Lookbook for the week #2

Good morning sartorially inclined gentlemen!

This post is the second in our series ‘Lookbook of the week’. The main idea of this series is to showcase different outfits that we have featured during the week on our Instagram account and talk about the different styles and points of interest that have caught our eye.

Look 1: Denim Street Sartorial
Design by @broguesandbraces

Look 1: Denim Street Sartorial

We’ve chosen this look because it incorporates denim into a style of fashion usually reserved for suits and waistcoats. Using the White shirt as an anchor we’ve been able to add layering that helps to keep the denim appropriate within this smarter casual context. In designing with chinos and contrast brogues rather than dress trousers and dress shoes we’ve enabled the faded Blue denim jacket to work.
Features worth mentioning are the Yellow Citrusy coloured socks that match with the contrast brogues and help to coordinate the Dark Green chinos with the Burgundy shawl-neck cardigan and the Navy polka bow tie. By adding several carefully picked patterns we have been able to design around the denim jacket to give this outfit a Street Sartorial feel. Designs by @broguesandbraces

Look 2: Crisp and Contrasted
Design: @fabioattanasio

Look 2: Crisp and Contrasted

@fabioattanasio provides awesome style in this look. Pairing the Dark Mustard knit tie with the Bright Sky Blue blazer immediately provides contrast. The use of plain White shirt helps to enable this contrast and the Red pattern pocket square further creates interest.
This post is featured because it provides the most boldly coloured outfit this week which, whilst catching the eye, remains elegant, crisp and contrasted at the same time. Impressive.

Look 3: Points of Contrast
Design: @broguesandbraces

Look 3: Points of Contrast
We’ve featured another Brogues & Braces design this week because of the sheer difference in style.
This outfit is much more work/office centred. Whilst it can be easily worn out on a night out, this look contains subtle patterning which helps to keep the staple items more interesting.
Pairing Navy stripe socks with Tan brogues, Maroon paisley tie with White shirt and Grey waistcoat and Yellow polka pocket square with Navy blazer really helps to bring the more typically plain items to life.
Adding one point of contrast to each outfit can really help to change its appearance from something unexciting to something more fun and cheeky.

Look 4: Earthy Winter Shades
Design: @iamtomee

Look 4: Earthy Winter Shades

We love this outfit by @iamtomee! Here the mixture of Mustard, Caramel and Brown within one outfit has really triggered our Winter colour palettes. As we can see in the picture above, the fine Mustard check shirt is a perfect pattern combinator for the larger check Brown and Caramel pocket square. The Brown in the pocket square then matches the Brown knit tie which helps create colour consistency. As an anchor we have the Grey plaid blazer which relates to the check in the pocket square and helps to underpin the Earthy Winter colour scheme. All in all a fantastic outfit!

Each of these looks contains links to the relevant Instagram account so you are able to find more Sartorial designs should you so wish.
If you’d like to see last weeks ‘Lookbook for the week’ post then follow the link provided here:
http://broguesandbraces.com/2015/01/14/lookbook-for-the-week-1/

I do hope you’ve been able to take inspiration and ideas from these outfits.

Comment, subscribe to the blog and check out our Instagram account at@broguesandbraces or here: http://instagram.com/broguesandbraces

As always, thank you for reading!

B &B

A Sartorial Dinner

Evening Gentlemen!

Tonight’s post is an attempt at answering the immortally difficult question… What should I wear to dinner/out?

Gentleman’s attire @broguesandbraces

There are many possibilities, of course. We at Brogues & Braces have put a little something together for you here in order to give you some pictorial inspiration so that you can arrive looking like a sartorial boss for all occasions.
As we’re considering dinner options as well as being out and about we think it’s best not to go too formal and wear waistcoat, suit or 3 piece. Instead we’ve opted for slim fit chino which will help to keep your outfit on the smarter side of casual. By incorporating contrast pocket square and knitted tie into the look you instantly help maintain an air of sartoria.
The tie-front in the loafers and the lapel pin here serve as welcome detailing to give your attire an added elegance and complexity.

Comment underneath with your stand out item! Which would help add variety to your wardrobe?

Below we have provided links to the places where we bought each individual item so that you can pursue anything you are particularly interested in.

Tie Front Loafers:
www.asos.com/men/
Stone Chinos:
www.burton.co.uk
Light Blue Fine Check Shirt:
www.tmlewin.co.uk
Pink Pocket Square:
www.tmlewin.co.uk
White Lapel Pin:
www.riverisland.com
Salt & Pepper Scarf:
www.austinreed.co.uk
Navy Stripe Socks:
www.next.co.uk
Navy Blazer:
www.newlook.com
Burgundy Knit Tie:
www.burton.co.uk
Fragrance for the night-
Issey Miyake Summer
www.boots.com/en/Issey-Miyake/

Keep playing with the ideas here and enjoy your night!
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Comment, like and subscribe if you see fit or follow us on Instagram at: @broguesandbraces

All the sartorial love,
Brogues & Braces.

Lookbook for the week #1

Afternoon Brogies!

We’re back to posting on the blog here after the Christmas break later than expected due to unforeseen personal circumstances. This post will showcase different outfits that we have featured during this week on the Instagram account and talk about the different styles and points of interest that have caught our eye.

Look 1: Mixing bold patterns @tweedandties

Look 1: Bold patterns

This look was featured because it has that initial wow factor. It captures your attention instantly. The bold paisley tie works with the mix colour gingham jacket because of the white shirt, which helps to neutralise the two patterns and bring them together.
I’ve featured this look because it is pushing boundaries and because Instagram user @tweedandties is someone whose profile is adventurous with colour and pattern. Definitely something to look at if you’re interested in being that trend maker.

Look 2: Layered and elegant @federicolapo

Look 2: Layering for Winter in style

This outfit is refined, fitted and honest. The thing that has me hooked with this look is that it is put together so well. The contrast pocket square, pattern tie, waistcoat, watch and bracelets and dress scarf. Everything works because the colour palette is staple colours. @federicolapo appears in this week’s ‘Lookbook for the week’ post because all of his designs and outfits are sharp and truly worthy of sartorial fashion enthusiasts.

Look 3: All in the detailing!
@camicissima_us &
@thepocketsquareindustry

Look 3: Details, details!

This collab between @thepocketsquareindustry and @camicissima_us deserves a mention in the lookbook because they are pushing boundaries. Incorporation of the bowtie alone is a great, quirky feature and the pattern mixing between shirt and bowtie is phenomenal. The matched check detailing in the pocket square is out of this world and, as always, @thepocketsquareindustry helps to add interest to the outfit with their signature pocket squares.
Definitely check out both profiles for more inspiration.

Look 4: Contrast Overcoat
@broguesandbraces

Look 4: Working the Winter overcoat!
I’ve chosen one of my own outfits because I think it’s important to use the Winter season wisely. Wearing a mac is efficient and they do pack away but they are boring. Sartorial Overcoats are really stylish and add both layering, colour and even patterning if you so choose.
My matching of Black polka tie with Purple contrast collar shirt helps to create interest whilst the Beige trench coat provides welcome contrast and completes the look.
Check out the post on Sartorial Overcoats using the link provided below:
http://broguesandbraces.com/2014/12/05/the-sartorial-overcoat/

Hope you take inspiration and ideas from these outfits.

Comment, subscribe to the blog and check out our Instagram account at @broguesandbraces or here: http://instagram.com/broguesandbraces

Until next time fellow dapper enthusiasts,

B & B

The Sartorial Overcoat

Morning Brogies!

Today we’ll be covering overcoats since where we’re based in the UK it is mercilessly cold all the time at the moment!
For most of us aspiring gents it is very difficult to judge what to wear in the colder months of the year; leaving the house in your woolen 2-piece suit at 9am is to ensure that by 9:30am you’ll be freezing and feeling terrible on the way to wherever. There are obviously different fabric types, like polyester and wool, that will insulate you better than cotton or linen, but even if you wear a 2-piece or 3-piece you’re still going to be thinly layered and you’ll feel the cold breeze easily. There’s the option of adding more layers (the waistcoat with the 3-piece) or a crew-neck jumper or shawl-neck cardigan perhaps in more Street Sartorial looks but again these are thin layers under another thin layer.

And that is why we are talking about the overcoat today and its context within Sartorial Fashion!

The overcoat is a great item to use in the colder months since, by nature, it is thick and large so covers a large surface area. It will keep you warm whilst adding depth and another layer to your outfit. Typically it will be worn over whatever outfit you have on and is very effective if used properly.

There are several ways in which you can use the overcoat and we’ll cover those below now:

Contrast
The most simple use of an overcoat is to contrast it against the matching colours in your outfit.

Source: Pinterest
As you can see here the Black overcoat, pictured above, with its length and fitted style, really intensifies the light Grey in the suit and helps it to ping out. This works with any number of combinations: Navy and light Grey, Blue and Grey, Beige and Navy etc. The list goes on. The reason that this is the most effective, yet simplistic use of an overcoat is because it creates the biggest impression since, by contrast, it captures your undivided attention.

Pattern
Another fantastic use of the overcoat is incorporating a pattern into you outfit or perhaps another variation of the same pattern into your outfit.
Patterns are good in general if matched well. A patterned overcoat is an ideal way to continue a pattern trend through your outfit, mainly because of the size of the garment.

Source: Pinterest
The overcoat pictured above is a perfect example of pattern matching. Whilst the light Grey in the overcoat contrasts the dark Grey in the 2-piece waistcoat and trousers, the windowpane check pattern is matched nicely with the fine stripe of the shirt. Since the windowpane check pattern is large it doesn’t overwhelm the outfit.

This is a good example because we actually have a combination of both of the types of overcoat mentioned so far: Contrast and Pattern. Mixing both of these can be rewarding so experiment.

Street Sartorial
Our final type of overcoat is what we might dub the ‘Street Sartorial’ overcoat. This is a more adaptable type of overcoat that wouldn’t look out of place over a suit whilst also appropriate over a pair of jeans and a crew-neck jumper. Some overcoats give off an overriding sense of formality and it would be difficult to rock a pair of jeans and some boat shoes with something so formal. In this case the ‘Street Sartorial’ overcoat is a good bet and will be suitable for both occasions. Typically this could be either a Pea coat or a Trench coat in a staple colour such as Black, Navy or Beige.

Source: Pinterest 
As you can see here, these coats are slightly more Street Sartorial. The larger turn-up collar and the widened lapel give these coats a more casual feel yet wouldn’t, as we can see here (1^st picture: Pea coat), be inappropriate over more formal wear. Since these coats are both staple colours you could get away with wearing a pair of jeans under this with boat shoes and a crew-neck jumper. A more casual example is found here in the second picture (Trench Coat).

There is plenty you can do with this style of overcoat.

An important factor you must consider here is that the overcoats are often quite expensive and since they don’t have a hood you are prone to the weather. The most efficient way of dealing with this is to own a gentlemans umbrella.

Source: Pinterest
As you can see here, this gent won’t ruin his coat because he owns an umbrella. Whilst the idea of owning an umbrella is silly it will actually save your clothes from damage and can, as in the picture above, look stylish and highly coordinated. Try to avoid heavily patterned/branded umbrellas though as they clash with most of your outfits. Again, a staple colour will be appropriate here.

You can find these items of clothing all over the web.
I’ll give you a few examples in links below so you have a few ideas to work with:

Patterned Overcoat:
Savoy Tailors Guild Regular Fit Grey Check Overcoat £199
http://www.moss.co.uk/stg-regular-fit-grey-with-blue-check-overcoat-965325917

Contrast:
Savoy Taylors Guild Tailored fit Tan Overcoat £49
http://www.moss.co.uk/tan-covert-964988721?tracker_id=7333fb60-7c72-11e4-835a-6c626d99896d

Street Sartorial:
Farrell Navy Trench Coat £35
http://www.farrell.com/clothing/jackets/trench-coat.html

You can find a gentlemens umbrella here:
Fulton Huntsman Umbrella £18
http://www.moss.co.uk/fulton-huntsman-umbrella-black-960656215

I hope this will keep you all Sartorially toasty this Winter.
Email us at broguesandbraces@gmail.com if you have any questions and do keep following us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/broguesandbraces!

B & B xo

*I do not own the image content found here. My personal photos will not have this message*

Brogues & Braces Street Sartorial: December 1st

Brogies!

It’s the first of a new month and the perfect time to post the first article in our new series: Brogues & Braces Street Sartorial.

This series will, in each post, seek to evaluate an outfit/ a couple of outfits and explore the different defining features that help to shape the outfit. Much like the posts on the @broguesandbraces Instagram account, this will be mostly of pictures that inspire me and that I find sartorially interesting.

First up:

An eclectic mix of pastel colours. Source: Pinterest

The gentleman pictured above is fully in charge of his colour pallet. As you can see our first Street Sartorial look focuses around pastel colours. The White chinos are the show stopper, but these will only work within an outfit if they are spanking clean. Otherwise the suave kept look vanishes. Rolling the bottoms of the chinos up has allowed a more casual approach to the Sartorial fashion here and the faded Grey loafers perfectly accompany the rest of this outfit. The pair of Blues, light Blue within the shirt and darker, more intense Blue from the pocket square, are kept in check by the double breasted Sand blazer. I really appreciate here how the only hint of intense colour comes from the smidgen of pocket square we can see, as this enables the super clean pastel look to work.
The White/Black fine check pattern tie doesn’t overwhelm any one part of the outfit, matches the White chinos and is a perfect accessory, as is the White man clutch.

Our next look:

Incorporating denim and a hood. Source: Brogues & Braces

This outfit is one of my own and is a distinct mix of casual and Sartorial; the White salt and pepper ‘hoody’ is at the absolute limits to how casual I am, personally, willing to take Sartorial fashion. I am more than happy to wear T-shirts as they can be paired down with blazers and sports jackets but the hoody takes any formality out of an outfit. My decision, then, to wear the denim on top was to bring the casual style of Sartorial fashion into check with the bottom half of my outfit: dark Green Chinos and a pair of Tan tie-up front loafers.
The bright Blue in the check shirt is complimented by the faded Blue in the denim jacket and the Red, in the same shirt, helps the Tan loafers to pop. I prefer to wear block colour hoodies as they don’t contain branding logos or slogans, and, as you can see here, the monochrome doesn’t take attention away from the Sartorial aspects of this outfit. Dressing down your Street Sartorial look is well worth an experiment and it can help you vary up your wardrobe nicely.

And finally our third and final look for today’s post:

Bold and Bright Source: Pinterest

Our final look tonight is a more adventurous one. Perhaps the most enticing of the three, for obvious reasons, this bold look with turn heads. The bright Red lace up Derby shoes here are unavoidably daring and work well in this context because of the mix of colours. I would advise staying away from trying to mix too many bold colours together at random before thinking more in depth about it and how they will feed off one another.
This final outfit is entirely dependent upon the Sand overcoat which completely anchors everything.
The Navy cropped suit trousers and light Blue shirt work well together, whilst the Red skinny tie matches exactly with the Derby shoes.
Mint Green, found in the low-lying crew neck jumper, is quite a soft pastel match with the light Blue shirt and sits nicely next to the Sand overcoat.
The bright Yellow accessory bag under this Gentleman’s arm is a lovely final touch and is daring enough to help the outfit be suitably daring without one aspect, such as the shoes for example, appear as though they are trying to hard to stand out.
All in all a great look.

Street Sartorial here is by and large less formal than the 3 piece suits and bow-ties of more formal occasions. It can be a refreshing change in an otherwise more intense formality within a wardrobe. If you’re already a master of the more smart-casual Street Sartorial approach, perhaps try to incorporate denim or a cheeky block colour hoody.

That’s all until next week, folks.
Stay Safe,
B & B xo

Ps. If you haven’t already, make sure to follow us on Instagram at @broguesandbraces, found here: http://instagram.com/broguesandbraces.
Thank you!