Sartorial Simplicity
How to Live the Tonal Life
Do you work at a tailor? Do you have a clothing allowance every year? Do you experiment with a new tobacco linen suit when summer rolls around? Of course not. Well, actually I know people who do—this is their professional life—and those good people can be sartorially daring in ways most civilians can’t.
The fact that photos of these adventurers are blasted around the internets makes them seem like good inspiration. And while some look great (many do not), that’s not realistic for most men. You’re not in a lookbook—you’re in real life. And in most cases it’s better to dress in a way that isn’t too dandified. And it’s always the case that you shouldn’t wear a suit over a tank top—let’s stop this dreadful trend before it starts.
What we need are good reassuring choices to wear everyday without breaking our brains. This is, of course, the theory of the uniform. But when we discuss the uniform—Fran Leibowitz, Tom Wolfe—we’re usually dealing with very specific, eccentric people who are masters in the fine art of presentation. That’s a refreshing and even important thing.
But most of us are not on the lecture circuit. And while the idea of a uniform is welcome it’s still daunting. The uniform implies that you’ve figured it all out, like knowing exactly how the inside of your home should be designed. Who wakes up one day and declares they’re going to wear nothing but pinstripe double-breasted suits?
Almost every day this summer I’ve worn a brown sport coat and brown chinos. Or a tan, cotton, very subtle (ahem) Prince of Wales checked sport coat and tan chinos. Simple. More and more I’m focused on the simple pleasures of tonal dressing.
Now a suit is of course the easiest way to do this. The most natural way to wear a suit every day is if it’s some casual fabric—linen, corduroy, cotton or twill. A few wrinkles are fine. I’ve written a lot about the everyday suit that you can lie down in.
Let’s go beyond the suit and consider some ways to simplify your habits.
-Don’t Resist Your Favorite Color. Blue is not boring, it’s beloved. If you like blue then it’s not strange if you open your closet and are greeted by a sea of navy. If you’re considering a new jacket and a friend says: “You already have a lot of clothes like that,” then smile at them and make a note to yourself never go shopping with that person again. I like brown, tan and various colors of moss, living or dead. I’m in the neutral zone, baby, and at this point I don’t ask questions. Knowing you love a color focuses you in the best possible way and also helps you know what to avoid.
-Beware Matchy Matchy. Now, there’s a strange situation where a jacket and trousers are extremely similar colors but not exact. This can oddly be confounding, like the uncanny valley. If people are struggling to tell if something matches that's not ideal. It’s perfectly fine to pair things that are dark brown with not as dark brown. In fact, it’s probably better.
-Warm Tones With Warm Tones. And cold with cold. I used to get burned by dreams of a khaki-clad life and wear a cotton sport coat with chinos and something was just off. If khaki has any shades of pink (which happens more often than you think) it will not go with khaki that has brown in it. This is the sort of thing that they talk about at Farrow & Ball—you can learn a lot by reading about white paint.
-Texture is Your Friend. The point of this exercise isn’t just blue on blue or brown on brown. There is a world of distinctions to be had—look at this terrific Maison Hellard deep green herringbone linen they did with our friend Matt Hranek. Or anything on this Fox Flannel collection (it’s their photo above). These are all interesting but still easy to wear. My brown sport coat is an old RRL linen herringbone and I could not possibly love it any more than I do. And if you mix these with tweed with twill or corduroy then that contrast also works well.
-Know When To Act. If you find a jacket in a color you love in a fabric with a little interest then jump in. You will wear the hell out of it. Over the years I realize my most daring tweed jackets don’t get nearly as much action as tonal herringbone or houndstooth. So when I saw an old Ralph hunting jacket at Thoroughbred New York then I pounced like a lion on its prey.
