Officially, summer is now upon us, but here at OTC we have already been working to nail down a few fresh but classic looks for the warmer months. Dressing for summer is often a blend of worn out shorts, some favorite tee shirts, flip flips, and a stack of reliable polos. That’s fine when you’re…
Category: Preppy
OTC x Thomas Pink
OTC has partnered with Thomas Pink to create two distinct looks that reflect both city cool and American preppy casual. Recently, we wrote about how the company just unwrapped a significant brand refreshing and in celebration, OTC is showing how to make some of that Pink style work for you. To create our complimentary looks,…
Old Bull Lee Shorts
To be honest, the buttons were the first thing we noticed. All of the shorts made by Old Bull Lee – and they only make shorts – have button fly openings. And, the buttons that founder Lee Johnson chose to use are very specific; thick, sturdy, branded, and slightly over-sized. You notice them because they…
Summer Style, All In The Details
As we are now in the full swing of summer, let’s look at one way to give an East Coast sartorial tradition a contemporary twist. Nothing quite says summer style like a blue blazer, linen trousers, and worn-in white bucks. Timeless, yes; but not necessarily stuffy. In this case, details make the difference and allow…
The Ivy League: A Personal Review
In the six years that Off the Cuff has been around, I have made a point to try and keep my personal life and background out of the picture. Occasionally, articles have alluded to my upbringing and the Ivy League-ness of the world in which I was raised. While a rich and interesting background to…
Summer Casual: Three brands, one message
As the weather warms up, sweaters and khakis give way to polos and shorts. The look above brings together three of OTC’s favorite warm weather brands: Southern Tide, True Wind, and Kiel James Patrick. Each of these brands captures a particular aspect of summer – sailing across the open water, lounging with friends over a…
Starboard Clothing Co.
Here at OTC, we are fans of both the elegant and the basic. A handmade suit definitely has its place in life, but so does something as simple and reliable as a favorite baseball hat. The baseball hat is a basic staple of the American male wardrobe. It is comfortable, familiar, functional, and in many…
Michael Bastian + Randolph Engineering
Award winning designer Michael Bastian recently joined forces with eye wear maker Randolph Engineering, provider of classic aviator specs to the U.S. military, to give a fresh take on classic sunglasses. The 2011 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year and head of design at Gant by Michael Bastian, reinterpreted five of Randolph Engineering’s classic frames. …
Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style
When first reading my copy of Preppy: Cultivating Ivy Style, I was reminded of how omnipresent the whole preppy thing has become. OTC hit the internet back in 2005. Back then, there were very few men’s fashion blogs out there. And there were even fewer sites dedicated to the preppy/Ivy League/East Coast style so familiar…
A Fresh Take on Classic: Salmon Cove
We review and test a variety of products here at OTC; bags to leather goods, clothing to accessories. More than anything, we are constantly on the lookout for something new and interesting. Brands that breathe new life or at least a new perspective into the classics. Salmon Cove does just that. The company was started…