$havings

The Dollar Shave Club is a great shave for just a few dollars a month. That's what these guys advertise and it is what they advertise. I don't shave that often cause I like the 5 o'clock shadow, Miami Vice look but I do shave my legs. I don't recommend that to everyone but it does feel nice. My buddy Ian found these guys somewhere and said, hey, you need to see this as it's a deal. I hate to shop and I always forget to buy blades. These guys make it simple and you have 3 razor options to choose from. The Executive, The 4X, and The Humble Twin. They offer everything you'll find at your area grocery store, they just make it easier to get blades. I recommend them as it's one less thing to remember. Check them out and give them a try. Also check out the YouTube video on the home page for a laugh.

http://www.dollarshaveclub.com

Blinded by the Light

A few months ago I was visiting a clients office when I had admired his sunglasses. He told me he found this great website for classic vintage frames that cost only $150 with your perscription. So I immediately forgot what he had told me. My brain does that sometime. I was more concerned with getting his measurements correct and totally spaced out. So I was thumbing thru the new GQ with Kate Upton on the cover and saw a full page write up about Warby Parker. Then I remembered that my client was raving about them and the quality of the frames and service. You can sample up to 5 frames at a time and it costs nothing to do so. I just ordered myself a pair and I highly recommend them. As I was reading the website I noticed they offer regular glasses as well and I ordered a second pair of glasses. www.warbyparker.com A regular pair of glasses is $95. When was the last time you purchased glasses and only spent $95. I was blinded by the light.

Huxley

Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to create boutique-quality, classically crafted eyewear at a revolutionary price point.

A collaboration between four close friends, Warby Parker was conceived as an alternative to the overpriced and bland eyewear available today. Prescription eyewear simply should not cost $300+. The industry is controlled by a few large companies that have kept prices artificially high, reaping huge profits from consumers who have no other options. By circumventing traditional channels and engaging with our customers directly through our website, Warby Parker is able to provide higher-quality, better looking prescription eyewear at a fraction of the price.

We meticulously crafted our first collection of 27 limited run styles, plus one monocle, using only the finest custom acetates and materials. The Warby Parker aesthetic is vintage-inspired, with a fashion forward twist - and every pair is custom fit with anti-reflective, polycarbonate prescription lenses.
Available exclusively through the Warby Parker website, our glasses retail for $95

Curator of DC Style

DeVon is a cool guy who loves fashion and does a hip blog for the DC fashion elite. It's not really for the fashion elite but about the fashion elite. Sort of a, day in the life of his subjects. DeVon captures them on the street going to school, to work or just hanging out looking good. I met him at Ted's Bulletin on Capital Hill where he was having brunch. He came in wearing a nice light grey Calvin Klein suit and he had it hooked up. He looked especially tailored and very sophisticated. I immediately gave him my card. We ran into each other a few weeks later and we chatted about fashion and his blog. I told him I blogged and so on. He appreciated my style and loved the look. He wanted to shoot me for his blog. I said, sure, and this is him making me look good. I just happened to be wearing my favorite Eric Finn custom suit with the fushia lining.

Click on the link and check out his blog. If you're familiar with The Sartorialist blog you'll see some similarities. It's just harder to find the fashion elite in DC than Milan, NY or Paris.

Thanks DeVon for making me look good

www.curatorofdcstyle.com

www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com

Where Great Clothing Comes From

Where Great Clothing Comes From

I found this on Esquire Magazines web-site and thought it was very interesting. Luxury yarns and fabrics on Savile Row.

Esquire travels with Patrick Grant of E. Tautz and Norton and Sons, a Savile Row tailor, on a two-thousand mile, eight-day tour of Great Britain, to showcase the ancient skills and modern artistry behind some legendary manufacturers

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/style/manufacture-textile-factory-video-tours#ixzz1FmwlX7o3

Brown Shoes- Essential

Thou shalt wear brown shoes—with nearly everything
Black dress shoes are easy—they’re understated and tasteful. Brown dress shoes up the style factor. People notice them. They go best with gray, khaki, or navy. Dark brown shoes are easier to pull off than light brown ones. I prefer a more antique brown shoe in a cognac hue, anything but black.


Read More http://www.gq.com/style/suit-guide/200604/rules-for-dressing-well-slideshow#ixzz1Fh06GLLw

The Knit Tie - Spring Essential

With spring comes the idea of new beginnings, rebirth, and this spring is the rebirth of the knit tie. Well, that's not true as the knit tie has never really gone away. It has always been an essential part of a Prepsters wardrobe. And it was also shown in a lot of collections in the fall of 2010. I got my first for Xmas just this year. I never really liked them with the square bottom. I found an English company, T.M Lewin, who makes them with a traditional tie bottom. I put it on my list, black knit tie, and sure enough Santa Claus brought me one and I LOVE IT!! I could wear it everyday. I love the knot it ties and I love the way it feels but most of all, I love the way it looks. You can wear it with anything, a suit, sport coat and jeans or a denim shirt. It's dressy and casual all at the same time. So if you're looking to update for spring and you want to do it inexpensively, try a knit tie on for size.
http://www.tmlewin.com/

                                                            

Back in the Saddle Again

I like what Cole Haan has done for spring 2011. They started this edgier Londoner look back in the fall and have continued it into spring. It fits the more sartorial minded guy. I love the saddle shoes in all the contrasting colors. Something new and refreshing that puts a twist on the classic look. Whether you're wearing them with a suit or shorts, it is refreshing. What I also like about Cole Haan is the price points are very reasonable. They still have all their staples and now a little bit more. So, click on over to their web-site and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at their fun offerings at a very reasonable price.
http://www.colehaan.com/

The Blue Blazer

The most basic part of a man's wardrobe is the blue blazer. But it doesn't have to be basic. I looked around for the right blue blazer for 2 years before I found the right one. Maybe that's a bit excessive but I knew what I wanted and how I wanted it to fit. What I wanted was a 2 button, peak lapel with side vents and a ticket pocket. I had it made. You don't have to search high and low to get what you want. A blue blazer is something that should be personalized. Everyone sells a blue blazer and they all look the same, boooring. You can't tell one from the other, Jos A Bank, Brooks Brothers, Burberry. The only thing that distinguishes one from the other is the price and the buttons. I recommend having one custom made. A blue blazer is something you can have for years if you take care of it properly. It may be something you pass down to your son. It should be designed with a little creativity but keeping in mind a classic look. I think a 2 button with a notch lapel, ticket pocket, side vents and working sleeve buttton holes would look nice. Where you can personalize it is in the lining or in the color of the stitching of the button holes. I would do a fushia or claret lining so the under half of the pockets and side vents show a little of the lining when you sit down or reach for your business cards. It's always a nice conversation piece and people will be impressed by your sartorial creativity. Finally, pick a fabric you can wear year round  and for something fun, wear it with jeans and a skinny tie on a casual Friday or weekend.

Florsheim by Duckie Brown

So I was never a real Florsheim shoe fan but I was looking in GQ last fall and I stumbled upon Florsheim by Duckie Brown. It's a much edgier look than what you might be use to and I really liked it. I included a quick promo video that is selling to a younger demographic that I liked and I think you should check them out. I really like the magenta suede lace up and the bright yellow brogue. The Yellow brogue would look great with a navy pinstripe. At least that's what I would wear it with. For sure you won't look like anyone else at the office and just maybe you'll stand out a bit amongst all the black and brown wingtips that saturate our lives.
Here's the link to the pages to check it out.

Magenta lace up
http://www.florsheim.com/shop/duckiebrownDetail.html?styleCode=19010

Yellow brogue
http://www.florsheim.com/shop/duckiebrownDetail.html?styleCode=19007

Fashion and the New Administration

So my first post of the new year was suppose to be about brown shoes, but I got a last minute call from NBC 4 about a short segment on the changing administration and how it would affect the local scene including fashion. Capitol Hill is a funny place no one wants to offend anyone, but they all do everyday. You would think no one would care what anyone wears and you would think you wouldn't be able to tell one party from the next. I don't care what party you're from, all I want to do is to make you look good. But it truely matters what you wear on the Hill. There are some that are very well dressed and show a bit of personal style in doing it. Like Senator Paul Simon, when he was there, He always wore a bow tie and that set him apart from most of the other Senators. If you didn't know his name you knew who he was, the Democrat with the bow tie. Oh, and he ties his own, no clip ons for him.

It's a world of blue and grey suits, black wingtip shoes and white shirts. Democrats tend to be a bit edgier and Republicans tend to wear striped ties. Regardless of what they wear all that matters to me is do they look good wearing it.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/New_Congress__New_Suds_and_Duds_Washington_DC-113160874.html

It's Hip to be Square

Huey Lewis was right, it is hip to be square. Everyday when getting ready for work I spend a few extra seconds finding the right pocket square to finish off my ensemble. What it says about me is that I actually took the time to think about how I look. An unexpected pop of color to personalize my style.
 I always choose something that is interesting with a pattern, for me never a solid unless it's white.

Pocket squares come in all colors, patterns and solids. They also come in all kinds of fabrics. I usually choose something in cotton or linen with a plaid or check pattern. I love to mix patterns and textures. To pull off a pocket square you want to pick one or a  few colors that are in your coat or tie and match or contrast them. NEVER, NEVER wear a pocket square that exactly matches your tie. That is definately a rookie mistake. The other day I wore a brown corduroy suit with a purple pattern shirt, brown pattern tie and a lime green and purple plaid pocket square. Why lime green you ask, cause it was perfection.

There are many ways to fold a square and the easiest is the "flat" fold (see below) When choosing a square you want it to look like you didn't have to think about it. You wear it with confidence and splendor.

The "Flat" Pocket Square Fold 

The flat fold is also by many called the "Presidential" fold. It is one of the most classic, and also one of the easiests folds for a pocket square. The clean-cut look of this type of fold is best suited for solid color pocket squares. It is also a more formal type of fold that is a perfect fit for black tie attire consisting of tuxedo and black bow tie.

Instructions

1. Lay the pocket square on a flat surface and straighten it with your hands
2. Fold the pocket square in the middle
3. Fold the pocket square in. How much you want to fold in depends on how deep your breast pocket is. The pocket square should stick about 1/4 to 1/2 inches out of the pocket.

"... don't need to be coy roy..."

I was listening to the radio the other day and I heard a Paul Simon song. As a kid I remember the line being, "...don't need to be corduroy...", but that wasn't it. It was, "...don't need to be coy roy..." .That made me realize, like the lyrics to the song, that corduroy is misunderstood. Which started me thinking about fall and all the options we have with corduroy in our wardrobe such as suits, sport coats and pants.
Most people think of corduroy being paired with a flannel shirt and desert boots. I see it as an opportunity to dress up a wool patterned sport coat. It's very country and if you pair it with the right accessories you can look quite dapper. Like a wool check sport coat in olive and burgundy with a pair of slim cut olive cords, muted color tie, brown suede vest and brown suede lace ups. You cab also try an open collared shirt, wool vest with brown chuka boots. You see a lot of this in Ralph Lauren's country collection. I think it's a great English look especially in the early fall when there is a crispness in the air and you can layer with sweaters and scarves.
I would wear a brown corduroy sport coat using the same ideas but throw in a pair of charcoal flannel trousers to dress it up a bit.
There are a couple of different types of corduroy and they need not be daunting if you follow a few simple rules:
Pin Whale: The narrower the whale the dressier the corduroy.
Wide Whale: The wider the whale the more casual the look.
You can still wear the wider whale cords with the same pattered sport coat but I would dress it down with a sweater and no tie or maybe even a bow tie for a hipsters look.

Lastly, I love a corduroy suit and I own a brown pin whale that I had made. I could wear this twice a week in the fall and winter I love it so much. The corduroy is so soft that the nap is almost like velvet. I usually wear this with a pair of brown Cole Haan derby shoes and an ecru, tiny grey and brown windowpain shirt, silk knit or wool tie.

So, like the song I heard so many times as a kid and misunderstood the lyrics, don't misunderstand corduroy.
There are so many options, dressy and casual you are missing the boat if you don't have any, cause you should.

The art of the wardrobe

Where to start? Good question. And that was the question of a new client that was sent my way a few days ago. Upon meeting my client he asked me to go thru his closet and help guide him as to... "what goes with what?" :-) He wanted to know what goes with what he already had and how often he can wear certain pieces per week. He has never had anything custom made before so I wanted to see what he did have as to not duplicate anything that he can still wear and help him compliment the existing pieces with some new additions. So, what I always like to do is start with the basics. Most guys haven't properly built their wardrobe and don't have the essentials that are needed to start building a wardrobe. It's important to have the essentials because they are the backbone of dressing well.


Some of the essentials that every man should have to start building a wardrobe are:
Navy blue suit, solid or stripe, 2 button single breasted
Grey suit, solid or stripe
Navy blue blazer, 2 button single breasted
Grey trousers, plain or pleated
Tan trousers
Black or Cognac colored shoes
Yes cognac goes with blue and grey and looks very professional in the workplace. You won't look like every other bloke in the office either. You'll look like you spent some time getting dressed in the morning. Besides eveyone wears black and you should have 2 pairs of shoes, one of each and rotate daily.
White and blue non-button down shirt
Button down shirts are less formal and if you're building a wardrobe and have limited resources I would recommend a spread collar for more formal occasions. This can be paired with the blue or grey suit. You can always wear these shirts without a tie to achieve a more casual look.

One demographic of clients that inspired me to discuss the issue of building a wardrobe are my retired military clients leaving the military and entering the private sector of non camoufloged work attire. They need direction on building a wardrobe and what it means by business casual. I like to educate them and assist them in looking professional in the workplace. Helping them understand how they can mix pieces and extend their wardrobe so they have additional outfits. One example is pairing a pinstripe suit coat with a pair of jeans for a more casual look on Fridays or the weekends. I wouldn't do this with a Jos A. Bank suit coat as it is too conservative looking in it's appearance and construction. But a suit coat from Banana Rupublic or one from Eric Finn would work perfectly. It's softer in its construction and the fabrics lend itself to go both ways.

Building a wardrobe isn't that difficult, you only need a few key pieces and you don't have to break the bank to get started. You just have to purchase the essentials and then build around them.

Whole Foods/

So we've decided to start a blog and what inspired me to do this was a visit to my local Whole Foods. I was standing in line the other day, day dreaming and looking at the pretty girls when I noticed a man standing in the line next to me in an ill fitting suit. I thought to myself did he really care about how he looked? The coat looked like a sack and the pants looked like a parachute. I was just curious so I asked him nicely where he had purchased his suit. He said that he got it at a local retailer, one of the shops that advertises every week, buy one get one kinda place. I asked him why he chose them and he said, well, my father shopped there. Now I love my dad and he was a pretty good dresser in his day but I wouldn't shop where he shopped if it didn't fit my personality or personal style. I started thinking don't we owe it to ourselves to look good when we go to work or even go anywhere. Is it really that difficult to take some time to be well dressed. A suit is not a uniform and shouldn't be treated that way. It's an expression of your personality. If you want to wear a uniform everyday you should have entered the military. Well dressed doesn't mean you have to spend thousands of dollars on clothing. What it does mean is your clothes should fit you properly. And that takes me back to the guy in Whole Foods. I'm just curious how the guy/gal at the local retailer he bought his suit from was dressed? When I have shopped for myself or for clients I always look for someone who looks like he spent some time on his wardrobe getting dressed in the morning.


Now I sell custom made clothes and I'm judged on how I look and how my clothes fit, I would never want one of my clients to walk out in an ill fitting suit. I take pride in the way I dress and how my clients look in an Eric Finn suit as should everyone. I'm not saying you have to buy custom clothing to get a good fitting suit. Off the rack suits can fit properly with a little attention to detail and alterations.

BASIC FIT:

Suit coat:
The coat should fit on the shoulder and not extend out over the arm. Sleeves should finish at the break of the wrist to show about a quarter inch of shirt cuff. The length of the coat should cover your seat and the sides of the suit should be a bit tapered to show your sillouette. A 2 button suit is a classic and usually looks good on most body types.

Pant:
A suit pant is not a pair of jeans and are to be worn on your waist not your hips. They should be a tailored fit, not a parachute looking for the next gust of wind to bring you to a gentle landing. You can wear pleated or plain front but they should fit you properly. Not all men look good in pleats so try on a few before you decide what looks good. Some retailers offer seperates that have both styles.The seat should be altered to fit your bum and the length should have a slight break at the very least, no high waters, most of us aren't Thom Browne and we should keep it that way.

Now these are just some basics that should keep you from looking like the guy at the Whole Foods.

I don't want to use our blog to sell you on why you need custom clothing. I want it to be a place to find informative info on clothing, how to dress and what is going on in fashion. If you have questions about what to wear or how to wear it don't hesitate to contact us. There is never a dumb question.

If you are considering having something custom made feel free to contact us. Our web address is, http://www.ericfinn.com/