We covered the important pointers of SS20 Menswear Trends in one of our blogs. We continue with the same idea in 2022 as the world opens up.
Post CoVID world needs healing and return of vitality and optimism. The season colors chosen by the experts are on those lines.
WGSN & Coloro, the two leading organizations in the colour forecasting world have chosen Orchid Pink, which stands for hyper-real energizing qualities, as the leading colour for SS22.
The other vibrant colour, matching the vitality of Orchid Pink, that will be popular is Mango Sorbet Yellow. Yellow has been gaining popularity for last six seasons and will continue to be part of the designers palette in SS22.
Butter (Pastel Yellow), Atlantic Blue & Olive Green being the other three colors will provide a counter balance to Orchid Pink & Mango Sorbet thereby opening the range to more sober and elevated appeal.  
While these colors could be seen in almost all the collections, either on the side or as mainstay, most designers continued using pastels, blacks and camel when it came to their menswear collection.
Brown continues to remain amongst the favorites even in SS22.
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Credit & Copyright (L to R):Alexander Jil Sander (Photo:Vogue Runway), Paul Smith (Photo: Vogue Runway), Balmain (Photo: Vogue Runway), Ermenegildo Zegna (Photo: Vogue Runway)

​The above color trends chart shows how a few colors who have been ruling the menswear fashion design landscape are changing their avatars over the seasons & years. It also introduces a brand new color "Neo Mint" which enters the scene exactly like how "Millennial Pink" did a few years ago. Almost all the leading menswear designers and brands had these colors predominantly in their SS/20 collections. Naturally this will set the trend for the rest of the clothing industry.   

When it comes to the real world of corporate, street-wear etc, it is not always feasibly to show up in a minty overall with a hat. So what do you do? Well, if you are really up to it, you can try out this fresh color on your shirt or a pocket square, maybe in your chinos. The color is refreshing for summers and will keep you with times. It works really well with whites, deep blues & a few other pastel shades. Some examples are given below:

The other big color trend is the strong presence of Brown & Yellow Family (Cantaloupe, Orange & Saffron Yellow to Khaki). Most of the menswear brands like Canali & Belruti played a lotwith these shades. 

It is time for men's suits wardrobe to see some browns after a heavy dose of grays & blues in their suits and trousers departments. If worn with whites, blues, pinks and pastels, brown looks very classy. We have a big range of brown family in blends, 100% wool, Linen, Corduroy or Cottons. Do reach out to us. 

Striped patterns in men's suits are making a comeback though it is too early for it to regain their top position. If you already have one and if it fits nicely, do not throw it away. If you do not have one, wait for sometime & let it become mainstream once again to reuse it.

Another returning trend is the double breasted coat. We have been seeing this style trying to make a comeback for a few seasons. 

If there is one element which is constant in almost all the brands, its the cross-body bag. It is pure androgynous, highly utility driven and safe accessory bag to own.    

Printed Shirts continue to remain in the center-stage. They only are becoming bigger. Tie & Dye patterns, Floral & Geometric, almost all kind of patterns are being seen on almost all the ramps in SS20. 

Animal prints were presented by some designers and they looked cool on the ramp. We too have made shirts in the animal print for our clients. If you find them too bold, a pocket square or a scarf can be still carried. Animal print looks very rich and sophisticated, if carried subtly. 

Many top labels are bringing pleated trousers, high waist pants & loose fitting  lowers. Though the trend is equally strong for sharp fittings. But the point is that no longer flat fronts rule the roost, pleats are challenging their monopoly. 

In this piece, we will try to lay down some basic ground rules and offer a wardrobe toolkit to the candidates on how to dress up for an interview.

Warning: Long Post Ahead. For the ease of reading, we have divided the post into various sections. Choose whichever section is applicable for you. The tips are not only for the interview though that is the focus. You can use it for your daily work wear planning as well. 

There are various types of interviews and interviewers. Golden rule to remember is that you are not dressing up for yourself but for the interviewers.  Since you wouldn’t know in advance, most of the times, who would be your interviewer, key is to dress up conservatively. 
​

Shirt: Avoid pure white shirt. If it’s old, then it will look yellow and stale. If it’s new, it will either look too bright and flashy or as if you have bought it specifically for the interview. Not good either ways.
Choose a well-worn but relatively fresh shirt. Always pick a light colored shirt & avoid dark color as much as you can. If it has to be striped, then better to have white or very light base color. Avoid checks. Avoid cream or yellow or green color base. Safest is solid light blue.

Tie: Tie is must for this category of interviews. Always have one which is contrast to that of the shirt color, which means dark colored. Avoid loud and large prints. Choose very fine, micro patterns or plain and smooth silk/polyester. Safest base colors are red and dark blue base.

Trousers: Always have trousers in contrast to shirt’s color. Don’t have any pattern on the fabric unless it is very fine. Avoid cotton chinos if you can.

Shoes: Keep it in black leather with laces. No experiment there.

​Socks: Match with your trousers. Never wear white socks. Avoid wearing loud colors or prints

Jacket/Suit: Not really required as long as your academics are solid and you are confident about your diction, content and articulation. But its also safe to wear one. If you do, put on a jacket (formal blazer) in dark color, preferably navy blue or black. Keep it simple and without any shiny or flashy skin or element. Even if it is slightly oversized, no one will notice but don’t have it too tight or slim fitted or of course completely ill fitted. 

Bag: You can carry a plastic folder with your resume and certificates, a faux or real leather portfolio bag is equally OK. If you can’t avoid a sling bag, then don’t enter into the room with it hanging on one or both of your shoulders. Carry it in your left hand like a briefcase.

​Expected Candidate Profile:
Subject Matter Expert, Team Player with Leadership Potential, Culture Fit

Expected Interviewers Profile:
Have proven themselves within the company and their corporate circle, HR looks for culture, integrity match & future senior leadership capability. Functional interviewers look for good subordinate, team leader and a candidate who is in control and shows enough interest and zeal for the job.    

​Dressing Theme:
Conservative & Safe Dressing, smartly fitted clothes which tells the world that you take interest in leaving a good and professional impression.  

​Jacket/Suit: Jacket is a better option but a classic two piece suit is also a good choice. Three piece, however is definitely overdressing and is completely avoidable. If you plan to wear a suit, then choose only solid colors from either grey, blue or black. Avoid shiny polyester which looks cheap. If you are planning to wear jacket, then you can opt for small patterns on the body fabric but not too big and bold.

Shirt: If you choose to wear a jacket or a suit, opt for solid colors in shirts, like white, power blue, peach etc. You can also opt for checks and stripes depending on whether you are going to wear a tie or not. Tie with a patterned shirt is a tricky subject and needs to be evaluated on case to case basis.

Tie: Though not compulsory (especially when you wear a jacket), ties have been considered to be safe to be worn for formal occasions historically. So you may choose not to ignore them. If you are going to wear a tie, choose something which works with your shirt and is in contrast to the shirt color.

Trousers: Avoid wearing trousers which are of the same color as that of the jacket unless it's a suit set. If you are wearing a dark blue or black jacket, then ash grey or khaki trousers too would look very professional. Keep the fitting smart rather than too tight fitted or too loose. Avoid front pleats. They look very sloppy and old fashioned.

Shoes: Black with laces are the safest

Socks: Match with your trousers. Never wear white. Avoid wearing loud colors or prints

Watch: Standard sized with leather strap is the best but complete steel is also OK as long as it is not too big with a jazzy dial.

Belt: Definitely wear one and match it with your shoes  

Bag: If you are meeting someone in the public place, then a plastic folder with a copy of your resume is good enough. The safest option, wherever you meet, is a smart portfolio bag or formal satchel bag which one would normally carry to the office. Avoid sling bags.

Fabrics, Stitches and Fit should look richer & fresher when seen in person than how they appear in your pictures. Best clothes are tailored. They are made for you. So avoid wearing standard brands with their logos on pockets or sleeves or cuffs etc. You may like to read more about different type of suits here.

Jacket/Suit: Wear a nicely cut dark colored suit on a weekday. If the meeting is scheduled on a weekend, a jacket will work though a suit will do no harm. If it is in a very casual setting, say in a hotel café or a club house, then a sport shirt with smart chinos should also do the job. If you opt for a jacket in any setting, avoid linen and cotton jackets unless it’s a very personal heart to heart kind of discussion than a formal process. Avoid jackets with metal buttons. Always opt for 100% wool material. It is the richest material for suits and jackets and you have arrived! You must read this before buying your next suit fabric.

Shirt: It will be decided depending upon when and where you meet and whether you wear a suit or a jacket.
Opt for only white shirt if you wear a suit. Crisp white shirt looks the plushest. Wear only French cuff shirt with nice cufflinks.
You can try light colored, light pattern shirt if you wear just a jacket.
Never wear shirts which have the colors belonging to the family of yellow and green. Never wear dark colored shirts. Never wear knitted polo shirts.

Tie: Tie is an option for you depending upon your interviewers, organization profile and your own public image. If you choose to wear one, always opt for one which is of pure silk, if not five or seven fold ties. Large or comic prints can be avoided for the interview.
You can avoid wearing a tie with a jacket or if you are meeting on weekend and in a public place. A nice pocket square may add a certain air of suaveness to your jacket ensemble.

Trousers: Well fitted trousers (holds good for jackets and suits too) are difficult to find. If you can find one for yourself, you can solve any problem. A problem solver is what your interviewer is looking for. So try getting the smartest fitted trousers for yourself.

One of the jobs of your attire is to make you look old enough to handle a large responsibility if you are very young. On the contrary, if you are in your 50s or don’t have the best of body frame, your garments’ fit, if it is smart, will assure people that you stay in touch with the latest and keep up with the world. It gets reflected in the trousers (and jackets) the most.

Shoes: Match it with the rest of the ensemble though black or tan with laces are the safest option. Never wear tan shoes with black trousers or vice versa. Avoid slip-ons unless it’s a weekend meeting in a cafe. Definitely avoid open-toe shoes wherever and whenever you meet.

Socks: Match with your trousers. Never wear white socks. Prints can look good but it is safe to be on the conservative side.  

Watch: Standard sized with leather strap is the best but complete steel is also OK as long as it is not too big and loud. Though you can afford to flash a bit of sophisticated luxury in here.

Belt: If you are wearing one, match it with your shoes. If you are meeting in a casual setting, don’t wear formal slim leather belt. You can try braided or belts with stylish (not big and flashy) buckles. You can also try a without-belt look but it will be dependent on many other factors.

Bag: You don’t need to carry any bag or a folder. However a good idea would be to carry a smart looking visiting card case. Also it is important to subtly display that you are putting your phone on silent mode and instead of keeping it on the table, slip that into your jacket’s internal pocket. 

​This new breed of businesses has everything anti to what has been written above. That doesn’t mean that you can walk into an interview in shorts and crew neck tees (though we have heard cases where interviewers have done so). It’s always safer to wear a formal shirt and a chino (if not dress trousers). Even if you wear a suit, there is no harm. Worst case, you would hear a satirical comment on your dressing. But it can also be a good ice breaking point to capitalize on. And If you have a good solid content in you, it won’t matter much. 

Well these are a few very general and the safest tips. However each person, each job, each organization and therefore each problem, is different. If you would like to get an individual advice, feel free to let us know. If you would like to have a corporate-wide session, or consulting or a workshop on grooming and dressing for your sales executive and other senior leaders who face the external world, we carry out such sessions as well.
Women Interview Dressing Tips Blog post is saved for the next time.  So dear ladies, keep a watch. Till then, you may find this piece of some use.
Always remember, dressing or grooming is not everything but it definitely is a very good starting point and First Impression is normally the Last Impression.

To make things simple, we have prepared this quick FAQs for you.
​

Monsoons are here, Mumbai! It’s a big respite from the summers but a great hassle for all the professionals who struggle in the peak hours to reach their offices and travel to meet clients, recruiters etc. when its pouring cats & dogs. The concern is how to not compromise on the professional looks & still survive the downpour.

Given all this, is there a way of managing our professional outlook as best as we do in say a sunny January day in Mumbai?
Here is our suggestion. The objective is to remain dry and fresh. It not only ensures a great style but also helps in keeping the bacterial infections and feet and body odor away.
Due to the challenges the season offers, we need to maintain two profiles of ours- One, while outside under the downcast sky and two, while in the office or meeting space. Both profiles have to be practical so that you do not miss out on your objective.

​If you are in a desk job, meaning you have to be in the office throughout the day, keep one or two nicely pressed shirts and trousers, a pair of shoe, couple of dry socks, a towel along with a deodorant in the office. While commuting, wear rain shoes without socks, smart & light clothes. Change to your formal attire as you reach the office. It will keep your day bright and happy.

If you have to travel for meetings, duffel bags are the must. They look smart and professional, have a lot of space for pack-able umbrella, shoes, socks, deodorant and a hand towel. Though I strongly abhor sling bags but in this season, even they, slightly bigger ones than those which can hold only a laptop, are also very solid and loyal companions. Wear light rain shoes without socks and change into your formal ones at the venue. Normally all the offices, hotels, cafes, malls, basically all the private properties have a very good utilities infrastructure, so executing this is not difficult at all.

:
​We strongly advice against the following:

​Avoid whites when outdoors.

​Don’t wear socks when outdoors and when you are prone to walk in puddles and water.

​We strongly advice the following:

Trousers made of light quick dry material are available in good fits. Look for those in standard colors. You can have more than one in say grey or beige. Mumbai being hot and humid city even outside monsoons too, these trousers will come handy any day.

Always carry a deodorant, hand towel and a plastic pouch case in your bag. Try storing your wallet, keys or handkerchief in the pouch case and keeping your trousers pockets empty. Keeping trousers pocket empty is a good style advice on other days as well.

​Internet offers beautiful shoes meant for rainy season or travel. Explore those and buy something which works for your style.

​Use your towel to wipe your feet dry when you reach indoors. It will prevent them from various infections and ensure general health and hygiene.

​You may have noticed that we haven’t talked about raincoats or trench coats. Raincoats are actually very cumbersome piece of gear in the kind of rains Mumbai witnesses which is intermittent but very heavy. Humidity makes it even a worse choice. Raincoats serve greatest purpose to the bike riders but not beyond bikes.
​

​Many organizations have understood the importance of grooming and have used it to their advantage. Almost every professional takes extra care when getting ready for a job interview. However many, be it the employees or the organizations, either take a very superficial approach or completely ignore the importance of dressing and its role in ensuring success in their day to day struggle.

​UBS Bank has issued a 21 page dress code guideline to their bankers. It is not just the guideline but a compliance note for the senior management. The document starts with UBS explaining the need of such a dress code. It tells that the reputation is their biggest asset and one of the important aspect of reputation is behavior and “impeccable presentation”. Clothing help achieve this as “Critical Nonverbal Communication” tools. The document not only details what to wear but how to wear.
Bankers, in their professional roles, have to exude the following traits to the external stakeholders, namely their clients, current or future-
Bankers, in their professional roles, have to exude the following traits to the external stakeholders, namely their clients, current or future-

- Sense of security for their clients’ money

- Assurance that they take the right decisions to grow their assets

- Integrity & Ethics required to never cross the fine line that exists between honest and bad money

- Knowledge & updated information on the latest investment opportunities     that comes with traveling, networking & attending money making seminar &   conferences

- Professional Capability of taking timely action

Let’s break down this topic of dressing into various areas:

A regular banker should have at least 6 suits assuming one will be with the laundry at any given point of time. You should read How to buy Suit Fabric & "Important Points to keep in mind while Buying a New Suit" to know more about the process. 
In terms of the styling, it has to be strictly formal. Darker colors like black, charcoal grey, navy rule the roost. Self-patterns like herringbone or fine Prince of Wales checks in self color are fine but no bold prints, at least not for Monday-Friday workweek. (Check Out TailorWear fabric range here. We bring far bigger collection, when we meet you personally). The fitting has to be contemporary, meaning no over-sized jackets and baggy trousers but neither those ultra slim fit ones. They should be smartly tailored, with just the right cut.
Please ensure that the buttons don’t look cheap or are contrast to the body fabric.

​Shirt: A banker should have at least 10-12 shirts out of which 5-7 should be white. There are various options available within white color. So there are ample choices. 3-5 shirts should be in light blue. Again there are various patterns and shades available here. Keep it light color only. Remaining shirts can be of very light grey or any other color which the bank approves of. 

Shoes: Two good leather shoes, one in black and one in deep tan are good. Avoid camel color as it reduces the air of formality from the affair. Match your belt with the shoes. If you can, do match your satchel or portfolio bag too.

​Accessories: Ties, though are fading out of the formal dressing scene, but for the bankers, “conservatively formal” is the keyword. So they should keep wearing ties. Ties add some vibrancy to the overall dressing and once should use that to one’s advantage. A good tie is an interesting topic of discussion and can be a good ice-breaker.
Pocket Square though is not necessary but if one is wearing, one should be careful not to buy those economy pack accessories boxes which offer a set of ties, cuff-links and pocket square. The pattern of the pocket square should be different than that of the tie.
If the cuff-links are not of neutral metal but has some gemstones, try matching their color with that of either the shirt or the tie. A cuff-link gemstone with a color outside your clothing palette should be avoided.
​Hair, Tattoos & Other trinkets: The buzzword here too is “Conservatively Formal”. Neat, well groomed hair are a must. So do a no show of the tattoos, if there are any.  Apart from a good solid watch from a genuine brand, one should avoid any bracelet, rings, neck chains etc. 
A ready list of dressing hacks can be read here to get some quick ideas on dressing.

​Hope the banker readers find this article informative and useful. For any further drill down or detailed discussion, you can write to us at outreach@tailorwear.in

Spezzato: adj. /spe’tːsato/ Broken / Origin: Italy

Spezzato is an advanced dressing technique for the stylish men all over the world. It has been around for a long time but has been acknowledged as a fine art and used by more and more gentlemen only recently.
In this blog, we will not only take you through the concept but also offer you some tips on how to make this Italian idea work for you.

We all know that a two-piece suit comprises a coat and dress trousers. If we add a waistcoat to it, it becomes a three piece. The usual way of getting a suit tailored is to get all these two or three pieces from the same fabric 
(click the link to know more about suits and what works for you).

Spezzato breaks this very rule of conventional dressing and allows mixing of colors and fabric-weaves to create a non-monotonous suit ensemble. 

Some of the advantages of Spezzato are the following:

By way of mixing, one can make four combinations from just two suits. This means just doubling your suit wardrobe by spending carefully. The best example to demonstrate this is mixing navy suit pieces with the pieces of an ash grey suit.
It breaks the monotony of a regular dress code and offers a creative expression.
It saves the hassles if one of the pieces (usually it is the trousers) wears out faster. The other piece can still be utilized with the appropriate complimenting piece.
Unlike a classic single color/pattern suit, Spezzato suits offer a look which is more dandy, unstudied and relaxed. This can open many doors, provided the combination is chosen carefully.

​So what are some ground rules of Spezzato

Fabric Weave & Design

It is important to have the weave and the fineness of the material of the combination pieces almost the same.  A heavy weave pattern or a coarser jacket material as compared to the trousers material is also well accepted but the reverse may have to be planned with a lot of caution. 

Another vital point is to choose the fabric mix very carefully if both the pieces have to be of different cloth. One can’t wear linen trousers, which is strictly a summer material, with a wool jacket or for that matter a formal wool jacket with cotton trousers. 
Pinstripes and herringbone patterns are normally kept out of Spezzato. They look good only when they run from the top collar of the jacket to the trousers hem. 


​Contrast works best

A safe Spezzato is when the colors and the patterns of the jacket and trousers are a complete contrast to each other. For instance dark colored jacket and light-colored trousers or check pattern jacket and solid plain trousers. Normally jacket is the one which carries the bolder pattern.
 
Fit

When a regular suit is made, the fitting of the coat and the trousers are made to suit each other whether it is a slim fit or a relaxed one. While forming a Spezzato combination one should be careful not to mix two different fits as it will clearly look like an imbalanced mismatch. Always combine garments of similar fit for the purpose.
 
Three Piece

A three-piece Spezzeto suit offers even more possible combinations. So if you apply a little creativity and caution, you can have so many options:

Jacket & Trousers-Color/Pattern A & Waistcoat-Color/Pattern B

Jacket & WaistCoat – Color/Pattern A & Trousers – Color/Pattern B

Jacket – Color/Pattern A, WaistCoat & Trousers – Color/Pattern B

Jacket – Color/Pattern A, WaistCoat- Color/Pattern B & Trousers –
Color/Pattern C

What should you avoid

Pairing a formal jacket with denim lowers or casual cotton chinos. Use coarser threads like tweed or cotton, corduroy etc to work with such lowers. 

Pairing a comfortable fit jacket with slim fit denim or vice versa

Trying to match jacket and trousers of completely different color family or of colors who are too close to each other.


Last Word

Spezzato is a great concept which every gentleman should apply to manage his wardrobe but with a lot of planning. It improves the return on investment and also brings out a stylish flair in one’s personality. However if done carelessly, it has a power to turn an otherwise nice jacket into a part of a shabby ensemble.

While the couple was taken aback by our revelation, We thought it was an important matter which should be written about & highlighted.


Was this the only store selling fake “Italian” fabric?

Is it something which can’t be caught? Well the answers are below:

This is a very common problem, not only in India but world over, be it Hong Kong, Europe or the US. Shops are flooded with counterfeit fabric & it is very difficult for the buyers to really separate wheat from the chaff. We had a similar experience dealing with a Hong Kong tailor who tried to convince us that they get Reda fabric at less than USD20 per meter in HK. The lab test of their sample showed that it was 70/30 Wool/PV fabric which was being passed off as Reda super 110s 100% wool. A lot of such fabric travels to the world market through China where there are high quality (in producing fake fabric) factories churning out counterfeit fabrics. Since there are no visible checkpoints and it is next to impossible to ascertain the authenticity of the fabric just by looking or touching it, this business is thriving.


So how to avoid falling into this pitfall?
​

First and foremost, buy the fabric or the tailored suit only from a trusted seller. It would have been better if the rates of these fake fabric were lower than those of the authentic ones. At least there would have been a consolation that you paid lesser than what one would have paid for the original. However that is not the case, fake fabrics are being sold at a price which is the same if not higher than the quality suit material. So it’s a double whammy.
There is one way of identifying the original product though this is also not 100% fool proof. All the prestigious mills, be it Raymond, in India or Drago, from Italy, have a selvedge which essentially is continuous running branding at the border of the fabric. It not only mentions the brand name but also the counts and other details. Always check for that. In the incident quoted above, there were just two plain white stitch lines without any brand name which was a giveaway. In case of buying fabric from a tailor, you can check for the selvedge during the first fitting session when the lining is still not sewed (generally selvedge comes on the back, from inside).

There are some top mills, which offer their fabric swatches in their special branded booklets & provide labels along with the fabric which genuine tailors then put on the suit on the inside. While we have seen these two elements too being copied but at least there is something to latch on to than nothing. 

Is it really that important to be so particular?
​
​Yes, there are three reasons

1: You should get what you pay for. If you have paid for superfine, high count Italian fabric, shouldn’t you get that? Why would you like to be swindled? Why should anyone pay for the finest wool fabric & get a cheap polyester?

2: Normally not many people understand fabric. So they go by the suggestion and pitch of the seller. However it can become very embarrassing if the realization comes later in front of others. We keep seeing this happening.

3: Purpose of a suit, more than any other piece of garment, is to enhance your stature. A fake product will show its color in one way or another. Suit being an expensive clothing in anyone’s wardrobe, one wouldn’t like to be at the receiving end more so when one has actually paid top dollars.

We hope you find this information useful. Do let us know what would you like us to write about. You can also ask us any questions if you have or check Quora where Neeraj answers many queries regularly.

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