Wardrobe Basics | J. Kent Ltd.

The Wardrobe Toolkit

May 15 2015

Just as a carpenter wouldn’t be prepared for his work without a toolbox full of the tools he needs to create excellence in carpentry, a gentleman should ensure he has a wardrobe toolkit with the essentials to care properly for his wardrobe. Hangers: Thick, well-shaped hangers help you avoid stretched-out or drooping shoulders. Shaped hangers also follow the natural curve of the back, which allows your clothing to hang in a resting state, instead of being pulled straight and taut. Suit bags: Use suit bags to store your off-season clothing. This avoids dust buildup and discoloration due to light exposure. Linen, cotton, or any other breathable fabric are preferable to plastic or vinyl, as they allow your clothing to breathe. Lint remover: Lint, dust, pet hair, stray threads, and more can be removed speedily with a dependable lint remover. Clothes brush: Keep this tool handy for a quick pick-me-up when a suit is looking...

J Kent Erickson

Care & Maintenance

0 Comments

Wardrobe Basics

Modern Custom Tailoring: Old-World Craftsmanship & High-Tech Capabilities

Apr 01 2015

In the past, master artisans built up time-tested methods of craftsmanship that created goods of enduring quality. Today, modern custom tailoring is a union of machinery and materials that allows us to enjoy manufactured goods with strength and durability unimaginable by the craftsmen of yesteryear. Which is better? Do you choose traditional quality or technological solutions? Happily, you don’t have to choose: a “marriage” of craftsmanship and technology allows you to enjoy both, in a partnership that combines the best of yesterday and today. Custom clothing offers today’s discriminating gentleman the same painstaking attention to detail and craft as the tailors of old. You don’t have to settle for any of today’s rushed, shoddy workmanship that is merely “good enough” and rarely achieves lasting quality. The fabrics in your custom wardrobe are refined and elegant. Modern textile fabrication methods offer lightweight fabrics with unsurpassed durability and ease of movement. You don’t have to...

J Kent Erickson

Wardrobe Basics

0 Comments

Image & Lifestyle

Be the Best-Dressed Person in Any Room

Feb 16 2015

Dressing well is less a matter of “making a statement” than it is creating elegance through simplicity. A few key points will help you on your way to sartorial success. The detailing on your clothing matters, as it shows your careful attention to the essentials. Your custom attire allows you to choose details that work perfectly with your physique, your personality, your profession, and your sense of style—and, because they’re tailored just for you, your clothes will always offer you an impeccable fit. Today’s clothing strategy seems to be to dress as casually as the occasion will allow—but that’s never a recipe for being well-dressed. Instead, the best-dressed select an outfit that is slightly dressier than the occasion requires. Each interaction with peers is an opportunity to create a favorable impression. That’s easier to accomplish when you have the confidence that custom-tailored clothing naturally inspires. To avoid spending unnecessary time in your closet...

90/10 System: Every 90 Days, Replace 10% of Your Wardrobe

Jan 26 2015

Keeping your image polished and up-to-date is an important part of being a professional. You can maintain a fantastic wardrobe without it becoming a hassle with this easy 90/10 system. Every 90 days, go through your business wardrobe. Look at every piece and evaluate it based on fabric quality and coloring, fit, and general appearance. Take the bottom 10 percent, and donate it to a charity. (If there is one in your area, consider a charity which helps provide interview clothes to job seekers.) Next, replace the discarded 10 percent of your wardrobe with a garment which is slightly better quality than your best pieces of clothing. Rather than simply adding more pieces of clothing to your closet, you’re improving your wardrobe with each clothing investment. This 90/10 system doesn’t require huge, expensive shopping trips or a large time commitment. Instead, you gradually build up a wardrobe that is not only professional-looking and...

New Year’s Resolution: Renew Your Wardrobe

Jan 19 2015

Instead of making the same, old, still-not-accomplished resolutions every year, we suggest that this year, you make a resolution that’s not difficult, will bring you great satisfaction, and will support career success: renew your wardrobe. Here’s how to get it done without getting stressed: Restock the basics. Your go-to shirts will be the first to fray at the collar and cuffs. Replenishing your supply of white and blue shirts will ensure you always have your most dependable options available. Embrace new colors. Expand your color choices in whichever palette works best for you, including light, medium, and dark shades of your favorite colors. Enjoy subtle textures. Weave patterns and a variety of natural fibers can bring a fresh look to your clothing, whether used for a sport coat, a working-week suit, or for shirts designed for a night on the town. Accentuate. The easiest way to improve the visual appeal of your wardrobe is...

Custom Clothing: The Fit & The Fashion

Dec 08 2014

Custom Clothing: The Fit & The Fashion Two roads tend to lead to custom clothing; the first is fit. Those with hard-to-fit body types find a welcome relief from the sizing constraints of off-the-rack clothing through creating their own custom fit. Even slight differences from the “average” size in any of several key fitting points can make it difficult (if not impossible) to buy ready-made clothing that fits well. For gentlemen who are wider in the neck, have a long torso, or are otherwise proportioned differently than the manufacturers’ base patterns, custom clothing is the best source for clothing that fits, looks, and feels fantastic. The second road that leads to custom clothing is fashion. There is simply no better way to create exactly the look that expresses a unique personality than custom clothing. Men with a keen sense of style often turn to custom clothing to avoid being limited to the...

J Kent Erickson

Image & Lifestyle

0 Comments

Accessories & Jewelry

How to Tie a Bow Tie

Nov 10 2014

More gentlemen are finding a bow tie to be a perfect accessory in a variety of occasions. They’re not just for college professors anymore—bow ties are a fantastic option for anyone looking to add a distinctive flair to his wardrobe. There’s a practical side to wearing a bow tie. They never find their way into your dinner or twist themselves around—and they’re easier to tie than you may think. Here’s how to tie a bow tie without losing your cool: Place your tie around your neck, with one end slightly longer than the other. Cross the longer end over the shorter one, then bring that same longer end under the shorter and up, next to your neck. Pull the ends until the knot is comfortably snug. Fold the shorter end in half sideways, so that it looks like a bow and is thinnest in the middle. Bring the end with the fold across to...

J Kent Erickson

Accessories & Jewelry

0 Comments

Ask Kent

Suits: To Press or Steam

Aug 20 2014

I received this question from a reader: Should I press or steam my suit? Or should I just take it to the cleaners? This is what I shared with them: Steaming is far gentler on your suit than too-frequent dry cleanings and the high-temperature commercial press. Steam it lightly just before wearing, instead of immediately after wearing it. This will allow any moisture to dry naturally and remove any wrinkles from storage. Your dress shirts should be pressed instead of steamed to smooth the fabric and give it a crisp look....

Tips for the Hard-to-Fit Gentleman

Jul 06 2014

Part of the appeal of custom clothing is being able to fit a hard-to-fit physique. Whether you’re short or tall, stocky or slim, customized options can create your best possible look. For Shorter Men Keep the break in your trousers minimal to lengthen the front crease line. Place your suit coat buttons a little lower (two-button coats will be more flattering than three-button coats) and consider using peak lapels—the longer lines add the illusion of height. Enjoy the bolder fabrics that your taller colleagues can’t always pull off, such as glen plaid and Prince of Wales. For Taller Men To keep things in proportion, choose wider ties and a spread-collar shirt. Accessories such as a belt, a tie bar, or a pocket square can help break up the impression of height. Rounder toes on your shoes are helpful, along with ties with horizontal or diagonal stripes. For Stocky Men Unless you’re sitting down, keep your suit...

Defining Different Types of Coats

Apr 20 2014

I received this question from a reader: What’s the difference between a blazer, sport coat, and my suit coat? This is what I shared with them:To define the different types of coats, it's easiest to look at their traditional usage. A blazer comes from navy traditions. It typically has patch pockets on the outside and metallic buttons, both on the front and on the coat sleeves. Dark colors are common, with navy blue predominating. A sport coat comes from country living in England (particularly hunting), and is often made of twilled cotton or tweed. Sport coats tend to include rustic shades of brown, but may include a variety of colors. A suit coat is made of wool and is more formal than the other two. Although naturally it matches your suit’s trousers, many suit coats can also be coordinated with other dressy trousers. Suit coats come in a variety of colors; traditional choices are...

J Kent Erickson

Ask Kent

0 Comments