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LGFG Fashion House has hired a professional style expert to write these blog posts with a reason – if any of our clients have some questions about styling then we are always here to help you out. Of course you can call in any time directly to your tailor but you can also write us, we will make a blog post about your fashion questions.  One of our clients was wondering he can style a tie with stripes with his shirt which also has stripes. And we are giving you all some advice on how to style a tie and shirt when both have patterns. Because learning to match your shirts and ties together so they work well may be an art, but it’s one you can learn like a science. So, here you go:

* The safest way to style is a solid shirt with a solid tie. Just remember it looks nicer if the tie is darker than the shirt.

* Another safe way is to style your patterned shirt with a solid tie. Or vice versa.

* If you try to wear pattern on pattern then the simplest way of doing it right is if you avoid having the same pattern appear in both your shirt and your tie. If your shirt has polka dots, don’t pair it with a dotted tie.

If you still want to play the higher and riskier levels of the styling game and wear the same kind of patterns, we can give you some rules on how to succeed in it:

* The first rule is to establish the primary color of your shirt, and then choose a tie with a similar color anywhere in its pattern (ie its secondary colour). With a striped shirt you can wear a tie with polka dots or a tie with stripes as well as long as the secondary tie colour matches the primary shirt colour.

* Try to avoid stripes that are leaning in the same direction. The best stripe on stripe solution is when the stripes on your shirt are verticals and on your shirt they are diagonal. A diagonal striped tie is a good choice with a gingham shirt also.

* Pick the right scale. Your collar and tie should be in proportion with each other. Avoid mixing patterns that have identical proportions.

* When opting to wear patterns (on patterns) then avoid shiny and smooth materials. Textured and matte finishes make the combo much easier to wear.

* Pair large patterns with smaller ones; you want your patterns to visually complement each other. The patterns of your tie should be larger and bolder than the patterns of your shirt. If you wear the same size patterns on your shirt and tie you will end up looking like an optical illusion.

* Always dress such that one of the three basic elements (suit, shirt and tie) as a plain or solid.

*  And last but not least – it’s not all about the rules. Have fun with some cool graphics! The goal is to give you a sharper and dapper look. We are all here to present our personal style and if you are sure and confident about yourself that you can pull off that pattern on pattern on pattern combo, then go for it- with a caveat- check with your highly trained professional clothier from LGFG Fashion House!

So this is it. You have now decided to make this investment and buy yourself a truly great gift – a new bespoke suit. Measured just right for your body. A suit that fits you like a glove. You will get it delivered to your home or office (your choice). What an exciting day! Don’t we all love to get new things?

Although a great bespoke suit from a trustworthy tailor will provide great quality and a longer lifetime than your usual suit from the shopping mall, it still needs proper care. Failing to properly care for, clean and store your two-piece (or three-piece!) instantly shortens its life expectancy. So here we are giving you some DO’s and DON’Ts: some of them you might have  heard before and some might be new information.

DO use only a proper hanger with wide, rounded shoulders. The skinny fit hangers will damage the fabric by stretching and reshaping it. The worst hangers are the wire hangers. Get a wide, hanger that ends just before the shoulder seam. If the shoulder width on the hanger is too long, it’ll stretch the fabric again, too short and the arm will droop, etc. LGFG uses the correct wide-shoulder-blade hanger perfectly made for your suit. NB: While we love wooden hangers, we use a high quality resin hanger ourselves, because shipping into 20+ countries worldwide creates various issues with importing wood!

DO cut the vent threads. A vent is/are the slit(s) up the back of your jacket. If you receive your new suit you’ll notice a small “X” of thread which stops the fabric getting rumpled up when it’s being shipped (or hung in a store). Cut the “X”. It’s elementary suit knowledge. Same goes for thread on your shoulders, if it’s there.

DON’T put your suit to the closet straight after you take it off. Let it air before putting it back to your wardrobe. This helps creases fall out and releases any odours trapped in the suit’s fibres.

DON’T cut the pocket threads. When you first receive a new suit and you put it on and try to stuff your hands in the pockets you’ll notice that they’ve been sewed shut. Of course the reason is to make it look better on the rail because it’ll make the fabric sit flat (and in the stores it’ll avoid other men who’s been trying the suit stretch the jacket out of shape). But we recommend you to leave them shut. Otherwise you’ll be tempted to use your pockets (stuffing your fists or car keys there) and it will stretch your new jacket out of shape. You shouldn’t ever put anything in your pockets.

DO open your pocket square. Feel free to make that space for a silk, but never a phone.

DO use a suit carrier when transporting your suit. And always keep it on the hanger. On the proper wide one, that is.

DO dry clean your suit only when absolutely necessary. And when getting your suit dry cleaned, always have the whole suit cleaned. If you think the trousers are dirty and jacket not enough or vice versa, then clean them both anyways. The colors will fade slightly. But you’ll need your suit as an uniform with the exact same colour.

DON’T iron it after you first wear it. We get that after sitting in an office chair or car there will be some wrinkles coming to your nicely pressed suit. So you might think to heat up the iron… Well, bad move. Applying heat directly to suit fabric flattens its fibres and they grow shiny. Protect your tailoring by letting gravity do the work. Suit fabric is resilient, so hang up your jacket and over 24 hours most creases should simply drop out. For the ones that are stubborn enough to stay there use a handheld steamer.

DO always use lint roller all over your suit before wearing it.

TRY NOT TO carry your car keys in your suit at all times. We understand it’s a necessary evil, but do you best here: constant friction from one pocket will eventually show wear.

DON’T – wear your suit jacket while driving. Constant friction from the seatbelt can show wear asymmetrically over time.

And if you happen to have any questions about how to take care of your suit or about the fabric of your new suit then it’s always a good idea to ask before acting. A professional tailor will always help you out in such questions. Contact LGFG Fashion House tailors on www.lgfgfashionhouse.com/contact/ with any of advice you might need.

We can all agree that great shoes are one of the very essential gentleman’s style rules. Because one of the most common ways men ruin a beautiful outfit or tailored suit is matching it with dress shoes that look worn and old. Psychologists say that it will also tell a lot about a person – being lazy, irresponsible, careless etc.

So good shoes it is! We’ve said it before but there is something more to it –  good shoe care! Proper care will lengthen the life of your shoes for (possibly) decades.  And you can explain why those expensive shoes needed to be bought by you because the pricier opinions become much more appealing when approached as an investment rather than a simple purchase.

First thing we should keep in mind is that a few scuffs and bruises are not what ruin a shoe. Those are inevitable. It’s the cleanliness that matters most. Instead of taking care of our shoes everyday while they wait to be put on, men usually leave the shoe care for the last minute – as something to do before leaving the house. And moreover, many times looks are sacrificed for the sake of comfort! Let’s step away from this habit…

Although nowadays it is possible to let your shoes be cleaned by a professional it is still good to know how to correctly do it yourself. We will give you some tips how to make your shoes clean without making a mess:

* First of all – take some time to do it, it’s not a 60 second job

* Lay out some newspaper so you won’t destroy your floor

* Remove the shoe trees and laces. That way you can also shine the tongue. Otherwise if the shoe tongue is left uncleaned it will create an ugly contrast to your shoes over the time

* Don’t wear something too expensive while doing this. Polish is impossible to get out of clothes

* Before using the polish wipe your shoes all over with a cloth that is slightly damp. All the dirt and grit need to be removed from the shoe’s surface and the tongue cause these will scratch your shoes when you start to shine them

* Make sure that your shoes are dry after the last step and then apply some polish with a brush. Use it in small amounts

* You don’t need to have a special shoe polish brush, a basic toothbrush will do the job perfectly

* Don’t forget to go over the heel and toe part, even twice; these are the areas that get most exposure

* After that leave the shoe on the newspaper so the wax or cream can set in

* Then you should use a horsehair brush (buy one!) to remove the polish. Brush with medium pressure and with rapid movements. This will help the polish sink in even further.

* In the end go over both shoes with a special cloth or rag. This makes sure any additional excess polish that might still be there will be removed. This is important cause you don’t want to stain your trousers

Well now you are probably able to see your reflection in the toe of your shoes. Good job!

On the last blog post we talked about the polo shirt and its history. This time we are getting closer to the suit and will talk about the button-down shirt; they have some things in common! The button-down shirt’s history is, unsurprisingly logical: it was originated from the polo shirt! The collar of the button-down shirt was originally called a polo collar and it was worn pretty exclusively by polo players in the late 19th century.

At that time most men’s collars were not fastened. Polo players were the ones that found the non-fastened style to be uncomfortable as it would flap in their faces during the polo-game horse riding. At first they used a homemade technique and attached some buttons to their shirts to keep their collars out of their way.

The one who noticed it and turned it to business was John Brooks from Brooks Brothers. He took over this style manoeuvre and started offering button-down shirts in the family stores. In fact, while the Brooks Brothers button-down shirts still say “The Original Polo Shirt” on the label today, it didn’t become a fashion hit immediately. It received a style status in the mid-1900s when Italians adopted it. It really seems that they’ve been the fashion influencers since…well we’ll get to that in another post.

Button downs became widely adopted and a total hit when Gianni Agnelli, an influential Italian industrialist and principal shareholder of Fiat, made the button-down shirt his wardrobe essential and personal uniform.  He was also the richest man in modern Italy so there were many eyes on him and his style choices. He was known worldwide for his impeccable, slightly eccentric fashion sense. He has influenced both Italian and international men’s fashion.

Gianni Agnelli

Today button-down shirts are everywhere. They’re worn by business men, as a school uniform, by travellers, as everyday office attire, for festive events, meetings, dating, for a weekend getaway, to the beach bar etc. Depending on colour and material men could go everywhere wearing a button-down shirt. And also, not to mention that the ladies have also stolen the look! What a useful piece of clothing we have thanks to the polo players! NB: It’s still considered a fashion faux-pas to wear a button-down shirt with a tie  – so do this at your own risk!

Want to know more about the story behind your dress-clothes? How about some new ideas and tips? Speak with your LGFG Clothier today!

No matter how much we would like that the only essential menswear would be a suit, it’s not the case in real life. Although it IS the best option and one that every gentleman should have. And multiply. A lot.

At this time, however, we’re are not discussing suits. We looked into the wardrobe a bit further and found another quite essential basic that a proper gentleman should have. A polo shirt. The one thing that is so needed during the hot summer days when you still need to look proper (read: you are in town, working).

You probably think you know everything about a polo shirt. It’s a piece of menswear that clearly was developed as a uniform for polo players. Right? Well, wrong. Don’t let yourself be fooled about the name. As a matter of fact, polo shirts were first used in tennis! The original tennis uniforms were very uncomfortable. We’re talking long sleeved white dress shirts with sleeves rolled up, and paired with dress trousers and usually a tie too. These were called the tennis whites. For running and swinging a tennis racket, it all was too much. Still, nobody said anything because fashion won over functionality and everyone accepted it. Except tennis star and seven-time Grand Slam champion Jean René Lacoste. Tired of the impracticality of tennis whites, he developed the very first polo shirt. Instead of a stiffer woven fabric, he favoured a knit pique that stretched and moved with the player, with an extended back tail to stay tucked in (today known as a tennis tail). Instead of a button-down collar and full placket, he opted for an unstarched ribbed collar that could be flipped up to protect the neck from the sun. He also ditched the long sleeves for short. This allowed a player a fuller range movement. He wore the shirt first at the 1926 U.S. Open championship.

The design was immediately popular! And it didn’t go unnoticed for him. He then started a business and launched “The Lacoste Shirt Company”. In 1927, Lacoste placed a crocodile emblem on the left breast of his shirts. The now famous crocodile logo came from the nickname the American press had given to Lacoste – “The Crocodile”.

It didn’t remain a tennis shirt for too long. As a comfortable option for elegant sport games other sportsmen took note and began to abandon their own stuffier choices for ore sensible designs. And the polo players were caught on quick. And for some reason the term “polo shirt” just stuck more than “tennis shirt”. Even tennis players were calling it by that name.

In the mid 1900s golfers also picked up that style for the same reason as other sportsmen. It became a standard uniform for golf but the nickname polo shirt still remained.

Today, the polo shirt has come a long way and it’s not just a sports ensemble anymore. Quite the opposite – it has been adapted to everyday use. The usual polo shirt is more casual option but there are luxe choices as well. Choose versions with merino wool or other finer knits for a elegant look. It’s the perfect companion for summer time, and pair it with chino shorts or jeans for a dressed down look or under a blazer for a more formal look.

For further informations or any additional questions on how to style the legendary polo shirt, just contact your highly trained LGFG clothier and (s)he will help you out:www.lgfgfashionhouse.com/contact-lgfg/

There are many taboos in the fashion world. Some of them, the ‘everyday’ people (read: outside the fashion industry) wouldn’t ever know about, although they’re quite interesting.  So today we’re sharing these taboos, and most importantly – which ones you could break and which ones you definitely shouldn’t.

1. Let’s start with the classic: socks and sandals. Well it seems that everyone already knows it’s a taboo but people still do it. Not a long talk here: DON’T

It is still ok to wear sandals without any socks under them, and it is totally ok for a man to have a pedicure, at least during the summer months. Warning – this could be totally addictive!

2. Now this is a tricky one: man purse. You actually can wear a bag but its thin ice you’re walking on. There are some certain bag types that you could wear and look stylish and not… well.. overly feminine (unless that’s what you want, which is cool). So we are going to say it out clearly which sort of bags are ok for a man to wear: briefcase, sport bag, backpacks and of course different sized suitcases. They are manly and they have a reason for wearing – either for work, for sport or for travelling. But you’ll need professional feedback if you try to look stylish with these: murse aka the man purse, carry-all- bag (there might be some exceptions but in the big picture they mostly all look like lady bags), small cross-body bags. Fanny pack: just…don’t.

3. T-shirt with a suit. Wearing a collarless shirt under a suit used to be a taboo but it hasn’t been considered one in a long time now. It’s ok to wear it, and it’s a comfortable look for the summer time. A good tip is to stay simple: a basic white or black t-shirt are the simplest and most classically stylish choices. Patterned shirts can get a little too busy and scream out that you’re trying too hard. Another thing you should notice is that a v-neck shirt will look great under your suit- and may be a better choice that T-shirt. Fancy events and important business meetings should always require a shirt with a collar under your suit, so skip the Tee or V-neck for a proper shirt here.

4. Colour scheme. It’s totally outdated thinking that black is for autumn/winter and white only for the warmer months. Mix it all up! We had a blog post during the cold months where we wrote about the winter whites. Now we recommend you to try a little black during the summer also. Let’s visualize: white pants, white shirt and a black blazer above all. Doesn’t look bad, now does it?

5. Flowers and butterflies. Ok, I don’t want to scare you but it could be really stylish for a man to wear! Many high fashion brands have created patterns with flowers (Gucci), butterflies (Valentino) or just flies and bees (as seen in Dior). And it doesn’t look feminine at all because the trick is in colour schemes! If you avoid light, pastel colours and add a some darker ones, it will change the big picture in a positive and modern way.

6. Can brown shoes match with a grey suit? What about navy? Or black? We’ll end this taboo right here and right now. Brown shoes (shades from chocolate to dark brown) will make the hue of a navy suit look richer, stand out beautifully against grey and, when paired with black tailoring, adds a twist to your look. However, if you’re attending a formal evening or a black tie event, stick with black.

7. Corduroy. This is something you either love or hate, nothing in between. But it’s a matter of how you wear it. Most importantly, try to avoid looking like your grandfather in his old corduroy pants. It is an old-school fabric but it’s also one of the favourite of the Pitti Uomo’s best dressed. The key to not looking like a visiting professor is swapping your usual hues for jewel tones if you are brave, or autumn leaf hues if you are not. Equally important is the wale – the distance between the ridges. The bigger the gap, the warmer the material, the squarer your look.

8. Pinstripes. Some people still question the pinstripes which were a 1980s favourite (think of Cary Grant and Clark Gable). But pinstripes are now totally re-emerging (as seen in Saint Laurent). But no padded shoulders or chest-covering lapels. It’s a tricky one to find in a store but a knowledgeable tailor can help you out. And keep in mind to keep your shirt and tie muted. For any advice just contact the world class tailors from www.lgfgfashionhouse.com who each carry a minimum of 200 hours per year in trend setting training.

It’s again time to introduce you to another one of our spectacular clothiers. This time we had a little chat with Joris Croenen.

Joris was born and raised in Antwerp, Belgium. Antwerp is the world’s most important diamond center and a city with a big fashion industry as well. The ‘Antwerp Six’ fashion designers had a big influence on Italian and French fashion. Mr Croenen represents LGFG in Brussels, Antwerp and everything in between. He studied Communication Management in Ghent and also spent a year abroad in Stuttgart, Germany through the Erasmus program. On top of his post-secondary education, Joris is also highly trained as an LGFG Clothier, and like our other executive clothiers, undergoes over 200 hours of tailoring training every year.

Growing up in a city that values fashion and hosts the finest boutique shops, it is easy to keep the finger on the pulse of what is happening in that world. So it’s perhaps not as surprising that Joris started to work in the fashion industry. He found out about LGFG through one of the other clothiers at LGFG with whom he had previously worked. It was no hard time convincing Joris to go and follow one of the tailors in the field and see for himself the opportunities and joy of this job. LGFG opened a new world to him where ambition and hard work are met with equal parts increases in responsibility, personal growth, and career opportunity. At LGFG we are the proof that working together and helping and growing each other, we likewise grow ourselves and our own business. That rewarding feeling is what Joris calls success. Joris acknowledges that the opportunities are endless for clothiers at LGFG, knowing that this company has so much upwards growing momentum.

When asked what does Joris like to do on his spare time, he answers: “Mens sana in corpore sano: nothing better to get out of the house and go for a good run after work. Letting go of worries and stress and enjoy the silence and nature. When I’m travelling through Europe I always have my running shoes in my suitcase. The Brussels Marathon is definitely on the calendar this year.”

When talking about his favourite suit he simply says: “My favourite suit is definitely my mid blue suit with blue and burgundy checks. I like to step out of the classic colours and linings and go with different colours and combinations.” And yes, LGFG Fashion House has a lot of different combinations. Different patterns, colors, possibilities are endless. Something for everyone for sure.

We felt we could also use a little style advice from the man who has grown up in a centre for fashion: “Lately I like to suggest a Prince of Wales 3-piece as a sharp look that many people can sport in the office or after work. Also a  contrast waistcoat and lighter colours for the summer are on the agenda.” LGFG has recently upgraded its summer and fall collection with more blended linen and silk fabrics that feature bright colors and light-to-wear fabrics.

And finally, Joris added, “As one of the leading fashion brands in the world, LGFG knows what quality is. Delivering our world-class suits to highly-demanding executives and exceeding their expectations is rewarding. Our fabrics change regularly, so we always have new ideas to suggest when the clients want to meet for new ideas.”

And if you too know someone to whom it would sound like this is the job they would totally do, then Joris has a few recommendations: “A good tailor needs to listen well to his clients. An LGFG tailor matches new suit patterns, styles to the personality and figure of the client, as well as their position and own clients require. We get continuous coaching and fashion updates from our runway and style specialists as well as very dedicated pattern and posture training from our tailoring team and pattern design team in England. Quality and great service are things I like to be known for. My clients can call me anytime.”

www.lgfgfashionhouse.com

Twice every year, LGFG clothiers go to our production shop in Europe where we learn a plethora of new and classic information about the tailoring word: technology, pattern making, client service skills etc. With our semi-annual tailoring training upcoming, one of the subjects will be newest trends in the tailoring scene, because from business events to glamorous parties, there have been plenty of opportunities for men to show their style. The fashionable crowd that attends fashion weeks and film festivals have shown us the top suit style for the summer of 2016, and double-breasted suits have been everywhere. A double breasted suit is just about the easiest way to show off a bit while still looking classic, masculine and, as we like to say… baller (when done right, that is).

Fashion crowds are currently obsessed with the double breasted suit. You’ll find it in most classic menswear brand collections and on the fashion magazine pages. Men’s iconic magazine GQ writes about the suit and highly recommends men to work with a tailor to get the fit just right. But wait… how do you get it right? Let’s learn some of the basics.

The double breasted suit is actually not that much more difficult than a single breasted one – take everything you know about the single breasted suit and you can pretty much apply it here. The shoulders are possibly the most important part of the jacket; the seams should correspond with your natural shape. The collar should rest against your shirt collar, with no gaps or bunching when you turn to the side. And the pitch of the sleeves needs to correspond with your natural stance so the fabric doesn’t twist or wrinkle in odd ways. Of course, if you have a great tailor (s)he already knows all these things leaving you to mind your own business while (s)he does his/hers. LGFG clothiers are especially trained in this area, as from July 4th-6th they are all in training in Europe with our master tailoring team- in person- learning the newest and of course the classic techniques in pattern making in order to achieve the perfect fit.

LGFG Fashion House executive clothier Julian Burreci shows how its done.

Though there is one thing that you should think before opting for double breasted suit. They have peak lapels which makes your chest look wider and create an hourglass shape. Men who already have very wide shoulders should keep in mind that this type of suit will make them look more intimidating. Back in the day these lapels were ultra-wide but some modern versions are more understated so its not a total taboo for a wide shouldered men anymore. For this reason, LGFG Clothiers are trained in this style, and know that the slimmer lapels are a safe play with a client of this shape, and they will take care of those details for you, so that you have nothing to worry about. We can also tell you that the overall trend for double breasted suits is such that today’s versions are overall slimmer because the point isn’t intimidation. The modern versions are simply more flattering and wearable. If the stomach area of the jacket is cut slim instead of looking like a square, it’ll also help you shave off a couple of pounds. Just make sure the jacket doesn’t pull when buttoned and that the lapels lay flat because truth is that when it comes to fit, too tight is just as unflattering as too big.

So what about the buttons? A classic double breasted suit has six or eight buttons. The untraditional ones could also have just two or four. Two or four buttons on a jacket looks more flattering if you’re on the shorter side. But keep in mind that no matter how many buttons your jacket has, always leave the bottom unfastened. Just that on double breasted suit bottom interior button should be buttoned so the jacket stays closed and lays flat. Double breasted jackets look better when they are bottomed, and we don’t advise wearing them opened like you would a single breasted suit.

And finally: a double breasted jacket is a true classic that has made a huge comeback lately. It is very posh and you’ll definitely feel like a gentleman while wearing it. And the good thing about the double breasted jacket is that it doesn’t always need to be worn as a suit. Wear a bright and bold jacket with a pair of cream coloured chinos or with wool slacks and make a sportcoat out of your jacket. With a double breasted jacket this is totally acceptable and even a little…baller.

To learn more about this style, contact your LGFG Clothier – www.lgfgfashionhouse.com