The Trench Coats Military Origin Story Surprised Me More Than Expected

Someone on a menswear forum once told me, with total confidence, that Burberry personally designed the trench coat for officers in the trenches of World War I, sketched it himself,…

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Theres A Stitch On The Back Of Your Trench Coat Youre Supposed To Cut, Nobody Warns You

Four days before a work trip to Chicago and I’m standing in my bedroom trying to figure out why my new trench coat looks like it’s wearing a fanny pack.…

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I Went Down A Rabbit Hole Trying To Find Out Who Invented The Wrap Dress

A woman at a dry cleaner’s counter in Cherry Creek, waiting behind me while I explained a stain situation I’d rather not detail here, looked at what I was wearing…

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The Trench Coat Sits In An Awkward Spot Between Formal And Casual

The moment always arrives at the coat rack, not before. You’re standing in the front hallway at 8:10, client call at 9, dinner with people from business school at 7,…

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Buttoning Both Buttons On A Blazer Is The One Rule Everyone Quietly Ignores

I bought a blazer off a resale app three months ago, gray, structured, the kind of thing that photographs like it costs more than it did, and the first thing…

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Whether Brown Brogues Work With A Grey Suit Took Me Longer To Work Out Than It Should Have

People get remarkably worked up about brown shoes and grey suits, considering the actual stakes involved, which are approximately zero. Nobody has ever lost a job, a marriage, or a…

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Brown Loafers Get Called A Universal Match, I Wanted To Test That Properly

I bought my first pair of brown loafers eleven years ago because a guy at the shoe counter told me they’d go with anything, and I believed him the way…

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Why Every Finance Bro Ive Ever Met Owns The Exact Same Gilet

My uncle works in private equity, and years ago, when I told him I was starting to style corporate clients, he said, “Easy, just put them in a vest, it…

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Brown Shoes With Grey Trousers Got Questioned By A Colleague At Lunch

“That’s a bold choice for a Tuesday,” she said, looking at my feet like I’d shown up in cleats. I was wearing dark brown derbies with charcoal grey trousers, a…

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Whether Leather Jackets Work On Men Or Just Look Like Trying Too Hard

My upstairs neighbor Dave owns a leather jacket he bought in 2019 and has worn approximately four times because he’s convinced it makes him look like he’s compensating for something.…

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