Personal Style | J. Kent Ltd.

COLLAR YOUR STYLE

Jan 15 2019

Need a quick refresher on the various types of collar options for your next custom shirt? Straight collar: A neutral, all-around good choice that works for nearly every gentleman. Button-down: A classy-yet-casual option that keeps the collar secured in place. Can be worn without a tie, with the top button unbuttoned. Spread collar: A powerful look that can be created at several angles (medium spread, wide spread). It allows plenty of room for a large, powerful tie knot. The widest spread is called a cutaway collar. Club collar (rounded): There's a hint of the English about this unique look. Eyelet collar (for a collar pin): The tiny openings allow for placement of a collar pin. This look is dressy, elegant, distinguished, and quite unusual. Tab collar: A hidden tab behind the tie keeps the collar in place without visible buttons. Band collar: The collar doesn't have a strip of fabric that folds over the tie. This is a casual look that should never be...

J Kent Erickson

Collars, Cuffs, & Lapels

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Wardrobe Basics

TWO SUITS, SIX SHIRTS

Dec 01 2018

Let's talk efficiency. Building your custom wardrobe is an investment, and you likely want to maximize the value of that investment while controlling outlay. The key here is to start with a solid base: two custom suits and six custom shirts. With this base, you have the start of a wardrobe that is built to last-and built to look and feel fantastic, every day. Make sure your two suits and six shirts are designed in versatile colors and fabrics that will be appropriate in a multitude of occasions. Add carefully chosen accessories for individual style, and you have a versatile wardrobe that will fit better and let you move more comfortably than any other suits you've worn....

J Kent Erickson

Wardrobe Basics

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Shirts, Vests, & Blouses

Made to Be Untucked

Nov 15 2018

You've seen men wearing their shirts untucked. If you want to enjoy this current trend (often called "the outside shirt" since the shirt is designed for the tail to be worn outside trousers), you need to have your custom shirts constructed specifically for that use, because a traditional-cut shirt worn untucked has an unfortunate tendency to flair like a bell at the hips. Here's how we'll build your outside shirts: We make sure the length is just right to create the correct silhouette for your body type to wear these shirts. We adjust the proportions for the finished dimensions between chest, waist, and hip measurements, to give it a flattering drape on your frame. We hem the shirt so that the tail ends in the bottom half of the trouser fly area to achieve the correct visual proportions. The outside shirt is a great option for a casual shirt that's still appropriate...

J Kent Erickson

Shirts, Vests, & Blouses

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J. Kent Ltd. Experience

Custom Guidance from Your Custom Clothier

Aug 15 2018

Each gentleman has his own circumstances, goals, and individual style. Our aim, as a custom clothier, is to enable each of our clients to create a wardrobe that will work hard to help him meet his goals and express his unique taste. To accomplish that, we work hard during your consultations to ensure you consider several important factors. Throughout our conversations we will help you to discover whether you prefer Italian, English, or American style sensibilities, as that will usually inform your tailoring choices. We’ll also discuss which custom items are your current priority. For some gentlemen, it could be suits, while others need to focus on trousers, coats, shirts, or a focal point item, such as an “odd vest.” When you set your budget, we can help you consider how long each type of custom clothing tends to last, as well as how many of that item category you’ll need. We are...

J Kent Erickson

J. Kent Ltd. Experience

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Coats & Jackets

The Possibilities of Sport Jackets

Jun 15 2018

Sport jackets provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your personal style. When you’re designing your next custom sport coat, take time to consider a wide range of stylistic options, and you’ll create a sport coat that you love. Custom clothing should be a joy to wear. It not only will fit perfectly but also can give you an emotional lift each time you wear it. For your next sport coat, consider light colors and bold patterns as well as the typical tans and blues. Brightening up your clothing can easily brighten up your mood. Selecting a pastel plaid fabric for the jacket makes an eye-catching statement, especially if you choose one with several colors in the plaid. Keep to colors in the same color family if you’re looking to tone down the visual effect. Sport jackets are great for weekends and events that call for style without the formality of a full suit....

Considering the Navy Blazer

Apr 15 2018

Navy blazers are some of our favorite wardrobe pieces, because they are almost endlessly versatile. They’re equally appropriate for social events and for business-casual days. To create a dressy look, pair your blazer with tan, olive, or gray trousers. A range of gray tones, from silver to charcoal, will look great with your navy blazer. Tan trousers can likewise work for several shades, from beige to tobacco. To create a less formal—but still stylish—look, wear them with dark jeans and a crisp white shirt; skip the tie and unbutton your collar. When designing your custom navy blazer, you can select traditional brass buttons, or choose from among a range of brown or gray horn buttons. Even though you’re building the blazer in a traditional navy color, the fabric doesn’t have to be boring—you can easily customize your blazer by selecting a fabric with rich texture. This attention to design detail will create a...

Play To Your Strong Suit

Feb 01 2018

When you play to win in a card game, you use the cards in your strongest suit. When you play to win in business, you wear the strongest suit in your wardrobe. Custom clothing gives you the ability to design a suit that plays to your strengths and minimizes any irregularities in shape or proportion. You have the power to create exactly the image you desire, and can build your clothing to meet all your individual requirements, even if you are not proportioned like the average gentleman. Whether you're aiming for an approachable, casual suit, or a somber, more formal suit, custom clothing gives you the powerful image you need-because you always play to win....

J Kent Erickson

Suits

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Shirts, Vests, & Blouses

Types of Shirt Plackets

Dec 15 2017

Designing your personal style means paying attention to details. Have you considered the style potential of choosing between the various options for shirt placket design? (That's the strip of fabric that holds the buttons.) Front placket-found in the vast majority of dress shirts. Always a good option for business attire, but its ubiquity means it lacks individuality. No front placket-also called a French front, this placket has no visual stitching alongside the row of buttons, so it creates clean lines but can be trickier to iron. Covered placket-commonly called a fly front, the covered placket has an additional layer of fabric covering the buttons. It's sometimes found in tuxedo shirts and other very dressy clothing. Tuxedo front-looks similar to the French front but differs in that the top four buttons are removable, allowing you to replace the buttons with tuxedo studs. This placket is best used only with tuxedo shirts. The...

J Kent Erickson

Shirts, Vests, & Blouses

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Shirts, Vests, & Blouses

Odd Vests

Dec 01 2016

There’s nothing odd about odd vests! The phrase simply refers to wearing a vest outside of a three-piece-suit ensemble—a great strategy for adding visual appeal and stretching your clothing budget by increasing the number of mix-and-match options in your wardrobe. Light-colored vests, such as sand or dove gray, look fantastic under a suit. You may choose to build your vest of the same material as your trousers or sport jacket, or instead select a coordinating fabric. The back of the vest is often constructed of thin lining fabrics to avoid adding bulk and heat. Wearing matching trousers and vest with a contrasting coat makes a striking ensemble. The vest should be long enough to cover your waistband. Braces are a good choice with a vest, as a belt will push the vest fabric away from your waist, creating the appearance of thickness. The armholes of your vest should be large, to allow...

J Kent Erickson

Shirts, Vests, & Blouses

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Accessories & Jewelry

Raising the Bar: The Collar Pin

Oct 01 2016

You already know that paying attention to your accessories sets you apart from the crowd. One accoutrement that quickly gives an air of elegance to an ensemble is a collar pin. This refined tool gives the knot in your tie more visual importance and stability. It’s perfect for days when you want to look your best—and want the confidence that comes from stylish dressing. Many notable gentlemen of style have been known to sport a collar pin, from Fred Astaire and Steve McQueen to Tom Ford and Daniel Craig. Its rarity is part of its appeal, as its use shows considerable sartorial savvy. If you enjoy the collar pin but prefer a less noticeable approach, put aside the more common safety pin style and try the barbell style. Whichever collar pin you prefer, make sure to pair it with a substantial tie knot for best effect....

J Kent Erickson

Accessories & Jewelry

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Older Posts

Personal Style Tag

COLLAR YOUR STYLE

TWO SUITS, SIX SHIRTS

Made to Be Untucked

Custom Guidance from Your Custom Clothier

The Possibilities of Sport Jackets

Considering the Navy Blazer

Play To Your Strong Suit

Types of Shirt Plackets

Odd Vests

Raising the Bar: The Collar Pin

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