VERITAS | Men's Style Blog

Think Pink

After all that talk about the pink shirt on the previous post, it's now time for some practical applications. Whether solid or patterned, don't just think pink, wear pink! Here are some simple suggestions....

Summer Friday: One of the few still left with a job? Instead of merely feeling grateful enough to have a job, why not use this opportunity to get ahead? The competition is stiffer than ever in retaining cubicle turf, and now is certainly not the time to schmuck around in standard-issue work attire - especially on those dubious days dubbed "Casual Friday." Make your presence at the office count with optimistic pink stripes, dark jeans, and an unlined cotton/linen blend blazer that keeps you well-ventilated and looking sharp, not stiff. If you need to wear a tie, go for a knit or cotton woven tie in a solid or pattern. Lose the tie when heading out to cocktail hour and you might end up hooking up with something more than a couple of gin and tonics.

Of course, if you want to wear this shirt with a suit, just throw on a navy, khaki, or light-to-medium grey suit and you'll emit grace and charm at the office, summer weddings, job interviews, and wherever else you go.

Weekend Warrior: It's time to drop off the spread collar dress shirt at the cleaners for the weekend and revel in a sporty, playful shirt. Button-down collar optional, but recommended. Wear it with white jeans (or any pair of jeans, really, but white is the summer jean), and classic kicks such as Converse Chuck Taylors or Adidas Stan Smiths. White jeans + white sneakers = white hot. A softly structured nylon messenger bag is uncomplicated and laid-back, while holding all your essentials for weekend errands or just hanging out. It's also roomy enough to pack a lightweight navy cardigan with accent trimming in case your weekend excursion runs well into the brisk night.

Lazy Sunday: This is your time to chill out, maybe even to recuperate from last night's debauchery. To reflect this state of mind, your shirt shouldn't be perfectly pressed nor (gasp!) starched (bad boy!). Save that for Monday, and instead grab a sport shirt that looks like you fished it straight from the dryer, with its subtle puckers and soft crinkles intact. Unless it's way too wrinkly - you want to look effortless and unaffected, not sloppy - steam it out a bit just enough to create a carefree, undone, artfully disheveled aesthetic. In order for you to get to your local brunch joint for some eggs, and more importantly, Bloody Marys (hair of the dog, you say?), you'll need to wear clothes and shoes anyway. So why not make it a fresh, rosy shirt to add some color back to your face, simple chino shorts (or pants), and some easy-on-easy-off slip-ons? Add on a tri-color webbed belt for a tasteful jolt of color, and good luck trying to keep a low profile with those handsome movie star shades.

[Hover over images for brand and price info.]

Real Men Wear Pink

I was shopping with a friend a while back, helping him out with his summer wardrobe. Spending the afternoon extolling the virtues of the pink button-front shirt with all the fervent passion I can muster from the depths of my being, I still couldn't get him to go for it. He, like many guys, associated pink with femininity: "Guys don't wear pink!" he insisted. Failing at convincing him to color, I then tried to entice him at least to pattern - to gingham - to which he blurted finitely, "Picnic table." Eventually, I got him to walk away with something close to pink: Lilac - in a micro gingham. It was a tough sell, a small coup, but I hear he actually fancies the shirt now. Perhaps next summer he'll graduate to the realm of pink proper and delight in its rosy glow. Moral of the story: Men should listen to women for a lot things concerning life, and when it comes to style, they should listen to me.

C'mon, fellas. Just because you wear pink doesn't emasculate you. In fact, I believe that pink is a color that only real men with genuine depth and unshakable conviction in his manhood can truly maximize on. It says that you're thoroughly secure with who you are, that you view the expression of your gentleness, sensitivity, and fearless sensuality as an enhancement to your (hu)man-ness. Pink is what separates men from boys. Boys - immature and brute - are afraid of pink; men - worldly, complex, intelligent, strong and sensual - invite and embrace pink. Boys have one night stands; men have love affairs, even if it's for a single magical night. That's what pink shirts say to me, anyway. Oh, and a hint of chest hair emerging from the silky pink curtain of a 170s two-ply Egyptian cotton dress shirt, coyly spread open by an unbuttoned collar ... oooh ... let ... me ... stop.

(Gaining composure ... clears throat ... Ahem!) Pink shirts look great year-round, but its defining moment is in spring, and especially summer. It's offers freshness amidst the oppressive, or rather - sultry - heat and humidity. It's gentle and refined, and depending on the type of shirt, adds elegance or playfulness to anything it pairs with. And even if you don't care for, or even understand, my waxing poetic over a stinking pink shirt, the bottom line is, it's just a great article of clothing you shouldn't be without! In fact, remember how much I've been gushing over the navy blazer? Well, think of the pink shirt as the yang to the navy blazer's yin. Add a pink button-front shirt under the navy jacket, and you've got the freshest, handsomest, totally irresistible color combo for spring/summer. The two unites to form an indestructible fashion whole.

So like my aforementioned friend, if you're still one of those guys that can't come correct with pink at the moment, better luck next year. But why not buy a couple of pink shirts now while they're on summer clearance so you can save some dough AND practice wearing them in your basement for a few months with all the doors locked? Hopefully by next year you'll emerge from your bunker on the dawn of spring, transformed as the harbinger of high style and reason. Don't worry though, groundhogs got nothing on you. Pink shirts not only separate men from boys - apparently it does the same for groundhogs.

That said, how about learning how to work them pink shirts? Stay tuned for the next post coming up in a couple of days, where I'll put together a few capsule looks revolving around the alluring pink shirt. See you then.

[Shirts by, appropriately, Thomas Pink. Hover over image for style and price info.]

In Summery

These guys look pretty sharp the way they are in their cotton jacket, pants, suit, and everything else. You'll certainly look first-rate dressed this way to work (although the guy in the left can button up the shirt and tighten up the knot for that) and to many social events happening this summer, including the gazillions of weddings that line your iCal from June to August.

But as smart as these guys look, do you find yourself getting a little bored from sporting - or at least seeing - these same ensembles all throughout spring? Now that we're well into summer, want something a bit more summery to heat up your style?

The best way to take these looks from good to smashing with minimal effort is through intelligent accessorizing. Leave the navy jacket, chinos, khaki suit, and light-colored solid shirt on - they'll last you well through Memorial Day and beyond. But by switching up the tie, stuffy shoes, and adding some smokin' shades, you'll easily transform a reliably decent spring/summer look to a more festive, exciting summertime attire that you can enjoy for work and play.

Try this brilliant upgrade to an upcoming summer wedding (preferably outdoors), and you may very well one-up the groom (Unless of course, you're the groom, in which case you'll one-up yourself - now is that such a horrible thing?). Just make sure you're not fairer than the bride, and you're good to go.

Tie One On in Patterned Cotton: Put away the silks and solid numbers for now and get happy with cotton! Either woven or knit, make it a pattern!

Lighten Up Your Step: White-soled lace-ups hit the perfect balance between lightweight and heavy, casual and formal, without compromising even a micro-millimeter on comfort and high style.

Work Your Mojo: Ray-Ban may have developed the first aviator sunglasses, but Tom Ford, being Tom Ford, makes it sizzling hot. It's over three times the price of Ray-Ban, but trust me - you'll get your sexy back ten-fold. Ray-Ban may be a tried-and-true classic, but the discriminating gentleman of wicked summertime sophistication wears Tom Ford Eyewear Cyrille aviators.

[Hover over images for brand, price, and photo credits where available.]

Don't Skip the Undershirt

A reader asks: "Do I need to wear an undershirt with my button-front shirts, and if I open up the shirt, is it okay to let the undershirt show?"

For most button-front shirts, and especially the dress shirt, you can certainly use an undershirt. There are several good reasons why. Primarily, the undershirt absorbs sweat and odor, keeping you cool and your shirt dry and sweat-stain free. (Conversely, when temperatures dip, it provides an added layer of warmth.) Secondly, it helps your shirt lie flat by smoothing out minor bumps and lumps on your man terrain, such as body hair and nipples. Thirdly, it camouflages: If your entire back is inked and you clock in at a conservative office, the undershirt is your ally.

The purpose of the undershirt is to keep you comfortable and looking clean, sharp and confident. Just avoid those boxy, beefy ones and go for the thinner, silkier versions that fit close to the body - the undershirt should support and streamline, not add extra bulk.

I personally think it's best to honor the undershirt as it was intended to be worn - under and hidden. And if a little must peek through, make sure the trimming on the neck is crisp, clean, and flat, like how it looks when it's brand new, or close to it. Also, please, PLEASE: No colored undershirts! This is not the place to play matchy-matchy. If you want to go that route, it shouldn't be an undershirt - it should be a t-shirt, and that's another subject altogether.

I recommend crewnecks under dress shirts, but only if you plan on keeping it buttoned all the way up, like when you wear a tie. Because it starts from the neck, the crew won't create any unsightly bumps or lines on the upper chest like a V-neck or tank top would. And if you're wearing a white or light-colored shirt, especially in thinner fabric that tends to show through, the crewneck is your best bet for the seamless, nipple-less effect.

That said, if you plan to open up your shirt a little, like undoing just the top button on the collar, wear a standard V-neck so you can show a little skin - isn't that the point? And if you want to go for that second button, wear undershirts that come in a deep V. As for the plunging neckline beyond that, well... you know how I feel about that.

Since tank tops provide the least amount of coverage, yet has a lot of lines that can show through under the shirt, I recommend them with short sleeves, patterns, or meatier fabrics that hold up well on their own.

Whether you choose to wear an undershirt is of course up to you. But for all its benefits, the undershirt is a critical, foundational component to your wardrobe that should not be underestimated. What feels right from the inside naturally looks right on the outside - too bad it's not always the other way around.

Shield Those Pits

The last post was on how abnormal, excessive sweating may be caused by a medical condition. Fortunately, most of you won't need a visit to the doctor. But even with your "normal" sweating, that giant pool of sweat under your arms two minutes into a client meeting doesn't convince anyone of the cool, unflappable confidence you need to project.

Especially welcome during stressful situations, hot seasons, and for everyday, year-round semblance of calm, collected, underarm dryness, try Garment Guard. A disposable cotton disc that adheres to the inside of the underarm area of the shirt, Garment Guard mops up your sweat so your shirt stays dry, and you save face.

They come in two colors: Black or Beige, and in two sizes: Regular and Grands. $10.95 for a 5-pair pack in regular size, it comes out to a couple of bucks per pair - worth it considering you'll likely make fewer trips to the cleaners, which not only extends the life of your shirts, but also helps the environment. The more you buy, the bigger the savings, but I recommend ordering the smaller quantity first  to make sure it works for you and the types of shirts you wear before committing to the bulk 288-pair pack. Wear black ones on black or dark clothing if you like to match, but practically speaking, beige will work on all colors as long as you wear long sleeves where the discs won't peek through.

Good for any day, but definitely stick these on for times when the pressure is on, like that presentation you need to kill, or that dream job interview - and that first date - you need to nail.