POCKET SQUARES

We've posted about ties, scarves and cufflinks, but realized we haven't really paid much attention to the pocket square. So, here it is!

Here are two very easy pocket square folds that we're fans of over here at Simon Carter. We think you might like them as well!

The puffed fold.

1.  Pick up your pocket square from the center and lay it down. (It should resemble the above photo.)
2. Turn the pocket square upside-down and fold the bottom piece towards the top.

The finished product:

The winged puff pocket square.

1. Lay the pocket square flat in a diamond and fold the top corner down to the bottom.
2. Fold the left and right corners down and inwards.
3. Fold the left and right corners in.
4. Fold the bottom corner upwards.

The finished product:

And there you have it, gents— pocket square folds to try this Wednesday, or whenever.

LOOK OF THE DAY

PICK OF THE WEEK: THE TRINITY KNOT

This week, we bring you a new and unconventional tie knot to try: The trinity knot. We learned how to do it from a fella named Alex Kransy, so we thought he'd be the best guy to teach you as well. This is his youtube tutorial:

And there you have it: another interesting knot to try! It's really easy to do, and it could be a nice way to change-up the 'ol suit-and-tie, at least once.

SUITS: A "HOW-TO" GUIDE

Every week, we bring you style inspiration and attempts at witty fashion commentary, but we realize that we have yet to really take an in-depth look at the finer details of different kinds of suits.

Fortunately, we live in the age of the internet, so we were able to round up some of the basic things you need to know, conveniently displayed through neat little diagrams. Thank you, Google.

First, the basics— shirt details:

And as the diagram says, "Moving on to bigger and better things..." Suit styles!

And last, but certainly not least— also arguably our favourite:

We hope that this brief lesson has been useful. Take notes, or feel free to refer back to this post for sartorial reference.

THIS JUST IN: TIES

It is quite possible that we have almost every colour and pattern of neck tie at the moment. We have silk ties, knit ties, brightly coloured ties, and ties with stripes or polka dots on them. 

Basically, if you're looking for it, we've probably got it— so come by the shop and have a look!

SNOW DAY

It's snowing in our fine city today, and when you combine that with seriously cold temperatures, there's usually nothing you want to do more than stay home with a hot cup of coffee and a great book to read.

So that's exactly what we did.

We figured that this is as good a time as any to catch up on our reading. (We swear that checking out this month's GQ with Beyoncé Knowles on the cover counts as actual reading material. It's all style research for the blog.)

And on that note, we raise our Starbucks cups to you, and hope that you're having as great a Tuesday afternoon as we are right now.

LOOK OF THE DAY

Today's Look of the Day is a mix of details and textures. Pairing the wider tie and wool jacket (with the greatest velvet detailing) with jeans and a plain shirt with subtle colour details creates an outfit that's both casual and a bit more put-together than your average "going-out-for-beers-and-nachos-with-the-guys" outfit.

T-shirts and jeans (and sometimes hoodies) are completely acceptable in our books, but we think it's nice to change it up once in a while. Just try not to get salsa on your clothes.

SALE, SALE, SALE!!!

BEST-DRESSED AT THE GOLDEN GLOBES

From left: Robert Pattinson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper

After this week's Pick of the Week, we thought we'd spare you the lengthy fashion commentary and just show you who we thought was best-dressed at this year's Golden Globe awards.  

Might we also suggest going to see Argo, which won two— count 'em, TWO— awards!

PICK OF THE WEEK

After all of the buzz and critique surrounding this week's London Collections: Men, we thought we'd get in on the conversation with a quick recap, as well as ask you gents about what you think.

Photos via Style.com

First up, we've got Jonathan Anderson's gender-bending collection, featuring re-worked pieces from his women's collection tailored to fit a more masculine frame. With the recent breaking, Kanye-West-in-a-skirt, fashion news, we can't help but wonder if the women's clothing-turned-menswear fashion statement is turning into a lasting trend.

Photos via artinfo.com

Next, we have Craig Green, whose collection has been torn apart by online comments like, "Poor guy should have got out of the way when they forecasted the tornado," and "A garbage bag with legs...YIKES!!"

This isn't the first time we've seen outrageous head gear on a runway (Let's refer to most, if not every collection Gareth Pugh's ever presented), so what exactly is it about a few pieces of wood that's so offensive?

Photos via WWD.com

And then there was Vivienne Westwood, known for her fearless use of colour and pattern— among other such things like her crazy hair. We saw no issue in her collection: it was fun, and it was a nod to dandy style, which we have only good things to say about. Unfortunately, even her choice in make-up, which payed a humorous homage to the monocle and moustache provoked violent comments like, "That's a bullseye for where to punch him for wearing that outfit."

We think the important thing to note here, is that runway collections don't always have to be taken so literally. An entire collection could simply be forecasting an upcoming trend for silhouettes, patterns, or colours, just as it can be the artistic manifestation of a designer's vision of fashion. No one said you have to wear two-by-fours on your head because they appeared in a designer's collection. All-in-all, we thought the collections showcased the talent of the designers, and although we wouldn't wear all of it ourselves, we think credit is due to the creative risks each designer took.

Now over to you, fellow fashion enthusiasts: What do you think? Are we taking fashion so seriously that we can't even appreciate someone's creative approach on clothing? 

LOOK OF THE DAY

For this week's 'Look of the Day,' we decided to keep it simple, because a properly fitted suit and shirt can go a long way.

Our inspiration for this look came from an unlikely source— a cold, weekend afternoon. More specifically, though, a movie we watched on a cold, weekend afternoon: RocknRolla. We thought Gerard Butler looked effortlessly dapper (and dangerous) wearing this ensemble, so we wanted to recreate it.

We think the best outfits are the ones that don't look too contrived, and what's easier to put together than a crisp shirt and suit?

THIS JUST IN: SCARVES

We've just gotten a bunch of scarves in the shop. So many, in fact, that we couldn't hang them all on one mannequin!!

It's a beautiful day, so might we suggest taking a stroll over to the shop and checking them out?

LOOK OF THE DAY

Today's style inspiration comes from the style guys themselves: the dapper gents at GQ. This time around, we were particularly drawn to a spread in this month's issue aptly titled, 'The Fresh Prints,' after the Fresh Prince (minus the neon wind breakers) and featuring Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder (who recently beat the Raptors 104-92— but we won't get into that right now).

We took our favourite three looks and recreated them, with our own added finishing touches of course.

If you're not into the bold polka-dot, bring it down a few sizes and opt for something smaller. Here, we added a tie, and some bold socks— it's winter of course. Socks are a necessity in sub-zero temperatures. 

Admittedly our favourite look, we chose jeans and sneakers to keep it casual, as well as keep with the basketball player theme.

And for the guy who really isn't sure about mixing prints and colours, we thought this look might be a nice way to ease yourself into the style: a great suit with an equally great shirt— just in a crisp, not-so-classic (patterned) white. 

Regardless of how you do it, just make sure you have some fun, in honour of the original, and the freshest, Fresh Prince. 

GOOD NEWS

We're having a...

Stop by the shop and enjoy 20%-50% off!! See you there!!

PICK OF THE WEEK

Images via Google images.

We've taken a step into the new year, so we thought we'd take a look back to some vintage photographs of stylish men.

Let's note the ease in which these fellas wear their suits— and those hats! Hats need to make a big comeback, we think. Yes, definitely. Hats should definitely come back.

What do you think?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!