            With so many finer details that go into perfecting one's formal ensemble, we've all had the tendency to overlook some of the more important components that can make or break an outfit. While the functional purpose of a pair of shoes is quite obvious, they serve an equally important stylistic role, as well. If they don't properly match the rest of your formal attire, you could be spending your entire evening wondering why everyone is staring down at your feet rather than noticing the new tie you just purchased, fastened perfectly with a Windsor knot. In any event, your shoes should flow into the rest of your outfit rather than be markers for where your ensemble abruptly ends.

            When it comes to selecting shoes for your formal attire, the good news is that you should have plenty of options at your disposal. Depending on the type of occasion you're dressing for along with your personal preferences, there's no shortage of oxfords, derbies, loafers, monk straps, and patent-leather shoes to choose from, with various features and styles within each type. Whether you prefer the ease and comfort of an unlaced loafer or the classic distinguished look of oxfords, you'll have no problem finding footwear that suits your style.

            Even though variety abounds in the dress shoe realm, there are a few things to keep in mind from a style standpoint. At a bare minimum, your shoes should match the color of your belt, as this will provide some balance and visual symmetry to your formal ensemble. The other obvious rule to follow is that shoes meant for leisure or casual wear should not be considered for pairings with suits and tuxedos. While no one can deny the comfort and support gym shoe offer, wearing them with a suit is a faux pas that others will certainly notice.

            Like other components of formal wear, shoes, unfortunately, don't last forever; but if you maintain them well, they can come close. The longevity of your jackets, shoes, shirts, and ties all greatly depends on how you care for them over time. If you wear formal attire quite often, you're probably used to the idea of having more than a few suits in your wardrobe at any given time. Additional variety will reduce wear since you're not going to be putting on the same suit over and over again for days on end. The same relative principle also applies to your shoes.

            While there's no magic number regarding how many pairs of shoes you should keep in your wardrobe in order to minimize premature wear, having more than one at the very least is a good start. This is a good rule to follow even if you find yourself wearing formal attire infrequently since most dress shoes can be worn for casual outings, as well. Three to four different pairs of dress shoes tend to be a happy medium, but you may want to increase this number if your profession requires formal attire on a regular basis.

         Even if you're not wearing dress shoes all the time, having more at your disposal also increases your ability to vary your style. Wearing out a pair of shoes isn't exclusive to a functional context; your personal style can wear down with it if you're putting on the same shoes day after day. At the same time, you don't necessarily want to break the bank, either. If your shopping habits fall on the thriftier side of the scale, consider keeping at least one pair of oxfords, derbies, and loafers in your closet. This way, you can spread the everyday wear and tear across different pairs throughout the week rather than wearing a single pair ragged before the end of the year. Your personal style will thank you for it, too, since you're less likely to get sick of whatever is in your wardrobe when you have more of a selection to choose from. While keeping a decent number of dress shoes on rotation is a good way to increase their longevity of them, it isn't the only way to do so.

            At some point in time, your shoes will get to such a condition that they need to be replaced. This can happen in a couple of years or even decades after you purchased them, depending on how well they have been maintained over a given period of time. Soles get thinner. Leather dries out and cracks. Stitching unravels. While taking your shoes to a professional who can repair them is always an option, this can be a costly endeavor that may not be worth it in the long run unless it's a pair of shoes that is quite rare or holds some kind of priceless sentimental value. In many cases, replacing them ends up being more cost-effective in both the short term and the long term. Opting to replace an old pair rather than having them repaired will allow you to get more mileage out of your wardrobe and save you in maintenance and care down the line.

            There are things you can do yourself to keep your shoes in top-notch condition and prolong their shelf life so having to replace them becomes less of an issue.

            In spite of being sold and manufactured to this day, shoe trees are regarded as a thing of the past, if you've ever even thought about them. These simple devices developed more than 100 years ago allow your shoes to retain their shape when they're not being worn. Originally, shoe trees were made of wood and cut roughly to the shape of a foot that could be inserted into the shoe when it wasn't in use. Some models today are made of plastic, more easily adjustable, and even come with hangers so your shoes (and their respective trees) don't clutter up your closet floor. Combining the perks of keeping your shoes in their proper form and potentially saving on storage space, using shoe trees is a relatively easy and cost-effective way to prolong the lifespan of your formal footwear.

            The other unintended benefit of having some shoe trees on hand is that they can be used to hold your shoes' form while you polish them. Shining and polishing your shoes is a pretty straightforward process. Just make sure that whatever shoe polish you purchase for this purpose is compatible with the material your shoes are made out of. For dress shoes, the choice material is in most cases going to be leather. But this is not universal across the board, so it's important to double-check with the label or manufacturer when in doubt, as some polishes might be too abrasive for certain materials.

            Polishing your shoes shouldn't take too long, perhaps 10 or 20 minutes. To start, take the laces out of your shoes if there are any, and insert shoe trees into them so they hold their form. This will make the process much easier and faster. If you don't have shoe trees, using socks or newspaper as an alternative should work more or less the same way. Before you apply any polish to your shoes, brush them off thoroughly to remove any dirt and dust that has accumulated. Once your shoes look free and clear, you can then apply the polish of your choice, careful to use a cloth made from material that is non-abrasive. Most microfiber cloths will work just fine for this purpose. Once you're satisfied with how they look, let the polish dry; this usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

            How often you should polish your shoes will largely depend on how often you wear them, how they're stored, and the ambient environmental conditions in which they're worn and stored. For leather shoes, as a general rule, polishing should be done every three to six weeks in order to keep them in optimal condition. In all likelihood, you can get away with longer intervals without doing any noticeable harm to your dress shoes. But if you only polish them once a year or not at all, the leather may not last as long as it was meant to last. Gentlemen who wear dress shoes often should especially pay attention to the six-week guideline, but others who may only have to wear formal attire on occasion can afford to be a little more flexible with how frequently they polish.

            While shoes themselves tend to hold their form quite well with proper care and maintenance, shoelaces are usually the first components to wear down. Thankfully, replacing them is an easy task, and you might consider keeping some spare laces on hand and changing them out as needed. The main concern here is functionality rather than style. Even though your laces should be in good condition as they are considered to be one of the finer points in an ensemble's overall visual presentation, it's more important that your shoes actually stay on. As they are inexpensive and don't take up much space at all, there's no reason not to keep a few spares in your wardrobe.

            Since the soles of your shoes should be the only part of them touching the ground, they will all inevitably wear down over time, even with the best maintenance and storage habits. When your soles are no longer in a wearable state, you basically have two options: take them to a professional to get them repaired, or replace the shoes with new ones. There are, however, certain things you can do in order to slow down the inevitable wear. Rotating your shoes throughout the week is going to be the best form of prevention here. If possible, store your shoes in a cool, dry place where fluctuations in temperature and humidity are minimal. If you live in an area prone to excessive dust and dry weather, consider storing them in plastic to prevent debris accumulation.

            In comparison with suits, trousers, shirts, and tuxedos, maintenance considerations for dress shoes often go overlooked. The fact that keeping your shoes in good condition requires much less time than it does to launder and dry clean your clothes also means that it's an easy thing to let fall by the wayside. The first line of defense for premature wear, of course, is your own set of eyes. Paying closer attention to the condition of your shoes will allow you to maintain them as needed, so you can look like a million bucks each time you head into the office or get ready for a night on the town.

With so many finer details that go into perfecting one's formal ensemble, we've all had the tendency to overlook some of the more important components that can make or break an outfit. While there's no magic number regarding how many pairs of shoes you should keep in your wardrobe in order to minimize premature wear, having more than one at the very least is a good start. There are things you can do yourself to keep your shoes in top-notch condition and prolong their shelf life so having to replace them becomes less of an issue.

Keeping Your Shoes In Top-Notch Condition

            As winter approaches, one of the greatest benefits of formal wear is that it tends to be more conducive to chilly environments. Whether you choose to layer up or accessorize your formal ensemble with scarves and overcoats, dressing up can give you an advantage when it comes to both style and comfort, even on those days when you'd rather be sitting by the fireplace underneath a blanket at home. During the spring and summer months, your personal style combinations are somewhat limited by the number of clothing articles you can wear comfortably. When the weather gets colder, however, you'll likely need more clothing and accessories by default, which enables you to explore a wider array of style options when you get ready for the workday or venture out in the evening.

            But sometimes, the drawback to those extra layers is that all of it can feel too constricting and even look bulky. Comfort is important, but not at the expense of being unable to put your arms down to your sides. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to stay warm and do so in style, and this is where overcoats can save you a lot of trouble.

            While overcoats are generally associated with modes of formal dress, this is far from exclusive. Overcoats can also come in handy for those more casual outings, even if they were designed with formal attire in mind. Still, there are some overcoats on the market specifically made for pairing with casual attire, usually indicated by the material used or the shorter length of the coat. Since not all overcoats are made or designed the same way, it's important to pay attention to the finer details when shopping for overcoats you intend to match up with your formal wear.

            Perhaps the most important detail to look for when shopping for overcoats is the material. Depending on the composition and overall thickness of the fabric, the level of comfort offered by a specific jacket will vary. In milder climates, it makes more sense to go with something that has a lighter feel to it, and vice versa in areas that can be particularly harsh during the winter months. In this piece, we'll give you the rundown on the best materials for your overcoats so you can balance staying warm and comfortable with your own personal sense of style.

            In both casual and formal markets, you can expect to find the vast majority of overcoats in an assortment of natural materials, the most popular being wool, cashmere, cotton, and blends thereof.

            If you've come to familiarize yourself fairly well with formal wear, you'll know that wool has many intrinsic benefits as a material for suits and overcoats thanks to its wicking properties, helping you stay warm in the winter and comfortable even in the summer. Not that you would need to wear an overcoat in the summer, of course, but the functional mechanics of how wool works to your advantage remain the same. By drawing moisture away from your body, wool can keep you comfortable when it's warm while at the same time keeping you insulated when it's chilly. Soft to the touch and relatively easy to maintain, it's no surprise that wool has been and likely will remain the gold-standard fabric for jackets and overcoats in the realm of formal wear.

            For a slightly higher price point and some added warmth, cashmere remains another popular overcoat fabric. In a technical sense, cashmere is a distinct variety of wool derived from particular breeds of goats known for their softer and finer coats, but not all wools are considered cashmere. If you opt for a cashmere overcoat in lieu of one made from standard wool, each strand of fiber is going to be finer and thinner. Since these fibers also have to be woven more tightly together in order for the garment to keep its shape, they can trap heat more effectively than standard wool fibers that are more widely spaced apart. Cashmere also has some added perks from a style perspective, since many people prefer the softer and finer touch that cashmere wool offers.

            Flexible, versatile, and durable, it isn't any wonder why cotton remains a popular fabric choice for a variety of textiles. When it comes to formal wear, you'll be more likely to find cotton in dress shirts than in jackets and overcoats, but its lower price point can be an attractive option even for the latter. The main advantage of a cotton overcoat is its lighter weight. Depending on where you live, heavy wool or cashmere overcoat may not be necessary if you're more accustomed to mild winters where all that extra insulation isn't a must. The only drawback is that cotton overcoats tend to be better suited for casual outings, but this largely rests on the overall design of the coat more so than the material itself. When you need a coat that provides a little bit of extra warmth without weighing you down, cotton provides a stylish and functional alternative.

            As both functionality and style are important aspects of formal and casual wear, cotton blends can offer the best of both worlds. While this isn't always the case, the term cotton blends usually refer to a blended fabric that uses wool as its other constituent material, providing a balance of warmth, comfort, and durability suited for both formal and casual occasions. The added cotton fibers in the garment provide extra tensile strength, which can increase the longevity of the coat if you find yourself wearing outerwear frequently. Wool/cotton blends also tend to have a lower price tag than 100 percent wool fabrics, so you can save both in upfront costs and over the lifetime of the coat due to lower maintenance and a higher degree of durability. When you like the look of a wool overcoat but want some peace of mind in terms of added flexibility, cotton blends can give you a functional and stylish overcoat all in one. 

            With all the perks blends have to offer, they're not exclusively reserved for wool and cotton compositions. Some overcoats come available in a wool/cashmere blend, which is a solid choice for outerwear when you need to dress on the more formal side of things. While a blended wool overcoat won't be quite as soft to the touch as one made from 100 percent cashmere, it will be a little bit easier to care for over the lifetime of the coat. The tradeoff with cashmere's softness is its tendency to be more delicate than other fabrics. If it's combined with standard wool, the overcoat is likely to last a little bit longer and endure heavier use throughout the year. Compared to a standard wool coat, a cashmere blend will feel slightly warmer with those added finer strands woven into the fabric.

            These days, there are many fabrics marketed as flannel, but in the context of formal wear, flannel retains its original definition of merely being a thicker fabric made of wool. While the term is more associated with casual attire and plaid shirts, the extra thickness that flannel fabric provides can be a lifesaver in cold climates. The thicker strands found in flannel shirts and coats allow more air to be trapped between them, creating an insular buffer from the outer elements that in turn retains more heat. Although flannel tends to be a little coarser than traditional wool used for custom suits and tuxedos, the tradeoff is that you'll stay more comfortable when the weather isn't exactly favorable. The extra heat-retaining properties of flannel make it an excellent choice for overcoats and other assortments of outerwear. Whether you need that extra barrier from the cold for formal evening events or casual weekend outings, you can't really go wrong with adding a flannel overcoat to your wardrobe.

            Overcoats designed for pairings with formal wear generally use rayon and other cellulose-based semi-synthetic fabrics for the inner lining, the same materials used for linings found in most suit jackets, tuxedos, and blazers. Durable, cost-effective, and comfortable, standard rayon jacket liners are sufficient to provide structural integrity to your outerwear and prevent any unnecessary friction that could degrade the outer fabric of an overcoat over time.

            Depending on your personal preferences, you may want an overcoat that provides a little extra warmth. While less common in the formal realm, some overcoats available on the market today can be designed with inner fleece liners. Fleece, while a fully synthetic material derived from polyester, has many of the same benefits that wool offers but at a much lighter weight. As a result, a lighter overcoat with a fleece liner may end up feeling warmer than a heavier overcoat lined with rayon or other cellulose-based fabrics.

            While the added warmth from an overcoat can be a huge benefit in cold climates, sometimes protecting your formal wear from the elements is a higher priority than comfort alone. Depending on the manufacturer, some overcoats can dually function as raincoats in order to keep your suits and dress shirts protected from inclement weather. Here at Enzo Custom, our unstructured jackets can be customized to serve this purpose, providing inner comfort along with a protective outer shell.

            No matter what you need to add to your wardrobe for the upcoming fall and winter seasons, Enzo Custom has you covered. Our expert clothiers can help you through the process of finding the right suits, jackets, overcoats, and accessories that give you all the functionality you need as well as fitting to the standards of your own personal style. When you're ready to give your wardrobe that fall and winter upgrade, feel free to stop into one of our showrooms or make an appointment with us via videoconference.

As winter approaches, one of the greatest benefits of formal wear is that it tends to be more conducive to chilly environments. While overcoats are generally associated with modes of formal dress, this is far from exclusive. Overcoats can also come in handy for those more casual outings, even if they were designed with formal attire in mind.  If you've come to familiarize yourself fairly well with formal wear, you'll know that wool has many intrinsic benefits as a material for suits and overcoats thanks to its wicking properties, helping you stay warm in the winter and comfortable even in the summer.

The Best Materials For Overcoats

Throughout the bulk of the 20th century, it was hard to even think about formal attire—or any attire—without thinking about the sort of watch to correctly pair with it. As formal wear evolved, the wristwatch became almost as ubiquitous as the necktie and collar stay, with its visual prominence being a handy feature to complement a variety of suit styles for nearly every occasion. For events that called for rigid dress codes such as black-tie dinners and formal weddings, the watch was one of the few accessories that allowed gentlemen to be completely independent in terms of their style choices and could bring a tinge of unique charm to an otherwise uniform presentation among guests.

            While watches today are almost as popular as they ever were, they have waned slightly as smartphones have replaced the watch's basic functional utility. A gentleman's ability to quickly glance at the time and date no longer requires a wristwatch, as those basic functions can be hidden away in one's front inside jacket pocket and forgotten. Even with such a technological upgrade, however, the wristwatch can still bring an element of style to your formal ensemble that would otherwise be missing, especially when more and more people these days forego the watch altogether.

            From a visual standpoint, a wristwatch worn confidently and correctly has the innate ability to draw focus away slightly from the center of a gentleman's formal attire, which in turn helps bring to light all the other subtle nuances of a given outfit, rather than having the shirt and tie as the sole focal point. Counterintuitively, a watch can provide balance to one's formal wear even when it offsets the visual center to one side. Proportionality, of course, is the key factor when it comes to pulling off this look effectively.

            Even with watches not being quite as popular as they used to be, so many different types and styles of wristwatches exist on the market today that have the ability to complement formal attire quite nicely. Still, there are other types that could detract from an overall ensemble or look out of place. In this piece, we'll go over all the ins and outs of wearing a watch correctly with your formal wear, all the way from enhancing your style to the more functional considerations of wearing one.

            While a watch is certainly not a required accessory in the realm of formal wear, it almost never hurts your overall presentation. Just as smartphones have become sleeker over the years, wrist watches have also followed this trend to a degree. In previous years one of the biggest complaints about having to wear a watch was its perceived bulkiness and propensity to occasionally snag on one's sleeves. Today this is less of a concern, as watches don't require the same amount of bulk that they used to in order to accommodate all of their inner working mechanisms. Even with a prominent watch face, the watch's depth might only be less than a centimeter. This allows for better and more comfortable pairings with your formal attire, as a sleeker watch won't get in the way of your cuffs or jacket sleeves to any noticeable degree.

            Another great benefit to wearing a watch with your formal attire is that it can sometimes have the subtle effect of keeping you more socially engaged in the happenings around you. If you need to check the time, you can simply glance at your wrist without anyone noticing that you're doing it. Checking anything on your smartphone certainly won't go unnoticed, and while we've all been guilty of taking our phones out of our pockets when we probably shouldn't have, it's best to keep them stowed away for most formal occasions, the obvious reason being that it's at the very least considered slightly rude to pull them out mid-conversation.

            In spite of how much a wristwatch can add to one's formal attire, there are times when wearing one might be impractical or inconvenient. Considering that the average person might own only three or four watches over their lifetime, sometimes the watches at one's disposal are better suited for activities outside of the formal realm. This is not to say, however, that only expensive watch brands or analog watch faces are appropriate when it comes to formal attire. There are plenty of smartwatches out there with a sleek design that seamlessly complements the finer points of a formal ensemble, just as there are diving watches that could easily pass for something with a more upscale design in mind. Rather than a set price tag or a particular style, the most important things that will determine whether a given watch will work with a formal ensemble is how it looks and whether it's comfortable to wear. Judgment calls with your own eyes can work to your advantage here, so if your watch looks out of place with your three-piece suit or double-breasted jacket, your best bet is to leave your watch at home. Chances are, you'll know it when you see it as far as determining if something works or if something is visually off.

            The good news is that there aren't too many rules set in stone when it comes to deciding when and where to don a watch, as it is an accessory that serves a functional purpose in addition to an aesthetic one. Whether you're heading into the office or getting ready for another wedding on your calendar, you can't really go wrong with a wristwatch to help boost the overall visual appeal of your formal ensemble. 

            Not long ago, however, wearing a watch was discouraged in the context of black-tie affairs, as it was considered rude to look at one's watch during such a formal occasion. This unspoken rule in a modern context doesn't really apply anymore, and it's perfectly acceptable to wear a watch with a tuxedo. If you want to keep at least a shadow of that old tradition alive, choose a watch that has a more restrained, subtler presence over something that's bold and flashy.

            Just as visual presentation goes a long way in how a watch ultimately pairs with a given set of formal attire, so does how the watch functions in terms of placement.

            When accompanying your formal wear with a watch, one of the most important things to consider is the style of your dress shirt cuffs. Under most circumstances, standard barrel cuffs will do just fine, but that all depends on the size of the watch you plan to wear. If your watch face is particularly prominent or the band tends to be on the thicker side, consider wearing a dress shirt with mitered cuffs. The small amount of extra room offered by the beveled edge will allow your watch to sit comfortably at your wrist without causing your shirt cuffs to bunch up or snag.

            Most watches that pair well with formal wear have one of two types of bands: metal or leather. From a purely functional point of view, each type has its own pros and cons. Watches with leather bands tend to be more comfortable because they are softer to the touch as well as adjustable. In terms of comfort, metal bands vary because their position is usually fixed while you're wearing them and as a result have to be worn more loosely than a comparable watch with a leather band. No matter your preference, there are a few style considerations to keep in mind with each type.

            When wearing a watch with a leather band, the leather should closely match your belt and shoes as a general rule. Matching all three components in this way will provide visual symmetry to your formal ensemble. Since most belts and shoes are made of leather in a formal context, matching a metal watchband to these components to the letter isn't really possible. To solve this problem, you can match your metal watchband to the buckle on your belt instead. While it doesn't have to be exact, matching silver to silver, gold to gold, etc. will go a long way in providing balance to the presentation of your formal wear.

            The specific design and unique attributes of your watch, while important, will always matter less than overall proportionality. A watch face that's too big could detract from the rest of your formal attire, while a watch face that's too small might lessen the desired visual effects you wanted to achieve. On its own, the actual size of the watch face isn't as important as how it compares with other portions of your formal wear. A good rule of thumb to follow here is to try your best to match the size of your watch face with the size of the knot in your necktie. Again, this doesn't have to be exact, but each one will complement the other. Watches with bold prominent faces look best when paired with a Windsor knot, while watches that have a sleeker and subtler appeal to them might be better suited for a Half-Windsor or traditional four-in-hand knot that has a narrower visual spread.

            Taking all these different factors into consideration, the only way you'll know whether a watch enhances your formal attire is to try one for size. Whether a watch adds to your custom suit or tuxedo right off the bat or looks like it needs some fine-tuning, you'll likely know it right away by keeping a close eye on any deviations from your personal style preferences and making adjustments to your formal ensemble accordingly.

Throughout the bulk of the 20th century, it was hard to even think about formal attire—or any attire—without thinking about the sort of watch to correctly pair with it. While a watch is certainly not a required accessory in the realm of formal wear, it almost never hurts your overall presentation. Just as visual presentation goes a long way in how a watch ultimately pairs with a given set of formal attire, so does how the watch functions in terms of placement. While important, the specific design and unique attributes of your watch will always matter less than overall proportionality.

How To Wear A Watch With Your Formal Attire

Earlier this year, we discussed some of the many different ways a gentleman can fold his pocket squares to bring out the best in his personal style. More than just a simple piece of rectangular cloth meant for style enhancements, the pocket square started out as a practical hygienic accessory meant to wipe one's hands or face. While this utilitarian use fell out of favor over time, the pocket square remained a staple of men's formal wear in the years that followed. Given the pocket square's seemingly endless styles, we thought it would be a good idea to expand on the many other ways in which they can be folded so you can boost the number of style combinations available to you in your wardrobe, without having to add any more articles of clothing or accessories to do so.

            In this piece, we'll delve into some of the more advanced types of pocket square folds so you can really give your style that edge you've been looking for when the occasion calls for it. Even more encouraging from a style perspective, pocket squares tend to be less expensive than most other accessories in the formal realm, offering you the chance to keep several different colors and patterns on hand. Combine that with the many ways you can fold them and you'll never run out of style permutations at your disposal over the lifetime of your wardrobe.

            With so many pocket square styles to choose from, we'll start with the simpler ways to fold them, gradually ascending through the variations with increasing difficulty. Although we'll cover nine styles in this piece, the number of distinct pocket square folds can fall anywhere between 50 and 100. Accounting for the finer details and slight deviations from the more commonly known ways to fold a pocket square, that number likely goes higher. But for the purposes of practicality, you'll likely find something that fits your personal style when you stay within the double-digit range.

            The blanket fold is a popular choice for casual nights out, and although its appearance seems complex, it's actually quite easy to do. First, you'll want to lay your pocket square flat in the shape of a diamond. Pick up the center of the pocket square with your right thumb and index finger. Take your left hand and even out the sides, holding it in place. With your right index finger, tap the top of the pocket square, which should form a puff. Then, fold it in half and place it in your pocket. Each blanket fold will be slightly different, which will give your pocket square a casual charm. This fold works best with brighter colors and tighter, more intricate designs to accentuate the creases.

            The double presidential fold is a variation of the classic presidential fold. The main difference is that this one requires two pocket squares instead of one. To start, place two pocket squares side by side. Fold both of them in half. You should now have two rectangles in front of you. Place one of the pocket squares of your choosing on top of the other, ensuring that the bottom one shows slightly on the long side closest to you. Take the top pocket square and fold each side over the center; the pocket square should now be only a third as long as it was, with no change in its height. Take the bottom pocket square and fold it over the top one in the same way. You should now have a pocket square within a pocket square that you can easily slide into your front jacket pocket. For an enhanced visual effect, use pocket squares of contrasting colors. If your engagement is on the more formal side, this fold works best when the color contrast between pocket squares is subtler and more minimalist.

            The stair fold, or three-stairs fold as it is also known, is similar to the three-peaks fold only with a tighter appearance. With your pocket square on a flat surface in the shape of a diamond, fold the bottom corner into the center and flip the pocket square over. Carefully make two creases at the top of the pocket square without disturbing the triangular fold on the bottom; you should now have what's called an accordion fold at the top, with one vertical point on the pocket square slightly higher than the one beneath it. Then, take the entire pocket square and fold it in half over itself. Take the bottom right and top left corners of the pocket square and fold them underneath diagonally. This should yield a pocket square with a pointed tip and two creases resembling stair steps. The three-stairs fold works best with pocket squares made from cloth fabric, as the accordion fold can be a bit tricky when attempted with silk or nylon.

            The inverted triangle fold is essentially the single-peak fold upside down. In spite of the inversion, it's actually easier to do. With your pocket square on a flat surface in the shape of a diamond, fold it in half to yield a symmetrical triangle. Repeat this process by folding it into smaller triangles until your pocket square is small enough to fit inside your jacket pocket. Once you've reached your desired dimensions, insert the pocket square with the long side facing up. While this pocket square design might appear prone to popping out at a moment's notice, the repeated triangular folds should provide enough leverage to keep the pocket square firmly in its place.

            The spiral staircase fold follows some of the same steps as the three-stairs fold, the main difference being how it is formed at the very end. With your pocket square flat in the shape of a diamond, fold the bottom corner up to form a triangle. Take the point of the top layer of the pocket square and slide it down about an inch or two below the peak, then fold the lower point down so it rests beneath the long side of the pocket square. This should give you a crease and smaller peak that juts out from the bottom. With all the folds in place, flip the pocket square over from left to right. Then, take the top peak and fold it over itself once or twice to create more pleats; the top peak should end up in the same position as the bottom peak once this process is complete. Fold the pocket square in half from left to right. Take the right end of the pocket square and roll it down to the left and under to yield the desired spiral staircase look. In order to nail it down correctly, you may need to attempt this more than once, especially if you're using pocket squares made from fabrics with a tendency to slip.

            The switchback fold is similar to how the single-peak pocket square is folded, only with the inside facing out so the sharper creases are visible. With the pocket square flat, fold the top point down over the bottom one to form a triangle. Take the left point and fold it over the right point to form a smaller triangle. Then take the right point of the top fabric on the long side of the triangle and fold it toward the left, stopping just short of the endpoint. Do the same with the right point of the bottom fabric, stopping just short of the second point on the left. Fold the left side back and tuck the corners. You should now have a pocket square that displays two overlapping diagonal creases on the right side just below the peak. Whether you're heading off to a black-tie engagement or merely taking a casual night out, the switchback fold can give your personal style a sharp, elegant edge.

            For those occasions where you want your quirky side to shine, the stage pocket square fold will surely put the spotlight on your formal ensemble. While it only requires one pocket square, it certainly looks like you would have needed two to pull it off. Depending on the dimensions of your pocket square, you may want to fold it into a smaller square first so the intended effect will fit within the confines of your front pocket. With the square flat in the shape of a diamond, fold the top and bottom points in toward the center. Take the bottom edge and fold it up just below the top flat edge, which should form a crease at the half-inch mark. Fold the outer corners in so the points line up with the corners directly above them. Lastly, fold the newly formed outer edges in to create what looks like a stage from afar.

            Just like the double presidential fold, the layer cake fold requires two pocket squares, with visually stunning results. Lay both pocket squares on a flat surface and fold them both to make two rectangles. Move one rectangle over the other, slightly offset with the top layer about a quarter inch above the bottom layer. With both rectangles acting as one unit, fold the left side into the center at a slight angle. Then fold the right side completely over the left side, again at an angle. Adjust the width of the pocket squares by folding back any excess width. You should now have alternating layers of pocket squares ready to go. This fold works best when the color contrast between each pocket square is pronounced, or by using solid colors paired against a patterned or striped pocket square.

            Rounding out the more difficult pocket square folds in this piece, the bouquet fold can require a little bit of patience and works best with pocket squares made from cotton fabric, as using silk or nylon pocket squares might present a challenge when it comes to executing the accordion folds correctly. To begin, ensure that you have a flat surface such as a desk or coffee table. Carefully start from the top of the square and fold in an accordion pattern—flipping over the square as you make each fold—doing your best to yield eight equal folds that form an elongated rectangle. Fold this rectangle in half, taking your thumb and index finger to pinch both sides roughly two inches away from the frayed end. Insert the closed-loop bottom into your pocket and fluff the top ends if necessary. This style can work great with either patterned or solid-color pocket squares, perfect for those occasions that fall short of requiring a tuxedo. 

            While pocket squares shouldn't be seen as a quick fix to an outfit that is lacking in other areas, they do have the innate ability to elevate your personal style with class and subtlety. No matter what style of pocket square fold you choose, just make sure that it works with your ensemble from a visual perspective and fits properly with the time and place. For black-tie affairs, stick with solid colors with softer hues. For weddings and cocktail parties, don't be bashful about letting your personal style shine through with vivid pairings or more elaborate designs.

Earlier this year, we discussed some of the many different ways a gentleman can fold his pocket squares to bring out the best in his personal style. The blanket fold is a popular choice for casual nights out, and although its appearance seems complex, it's actually quite easy to do. The spiral staircase fold follows some of the same steps as the three-stairs fold, the main difference being how it is formed at the very end. While pocket squares shouldn't be seen as a quick fix to an outfit that is lacking in other areas, they do have the innate ability to elevate your personal style with class and subtlety.

Folding Pocket Squares To Fit Your Style (Part II)

            The finer details of one's formal attire come in many forms, all of which serve a functional and stylistic purpose. The cuffs on your dress shirt, trousers, and jacket are no different in this regard, not only functioning as endpoints of your clothing articles but also providing subtle accents to your own personal style. No matter the type of cuff you prefer, it should always mesh with the rest of your formal ensemble in a way that brings your style up a notch rather than throwing it off kilter. In other words, your cuff style is one of those things that shouldn't be noticeable right off the bat but instead works its way into the foreground of your formal attire after you've made your rounds and introductions for any given day at the office or evening engagement.

            Although many gentlemen don't put too much stock into their cuff styles, the good news is that when it comes to trousers, jackets, and especially dress shirts, you have choices. What you ultimately choose, however, may end up resting with the particular degree of formality you need for a specific occasion. Cuffs that look nice at the office might not be the best choice for a black-tie dinner and vice versa. From a functional standpoint, French cuffs aren't the most convenient style if you tend to roll up your sleeves at the end of the day. Likewise, a standard barrel cuff could be cumbersome if you normally wear a watch on a daily basis. Depending on your preferred choice of shoes, your trousers may need a longer cuff length.

            The most important aspect of choosing a cuff style that's right for you rests heavily on how it looks with the rest of your outfit, as well as how practical it is for your personal taste. In this piece, we'll go over the more common cuff styles associated with formal wear so you'll be more prepared when you need to add another jacket, dress shirt, or pair of pants to your wardrobe.

            When most people think of cuff styles, the dress shirt is usually the first thing that comes to mind. This isn't really all that surprising when you consider that dress shirts, compared to other pieces of formal attire, tend to have the most options as far as cuff styles go.

            The barrel cuff is something all of us have encountered at some point or another, as it is the most common style and not exclusive to formal dress shirts. Many casual long-sleeve shirts made from materials such as denim and corduroy also utilize the barrel cuff due to its simplicity, versatility, and ease of manufacture. In the context of formal wear, the barrel cuff offers a classic, subtle, and restrained look ideal for everyday office attire as well as daytime and evening engagements outside of the workplace. The barrel cuff is normally offered with one button sewn in, which allows the cuff to stay relatively flat around your wrist as opposed to jutting out.

            Almost visibly indistinguishable from a barrel cuff, the two-button rounded cuff is slightly longer and, as its name would obviously indicate, offers an additional button. From an aesthetic standpoint, the two-button cuff is a tad more formal than its one-button barrel counterpart, yet still offers the same degree of restraint and subtlety.

            Mitered cuffs come in both one- and two-button varieties, easily distinguishable by a beveled edge at the outer button closure. Offering a slightly sharper stylistic form compared to other dress shirt cuff types, mitered cuffs are popular with gentlemen who prefer wearing watches due to the extra space provided by the angled end. Wearing a watch with barrel and rounded cuffs can occasionally cause issues with comfort and bunching. Mitered cuffs alleviate these potential problems.

            Although less popular today than they were in their heyday, cocktail cuffs are worth mentioning for their unique appearance. Also known as turn-back cuffs and James Bond cuffs due to their association with the iconic character, the cuffs when laid flat have two buttons and a parabolic edge. The unconventional design yields an eye-catching visual presentation, as the cuff is meant to be folded over itself once and expose the buttons on the underside of the cuff between the edges that meet together at the wrist. Some dress shirts with this style are even deliberately tailored to show off color or pattern on the bottom of the cuff that differs greatly from the rest of the shirt when enhanced accents and contrasts are desired.

            Compared to other dress shirt cuff types, the French cuff is considered to be more formal than the rest. Popular with black-tie engagements and events where a three-piece suit would be appropriate, French cuffs can effortlessly add a layer of flair to your ensemble. Unlike other styles where cufflinks are optional, French cuffs always require cufflinks in lieu of buttons sewn into the shirt fabric, making them easily recognizable. The ends of the cuff protrude out instead of staying circular around the wrist, which allows even more style variation based upon the potential endless selection of cufflinks one has at their disposal. Just be sure to wear your cufflinks so the ornamental side of them is facing out. This rule should also be followed if you opt to use cufflinks for other dress shirt cuff styles.

            The cuffs on your pants will largely depend on the degree of formality you seek. In the context of formal wear, many trouser types omit cuffs altogether due to their perception of being more appropriate for casual affairs, but this wasn't always so. In place of cuffs, the way in which the pants are hemmed becomes the stylistic equivalent. This is not to say that trouser cuffs are completely absent from the formal realm, only that cuffed pants have gradually fallen out of favor while the flat, sleeker look of the hemline is preferred.

            The standard for most suit pants these days is the plain hem, where the lower edge of each pant leg is parallel to the ground. Stylish as it is versatile, the plain hem works well to complement suit styles across the board and an equally diverse number of shoe pairings. Depending on personal preference and functional considerations such as shoe size and overall stature, the height of a plain hemline can be adjusted by a tailor if necessary.

            In comparison, a slanted hem is angled away from the ground slightly, providing a sharper, more defined aesthetic. While this style has potential to enhance your formal wear, you should consider it carefully, as it can also have the opposite effect by turning a perfectly tailored suit into an awkward spectacle that will certainly stand out, just not in the way you want it to. The main benefit of a slanted hem is to accommodate certain types of shoes that taper up toward the heel. A plain hem in this case could appear too baggy or even snag if the hemline is too long, so opting for the slanted hem may be the better choice depending on the particular pair of shoes you choose to wear with a given suit in your wardrobe.

            In spite of their waning popularity, some gentlemen still opt for trouser cuffs over having the hemline exposed. Ideal for everyday workplace settings, trouser cuffs can provide a subtle softness to an outfit that otherwise would be absent, so long as the suit pants are pleated. While there's no rule set in stone regarding the length of the cuff, between 1.5 and 2 inches is generally considered to be standard. Proportion to a person's height tends to be more important than the exact measurement of the cuff itself.

             While the cuffs on your jacket are never meant to be rolled or folded in the same vein as the cuffs on your dress shirts and trousers, they do exist. For jacket cuffs, closer attention is paid to how the buttons are laid out and how many are present. When it comes to formal custom suits today, four buttons is the most common number for the main British, American, and Italian styles. It's also not uncommon to see jackets with three buttons at the cuff, although as a general rule, the presence of fewer buttons translates to a lower degree of formality. Suit jackets with one or two buttons at the cuff are less common, but some gentlemen prefer the understated look that fewer buttons can offer, even in formal settings; it can work so long as the suit is properly tailored and carries its own weight in terms of form and aesthetic presentation.

            The buttons on the cuffs of your suit jacket are normally laid out, or finished, in one of two ways: working or slanted. Working buttonholes, sometimes referred to as surgeon's cuffs, are parallel to the ground while slanted ones are angled slightly away from the floor when the jacket is in a vertical resting position. Many suits today also come standard with decorative buttons only, which means no buttonholes are present, but this jacket cuff type is more common with off-the-rack options. Bespoke and custom suits tend to be offered with functional buttonholes, even though their main purpose is to be decorative. While they can technically be undone and rolled up, in most circumstances they should always stay fastened. Choosing which type for your suit jacket comes down to a matter of personal preference, as all the aforementioned types are acceptable in formal settings. Slanted buttonholes, however, might be better suited to your personal style sensibilities if you desire a bit more of an edge.

            Aside from the buttonholes, the buttons themselves on your suit jacket cuffs can be arranged and spaced to your liking. Considered to be one of the more minute details of formal wear, men who pay more attention to these subtleties will appreciate the additional choices. The most common arrangement is for the buttons to be flat; in other words, evenly spaced with no overlap. When the buttons are in a kissing arrangement, the ends of each button just barely touches the next one, which requires closer spacing and stitching. Waterfall button arrangements present a unique visual, where each button overlaps the one above it. 

            With so many cuff styles along with the resulting greater number of combinations possible when you consider how to perfectly pair the cuffs on your dress shirts, jackets, and trousers together, nailing down the exact look you want for a given formal ensemble isn't always easy. Here at Enzo Custom, our clothiers can guide you in the right direction, as every custom suit will never look quite the same when you consider those finer, subtler details. Whether you're ready to add some new formal wear to your wardrobe or simply need to tweak some of those finer points, don't hesitate to schedule an appointment with us in one of our stores or digitally from the comfort of your own home.

The finer details of one's formal attire come in many forms, all of which serve a functional and stylistic purpose. The cuffs on your dress shirt, trousers, and jacket are no different in this regard, functioning as endpoints of your clothing articles and providing subtle accents to your own personal style. Although many gentlemen don't put too much stock into their cuff styles, the good news is that you have choices when it comes to trousers, jackets, and especially dress shirts. The most important aspect of choosing a cuff style that's right for you rests heavily on how it looks with the rest of your outfit and how practical it is for your personal taste.

Cuff Styles For Every Occasion

Throughout a good chunk of formal wear's history, tie clips have been seen as more or less an afterthought, even somewhat of an unnecessary gimmick that neither adds nor takes away from a gentleman's overall ensemble. While those who pay no mind to tie clips would be right in saying that they are technically unnecessary, they would be wrong to assume that tie clips add nothing to a gentleman's formal wear. Although a tie clip won't necessarily make or break an outfit, a tie clip can be significantly more powerful from a stylistic perspective in spite of its insignificant size. In the same vein as lapel pins and cufflinks, sometimes the smallest accessories can make a large difference in the overall presentation of a formal custom suit.

            Tie clips, in their modern form, can trace back their origins to stick pins and tie tacks that became more popular in the early 1870s. Neckties of the day were very lightweight compared to the material used today, so gentlemen needed a way to prevent their ties from blowing in the wind or wrinkling as a result of too much movement. Toward the middle part of the 20th century, many businessmen started to shed their waistcoats as part of their day-to-day outfits and in turn gave way for a more convenient method of securing their neckties in place. Rather than using a stick pin to puncture through the tie to the shirt placket, a clip could simply be slid over the middle part of the tie—unobstructed by a waistcoat—and the outer part of the shirt placket to hold the tie in its correct position.

            Thus the tie clip became commonplace for everyday office attire until fashion trends changed yet again. Sometime in the mid 1980s tie clips fell out of favor and by the 1990s all but disappeared into obsolescence. In the last decade or so, tie clips have been making a bit of a comeback, albeit on a smaller scale compared to the peak of their popularity. But as with many things fashion-related that wax and wane over time, what was once deemed anachronistic can become new again with the right attention to detail. Whether you're eyeballing a few new suits for your wardrobe or wanting to add a little extra flair to something you've been wearing to the office for years, tie clips can bring your personal style up a notch or two without too much effort. In this piece, we'll show you how to make the most of your tie clips as they slowly come back into the collective consciousness of formal wear fashion trends.

            While tie clips of all forms effectively serve the same purpose, not all tie clips are the same in terms of how they function. Even the term itself deserves a bit of disambiguation. In general terms, a tie clip refers to anything that holds a necktie in place over a shirt placket without using tacks or pins to puncture through it. More technically, a tie clip uses a small spring mechanism that clamps down on the tie and the shirt placket. Tie bars, on the other hand, slip over the tie and the shirt placket without using a spring mechanism to hold everything in place. From the outside, tie clips and tie bars will look exactly the same, so it's no surprise why tie bars are also referred to as tie clips most of the time. To sum up the terminology, a tie bar is a form of tie clip, but not all tie clips can be classified as tie bars. It's a very subtle, almost inconsequential difference, but the distinction comes in handy if you need something to hold your tie in place that can't rely on the thickness of the tie or shirt placket alone. A tie clip, in comparison to a tie bar, will give your tie a little extra security because of its spring mechanism as opposed to a tie bar. For most general purposes, however, the terms tie clip and tie bar can be treated like they are synonymous, especially as many tie clips on the market today are of the tie bar variety.

            Considering where a tie clip is placed, the function it serves should be pretty obvious. The main purpose of a tie clip is to hold a necktie in place. The two biggest enemies of your necktie are always going to be wind and food. Without a tie clip, your necktie can be quite vulnerable to both.

            Formal wear, whether worn indoors or outside, tends to look best when it can be left alone. Those blustery days can make this nearly impossible, especially when you have to fidget with the positioning of your tie every so often just to keep it centered. Fastening your tie to your shirt placket with a tie clip eliminates the need for constant readjusting, even when weather conditions are less than ideal.

            Perhaps even more annoying than a windy day is the tendency for neckties to get in the way of enjoying a decent meal, whether you're darting out for a quick sandwich on your lunch break or showing up to a more formal engagement in the evening. Spills from coffee, soup, or salad dressing will happen from time to time, but it's best to minimize the chances of these things ending up on your formal wear. The tie, unfortunately, is the most susceptible to these mishaps. Using a tie clip to hold your necktie in a fixed position drastically reduces the chance that it will pick up any unwanted guests from your soup of the day or after-dinner coffee. It also eliminates the need to remove your tie altogether or throw it over your shoulder; the former is inconvenient while the latter can look sloppy and out of place. While stains from things like coffee or even red wine aren't too difficult to remove, prevention with a tie clip is always easier than treatment.

            Just as most components of formal wear serve a functional purpose, the tie clip also provides a stylistic one.  Tie clips generally measure 2 inches in length, so the stylistic effect is subtle, but important nonetheless.

            When worn correctly, a tie clip should always add something to a formal ensemble. If it looks like it's taking anything away, then the tie clip is probably too long for your tie, too wide, or excessively ornate for the suit you're wearing. The key aspect to keep in mind for tie clips and other small accessories is that they should never stand out to a degree that looks out of place. Given that popular tie clips today tend to have very clean rectangular lines that don't stray away too much from minimalist subtlety, it would be difficult to go overboard in terms of style. However, our collective experience would tell us that caution shouldn't be thrown completely to the wind. While a tie clip more intricately designed could work quite well with a two-piece black or navy blue suit, it might look odd when it's paired with a herringbone jacket or a brightly colored tie. Chances are, if something ends up being wonky or awkward, you'll know it when you see it and adjust accordingly.

            When it comes to nailing down your formal wear to exactly how you want it, comfort is half the battle. The rest, of course, is all in how it looks. As far as tie clips go, the ideal position for them is going to be a couple inches above the closing button of your jacket. For standard two-piece suits, this will be the top button on your jacket, since the bottom one should never be fastened. A tie clip that's positioned below this point will lose its intended stylistic effect, while one that rests too high can give your formal wear an undesirable loudness. The whole point of a tie clip, other than its functional purpose, is to catch one's eye but at the same time not become the focal point of your formal ensemble. Positioning it just right will allow you to achieve that.

            If you choose to incorporate tie clips and tie bars into your formal attire, you should pay more close attention to the type of knot you regularly use for tying your necktie. Tie clips tend to look better when they're matched with a symmetrical knot as opposed to an asymmetrical one. A Windsor or Half-Windsor knot paired with a tie clip will give your formal attire a better visual balance than what you could achieve with a four-in-hand knot, for example.

            It's also important to be aware of the color of your tie, as well as any patterns you might have on your shirt or jacket. If your tie is particularly busy or your dress shirt has pinstripes, erring on the more minimalist side of things when it comes to your tie clip will do wonders for your overall look. Consider a thin rectangular tie clip with a gold or silver patina to it, rather than something more intricate that could look out of place against a patterned shirt or a tie that leans toward the wild side of style. While there's a time and place for more intricately designed tie clips, they work best when paired with solid, more subdued color schemes.

            On a final note, one of the most redeeming qualities about tie clips, other than their compact size, is the versatility they provide. You shouldn't ever have to worry about feeling out of place if you choose to wear one, no matter what sort of event you may be attending. The only exception, of course, is when you're wearing a bow tie or none at all.

Throughout a good chunk of formal wear's history, tie clips have been seen as more or less an afterthought, even somewhat of an unnecessary gimmick that neither adds nor takes away from a gentleman's overall ensemble. Tie clips, in their modern form, can trace back their origins to stick pins and tie tacks that became more popular in the early 1870s. While tie clips of all forms effectively serve the same purpose, not all tie clips are the same in terms of how they function.

Tie Clips Are Coming Back. Here's How To Make The Most Of Them.

Custom suits, in comparison with their off-the-rack and made-to-measure cousins, possess the innate ability to stand out in both concrete and abstract ways, from the materials that go into them to the finer points of style that shine through as a result of closer measurements and better color pairings. But there's a key component of every suit that is often overlooked, even though it pulls a lot of weight in determining a suit's breathability, how it wears, and its structural integrity. While suit jacket lining is perhaps one of the least visible components of formal wear, it is no less important than the others.

            Regardless of the type of suit you might have been eyeballing to add to your wardrobe's rotation, paying closer attention to the lining of the jacket will put you miles ahead of other professionals who rush into purchasing something based on visual aesthetics alone. As structural integrity is closely tied to longevity in the realm of formal wear, it's important to understand the subtleties of how most suit jackets are lined. Some jackets on the market don't come with any lining at all, while others are only half-lined, omitting any material on the inside of the jacket vents. Most custom suits come fully lined, as the benefits of a fully lined jacket greatly outweigh the drawbacks of such a design.

            As a general rule, natural materials tend to be superior when it comes to formal wear. Suit jacket lining, however, is an exception. Most suit jacket linings today are made from semi-synthetic blends that use natural fibers combined with manmade materials at various ratios depending on both the material in question and the manufacturer. Things like cost, breathability, structure, and maintenance all play a significant role in favoring blended fabrics over natural ones when it comes to jacket lining.

            In addition to the aforementioned attributes we touched on, comfort is also a major concern, especially for professionals who are required to wear formal attire for extended periods of time throughout the workday. Just as the type of outer material and the weight of it on any given jacket can influence the comfort level of a formal ensemble, so does the inner lining. In this piece, we'll go over all the finer details and everything else you need to know about suit jacket lining, so you'll be prepared and well informed before your next custom suit purchase.

            Nearly all suit jackets available today are lined in three different ways. Most custom suits come fully lined. Suits sold in department stores off the rack may be fully lined or half-lined. Even still, some jackets come equipped unlined, with no inner fabric different from the outer shell at all.

            In the realm of formal wear, a fully lined jacket is considered superior to the other types. The greatest benefit to a fully lined custom suit jacket is, of course, structural integrity. The inner lining of a jacket, even if it's just a thin layer, will prevent friction on the outer material, which in turn will increase the jacket's longevity. A fully lined jacket is also less prone to wrinkles while you're wearing it as well as during prolonged periods of storage. As jacket liners tend to be relatively lightweight and smooth to the touch, another benefit of a full liner is that your dress shirt won't catch or snag on the inner fibers of your jacket thanks to that extra barrier. The only potential downside of a fully lined jacket is the mere presence of yet another layer in your formal wear. This could potentially cause issues relating to discomfort in warmer climates, but usually won't so long as a breathable, lightweight material is used for the full inner liner.

            In comparison, the drawbacks of having no liner at all are quite obvious. The added structural integrity a liner provides allows a suit jacket to better fit in accordance with the contours of the body. Without a liner, the jacket will have the tendency to droop down in some places while bunching up in others. As visual symmetry is a vital component in the stylistic aspects of formal wear, it's clear why jacket liners are commonplace among custom retailers.

            Liners, unlike the outer fabrics of a custom suit, tend to skew toward semi-synthetic materials due to their superior structure, form-holding capabilities, and reduced cost. Since the inner liner isn't usually visible when a suit is worn, aspects such as texture and appearance are slightly less important than they are in relation to the parts of the suit people can actually see.

            In spite of what's common, some bespoke tailors insist on using silk as an inner jacket liner because of the fabric's prestige, but this of course can drive up the cost of a custom suit considerably. Although silk is a natural material, its delicate nature when it comes to things like moisture and heat makes it less suitable for use as a liner than other materials with a little more durability under their belt.

            Most suit liners available today, for custom tailoring along with off-the-rack options, use various forms of rayon fabric, which is an umbrella term for different materials made from cellulose fibers left over during the textile manufacturing process. There are, however, slight differences between the rayon variations that tailors use, from where the rayon fibers originate to the manufacturing processes themselves.

            Cupro is a very popular rayon fabric for jacket liners. Due to the way it feels, it is commonly mistaken for silk even though it is made from cellulose fibers derived from recycled cotton. As a part of the process, the fibers are treated in a cuprammonium solution (hence the name), which gives the material its silky characteristics. Because cupro is derived from cotton, the material's properties are very similar to those of cotton textiles in terms of how it breathes and holds up to stress. As a result of all these intrinsic properties, cupro is a choice fabric for jacket liners in the realm of custom formal wear.

            Viscose and its associated blends are also very popular for use as suit jacket liners. While viscose is similar to cupro in its overall texture and design, the difference lies in the source of the cellulose fibers and the way those fibers are processed. Originally developed as an artificial substitute for silk in 1894, many viscose fabrics today derive their constituent cellulose fibers from wood in lieu of cotton, which can bring down the overall cost of a jacket liner significantly.

            For a time, acetate fabric also enjoyed popularity for textile applications including jacket liners, gowns, and even home furnishings. Even though acetate fabric is also sourced from cellulose fibers, the chemicals used to treat it give acetate significantly different properties than other, more improved rayons available today. The biggest downside of acetate is that it does not breathe very well at all. Since breathability is vital to individual comfort when it comes to jacket liners, it's not the best choice for this use. It's also prone to wrinkling and even melting if it's exposed to too much heat.

            Some suit manufacturers opt for fully synthetic fabrics like polyester for their jacket liners in place of the better semi-synthetic compounds we mentioned, primarily as a cost-saving measure. Polyester is extremely durable, withstanding high amounts of heat, friction, and tensile stress. Just like acetate, however, polyester doesn't breathe very well and has a reputation for causing feelings of stuffiness and discomfort. While custom tailors might offer manmade fabrics like polyester for their jacket liners as a way to bring down the overall budget of a finished product, going with cupro or viscose is a better option in the long run.

            Because the lining of a custom suit jacket isn't usually visible, it might be a little perplexing as to why tailors offer so many colors and designs for it. After all, wouldn't it make sense to just use a plain color so long as it's applied to the preferred material?

            At first glance, the obvious answer to this question is yes. But suit jacket lining, in addition to its practical purpose, is yet another subtle way to project an element of personal style that provides a visually appealing accent to your formal ensemble, however brief it may be visible to others. In fact, because suit jacket lining is hardly visible, it is much easier to get away with more colors, designs, and patterns that can pair well with the other subtle elements of your formal wear.

            There's not really a hard set of rules you have to follow when choosing the color and design of your jacket liner when you have those options, but as a general guideline, the inner liner of your custom suit jacket should complement, rather than detract from, the overall makeup and design of the custom suit as a whole.

            Formal tuxedos that strictly adhere to the black-tie dress code, for example, should have a jacket liner that reflects subtlety and tradition; anything with too much color in this case could throw off the balance and restraint that is expected from black-tie attire. On the other hand, suits that stray away from black, navy blue, and neutral grey's might fare better with a liner that's a little more lively and colorful. Jacket liners for suits in pastel shades can greatly benefit from more intricate designs, as that extra tinge of vibrancy can make the overall ensemble shine a little bit brighter than the others in the room.

            Here at Enzo Custom, we strive to give our customers a wide array of options to choose from, down to every last component that goes into the finished product. Whether you go with 100 percent cupro or viscose blends for your jacket liners, each fabric is available in a variety of colors, patterns, and styles in order to best fit your personal preferences. As so many options can sometimes be overwhelming, our clothiers are more than happy to guide you in the right direction. To get started on the next formal addition to your wardrobe, feel free to book an appointment with us in one of our physical locations or online if you feel more comfortable at home.

Custom suits, in comparison with their off-the-rack and made-to-measure cousins, possess the innate ability to stand out in both concrete and abstract ways, from the materials that go into them to the finer points of style that shine through as a result of closer measurements and better color pairings. Regardless of the type of suit you might have been eyeballing to add to your wardrobe's rotation, paying closer attention to the lining of the jacket will put you miles ahead of other professionals who rush into purchasing something based on visual aesthetics alone.

Suit Jacket Lining: Everything You Need To Know

            When it comes to formal attire, there's a lot of emphasis placed on the sort of shoes you wear, and this is no accident. Although the saying goes that you should never judge a book by its cover, shoes can say a lot about how people carry themselves, in both the literal and abstract sense. Wearing sneakers or gym shoes with a suit of any kind signifies carelessness. Showing up with undone laces gives away hints of being rushed and in a hurry. Shoes that are worn well past their shelf life can unwittingly project a propensity to ignore the finer details about things. As superficial as it all sounds, appearance is everything in formal contexts, and a pair of shoes that looks out of place can throw off the entire look of an outfit, no matter how well your suit is stitched or your shirt is ironed.

            Achieving a balance between comfort and style is of utmost importance with any piece of formal wear. When it comes to shoes, this concept is especially vital, as they can either be the best or worst part of your outfit depending on how they fit and how they look. Since shoes are the only part of your formal wear that should be in contact with the ground, it's important to ensure comfort while maintaining a sharp appearance in line with the rest of your outfit for any given occasion.

            Thankfully, formal wear offers a ton of options when it comes to shoes. With the exception of black-tie affairs that generally require patent-leather shoes to pair with a tuxedo, dress codes that fall short of that don't have too many rigid guidelines for what types of formal shoes you can get away with, so long as they're, of course, formal. Oxfords, Derbies, and Loafers of all types mesh well with different subcategories of formal attire, whether you're opting for a three-piece suit or a more casual ensemble that doesn't require a jacket. Deciding to go with shoes that have laces or ones that merely slip on is more or less a matter of personal preference, with a few nuances to keep in mind depending on how you wish to balance overall comfort with style for any given setting. In this piece, we'll go over the pros and cons of laced and unlaced dress shoes, so you can better decide what works for you and your own sense of style.

            While comfort is often subjective, many gentlemen swear by the better feel of laced shoes, simply because the tightness of the shoe is adjustable. Having laces takes the guesswork out of ensuring the correct thickness of your socks to achieve that perfect fit. Although it's always best to buy shoes that are comfortable to your liking, having laces on your dress shoes will give you the ability to adjust your comfort level when it's necessary to do so.

            Just like watch bands and collar stays, laces are replaceable and interchangeable. When they lose their luster and rigidity over time, there's no need to go out and buy a brand new pair of shoes. Simply replace the laces to breathe some new life into those old Oxfords or Derbies, so long as the rest of the shoe is in good condition. If you find yourself in a position where you're required to wear dress shoes more often than not, it's always a good idea to keep a few spare sets of laces in your wardrobe so you're prepared when the time comes to change them out and replace them.

            Another benefit to laced dress shoes is that they're incredibly versatile, even outside the realm of traditional formal wear. No one will ever look at you twice for wearing a pair of nicely polished Oxfords with a comfortable pair of jeans for a casual night out, and doing so might give your everyday wear a bit of a boost in terms of how you carry your personal style in less formal settings.

            With all the benefits laced dress shoes offer, there are some downsides. For one, laces do wear out over time, whether they're made from leather or cloth fabric, as they're all prone to friction from lacing them, tying them, and from the gradual resistance of your trouser cuffs. As leather is more prone to temperature extremes and fluctuations in relative humidity, leather laces tend to become brittle and may need to be replaced frequently. Fabric laces, on the other hand, are vulnerable to fraying over time and also need to be changed out every now and then. While replacement laces aren't hard to come by, it's important to keep a close eye on how quickly they wear down before they lose their functionality altogether.

            Whether you're dealing with belts, ties, suspenders, or shoelaces, repeated movement throughout the day tends to loosen things up, and not in a good way. By virtue of merely having laces to begin with, your dress shoes will be more prone to coming undone at the most inconvenient times. To avoid those mildly embarrassing mishaps, consider using double knots or shortening the length of your shoelaces, as this will reduce the chance that they will snag on something or come undone by friction alone.

            If you're well versed in the realm of formal wear, we'll just assume you don't need a review lesson on how to tie your shoes. However, everyone sort of has their own unique quirks when it comes to tying their shoes, some of which work better than others. Laced dress shoes can look sloppy from time to time, especially if we're in a hurry. Laces that are too long will yield larger loops, which can throw off the look of a professionally tailored custom suit. If something doesn't look quite right before you head out the door, you probably shouldn't doubt your own eyes. Either shorten your laces or tie them in such a way that provides a cleaner, less cluttered look around your formal footwear.

            The obvious benefit of unlaced dress shoes is that they're relatively hassle-free so long as they're sized correctly. All you have to do is slip them on and head out the door without a second thought. When punctuality is a must, that extra minute or two you'll save by not having to tie your shoes can give you a leg up on your morning commute.

            To reiterate, while measures of comfort aren't precisely quantified, it's worth noting that some gentlemen prefer the perceived extra space afforded by dress shoes sans laces. Without any laces that could potentially constrict the movement of your feet, that extra wiggle room can go a long way especially if you're required to stand up for extended periods of time. You may find that unlaced dress shoes such as loafers have fewer pressure points than laced varieties. But as this can be dependent upon your own measurements and the manufacturer, it's always best to try them on for size before making any commitments.

            Without laces, logic would correctly dictate that it's impossible for a shoe to become untied or undone. When you're frequently on the move, whether it's between offices or traveling abroad, opting for footwear without laces gives you one less thing to worry about when time is of the essence. 

            For unlaced dress shoes, there are still some considerations you should keep in the back of your mind. For one, since it's easy to slip into a pair of loafers, it's also easy to slip out of them. Precise measurements tend to be more important with unlaced dress shoes than they are with laced ones, since there's a little less room for error. While comfort is especially important for your shoes, it's best to balance it with functional utility. Retying your shoes every now and then can be a bit of a pain, but slipping out of your shoes is an even bigger problem.

            Comfort can also vary considerably depending on the thickness of your socks, as this will also relate to how well your unlaced dress shoes will stay on. Since shoe sizes vary between brands and manufacturers, getting the fit and feel just right can take a little bit more time than it does with a pair of laced dress shoes. The upside is that dress shoes of both varieties will break in over time, so if you're on the fence as far as sizing goes, you might be better off if you go with something that feels snug rather than too loose from the get-go.

            As we've established that both laced and unlaced dress shoes are great for any formal occasion, one type isn't necessarily better than the other. From a style standpoint though, your shoes simply have to work with the rest of your outfit. Just as you wouldn't wear a pair of Derbies with a tuxedo, it wouldn't make sense to wear brown loafers with a black suit. In any case, paying close attention to making sure that your shoes match your belt at the very least is always a good habit to get into; mixing and matching belts and shoes, in the context of formal occasions anyway, is pretty much guaranteed to throw off the look of your entire ensemble. From an aesthetic perspective, it's much better for your shoes to blend in and complement your formal attire rather than stick out like a sore thumb.

            Whether you have a preference for laced or unlaced dress shoes (or no preference at all), it's best to keep at least a couple of each in your wardrobe so you can stay prepared for any type of occasion that arises. After all, keeping your options open is one of the hallmarks of formal wear in terms of perfecting your personal sense of style over time.

When it comes to formal attire, there's a lot of emphasis placed on the sort of shoes you wear, and this is no accident. Although the saying goes that you should never judge a book by its cover, shoes can say a lot about how people carry themselves, in both the literal and abstract sense

Laced vs. Unlaced Dress Shoes: Personal Preference and Practicality

Formal wear would cease to be formal at all without the ever-present anchor that holds an ensemble together, and we're of course referring to the properly maintained and stylish dress shirt. In spite of all the fashion trends over the years that have deviated from the traditional button-down toward crew necks, polo shirts, and even turtlenecks, it's hard to envision a custom suit paired with anything but a crisp, clean, and collared dress shirt, especially in the context of professional and other formal settings. The classic appeal of the dress shirt has stood the test of time and certainly isn't going away anytime soon.

            But just like custom suits themselves, dress shirts are offered in a variety of materials, each of which has its perks and drawbacks. The most common material used for dress shirts is by far cotton, largely in part due to its ease of manufacture, durability, and breathability as a fabric. Linen is also a popular choice because of its light weight and overall more comfortable feel, and this is especially beneficial in the summer months. While blended fabrics might not hold the same clout as 100 percent natural materials, they're still popular due to their increased durability and lower price point.

            Some gentlemen, however, prefer silk above all other types of materials for their dress shirts, in spite of the perceived higher costs and more delicate maintenance considerations. Although silk shirts aren't always going to be appropriate for every circumstance or inclement conditions outdoors, what silk may lack in terms of maintenance and cost is compensated by an impeccable style and unmatched comfort due to silk's unique intrinsic properties. As it is also one of the world's oldest materials used for clothing, it's no surprise that silk has found its niche in the realm of formal wear as it evolved into its current form, being the choice material for neckties, bow ties, higher-end dress shirts, and pocket squares.

            Stylish and sleek, silk dress shirts can elevate the formal wear in your wardrobe to new heights. When donned correctly, silk shirts can exude a particular shine and brashness that is somewhat lacking in other types of materials. Worn either by themselves or stylishly paired with a custom suit, silk shirts can add that extra tinge of flair you've been looking for while simultaneously possessing a subtlety that's all but impossible to go without in formal modes of dress. In this piece, we'll go over the pros and cons of silk shirts, and how they compare to other fabrics.

            The way in which silk is manufactured requires a great deal of complexity in the process itself as well as a certain level of ethical scrutiny due to how the silk is harvested. The silk that eventually makes its way into shirts, ties, dresses, and other textiles comes from the cocoons of silkworms prior to their full-grown moth stage. As a time-saving measure, much of the silk processed today is done in the same way it has been done for thousands of years, by harvesting the cocoons before the moths are allowed to hatch. Starting in the 1990s and beyond, the practice of harvesting silk cocoons after the silkworms leave them behind became more commonplace, which causes no harm to the moths. Ahimsa silk, as the latter process is referred to, is more sustainable but simultaneously more costly than traditional harvesting methods. As it takes 10 days before the moths hatch from their cocoons, this can slow down the silk production process considerably.

            Once the cocoons are boiled in water to loosen the silk fibers, they are unwound and then spun together with other strands to form a single thread, as each strand by itself is too fragile for practical applications. To make yarn, these threads are then twisted together and put through rollers. The yarn is then dyed so it can be woven into textile fabrics for a wide variety of uses.

            Because the silk production process can take a long time compared to other fabrics such as cotton and linen, the material tends to be more expensive. But in spite of the cost premium, silk enjoys many benefits and remains a popular choice for dress shirts in the luxury market.

            Perhaps the most noticeable benefit and selling point of silk is its lightweight feel, as it's something that is immediately tangible and perceptible to potential customers. Men who wear suits on a regular basis often have to grapple with balancing style and personal comfort levels, which can sometimes be a challenge when formal wear requires multiple layers. By bringing a silk dress shirt into the mix, the difference is quite noticeable, as it will reduce the overall physical weight of a formal ensemble and allow better free-flowing mobility throughout the day.

            Related to silk's lightweight properties is the fabric's remarkable ability to breathe. Due to the thin fibers that comprise silk dress shirts, airflow is hardly impeded to any noticeable degree. In a very similar fashion to wool, this unobstructed air circulation boosts the wicking properties of silk, allowing dress shirts made from this material to keep you cool in the summer as well as comfortable in the winter. Silk also has superior absorbency compared to other fabrics, which makes it particularly useful for dress shirts with intricate designs, as it can absorb colored dyes more easily than cotton or blended fabrics.

            In spite of its perceived delicate nature, silk is actually quite durable. While fine to the touch, silk's tensile strength is very strong, making it less likely that silk shirts will fray over time. With proper maintenance and care, the silk dress shirts in your wardrobe will hardly ever have to be replaced. This longevity can also offset the initial upfront cost of the material compared to other fabrics. With silk, you might end up getting more mileage out of your shirts in the long run even when you pay a higher premium for them.

            Most importantly from a comfort and style standpoint, silk would not have the same popular allure that it does if it weren't for the material's texture. Soft to the touch, many professionals who own silk dress shirts swear by their overall looser feel and ability to allow unrestricted movement. These properties are especially beneficial if you're in an environment where you need to be dressed in formal wear for extended periods of time, whether at the office or during company events outside of the workplace. Thanks to its texture, silk is perhaps the least abrasive on the skin, as well.

            In spite of the many intrinsic benefits of silk fabric, it's important to understand and weigh the potential drawbacks before investing a significant amount of time, money, and energy into adding a collection of silk dress shirts to your wardrobe. The most significant downside to silk is, of course, the cost. Depending on the type of silk and how it is cultivated, silk dress shirts will cost significantly more than shirts made from other materials. In addition to the upfront cost, silk shirts can present unique maintenance concerns over their lifetimes and add to the overall cost burden of owning them.

            The unmatched style and texture of a silk dress shirt comes at yet another cost that has nothing to do with your wallet. Compared to other materials, silk is more prone to sun and water damage. Excessive exposure to direct sunlight can cause fading while too much moisture can warp the fabric strands, significantly altering the structure and style of dress shirts made from silk. Just as suede jackets can undergo irreparable damage during rainy conditions, silk shirts require the same amount of caution and care when exposed to the elements outdoors.

            As all materials have to be laundered periodically, silk is no exception. Like other sensitive fabrics, silk must be handled carefully when it is cleaned, as the material is more susceptible to shrinkage than cotton, linen, or blended fabrics used for dress shirts. To keep silk shirts in pristine condition, they should be hand-washed and rinsed in cold water, taking extra care not to twist them in the process, as this can permanently alter the shirts' structures and cause wrinkles that are difficult to remove. To state the obvious, it's important to reiterate that hot water never be used on silk. Exposure to too much heat can cause the silk fibers to contract and lose their shape, which in turn will cause your shirts to shrink. For the same reason, silk is best air-dried and should not be subject to heat from a typical dryer cycle in a machine.

            Just as you would with dress shirts made from other sensitive fabrics, taking your silk shirts to a reputable dry cleaner might be a better bet. An experienced cleaning service will know how to care for your shirts properly without damaging them; the tradeoff of course is yet another additional ongoing cost of maintaining your silk items.

            While the special considerations that come with silk dress shirts may not be for everyone, at the end of the day, having at least a few of them in your wardrobe can elevate your style to the next level, even if it's just by virtue of adding more variety to your formal rotation. Paired with the right custom suit, a silk dress shirt provides a sharpness to your overall appearance that some other fabrics can't quite achieve in the same vein. Whether you're looking to spruce up your formal attire or need a complete overhaul, Enzo Custom has you covered. Stop into one of our showrooms today or schedule a free consultation with one of our clothiers via videoconference.

Like custom suits themselves, dress shirts are offered in a variety of materials, each of which has its perks and drawbacks. Silk shirts can exude a particular shine and brashness that is somewhat lacking in other types of materials.

Pros and Cons of Silk Shirts

            It's hard to visualize yourself in a suit without thinking about the tie you would match with it, as suits are, more often than not, worn with one.  Easy to tie and providing a central stylistic symmetry for balancing out a formal ensemble, it's no surprise that neckties dominate the top of the accessory market, and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. While stylistic aspects of the necktie have fluctuated throughout the years, ranging from skinnier ties to wider knots, its place in formal wear is as ubiquitous as the white dress shirt.

            Before the necktie came into fashion prominence, the bow tie reigned supreme, and still does in the black-tie realm. Just as it is hard to picture a suit without a necktie, it's almost impossible to envision a tuxedo without a black bow tie giving the formal outfit one of its most defining characteristics. Although stylistic mores have deviated somewhat from traditional black-tie dress code rules in modern times, such as wearing a tuxedo without a cummerbund or vest and even daring to sport a necktie with a dinner jacket, black bow ties are still the gold standard for black-tie-only events.

            But bow ties aren't just for tuxedos and black-tie dinners. Just as the necktie has its own particular sets of charms and characteristics, a bow tie, when worn correctly, can liven up your cocktail and office attire just the same. So why is it that you don't see bow ties as often in formal settings outside of the black-tie realm? Perhaps the number-one reason for the majority of men favoring the necktie is because it's easier to tie, or at least has the perception of being easier. Another reason could be that neckties tend to offer more variety in terms of style, whereas bow ties available in most department stores have a more limited selection; finding a bow tie with enough flair to fit your personal style may take multiple trips to different stores or browsing online for a custom order.

            Stylistically, matching a bow tie correctly with a suit is a little more difficult than it would be with a necktie. A bow tie in and of itself is going to stand out more, simply because it's less common outside of wearing one with a tuxedo. But if you can pull off the distinguished look of a bow tie, you'll be able to take your personal style to new heights. In this piece, we'll go over the style nuances and special considerations to get you looking sharp in your suits when you decide to break tradition with a bow tie.

            Opinions vary on the difficulty of tying a bow tie, but it's generally perceived to be more difficult than tying a necktie correctly. While the steps of tying a bow tie aren't all that complicated, getting them all just right can take a bit of trial and error and thus requires extra time to perfect. Whether you personally find tying a bow tie to be easy or hard, compared to neckties there is certainly less room for error.

            In one of our previous articles, we went over the steps needed to master the art of the bow tie. Although there are variations on how to properly tie a bow tie, they all should end up with the same result when you're dealing with most standard bow ties available on the market today. Even though the process is straightforward, it's best to ensure that you have the proper length of each end from the beginning, as this will save you time when you complete the rest of the steps.

            As it goes with anything that requires nuance, practice makes perfect. The more often you tie a bow tie, the better you'll be at it. Even if you're not particularly big on the bow tie look and prefer the necktie or none at all, it's still good to practice your tying abilities every once in a while to make sure those skills stay sharp, as silly as that might sound. If your professional sphere requires formal wear more often than it doesn't, there's a good chance you'll have to show up to a black-tie dinner or dressy work function every now and then. As it takes more time to get ready for an event that requires a tuxedo anyway, tying a bow tie in a timely manner can make the difference between showing up fashionably late or missing the party altogether.

            The good news is that most bow ties sold today come with an adjustable strap, so achieving the proper length before you even attempt to tie a bow tie isn't too much of a task. Balancing out each side might take a bit more time, but if you follow the steps correctly, you'll be a bow tie pro in no time at all.

            While wearing a black satin bow tie with a tuxedo is considered to be the pinnacle of formal attire, bow ties worn with a suit exude a little less formality than what you would achieve with a necktie in the same ensemble. This is not to say that bow ties are precluded from most formal settings where a suit would be expected. It's just that you need to be a little more mindful, as a bow tie is more or less of a statement piece after all. To use an obvious example, it would not be prudent for one to wear a bow tie to a funeral; neckties are the preferred accessories here. It would also be wise to exercise caution if you're considering a bow tie for a wedding that's not at least black-tie optional, lest you upstage the groom or anyone else in the actual wedding party.  Short of those narrow scenarios, however, bow ties are fair game if you want to add a bit of outstanding charm to your formal wear.

            From a style standpoint, bow ties are easiest to pull off if you plan to wear a two-piece suit, especially if your tie is brightly colored or uniquely patterned. The burst of color at the top of your ensemble will surely stand out in a way that complements rather than detracts from the rest of your outfit. Bow ties also tend to work best when they're paired with dress shirts in a solid color. Wearing a bright patterned bow tie with a shirt that has intricate patterns or pinstripes could make your formal wear appear too busy and loud, which could bring your personal style down a few notches. When it comes to formal wear, a little bit of brightness and color is a good thing, but it has to be properly balanced. Too much brightness, on the other hand, can wreak havoc on the stylistic symmetry of your suit components.

            Another important thing to keep in mind when wearing a bow tie with a suit is making sure that your overall ensemble doesn't end up resembling a tuxedo too closely. While wearing a black bow tie or a white shirt is perfectly fine, you wouldn't necessarily want to wear both of those components together. If you plan on wearing a white shirt with a bow tie, make sure that your bow tie has enough brightness or pattern to it in order to offset the sort of blank canvas a white dress shirt provides. Likewise, a black bow tie can provide a bold accent to dress shirts in pastel shades or darker blues and reds, but might end up looking a little out of place on those crisp whites.

            No matter what colors you choose for your bow tie or dress shirts, it's also generally a good idea to never wear a bow tie that exactly matches the color of your shirt. This rule is true for neckties as well. For any formal ensemble, the whole idea is for each component to be distinct enough to stand out, but not so different to the point where the components no longer function well together stylistically. The opposite of that, of course, is having too much uniformity in the colors and patterns of your shirt and primary accessories. Other than the jacket and trousers of the suit itself, there needs to be sufficient contrast between everything else.

            While a bow tie paired with a suit can look great by itself, adding a pocket square to the mix can bring yet another layer of nuance to your overall style. One thing to keep in mind, however, is subtlety. As pocket squares tend to be one of those accessories where pretty much anything goes, pairing a pocket square with a bow tie requires a little more restraint. A pocket square that's too busy or intricately folded could detract from the aesthetic purpose of the bow tie. Since a bow tie takes up less visual surface area than a necktie, pocket squares worn with bow ties look best when they trend toward the more minimalist side of things. A classic or presidential fold can really lift the color and style of a bow tie in a positive way, whereas puff or peak folds could take away from a bow tie's desired impact.

            Any gentleman that's serious about his wardrobe knows that it's important to keep an assortment of neckties on hand for maintaining a style that's novel and up to date no matter the occasion. By adding a few bow ties to the mix, you can further extend the mileage of your formal wear and bring more variety to your professional and personal spheres.

It's no surprise that neckties dominate the top of the accessory market, and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. While stylistic aspects of the necktie have fluctuated throughout the years, ranging from skinnier ties to wider knots, its place in formal wear is as ubiquitous as the white dress shirt.

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