Fall Fashion - How to Layer Like a Boss

Fall is upon us and that means NEW CLOTHES!  Well, not necessarily a whole new wardrobe, but certainly new combinations and fun matches of what you already have!

For most, fall means sweaters, jackets, hats, and pants; for me, fall means layering!  Yes, all of those things mentioned before are included in layering, but just HOW you layer can make a world of difference between looking snazzy or looking like the state puff marshmallow.  This blog is meant to shed some light on how, exactly, you can look snazzy/chic - if you wish to look like the marshmallow, there is still hope for you, yet!

Autumn's Fashion-Forward Male
Cooler weather doesn't mean that you should have to suffer in comfort just to look great.  My personal fashion, more on the business end of fashion (ties, dress shirts, dress shoes, etc.) holds enough warmth in its own right, but how can we take that niche of attire to a higher, better, level?  With layers and accessories, of course!  Most men find comfort in "matching" grey with grey, black with black, white with...well, you get the idea.  I'm here to say that sometimes that is perfectly acceptable, but in playing that "matching" game, you NEED pops of color throughout your outfit (more on this next week).

My Layers
Here's a picture of me a few days ago before I went in for my clinical hours.  I want to talk about every aspect of this outfit when it comes to layering because every piece I am wearing serves a great role.

The peacoat is an American Rag flat black wool that not only keeps me quite warm, but provides a chic and finished appeal to my outfit.  The vest is a grey/white enmeshed fabric that looks grey from a distance but has tiny pips of white up close (my favorite).  The shirt is just a standard black dress shirt by Arrow.  Black, grey, black - BORING!  But when I add my neon green skinny tie by Geoffrey Beene, the outfit comes together.

I will say that most of my coats and vests are quite drab in color, when looked at by themselves, but my ties, dress shirts, and sweaters are all quite vibrant.  If you want to turn heads - and trust me, at those job interviews, dates, or family functions you do! - do not shy away from vibrant colors this fall.  Bright colors were in a few autumns ago and they're back with a fury this season!

When you layer clothing in your outfits, keep in mind that one combination of clothing looking great doesn't mean that's the ONLY combination you can make.  I'm a bit of a math geek, so say you have 3 shirts, 3 vests, 3 ties, and 2 cardigans.  The "best" outfit from this collection would naturally be the go-to, and would only result in 2-3 different outfits.  But if you are open to mixing-and-matching, you have the potential for 54 outfits!  That doesn't even take into account pants or shoes!

Cardigans
Cardigans are also fantastic means to layer, especially on those cool-but-not-quite-cold-enough-for-a-peacoat type days.  And no matter how many times I  hear it, cardigan sweaters DO NOT make you look like Mr. Rogers!  If you don't wish to have more than 1 or 2 cardigans in your collection, I would suggest sticking with neutral colors so that they can accompany every outfit you throw at them (grey, black, tan, and white are great choices).

Going Overboard
I cannot stress this enough, but you can have too many layers on at once.  My general rule of thumb is when I walk into a building after a walk in the brisk wind or chilly, foggy air of the autumn season, I should not have to remove more than one layer to be comfortable indoors.  If you are wearing a jacket/coat, cardigan, vest, shirt, and undershirt...let's just say you should revisit my comment about being a marshmallow at the beginning!  I live by the principle of "less is more" in all aspects of my life, especially fashion.  Embrace the inner fashion critique: if it feels like you're wearing too much, you probably are!

Next week, I'll be touching more on my brief outline of vibrant colors used to accent an outfit.  But for now, get out there and start turning some heads!