Are you thinking "Didn't she use that same title last week?" Yes, I did. But I lest anyone think that style belongs only to women, or accuse me of sexism, I don't want to leave the guys out. This week's blog is what men should buy (or what their ladies should buy for them) this fall if they only buy one thing. And the answer, again... I don't have amnesia... is the classic white shirt. For men it's the Oxford cloth button-down-collar dress shirt. A classic piece that never goes out of style and, more to the point, is always IN STYLE. Don't believe me? Twenty two out of the "50 Most Stylish Men of the Past 50 Years" article in GQ (from whence I lifted the picture of Paul Newman) are wearing white dress shirts. Albeit not all of them are button-down-collar, and one of them has ruffles down the front, but you get my point.

Button-down-collars on dress shirts normally bring shirts to a more casual level and in the case of this shirt, that is exactly what makes it so versatile. You can wear it with a:

-blazer - leather jacket - vest - hoodie - cardigan - and on, and on, and on....

and some

- jeans - corduroys - tweed trousers - khakis - and on, and on, and on....

Or dress it up with a suit and a tie. Wanna try something new for the fall and winter? Try a knit tie. The texture and style match nicely with the elegant yet casual style of the shirt.

You can find these shirts just about anywhere. The point is to get the right size. The shirt should FIT. That means the shoulder seams should be at your shoulders, the sleeve ends 1/2 an inch from your wrist bone and the body of the shirt is fairly close to your torso. No balloon effect, you should not be able to fit another person in the shirt with you! For this reason it's better to get a shirt that is sized by neck size and sleeve length (for example: 16 x 32/33) as opposed to XS - XL. For more on proper fit check my past blog: Sharp Dressed Man: The Basics of a Man’s Suit Ensemble

Go forth and be handsome!

Want help figuring out the size or style that's best for you? Just ask me!

http://www.stylesuccess.net

On Friday, September 25th I teamed up with Mod Squad hair salon in Saline, and Kristin Finn from Mary Kay, to present the fashion trends for fall. Apparently I'm not as good at multi-tasking as some of the other mom-entrepeneurs out there. How they are able to plan and execute events while maintaining their businesses, blogs and Twitters, and not forget the feeding, folding, changing, etc., etc., is beyond me! Obviously I have something to work towards. To see the fruits of our labor check out the video/photo montage on the "Events" page of my website: http://www.stylesuccess.net/Events.html

In the end my family got fed, the laundry got put away... eventually, and the event was a success. The Twittering and blogging, however, suffered. With that, onto Fall...

If you don't buy anything else new this fall you should buy a classic white shirt. Not one with ruffles or ribbons or sparkles. A clean, crisp, tailored white shirt. My favorite is this one from Banana Republic:

It's non-iron (yes please!) and has a great tailored fit. In the Fall preview show I showed it paired with a tweed pencil skirt

but in truth, the options are endless.

You can wear it with jeans, slacks, skirts, shorts... not in fall maybe, but eventually. Wear it out, tucked in or belted. Wear it with a necklace or scarf, a simple white tank underneath or a sequined cami for drama. It's appropriate for every age and they make it in a good range of sizes, including petites and talls.

The shirt from Banana is just one option, there are others out there. If you live in Houston, Texas, check out Basiques in Uptown Park, Sherri has practically turned it into an art form!

Happy hunting!!

If you live in the Ann Arbor, MI area and want to be invited to the next season trend show be sure to add yourself to the mailing list on my websiste: www.stylesuccess.net Have a great week!!

Tuesday Tips & Tricks: If you only buy one thing...

Tuesday Tips & Tricks: If you don't buy anything else...