Csquared Menswear

The sixties is a great era of history to draw style inspiration from. From the sharp tailoring, to the roll neck sweaters and double denim of Steve McQueen, sixties style had it all. However, it is sixties inspired tailoring and formal wear that we are going to be showing you how to incorporate into your work wardrobe.

Image:Portland Monthly Magazine

One of our favorite things about tailoring in the sixties is that it oozed confidence and style. There was a wide and eclectic choice available for anyone who wanted to show off to the world that they knew how to dress. Bold pin stripes and checks were extremely popular amongst the working (mad) men in the sixties.

Image: Hello!

The men of Mad Men look powerful, confident and ready for anything. Csquared has taken inspiration from icons such as these in order to bring your present day work wardrobe up to scratch.

The Suit

Image: Fine & Dandy

The sixties produced a wide variety of suit cuts, with everything from one button to three button to double breasted available. This is one of the major reasons we have seen a resurgence of double breasted tailoring and outwear within the industry recently. When you get the cut and fit right on a double-breasted suit, it can look very imposing and give off a very powerful vibe.

Csquared Menswear Winter Collection avail at Markham & Stuttafords

Of course, suit style is all about personal preference though. Right now there are so many options and varieties at your disposal; although if you are struggling the 2 buttoned suit is a timeless winner which will never look out of place at any event. Always remember if it does not fit right, it’s not going to look right.

Business Casual

If you don’t necessarily want a business look and you want to perhaps dress down a suit, then a check pattern has lots of potential. Think Michael Douglas in Wall Street.

Image:Drill Spin

This is a little more subtle compared to a bold pin stripe and works just as well as a suit out of work at formal occasions. The jacket can even be separated and utilised with dark jeans for a put together smart-casual outfit. 

Csquared Menswear Check Jacket avail at Markham & Stuttafords

What to wear with it? Well juxtapose a check patterned suit with a lightly checked shirt in a different colour and a solid colour tie and you’re sorted. You do not have to pair bold print suits with plain shirts and ties these day.

If you want to dress down the suit into a more casual look, then wearing the suit with a light merino knitted roll-neck jumper is a perfect alternative.

Sixties Accessories

Image:Virgin Media 

Accessories in the work uniform were a must back in the sixties. Accessories are great as they either finish a look or to individualize it. You don’t want to go over the top with colors, patterns and the like when you are looking to be taken seriously, so incorporating subtle details through accessories is where you will find your separation.

Csquared Menswear Belts avail at Markham and Stuttafords

Key sixties accessories included cuff links, braces, pocket squares, bow ties, slim belts and watches. All these can be brought bang up to date to give your workwear the shot of life it needs.

Csquared Menswear Accessories avail at Markham & Stuttafords

We hope you can incorporate some of the key features of sixties workwear into your wardrobe so you can look sharp, refined and ready for business.

Stay on trend with more Csquared Style Tips.

Stay Stylin’

Csquared

Csquared Menswear is stocked at selected boutiques and premier Stuttafords and Markham stores nationwide.

Subscribe to Csquared Menswear by Email,and stay tuned toCsquared’s Facebookor follow us onTwitter at @CsquaredSAfor more stylin’ daily updates.

Source

Vogue Hommes Japan

Plaid or checks have been hugely popular for the last couple of years and every year we see a wealth of new designs, colours and fits. They have become a wardrobe staple for men and women alike. 

Vogues Hommes Japan

The Art of Pattern Mixing

Vogues Hommes Japan

A simple and cheap way of incorporating this new idea straight into your looks, without changing your shirt, is to keep the sleeves rolled down and cuffs done up, perhaps even doing up the top button which immediately smartens up the appearance of the shirt in general. This simple change would work very well with the more established indie/mod and Geek chic/preppy looks.

Csquared Winter Collection 2012 - Avail at Markham & Stuttafords

If you really want to make a statement try mixing checks with your work wear.

Numero Homme

When trying to match a plaid/checked shirt with a tie, avoid the same patterns, introduce some variation in size or in the case of stripes, their direction. Try to introduce another size of check in your tie, and then pick out one colour in the shirt to complement.

Csquared Winter Collection 2012 - Avail at Markham & Stuttafords

With a plaid/checks you’re better off choosing a solid tie. Again it should complement one subtle colour within the shirt. Of course if you’re feeling brave you can match it with a plaid or checked tie or bowtie, but as ever, make sure the patterns are not exactly the same as the shirt.

Csquared Winter Collection 2012 - Avail at Markham & Stuttafords

Another way of incorporating plaid into your suit without going for a shirt is to use a plaid tie with your block colour shirts, a statement piece, without the fuss.

Csquared Winter Collection 2012 - Avail at Markham & Stuttafords

Using a solid tie however, is by far the easiest way to mix and match without taking the risk of becoming a walking optical illusion, the different pattern of the shirt should make the statement, not the effect you have on the eyes of the people you walk past.

Csquared Menswear Ties - Avail at Markham & Stuttafords

The same goes for colours, the mixed patterns and the bolder designs will stand out more than your plain white shirt and tie combination, so you don’t necessarily need choose bright colours. In fact, you would do better to choose more muted colours, greys, blues etc which will take the edge off the pattern and retain an air of formality and class.

Csquared Menswear Checked Ties - Avail at Markham & Stuttafords

By choosing to use checks in this way you mark yourself out from the ranks of the suit wearing masses, you make more of a statement and you continue to develop your wardrobe along the way. Best of all, because check shirts are so casual, you can dress it back down for a night out after work.

When done right, it can be a real alternative to the other plain old shirts you keep dragging out day after day.

For more Csquared Menswear Style Inspiration go here.

Stay Stylin’

Csquared

Csquared Menswear is stocked at selected boutiques and premier Stuttafords and Markham stores nationwide.

Subscribe to Csquared Menswear by Email and stay tuned to Csquared’s Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @CsquaredSA for more stylin’ daily updates.

 Csquared at MBFWJ/SDR Photo 

This past Monday Csquared joined hundreds of South Africans in celebrating our local artists at the 18th MTN South African Music Awards. What we love most about the SAMA’s is the fashion, which is the past has been interesting to say the least.

Whats also great about such an event is the interaction over social media. For those of us who were unable to attend the live event we sat in front of our TVs Monday night with our smartphones and you were instantly part of the conversation. @ASHownsCHEKA worded it best when he said:

For those of you who weren’t able to catch us live on Twitter Monday night or just want to relive the madness that was #SAMA18, we put together some of the tweets from the days leading to the event, the yellow carpet and the live show.

Pre-show Prep

Its no easy feat finding the right outfit for an awards show as big as the SAMA but Cape Town Street Mag Blogger @TankiEM knew when she needed a menswear look there was only one brand she could rely on:

As a Record of the Year nominee @theokgosinkwe was under pressure to look good. But Theo has always been a stylish dresser and definitely knows how to pull off a Csquared suit effortlessly. 

For his first official outing as Csquared #TOPSWAG Style Icon Winner Mvelo Ncube was invited to #SAMA18, which of course excited his supporters like @Tee_Kolane:

Of course @Mvelo_N was excited about the SAMAs but he was even more excited about his Csquared outfit which our designer Wayne Govender helped him style.

@Mvelo_N also tweeted a few pics from his arrival at Sun City but we won’t share all those yet, he will share his VIP experience with you later this week on the blog.

#SAMAFashion Buzz

Firstly, you can’t discuss the yellow carpet without discussing @somizi in David Tlale and Alexander McQueen heels.

We must admit we at Csquared always look forward to what Somizi will wear on any red/yellow carpet event because he always pushes fashion boundaries. He always stands out and while its not a look for everyone, we can’t help but applaud his fashion bravery.

As always the ladies took center stage on the yellow carpet but this year we must say some of the gents really did bring their fashion A-game to the yellow carpet. Naturally we love all those who wore Csquared on the carpet:

@iamDJSbu was stylin on night one of the SAMAS in this Csquared suit :

@TrevorMadondo in a Csquared Checked Jacket on Night One of the SAMAs:

@theokgosinkwe was a hit in this Csquared black and white look with red bow tie on the yellow carpet:

Jimmy Dludlu was on trend in a Csquared Velvet Jacked and Csquared Checked shirt and bowtie (congrats on the win):

Fashion Blogger @StyleGuideCT loved Jimmy’s look, while @Tee_Kolane knew on sight that it was Csquared:

What was really impressive about this years #SAMAFashion was how many of the guys out there went for color over plain black suits. These are some of our favorite looks from the evening:

While we did not address this trend in our What to wear to the SAMAs blogpost can we just repeat:

I think all gents are in agreement that if there is one thing they will remember about #SAMA18 it is @MinnieDlamini in this dress:

Well done to Randall Abrahams and all those involved on putting on a truly spectacular show. Till next year.

Stay Stylin’

Csquared

Subscribe to Csquared Menswear by Email, and stay tuned to Csquared’s Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @CsquaredSA for more stylin’ daily updates.

Csquared Menswear is stocked at selected boutiques and premier Stuttafords and Markham stores nationwide.

Images via MTNSAMA Flickr & Twitter

Boardwalk Empire is an American TV series set in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the Prohibition era. The series has received widespread critical acclaim particularly for its visual style. 

Recently Michael Pitt who plays the role of James “Jimmy” Darmody modeled in Prada Men’s Spring/Summer2012 ad campaign. The Italian fashion house has also released a behind the scenes video of the campaign shoot.

Playing the guitar, boxing a little bit, Michael plays a Hollywood Golden Boy wearing serious Prada threads.

I think Pitt was asked to be the face of the S/S12 Prada Menswear ad campaign is because of his role in Boardwalk Empire. If you have ever watched this show you will know everything is tai­lor made, so it fits per­fectly and everyone looks seriously styling.

Lush tweed and wool suits are worn along with brightly col­ored ties with ele­gant col­lar pins to hold them up. Fedo­ras and news­boy caps were a neces­sity and not a prop. 

Back then, the finishing of cloth was not as refined as it is today and most fabrics were considerably heavier, and consequently draped nicely.The cut of the clothes is certainly different. Suits were fitted snugly around shoulder, and had little to no padding. The trousers were much slimmer than in the 1930’s and did not have pleats. Unlike today though they had a high raise and were of course worn with suspenders.

The fashion is pure American gangster. The way these men dressed showed power and they took such care to perfect their looks, you got to respect that. The blue coat above blows my mind, with wide lapels and the black collar. 

By taking a few elements from this era as inspiration you can add this mafioso swag to your modern day look:

Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson

Played by Steve Buscemi, is part politician/ part gangster and All style.

He rules Atlantic City in a range of tailored three piece suits with his signature red carnation pinned in the button hole. The red carnation serves as a perfect accessory to all his looks, giving them a stylish pop of color. These days wearing a red carnation everyday may not as fashionable but with accessories such as bowties, pocket squares or shoes you can definitely add to the elegance of your outfit as Nucky’s red carnation did for his.

Csquared Brogues R899, Csquared Wayfarers R699, Csquared Checked Bow tie R175, Csquared blue with white polka dots Pocket square R175.

Jimmy Darmody

Played by Michael Pitt is the former protege of Nucky, which is evident in his style. Soldier turned gangster Jimmy sported a more casual look in earlier episodes but as his status rises so does his sharp style.

The above blue and grey check 3-piece suit is by far one of my favorite looks from the show. Simple, elegant and sharp.  A great modern twist on this would be:

Csquared shirt R595, Csquared waistcost R599, Csquared tie R175

Albert “Chalky” White

Played by Michael Kenneth Williams, is a racketeer and unofficial leader of the African-American community in Atlantic City.

I loveChalky’s style! His flamboyant tailoring with lots of check patterns and he’s not afraid to wear a bow tie! This is a man after my very own Csquared heart. The Csquared Winter Collection 2012 is bursting with checks and bright, bold bowties and ties which makes achieving Chalky’s look easy.

This show deserves every award it wins. It is an amazingly true depiction of life and fashion in the 1920’s but then again no one does the 1920s gangster era quite like Martin Scorsese. 

Stay Stylin’

Csquared

Stay tuned to Csquared’s Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @CsquaredSA for more stylin’ daily updates.

Csquared Menswear is stocked at selected boutiques and premier Stuttafords and Markham stores nationwide.