As I’ve written many times (since 2009), my favorite way to dress is what I sometimes call High/Low. A classic silhouette with a combination of dressy/casual and luxury/affordable.

It’s an easy formula for an outfit that is stylish but not “too much” in any direction.

An example of High/Low is a simple hoody (preferably neutral and solid) combined with a tailored jacket.

I am partial to this particular combination because it is very me and represents my style influences - mixing atheletic elements as a former basketabll player and tailored elements as a current menswear designer/ ”tailor’s apprentice”.

Here, Alex and I got together to shoot a few examples.

 

1. Brisk Corporate Morning

This has been one of the mildest winters I can remember. When heading to a business meeting, in February, I can use a hoody under my suit jacket rather than a bulky overcoat.

The hoody has to be slim through the body and sleeves, you might want to consider sizing down.

A full-zip hoody is ideal because you can zip it down to create a v-neck shape similar to that of a cardigan.

A double zip is even better since you can open the bottom as well – creating a silhouette even more like a cardigan (on which you shouldn’t be fastening the bottom button – the same rule that applies to a tailored jacket).

THE POWER OF SHOES…

This is a new feature we might start including once in a while in posts.

You’ve heard it a million times. “The shoes make the man”. “A women notices a mans shoes first”. Etc.

All cliches aside, your selection of footwear really can make or break (or complete change the feel of) an outfit.

For the three outfits in this post, I styled them with two different shoes, giving two quick variations on the same look.

The first look above – with the wingtips – is something I would wear to the office (you can always take the hoody off when you get there).

The second look – with the sneakers – is something I would wear to an event, or a show, or a nice restaurant. Or, on my commute to work since I always leave a pair of dress shoes at the office/studio.