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Garments & Clothing

Collars, Cuffs, & Lapels

COLLAR YOUR STYLE

Jan 15 2019

Need a quick refresher on the various types of collar options for your next custom shirt? Straight collar: A neutral, all-around good choice that works for nearly every gentleman. Button-down: A classy-yet-casual option that keeps the collar secured in place. Can be worn without a tie, with the top button unbuttoned. Spread collar: A powerful look that can be created at several angles (medium spread, wide spread). It allows plenty of room for a large, powerful tie knot. The widest spread is called a cutaway collar. Club collar (rounded): There's a hint of the English about this unique look. Eyelet collar (for a collar pin): The tiny openings allow for placement of a collar pin. This look is dressy, elegant, distinguished, and quite unusual. Tab collar: A hidden tab behind the tie keeps the collar in place without visible buttons. Band collar: The collar doesn't have a strip of fabric that folds over the tie. This is a casual look that should never be...

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J Kent Erickson
Collars, Cuffs, & Lapels
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Shirts, Vests, & Blouses

Made to Be Untucked

Nov 15 2018

You've seen men wearing their shirts untucked. If you want to enjoy this current trend (often called "the outside shirt" since the shirt is designed for the tail to be worn outside trousers), you need to have your custom shirts constructed specifically for that use, because a traditional-cut shirt worn untucked has an unfortunate tendency to flair like a bell at the hips. Here's how we'll build your outside shirts: We make sure the length is just right to create the correct silhouette for your body type to wear these shirts. We adjust the proportions for the finished dimensions between chest, waist, and hip measurements, to give it a flattering drape on your frame. We hem the shirt so that the tail ends in the bottom half of the trouser fly area to achieve the correct visual proportions. The outside shirt is a great option for a casual shirt that's still appropriate...

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J Kent Erickson
Shirts, Vests, & Blouses
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Garments & Clothing

Corduroy: Traditional yet Modern

Sep 15 2018

Corduroy fabric began as the English gentleman’s country attire. It had a similar feel as velvet, but was traditionally made of cotton or cotton blends instead of the silk that went into velvet. It’s a durable, long-lasting fabric, rich with history, that’s still useful today. When you’re looking for a fresh piece in your wardrobe that still feels and looks traditional, try a custom corduroy jacket or trousers. We will ensure that they fit as comfortably as your custom suits, and you can enjoy them on occasions that don’t call for a suit. Corduroy is a great option for cooler weather and your seasonal wardrobe. Most corduroys are made in tan colors, but don’t overlook the fresh look of gray or a rich chocolate brown corduroy. Scarlet, green, or plum corduroys can make beautiful accent pieces. Typically choose fabrics with closer-set wales (ridges) for jackets and farther-set wales for trousers. Corduroy sport coats...

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J Kent Erickson
Garments & Clothing
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Coats & Jackets

The Possibilities of Sport Jackets

Jun 15 2018

Sport jackets provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your personal style. When you’re designing your next custom sport coat, take time to consider a wide range of stylistic options, and you’ll create a sport coat that you love. Custom clothing should be a joy to wear. It not only will fit perfectly but also can give you an emotional lift each time you wear it. For your next sport coat, consider light colors and bold patterns as well as the typical tans and blues. Brightening up your clothing can easily brighten up your mood. Selecting a pastel plaid fabric for the jacket makes an eye-catching statement, especially if you choose one with several colors in the plaid. Keep to colors in the same color family if you’re looking to tone down the visual effect. Sport jackets are great for weekends and events that call for style without the formality of a full suit....

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J Kent Erickson
Coats & Jackets
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Seasonal Attire

Spring and Summer Trends for 2018

Jun 01 2018

Many designers of ready-to-wear are focusing on “street style” rather than the need for professionalism in menswear. While many of their fashion choices will be inappropriate for business attire, there are several spring and summer trends for 2018 that you can enjoy without sacrificing true style: Hawaiian prints: Great for a tie or pocket square. Roomier trousers: Skinny-cut suit trousers are becoming less prolific. Squared-off shoulders: Suit coats are creating a more rectangular frame. Earth tones: Several can be combined for a subtle, calm look. White-based outfits: The starkness can be toned down with a little brown or navy. Solid colors: Prints and patterns are taking a backseat to solids this season. Two-color stripes: Simple and bold stripes are trending over thinner or multi-colored options. Ready to discuss how to incorporate these warm-season trends with accent pieces? Call us today for a private consultation.  ...

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J Kent Erickson
Seasonal Attire
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Coats & Jackets

Considering the Navy Blazer

Apr 15 2018

Navy blazers are some of our favorite wardrobe pieces, because they are almost endlessly versatile. They’re equally appropriate for social events and for business-casual days. To create a dressy look, pair your blazer with tan, olive, or gray trousers. A range of gray tones, from silver to charcoal, will look great with your navy blazer. Tan trousers can likewise work for several shades, from beige to tobacco. To create a less formal—but still stylish—look, wear them with dark jeans and a crisp white shirt; skip the tie and unbutton your collar. When designing your custom navy blazer, you can select traditional brass buttons, or choose from among a range of brown or gray horn buttons. Even though you’re building the blazer in a traditional navy color, the fabric doesn’t have to be boring—you can easily customize your blazer by selecting a fabric with rich texture. This attention to design detail will create a...

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J Kent Erickson
Coats & Jackets
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Seasonal Attire

ESSENTIALLY SPRING

Mar 15 2018

This spring, you can create a fresh, breezy look without losing your individual style. Here are a few quick seasonal changes that will breathe fresh air into your wardrobe for the spring. Try loafers instead of lace-ups for casual flair. Wear a woven canvas or light brown leather belt instead of the dark leather belts you've depended on all winter. Bring out your b­righter fabrics, whether in ties, shirts, or socks. Supplement your oxford shirts with­ equally well-tailored custom shirts made from any of our beautiful, open-weave fabrics for the comfort of breathability-without looking sloppy. Indulge in shirts built of lightweight cotton, linen, or blends of the two. Enjoy a pair of custom-tailored tan trousers, whether as part of a spring/summer suit or as a stand-alone item. Consider a custom unlined or partially lined suit coat or sport coat, for occasions when you need the sense of presence a coat...

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J Kent Erickson
Seasonal Attire
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Shirts, Vests, & Blouses

Three Keys To Designing The White Oxford Button-Down Shirt

Feb 15 2018

The reliable white oxford button-down is a workhorse of a shirt. You can confidently wear it during graduation ceremonies, weddings, funerals, some interviews, and at just about any day at work. Your custom oxford looks deliciously crisp when ironed, yet warm and casual when un-tucked. As a custom clothier, here are three key steps we take to ensure each custom button-down oxford we build is truly outstanding. First, we select a fabric with a firm, tight weave. This density of thread makes your shirt last longer and feel smoother than clothing constructed from a lesser fabric. Second, we insist on using only high-quality buttons. For most gentlemen, the ideal buttons are forgettable-without looking cheap. We have an excellent selection for you to choose from, including traditional mother-of-pearl. Our third step is to customize your collar roll, which ensures your collar arches gracefully from your neck to the buttons instead of clinging tightly to...

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J Kent Erickson
Shirts, Vests, & Blouses
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Suits

Play To Your Strong Suit

Feb 01 2018

When you play to win in a card game, you use the cards in your strongest suit. When you play to win in business, you wear the strongest suit in your wardrobe. Custom clothing gives you the ability to design a suit that plays to your strengths and minimizes any irregularities in shape or proportion. You have the power to create exactly the image you desire, and can build your clothing to meet all your individual requirements, even if you are not proportioned like the average gentleman. Whether you're aiming for an approachable, casual suit, or a somber, more formal suit, custom clothing gives you the powerful image you need-because you always play to win....

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J Kent Erickson
Suits
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Shirts, Vests, & Blouses

Types of Shirt Plackets

Dec 15 2017

Designing your personal style means paying attention to details. Have you considered the style potential of choosing between the various options for shirt placket design? (That's the strip of fabric that holds the buttons.) Front placket-found in the vast majority of dress shirts. Always a good option for business attire, but its ubiquity means it lacks individuality. No front placket-also called a French front, this placket has no visual stitching alongside the row of buttons, so it creates clean lines but can be trickier to iron. Covered placket-commonly called a fly front, the covered placket has an additional layer of fabric covering the buttons. It's sometimes found in tuxedo shirts and other very dressy clothing. Tuxedo front-looks similar to the French front but differs in that the top four buttons are removable, allowing you to replace the buttons with tuxedo studs. This placket is best used only with tuxedo shirts. The...

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J Kent Erickson
Shirts, Vests, & Blouses
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