Handsome Like A Gent

'Handsome like a gent'--the first thing that came to my mind when my friend required us to wear costumes for her birthday.

I always always imagine if I were a man, I would automatically assume that one of the many must-do things as a man, would be to learn and master the art of wearing a suit perfectly (and of course other clothing as well).
There are of course a lot more items on my If-I-Were-A-Man list, but this is one of the many things: to dress well.

For guys, when in doubt, suit up. 

Well-dressed men are rare.
They should be put on the 'list of endangered sub-species of human beings', if there is one.
(Okay, it is really obvious that I love making lists.)
Oh! And with a remark that says in bold--'HIGHLY PRECIOUS.'
Ok, my imagination is running a bit too wild but you see what I mean.

Whenever I see this picture below, I could only have 4 different reactions, I nod and exclaim:
1) So damn right!
2) So fucking true! (or without the f word)
3) Hell, yes!
4) Amen.

The question is: why don't men care about what they wear, while women seem to care about nothing except for what they wear?
Just generalization here, not stereotyping.
I think about this all the time and I am sincerely looking for inspiration or possible answers if any of my readers wanna share with me their thoughts.

Being well-dressed has nothing to do with wearing expensive designer clothes (though a thick wallet certainly helps).
It goes beyond wear suits, men could look very good even in very casual clothing.
It is all about the style; how they choose and carry items that fit them.
It is about the ability to allow people to have glimpses of him through his choice of clothing and accessories.
It is about how he mix-and-matches items to create different outfits and looks: the combination of colours and the witty mix of different fabrics, textures and patterns.

Love patterns and those checks!

Creating outfits, not to mention developing a personal style, certainly takes time, a bit of thinking/creativity, attention to details and some trial-and-error.
But not too difficult, right?
Or just that men don't care and don't bother to leave their 'nothing boxes'?
This might sound difficult and troublesome to those men who wanna leave their place just throwing on a clean (or least dirty) t-shirt and shorts.
But it is really less challenging than most men think (though I could never experience how men think).

My dear male readers, it'd be assuring and relieving to tell you that from a woman's perspective (just mine), being well-dressed simply means two things:
1) Pick and wear clothes that suit you, pay attention to details
2) Bare in mind the one goal: Look clean and neat.
That's it. Nothing fancy.

On one hand, I understand that most men don't care enough about what they wear.
On the other hand, sometimes women are not very good helpers in helping their men dress properly.

According to my observations, most women have shamefully little knowledge in menswear.
Take the example of suits, I guess most women (at least the ones I know) have little, if any, idea about different cuts of men's suits like American, British and European.
Not to mention their differences.
Speaking of that, I have to admit that I get them mixed up and get myself confused all the time that I have to check the references almost every time.
That's the point. See? We women know so little about what our guys are wearing!

One of the 'references' that I always check, about different types of collars and cuffs:

I think that might account for the fact that women don't spend enough time shopping with their men in the men's section--little knowledge and thus, lack of a good eye on men's fashion.
Well, but to be honest, most women simply lack the patience to enjoy shopping with their men.
But that's another problem, a much worse or fundamental one.

Anyway, I am CRAZY about men's fashion, esp preppy and classy styles and suits.
Take a look at my Tumblr and you will see plenty men's fashion pics. (Click here)

Somehow I think it is incredibly sexy for a woman to wear menswear-inspired clothes (Will explain this further in upcoming posts, please be patient.)

When I was thinking about who as my inspiration for my 'Handsome like a Gent' theme, I did have a few men in mind.

In the end, I came up with a Sherlock Holmes-or-Dr-Watson-inspired outfit. (The movie with Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, not the TV series).
Houndstooth trousers, white shirt with elbow pads, a tie from my dad, a grey hat and a very pretty men's vest.

Houndstooth trousers, white shirt with elbow pads, a tie from my dad, a grey hat and a very pretty men's vest.
Dressed like a gent and had a great night out with my girls,
a hybrid of birthday party and Halloween costume party, wonderful! :)

From BCBG

Guys, I hope this post shows you that a woman could be interested and crazy about menswear which hopefully encourages you to start paying attention to what you wear (or motivate you to stay stylish).
Ladies, do give yourself little fashion challenges of rocking menswear-inspired outfits. It's great fun!

The best part? You can do this whenever you want, not just Halloween!
The reason why I bought the hat and the vest is that I REALLY think they are very nice.
I'd definitely wear them and incorporate them as a part of my wardrobe, not just costumes!



Ladies and gentlemen, wanna be handsome like a gent? :)

Love,
N

P.S. A lot more (actually a series of) upcoming posts on menswear inspiration for both guys and girls, stay tuned!