Blog

6 Menswear Moves To Master

24.10.16

Our 6 menswear moves to master will make light work of dressing well

It’s an often coined phrase that the clothes make the man and while we’re mostly in agreement with this, it’s only part of the story. There are some men who make the unremarkable seem remarkable, those who wear a white T-shirt and jeans in a way that’s inexplicably more than the sum of its parts. We’ll concede that ruggedly handsome good looks and a gym hardened body can work wonders for said wardrobe staples, but there’s still hope for those of us who possess neither.

The way clothes are worn can make the man even better. Those men who succeed at wearing practicality anything with panache do so precisely because they know how to work with the tools that they’ve been given. They know when to throw on something with devil-may-care ease and they know when something’s best worn buttoned all the way to the top. Our list of 6 menswear moves to master lets you bypass hours of scrutinising the most stylish by revealing what they're wearing and how they're wearing it.

Take The Zip Top Out Of Retirement

2016 is the year that marks the return of the zip top to respectably dressed men’s wardrobes after a long period of only being deemed acceptable for sports days and sportsmen. It’s not hard to see why the zip top has been shunned for so long. A garment which sprung to life to keep necks warm left well-dressed men cold thanks to it’s shapeless form and the fact that nine times out of ten it was spun from synthetic fabric. What’s changed? Well, for a start 2016’s zip top is no longer primarily polyester. It comes knitted, free from logos and headache-inducing design, and is decidedly wardrobe-friendly. Need further convincing? Take the fact that it’s best worn beneath tailoring as your proof. Adding a casual spin to trend-resistant tailoring to is no mean feat, but the updated zip top does just that and in the process has (probably) sent the sales of scarves plummeting.

Mens QUILTED ZIP CARDIGAN - REISS MONTREUX

MONTREUX QUILTED ZIP CARDIGAN Navy £175 £115

Out of stock

Mens TONAL CHECK BLAZER - REISS JENNINGS

JENNINGS TONAL CHECK BLAZER Navy £275 £180

Out of stock

Mens SLIM TEXTURED TROUSERS - REISS HAZZARD

HAZZARD SLIM TEXTURED TROUSERS Navy £125 £50

Out of stock

Mens LEATHER SNEAKERS - REISS DARMA LEATHER

DARMA LEATHER LEATHER SNEAKERS White £130 £60

Out of stock

Make The Beanie Hat Your Headwear Of Choice

If there’s a menswear trend that your mother will get behind this season, we’re putting our money on the beanie hat which not only looks the part but will keep your head from losing vital heat. It’s win, win basically. Whereas more formal hats can feel forced if not worn with the appropriate amount of sartorial self-deprication, the beanie hat feels far humbler and is a more versatile piece of headwear. Before you stockpile beanies in every colour you can get your hands on, be reminded that not all beanies were created equal. The only acceptable way to wear is close fitting, so there’s no room for that surplus fold of fabric which has the unenviable effect of elongating the head. The beanie has gone streamlined and it’s all the more appealing for it.

Mens RIBBED BEANIE HAT - REISS Milton - NAVY

MILTON RIBBED BEANIE HAT Navy £40 £25

Out of stock

Mens CONCEALED PLACKET MAC - REISS CHATSWORTH

CHATSWORTH CONCEALED PLACKET MAC Navy £245 £125

Out of stock

Mens GRANDAD COLLAR DENIM SHIRT - REISS ATOM

ATOM GRANDAD COLLAR DENIM SHIRT Light Blue £85 £65

Out of stock

CIARO COTTON TROUSERS Khaki £95 £40

Out of stock

Mens ALLEN EDMONDS LEATHER SHOES - REISS LEEDS 2

LEEDS 2 ALLEN EDMONDS LEATHER SHOES Black £295 £140

Out of stock

GET TO GRIPS WITH A DOCUMENT HOLDER

Unless you’re planning on putting your passport to good use, when it comes to bags (and what you keep in them) the world would rather you travel light. This is never more true than when you’re on your way to work. Just as your fellow travellers don’t fancy getting up close and personal with your backpack, so too does your suit jacket get distressed when rubbing up against your messenger bag’s shoulder strap. There’s a small, sophisticated and streamlined solution to this problem; the document holder. Not only is this unobtrusive accessory functional, it’s near-guaranteed to make it’s holder look way more important than they actually are. Two birds, one stone.

Mens LEATHER DOCUMENT HOLDER - REISS Folder - OX BLOOD

FOLDER LEATHER DOCUMENT HOLDER Ox Blood £110 £75

Out of stock

MAPEL DOUBLE-BREASTED COAT Camel £325 £210

Out of stock

Mens NOTCH LAPEL BLAZER - REISS TANAKA B

TANAKA B NOTCH LAPEL BLAZER Indigo £265 £175

Out of stock

Mens MODERN TAILORED TROUSERS - REISS TANAKA T

TANAKA T MODERN TAILORED TROUSERS Indigo £115 £50

Out of stock

Mens PREMIUM LEATHER BROGUES - REISS CEYLON

CEYLON PREMIUM LEATHER BROGUES Dark Brown £245 £135

Out of stock

Embrace The Nuance Of Blue

For some men dressing in blue is a habit of a lifetime that they’ve got no intention of breaking. Though they’re encouraged by others to liven up their wardrobes, the fact remains that blue goes with most things and won’t put them at risk of stepping into unchartered sartorial territory. It follows then that blue is safe, blue is boring? Not so, in fact what these men who are so firmly wedded to blue know is that what blue lacks in showiness it more than makes up for in sophistication. Plus, with so many shades, textures and cuts to play with a tonal blue outfit may just be the stealthiest way to send your style stock soaring.

Mens RIBBED CREW-NECK JUMPER - REISS JAMIE

JAMIE RIBBED CREW-NECK JUMPER Soft Blue £95 £60

Out of stock

Mens CHECKED TAILORED TROUSERS - REISS HOUR T

HOUR T CHECKED TAILORED TROUSERS Navy £125 £65

Out of stock

Mens LEATHER CHELSEA BOOTS - REISS TENOR

TENOR LEATHER CHELSEA BOOTS Dark Brown £195 £55

Out of stock

Take Your Jeans Timeless

Not since their nineties heydey have mid-wash, straight-leg jeans been so enthusiastically welcomed into menswear’s arms. First roomy dark denim jeans engulfed men’s legs, then black skinny jeans made shadowy silhouettes out of bottom halves, finally we’re at some sort of denim equilibrium where’s ok to like the same jeans as your dad (within reason). Neither too wide nor too slim, too light or too dark, too ripped or too raw, this season's smartest jeans embrace a middle-of-the-road approach to denim. Universally forgiving, timeless and able to be worn with pretty much anything, we’re staunch supporters and are calling time on havoc-wreaking shapes and washes.

DIVISION MID WASH JEANS Mid Blue £95 £35

Out of stock

ANGEL WOOL EPSOM COAT Plum £295 £140

Out of stock

Mens CASHMERE CREW-NECK JUMPER - REISS HAMILTON

HAMILTON CASHMERE CREW-NECK JUMPER Putty £175 £95

Out of stock

DARMA LEATHER LEATHER SNEAKERS Bordeaux £135 £60

Out of stock

Make Your Style Feel Practical

The menswear classics which punch above their weight today have all got one thing in common. They weren’t designed to give your wardrobe stylish flair (though they’re certainly guilty of that) but were intended for purely functional use. The biker jacket, the mac, the bomber jacket and even jeans were created with utility in mind. The overshirt is a prime example of this unfussy approach to style and has as a result made its way onto the backs of menswear’s best dressed. Whether worn alone on warmer days or used as a layer when it’s colder, the overshirt treads that line between trend-led and timeless. It’s also got plenty of pockets too should you need them.