A Change is Coming

Dear readers and followers,

Thank you for checking in on all of my content over the past year and a half! For the first time, we will be undergoing some maintenance and changing up our look a little bit. Nothing to fret over, but we will be halting our posts for the next week or so while the changes are implemented. Please feel free to check in past posts as the site will still be functioning and be on the lookout for the new and improved Sparry Stylings!

Thanks again!!!

Tailor Made Style: Red, White, and Bows

I know you were taught to always trust a guy in a bow tie and no socks, but as a Southern gentleman I’ll start by introducing myself. My name is DJ Hargrave, a menswear and lifestyle blogger from North Carolina. Tailor Made Style is my baby (she’s only a few months young) and I launched it during the end of my freshman year of college.

Today’s post is not necessarily about wearing a blazer with shorts (gotcha!) but more so about not being afraid to take risks.

Conventional/classic menswear rules says that blazers aren’t meant to be worn with shorts, but not our generation. Not the entrepreneurial, independent, and rebellious yet elegant gentleman in 2015.

To pull off something like the blazer-shorts look takes two things: confidence and fit. If you walk with your head up, and know that what you’re wearing fits like a cashmere glove, then what is there to be afraid of?

The answer is nothing. Go out there and wear your first bow tie, wear a blazer with shorts, or wear a shirt with floral prints on it. A special thanks to Spencer Parry for the opportunity. You’re the man!

Until next time.

DJ

@tailormadedj

www.tailormade-style.com

Tech Tuesday: Finger Locks

With the connected universe becoming even more connected, more everyday items are being introduced to the electronic world. These days, even your thermostat is tapping in to become more efficient along with a number of other energy hungry appliances. This has been the focus of the connected home, efficiency, but the whole purpose of a home is to provide security and protection. And while home monitoring companies have implemented advanced systems for initiating alarm systems remotely or syncing up light timers to prevent burglaries while away from home, but we still rely on rudimentary key and lock mechanisms. Ola Locks looks to change that dynamic with fingerprint scanning technology, similar to your iPhone, to open locks. Their innovation assembly has a two year battery life with only 4 AA batteries and doesn't require your phone to operate, except for initial setup purposes. With that said, the Ola Lock has a companion app is useful in that you can issue temporary keys to friends and family for get-togethers without worrying about allowing them unlimited access to your abode. Back them now to get your hands on the future of door knobs!

Threads for Thought: Seersucker Shorts

In honor of National Seersucker Day, it is only fitting that we give the famous fabric its due with something that might not be on every one's radar. Seersucker being such a classic option, it only makes sense that it should be worked into your shorts rotation.

There is a bit of joy found in running your hands over seersucker, but hand feel aside, with patterns playing such a pivotal role this summer, it is an option that will also add some needed texture. The stereotypical iterations of this fabric feature a neutral tone paired with a pastel, a combo that combines very well with solid summer sport coats to embrace the "short suit" look. Orange seersucker and olive linen or Carolina blue with a traditional navy blazer a just a few of the endless options. They may seem a difficult option at first, but with some practice, they will become your second choice to khaki shorts all summer long!

Ralph Lauren: $80

Vineyard Vines: $80

 Brooks Brothers: $75

Check in tomorrow for this week's installment of my fashion faux pas and next Thursday for another fashion piece that deserves your consideration!

Wardrobe Essentials: Trus-Tee Undershirt

Guess what everyone! It's summer and its getting steamy out there, and with the humidity on the rise, the next step is a profuse downpour from you pits. So instead of letting your nice shirts take the brunt of this onslaught, take the time to find the right undershirt for the warm weather.

It may seem contradictory to add layers to an outfit when the temperatures rise, but the right undershirt will be practically unnoticed and might even cool you down a little bit. Aside from the clear benefit of guarding your more expensive gear from debilitating sweat, undershirts act as an anchor for the shirt above it, making for less untucking and a crisper finish between the shirt and pants on a more consistent basis (can't go wrong there).

Fabric choice is key in your decision here and should be made based on how active your daily grind is; more active guys should look for a little bit of elastic to move with you and the more sedentary can go au naturale with 100% cotton. Color choices should be limited to either white or something closely matching your skin tone so that it will fly under the radar even with the thinnest white shirt and the neck should be a slightly deeper V-neck just in case you decide to forgo the tie on a given day.

2(X)ist: $36

Uniqlo: $10

Hanes: 3 for $15

Check in tomorrow for a fashion piece that deserves your consideration and next Wednesday for another style piece that needs to be in your closet!

Tech Tuesday: SanDisk Ultra Fit

Lets all take a look back to the time when the first iPod was released or even some of the first laptops, the storage capacities for either based on today's standards are quite laughable. The disk sizes might have made sense for gadgets that relied on cloud storage, but that didn't exist back in the day. Now, we look out into the tech landscape and its hard to come across anything smaller than 8GB, and that bring for the smallest smart phone or music player. Moore's Law seems a little outdated at this point in the tech evolution, especially when data storage companies like SanDisk are stretching the bounds with their new Ultra Fit collection of USB products. On a flash drive the size of a thumbnail, they found a way to squeeze 128GB of storage (the same size as a MacBook Pro circa 2009) and with some rumors about a 256GB option soon; that's just some new level of crazy that is absolutely necessary for professionals on the go!

Check in tomorrow for a style piece that needs to be in your closet and next Tuesday for some more exciting tech!

Threads for Thought: Neckwear, Linen Style

With temperatures beginning to sore, finding ways to stay as cool as possible while still maintaining some level of style. Because there's no publicly acceptable way to trot around shirtless and no way to justify rocking shorts and a tee all summer long. The key to cool is linen, and a simple way to adopt this wonder fabric is through neck wear.

Linen ties are a great way to maintain a well put-together look without putting a sweat inducing strangle hold on your outfit. Silk is the classic choice when it comes to neck wear and is an all-purpose, all-season option, but linen has some a leg up this summer. Designers everywhere have jumped on the train pumping out exciting colors, beautiful plaids, and explosive texture with linen, giving you a plethora of options to choose from. One of the most exciting looks are slubby stripes, but don't shy away from knitted options that feature some extra pattern or texture!

Alexander Olch: $150

Ralph Lauren: $85

The Tie Bar: $15

Check in tomorrow for this week's installment of my fashion faux pas and next Thursday for another fashion piece that deserves your consideration!

Wardrobe Essential: Olive

In the menswear world, blue reigns king with some neutral supporting cast members like tan and grey to help fill in the gaps. Some other colors get some love here and there as seasonal staples, maroon for example during the fall and winter, to change things up a bit.

Spring/Summer

One color that doesn't get the love it deserves is actually one of the simplest to wear, and it transcends seasonality and trend turbulence, working year round in your wardrobe. Olive can be the earthy highlight of a fall or winter look or the staple piece in a summer ensemble, the moral of the story is that its a color that needs some more appreciation.

Fall/Winter

Now even though this is a yearly shade, right now is the best time to stock up on this shade thanks to all the safari/military influences that are so popular this summer. Lightweight linen suits and sport coats will work now, but maybe a tropical wool will help to bring this olive option through the colder months. Cargos are another great piece that can be found in olive along with the ever popular safari jacket, both timeless and rugged. Keep an eye out for some key pieces this summer and pair it with any of the other neutrals for a shockingly put together look!

SuitSupply: $499

Ralph Lauren: $60

J. Crew: $50

Check in tomorrow for a fashion piece that deserves your consideration and next Wednesday for another edition of Wardrobe Essential!

Tech Tuesday: Google Getting Handsy

Its no question that Google is a company filled with innovation and forward-thinking design that is unparalleled in its industry; they aren't just a search engine, but an engine for change. Not to get too historical, but IBM used to make so much money that they could hire and fund projects for pure scientific discovery and no profit at all. Google isn't doing quite that, but they are creating the future of computer UI in multiple projects that seem almost out of this world. Project Jacquard is working to create smart clothing fibers so that your favorite pair of jeans can also be used as an interface for your phone without having to take it out of your pocket. Project Soli is a less mobile option, but using radio frequency waves, their revolutionary sensor can detect hand gestures on unprecedented level of accuracy that allows for next level interaction with all of your technology, from your thermostat to your computer! Both projects are being led by the same amazing brain, Ivan Poupyrev, so be on the lookout for these amazing creations!

Check in tomorrow for a style piece that needs to be in your closet and next Tuesday for even more exciting tech!

Monday Outlook: Summer's Tour of Duty

Everyone is gearing up for those long awaited summer getaways to their favorite spots, and its no wonder why this is the best season of them all. And all these vacations call for some clothes that can get roughed up, no matter the location, beach resort or mountain cabin.

There is a whole genre of clothing out there for guys that can be grouped in one of two styles, depending on how the pieces are paired together. Safari and Military (S&M) style go hand in hand, taking influences from each other and fueling a fashion fire that never goes out. Tans, olives, browns, whites, all share in being part of the neutrals family and the fact that they are fully flexed in S & M style.

The trick with these colors is putting them together in a way that reflects the rugged motifs necessary to fall under militaristic or safari worthy. Key pieces such as the safari jackets, lightweight work shirts, and rugged boots bridge the gap between the two styles and should be the pieces that you build this style effort around. Use white as a base for your outfits and work around that with an olive coat, khaki tie, brown boots, etc. This trend is too easy to not take advantage of and really works in any season, so buy in now!

Check in tomorrow for some exciting new tech and next Monday for further fashion trend insight for the coming months!