Blog Archives - Page 8 of 11 - BALANI Custom Clothiers

The Go-To Suit

September 10, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Style File No comments

It’s the one suit every man has in his wardrobe. No, I’m not talking about your “birthday suit.” What I am referring to is more refined and perhaps a lot less hairy. The fit is impeccable; easily making it the one suit you can’t live without. It’s your “go-to” suit, and you feel great anywhere you sport it.

Like the mighty chameleon, the “go-to” suit effortlessly blends into all environments, thereby instilling you with the confidence to wear it for any occasion. Whether attending a fall wedding or spending a night out on the town, this suit seamlessly transitions from one event to the other.

So, what separates this suit from all the rest? For one, the “go-to” suit is single-handedly the most versatile piece of clothing in your closet. Day or night, spring or fall, this suit is easily transformed through basic accessory modifications.
More specifically, this includes your shirt, tie, shoes, pocket-square, and accessories.

A distinguishing feature of the “go-to” suit is its ability to transition seamlessly into various scenarios. The simpler the pattern and color, the better it is. A medium grade charcoal is the most versatile color of all, because it can be paired with black, brown and chile colored shoes. Whether a sharkskin or gabardine, the “go-to” suit is understated enough to allow the elements accompanying it to speak for the entire ensemble.

For example, let’s say you have a business meeting in the afternoon and then dinner with the wife at night? No problem. Swap out your classic white button down for an open collar gingham plaid with French cuffs, and suddenly, you are rocking a whole new look.

Versatility is the key to keeping your “go-to” suit feeling fresh each time you wear it. Rock it with confidence, because with this suit, anything goes.

Survival of the Fitted

September 10, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Gentleman's Guide No comments

To truly understand fashion today, you must look back to see how it has evolved over time. Like Darwin’s Theory of Evolution, what’s deemed fashionable in men’s clothing has significantly changed over the last century. War, economic instability, and social behavior considerably influenced men’s fashion from 1900 to 1950. From tailcoats to zoot suits, this survival of the fittest approach has drastically changed the face of men’s fashion with each new decade.

In the 1900’s, men discarded the knee-length frock coat for the shorter, hip-length, single-breasted sack coat. Typically paired with cuffed trousers and curled mustaches, this fashion trend marked the beginning of a new era.

With the end of World War I, the roaring 20’s brought a less conservative approach to fashion. Inspired by military uniforms, men abandoned long suit jackets for colorful, high-waist jackets with narrower lapels. To finish off the look, men sported wingtip shoes and top hats.

After the stock market crashed in 1929, the state of the economy collapsed, drastically transforming the production and style of menswear. At the time, double-breasted suits, full-cut trousers and fedoras were staples in men’s fashion. Manufacturers tried to cut down production costs, by incorporating man-made fibers like rayon, into fabrics and limiting color variety.

Following WWII, the government placed restrictions on the use of wool. Ultimately, this affected style trends throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s. Men began dressing conservatively and often wore dark colors. Flannel replaced light-weight fabric, and single-breasted suits with tapered trousers were paired with fedoras, pocket-squares, and skinny ties.

With less conservatism, more variety, and advancements in manufacturing men’s fashion has substantially evolved over time. Like all things, what’s considered fashionable is cyclical. Next month, find out how fashion trends from our past shaped the styles over the next 50 years.

It’s Official!

August 3, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Balani Buzz No comments

Balani Custom Clothiers Flagship Store, located at 55 W. Monroe, in the Chicago Loop on the ground level, is opening today! The new space boasts triple the space, ensuring ease of scheduling appointments and fittings, as well as a greater variety of men’s furnishings including shoes, ties, cufflinks and socks.
Consultants Ricardo Bucio and Elizabeth Fasula will make the transition to the Flagship Store and would like to invite their clients in for a preview this week between 9:30AM-6:00pm. Moving forward, appointments or fittings scheduled with Ricardo or Elizabeth will be at 55 W. Monroe unless otherwise requested. Joe Mapes will continue to “Keep it Real” and hold down the fort at 10 S. LaSalle.

And while trite, we want to thank our clients for their continued business as this milestone wouldn’t be possible without you.

Cheers,
The Balani Team

Performance Fabric

August 3, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Style File No comments

Last month was all about wrinkles and what to do when you get them. While Botox and special creams didn’t enter the conversation, a little known trick called steam pressing was offered. Now let’s consider a more preventative approach. And no, it has nothing to do with SPF.

One of the best ways to avoid wrinkles is to, well…not wear the garment. If that’s too much hassle, then the first step is to consider the fabric itself. Certain fabrics resist wrinkles better than others. For instance, a worsted wool will resist wrinkles better than just a plain old wool.

What is worsted wool? It refers to how the fibers are processed. In short, the longest wool fibers are twisted together tightly to make the yarn. This creates a more durable fiber, and because the fibers are longer and laying parallel, they’re more difficult to bend (ie wrinkle). Still want to raise the bar?

Then get introduced to the mother of all performance fabrics: Holland & Sherry’s Super 150 Dragonfly. This exceptional range is finished with a proprietary treatment that creates a molecular barrier that resists particles down to a billionth of a molecule. It’s a mouthful to describe, and creates a surface that’s about a million times smaller than a blood cell.

While it’s cool to talk about, it provides some serious function. This treatment is water and stain repellent, static resistant, and is by and far more durable. This is all done without compromising the breathability and softness of the fiber.

White Collar Crimes

August 3, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Gentleman's Guide No comments

The “white collar” man, originally coined by novelist and political activist Upton Sinclair, referred to the early 19^th century salaried office laborer and their de facto uniform. Police officers wore navy. Blue Collar laborers wore chambray. And the businessman wore white shirts. Yet somehow this wardrobe staple seems to have fallen out of favor with the masses, often cited as boring and unoriginal almost as frequently as it’s associated with crime. So what is the case for white shirt today?

Simplicity is certainly one. Mixing pattern and color is uncomfortable territory for most men, and the white shirt is capable of removing this ailment. The most complicated decision one will face is matching a tie to the suit, easing sartorial stress.

On top of it’s simplicity, the white shirt is non-discriminate. Skin tone, hair color, size or shape, none seem to have any influence over a wearers pulchritudinous as one is always well-favored in a white shirt. It’s difficult to imagine a more accepting article of clothing.

It’s exactly this simplicity and undiscerning nature that ought to earn the white shirt a new reputation. This is precisely the reason why the white shirt is the exclusive choice for black tie affairs, underscoring it’s universal elegance. The case for the white shirt should be clear, and the only “white collar” crime should be not wearing one.

New Flagship Store

July 8, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Balani Buzz No comments

Balani’s New Flagship Store is coming soon to Downtown Chicago….

Stay tuned for further details!

The Full Press

July 8, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Style File

There is one thing that is never in style: wrinkles.
With the exception of linen, this is the rule. So if you’re wearing a suit be sure to make an effort to keep it pressed. While wearing a suit all day won’t leave the garment flawless in appearance, there are certain steps you can take to help.

Sure, the obvious response is to take the suit to the cleaners and have it dry cleaned after every wear. It’ll look great… for a little while. Unlike normal washing, dry cleaning uses an aggressive chemical solvent to clean the fabric. It can wear down the fabric, causing the colors to bleed and fade if the temperature is too hot, with the fabric certainly losing it’s luster. Cleaning a suit more than a few times a year is overkill.

Instead, take your suit the cleaners and ask them to “Steam Press.” It’ll give the garment a fresh feel, without the chemical harshness. The clothing is draped across a professional pressing machine (standard to almost all dry cleaners) where bursts of steam are pulled through the fabric.

The high heat will remove wrinkles, small spots, and any odors the suit has picked up over time. This is all done without compromising the softness or color of the fabric. Just be weary of suits that are glued together, as most off-the-rack suits are. The glue has a tendency to melt (this is true even when dry cleaning), shortening the life span of the suit. As long as the suit is a full canvas construction, the Balani standard, you’ll be pressed and ready to dress.

Blue Collar Meets White Collar

July 8, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Gentleman's Guide No comments

Etymology is interesting, especially when two seemingly unrelated and contrasting ideas come together. Consider the moniker Blue Collar. How did it work it’s way into our every day lexicon? As a term coined to describe a manual laborer, the idea that a simple fabric, Chambray, branded a hearty demographic makes it all the more interesting.
Dating back to the 16th century, Chambray was first woven in the region of Cambrai, France, where it became a popular fabric among agricultural workers. It was the fabric of choice due it’s exceptional ability to breathe and it’s long life span in the field.

Weaving the fabric was rather simple too, a colored weft thread was used, while the warp is unanimously white. In the field worker’s case, the color was most often a darker blue, as it tended to not show the dirt as much. Soon, the blue chambray became the ad hoc uniform for the laborer as they eventually became known as “blue collar workers.”

The Chambray shirt has found it’s way into the wardrobe ever since. While it’s great in the field, it’s perfectly appropriate for the office too. Versions of French blues, pinks, violets and whites are frequently seen. It can be worn with a tie or with the collar open. However it’s worn, it’s always perfect for a hard days work.

The Summer Suit

June 2, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Gentleman's Guide

“Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!” These are words uttered by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s infamous character the “Great” Jay Gatsby. While he isn’t referring to fashions or styles of the moment, it certainly fits. This mysterious main character had a penchant for dressing well and exemplified the East coast aesthetic. Between expensive cars and lavish parties, he also donned a near forgotten look that could soon be making a comeback: The Summer Suit.

In a time when air conditioning was in it’s infancy, gentleman had to consider the fashion as well as the functionality of their clothing. That meant flannels were worn in the winter, with the spring and summer saved for lighter weight fabrics. Tropical wools, linens and cottons are certainly cooler, however only the wools provided the formality necessary for the office and most social occasions. Yet, the lightweight wools of yesteryear pale in comparison to the hand and character of today’s.

Summerweight wools from the likes of Holland & Sherry are weighing in at a mere 7.5 ounces. They embody the color palette and finesse of the standard weights between 8.5-9.5 ounces. That means that not only will it be more comfortable to wear, but it can be dressier. A dark suit made of a lightweight fabric is necessary for the office, but something in a lighter tone is a little more traditional and practical.

This leads to the penultimate summer suit: a tan or khaki pinstripe. When paired this way it becomes a quintessential summer style. It’s perfect with pastels for a country club wedding. Or wear it with saddles shoes for the Kentucky Derby. However you wear it, the tan summer suit is a nod to the days of when men dressed thoughtfully. Surely Mr. Gatsby would agree.

The New Navy Pinstripe

June 2, 2010 Sonny Balani Blog, The Style File No comments

The power suit is back. And best of all, it left the giant cell phone and shoulder pads back in the 80’s. While it’s true that some classics are timeless, it’s also true that sometimes classics can be dated. With that said, consider The New Navy Pinstripe: the executive suit for modern style.
Defining what a power suit is may seem like a difficult task. Is it a dark fabric? Does it have to have pinstripes? Regardless of what’s conjured up, there’s really no right answer, so long as it gives you confidence when it’s on your back. It’s the “go-to” suit in the wardrobe when work needs to get done. It just so happens that most guys feel great in a dark suit with a pinstripe, so it’s not a bad image to hold on to.

This season, rather than just the basic navy with a gray stripe, consider re-imagining it. A contemporary navy, one that’s not as drone in tone, with a distinguished pinstripe (perhaps one in a lighter blue) hints at newness. This is all accomplished without losing its professionalism, from the boardroom to box seats.

And don’t hesitate to invigorate the look by wearing a coordinating vest. The old adage that two heads are better than one is not much different than the clothier’s adage that 3-pieces are better than two. With the right fabric, the right cut, and the right attitude, the New Navy Pinstripe is sure to be the new power suit.