Dear Kathi,
I often wear ties to business receptions. I always wonder how high or low I should wear my tie clip.
How do I know if a pair of shoes goes well with a suit?
Also, I have a question about polo shirts. Should I wear a t-shirt with my polo shirt? Does it matter if I wear it with or without a tee? Do I tuck them into my jeans?
James, San Diego
James,
Tie clips are now back in style! Wear your clip at mid center by button holes 4-5 midway between your pec and your abs. For a younger look, you can wear it placed between the third and fourth button of the shirt and angled slightly down. Whether or not to angle your tie clip is always controversial and has been seen latley in fashion for younger men. Always choose a tie clip that is narrower than the tie.
You can also use a tie tack. Choose a simple design and secure it from 1/3 to less than 1/2 the distance below the knot.
The shoes that go best with suits will have leather soles and hand stitching. Wingtips are always a safe bet as they go well with suits and more casual sport coats. A tuxedo can dress up an Oxford. Oxfords also look sophisticated and fabulous with a suit. The Cap-Toe Oxford, the more casual version of the original Oxford, sometimes has tiny holes along the seam.Choose a shoe that is darker in color than the suit. Coordinate with the neutral color of the suit. For instance, if your suit is brown, wear brown or cordovan shoes. If it is black, wear black shoes. Navy suits can be paired with black or dark cordovan shoes.
Socks should be matched to your slacks, not your shoes. This will give you an elongated leg line.
Polos can be worn with or without a t-shirt. If you choose to wear a t-shirt, wear both shirts untucked. Never tuck both in at the same time, always keeping the polo on top, untucked.
When layering shirts, wearing the darkest color on top makes them easy to coordinate. You can wear a lighter color shirt on top, but have to consider whether or not the shirt below shows through, which makes the whole process of getting dressed more complicated.
Layering is currently in style, and also provides versatile climate control, especially with the temperature variations throughout the day in San Diego. So live it up and layer!
