Labor Day is on the horizon, and in America this marks the end of summer. While the weather may not immediately dictate it, soon enough you will be putting away those sandals, shorts, and t-shirts and be reaching for your slacks, ties, and jackets. We wanted to take a moment to think about some traditions and how they will play into your sartorial choices this Fall.
A word about traditions – they endure not because they are arbitrary, but because they make common sense. And the thing about common sense is that it’s never about an absolute rule, but rather about a general norm.
White/Seersucker after Labor Day
It’s a well established tradition that predominantly dressing in white begins on Easter Sunday (or Derby Day) and ends on or around Labor Day. Part of this is common sense: summer weather is warmer and white as a reflective color helps deal with that heat. Another part is the idea of seasonality in clothing. Just as we associate egg nog with winter or pumpkins with autumn, wearing lots of white (or seersucker) is something we associate with the summer. Our diets change as the seasons give us different foods. It’s reasonable to expect our clothing color palette to change as well.
Match your belt to your shoes
Again, this is fairly basic and agreed-upon. A man wearing such a matched combo will be noticed as having taken at least a modicum of time to make sure he looks great before leaving the house. But as with most style rules, virtue lies in the mean. You don’t want to go overboard, and necessarily match your watchband and your tie to your belt and shoes too, as that can sometimes cause the matching to clamor for attention rather than quietly whisper, or insist on matching that particular shade of navy with your other article of clothing. Think in terms of a color range and general matching.
Black and Brown? Together?
This is a classic one and a question we hear often. Black and brown can look great together, but it needs a bit more attention. Firstly, make sure that there is a contrast: if you’re wearing a dark black suit go for a lighter brown pair of shoes. Secondly – make sure that the belt and shoes match. Brown shoes and a black belt don’t really make sense. Finally, feel free to add an extra element to help you match or set off the colors – be it a pocket square, scarf, or a particular color of watch strap.
We hope this helps. While we know that sometimes rules are made to be broken, when it comes to clothing, often times the rules are there to help us out.
Do you agree with us? Do you have a clothing horror or success story to share? All commenters will receive a buy one/get one shoe or boot shine at any of our Gents Place locations.
