The Devil’s in the Details
March 3, 2010
Cary Grant’s jacket sleeves were short. Fred Astaire wore his tie as a belt. Jimmy Stewart preferred peak lapels, hacking pockets, and side vents. Although they differed greatly in showmanship, there is a common thread between their personalities: they dressed in the details. Surely their style wasn’t happenstance. So how can today’s man deliberately find his own details?
Consider the traditional navy suit with grey pinstripe. By coordinating the color of the pinstripe to the button hole stitching and button thread, it takes an ordinary suit to extraordinary. The same level of detail can also be applied to shirts and slacks as well, in the event a more subtle approach is necessary.
For style that’s just below the surface, look to the inside of your custom suit or sport coat. Jacket linings can be plain, modest, or overtly ostentatious. Matching their color to a complimentary one within the fabric is one approach. Or continuously using the same lining throughout your collection is another. This detail remains your secret until you choose to expose it.
For the majority, showmanship is not an attribute appreciated in daily dress. Finding subtle details to take ownership of is the first step to personal style; executing those details is the next.
Which begs the question: Where will you find your “Devil in details?”
