On Socks

According to me, socks are the most underrated aspect of our attire. Although, we hardly pay any attention to socks, neither when we are purchasing them nor when are wearing them, they play a very vital role in completing our look. After all these years of wearing them, isn’t it time that we give them a little bit more thought than simply making sure they’re the same colour?

As many of you would know by experience, no part of the outfit is overlooked, from your cuff links to your belt to even your socks. So, when you sit down in your amazing new trousers or chinos, are people going to get an eyeful of that multicoloured, holey sock? Let’s look at some tips on how we can avoid such an incident from happening.

Length
Your pants should dictate the length of your socks. With long pants, you should wear socks that come up above your ankle, but remain below your knee. The idea here is simple-if you are sitting down or crossing your legs, you don’t want any skin showing. For shorts, however, you probably want to stick to very short socks. Some people would advocate not wearing any socks in this situation, but you should choose wearing them to avoid having smelly shoes and feet.

Quality
Another consideration is the quality of socks. Those which are already fraying at the seams in a shop, or which have ends of thread sticking out of them, are clearly a poor choice. They may be cheap to purchase but won’t last long, and will be uncomfortable to wear.

Socks may be made from various materials, from man-made fibres, to hemp, or breathable cotton. Man-made fibres, like nylon aren’t suitable if the wearer’s prone to hot, clammy feet that exude an odour when not in natural material. If you’ve sensitive skin certain varieties of socks may make you itch, in-which cases it’s better to buy cotton socks, so you don’t have to suffer.

Colour
Is the colour of your socks important for your overall appearance? Ideally socks should match your trousers; but wearing white sock with a formal trouser is a complete no-no. It spells disaster right there. Save your white socks for when you are hitting the gym or while going for a hiking trip.

Style
There are several different styles of socks you can choose from to suit an occasion. General rule of the thumb- for formal occasions (as in a business meeting), keep the style of your socks minimalistic. Go for solid colours or even simple stripes will do.

Fun, novelty socks may be great to wear to a Christmas party, or when with close friends and family, but they will not go down well during a board meeting; hence lose those colourful polka dotted socks.

Choosing the right socks to suit you and your lifestyle can save you from foot trouble, embarrassment and discomfort. Doing so can also be a lot of fun.

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Get the Color Right

A man who knows how to wear color well can really turn some heads. According to Kim Johnson Gross, co-founder of Chic Simple Ltd, men shouldn’t be afraid of color but should embrace it. They should experiment even if it’s just with shirt colors. Kim and I discussed this topic and we came up with several tips men need to know about wearing color.

1. Especially wear color in summer
   Summer is such a festive time of year. Light and bright colors are de rigeur. So I advise you to choose a color that is your signature color for the season and one that enhances your natural skin and hair tone.
2. Stay away from beige colored shirts
   Beige is a bad color for shirts or any article that is around the face. It is rarely a good color for someone. I don’t know why designers continue to push this color on us. Just don’t secumb to the pressure.
3. French blue is always a good choice
   French blue, which is a rich medium blue, is a flattering color for most skin tones. It makes a great dress shirt, which is mainly where you will find this sumptuous hue.
4. Stay away from bright, solid-colored socks
   Colorful socks are okay if they have a design like stripes or argyle. But bright, solid-colored socks are simply not a good idea. Donny Osmond is suddenly coming to mind.
5. Keep color around the face
   Again, it is important to keep flattering colors that enhance skin and eye color around the face. You don’t want to look like you just got out of the hospital, do you?
6. Stay away from loud patterns
   They are distracting and ultimately not a good thing. If it was ever in, it was the eighties, but we’ve thankfully moved on.
7. Take a look around you
   If you are baffled about how to incorporate more color into your wardrobe, take a look around you. Look at ads and store displays. For example, Ralph Lauren really uses a lot of color in his collections. He styles his clothes well—gives classics a twist by using color. Also, Brooks Brothers has more recently had great options with color. If you are traveling abroad, see how the locals use color. Italians are probably the best at wearing color–you would be hard pressed to see people there wearing dark, drab colors.

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Formal Shirt-Basic Know how’s!!!

A man’s formal shirt can elegantly frame his face during a presentation and later absorb his perspiration during a tough round of questioning. It can play a supporting role by enhancing his sport jacket or it can stand alone and be the centrepiece of his outfit.

But why would any anyone read this article because details matter. In any given day we only speak with a small percentage of the people we see; the shirt you wear, in the absence of a jacket, is the most powerful signal you are using to non-verbally communicate with those around you. Your shirt, whether you like it or not, is speaking for you; make sure it’s saying what you intend.

What is a Formal Shirt: A proper formal shirt is a button-up shirt with a collar, long sleeves, and wrist cuffs. It is usually made from a cotton fabric woven and dyed into various, non-obtrusive patterns and colours. By altering these characteristics, a dress shirt can either send the message its wearer is ready for sport or ready to meet the president.

Formal Shirt Fit: Most men wear dress shirts that do not fit them properly. The problem is that readymade garments are made to fit many; as a result, they fit no one perfectly. We all compromise somewhere if a shirt fits us in the neck it fails us in the sleeve length; if it fits well in the sleeves, it billows out around the stomach. So the fit described here is generally only achievable on a custom shirt or one that’s close to fitting and then tailored by a skilled hand.

A well fitted dress shirt should first and foremost be comfortable; this is different for every man. Larger men are usually complimented by a looser fit while petite and thin men are complimented by a more form cut. In general, though, a shirt should:

• Allow two fingers in the collar when buttoned.
• Be tight enough around the wrist so that the cuffs must be unbuttoned to slip them off.
• Have long enough sleeves so that you can raise your arms like wings and not pull the cuffs down the forearm; they should be short enough so that you don’t have more than 1 inch of fabric bunching near the cuff when your arms hang.
• Shoulder points that extend to the end of the shoulder and no farther.
• Have room in the chest and waist to pinch out 1-3 inches of fabric (depending on fit desired).

When a men suits up he wants to look best and for this  best look he never hesitate to buy custom made shirt of his budget. Sometime during very special occasion he could go beyond the budget also to get the best fitted shirt.

The biggest difference between the dress shirt and sports shirt is the fit. Sport shirts are more loosely fitted while dress shirts are more tailored and meant to be worn with a tie and under a suit. Simply put, dress shirts should fit you like they were made for you. They also tend to be more expensive. Why is this you ask? Dress shirts have better construction, better detailing and are typically made of better quality cottons.

At the P N RAO stores we have a wide range of formal shirts from brands like Louis Philippe, Zodiac, Zod, Denis Parkar and many more.

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