On The Street........Fit & Proportion, New York City
I knew I liked this look but I was trying to figure out how to explain why this looks so much better than most tech-support guys that also wear a polo and khakis.Then I realized/remembered that almost all menswear revolves around two essential elements - fit and proportion.
I love the slim, shorter pants with the 1 3/4 cuff and the Gucci loafers ( actually, more important than the shoes being "Gucci" is that they are perfectly worn-in for this look)
I also really like the slim (but not tight) cut of the polo.
But the detail i can't stop "looking at/wanting to buy" is the high side-vent on the polo. (Clicking on the image will enlarge it so you can see it better)
Apparently the polo is a vintage Fred Perry from the 50's and the vents were just cut that way back then.
I love high-vents (I know, goofy thing to love right?) - on polos. jackets, whatever.....it seems like such an old school detail that it has come full-circle and seems really forward now.
I wonder if a higher vent creates a lengthening effect for a petite man such as myself? I think it would because a shorter vent ,like they had in the Sixties, would tend to make me look stubby (and I don't need any additional stubby or huskiness)
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doanything24 said ... (1:12 PM) :
post a commentOK, he looks great. You are absolutely right about the proportions transforming this otherwise very standard outfit into something just right.
My only quibble is the (signature) band across the top of the shoes; I'd have liked something 'quieter'.
Good hair, too.
One of the rare instances where the shorter pants look great. It's all in the right proportions as you correctly point out. His accessories are also great.
You're right on all counts but the potential danger of the high vent is that the tail is actually long thereby cutting you in half--not the look we're going for. I think I some some pieces with a high vent recently but can't seem to remember where....
Hey, how did you deal with the long length of the APC "new cure" jeans? Now that I just bought a pair and barely hit 5'6" Enquiring minds want to know....
It seems like its functional the high vent allows the wearer to use his pockets without changing the line of the shirt.
Wow, does he wear this well. I would think that with the continued popularity of the polo, that some designer would update it or reinvent it in some way. Maybe high vents are on their way? Tom Ford - where are you when we need you?!
He also is in great shape which helps. in addition to the points you raise, i think the no socks and mostly untucked shirt also differentiate him from the run of the mill office guy. Good look. Don't like the 50's military haircut though.
we've seen him before, right? a similar look...shorter pants, monk-strap shoes w/no socks, a blue camp shirt with the sleeves pulled up...
Having a great tan sure helps when you're not wearing socks. By the way if you see him again, tell him I love him. Thanks.
This guy could have been my dad.
My dad was a smaller guy (5' 10" and about 175), and he wore a very similar incarnation of this look, day in and day out, for years, during the warm months.
He did it with the original Lacoste polos. They had a tiered--or staggered--hem; split about an inch, leaving an inch worth of fabric hanging in front, and about 3 or 4 inches hanging in back. They were a very fine piqué fabric, in incredible colors.
It helped when he stuck to solid polos . . . stripes seemed to widen him in a comical way. He wore the loafers he had had for 10 years, and his chinos were always justalittleshort, as was the style then. He even had aviator sunglasses.
That look always worked well for his frame and build, partly because of the cut and hem of the shirts, partly because of the narrowness and inseam of his flat-front chinos.
I think these proportions look great because they seem wholly lifted from the late '50s/early '60s. The look is right for the guy, and the guy is right for the look.
I think I also have a soft spot for this look because it reminds me of my dad.
Definitely the slimness of the cut makes it work, and also that little tucked in bit of the shirt helps to show more of the pant so he doesn't look out of proportion. True, the Gucci label doesn't matter, but I think quality does matter especially in accessories/shoes. When good leather gets old it still looks good as opposed to cheap stuff which just looks like you're down on your luck.
I think the high vent harks back to a time when fashion details were functional as well as beautiful.
Eeeewwww...the frat tuck. I agree with the proper fit comments, but the shirt needs to be in or out.
Yeah, this is great.
Don't think the shirt vent height is the issue, or effects much of change in the look one way or another; rather it's the LENGTH of the shirt in relation to the rest that makes the wearer look shorter- or longer-legged, etc.
Again, it's all about proportion.
PS, if you're going to go the shorter pant route, it seems wise to cuff the pants; that assures the world that you mean bizzness, so to speak, as well as finishing a look that might otherwise appear un-.
does anyone have thoughts about cuffs with flat front trousers? i love the look, but thought cuffs were only allowed with pleats...not that rules aren't made to be broken...
Superfly.
my husband is FOREVER looking for good-fitting polos, especially he loves high vents. now i can tell him he is in good company with not only Sart but this man as well.
Fit, indeed! ;-)
I totally agree! It's the fit and the proportion. The tight fit makes this shirt work --you can see his pecs through the shirt. Also, he looks good.
The difference between a regular tech support guy and this gentleman is 50 lbs of fat (on the tech guys) and the good looks (this gentleman). :-)
Also, that guy's a f'ing badass. I think that accounts for something.
Most tech support guys do not have a nice body like this guy. He probably looks great wearing anything he wants.
He looks a bit pissed/annoyed..would be nice if he smiled. If he smiles and shows his nice white teeth (assuming) it will be the best accessory to his white polo.
I think a high vent lengthens the torso slightly and visually lowers the waistline, but you'd have to really pay attention to the length of the pants.
Really nice look though
This is about the only time I will forget the fact that he has no socks. His clothing is really casual and effortless which I appreciate.But this outfit is only proper when you are just goofing around.Wish more people would take clothes less seriously.
Answer:
The polo isn't one from a golf tournament or a free company throw out, and the khakis aren't poorly fitting Dockers.
I'm not one for the higher cut vents. I used to have a Vintage Lacoste polo with vents like that, and I felt that they made me look shorter, since the polo was longer on the body.
The pants are, objectively, too short. It seems silly to own "high waters" just to pull of an occasional look like this.
I really think it is the chaps body that makes this outfit. Lovely though the peices are, imagine them on someone with somewhat more girth.
I like the higher vent because it is utilitarian. When only the vestiges of a garment's purpose remain, it loses a little romance for me. For instance, boots with a strap and buckle which are only decorative, as there is a zipper now at the side. Bleah.
Overall I love his look - and that is the only way I would want a man in Guccis: worn in. My personal preference is always for that devil-may-care, "When you said let's dance in the rainy alley at sunset, how could I be thinking about the finish on my 400 dollar loafers" kind of deshabille.
It's the romance of it all, the timelessness and the insouciance--he doesn't look like he's trying too hard. I believe the word is "cool." And yes, it's all about keeping the line. See Gene Kelly do it just right (and he was a short guy) in American in Paris. Polo shirt, short khakis and that trademark grin. What do you think Ralph Lauren was watching growing up? My money's on Gene, not Fred.
Marline
if this is the same guy as the blue shirt and crop pant, as well as square tail shirt...i think he needs a sart profile each shot you have taken of him hes looks great
The high vent does exactly what you suspect. I have a hip-length, slim-fit, suede jacket from the 50s with high side vents. It makes the jacket look more like a shirt than a coat. In addition to maintaining the line of the jacket and creating an interesting detail, it balances the proportions of my 5'9" height.
-Tim
He is very fit, this suits him well, I like the short pants and no socks on him. He looks comfortable and still, he looks like he "cares". :)
the only thing I can't get my mind around is the big cuff... otherwise you are right, it is always in the smallest details that make the difference -- most guys dont get it (or dont care to get it)
god i love this man. tres cool.
He's hot!
I like these polo shirts on guys, just on solid neutral colors, and if its oh so well on them.. they look effortlessly stylish and SEXY.. ;)
i'm glad to see this outfit featured here for one selfish reason. i have an old pair of Polo khakis, really narrow cut, a bit too short and perfectly banged up. i paid $2 for them 5 years ago at a thrift store.i wear them almost exclusively all summer, with everything: tennis shirts, shirts and ties, sportscoats, almost never with socks. my wife is constantly telling me to get rid of them, but i refuse. photos like this are the reason why.
thanks for settling an old arguement.
Re vents: I don't like the staggered vent nearly as much as the evenly split vent. The staggered read 'enough fabric at the back to tuck in'/saggy fratboy instead of 'cool, slim and functional' to me.
btw, how tall was this guy?
LOOOVE this look. So "Dickie Greenleaf"! This has inspired me to dress up my boyfriend!
I agree, I really like the higher vent look! I hope some designers get inspired from this photo and re-introduce them.
you can tell this gentleman puts a lot of thought into what he wears, and it shows. he's got attitude - it's all in the details. very nice. :)
Real cool look!
And oh yea, it's the same guy as in the archive of June 2007 "How I Would Wear Thom Browne p.1"
.. and the same trousers.
hey vintage perrys, khakis, and guccis, no socks, dude is rocking my look since 1979 . and still
He looks "just right" - the fit to his fit body works extremely well.
I believe what makes this work is the fit of the shirt on the bicep and shoulder but most especially the way it follows the outer curve of his pectorals. All that fit at the top without being tight through the entire torso creates a perfect silhouette. Also, I think I own those pants. Aren't they Prada Linea Rosa Summer '06?
That guy has to be ex-Army. The Randolph shades (found in PXs around the world), the Rolex Submariner and short hair. If not, I'm gonna start a new clothing line called "Prior Service."
He looks like Robert Conrad. I mean that as a compliment.
genial
if you have big arms and can fit snugly into your polo, it always looks great.
I think the fact that his hair and shoes match, and that his shirt and pants are so similarly colored makes my eye travel from head to toe. This lengthens him and connects the whole look.
Great proportions and mood .
Love that for women as well.
Very cool look, indeed.
Even an out-of-shape tech guy could pull off this look if he tried.
But, he won't even try.
Sigh.
-- desertwind
If i was a guy, this would be what i would be aiming for on a sunday stroll.
I like the hight vent too, it fits well with his pants pockets. He can put his hands in his pockets without it ruffling up his shirt or breaking the smoothness of his silhouette.
And, actually as I was writing this my husband came up and pointed out that he apparently has been trying to tell me this for a long time :)
Dashing bloke, but I agree, the "frat tuck" does appear to be a little too self-conscious attempt at sprezzatura. (Whoever it's on.)
I knew something was different about that polo, but I didn't know what. Those vents really are great--Thanx Sart!
This gentleman is HOT HOT HOT! The fit of the entire outfit is perfect on him. Yum!
I can't get over how much I ove this outfit! Mybe one of my favorites-- maybe because It's so simple, yet if you look closely, he put a whole lot into it with the subtle details. And damn he looks sexy to boot!