Oh, Hollywood...

Here we have Byung-hum Lee, one of the stars of the new G.I. Joe movie. He's exhibiting everything right about about a suit, something his co-stars need a hand with. Notice where the vest ends, over the trousers. Not above them. It creates a seameless line of fabric, the intended purpose of a three-piece suit. Co-star Marlon Wayans attempted the same look. But alas, either the vest is too short or the trousers are too long. Either way, it breaks up what otherwise is a pretty solid look.

Channing Tatum has been stepping out well-suited while promoting this film. Only detail, the bottom button on the suit. Switch 'em up, and all is well.

Where do I start with this guy. If this was The Player Hater's Ball from Chappelle's show, he would be perfect, but red shoes are best left to the Pope and the red shirt? R.I.P. MJ.

This final young man below is decidedly trendy. Slim lapels, shirt collar and tie.  While not for most guys in most situations, this look works for his age and a Hollywood premiere.

An unexpected twist

How often do you see Washingtonians wearing Chelsea boots with a suit? Sure, W. had a penchant for cowboys boots with his suit but normally wore dark loafers. In a circle full of oxfords and wingtips, it's refreshing to see these boots worn by Peter Orszag, Director of the White House Office of Management and Budge. The rest of the ensemble is understated: pinstripe suit (maybe BB?) button-down collar blue shirt and red patterned tie. All fairly safe choices.

 He was speaking to Council on Foreign Relations in this photo from Wednesday, July 22.  Politicians can ease a little personal style into the narrow tunnel of Capitol Hill fashion.

No More Men.Style.com

I read this in The Cut Blog today, men.style.com will shut down in October. From there, GQ and Details will each have a website. The setup always seemed odd to me, and certainly others. Esquire is its own site as is Men's Health and other leading men's magazines. Why would one of the heavyweights, GQ, be lumped onto a site with a few other brands? Well, no more. 

Great piece on J. Press

The manager of the J. Press store in Cambridge discusses the company's history and how they've survived in the midst of rapidly changing styles.

George H.W. Bush famously stated in 1980 that he wasn't a Brooks Brothers Republican, but a J. Press devotee as evidenced by the tag inside his jacket.

For over a century the company has focused on a 3-button sack suit. Essentially, the shape in less contoured that many contemporary styles. They also advocate a cuff on plain front pants, almost unheard of in today's men's magazines, style blogs and forums. It's the definition of preppy by our standards today. What it really is, is classic American clothing clothing that has remained virtually unchanged, which can be refreshing.

Check out the story by clicking the blog title.

Not an official endorsement, but close

I promise I'm not being compensated for this, it's out of pure love for the styles, price points and quality of shoes from To Boot New York. Designer Adam Derrick has been in the business for over two decades, according to information on the website. The shoes are all made in Italy of what the company calls the finest leather. Handsewn and handsome many of the styles are at home with jeans just as much as suits. The leather soles are sewn on rather than glued. The styles are clean and sleek. The cuts range from classic to contemporary (a tad elongated).

Take a look at these brilliant double monkstraps, which can be paired with suits in shades of blue and grey to begin with. Try them with a nondescript jean to dress up up the casual pant. While this particular model comes with a nearly $400 price tag don't be alarmed. For a fraction of the, outlet stores like Off 5th and Neiman Marcus Last Call carry many styles of To Boot shoes. I recently bought a third pair of shoes from the company, a sleek plain black oxford with wingtip stitching details, at a significant markdown on Off 5th. Styles from previous seasons are still nice even when the new ones come out. Why not get them on sale if you can wait.

Do try this at home

Everything's right about Bill Nighy's ensemble here. The jacket nips in just so at the waist; the jacket's lapels and shirt collar compliment one another; there's a great amount of sleevage; in short, a great combination. 

What's even better is that there's nothing complicated about the suit or shirt; two shades of blue that work nicely together. No cuff links, no pocket square, no tie but it all looks great together. This is understated at its best. The patch pockets take it to the next level in summer elegance.

News Minute 7.09