edge" side, you can be trail-blazing, but you also have to perpetually splash out cash and update yourself to maintain your runway cred. If staying current with the latest fashion is your hobby, knock yourself out. For me, there are other demands on my wallet.

If you shoot for the middle, you'll be neither too wild nor too tame. Some would say that's boring. I say you'll look put-together, without making a spectacle out of yourself (unless that's your game.) A way to liven things up, a way to keep it interesting, is to embellish the exoskeleton of your ongoing wardrobe. That blazer you bought five years ago will serve you for a long time. Add flourishes: elbow patches, colored thread around button holes, a flower in the lapel. That's how guys like Gay Talese get by with suits they bought 40 years ago. The proof is in the details.

Now, don't get me wrong: Experimenting with your style is important. Try new things. Work with different combinations. The world needs people who will blaze new territory, but I'd prefer to see the most avant-garde of it on the runway—not in my closet.

YSL photo by Carolina Rodriguez.

Thrifty Thursday: White Linen Blazer

Yeah, we know. Two blazer posts in one week? Two posts of Cam in one week? Two posts of Cam in a blazer in one week? Maybe a little excessive. But thanks to the weather, we won't be able to feature these much longer (fingers crossed). The relevant detail to this particular post is the white linen blazer he snagged from a thrift store for about three George Washingtons. You read that correctly: $3.

The point here isn't necessarily to show off cool clothes. It's to demonstrate that workable style is doable on the cheap. After some very unscientific price-guessing, I'll estimate that if purchased new, this whole outfit would push $775 retail. But what you see here cost less than $265. Plus, you're not spending those numbers every single time you put on a set of clothes. Each piece of the pie can be mixed and matched with the other items in your wardrobe. Which allows you invest in the glasses, the boots, etc.—the stuff Cam's wearing with several different outfit combinations.

By far, the biggest savings are coming from the jacket. Three dollars compared to the $150, $200, $300 you could expect to drop for a nice blazer? No contest. As long as you've got an idea of 1) what you need and 2) what looks good, you can find some great bargains at thrift stores. Of course, be prepared to not find anything, either. Only pull the trigger if it's got a place in your closet.

Linen blazer (thrifted, $3) size 36; J. Crew broken-in chinos (retail, $60), size 31; brogue boots (Urban, $80), size 10; vintage, U.S.-made oxford (eBay, $10) by Gant, size 14.5-33; black cardigan (thrifted from Jeff's closet) by Merona, small; tartan tie (outlet, $15) by J.Crew; Preston eyeglasses (warbyparker.com, $95) by Warby Parker.

Photos by Bethany Jones.

midweSTYLE: Cords and Ralph

This week has consisted of rain, sleeping on the ever-so-unfortunate blow-up air mattress that is currently my bed, booze, more sleeping on my ever-so-unfortunate blow-up air mattress that is currently my bed, and work.  The good news is however is that today is pay day. Which means I can order all of those  (un)necessary items that have been stock piling up in my Amazon.com shopping cart, such as this mattress, steamer and this t-shirt.

But while we're on the subject of necessary items, an umbrella is one of them. 

This should be probably featured under "Thrifty Thursday" because that same "ex-roommate who gave me their dad's friend's briefcase" also gave me this leather-handled, khaki Ralph Lauren umbrella. This umbrella probably cost more than a student loan of mine and I'm okay with that.

Much like Cam, I'm a boots and blazer kind of guy.

  

Brown "8878" suede boots (Halls, sale $78) by Red Wing Shoes, size 11; khaki "RB15-X" corduroy  trousers (Haberdash, $50) by Rag & Bone, size 30; leather and brass belt ($4.99) by J.CREW, size 30; green-striped oxford cloth button down (eBay, $15) by Gitman Brothers, medium; thrifted school-boy tartan tie ($1.99); thrifted grey and blue check wool vest ($4.99); grey sportcoat (Halls) by Billtornade, small; leather-handled khaki umbrella (ex-roommate's dad's friends) by Ralph Lauren.

midweSTYLE: Mocha blazer on the rocks

Correction (2:55 p.m.): In the initial version of this post, we forgot to credit our very gracious photographer, Bethany Jones. Thanks so much for helping us, Bethany—when you come to Chi this summer, the vino and/or Guinness is on us.

While my blogging brethren reside in the wonderfully windy city of Chicago, I enjoy the pleasure of calling Columbia, Mo., my temporary home as I pitter-patter my way through four years of the dream-world experience that is modern day higher education. Columbia is a lovely place for a million different reasons, but one thing that's not high on that list is natural scenery. But after being cramped up in your favorite local coffee shop (see: Kaldi's), studying your ass off for the huge exam in that class you never actually attended because you swore to yourself you'd just read the book and get notes from that guy who you did that group project with earlier in the semester, you're gonna need some fresh air, and lots of it. Enter Capen Park/Mulch Site. It has mulch for taking and rocks for climbing—what more could you ask for? You're right, nothing.

Winter's still got her foot in the door here in Missouri, which means I still have an excuse to wear blazers without people on campus thinking I transferred in from the SEC. This thrifted beauty fits well almost everywhere but the arms, which could use a nice visit to the tailor. I'm working on that.

Also, I tend to opt for boots when wearing jackets. Why? I don't really know. Maybe it's because my high school mascot was a lumberjack. Maybe it's because I misplaced my favorite longwings. Or maybe it's because when I'm not blowing out my pocket fades or doing squats to make my honeycombs explode, I'm usually out climbing rock faces in blazers and tie bars. I know you sensed the sarcasm.

"The 77" dry 14-ounce Kurabo fabric, two and a half months (Standard Style, $200) by Baldwin Denim, size 31; mocha blazer (thrifted, $20), size 38; blue and pink polka dot tie (my old man's closet, free); old leather belt (my old man's closet, free); dark tortoise "Preston" eyeglasses (online, $95) by Warby Parker; coral oxford (retail, $50) by American Apparel, medium; thrifted work boots (borrowed from our dear friend Travis Craig, $9), military watch (eBay, $18) by Rothco.

Photos by Bethany Jones.

RENT MONEY: Spring Digs

A note on the the "rent money" category: This is what we'd likely spend our cash on if we didn't have to pay to keep roofs over our heads. Or if we had a family fortune to squander. Or if we had one of those McDonald's play pits that, instead of party balls, was filled with dollar bills. File these items under "want." But stick around—you'll find a workable solution at the end of this clothing lust. (Twist!)

Spring is tapping on the door right now. Pretty soon she'll be knocking, and eventually she'll be kicking it in. In preparation, I've accumulated some of my favorite items for this upcoming spring, most of which are way out of my price range. For right now, we'll call them sartorially aesthetic pieces of inspiration.

Gitman Vintage Linen and Chambray Shirt - £119 (~ $193.65) via endclothing.co.uk

Woolrich Woolen Mills Chambray Shorts - $169 - via shopwharf.com

Yuketen - $300+ - via Context Clothing

Penfield - $150 - via penfieldusa.com

Jean Paul Gaultier - $75 - via openingceremony.us - I mean,

it's gonna rain, and you're gonna need an umbrella, right?

See what I mean about out of my price range? Let's do some quick math. Those five items? Pushing $900. Last I checked, I didn't have that kind of wampum to drop on one set of clothes. But here's how I hacked the system:

You don't have to toss 9 Benjamins out the window to get this look. Take the shorts, for instance. Front cargo pockets are gaining popularity, and for good reason—they're functional (cargo is such an ugly word though). Anywho, if you've got an old pair of pants that goes without wear these days, find a friend who knows how to sew (and preferably enjoys doing so). Have him or her cut and hem your pants into shorts, using the extra fabric to make front button pockets on the thighs, like the WWM shorts above - this obviously requires a few buttons. This allows you to control the length of your inseam and where the shorts will hit on your leg. Then, pass them 10 to 20 bucks for their hard work, and you've got a pair of dope shorts for spring.

Just an idea, but repurposing old stuff you've fallen out of love with will save you cash and give you something new at the same time. We currently have a pair under construction - photos to follow upon their completion.

FAVORITE: Leader 725TR

Editor's note: Here at the Midwestyle, we're fans of practical transportation and staying fit. Bikes accomplish both. This is a post by Cameron N.—student, model(?), thinker, no-longer-part-of-this-blog, and apparently, hipster. Cam, over to you:

The perks of living on East Campus are many. I'm just a five minute jaunt from class. I can be in the heart of downtown in 10 or 15 by foot. That convenience sounds great, I know, but most mornings, I wake up for my nine o'clock classes at about 8:44, throw on a pot of coffee, practice the bare minimum levels of personal hygiene, put said coffee in my thermos, and finally jam out the door at about 8:56. And unless I'm trying to do that painfully awkward walk-run-skip thing I usually do when I'm in a hurry, I hop on my bike. Living in a small-ish town like Columbia allows my bike to be my main mode of transportation.
And I like that.
Because I like my bike.
Yeah, I'm aware it is a fixed gear.
Shut up.

Specs: Leader 725TR frame - 58, Leader Trickstar steel fork, Cane Creek ZS headset, Nitto bullhorn handlebars, Kalin seatpost, Pake PBS saddle, Origin8 Pro Track crankset, Shimano bottom bracket, All-City pedals/toe clips, Velocity B43 wheelset laced to Origin8 hubs, freedom Thickslick tires.

Heather henley (Christmas gift from the lady) by J. Crew, small; "The 77" dry, 14-ounce Kurabo fabric (Standard Style, $200) by Baldwin Denim, size 31; brown leather belt (stolen from dad's closet); Mid Skool 77 LX courtesy of Vans Vault, size 9.5.

Photos by Zach McSpadden. Thanks for helping, guy.

Thrifty Thursday: Tortoise Sunglasses

Let's talk about gafas del sol. For those who don't speak Spanish, that's español for "gafas of the sol." Or sunglasses. Whichever you prefer.

I've never been much of a sunglasses guy. Never paid much attention. But Chicago Summer '011 is shaping up to be a hot one, and I'd better be ready for all the days I'm going to spend lazing around on the beach, running into the water, saving lives, playing sand volleyball in my dog tags with Slider and Iceman, beach soccer, and maybe doing a little bit of work outside if there's time.

I've been in the market for some '60s throwback sunglasses, like these RayBan Clubmasters. So, I was pumped when I found these tortoise keyhole sunglasses at Seek Vintage yesterday. Though not the exact look I was seeking (see what I did there, eh, eh?), they were 10 bucks. Hard to beat. I mean, sure, I'd love to have these Persol retro sunnies, but I'd rather save $300. (File under: #sacrifices and #rentmoney.)

What we care about is achieving a classic look regardless of name/brand. And when we can do that for 3 percent of the price, well, our work here is done.

Check your local thrift store, or pick some old knock-off Wayfarers up for $6. Sure, they're cheap. But $160 sunglasses break just the same when you step on them.

Tortoise keyhole sunglasses (thrifted, $10).

midweSTYLE: Working Man

Jeff's closing in on the end of his first full week at his new big-boy Chicago job. (Remember when he was here looking for a job a few weeks ago? Well, he got one. And now he's crashing on my couch until his super cool new place is ready in the Logan Square slums. It's a difficult life we lead...watching the "Chicago Code" [which is hands down the best television show ever made], socializing every night, heists, shenanigans, and stepping over broken glass to get Niko'd every weekend.)

Not Jeff would ever be unstylish, but part of the new job is dressing well, so he's been trying out some new looks. I'll kick it over to him.

Jeff: Don't be afraid to mix patterns and prints, as long as it's in the same color story. I mixed this obnoxious printed stars shirts that I picked up at Halls during their winter sale and a dandy flower bowtie from Etsy.

I threw on a vest to break up the dark colors and add some contrast.

Grey sportcoat (Halls, sale $220 [reg. $680]) by Billtornade, small; vintage star print shirt (Halls, sale $33 [reg. $99]) by Scotch & Soda, small; grey vest (thrifted, $5); dark wash "Rhigby" (retail, $50) by Seven for All Mankind x Jonathan Adler, 31x34; vintage paisley bow tie (Etsy, $5).

midweSTYLE: Urbanautical

Does this clash?
Probably.
Is that a "woman's" clutch?
It's a worn leather dossier/clutch/folio/wallet.
Did I pick up this gold watch at Target thinking it was a "man's" watch?
Yes.
Did I find out the next day that three of my female friends already had it because it's a "boyfriend" watch?
Yes.

Do I wear it anyway?

Yes.

If we're being honest here, fit, design and function trump whatever's on the label—even if it's two letters like "wo" in front of "man." That's why we each have a coat or two in our hall closets that button up from the left side. Looks the same, works the same and in some cases fits better.

Gold watch, carmel leather details and stripes. What do you think?

Nautical striped boatneck long-sleeve tee (Standard Style) by Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen, small; "The Henley" 14-ounce Karabo fabric (Standard Style, $198 in store, $220 shipped) by Baldwin Denim, size 28; vintage brown caramel dress shoes (thrifted in New Haven, Conn., $6.99); gold "boyfriend" watch (Target, $12.99) by Merona; authentic vintage clutch (garage sale, $2) by Coach.

Photos by Seth Putnam.

Friday Wrap-Up: Hey there, April, throw us a bone

So look, April. You're being kind of being a tease, and we're getting sick of it. You're yes, then you're no; you're in, then you're out; you're up, then you're down. But worst of all, you're hot, then you're cold. I mean, it was 71º last week for crying out loud.

Listen. We've got some good posts planned for springtime, and you're really holding us back. So do you like us or not? Now that we've got the DTR out of the way, here's a photo that's more wishful thinking than anything else:

Straight henley weather. We're over this layering bullshit.

Friday Wrap-up – If you're just now joining us, here's a throwback to a few of our posts you might have missed from previous weeks:

• Shoes. Wingtips. Let's get 'em.
• Leaping and bounding in the hayfields where we were raised.
• Workin' from home in Logan Square.

And from others we love around the Net (wait, is it not called that anymore?):

• Refinery 29's Ultimate Chicago Blogroll. (Psst. Check out slide 5.)
• An illuminating interview about American shirting from AllPlaidOut.com.
• And oh, yes. Put This On is coming to Chicago. Do drop by, won't you?

INSPIRATION: Jimmy Darmody from Boardwalk Empire

Each Sunday evening over the summer, a group of us Kansas City gentlemen would gather around the projector to drink booze and watch Boardwalk Empire. Each week we'd mix drinks, sit, watch some Scorsese and gulp sip down the scotch. We were enchanted by the boardwalk and gripped by the character development

We were also amazed and inspired by the classic '20s menswear with its badass suits, fabrics and accessories. It wasn't the suits and the swagger that particulary stuck out to me, it was more of one character's utilitarian and rugged feel. Boardwalk Empire's Jimmy Darmody is a character who's hairstyle and wardrobe I'm all about right now.

No "dress" shoes today, even though Darmody would be rocking a sick pair of wingtips. I opted for my more casual Clarks. I'm sort of rocking a hybrid long hairstyle of his right now (short-ish sides, long on top, swept rakishly back and to the side), along with dark colors, shirts buttoned up without ties and general badass demeanor. Right? Ha. Right.

"No, just leave it without the tie," said Seth as I was preparing to head out the door. I thought, "Alright, we'll try it." So, I left it and actually liked it. That's right about when I felt a little Boardwalk Empire with the shirt without the tie, buttoned all the way up.

Brown leather jacket and belt, black denim, grey utility shirt with a pop of burnt orange/red/sangria lining to match my laces on my brown boots. Hate it or love it, but I had fun with this look today.

"Slim Jim" dry black-coated denim (Standard Style, winter sale $75) by Nudie Jeans, size 31x34; 2-year-old leather Wallabees (Cargo Largo, sale $40) by Clark's, size 11 w/ replacement "Sangria" laces (J.Crew, $4); "End-On-End" Utility Shirt (Oliver's, $69.50) by J.Crew, slim small; leather bomber jacket (thrifted, $6.99) size 40; brown leather belt w/ brass (Country Club Plaza, winter sale $4.99) by J.Crew.

FAVORITE: Patagonia + Field Notes

Seth's blue Patagonia fleece jacket since 2002, Jeff's yellow Patagonia synchilla "Snap-T" pullover since 2009 and Jeff's fire red Patagonia down sweater jacket since 2011. County Fair State Edition of "Illinois" Field Notes.

THREE OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS: Patagucci Patagonia, Field Notes and primary colors.

ESSENTIALS: Jeff's "Primary" Spring Outfit

Yellow rain jacket ($99) by The North Face, small; Navy "KC" hat ($42) by Baldwin Denim, 7 1/2; Wellington rain boots (eBay, sale $33) by Hunter, size 10; striped tee ($39) by American Apparel, small; packable down sweater/jacket (sale $140) by Patagonia, small; "The Henley" ($198) by Baldwin Denim, size 28.

I like primary colors, a lot.

BOOTS & TEE: I dig my Hunter rainboots and striped tee, but you already knew that.

JACKETS: I generally ask for an obnoxious color when it comes to footwear and outerwear. What's great is that both of these items are packable, so I can throw these in my Filson tote at a moment's notice.

Friday Wrap-Up: End of March

Friday Wrap-Up: Posts that you may have missed this work that are worth checking out.

• Badass Monday Tuesday: Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
• Tuesday: midweSTYLE Campustyle
• Wednesday: midweSTYLE at Old Watertower
• Thrifty Thursday: My ex-roommate's dad's friend's briefcase, yo.

In other news...

When Will asks, we deliver.
It's just that simple: Friday Presentations, (April) fools.

Jeff: "Slim Jim" dry coat black denim (Standard Style, winter sale $75) by Nudie Jeans, size 31x34; Salmon OCBD (Country Club Plaza, $69) by American Apparel, size small; mustard suede shoes (Nordstrom, winter sale $44) by 1901, size 11; grey charcoal blazer (Halls, sale $220) by Billtornade, small.

Seth: brown woven and tasseled loafers (thrifted, $6) by Giorgio Brutini, size 8; Nantucket "Davis"slim chino (Wicker Park, $68) by Club Monaco, size 29x32; White OCBD ($60) by J.Crew, slim small; Madras spring tie by J.Crew.

Photos by Oliver Drambour. Get on back to Chi soon, son.