Off the Cuff — Travel in Style

Father's Day: On Clothing and Lessons Learned

Posted by Thomas Dean & Co. on

My father, who passed away late last year, had many beliefs. Punctuality is next to godliness. Good pitching beats good hitting. Never let the truth interfere with a good story. But from a wardrobe standpoint, he believed most fervently in one thing: the sportcoat. Even though he was a top-flight executive in the sports world for half a century, he never owned a suit in his adult life. When the family packed up my parents (who'd both recently turned 80) to move to their more modest cluster home, my sisters got my dad to pare down his collection of sportcoats...

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No-Risk Style Upgrade #1: Denim

Posted by Brian Cleary on

No-Risk Style Upgrade #1:  Denim

  Fear not the denim!  The most versatile of fabrics, it's no wonder denim became the workhorse of the working-man's wardrobe.  But you don't have to look like a cowboy or a Backstreet Boy.  Here are a half-dozen ways to rock the denim in a risk-free way. 1.  Order up by one size and wear it like a jacket over all black or chalky grey, for a bad-ass travel outfit.  TSA pre-check advised. 2.  Amp-up your workday look by replacing the ubiquitous white or light blue dress shirt with its chambray counterpart.  Be prepared for compliments at the water cooler....

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TDesign: Is It Time to Change Your Pants?

Posted by Thomas Dean & Co. on

TDesign: Is It Time to Change Your Pants?

The best style tip I ever read was this: On a day when you're feeling a little taller, standing a little straighter, and you’ve got an unexplained bounce in your step, look at what you’re wearing. And buy more of it. I’ll even add to that: When someone says, “You look like you’ve lost a few pounds,” and you know you haven’t, the same advice applies. Enter the TDX Super Flex “trouser fit” chinos and 5-pocket jean by Thomas Dean. See those two tips above? Check and check. It might interest you to know that engineers have sweated every detail...

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I Shall Wear the Bottoms of My Trousers Rolled” –TS Elliott

Posted by Brian Cleary on

The Cape in Autumn: sand dunes, oyster shacks, a cigar stroll amid the wildflowers. There is a very definite style to the architecture here, but even more so to the clothing. Whether you’re checking out the cranberry festival or relaxing on the ferry back from Provincetown, you’ll notice that the natives have an effortless style that seems perfectly appropriate for clambakes and concerts alike. Sure, the pant legs might be rolled up for a sunset walk on the beach, or clipped to keep your bike chain from catching, but the polos, long-sleeved cotton shirts and the sockless loafers are smart,...

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Cloaked in confidence: Notes on dressing well.

Posted by 1 on

Just off a flight from LaGuardia to Cleveland, I was returning home from a speaking gig in New York.  Still dressed in my keynote best, I was staring ahead, zombie-like, on that moving sidewalk thing at the airport when, from the other direction, came a voice. “You’re killing that blazer!” smiled this perfect stranger. (I actually was killing that blazer).  “Thanks!” was all I could manage as we were moved at 3 MPH toward opposite ends of the airport. A total stranger just complimented not only my sport coat, but my style. Things like this happen when you’ve got it...

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