Sunday, August 21, 2011

Jacket and Jeans for ANY Guy!

I've been heralding the sport coat and jeans combo for a few years now. And yes, its everywhere. But I find that a lot of guys still aren't utilizing this look.  In my opinion, its the most versatile trend out there right now. You can pull it off in your 20's or 70's. If you are a collegiate professor or a grunge rocker. Its all about picking pieces and accessories that fit your own style. Plus, its so comfortable! You get to wear your jeans, and it offers a day to night transitional look. As I mentioned in my post Airport Style, its THE look to don when traveling. You get all this with a few staple pieces, most if not all of which you probably already have in your closet! So in search of my proof of versatility, I hit the "Snap" section of the Japanese website "Men's Club."  Take a look. Surely you fall into one of these categories:

POLISHED AND DAPPER
This is probably one of the more common ways I see this look worn. Nice, clean, dressy jeans, dress shoes, buttoned blazer, pocket square, tie--the whole bit. This gentleman kept the pieces simple and neutral, but this could also work well with a fun plaid blazer and a little pattern mixing with the tie.

SPORTY CASUAL
Another common look.  Its all in the shoes.  Look at the guy off to the left. Same recipe--jeans, nice belt, open collar. But he chose dress shoes instead of sneakers and it changes the whole look. Either way works great. This look can also be achieved with a high quality tee shirt.

ARTSY
 Artist often have a little bit of a disheveled look.  Yeah, he combed his hair, but he didn't work too hard. He doesn't have a bag for his stuff. His jeans are a little distressed. The jacket looks decidedly vintage--great for the starving artist budget. His footwear is right on trend with the work boot (and the rolled jeans to show them off). But the accessories really drive it home. A bright scarf juxtaposed against all those neutrals that he tied around his neck like a western bandanna, and paired with red sunglasses? Were the scarf green, it wouldn't have worked. But he kept both accessories in the same warm color family so they merge nicely. If I had to guess, he's headed off to a coffee shop to work on some prose.

 EURO GRUNGE CHIC

This is all in the layering. Don't let this guy fool you. He put a lot of effort into this look. A plaid shirt gets layered with a sweater vest and soft, unstructured jacket. His jeans aren't just distressed--there's a full on hole. A nice chunky belt and work boots contrasted with a pocket square give the grunge some polish. Long hair and a scarf pull in a Euro twist.

THE DANDY
No sweater vest for this guy! His vest is a wool pinstripe that matches his jacket. It may even be the top half of a 3 piece suit. The bow tie is a nice compliment to the more casual vibe with jeans and an old school topper finishes the look.

COLLEGIATE COOL
There are two reasons this look says collegiate. Thick rimmed glasses, and the fabric of the jacket. There is something about that medium brown tweedy subtle plaid that just screams professor! The jeans are a perfect match for this look. The crease marks and fading steer this ensemble away from the "Polished and Dapper" category mentioned earlier and keep the outfit young and hip for running around campus amongst the 20 year olds. He can teach us all a thing or two!

So there you have it. There is no one this combo can't work for. Just wear it your own way! Which guy are you? Don't see your look here? Tell us about it!


3 comments:

  1. As you know, I love this look too! Great post!

    ~Mattness

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  2. I think this is a great blog; lots of practical advice for senior men as well as for up and coming professionals! I'd like to see this young woman open a boutique that would help men look great at a reasonable price!
    I really feel that she is trying to help people work within their means----refreshingly genuine!

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  3. The sporty Casual look is sweet! Simple and very versatile.

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