And neither are our friends.  Keep reading to learn how you can win too – your very own Frank Clegg coin wallet just for supporting the effort!

Even though our support has been strong, there is still one more day of voting on Brooks Brothers’ site, so please make sure to like our photo!

As an added bonus, our good friend master leather designer Frank Clegg is giving away a handmade coin wallet to one lucky winner of his own contest.  To enter, just like our “Dandiest at the Derby 2012″ photo.

So, help OTC take home the brass ring and get yourself a handmade treasure from Frank Clegg!

A few years ago, the International Herald Tribune ran a story about a seismic shift in Italian fashion standards.

Some Italian companies were allowing their male employees to go tieless, and even suitless, during the summer months as a way to help fight climate change. Not requiring a tie might equate to less demand for office air conditioning, which in turn could help reduce overall demand for electricity. (More recently, Chile’s energy minister promoted the same idea.)

While probably a non-issue in the casual-fixated United States, Romans and Milanese ditching their ties at work was no small matter. Those ever so elegantly-knotted creations that men the world over vainly attempt to duplicate, gone for the summer? Well, the story made it to the IHT, didn’t it?

Though interesting from a cultural perspective, this story is an excellent argument for paying attention to what you wear, buying for quality, and focusing on real, timeless style. With Earth Day 2012 only a few hours behind us, this is a wonderful teaching moment and the lesson is this: focusing on classic style does actually help the environment – as it should.

When you buy quality clothing, you are making an investment that lasts. By quality, I don’t just mean well-made; I mean a purchase that is well thought out. When being self-aware about what you buy and thoughtfully editing your wardrobe, you are less likely to make an impulse purchase that eventually winds up in a landfill.

For the most part, clothing – whether dress or casual – is now cheap and abundant, but there is an enormous price to be paid for such mindless convenience. The environmental costs of manufacturing, transporting, storing, selling, and, eventually disposing of these cheap products are large and global.

As opposed to Americans, most Europeans tend to be more selective in their clothing choices. Due to higher prices and limited storage, each piece must be thought out and chosen for its quality, longevity, and versatility.

Does that pair of pants go with more than one outfit? Can you re-sole those shoes? Do you actually need that jacket or another shirt that’s virtually identical to your favorite one? These are the things we should always consider before pulling out the wallet.

As seen here, an Italian ditching his tie or swapping out a suit will most likely still look naturally sharp, without having to run to the department store for a new “corporate casual” wardrobe. It is probable that his wardrobe already has a purpose and a sense of continuity and relationship among its components.

Redefining how you dress is not, as they say, rocket science. But it does take some time and effort. Make deliberate choices; don’t buy cheap shoes that get thrown out when they wear out. The same holds true for tailored clothing. While often expensive, a well-made suit or custom shirt will last for years. A classically styled bespoke blazer or suit will always transcend fashion and adjustments can be made as your dimensions change.

By being selective, you can build a wardrobe that both meets your needs and reduces pointless waste and duplication. And apart from environmental considerations, when your wardrobe consists of items that fit, are well-made, and possess a timeless and stylish quality, you will wear them.

Certain brands, like Slowear, actually design their clothes to not go out of style. Slowear’s family of classically-focused labels evoke a culture of sustainable luxury. They want you purchase a pair of Incotex trousers or a Glanshirt shirt and keep them for years; sacrificing volume for long-term brand devotion. By focusing on the design and construction of their garments, Slowear is able to market what Alan Flusser refers to as “permanent style.”

Reducing your retail carbon footprint extends to accessories as well. Why cycle through five or 10 cheap to mid-grade briefcases or day bags when you could take a little time, define what it is you really want in a bag and then invest in one or two of heirloom quality?

For example, this Frank Clegg English Brief will not only never go out of style, it will become more desirable the more it gets used. It’s the type of bag everyone is always looking for and while not inexpensive, it is a solid capital investment.

Choose ties you love and that pair well with a variety of shirts and jackets. Pick up several pocket squares which can quickly add flair and personality to a tieless suit or odd jacket. Make certain style elements your signature and stick to what works with your body type, skin tone, personality and lifestyle.

That, in a nutshell, is the point of classic personal style. By making choices that take into account long-term investment and near-term benefit, building a wardrobe and curated collection of accessories reduces waste and increases value.

If nothing else, it also clears out your clutter and allows you focus on the things that truly matter. The items in your life should be those that you cherish and want to have around, they should each have a purpose and, to me at least, a story.  And when you present your best self to the world – in your dress and with your accessories – you really do tend to be a better person.

For the most part, OTC is not a grooming-focused resource.  That’s not to say that we won’t tell you when we do like something, like The Art of Shaving products; great stuff.  Colognes are another thing altogether, and something that is very difficult to endorse as what smells great on you is awful on your best friend (or vica versa).  It really doesn’t matter if George Cloony loves it or Napoleon wore it way back when.

So, it is with that in mind that we recommend EastWest Bottlers’ MOONSHINE: a gentleman’s Cologne.  We really like it because the notes and tones of this very masculine fragrance are well-balanced and not too strong.  It’s a good blend that captures a woodsy aroma with hints of spice, including notes of black pepper, tobacco, leather, gin, and patchouli.

The packaging is equally creative; each 3.4 oz bottle is delivered in rustic burlap sack packed inside a simple wooden crate.

Others simply take in the city, exploring our monuments and parks, famous sites and historic places.  Nothing is quite a beautiful as the city awash in Cherry Blossoms.

Spring and Summer are the big travel seasons here and a chunk of the tourist influx inevitably comes in the form of school trips. While it is great to see all these wide eyed kids gazing upon the Capitol dome for the first time, many of them, with seeming parental approval, express a total lack of decorum. Clumps of high schoolers march off to visit their senator or congressman in baggy shorts, over sized tee shirts and flip flops.  Flip flops.

Girls sport the equivalent of beachwear and guys look like they just rolled out of bed and into last week’s laundry. To be frank, it’s embarrassing and disrespectful. Now, we’re not stuffed shirts, far from it. However, there are times and places for showing sartorial respect. (See mom, we listened.)

How is it that America’s schools and their DC-bound chaperons can’t even muster up enough backbone to require decent clothes when walking though the Capitol rotunda, the hallowed ground where presidents and luminaries have lain in state. What happened?

My parents would have ground me into the floor if they learned I showed up for a White House tour looking like I was heading out to mow the grass.

Very often, the well-dressed visitors I do see wandering around this city are in fact from other countries.  As Americans, we are embarrassed when we see this total lack of respect for others and for the dignity of our most significant public spaces. Why not require a simple collared shirt and khakis? Dressy shorts are fine if it’s warm out, and girls – no halter tops in the Smithsonian, please.

LifestyleMirror.com, a new the recently launched e-shopping website, features weekly cover stories of iconic fashion and lifestyle personalities.  Last week’s cover story featured renowned private chef and style icon Daniel de la Falaise.  Shot at The Ritz Hotel in Paris, the beautiful and humorous images give a personal look into Daniel’s personality and wardrobe, among which is lots of vintage Yves Saint Laurent.

de la Falaise is perhaps best known to foodies as a celebrity private chef – though known mostly to celebrities and a rather exclusive clientele.  De la Falaise, talented in his own right, inherited a great deal of style and personality from his parents.  He also inherited a lot of suits.

Testament to his unique take on fashion, cooking, and living, The New York Times T Magazine recently profiled him as well.

His mother, Alexis Richard Dion Oswald Le Bailly de La Falaise, was a furniture designer who also appeared in the Andy Warhol film, “Tub Girls.”  His grandmother, Maxime de la Falaise, was a model, actress, and interior designer who also is remembered as a superlative food writer.  Also a confidant of Warhol, she was even known as The Factory Mother; “The Factory” being the artist’s famous studio.

Joining us at the private club-like Clyde’s at Gallery Place, in the heart of Washington, DC, were Hugh & Crye shirt makers, Proper Suit, Lotuff Leather, and Image Granted style consultants.  Guests were able to meet with the owners of these outstanding companies, chat about their brands, learn about the beautiful products and, in some case, put in orders right on the spot!

The crowd arrived early and stayed throughout the night.  Manhattans and martinis were mixed at the bar and the constant din of conversation and story-telling filled the room.

Thanks to all who joined us and made the night a huge success; and keep an eye for future events and collaborations.

Below are a selection of images from the evening – enjoy!  All photos by Joy Asico.

3.1.12: Join Off the Cuff and One Medical for a relaxed, elegant evening of great style.

Meet the people behind some of the outstanding brands you’ve read about on OTC, enjoy classic cocktails, learn more about DC’s newest innovative doctor’s office, and receive a complimentary first-year membership to One Medical.

Over drinks and hors devours, chat with the founders of custom tailor Proper Suit and DC-based shirt maker Hugh & Crye.  Learn about refining your own personal style with Grant Harris of Image Granted and meet the man behind luxury leather goods brand Lotuff Leather.

Click on the invitation above to learn more and register or just click on this link: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2848851993

We received the suit a few weeks ago and, after making some tailoring tweaks and testing it out on the road, at meetings, and on the cocktail circuit, I can say that the OTC Proper Suit is outstanding.  It feels and fits like a custom suit should, is well built and – most importantly – has perfect shoulders.  As you should know, the shoulder is the cornerstone of any suit and if the shoulder does not fit well, nothing else really matters.  The natural shoulder of this suit is spot on; it fits well and allows for just the right amount of movement.

The components of this suit are well designed and well thought out.  The jacket itself fits very well, is trim but balanced and provides overall proportion to my frame.  The full canvas interlining gives it a soft drape and lightly structured construction.

The jacket’s sleeves are a tad longer than they should have been, but perfectly useable.  They look just fine but show very little shirt cuff.  Having chosen the option of working “surgeon’s cuffs,” the longer sleeves are here to stay.  This, by the way, is why Proper Suit typically does not recommend working sleeve buttons on an initial order.  The cost-prohibitive fix is to take the arm off at the shoulder and shorten it from the top down.  As it turns out, I like the longer sleeves on this suit.  They give it a less formal air and actually make the jacket feel slightly more contemporary.

I did have to make one significant alteration and have the jacket’s sides let out; it was simply too tight.  Proper Suit’s policy is that they will reimburse tailoring expenses on a future order, which is fine with us.  They are a small company and want to develop lifelong “member” customers.  After letting out the sides about 1 ½ inches and letting out slightly the rear of the armholes, it fits perfectly and is a joy to wear.  My tailor, by the way, was very impressed with the quality of this suit.

The suit’s trousers are almost perfect, my only complaint being that they are a touch too long.  It’s a complaint of perception, because most people have said they look just fine.  Again, an unexpected outcome has been a less formal and more contemporary feeling suit.  A particular feature of note is the jetted flat front trouser pockets recommended to me as a way of avoiding the annoying “elephant ears” effect of puffed out pocket openings common to flat front trousers.

The trousers’ hems are finished on the inside with cloth tape, which both helps to weigh down the pant leg and provides reinforcement against heel wear.  A nice touch.

An equally distinctive feature unique to Proper Suit is the hidden cell phone or wallet pockets stitched into the rear left inside vertical seam of the jacket.  By moving this pocket under  the left arm, the weight of the phone is carried by the shoulder and does not offset the line of the jacket.  Half the time I forgot I was even carrying anything the pocket.

An OTC reader who also ordered a Proper Suit had the following to say: “It was great being able to pick the liner color and the design of the pocket piping.  Any options on the suit that I was not completely sure of, McGregor walked me through and explained the pros and cons of each option.  While they typically do side vented jackets, the folks at PS were able to accommodate my request for a center vent at no extra cost.”

These are suits for the long haul – well designed and made well.  Ours possess a pleasant balance of classic and contemporary and feels substantial.

Proper Suit likes to advertise that their suits are as good as, or better than, name brand suits that cost much more and are supported by extravagant advertising budgets.  It’s a big claim, and they can back it up.  The quality construction, design and attention to detail place these suits in a class by themselves.

OTC is thrilled with this suit and looks forward getting a few more.  We also plan on picking up some sports coats. We highly recommend Proper Suit.

More images:

]]> http://offthecuffdc.com/proper-suit-review-exceptional/feed 15 http://offthecuffdc.com/bespeak-list-top-500-apps http://offthecuffdc.com/bespeak-list-top-500-apps#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 21:16:25 +0000 OTC http://offthecuffdc.com/?p=2663 We are thrilled to announce that BeSpeak has been selected by a panel of experts from The Sunday Times as one of the top 500 smartphone apps in the world.

The Times’ App List is a definitive guide to must-have games, tools and distractions for your iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone 7 or tablet.  According to the paper, The Sunday Times’ app list was compiled by experts in the relevant fields along with input from regular Sunday Times app reviewers. The App List itself allows readers to search for specific aps, look through app categories and arrange results by platform.

Off the Cuff is proud to be part of the BeSpeak team and honored to work with such a distinguished and talented t group of sartorial and technical experts.

Conceived and developed by legendary clothier Alan Flusser, BeSpeak provides style guidance for business attire for men, including the best style of suit, dress shirt, tie, and pocket square to dress your personal best. The app recommends and coordinates the suit, dress shirt, tie and a pocket square customized for each individual based on a personal profile.

BeSpeak employs patent pending proprietary technology to create a personal profile based on hair color, skin tone, eye color, face shape, body shape and size. These algorithms were created based on intense analysis of classical style guides and designer preferences as seen in fashion advertising and runway shows.

It’s an amazing tool that can help you find the colors, patterns and styles that best suit (so to speak) your specific profile.

Use it in the morning to decide which outfit to wear, how to improve an individual outfit or when shopping to help select profile-perfect purchases. Select the most flattering clothes for a meeting, a date, or job interview. Most importantly, BeSpeak can help you better develop the dressing skills for how to look your most stylish every day.

How does BeSpeak work? First, create and store a personal profile for you (or others) based on hair color, skin tone, eye color, face shape, body shape and size. Then, you will receive a recommendation for coordinated outfits.

To see additional outfit recommendations, just tap the “reload” button on the lower menu bar.

You can also input your own individual articles of clothing or potential purchases and the app will make recommendations relative to your profile as well as evaluate and grade your choices. So, you can build your own virtual closet, get expert recommendations on what works best for you and even make sure that new shirt, suit or tie actually fits with your profile and your wardrobe.

You can download the free BeSpeak app from www.BeSpeak.com or from the iTunes store.