Suit & Shorts

TriBeCa
Hudson and Leonard St.

I passed by menswear designer Thom Browne’s store in TriBeCa and noticed this worker inside and was thrilled to see him a second time a few hours later out on the street as I was running errands in the neighborhood. For anyone unfamiliar with the design and aesthetic of Thom Browne, he’s known for his suits in grey palette which tend to be shrunken or very fitted to the body. The designer himself is ubiquitously known for sporting a suit with pants where the hem reveals a lot of ankle or shorts such as this employee who acts as a model for the modern Mad Men twist of the label.

Red Tie

SoHo
6th Avenue and Spring St.

I love a splash of red in a suit ensemble, but only in the form of a tie or a pocket square. Ok a red watch band or bracelet would suffice as well.

Thin Stripes

SoHo
Mercer and Prince St.

This fella gets his proportions. The short sleeves fall perfectly at mid bicep, the hem is just below the waist, and the cuff of his shorts rises right above the knee. Everything is fitted, cut to his body and frame but not tight. Let this guy be your guide on how to do the t-shirt and shorts combo without coming off as though you look thirteen years old with bad cuts, too much fabric and unflattering loose fits.

For The Love Of Nike

Greenwich Village
MacDougal and 8th St.

I don’t know what it is about Nike, but to quote an acquaintance – “There’s something about the swoosh”. I’ve tried other athletic brands – Adidas, New Balance, Under Armour et al., but they don’t do it for me quite like Nike does and I inevitably keep coming back around. Knowing where your loyalty lies saves a lot of time, not to mention money.

Perfect Part

Lower Manhattan
World Trade Center

The precision and execution of a well done side part is a thing to behold. Not everyone is destined for the side part, but for those can, please do.

Purple Shorts

Chelsea
7th Avenue and 21st St.

Shorts going well above the knee is really appealing to me right now. It’s time for a comeback after years of baggy, below the knee and wide shorts. If you’ve been hitting the gym and working the legs, might as well show ’em off.

Mini Check

Chelsea
7th Avenue and 22nd St.

I love a good blue dress shirt. So crisp, so fresh, so summery. The appeal of this one is the gingham pattern in a more subtle, muted, mini version and the contrast of the solid white placket on one side as well as the inside collar.

Maroon Shorts

SoHo
Prince and Mercer St.

I’m digging the color scheme of this outfit with the blue shirt, black sunglasses, maroon shorts and white kicks, all mononchromatic. Bonus for the way he cuffs up his shorts above the knee so they look more well proportioned.

Rough Around The Edges

Chinatown
Canal and Lafayette St.

What can I say? Not every guy is going to be the perfect gentleman. I don’t advocate calling women bitches but his shirt is more about humor than anything else. Here’s my take on his shirt – his preference for alcohol is beer, his ride of choice is a motorcycle and his desire for company is for beautiful women.

Neon Shirt

TriBeCa
6th Avenue and Laight St.

Brighter days are here again and so is brighter apparel. Neon in my wardrobe usually finds itself in very subtle ways – shoe laces, on a small logo, or a pocket and usually on some form of athletic gear. If you do wear it, it’s best to stick to just one item as you can clearly see it stands out and speaks for itself.

Slim Chinos

Chelsea
7th Avenue and 22nd St.

If you work in an office that doesn’t require a suit or a tie, here is a clean, fitted, appropriate, professional outfit that looks good any day of the week. Embrace the slimmer fit and pants that literally hug your legs and then make sure the shirt you pair with it is proportioned to the pants. No billowy, blousy, ill fitting shirts.

Double Breasted Suit

Nolita
Lafeyette and Prince St.

I find that European men in the city are more prone to wear the double breasted jacket. I like the mix of casual cotton twill fabric and side pockets with formality and structure of a typical wool suit.

Mad Hatter

West Village
Greenwich Ave and 10th St.

How nice to see a proper hat in sea of baseball caps. His accessories game is pretty tight with this ensemble and he’s even sporting some colored nails.

Short Shorts

Greenwich Village
Carmine and Bleecker St.

The shorts he’s wearing were originally those baggy, loose, wide legged, uninspiring cargo shorts that still too many guys painfully wear, even in New York. I didn’t realize that by inventively cutting a few inches off the hem would make these shorts so much more appealing as this crafty guy seemed to do.

Square Buckle

SoHo
Prince and West Broadway

I’m on the hunt for the perfect square buckle belt. I’m finding that either the metal of the buckle is not up to par or it’s that the leather is not as quality as I’d like it to be. I like how this fellow’s looks a tad worn it, so I guess this is one time I have to go for vintage.