The Perfect Suit – How To’s, Must Haves, Latest Fashions, Wardrobe Advice

It has now been over 20 years since Michael Douglas, as Gordon Gekko, donned contrasting collared shirts to complement his well-tailored power suits in the movie "Wall Street." The contrasting collar look that thrived during the eighties is now back and even coming on strong not just in America. It's now being seen outside the boardroom as well. This look is being worn with sport coats (sans necktie), and has even influenced some designer sportswear lines as well.

Christian Boehm, Tom James’ Director of merchandising: "The appeal of this look and its secret is that the shirt is set in a white frame, which features your face. Your eye is naturally drawn to the collar and then to the face which is what it is supposed to do. They are perfect for public speaking events or important meetings where you want the attention drawn to you."

Gekko was not the first to wear the white collar. The look goes back to the turn of the century. A housewife in Troy, NY named Hannah Montague invented detachable collars, because she noticed that the collars soiled and wore out faster than the rest of her husband’s shirts. He loved the look and so did the other gentleman in his office. The word got out and a new business was born. The look caught on and became a status symbol in executive offices. Soon afterwards, the detachable collars were being replaced with white collars on vibrant coloured striped or solid bodies. Double cuffs, were also added to finish the look, and thus this sophisticated style remains today.

For the coming season, spread collars remain a solid fashion statement. If you’re game, the best way to freshen the look is with white collar and cuffs. While changing your entire shirt rotation is not recommended, adding several to your collection would be a smart decision.

Stain Removal Guide Return to Top Menu

The Basics

	1. TAKE QUICK ACTION - The sooner a stain is treated the better. Time can “set” stains. Almost any stain can be removed if action is taken quickly enough, however almost any stain will become permanent if left untreated too long. Ideally, all stains should be treated within the first 24 hours.
	2. BLOT & SCRAPE – Whenever possible, immediately after the stain occurs, blot up any excess liquid with a paper towel or clean white cloth. Scrape solids from the fabric if the stain is dry. Try to remove as much excess as possible before further stain treatment.

3. DO NOT APPLY HEAT – Do not apply heat of any kind to stained fabric. Heat can “set” stains. Before ironing, pressing, or drying a garment in a dryer, check to make sure that the fabric is completely free of stains. If you don't know the origin of a stain, don't use hot water. Hot water can set protein stains such as blood, egg, and milk stains.

4. TEST THE FABRIC – Before attempting to remove a stain, test the stain removal agent on an inside seam or hidden area of the garment to make sure it doesn't damage the fabric. Sometimes the stain removal agent may damage the fabric more than the stain itself.

5. READ CARE LABELS – Garment manufacturers normally attach a “care label” inside the garment, usually at the back of the neckline or at the waistline, indicating the recommended cleaning method. Read the garment care label carefully. The recommendations are based on the fabric, trim, elastic, interfacing, or adhesives. If garments are labeled "dry-clean only" don’t attempt to remove stains from them yourself, send them to your dry cleaners. If you have trouble sourcing a good one, your Tom James clothier will be happy to make a recommendation. If garments are labeled "washable", it may be possible to remove stains from them yourself. Many natural fabrics, such as silk, wool, linen, leather, suede, and fur garments must usually be dry-cleaned.

6. DRY-SIDE vs WET-SIDE – Stains can be divided into two main groups, dry-side and wet-side. Wet-side stains are water-based. Consequently, it takes some form of water to remove these stains. Examples of wet-side stains include soft drinks, milk, ice cream, wine, coffee, tea, mustard, grass, and most food stains. Dry-side stains are oil based. Special dry cleaning fluids or powders are needed to remove these stains. Examples of dry-side stains include rouge, mascara, foundation, ballpoint ink, rubber base adhesives, cooking oils and greases, oil and tar, candle wax, and salad oil and dressing. There are also “combination stains” that dissolve partially in cleaning fluid and partially in water. Lipstick is an example of this. It contains wax and dye. When treating combination stains always use the dry-side stain removing agents before you use the wet-side stain removing agents. Other examples of combination stains are shoe polish, gravy, paint, and salad dressing.

Stain Removal Supplies

Drycleaning Fluid – Oil based stain and spot removers are available at grocery and hardware stores. Look for products that contain petroleum solvent, petroleum hydrocarbon or petroleum distillate.

Laundry Detergent - 1 tablespoon per cup of warm water

Household Ammonia - 1 teaspoon per cup of water

White Vinegar - 1 part vinegar to 3 parts of water

Oxygen Bleach - 3 percent hydrogen peroxide

Chlorine Bleach - 1 part chlorine bleach to 4 parts water

Enzyme Detergent - Laundry detergent with enzymes added for presoaking

Treating Common Stains

	PROTEIN STAINS - Blood, chocolate, egg, ice cream, milk, baby formula, vomit, perspiration - Blot with water and a clean cloth. Then treat with an enzyme detergent. If the stain remains, treat with household ammonia. If the stain remains, treat with white vinegar. If the stain remains, treat with oxygen bleach.
	TANNIN STAINS - Coffee, tea, mustard, wine, soft drinks, tomato sauce, soy sauce - Blot with water and a clean cloth. Then treat with laundry detergent. If the stain remains, treat with white vinegar. If the stain remains, treat with oxygen bleach.

OIL STAINS - Butter, furniture polish, grease, lipstick, foundation makeup, mayonnaise - Blot with drycleaning solvent and a clean cloth. If the stain remains, treat with laundry detergent. If the stain remains, treat with household ammonia.

WAX & PAINT - Candle wax, crayon, paint - Blot with drycleaning solvent and a clean cloth. If stain remains, treat with laundry detergent and household ammonia. The last traces of colour matter may be removed with oxygen bleach.

INK STAINS - Apply drycleaning solvent. Blot until all bleeding stops, moving the stained area as the towels absorb the ink. If the stain remains, treat with laundry detergent and household ammonia.

MILDEW - Wash with chlorine bleach. Be sure to test the fabric before using chlorine bleach. Never use bleach on silk, wool, nylon or spandex.

NAIL POLISH - Never use this method on acetate fibers and test the fabric before proceeding. Blot the stain with acetone, moving the stained area as the towel absorbs the nail polish.

The Essential Suits of a Well Stocked Wardrobe Return to Top Menu

One of our commitments as your clothier is to help you develop and maintain a wardrobe that will allow you to be properly dressed for any occasion, whether business, social, formal or casual. To that end, here is a time-tested guideline for the building of a suit inventory that will do just that. If you only have these six, you can be confident that you have something that will be right for any occasion that requires a suit. If your wardrobe lacks one of these, it needs work, even if you have two or three times this number of suits.

Navy Solid – The cornerstone of every well-conceived wardrobe, and the most versatile suit that you can own. . This is your wedding and funeral suit - a tasteful and respectful choice for those situations. While the black suit has been in vogue recently, most people look better in navy – cooler tones for clear skin tones, warmer ones of those with gold undertones in their skin & hair.

With a crisp, spread-collared white pique or jacquard double cuffed shirt, paired with an elegant silver or pale gold tie, it is ideal for a dressy evening event, such as a political reception or annual dinner, unless it is a black tie occasion. It is a great choice for dinner with clients at a sophisticated restaurant, as well.

Observing the room at occasions such as these, one sees many men, who do not understand that pin stripes are, properly, daytime business suits. They should not be worn to the events mentioned above. If your calendar includes such an evening occasion, and you won’t have time to change clothes, wear this suit. Wear it with a smartly striped shirt and coordinating tie during the day for work. Then switch to the dressier accessories for the evening’s activities.

A third way to wear this suit is with a classic tattersol or graph check and a matching solid tie. The shirt can be a buttondown, for a more relaxed look, or spread-collared, for a more traditional look. If you work in a more casual environment, or your work occasionally takes you into one, but you need to be dressier at another point in the day, you can remove the coat and tie for the casual portion of the day.

Charcoal Chalk Stripe – Perhaps the most classic of business suits - this is the ideal garment for a daytime meeting, whether a presentation or a negotiation. Darker grey has always been a colour that communicates trustworthiness and stability. Perhaps, that explains the term “banker’s grey”. Deep, rich charcoal tones also enhance the aura of seriousness and confidence.

Whether tailored in a luxuriously finished flannel, with its incredibly elegant muted effect on the striping, or in a hard finished harness weave that intensifies the boldness of the stripe, this is a true business classic. Depending on the styling of the garment, the range of looks is quite broad.

A classic three button can be worn, in a traditionalist environment, with a double cuffed shirt. A more broadly serviceable outfit would be with a moderately spread collared shirt, even a dark grey (or black) pencil or bengal stripe. With the return of white collars & cuffs, an updated classic look would be a bengal-striped shirt (dark grey, red or other harmonious tone) with white collar and cuffs and well matched tie. This suit is a great choice for adding a waistcoat to your wardrobe.

Navy Pinstripe – On those days when you need to have a commanding physical presence, when you want every eye in the room focused on you and your presentation, this is the clear choice. In the language of the late ‘70s, this is the true “power suit”. Properly done, it insures that you and your contribution to any meeting will not go overlooked.

It comes in many styles (2 button, 3 button, double breasted) and many versions (chalk stripe, pencil stripe, multi-stripe, narrow stance/ wide stance) that provide endless ways of making it “yours”. Your interpretation of this look can be Madison Avenue classic, Savile Row timeless, or contemporary Italian. Whatever your preference, it is the look of the confident, capable, professional, whose words are worth heeding.

Charcoal Solid – This suit is the understated, elegant and timeless outfit of “The Man in the Grey Flannel Suit”. It can be the frame for many looks, from the sophisticated simplicity of three solids (combine harmonious textures for incredibly understated elegance) to a more involved, updated look that highlights the aggressive multi-stripes and checks that exemplify current fashion. This flexibility allows this suit to do yeoman duty in your wardrobe, offering a versatility that rivals the solid navy. If dark enough, this suit, like the navy solid, can be used for weddings, funerals and dressy evening events.

When your professional milieu is dealing with those who are not new to wealth and success, it is a far better choice than today’s seemingly ubiquitous black suit. While many shades of grey can be successfully worn by many people, it is good to remember what one of our clients was known to say, “The darker the grey, the higher the pay!”

Tan Solid – This suit, whether done in classic suntan, taupe or pale olive-tan (depending on the most flattering shade for your colouring), is a wonderfully refreshing change of pace. It can also be done in many fabrics that are seasonally appropriate, such as dupioni silks, linens, cotton poplins or wool tropicals in the summer, or rich luxurious flannels for cooler seasons; however, the gabardine rendition allows for “three season" wear – from spring through the warmer parts of autumn. It also tends to provide a bit more wrinkle resistance, making it much more serviceable.

As with the other solids, one of it’s primary attributes is versatility. This suit can be styled in a variety of ways - from the most traditional three button, to a very contemporary fashion statement. It lends itself, as well, due to its more relaxed demeanor, to bright and bold seasonal shirt and tie combinations that are limited only by your creativity and courage.

Prince of Wales Plaid – The final star of our sublime six is generally seen in one of three fabrications, and one of three renditions. It comes in a classic summer version, a light tropical, appropriate only for summer. It is also found, quite often, in a luscious semi-milled or flannel finish that is the pinnacle of wintertime panache. But it is most often seen in a mid-weight harness (or sharkskin) version.

The design itself can be a simple black and white, or it can have a deco line – most commonly, blue or red. Like the gabardine, this suit provides a tasteful change of pace. It can be understated or quite bold, depending on what best fits your taste level and physique. For best results, remember the classic guideline that if the plaid is strong enough to look good as a sport jacket, it should not be worn as an entire suit, and if it looks good as a suit, it is too subdued to look good as a sport jacket.

With the right version of these six suits for your build and colouring, you have a wardrobe that will allow you to be dressed properly for any occasion that requires a suit. With the addition of a variety carefully chosen shirts and ties, your wardrobe can give the illusion of a depth and breadth far greater than one would expect from having only six suits. In a day so afflicted with the scourge of "casualitis", this is the prescription the wardrobe doctor ordered to have you prepared for any suit occasion that may arise. Have your Tom James clothier advise you on how to accomplish this, and begin enjoying the pleasure of dressing very well.

Blazer Versus Sportcoat - What's the Difference Return to Top Menu

Blazer - A blazer is a solid colour jacket that is worn with contrasting (not matching) trousers, and can be distinguished by several features:

Classic lines and silhouette – e.g. a 2-button, side vented, notch lapel model or double breasted, side vented peak lapel model.
Distinctive details – “metal” buttons (gold, silver, brass, or enamel ) are usually used on your dressier blazer….should be worn more with a necktie and dress trousers.
Textured solid fabrics – gabardine, serge, hopsack, diamond weave, or basket weave cloth that are characteristically not used as suit coat fabrics
Classic solid colours – navy, black, camel/tan, tobacco, wine, loden/hunter green are most common.
A navy or black blazer with contrasting horn buttons in brown is usually worn more casually than your metal button blazer. It looks great with jeans or khakis.

Sportcoat - A sportcoat is a patterned jacket that is also worn with contrasting (not matching) trousers, and is distinguished by these features:

Classic or more contemporary lines – a 2 or 3 button notch lapel model that can have either a tailored silhouette or something more relaxed. A sportcoat is more likely to be worn without a necktie, and the 3 button model is more balanced when worn unbuttoned.
Details like patch lower pockets and leather or horn buttons will distinguish the sportcoat from a blazer – and in some cases a storm tab under the collar and suede elbow patches can be added for a more “professorial” look.
Sportcoats in general are more amenable to casual accompaniments like blue jeans and knit shirts, but can be dressed up with tailored shirts with double cuffs if so desired.
Classic patterns are the hallmark of a great sportcoat – glen plaid, houndstooth, windowpane, checks (a Gun Club or District Check are distinctive), plaids, crowsfoot, barleycorn, herringbone – to name a few. The contrasting trouser is most easily selected by picking one of the colours in the pattern – hence most sportcoats have at least 2 different trouser coordinates.

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Tom James Company is the world's largest manufacturer and retailer of custom clothing. Our highly trained Tailors come directly to your home or office, saving you valuable time. They plan, coordinate, and maintain your wardrobe so you are perfectly attired for any situation - business, casual, social, or formal. Our Tailors are wardrobe consultants, well-versed in fabrics, style and patterns. They assist you in selecting a wardrobe that will compliment you with the finest clothing and the best value at a price that is comfortable to you.