Dapper demeanor

The Life and Times of C. Benjamin vol. 2: Suitsupply is hiring in DC!

cbenjamin — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:24:32 -0400

The Life and Times of C. Benjamin vol. 2: Suitsupply is hiring in DC!:

As some of you may know, Suitsupply is opening up a location in Georgetown and I’ll be in the new shop. If you have followed me, would like a job in menswear, or are tired of waiting 374246436543 days for me to respond to your questions you should definitely consider joining our team. We…

Where do you buy the whipcord suits? I'm interested in a light grey one

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:57:13 -0500

As that same question at www.cbenjamin.tumblr.com/ask

We Have Moved!

cbenjamin — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:26:35 -0500

We now have two new locations for great content and even better personalities! For info on women’s style/fashion, interior design, lifestyle, the adventures of Wesley, and general awesomeness check out L’s tumblr Clever as a Quirk. For men’s style, music, some sports, jokes and jokes and jokes and jokes, and updates on the new Dapper Demeanor check out C. Benjamin’s tumblr. This tumblr is closed.

Farewell

cbenjamin — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 18:07:02 -0400

Dear, followers

L and I would like to personally thank you for supporting Dapper demeanor this past year. It has been an incredible journey for us both and we have loved every minute. That said, all journeys must come to an end at some point. This marks the end of Dapper demeanor as many of you all know it. L has begun a rigorous masters program in interior design (be on the look out for her HGTV/Finer Living TV show in the next 10 years!) and things have picked up for me at work as well as in other places on the internets. This will serve as one of the last Dapper deamenor posts… on Tumblr that is. L has so graciously allowed me to use the name that we came up with for a new project I am launching very soon (she says it was her idea… my memory recalls it being more of a collaborative epiphany). I will announce my new project here on Tumblr. I definitely encourage all you ladies looking for tips on how to ~~keep a man~~ dress well to hit up L on her site, www.cleverasaquirk.tumblr.com (and you don’t have to worry about random butt naked women filling up your Dashboard because she isn’t into that kinda stuff!). I’m still holding down the fort at LAT of CB so fellas can still hit me up. Special thanks to L’s brother Ian that created this dope theme for us! Again, thank you and continue to follow both myself and L on our other blogs!

Sartorially,

C. Benjamin

L&T 20% off sale

leeh2os — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 08:15:00 -0400

Lord & Taylor is having a 20% off sale where all you have to do is type in SIMPLE at checkout to get 20% off both sale and regularly priced items.

I just scooped up this hooded rain jacket for $111 with tax and shipping (originally $175 before tax and shipping!). Now I can ride home in the rain (which is what normally happens) and stay dry…and stylish.

Hope you’re enjoying the weekend!

Hi,

My name is Vivian, I am sure you get plenty of emails like this but I wanted to see if I can speak to you about advertising on your site. Is this something you would consider doing? The proposed Advertisement is unobtrusive and my client’s site is legitimate, well known and would suite your site very well.

If this is something you are interested in please let me know.
Also, if you have any other sites do not hesitate sending me a list.
I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Kindest Regards,

Vivian Mayors

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:09:39 -0400

Vivian, please email us at dapper.demeanor@gmail.com with more information.

Thanks!

L & C.Benjamin

Lucy asked; "L" answered

leeh2os — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:07:09 -0400

I adore my Banana Republic slim leg chinos and they were only $60 a pair (I got some in light grey and black) at full price!

Here is something very similar on BR’s site right now for $70 (with free shipping over $50):

And another option from Ann Taylor Loft for $70:

Hope that helps!!

Changing jobs from artsy environment to hospital setting- my boss tells me I'll have to wear hose with skirts, or pants, and only CLOSE-TOED SHOES! I feel like a granny just reading these requirements. I hate the cheap nylon feel and exaggerated flare of most affordable dress pants- I'd really love some cotton options with a skinnier leg. I really don't want to show up looking like a granny in ill-fitting but work-appropriate clothing...

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:41:44 -0400

I adore my Banana Republic slim leg chinos and they were only $60 a pair (I got some in light grey and black) at full price!

Here is something very similar on BR’s site right now for $70 (with free shipping over $50):

And another option from Ann Taylor Loft for $70:

Hope that helps!!

Pleats are for Lovers

cbenjamin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:27:42 -0400

The discussion surrounding the current sartorial freshness of pleated pants has been going on for a little while on Tumblr as well as around the internet. Some say that they are great, fashion forward and should be in every man’s wardrobe. Other’s say never, EVER rock pleated pants as they are the male equivalent to “mom jeans”. I fall in between these two extremes: while not a necessity, I think that pleated pants can be a great addition to a man’s wardrobe if done properly.

There are certain truths that need to be acknowledged about pleated pants. The big truth is that 99% of them look like crap. Pleats add a lot of extra fabric to a man’s midsection making even the trimmest of man appear as though he has child bearing hips. They also tend to have a very full cut, as the vast majority of clothing makers present pleated pants as a “comfortable” alternative to flat front pants. Somewhere down the line in America, we equated fabric not touching our bodies with comfort: the more fabric that touches your skin the less inherent comfort those clothes provide. This couldn’t be further from the truth (if you wear quality fabrics you actually want to feel it) but I digress. The other truth is a derivative of the lack of coolness: nice trim fitting pleated pants are REALLY hard to find. For this reason, fashion purveyors like GQ, Details, and Esquire totally bash pleated pants and have been pushing flat front pants for some time now. That said, pleated pants can be a killer piece in a man’s wardrobe if executed properly. Here is how you do it:

1. The pants need to be well tailored throughout. Pleats are intended for style as well as functionality, and they don’t need to be loose in order to provide range of movement: they exist so you can have range of movement without a lot of looseness. Get rid of any extra room in the thighs, seat, and legs.

2. No more than 2 pleats. Personally, I think one pleat is the sweet spot for looking sharp and fashion forward is 1 pleat. In particular, I like 1 pleat looks better than 2 when wearing trousers with no jacket. It’s just a cleaner sharper loop.

3. Pleated pants must be worn at your natural waist: no exceptions. I know lower rises are what’s hot, but these should be worn at your actual waist. If you don’t know your natural waist, find your belly button and go down about an inch. Should be somewhere in that area…

4. No crease is not an option. Your pleated trousers should have a crease so sharp you can split atoms on it. A cuff, on the other hand, is optional.

As per the styling, you can basically treat them just like any other dress trouser. I will say that double pleats tend to be more formal, so they may not jive well with a polo. I recently was working a college fair and there was a young man is slim single pleat trousers and a trim polo and he was markedly better dressed than his peers. Because they should be rather crisp with a crease, nicer shirts tend to work better (though very trim single pleat pants can look dope with a white v-neck and plimsolls in the summer). As for shoes, I would recommend hard bottoms: cap toe or wingtip, simple or brogues. You could even go dress boots in the colder weather.

The above is Dockers’ not so affordable slim pleated chino offering

When it comes to where to buy them, the affordable options are very slim (no pun intended) and really aren’t that affordable when you get down to it. There are three brands right now that have solid fit options: Banana Republic, J. Crew, and Dockers. They all come in at about $200 and they are all in the slimmest fit offered by the brands. You can also cruise sites like www.bluefly.com or www.yoox.com as you may be able to scoop some of the higher end offerings at a discount. For many guys reading, though, your best (read: most affordable) option might just be to take an old pair of pleated trousers to the tailor and have them take in the seat, thighs, and legs. While they may not have the lower rise that the aforementioned options have, they will have lower price points.

Shouts out to Gabe at www.pleatsareforlovers.tumblr.com for unknowingly providing me with the perfect title for this post.

Check out my interview with Gaby from Fashion Killed my wallet about Dd, style v. fashion, and my dislike of most sales associates

cbenjamin — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 02:01:48 -0400

Check out my interview with Gaby from Fashion Killed my wallet about Dd, style v. fashion, and my dislike of most sales associates

Don't Make Me Get My Belt

cbenjamin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:19:00 -0400

The title of this post was something I heard a lot as a kid… but fear not it is not on whether corporal punishment is appropriate for young kids. This is about the style trend of going beltless. I know trends aren’t something that is generally endorsed for guys here at Dd, but this is something worth discussing.

Recently, I posted about dress pants (trousers if you will) and how undervalued they have become in men’s closets. I debated internally whether or not to post a belt in the look and ultimately I vetoed it. I think rocking trousers with no belt is so clean you GOTTA do it. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t need to wear a belt with your dress pants/trousers (or other pants for that matter). Belts should be an accessory akin to a watch or tie: while not needed, you still look damn good when you wear one. Going belt-less can provide a very clean look, particularly this Fall if you are wearing a sweater over a button down you don’t want the fabric to bunch at your midsection from a belt. Pants with either tab fronts (like the one’s above) or side tabs tend to look the best for going without a belt. For the daring, having the belt loops removed from tab front pants can look KILLER. Dan T. aka The Style Blogger has done all the above. Pants with front and side tabs, hold the belt loops. Super clean:

Here Maxwell rocks the front tabs with the belt loops and no belt, still cooler than sipping a milkshake in a snow storm:

It is a little hard to tell to the untrained eye, but Jay Baruchel is layered up without a belt and you don’t get a lot of fabric bunching up in the front because of a buckle:

One group of men that going belt-less can greatly help is shorter men. Wearing a belt cuts your frame in half, making you appear shorter. Without the belt, you have cleaner lines and it allows the eye to travel more fluidly down your silhouette making you appear taller. If you are larger and have a bit of a gut, belts can constrict you below your stomach making it appear Bigger. Big guys, particularly ones that aren’t super big, should try to go belt-less with higher waisted pants or try rocking suspenders.

Going belt-less isn’t for everyone, though. If you are very tall (6’5”+), wearing a belt will help divide your build so you won’t appear as freakishly tall as people may think you are. Being 6’3, I’m on the fringe so sometimes I rock belts:

and sometimes I don’t:

(I know it’s hard to tell… but there is no belt in this pic)

Remember Dress Pants?

cbenjamin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:32:59 -0400

Over the past few years, there has been a big push in the men’s style world of slim fitting chinos. The blogs I read do it, I do it, and with good reason: they are a great pant and they really can be dressed up or down. That said, actual dress pants have taken a backseat to their casual cousin. Well no longer! Dress pants are dope. Hit the jump and find out why.

Chinos are cherished for their versatility: they are like jeans only they aren’t. Generally, people recommend grabbing some chinos, ironing a crease in them and pairing with a blazer, dress shirt, tie, and hard bottoms for a good dressed up look. Dress pants get glanced over because of their perceived lack of versatility, but for the more advanced sartorialist dress pants can be about as versatile as chinos. Some may ask what separates chinos from dress pants. A big differentiating feature is the fabric: typically dress pants are going to be made of wool (or some blend) or a higher grade of cotton twill that may even have a slight sheen to it compared to the more muted and washed chino. Another differentiator is the crease: typically dress pants come creased and some have some sort of permanent or semi-permanent crease in them. Chinos a lot of times don’t come creased and generally don’t hold creases well. Now that the background stuff is out of the way, let’s get to the meat and potatoes. One of the keys to making dress pants more casual is to pair them with casual pieces that are more dressy. Take this look:

Here we have dress pants with a short sleeve button up. The shirt itself isn’t overly washed or distressed, so it doesn’t look out of place with the pants. The wing tips look great, but this look could have just as easily been worn with some canvas sneakers.

This next look is courtesy of The Style Blogger:

Here he pretty much made an entire suit a casual look, but if your stuff is tailored right you should be able to do it too. Suit pants can be a little tricky because many suit makers don’t make suit pants with lower rises that many younger guys have become accustom to in our chinos and jeans. But then again, if you go than Don Draper swag there’s nothing wrong with rocking a white t with high waisted pants. Something Dan T’s above look should be a reminder of is the companies like J. Crew with modern fitting suits: you could get an entire suit from them and break the individual pieces down into great casual looks like he does here.

How would I rock dress pants casually? Well I would start with some pants like this from J. Crew:

Then up top I would keep it simple with a white v-neck t:

Over that I would go with a simple cardigan like this dope joint from Brooks Brothers:

Fall is right around the corner, so a baseball jacket might be necessary:

Then for kick, you already know we are rockin’ boots all Fall!:

With Fall right around the corner for many of us state side,...

cbenjamin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:42:50 -0400

Clarks Desert Boot

Bass Barret

Shipton & Heneage Burford

J. Crew Suede Wing Tips

With Fall right around the corner for many of us state side, it’s about time to start thinking about switching our footwear up. Though I personally have been on a boot kick, I recognize that not everyone wants to rock boots all Fall/Winter like me. Another great option is a dark brown suede shoe. They are highly versatile and work well with many of the pieces that are going to be big this Fall like corduroy and flannel blazers or thick lambs wool sweaters. Whether you go the desert boot route or rock suede wing tips, these shoes will look just as good with jeans as they will with a suit.

Sartorial Role Model: Taye Diggs

cbenjamin — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:07:49 -0400

I mentioned this earlier today on my personal blog, but Taye digs has been KILLING it on the sartorial front for the past year or so. The great thing about Taye’s look is that, for the most part, its so timeless. These pictures will look great 20+ years from now when kids are reposting them on whatever the big information sharing tool of that era is. Hit the jump for the secret to Taye’s killer look.
The big thing stylistically that Taye has been doing is mixing and matching dressier and more casual pieces for a look that is comfortable and clean. Take this look for example:

A grey v-neck and khaki chinos are items that a lot of men own, throw a blazer and fresh brogues on and you are demolishing the game. Though all of these pieces are common, I would venture to say that the vast majority of men could not pull this look off with these same pieces in their closet. Why? Two words: fit inconsistency. It is not uncommon to see guys whose casual wardrobe fits vastly different than their dress wardrobe. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, in a man’s closet should fit him well. If this is the case, looks like this are easy. A well fitting blazer will look just as good over a t-shirt as it does over a button down as evidenced in the following pic:

Taye also shows he can do the same things except sans blazer and add jeans. Please ignore his “hey I’m still cool!” pose and focus on the fit:

Shirt fits well, vest fits well, jeans on on his WAIST! not hips. The biggest faux pas guys make with the vest and jeans look is wearing jeans too low and/or not tucking their shirts in. Generally speaking if you are wearing a vest or tie of any sort and jeans, you should tuck your shirt in. Its a cleaner look up top to complement the more casual bottom.

We can forgive the bootcut jeans here… Even role models make mistakes.

LEC Slim Chino: First Impressions

cbenjamin — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:25:41 -0400

So there was some buzz on the Tumblrs about the LEC slim chinos that came out a few days ago. I scooped a pair and they came in today. Pics coming later today, but my first impressions were as follows:

-They are SUPER soft. No breaking in required.

-They definitely don’t have that dress pants sheen to them, but they aren’t really distressed at all. Just lightly washed.

-Fit wise, they are indeed a slim fit but definitely not skinny.

-Good casual pant that can be worn to work, but definitely not really the type that you could “dress up” in a true sense.

Initial Verdict: If money is tight and you need some slim chinos, I would definitely recommend these over the J. Crew Urban slim. They don’t have the loose seat and thigh problems. I would still put the Rugby University chinos ahead of these in the best chino <$100 category, but these are damn good pants (the jury is still out on whether the Gap slim chinos are indeed slim… but based on the fuller cut versions they are dressier than LEC and Rugby).

cleverasaquirk: Ffffound by Conscientious Observer, one of our...

dapperdemeanorarchives — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:16:01 -0400

cleverasaquirk:

Ffffound by C onscientious Observer, one of our readers!

HEM JEMS

These little dainties cost about $20 for a pair and allow you to temporarily hem your jeans. I know I have a pair of jeans that is fantastic, but just a touch too long for flats. This would be a great solution for shortening them for an occasion when I wouldn’t want to wear heels—which can be rare :)

When LEC first came out, a lot of people were skeptical about...

cbenjamin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 14:34:51 -0400

When LEC first came out, a lot of people were skeptical about the longevity of the brand especially considering the demise of Martin and Osa around the same time. They kept things pretty stayed with their first offerings, but the prices were right and the quality was solid folks rolled with them. At first I thought they would never be a true alternative to brands like J. Crew or Gap but a good supplement… then they went and busted a proverbial nut on their F/W 2010 collection. Not the least impressive is the introduction of slim chinos, something that was conspicuously missing the first go round. Dope shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, and pants. We will see what they come out with in terms of outerwear, but so far things look beyond promising and at less than $50 for slim chinos, Gap better protect their necks.

thisfits:

Lands’ End Canvas New Arrivals

With their Summer Sale now over, LEC has dropped dozens of new items for F/W 2010. I’m really feeling this shawl collar cardigan. Conspicuously absent is the maroon cardigan that got so much attention a while back. Hope we see that soon. Here are some highlights of what’s available.

Varsity Shawl Collar Sweatshirt - $39.50

Heritage Slim Fit Chino - $39.50
Promising, especially at this price point, but need to try the fit and would like to see more colors.

Griffin Crest Tie - $39.50

Neutral, strappy wedges or espadrilles under 3" for work!

leeh2os — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:59:19 -0400

For the question asker below, here is your answer!

Apepazza Women’s Cristallo Slingback Espadrille

Stuart Weitzman Women’s Checkers Sandal

Eric Michael Women’s Libby Espadrille

Eric Michael Women’s Elena Espadrille

Pink Studio Women’s Patsy Peep-Toe Espadrille

Butter Women’s Dream Open-Toe Espadrille

Stuart Weitzman Women’s Hurdle Espadrille

What I would wear with the Mia Drifter boot; for Lucy

leeh2os — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 19:30:00 -0400

Per the post below,

On her feet, everywhere, with anything. HA! Seriously, though. I am loving these shoes! The return to the simple toed, ankle boot is so nostalgic and American. I bought some myself in the winter that were red and I just adore them.

I would wear these shoes with leggings, jeggings, or straight leg jeans or even a slim pair of chinos. Nothing too long, because you want to see a little more of the shoe.
I would even suggest a skirt, if you can find the right skirt. Lucy, you’re tall enough that a neutral pencil skirt, with an over the top feminine blouse and an equally fun belt to anchor it would be smashing with the shoes. Think J. Crew stylings with these and check out their catalog for some fun ideas. These types of boots and other menswear inspired digs are all over their pages.

I will post some of my ideas for you!

———————-

Here are my style suggestions for the following shoe which is $85:

All of these pictures are ensembles that I would swap out their shoes and swap IN the Mia Drifter boots. I love the idea of pairing something basic, muted, and androgynous with florals, frills, and skirts. The last look with the motorcycle jacket and the black jeggings from Nordstroms is less feminine, but the black with the brown combo would be a fantastic!

1 - J. Crew2 - J. Crew3 - Ann Taylor Loft4 - Ann Taylor Loft5 - Nordstroms6 - Nordstroms

the Color Series: Part 2 - Complementary colors in fashion

leeh2os — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:41:17 -0400

Complementary color schemes are my fashion go-to for standing out in a crowd. They are unexpected magnets for second glances and compliments. Complementary colors are opposite one another on a color wheel. Read on to see why working with complementary colors in your wardrobe is the fast ticket to looking like you really know what you are doing when you get dressed.

As you can see, complementary colors sit directly across from one another on the color wheel. The reason these colors “complement” one another is because the combination of colors across from one another on the color wheel consists of all three primary colors. For example, blue and orange are complementary colors: blue is a primary and orange is a secondary color, made from the other two primaries (red + yellow). Here is another one involving tertiary colors (colors made from adding a primary to a secondary color)i: BlueGreen + RedOrange EQUALS (Blue + Blue+Yellow) PLUS (Red + Red+Yellow).

1- OK, enough math, you get the idea; all colors come from some variation of the primaries and our brains really seem to respond to see all the primaries together in some form or er, fashion.

2- Playing with complementary colors will shows you are confident and a knowledgeable dresser. As I said before, it’s unexpected and bold. Something to be aware of is that you don’t necessarily have to use the full chroma version of a color/hue to get a complimentary look. Chroma measures the intensity or amount of pigment in a hue. So you’ve got true red, which is incredibly bright and then you’ve got more dull reds, like burgundy and crimson.

For example, take this deep plum (violet hue) dress and mix it with these dull, metallic gold (yellow hue) peep toe pumps and it creates an elegantly and striking look.

Sometimes I also enjoy mixing something bright with something dull. Here is a picture of me from this past December wearing a muted green jacket over a true red top that peeked through. It was different, that’s for sure, but people seemed to love it!

3-Try mixing two sets of compliments to truly get people thinking, “That is fantastic! How does she put those colors together?”. Here, Dior is doing it remarkably well! Why it works:You’ve got one complementary set of colors made of lilac (violet hued) base, embellished with smatterings of gold (yellow hue), paired next to another complementary pair of colors; turquoise (blue green hue) set off with the tiniest bits of burnt sienna (red-orange hue).

SIDENOTE: I found a blog specifically on Dior’s history with color and some of the fashion house’s rules for implementing color into each new season’s collection—fascinating!

You’ve got some reasons, now find a way to implement the principles into your wardrobe, be it through a top and a bottom, accessories, a dress with a splendid pair of shoes, or jewelry.

Here are some more examples from Polyvore users:

Send us pics, we’d love to see what you came up with!