The “No Brown In Town” rule was never about brown suits. It was talking about never wearing brown shoes in ‘the city of London’ aka the financial district.
I broke this rule liberally when I was attending a two-week seminar at a big insurance brokerage by Lloyds. But, this was with dark brown Oxfords with almost no broguing. I noticed that among the younger set, the rule is relaxing a little bit, even in Lloyds itself.
"No brown in town" might have a slightly different meaning in the US, but in the UK it refers to the faux pas of wearing brown shoes in the city of London, instead of black. It originates as a class indicator (wearing brown shoes in a professional setting being a show of lower class) and at top-level finance, consulting, and law firms in the city this adage and its connotations still very much hold (albeit not as strongly as before).
@Selim Mašić It was a class thing. It can make sense in paper, but in practice it's a stupid rule for this day and age. And yes, you would wear black leather shoes in the country in today's world. It's not the color that makes je formal or not, but mainly the build of it
Thanks again Brian, being European I have never heard of those rules. I was raised by a mother who was a principal of a fashion school. She taught me that you can develop wearing clothes and good accessoiries with it. It is fun to dress up and to show your own style. Trust your instinct an if your mirror says to you: looking good dude...and you are feeling happy with it. That is what counts.
As your colleague from the Parisian Gentleman likes to say, one should be aware of the rules before breaking them, but "trust your eyes". Also ignoring DB buttoning conventions is almost always a winner when done right! Great video, and thanks!
I really like that final rule, but amend it to, “if it looks right _and feels right_ it is right.” I’m a wardrobe consultant at Jos A Bank, so I get a lot of people who’ve never owned suits before, they’re going suit shopping for the first time in a decade, or their brand new to menswear. Often, they’ll be torn between 2 sizes, cuts, or fabrics. My go to is, “which is more comfortable?” If it isn’t comfortable, 99% of the time, it’s because it’s the wrong size.
Great change of pace, Brian. The black and navy 'rule' has always bugged me too. They look totally fine together. Another rule I don't always adhere to is 'If you have belt loops, always wear a belt.' While I think that is a good rule of thumb for casual outfits generally, with suits, especially wearing them more formally, I prefer suspenders or even going beltless. It creates a cleaner line to my eye, even when there are belt loops on the pants. Thanks for the video, as always!
This is by far the most perfect men’s style channel. I love how relevant the channels topics are. I started my style journey 6 years ago & I was very confused because content creators said you have to do this but the next video contradicted it. Also I spent a lot of money, relative to my income, trying to do things that didn’t necessarily work for me. Thank you Brian for having the courage to create this channel. It really is inspiring.
Last one is what I would call the golden rule of style. Our eyes are the ultimate judge. If you enjoy what you see in the mirror, go and rock it with confidence. Well said Brian!
Hi just discovered your channel I’m in the process of reviewing my entire wardrobe (closet) getting rid of the nonsense and going back to basics with good fashion sense. Love from the UK 🇬🇧
All of your advice is on point. Actually, I think that a brown tailored piece is one of the best decisions one can make at the beginning of any style sophistication. Starting to wear tailored items can feel a bit costume-ish at first. But brown is a safe, earthy, and natural color leaning in on the casual side. I.e. it's easier to pair a brown blazer with jeans than it is with a navy one. And I'm speaking from experience. "No Brown in Town" is a rule I broke when buying my first high quality blazer, and that was due to your love and 'exposure' of browns, Brian. It has been my most worn blazer ever since although I've got 10 of 'em now. Thanks for influencing my style decisions in such a classy way!
Hi Brian. Love your approach to providing fashion advice. You make is seem more like a conversation about fashion and less of a dictatorship compared to some other channels. Your views on pairing are interesting and I think your advice is good for most people that are having issues with their personal style. Keep creating and evolving. Thanks.
This next coming weekend im wearing my midnight blue suit with black shirt, tie and shoes. Normally I never wear a navy blue suit with black dress shoes, shirt and tie. However after seeing this combination in this video, I'm sold. Can't wait for the weekend.
Hey Brian, I just spotted, that you you don’t have any shoe trees for your shoes. Maybe consider getting some. It will greatly increase the longevity of your shoes + creates a smoother look to them( in slows down the creasing on the uppers) Hope you notice. Another good investment to unlock your full potential! :) Keep up the great content. Your style is really pleasing and I’m looking forward to add similar outfits to my wardrobe 🙏🏼
Until this past year, I've always been a no black and navy pharisee! (I wouldn't even wear black with dark washed denim!) Getting over that rule has opened so many options, and stepped up my style in ways I could have never imagined!
Not gonna lie. I bought my first blazer yesterday, brown, and I got to say the first thing I did was pair it with black jeans. LOVED HOW THE CONTRAST MADE ME POP! so when I heard "no brown in town" my manly heart was shattered. Make no mistake I was going to commit to my awesome brown blazer but to hear the last rule, well... I can't help but love my fashion even more. Thank you!!
As someone who is just getting into fashion after a job change, I really want to thank you for your videos. The first channels I came across fall into two categories: stuffy pretentious snobs who have a thousand rules and look like old men, and the caricatured 'he-men' that end up looking like overgrown school boys. I really appreciate your modern, tasteful, classics-inspired approach. And the fact that every episode isn't a commercial for an affiliate link is also a major plus. Thank you!
Robert De Niro in the movie Heat (1995) wore his double breasted suit jacket unbuttoned during the entire movie, giving a more casual vibe to a formal outfit.
G. Bruce Boyer wrote something similar to your last rule in True Style. That is : « if you like it, wear it ». I understand it by « if you like the way it look just go with it » which is clothe to your rule in my opinion
Totally agree. I think these things should not be called rules but rather guidelines. They can help you if you absolutely don’t know what you are doing, but it’s not a law you have to abide to...
I agree with all your breaking rules. Navy and black fits perfectly in my opinion. It's true that it's not easy to match perfectly your shoes with your belt, but different shades of brown are nice. Watches could be two tone: steel and gold are nice.
Nicely done. I generally agree with 2 small quibbles. 1. On brown with black, I think it looks bad when it is split 50-50. The outfit you showed was 80% brown (brown and creme) with black pants and was fine. But those pants and brown boots with a different color top would not have worked. 2 I believe in matching metals except your wedding band does not count, many men never want to change or take off their wedding band and therefore it is exempt from the matching rule.
I agree with all your points. I once was lucky enough to own a button 3 show 6 double breastfed chcoolate with charcoal pinstripe Brioni suit which I adored and wore everywhere - appointments in the city, after 6 functions, the races, even a funeral. Everywhere I wore it people went wow, you look great in that suit, which made me feel great. This goes back to your last point! The only rule I probably would never break is to never button up the lowest button on a waistcoat. Love your work!
This is good. Agreeing that brown shoes or boots are a rather better color match with jeans, I don't agree that black shoes should be forbidden. I'd often been complimented in years past on such; typically shiny black wingtip shoes, blue jeans, black belt belt, and a pink or white Oxford shirt.
I have a BROWN Hugo Boss suit in fine woven fabric and I bought it just because it's BROWN, and I love it so much! It goes beautiful with a blue dress shirt.
Great episode Brian! I particular agree about mixing brown and black, not just black and tan but personally I like how brown and black look together, so that is a rule I break all the time. Well done episode- bend the rules, break them if you have the confidence. That’s part of the fun. Take care
I like the last statement- if looks right, it’s right 😀. Because, some home from the very beginning, since the day I started going to college, I never liked square toe shoes.
Matching belt and shoes can be so problematic. In a casual setting with sneakers or suede shoes, you don't necessarily need to match the two items with each other, but whenever you're heading more towards the business casual to semi-formal dress code you have to match them or else the whole outfit looks very odd. That's why I always opt for side adjusters on my odd trousers or suit trousers as they completely take away the headache of matching my belt with my shoes and provide a cleaner and more sartorially inclined look.
Agree with most of it. However, I still feel like brown tones don't quite look right in New York City subway, which I often have to use. Black, blue, and grey appear to harmonize much better with the industrial, urban environment. But then again, "it all depends".
I agree with all your points. Especially the last one. I wore an all blue three piece mohair suit with a blue shirt and tie and I should have looked a bit odd but it really worked and I got many compliments on how well I looked. So definitely, if you have an idea try it out, and like Brian said, if it works, it works.
Hi Brian, thank you for this presentation, --and for the reminder about style and intuition. Navy blue and black usually pair well, but intuition indicates the EXCEPTION is a navy sports jacket or blazer, --with black pants (and, "intuitively," to the inverse).
Great points Brian! For unbuttoning of the DB jackets, I have knitted DBs that drape nicely when I leave them unbuttoned. But they are inherently very casual so I guess it doesn't matter too much to start with? - Han
Great tips! I've found I tend to break a few of these, depending on the situation. Anything formal, and I'm down with the rules. Your last tip is definitely the truest. Cheers! 👍👍👍
I was first introduced to your channel from all videos about watches. Hit the subscribe button and I started watching your style videos as well. I really like the stuff you're putting out man! It's different from a lot of the clickbaity fashion videos out there. Keep it up man!
The thing that I like the look of that sort of breaks the rules is dark re dark red shirts like maroon and burgundy with much lighter blue suits such as Royal blue, ice blue, and sky blue.
I actually have two wedding bands - one white gold and one yellow gold! Sometimes I like the structure of rules perhaps...sometimes. I agree with you that these rules need not always be followed :) I like the way you repeat "that's a rule you can break", reminded me of on Maury "that was a lie" in the best way. Hehe
Thank you for another insightful video! Been a fan for quite awhile now and you've honestly helped me dress well and gain more confidence since I started watching. Cheers!
I think the key to wearing black shoes with navy is wearing a gray transition. In that way, you treat black (and white) as a shade of gray. So, navy blazer, gray trousers, black shoes. Or, Navy suit, gray socks, black shoes.
Yes! There is nothing wrong with mixing navy and black. What are your thoughts on wearing Nato strap diver watches (e.g. Submariner, aquatimer) with suits?
Love that you’re normalizing “making it your own” as a general rule of thumb! Loved these! Also, LOL-ing hard at menswear mannerisms! Hahahahah! (My mind went way out there!) 😂🙉🙊
Amen, well said the best rule to keep. The "do's and don't" I believe were designed as clickbait and mainly resulted in style neurosis. It traded individual expression for homogeny and formula. What can look less natural and stylish than wearing a formula because "you were told so".
I break the black/navy rule all the time. Breakin it rn with some dark wash jeans and black puffer in the snow. I also break the black/brown rule all the time because I love the contrast of brown shoes or top pieces with black jeans
I was expecting you to mention the 'Sometimes, Always, Never' rule for what buttons to do up on a 3x button jacket. So many 'rules", which would be better if referred to as guidelines. Regarding the 'brown in town', I thought the rule was more to do with the time of day - which still gave the division of time in the day between "business" and "leisure" activities (in the city).
About the Navy and black thing. One of the main cities and influencers for fasion is Paris/France tbh. In 2019/20 there was a clear trend in mensstyle to wear navy and black. Paris elegant fashion was Black turtle neck and navy suit... so yeah. More than outdated.
Long ago I was at a haberdashery and I heard the advisor say this . 4 button coat ; winter only , 3 button coat ; winter or fall , 2 or 1 button coat warm weather .
I just do what I believe looks good, and it always works like a charm. Edit: Watched 'till the end. Loved your promotion of intuition when it comes to style.
I think that the usual reasons for Black and Navy is because of the low contrast, I think that it can be done well. I believe that black and brown is thought to be wrong due to the fact that historically brown was an easy to access colour for clothing(plenty of pigments can dye clothing brown and a lot of materials have brown as their raw colour) and very dark, untainted black was very difficult to make as a dye in Medieval Europe, meaning that it showed extreme wealth. Over the centuries the reasoning has faded but I think that the connotations have remained, so many see it as a clash of formalities. Same sort of logic as no-brown-in-town. Or, it may just have been rules for the sake of rules, as for some time it was popular for the upper classes to have customs simply to make themselves distinguished from the working and middle classes as it's less likely that people who were not born into these rules would know how to perfectly follow them. I think that due to the gap between your shoes and your belt it's fairly easy to make the belt and shoes very similar in colours, in the same way as some shades of blue look black until you put it right next to black, people won't notice the belt shade being off if it's only a couple of shades. I find that double breasted suits look good on muscular men or men which are somewhat overweight but not to such an extent that there are clear bulges in their silhouette whilst wearing their jackets. Excellent video, as usual, have a good day.
Generally speaking you always match your belt with your shoes with few exceptions as you state. Ladies do the same with their shoes and the purse. And while I love your comment on the brown suit, I’m a 65 year old US diplomat and wear a brown suit only away from the office. Unfortunately, I have several tailored double breasted suits but wear neither now and covered and put away for now…they are no longer worn, at least in Asia but I do hope it returns. Last comment, I absolutely love your RUclips channel, you remind me of me, especially in a world now where most of the human race is into hoodies, track suits and yoga pants!
The reason for the navy black rule is they are too close. Shoes are different due to formality but I have to say that's one I have to disagree with. Great video and I agree with everything else.
Good provoking video to get the insecure out of the realm of rules so stuff can be sold to you by marketeers. The more daring well dressed never followed these rules. Look at a Beau Brummel, Agnelli and such. Reagan was dressed in some proper brown suits. I always wear brown especially in London on the feet. Just opt for a more special leather like croc, lizard and such. My principals create new trails they dont follow the path already there.
Fantastic advice, absolutely agree with all the points! I do find I like to match my metals though. Mostly because If I have metals to match (tie clip, cufflinks, etc), it's for a more formal occasion and I like to have a more cohesive look. Otherwise, I suppose it's OK to mix metals if it's your wedding band! I'll let you know How I feel about that when I have a wedding band to worry about haha. Cheers Brian!
on your last note, i'd say yes IF he has a good fashion sense. lots of guys are clueless about what looks good and have poor taste. it's always valuable to get an opinion (or 2) when venturing where you haven't been before.
Super late to this but I actually think black shoes look amazing with light blue jeans - obviously there's a big clash in formality, but if you just put that aside and think only about how they actually look together, I feel like there's something super cool and badass about that pairing. Guess you could also try to deal with the formality issue by going with more textured black shoes (suede, pebble grained etc) so theyre not as dressy - or cld also try grey shoes
The "no black and brown together" rule always bothered me - IMO it is one of the best looking color combos out there (maybe also throw in some white). In general saying any two colors don't go together at all is stupid - some shades might, but you can always pick just the right brightness and saturation to match a color you already have. Also, isn't buttoning the lowest button on a DB jacket considered a faux pas as with single breasted jackets, waistcoats and (to a lesser extent) overcoats or trenchcoats? P.S.: thanks for brilliant content 😉
There are so many beautiful cognac color bags out there. But, I was always afraid to have those, as I only have dark brown/black belts and shoes. I understand your point in this video, but could you possibly teach us how to pull off cognac color accessories? Thank you.
Great video! I've got a question. Do you have any advice on undershirts for dress shirts? Do's and don'ts? I'm guessing light grey v-necks are the best choice?
I love brown. I know that at some point people considered brown clothes as being a peasant like attire. Because like you said it was used in the country, by the hard labor people in the 20s, 30s, etc, and in the house
You need more light on your face. It’s on your forehead creating shadows under your brows. There are lighting rules too. :) as a side note, does anyone actually say to follow the no brown in town rule these days? Definitely agree on the double breasted. Especially with the lower swoop that’s coming back. But without the inside button, it does look too sloppy. However overall the biggest rule for menswear is confidence. Wear whatever you wear with confidence.
The last rule is the only one to consider
Cheers.
@@hespokestyle how can I have such kind of suit in Rwanda
The “No Brown In Town” rule was never about brown suits. It was talking about never wearing brown shoes in ‘the city of London’ aka the financial district.
There's some gentleman's clubs that won't let you in the door if you're wearing anything other than black shoes.
Got it!
I learned something today :-)
As archaic as it is, This is still the same at Lloyd’s, the insurance market, not the bank.
I broke this rule liberally when I was attending a two-week seminar at a big insurance brokerage by Lloyds. But, this was with dark brown Oxfords with almost no broguing. I noticed that among the younger set, the rule is relaxing a little bit, even in Lloyds itself.
"No brown in town" might have a slightly different meaning in the US, but in the UK it refers to the faux pas of wearing brown shoes in the city of London, instead of black. It originates as a class indicator (wearing brown shoes in a professional setting being a show of lower class) and at top-level finance, consulting, and law firms in the city this adage and its connotations still very much hold (albeit not as strongly as before).
Got it!
@Selim Mašić It was a class thing. It can make sense in paper, but in practice it's a stupid rule for this day and age. And yes, you would wear black leather shoes in the country in today's world. It's not the color that makes je formal or not, but mainly the build of it
I love this channel so much. No ads for garbage products, no clickbaity titles, just straight to the point.
Thanks again Brian, being European I have never heard of those rules. I was raised by a mother who was a principal of a fashion school. She taught me that you can develop wearing clothes and good accessoiries with it. It is fun to dress up and to show your own style. Trust your instinct an if your mirror says to you: looking good dude...and you are feeling happy with it. That is what counts.
Fantastic!
When I was growing up, white tube socks and black shoes "looked right"🤣
LOL!
I don’t think those ever looked right, same as Nike socks and boat shoes...
@@pablogl9z 🤣🤣🤣
Nope
I’m going to guess that you are American?
As your colleague from the Parisian Gentleman likes to say, one should be aware of the rules before breaking them, but "trust your eyes".
Also ignoring DB buttoning conventions is almost always a winner when done right! Great video, and thanks!
Yes! Thanks for chiming in.
I really like that final rule, but amend it to, “if it looks right _and feels right_ it is right.”
I’m a wardrobe consultant at Jos A Bank, so I get a lot of people who’ve never owned suits before, they’re going suit shopping for the first time in a decade, or their brand new to menswear.
Often, they’ll be torn between 2 sizes, cuts, or fabrics.
My go to is, “which is more comfortable?”
If it isn’t comfortable, 99% of the time, it’s because it’s the wrong size.
Great change of pace, Brian. The black and navy 'rule' has always bugged me too. They look totally fine together. Another rule I don't always adhere to is 'If you have belt loops, always wear a belt.' While I think that is a good rule of thumb for casual outfits generally, with suits, especially wearing them more formally, I prefer suspenders or even going beltless. It creates a cleaner line to my eye, even when there are belt loops on the pants. Thanks for the video, as always!
This is by far the most perfect men’s style channel. I love how relevant the channels topics are. I started my style journey 6 years ago & I was very confused because content creators said you have to do this but the next video contradicted it. Also I spent a lot of money, relative to my income, trying to do things that didn’t necessarily work for me. Thank you Brian for having the courage to create this channel. It really is inspiring.
Black turtleneck and a navi suit. It just looks right!
Suave.
Last one is what I would call the golden rule of style. Our eyes are the ultimate judge. If you enjoy what you see in the mirror, go and rock it with confidence. Well said Brian!
EXACTLY!
Hi just discovered your channel I’m in the process of reviewing my entire wardrobe (closet) getting rid of the nonsense and going back to basics with good fashion sense.
Love from the UK 🇬🇧
Welcome and good luck! Please consider subscribing!
Regarding #2, Sartorial Talks recommends matching the belt to the trousers. A contrasting belt splits your body in half
Interesting. So one should have grey belts and blue belts? Or just blending in sort of? Get side adjusters and you'll never have that problem!
@@hespokestyle side adjusters all the way!
@@hespokestyle More like blending. Dark brown with navy, brown on brown, etc.
Great video! The navy and black section was very useful for me. Love the two tone comments as well. Keep up the great work.
Many thanks, Eric!
All of your advice is on point.
Actually, I think that a brown tailored piece is one of the best decisions one can make at the beginning of any style sophistication. Starting to wear tailored items can feel a bit costume-ish at first. But brown is a safe, earthy, and natural color leaning in on the casual side. I.e. it's easier to pair a brown blazer with jeans than it is with a navy one.
And I'm speaking from experience. "No Brown in Town" is a rule I broke when buying my first high quality blazer, and that was due to your love and 'exposure' of browns, Brian. It has been my most worn blazer ever since although I've got 10 of 'em now. Thanks for influencing my style decisions in such a classy way!
Thanks for chiming in!
Hi Brian. Love your approach to providing fashion advice. You make is seem more like a conversation about fashion and less of a dictatorship compared to some other channels.
Your views on pairing are interesting and I think your advice is good for most people that are having issues with their personal style. Keep creating and evolving. Thanks.
This next coming weekend im wearing my midnight blue suit with black shirt, tie and shoes. Normally I never wear a navy blue suit with black dress shoes, shirt and tie. However after seeing this combination in this video, I'm sold. Can't wait for the weekend.
Hey Brian,
I just spotted, that you you don’t have any shoe trees for your shoes. Maybe consider getting some. It will greatly increase the longevity of your shoes + creates a smoother look to them( in slows down the creasing on the uppers)
Hope you notice. Another good investment to unlock your full potential! :)
Keep up the great content. Your style is really pleasing and I’m looking forward to add similar outfits to my wardrobe 🙏🏼
I've got lots now! Don't you see them in the black shoes here?
@@hespokestyle In that case, I'm sorry.. must have missed it somehow!
Good day to you :)
got distracted by the belt haha
You know what’s not outdated? SMASHING that like button
LOL
Until this past year, I've always been a no black and navy pharisee! (I wouldn't even wear black with dark washed denim!) Getting over that rule has opened so many options, and stepped up my style in ways I could have never imagined!
Not gonna lie. I bought my first blazer yesterday, brown, and I got to say the first thing I did was pair it with black jeans. LOVED HOW THE CONTRAST MADE ME POP! so when I heard "no brown in town" my manly heart was shattered. Make no mistake I was going to commit to my awesome brown blazer but to hear the last rule, well... I can't help but love my fashion even more. Thank you!!
I've been following this channel for a while now. This have been one of the greatest videos you've done Brian. Thanks for the inspo!
I appreciate that! Thanks for the continued support.
Yes, if it looks right, it is right.
Love you Brian.
Appreciate the support.
As someone who is just getting into fashion after a job change, I really want to thank you for your videos. The first channels I came across fall into two categories: stuffy pretentious snobs who have a thousand rules and look like old men, and the caricatured 'he-men' that end up looking like overgrown school boys. I really appreciate your modern, tasteful, classics-inspired approach. And the fact that every episode isn't a commercial for an affiliate link is also a major plus. Thank you!
Robert De Niro in the movie Heat (1995) wore his double breasted suit jacket unbuttoned during the entire movie, giving a more casual vibe to a formal outfit.
Cheers. Thanks for the comment.
G. Bruce Boyer wrote something similar to your last rule in True Style. That is : « if you like it, wear it ». I understand it by « if you like the way it look just go with it » which is clothe to your rule in my opinion
Totally agree. I think these things should not be called rules but rather guidelines. They can help you if you absolutely don’t know what you are doing, but it’s not a law you have to abide to...
I agree with all your breaking rules.
Navy and black fits perfectly in my opinion.
It's true that it's not easy to match perfectly your shoes with your belt, but different shades of brown are nice.
Watches could be two tone: steel and gold are nice.
Thanks for chiming in!
Nicely done. I generally agree with 2 small quibbles. 1. On brown with black, I think it looks bad when it is split 50-50. The outfit you showed was 80% brown (brown and creme) with black pants and was fine. But those pants and brown boots with a different color top would not have worked. 2 I believe in matching metals except your wedding band does not count, many men never want to change or take off their wedding band and therefore it is exempt from the matching rule.
I agree with all your points. I once was lucky enough to own a button 3 show 6 double breastfed chcoolate with charcoal pinstripe Brioni suit which I adored and wore everywhere - appointments in the city, after 6 functions, the races, even a funeral. Everywhere I wore it people went wow, you look great in that suit, which made me feel great. This goes back to your last point! The only rule I probably would never break is to never button up the lowest button on a waistcoat. Love your work!
This is good. Agreeing that brown shoes or boots are a rather better color match with jeans, I don't agree that black shoes should be forbidden. I'd often been complimented in years past on such; typically shiny black wingtip shoes, blue jeans, black belt belt, and a pink or white Oxford shirt.
Love the shirt/tie combo. The dimple in the necktie is perfect. 👔
Thanks! Have a video coming up on how to get the perfect dimple every time.
I have a BROWN Hugo Boss suit in fine woven fabric and I bought it just because it's BROWN, and I love it so much! It goes beautiful with a blue dress shirt.
I agree with that match shoes and belt rule. I have a d-ring belt and a woven belt that I wear with all shoes that I can't be bothered to match.
Cheers.
Pleasure. Thank you. The last rule is a gem.
Great episode Brian! I particular agree about mixing brown and black, not just black and tan but personally I like how brown and black look together, so that is a rule I break all the time. Well done episode- bend the rules, break them if you have the confidence. That’s part of the fun. Take care
I like the last statement- if looks right, it’s right 😀. Because, some home from the very beginning, since the day I started going to college, I never liked square toe shoes.
Sweet!
Matching belt and shoes can be so problematic. In a casual setting with sneakers or suede shoes, you don't necessarily need to match the two items with each other, but whenever you're heading more towards the business casual to semi-formal dress code you have to match them or else the whole outfit looks very odd. That's why I always opt for side adjusters on my odd trousers or suit trousers as they completely take away the headache of matching my belt with my shoes and provide a cleaner and more sartorially inclined look.
Agree with most of it. However, I still feel like brown tones don't quite look right in New York City subway, which I often have to use. Black, blue, and grey appear to harmonize much better with the industrial, urban environment. But then again, "it all depends".
That’s a very NYC thing
I agree with all your points. Especially the last one. I wore an all blue three piece mohair suit with a blue shirt and tie and I should have looked a bit odd but it really worked and I got many compliments on how well I looked. So definitely, if you have an idea try it out, and like Brian said, if it works, it works.
Hi Brian, thank you for this presentation, --and for the reminder about style and intuition. Navy blue and black usually pair well, but intuition indicates the EXCEPTION is a navy sports jacket or blazer, --with black pants (and, "intuitively," to the inverse).
Great points Brian! For unbuttoning of the DB jackets, I have knitted DBs that drape nicely when I leave them unbuttoned. But they are inherently very casual so I guess it doesn't matter too much to start with? - Han
Great tips! I've found I tend to break a few of these, depending on the situation. Anything formal, and I'm down with the rules. Your last tip is definitely the truest. Cheers! 👍👍👍
I was first introduced to your channel from all videos about watches. Hit the subscribe button and I started watching your style videos as well. I really like the stuff you're putting out man! It's different from a lot of the clickbaity fashion videos out there. Keep it up man!
Awesome, thank you! And appreciate your support.
Great video as always Brian!!
Thanks so much!
You're right. I never heard of the first one
Always great to see you, Johnra!
@@hespokestyle Same here Sir
The thing that I like the look of that sort of breaks the rules is dark re dark red shirts like maroon and burgundy with much lighter blue suits such as Royal blue, ice blue, and sky blue.
YOU'RE THE BEST BRIAN!
Appreciate the support.
gotta admit, this is one of the best videos
Wow, thanks!
@@hespokestyle in narration, your whole presentation, how you look and talk pairs very nice. Great job
I would also like add pleated trousers. I think most people consider it outdated but if the fit is right I think it’s very stylish.
Yes, I have heard that pleats are only for larger men. Not true!
I actually have two wedding bands - one white gold and one yellow gold! Sometimes I like the structure of rules perhaps...sometimes. I agree with you that these rules need not always be followed :) I like the way you repeat "that's a rule you can break", reminded me of on Maury "that was a lie" in the best way. Hehe
Thank you for another insightful video! Been a fan for quite awhile now and you've honestly helped me dress well and gain more confidence since I started watching. Cheers!
Awesome! Happy to help and that's what I like to hear.
Excellent video - as always!!
Thanks so much!
This is my favorite video of all that you have done!!
Awesome! Thanks for the support!
I think the key to wearing black shoes with navy is wearing a gray transition. In that way, you treat black (and white) as a shade of gray. So, navy blazer, gray trousers, black shoes. Or, Navy suit, gray socks, black shoes.
Yes! There is nothing wrong with mixing navy and black. What are your thoughts on wearing Nato strap diver watches (e.g. Submariner, aquatimer) with suits?
Love that you’re normalizing “making it your own” as a general rule of thumb! Loved these! Also, LOL-ing hard at menswear mannerisms! Hahahahah! (My mind went way out there!) 😂🙉🙊
Amen, well said the best rule to keep. The "do's and don't" I believe were designed as clickbait and mainly resulted in style neurosis. It traded individual expression for homogeny and formula. What can look less natural and stylish than wearing a formula because "you were told so".
I break the black/navy rule all the time. Breakin it rn with some dark wash jeans and black puffer in the snow. I also break the black/brown rule all the time because I love the contrast of brown shoes or top pieces with black jeans
I never considered the belt matching the shoes rule to mean an exact match. Rather, don't match brown shoes with a black belt or vice versa.
An awesome video as always.
Great job!
Thank you! Cheers!
finally someone says out loud what i have been thinking the whole time!
Cheers!
Thanks for the insight! Will keep em in mind 😁
You bet!
Great list! Btw, totally love your main outfit, specially the tie. Can you tell us more about it? Thanks and keep up the good work!
Thanks! Yes, the details are in the description, but here is a link to the tie: hespokestyle.com/product/brown-beige-squared-motif-necktie/
I was expecting you to mention the 'Sometimes, Always, Never' rule for what buttons to do up on a 3x button jacket. So many 'rules", which would be better if referred to as guidelines. Regarding the 'brown in town', I thought the rule was more to do with the time of day - which still gave the division of time in the day between "business" and "leisure" activities (in the city).
Good job again Brian. Only real Gentleman use the word Sartorial ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You're very kind.
Each piece of advice is on point ! Couldn't agree more
Many thanks!
This fall, can you please add a video on how to style black jeans with brown shoes?
I sometimes find black clothing very hard to pair with other colors--but I think brown is one of the best colors to contrast with black.
Agreed!
About the Navy and black thing. One of the main cities and influencers for fasion is Paris/France tbh. In 2019/20 there was a clear trend in mensstyle to wear navy and black. Paris elegant fashion was Black turtle neck and navy suit... so yeah. More than outdated.
What jacket are you wearing? Looks great.
Thanks! It's our own collection: hespokestyle.com/product/brown-sharkskin-suit/
An open DB jacket? No way!!! Great video - thank you.
Long ago I was at a haberdashery and I heard the advisor say this . 4 button coat ; winter only , 3 button coat ; winter or fall , 2 or 1 button coat warm weather .
I have worn black shoes (and belt and shirt!) with jeans for many a year. Hopefully I am covered by the bonus rule!
I just do what I believe looks good, and it always works like a charm.
Edit: Watched 'till the end. Loved your promotion of intuition when it comes to style.
I think that the usual reasons for Black and Navy is because of the low contrast, I think that it can be done well.
I believe that black and brown is thought to be wrong due to the fact that historically brown was an easy to access colour for clothing(plenty of pigments can dye clothing brown and a lot of materials have brown as their raw colour) and very dark, untainted black was very difficult to make as a dye in Medieval Europe, meaning that it showed extreme wealth. Over the centuries the reasoning has faded but I think that the connotations have remained, so many see it as a clash of formalities. Same sort of logic as no-brown-in-town. Or, it may just have been rules for the sake of rules, as for some time it was popular for the upper classes to have customs simply to make themselves distinguished from the working and middle classes as it's less likely that people who were not born into these rules would know how to perfectly follow them.
I think that due to the gap between your shoes and your belt it's fairly easy to make the belt and shoes very similar in colours, in the same way as some shades of blue look black until you put it right next to black, people won't notice the belt shade being off if it's only a couple of shades.
I find that double breasted suits look good on muscular men or men which are somewhat overweight but not to such an extent that there are clear bulges in their silhouette whilst wearing their jackets.
Excellent video, as usual, have a good day.
Thanks, as always, for the great commentary, Nate!
Generally speaking you always match your belt with your shoes with few exceptions as you state. Ladies do the same with their shoes and the purse. And while I love your comment on the brown suit, I’m a 65 year old US diplomat and wear a brown suit only away from the office. Unfortunately, I have several tailored double breasted suits but wear neither now and covered and put away for now…they are no longer worn, at least in Asia but I do hope it returns. Last comment, I absolutely love your RUclips channel, you remind me of me, especially in a world now where most of the human race is into hoodies, track suits and yoga pants!
Good info Brian!!
Thanks for watching!
The reason for the navy black rule is they are too close. Shoes are different due to formality but I have to say that's one I have to disagree with. Great video and I agree with everything else.
Thanks for the comment.
I definitely remember at IBM back in the day blue, black and gray, no brown.
really learned a lot on this. thank you again for this!!!!
Glad it was helpful!
This is a really nice suit, great fit & with this tie and white shirt, hell of a look 👍
Thanks!
Hi Brian
Great Video !
Love The Channel !
Thank You !!👍
Glad you enjoy it!
Good provoking video to get the insecure out of the realm of rules so stuff can be sold to you by marketeers. The more daring well dressed never followed these rules. Look at a Beau Brummel, Agnelli and such. Reagan was dressed in some proper brown suits. I always wear brown especially in London on the feet. Just opt for a more special leather like croc, lizard and such. My principals create new trails they dont follow the path already there.
I would add to the last rule by saying, style is meant to give you confidence and express yourself, and if it does just that, it’s right
THANKS MR.
The dark jeans with a blue blazer w/ black nice lace up oxfords I believe is a totally acceptable look. Cannot understand why the knock?
Fantastic advice, absolutely agree with all the points! I do find I like to match my metals though. Mostly because If I have metals to match (tie clip, cufflinks, etc), it's for a more formal occasion and I like to have a more cohesive look. Otherwise, I suppose it's OK to mix metals if it's your wedding band! I'll let you know How I feel about that when I have a wedding band to worry about haha. Cheers Brian!
on your last note, i'd say yes IF he has a good fashion sense. lots of guys are clueless about what looks good and have poor taste. it's always valuable to get an opinion (or 2) when venturing where you haven't been before.
Super late to this but I actually think black shoes look amazing with light blue jeans - obviously there's a big clash in formality, but if you just put that aside and think only about how they actually look together, I feel like there's something super cool and badass about that pairing. Guess you could also try to deal with the formality issue by going with more textured black shoes (suede, pebble grained etc) so theyre not as dressy - or cld also try grey shoes
The "no black and brown together" rule always bothered me - IMO it is one of the best looking color combos out there (maybe also throw in some white). In general saying any two colors don't go together at all is stupid - some shades might, but you can always pick just the right brightness and saturation to match a color you already have.
Also, isn't buttoning the lowest button on a DB jacket considered a faux pas as with single breasted jackets, waistcoats and (to a lesser extent) overcoats or trenchcoats?
P.S.: thanks for brilliant content 😉
There are so many beautiful cognac color bags out there. But, I was always afraid to have those, as I only have dark brown/black belts and shoes. I understand your point in this video, but could you possibly teach us how to pull off cognac color accessories? Thank you.
Great video!
I've got a question. Do you have any advice on undershirts for dress shirts? Do's and don'ts? I'm guessing light grey v-necks are the best choice?
Outdated rule: Your watch strap needs to match your shoes and belt.
Apply the same as belt and shoes.
A wedding band is an exception to the matching metals rule.
I love brown. I know that at some point people considered brown clothes as being a peasant like attire. Because like you said it was used in the country, by the hard labor people in the 20s, 30s, etc, and in the house
You need more light on your face. It’s on your forehead creating shadows under your brows. There are lighting rules too. :) as a side note, does anyone actually say to follow the no brown in town rule these days? Definitely agree on the double breasted. Especially with the lower swoop that’s coming back. But without the inside button, it does look too sloppy. However overall the biggest rule for menswear is confidence. Wear whatever you wear with confidence.
Hey Brian great video as always, thanks for you advice! Would you try to match your watch strap to your belt/shoe?
I mean, same principle as I discussed. But it's not gospel.
Julio Iglesias used to have his DB jackets tailored to be worn open. They were too small to be buttoned but looked great loose.