Wasabi Nights

An effective way to improve your look and style this year

This is serious advice.  Please don't let Step 1 stop you.

Step 1: Get a bag (grocery, shopping or trash bag size). 

Step 2: Go through your dresser drawers one at a time.  Take anything you haven't worn in the past year and put it in the bag (the one year rule covers all seasons so there is no excuse!).  The exception is formal or sportswear you simply didn't have an occasion to wear last year. 

Step 3: When sorting through the basics: any undershirts, socks, underwear or T-shirts that are stained, threadbare, "holy" etc. needs to go either in the trash or your rag pile.  NO exceptions and you know who you are!

Step 4: Anything you know is too big, too small, too tight, too loose, or just isn't that great style-wise, please put it in the bag.

Step 5: Repeat for your closet, armoire, coat rack, shoes, etc. 

Nice suits you haven't worn in the past year with pleated pants I know you paid good money for these suits, but those pleated, cuffed pants make them a space hogging pariah in your closet.  Put the pants in the bag, try the jacket on and if it still fits, keep it and wear it as a sport coat or jacket.  If it's two or more sizes too big or small, please put it in the bag.

Black: Pay careful attention to any woven, knit and natural fiber (especially cotton) item that is black as it tends to fade and show it's wear and tear in a dingy, embarrassing way.  Faded, black shirts do not pass as grey.  Sorry.  They look like a faded, black shirt.

Anything that doesn't fit well, is out of style, or just worn out (please look carefully at your belts and shoes), should go in the bag.

Trust me, when it comes to your wardrobe, quality trumps quantity. 

How does sorting through your wardrobe help you look your best?  There are many things in your wardrobe you simply shouldn't wear.  If it's available however, the chance is, you will wear it.  For example, it's hard to buy a new sweater when you know you have a stack of sweaters in your closet.  It doesn't matter for that you don't wear them (or shouldn't). You won't easily replace them until they are gone.

Most Americans only wear a fraction of what's in their closet. 

If you are in a style rut, or are simply bored by your look, you may be a victim of your overstuffed closet. 

Start fresh this year.  Your wardrobe may be simpler, smaller and feel a bit empty and depleted.  This is a good thing.  It will force you to be creative with what you do have and come up with new combinations, thus adding value and variety to your existing pieces. 

A simpler, smaller wardrobe creates an opportunity for you to buy newer, better pieces.  Depending on your budget, you can slowly grow your wardrobe each month or replace a large amount each season if your budget allows. Most importantly, you will be open to buying new pieces that will significantly improve your look and style.

If your wardrobe is so awful you realize nearly everything should go in the bag.  STOP.  Go through and select the best of the worst.  Depending on your budget, your goal is simply to replace those core items you kept.  Once you've replaced the core, you can begin adding more unique pieces.  Don't forget to get rid of the old items after you replace them!

I don't ever recommend you get rid of everything.  It can lead to an identity crisis.  You need to have some anchor pieces you already feel comfortable and confident in to help you still feel like "You." 

Make a fresh start, give some of those oldies but goodies to a charitable group and then update your look and style.  It's worth the effort and it's great Feng Shui way to start the New Year right! 

It all starts with a bag...

Happy First Monday of the New Year!

All the Best,

Lisa

New Year's Eve Attire: Last minute advice for what to wear

There is a lot of advice out there for what to wear on New Year's Eve.  If you just realized the clock is ticking and you need to put something together at the last minute, here are some suggestions to dig through your closet for.

• It's an evening event; narrow your options down to dark.  Ideally think black and charcoal grey. 

• New Year's Eve is often associated with old school elegance.  Think classy with a pop of style or color for a winning formula.

• Keep it simple and comfortable.  Don't wear something you are going to tug or pull or feel uncertain in.  Wear pieces you feel confident it.

• If you are going to an indoor party, dress in layers.  It may get warm.  Don't depend on wearing that sweater all night.  Make sure you have a nice shirt underneath.  And regardless, wear plenty of deodorant.  No one wants to toast with Mr. B-O.

• Unless you are going to a themed party, a rave, or a wild pub, keep it elegant and pick one item to be your accent and keep the rest of your look simple.  The one item can be an accessory such as your tie, or stylish-statement shoes.  Or, it can be a larger piece such as the jacket, pants or shirt.  See the image by The Sartorialist above for an example of a pop of color in an otherwise simple sea of black.

• For an outdoor event, wear a dark overcoat, slacks, shoes, etc. and a colorful hat or scarf to keep warm and festive. 

• Semi-Formal: Wear a dark suit with a rich, jewel-toned tie.  Think ruby red, burgundy, or purple.  A fine paisley, or other fine (small) print is nice as would a high quality, solid tie.

• Remember that women in general LOVE to dress up for New Year's Eve and will dress at the most formal end of a dress code spectrum.  Expect cocktail dresses, high heels and tons of metallics for any party where "dressy" or Semi-Formal is mentioned.  Don't make us feel over dressed.  Dress accordingly.

• Regardless of what you read online, please don't wear leather pants tonight, unless you are a rockstar or a fashionisto. 

• Lastly, if you plan on sharing a kiss as the clock strikes twelve, please make sure you pack a breath mint in your pocket.  No one wants to start the year off with Mr. Yuck Mouth.

Mr. CB asked me how to dress for a New Year's Eve party with a dress code of "Attire is dressy casual, holiday festive or semi formal."  This is basically anything from jeans and a sweater to a suit and tie.  Considering what he had available in his wardrobe, I recommended dark, premium denim, a white textured dress shirt, nice black shoes, hip jeans belt and a dark jacket.  The jacket upgraded the denim to slacks level and the overall look is a combination of dressy casual with a bit of formal. 

Best wishes to you for a fabulous New Year's Eve and I raise my glass and toast you for a happy, healthy and successful New Year 2010!

All the Best,

Lisa

How to Coordinate Patterns...does this tie go with this shirt?

Coordinating patterns is not always intuitive, but the pay-off is great.  Unfortunately, many men give up before they even try.  They wear all solids and if they do wear a pattern (like a striped shirt or patterned tie), they wear solids every where else. Here are some guidelines to you pattern-challenged men out there.

1.  Many men assume if they wear a patterned tie, they must wear a solid shirt.  False!

  2.  Any shirt that has a single color pattern on it (ignoring the white background) such as a pinstripe, check, plaid, etc. can be considered for all intensive purposes a "solid" shirt. For example, the grey plaid shirt on the far right can be considered a "solid" white shirt.  A blue and white pinstripe shirt can be considered a white shirt if the pinstripes are thin and spaced far apart.  Conversely, consider it a "solid" blue shirt (see above) if the stripes are so close together the optical illusion is that it's a solid blue from a distance. 

If you consider shirts like this a solid shirt then coordinating a patterned tie or jacket becomes much easier.  However, unlike a true solid shirt you have a little more style and interest to your look!

3.  You don't have to match the pattern of your tie to the pattern of your dress shirt.  Contrast is recommended!

4.  If you are wearing a vertical stripe shirt, it's nice to select a tie with a contrasting pattern (plaid, windowpane, paisley, floral, stylish geometric, dots, etc.).  A striped tie is ok, but mix it up sometimes!

5.  The key is to create contrast and interest.  Too much matching leaves you with a dull look.

6.  Balance is another key to success when coordinating patterns.  If you have more than one bold pattern and you feel like a clown, it's because the patterns are competing against each other instead of coordinating with each other. (see the example at the very bottom of this article)

For example, I love the shirt and tie below (right), but not together.  The large coin pattern on the tie is unbalanced with the thin stripe on the shirt.  A better combination would be the orange geometric tie (below) with a smaller scale print that balances the narrow stripe better.

7.  There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.  Too many patterns can overwhelm the senses and instead of looking stylish, you may just look stupid.

8.  Start slow...pick a stripe shirt and coordinate it with a contrasting pattern (a windowpane, glen plaid, check, paisley, dot-all the rage now-or floral).  This can be a tie, a jacket, trousers, a scarf, what have you.  Just go on and put the two together, make sure the colors coordinate (they don't have to match!  just look good together) and then go out and let the compliments pour in.  After that, you will be able to recognize the value of coordinating multiple patterns and will be able to "own" bolder combinations and find your inner chemist!  Mix away!
 
This photo, captured by The Sartorialist, is a perfect example for three reasons. 

While I think this man would probably look stylish in a paper bag, I do feel he is demonstrating the competing pattern problem I previously mentioned (the suit is a bold choice, but it's the shirt that sends his look over the edge in my opinion). 

However, he is beautifully demonstrating how to balance patterns with regards to scale.  The check and geometric patterns on his tie, suit and dress shirt while competing, are nicely balanced with regards to scale (size).

Lastly, and most importantly, style isn't something you wear, it's something you own, and it comes from within.  It's a confidence that some are born with, some are raised with and some learn by pushing their boundaries step by step until it comes naturally.  Don't be afraid to push your comfort zone a bit and learn to own your style.  It's one of my favorite parts of being a Trunk Club Expert...I get to see it happen everyday!

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

What color goes with...Does this match?

Does this match?  I hear this question so often I chuckle each time I hear it.  Men, please take a deep breath and repeat after me..."I don't match, I coordinate!"

The man in this photo for example; captured and documented on The Sartorialist, is a nice, mainstream example of how you can wear four different colors together at the same time.  Sure, the pin dots play off each other in a potentially matching way; but nothing "matches" the blue shirt.  It's just a pop of color that coordinates wonderfully with the brown suit and burgundy tie.  Additionally, it's a great example of how you can mix different browns together.

Since you men like rules and guidelines, I will educate you in this format:

Matching Rules:

1.  Your socks should match the color of your PANTS.

2.  When wearing a formal suit, your suit jacket should perfectly match your suit pants (thus, always wear and dry clean them together).

3.  Another rule about formal wear; your dress shoes and dress belt should generally match (same color!).

4.  For a sleek, elegant look, go for the monochromatic style: your shirt, pants, shoes, belt, etc. are all the same color.  Or, wear all black clothing and a rich dark brown for the accessories (shoes and belt).  Yes, you can wear dark brown with black!

5.  If you are wearing black separates (items bought separately from different dye lots or different brands) make sure the black perfectly matches the other black pieces.  Nothing looks tackier than a man wearing black pants and a completely different hue of black jacket or shirt, etc.  Black is one of the toughest to match to be honest.

6.  Your pocket square does not need to match your tie.  Yes, you can, but you can also pick a coordinating color to add interest and a pop of color.  See the photo above for example.

 
How to Coordinate color:

1.  Don't match!!!!

2.  If you are wearing brown shoes, wear a brown belt, but they don't have to be the exact same color brown.  They just need to coordinate and be "similar" in hue (same type of brown-dark, light, red undertones, etc.).

3.  Think about colors that coordinate well together.  For example, turquoise and brown coordinate beautifully.  Olive green and pink/purple are awesome.  They don't match, they coordinate and add interest to each other. 

4.  Orange is a fabulous accent color, even for the timid.  Don't be afraid to coordinate orange accents into your wardrobe.  See how nicely the orange and lavender look together?  An orange tie like this would look fabulous with most dress shirt colors and would really add interest to a brown, black or navy suit or sport coat.

5.  When coordinating a tie to a dress shirt, you don't need to match the color of the tie to something in the dress shirt pattern!  Instead, make sure they coordinate (do these colors look good next to each other?).

6.  Dark brown shoes look amazing with black pants (and most other colors to be honest).  I repeat, yes, you can wear brown and black together!

7.  Grey also looks amazing with brown.  The lighter the grey, the lighter the brown (and vice verse).

8.  People who wear their style well and get a second, third, etc. look from others are those who wear a completely monochromatic look OR those who understand that matching is for the birds and coordinating is the key.  They mix different colors, sometimes incorporating bold, subdued and contrasting color all into one look.  See photo at right.

9.  Next time you get dressed, don't think "does this match?"  Instead, think "does it coordinate?"

The man in the photo to the right is a great example of a man who would get a second look.  While I feel the balance of his choices is a little off (his long legs are overly accented due to the short vest), his overall look is interesting and sophisticated.  The turquoise blue shirt pops and complements the mixture of browns.  I love how he mixes black and near-black accessories into his look.  And his hat is amazing and I would love to see more men wear hats (I think you might enjoy the weather protection too for those of you with short hair cuts!).

I'm curious... if I came up with a "manly" version of Garanimal-inspired tags for men's clothing, would you like this?  Basically, it would be a clothing tag where fashion-challenged men knew which items "match" and thus take the guesswork out of getting dressed.  I'm curious to hear what your thoughts are.

Kudos to Trunk Club members Mr. MD and Mr. MC for helping me formulate the idea!

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

Ten Things Men Do That Are....Ugly

This man needs no explanation.  Plumber's crack, mullets, etc. are all ugly and I do not need to bore you with the details.  However, here are ten things I commonly see men do that are less obvious; but still ugly.

1.  When wearing shorts with boxers or boxer briefs, please sit carefully.  Consider viewer's angle and your leg position. 

2.  Swearing loudly.  Profanity is not something I endorse, but as a realist, I also understand it has a place in adult culture.  Swearing loudly however is just plain ugly.  Control yourself.

3.   Crossing your legs is fine, especially if you are wearing finer clothing.  However, cross your legs in such a way that we still believe you are anatomically a man.

4.  If your pants or jeans are frayed at the hem (and it's not an intentional fashion statement), they aren't pants anymore, they have become long cut-offs. 

5.  If your shoes used to be one color and are now a variety of colors/shades; it's time to polish or replace them.

6.  When you buy new shoes, it's best to buy a new coordinating belt.  Nothing looks worse than new shoes and a tired belt (or vice verse). 

7.  If you tend to sweat a lot, I suggest you invest in high quality undershirts.  They will help you look better and will absorb the majority of your perspiration; so the rest of us don't have to.

8.  If you have really hairy toes, please don't wear open toed sandals around people who don't know, and love you.  Your hairy toes scare us.

9.  When you tuck your shirt in, don't stuff it in your pants.  Put your shirt on, smooth it out all around you.  Then, pull your pants up, zip, button and belt.  STOP!  Don't futz with your shirt.  Just walk around the room twice and it will naturally un-tuck enough for comfort.  Men who fiddle with their shirt look like they are wearing a blouse.

10.  Big, baggy, clothing doesn't really look good on anyone.  It doesn't hide extra pounds, it adds them (unfairly).  And for you skinny guys, it doesn't make you look more muscular, it just makes you look sloppy.

I say all this with love and respect.  I just want you to look your best!

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

How to Roll Your Sleeves Well

NOTE: On Monday, 8/3 I posted this article for a little under 2 hours.  I temporarily removed it because my gracious sleeve model's site was down for server updates.  Out of respect to him, I waited to re-post until his site was back up.  If you missed the article the first time, I hope you enjoy it now. -Lisa

In the modern world, business-casual attire is replacing the formal business suit.  I, personally like to see men do business in a nicely tailored suit.  It's elegantly powerful and frees men from the issues of what to wear and how to wear it.  However, until the pendulum swings back in my favor, the ever so comfortable business-casual uniform will prevail.

For those of you in the business casual world who appropriately wear a dress shirt to work (commonly referred by men as a "button up"), I applaud your efforts.  However, those efforts often go unnoticed when you don't know how to roll your sleeves up well.

I recently had a conversation about just this issue with a fellow blogger from the uber cool, man-friendly website 21gent.  He graciously agreed to be my model for this article and demonstrate the highs and lows of rolling your shirt sleeves.

Men's Sleeve Rolling Etiquette:

1.  If you roll your shirt sleeves in the business workplace, please do so respectably; keep it neat, tidy, polished.

2.  If you are layering a sweater over your dress shirt, simply roll the cuff back once over the end of your sweater sleeve and push the sleeves up to your mid-forearm for a business casual look.

3.  Wearing a tie?  Please don't roll your sleeves at all. Keep them cuffed and polished (unless you are making a fashion statement and then all bets are off).

4.  If you are wearing a dress shirt without a jacket and tie, unbutton your cuff, and carefully fold it back twice; ensuring it lays flat and never goes past your elbow.

5.  I encourage you to roll your sleeves when you want to look polished but not stuffy in semi-casual attire.  For example: when wearing a dress shirt tucked in with denim or casual pants (without a tie or jacket).

6.  If you roll your sleeves up above your elbow, this is called a short sleeve shirt!

Unfortunately, I see men do this regularly in the business world.  The man in the photo (above) looks like he is ready to go, the man to the right looks like he is ready for a fist fight.  Rolling your sleeves up this high is also the classic college dude look.  You decide, are you a dude, or a man?

When you roll your sleeves up too high, the sleeve material bunches up and creates a funny looking shape for your biceps.  For men with a larger physique, rolling your sleeves up this high will create a very unbalanced appearance when you are dressed well everywhere else. 

7.  Surprisingly, the most attractive way to dress is actually to show less and make people think more; leave something for the imagination.  When you roll your sleeves just twice and they lay flat across your forearm, it actually accentuates your hands in an appealing way (you often hear women talking about men with strong hands, or the size of his hands, etc.). 

8.  You may need to play with the buttons on your sleeves a bit to determine which ones should be un-buttoned for you to get a smooth fit after you fold it. 

9.  If you need to roll your sleeves three or four times for it to lay flat against your forearm, you are probably wearing the wrong size shirt (e.g. your sleeve length is too long). 

 10.  Some men only like to roll their cuff back once and then push it up the rest of the way.  If so, iron your cuff back in the morning so as to create "fabric memory" to aid you in your efforts.  No matter how cool your cuff lining is, it's not a great look when the cuff is a wide cone around your wrist.  Many men see models in catalogs wearing their cuffs like this (see left); however they are simply modeling the cuff lining-not how you should actually wear it! I recommend folding it twice.

Thank you to 21gent for agreeing to model his sleeves for this article. He is a true gentleman; which is probably why I like his site so much, despite the fact that it's content is solid manspeak (it's great for you men out there though!). 

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

How to care for your clothing: Will it shrink?

If it's made of cotton, you are pretty much guaranteed it will shrink if you put it in the dryer.  Cotton doesn't shrink a great deal (if at all) in width; but can significantly shrink in length. 

For those of you who buy wide, baggy clothing with the idea you can shrink to fit, you are probably in for disappointment.  However, if you are hoping to lose an inch or two on the length, throw it in the dryer on high and there is a good chance your wishes will be granted.

If you love the length and fit of your pants or shirts, I don't recommend you dry them.  Wash them in cold water (if they are machine washable) and then hang them to dry.  However, remember that you may need to touch them up with an iron since the dryer is like a huge steam iron and you are missing this step when you hang dry.  See my previous post about how to prevent wrinkles.

One of the most common washing instructions is "Machine wash cold, tumble dry low."  Danger Will Robinson!  Danger!  I think many textile manufacturers believe, we as the consumer, know their fabric will shrink if we follow these washing instructions.  On the contrary, we as consumers blindly believe if we follow the washing instructions, our clothing will look exactly as it did when we first bought it.  I expect you all know by now, this is far from reality.

If you don't care if you lose an inch in length (or more depending on what it is), go ahead and tumble dry.  However, if you need every last millimeter of length, or love the fit as it is, ignore these instructions and wash on cold and hang dry.  Your clothing will last longer and look better for it.

Perhaps the washing instructions are a marketing ploy to get us to buy more clothing since we keep shrinking our favorite clothes when we "machine wash cold and tumble dry low."  Apparel Manufacturers, heed my advice: I don't know about you, but most men I know are aversive to shrinkage!

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

How to Care for Your Clothing Series: Wrinkled clothing!

I will do almost anything to prevent or get out of ironing or steaming clothing.  While I recognize the importance of a wrinkle free appearance, I have learned to be crafty over the years in figuring out how to achieve it with the least amount of work.

How to prevent wrinkles:

Don't over pack your closet, your dresser drawers, your suitcase or your dryer. Packing too many things tightly together is the fastest way to ensure a date with your iron every time you get dressed.  Use more drawer space for less clothing.  Load the dryer so there is room for the clothing to move around separately (half full at most).  Make sure you can easily pull items off the closet rod (versus excavating them out).  Lastly, remove clothing such as dress shirts and pants from the dryer promptly and immediately hang them up when possible.

For items that wrinkle easily (linen is a great example), hang them in your closet in a plastic bag.  The plastic helps other clothing slide by and not press into the clothing and cause wrinkles.

Hang your clothing on a hanger carefully.  Think of it as an arrangement so it drapes nicely.

Fold your clothing carefully so you use the least amount of folds.  Additionally, remember that every fold you make is going to create a wrinkle in lighter weight fabrics.  Therefore, fold your clothing carefully, along the seams as much as possible, so wrinkles are kept to a minimum.  What I mean by this is that if you fold your T-shirts in half length wise, you will have a very noticeable wrinkle right down the center of your shirt.  Instead, fold the shirt sleeves back so you are folding along the shoulder seam. 

When I hang my clothes to dry, they often look wrinkled.

To hang dry clothing, you can either drape them over a chair, or hang them on a drying rack or hanger.  However, please be careful when hanging on a hanger to determine if the shoulders are going to hang off the edge.  If so, I recommend you drape it over a chair or rack instead to prevent "shoulder bumps" where the hanger creates annoying little bumps on the shoulders of your shirt that are very noticeable when you wear it.

Lastly, when hanging clothing to dry, make sure you shake each piece out firmly before hanging; to help eliminate wrinkles.  Additionally, you will most likely need to re-shape collars, sleeves and button plackets to help facilitate a smooth appearance when dried. 

Most clothing that is air dried is not perfectly smooth (like the way it comes out of a hot dryer).  You can either touch it up with an iron or steamer, or if the material is just a little textured with no hard wrinkles, then put it on, and wear it for ten minutes.  You may be surprised to discover your body heat and gravity have effortlessly removed the wrinkly texture for you. 

For true wrinkles however, it's worth the time to run an iron over it.  Nothing looks worse than "lazy wrinkled" clothing.  No matter how expensive it is or how well it fits, if it's lazy wrinkled, you look like a slob (or hung over).

Do Wrinkle Releasers Work?

I don't recommend them.  You essentially spray this chemical agent on your clothing and then pull, tug and stretch the wrinkles out.  It only works effectively on very light wrinkles and doesn't do much of anything (except give you a workout) on true wrinkles.  Even worse, it can leave spots and stains on some fabrics and I just don't like the idea of spraying chemicals onto my clothing that I wear next to my body all day.  For all the work and time it takes to spray and stretch and pull, I think it's better to either throw the item in the dryer on wrinkle release (put a lightly damp washcloth in for a steam-iron effect) or just simply iron the darn thing.

Wrinkly Jeans: Denim does best when hung dry.  The fabric is heavy enough to work with gravity to pull all the wrinkles out; especially if you shake it a few times before hanging.  Drying jeans in the dryer usually leaves them slightly wrinkled around the waistband and lower legs.  Ironing jeans is not an easy task (the fabric is thick and doesn't iron well).  Hang your jeans to dry!  They will last longer, look better and take less maintenance.

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

How to Care for Your Clothing Series: How often do I need to wash my clothes?

Common questions I regularly hear as a Trunk Club Expert are "how should I wash this?" ..."does this need to be dry cleaned?"..."how can I prevent wrinkles?" and "will this shrink a lot?"  This week, I will offer my best answers to these questions and recommendations to help your clothing look it's best.

How often do I need to wash my clothing?

Washing, and especially drying in a dryer are probably the most damaging wear and tear your daily clothing receives.  The less you wash and dry them (in a dryer), the longer they last, and the better they will look and feel. 

For clothing you love; for nicer pieces you own, if it says it's machine washable, the best bet is to launder it it in the machine in cold water and then hang it to dry.  If you don't like ironing, you can take it to a professional dry cleaner and ask them to press it for you (or dry clean it for you). 

Regardless, just because you wore it, doesn't mean you have to wash it.  For items you wear close to your skin all day, especially where you perspire, please wash them after each use (namely underwear, undershirts, and socks). 

However, for jeans, shorts, pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets and the like that are worn over an undershirt or underwear; you can prolong the life of these items by hanging them back up in your closet after you wear them.  If you are a sloppy eater, have a muddy dog, or sticky child, this probably isn't going to work well for you.  For the rest of you, go home after work and change out of your nicer clothing (before sticky child attacks).  If it looks and smells fine at the end of the day, hang it back up and wear it again before you wash it.

A special note: premium denim can be worn an average of five times in between washings.  Once it's broken in and knows your shape, it will look great, wear after wear without needing a wash and dry after each use like many lower quality denim jeans do.  However, you must make sure you are buying the right size premium denim to begin with since some brands, like Seven For All Mankind, stretch considerably when you break them in (but won't necessarily shrink back to original size even with a spin in the dryer).

How often do you need to dry clean?

Suits and jackets usually don't need to be dry cleaned until they become soiled (by food, mud, etc.) or if they smell bad (smoke, perspiration, etc.).  For you tidy guys, this may mean you only dry clean your suits and sport coats once or twice a year.

Slacks and trousers should be dry cleaned every four or five wearings or when they become soiled. 

ALWAYS dry clean your suit; jacket and suit pants together; even if only one of the pieces needs cleaning.  You want the suit to perfectly match so you must dry clean them together so inevitable fading is done in tandem and unnoticeable.

Tomorrow I will have advice on what needs to be dry cleaned and what doesn't and ways to save you money at the dry cleaner's.

A few last tips: 

• A napkin is not a mop to clean up messes; it's designed to prevent them.  Use it accordingly.

• Re-train the 8 year old inside you to wipe or dry your hands on a towel or tissue; not your pants.  Achoo!...wipe.  You know who you are.

• Smell the floor of your bedroom and bathroom.  If you don't like the smell, don't leave your clothes on the floor when you take them off.  If they can be worn again, please hang them up yourself like a man and enjoy the fact you can wear them again with minimal to no ironing. 

• The less frequently you wash your clothing, the longer it lasts.  As an added benefit, you will reduce your carbon footprint and help support a greener world.

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert

Re-defining Comfortable to Help You Look Your Best

When it comes to clothing, men are very sensitive about comfort. 

However, you may need to re-define what comfortable means if you want to look your best.  I will never dispute the fact that looser fit, well worn, pajama feeling, clothing is the most comfortable to wear.  However, I hope you will recognize, it's not your best look and definitely not appropriate in the workplace and perhaps even out in public.

Clothing that fits better, looks better.  It's a mantra I repeat often because men commonly wear clothing that doesn't fit well; generally it's too big.  However, they have been wearing clothing in this larger size and fit for so long, they don't know any different.  When they first try on clothing that actually fits, they are often self conscious and unsure.  Some even venture to say it's not "comfortable."  However, when I ask if it hurts and where it's uncomfortable; the answer is usually they just aren't used to wearing clothing that fits.

Men, you aren't alone.  Women have the same issue.  Comfort is 50% physical and 50% mental.  For example: I love wearing high heeled shoes.  I am asked quite often by women (in flats) if my shoes are comfortable.  I answer truthfully: "Yes, they are (I don't buy shoes that hurt because I know I won't wear them)."  Would I run a mile in high heels or go hiking?  No, don't be ridiculous!  However, when I want to look my best and feel confident, I put on a pair of heels and I truly feel comfortable wearing them. 

Do I recommend you buy and wear clothing that physically hurts even if it looks good?  No.  However, I do recommend you wear clothing that fits better.  Re-train your mind and body to feel comfortable in something other than clothing that fits like your pajamas or athletic wear.  For example, dress shirts that fit better are not going to allow you to wind up a fast ball.  However, you shouldn't be wearing a dress shirt on the ball field anyway.  A proper fit should allow you to move freely within reason.  People who say "I can't do the splits in these or I can't circle my arms widely" need to give up on looking their best altogether and sign up at the nearest Gymnastics Center. 

For men wanting to become more fashion forward, modern, up to date and looking their best, they may need to re-define what comfortable is.  Trust me, you will look so much better and feel more confident about yourself when you wear clothing that fits well...you will feel UNcomfortable wearing your baggy clothing outside your house again!

-Lisa Bruckner, Trunk Club Expert