Good style isn’t just about buying the latest, greatest fashion trends. It’s about properly caring for the high-quality items you already own so that you can enjoy them for as long as possible.

Since many of our customers cherish their Allen Edmonds shoes, we thought you’d appreciate these tips directly from AE on how to keep your beloved shoes around as long as possible:

1. How do I prolong the life of my AEs?

2. What is the difference between a full and combination shoe tree? Is one better than the other?

3. How do I apply product to my shoes?

4. Can I waterproof my shoes?

5. What do I do if my shoes get wet?

For more tips on how to care for your AE shoes, visit allenedmonds.com/shoecare.

British Lead Corp of Guides wearing khaki in the 1800s. By Richard Simkin. Image source here.

Last month I wrote about Bill’s Khakis, a brand of khakis and chinos beloved here in Fort Wayne, and well, the rest of America too. In researching the fascinating history of Bill’s Khakis, I discovered that the history of khakis in general, is equally fascinating. So, I thought I would share it with you. Here you go:

Khakis came to the Western world via the British Indian army in the 1800s. At the time, the standard British soldier uniform consisted of white trousers and a bright red, wool coat. The uniform, which earned them the famous nickname “red coats,” signified power and prestige, and successfully intimidated their enemies.

“British old infantry uniforms” by unknown. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

However, when Britain expanded into India in the 1800s, their sartorial assets became sweltering, itchy liabilities. Many soldiers were stationed in Punjab, India, where the temperature could reach a broiling 120 degrees. So, Sir Harry Burnett Lumsden, a British military officer stationed in Punjab, instructed his men to ditch their red coats and wear their lighter, gently-woven cotton pajama pants instead.

(Casual Friday, anyone?)

To better camouflage their white, pleated PJs, soldiers dyed them with mud and marazi (a plant native to Punjab), which resulted in a drab, beige hue perfect for blending in with their sandy surroundings.

They were called “khakis,” which either originates from the Hindi word धूल, which means, “dust,” or the Persian word khāk, which means, “soil.” Nobody knows for sure, but it’s obvious that both terms aptly describe the yellowish beige color of khakis.

And so, khakis were born.

21 years later, in 1867, the British army made khakis their official uniform, and another 31 years after that, in 1898, during the Spanish-American war, our own U.S. army adopted khakis as their official uniform.

Eventually, khakis made their way into civilian fashion, and today, are as quintessential to American fashion as jeans. While I don’t have stats on how many pairs of khakis are sold per year in the U.S. (I tried, though, and Google did not know the answer. Google did know, however, that Khaki Campbell ducks lay up to 320 eggs per year…), I’m sure it’s a whole heck of a lot.

Courtesy of Bill’s Khakis

It makes sense why modern khakis are so popular. They can be worn with brown or black shoes, and be dressed up with a sport coat or down with a crisp polo. But, with so many khakis out there, finding the right pair can be tough. If you get it right, you can look as cool as Gael García Bernal in The Motorcycle Diaries. BUT, if you get it wrong, you could end up looking like you work at Blockbuster. No bueno.

So, come in to Christopher James Menswear and we’ll help you pick out the right pair of khakis or chinos for you. Find us here.

See you soon.

Join us today for our Royall Lyme Reader Event, from 3-7 p.m., as local author Tony Wittwer talks about his new book, “Jonah’s Belly.”

The novel was inspired by Wittwer’s own experience of living in the wooded hills in Brown County, Indiana, where he spent one year, on a sabbatical of sorts. The lush hillsides inspired the mystical, magical hill that is the center and namesake of the novel, Jonah’s Belly. Here’s the description from the back cover of the book:

Thriller, love story, and supernatural tale, Jonah’s Belly is an intricately woven tapestry of tender and terrible things.

Strange things are happening on the hill called Jonah’s Belly. A tall circle of weathered stone pillars stands on top of the hill. The circle of stones is ancient, crumbling, and holy—a small and hidden Stonehenge, slumbering in the mist-covered woods. An old magic has begun flowing from the stone circle and spilling down Jonah’s Belly. The magic touches those living near the hill, drawing together ordinary people and extraordinary beings as events and dark forces begin to collide.

In an interesting twist, a bottle of lime-scented cologne–inspired by a childhood memory Wittwer had of “Royall Lyme,”–plays a central role in the novel. A few weeks ago, Wittwer sent a thank you note to Royall Lyme. “As both a ‘thanks’ and a gift, I sent a copy of the book to the company, along with a note about my memories of the cologne and the scent’s inclusion in the novel,” Wittwer explains. “The Royall Lyme company not only appreciated the gift, they also decided to ‘have some fun with it.'”

And by “fun” Wittwer means a full-on PR campaign, with promotional events, email blasts, and announcements on Royall Lyme’s website and social media outlets.

Lucky for Fort Wayne, one of those events is happening right here at Christopher James Menswear. Hear Wittwer read from his novel, ask him some questions, and then maybe shop a little bit (you’ll get a free gift bag with any Royall Lyme purchase).

So come in and see us: today, August 7 from 3-7 p.m. You won’t want to miss this!

In 1984, Bill Thomas, founder of Bill’s Khakis, discovered a pair of original WWII khakis at an Army surplus store in Ohio. Thomas, then a college student, fell madly in love with his newfound treasure. He admired their durability, deep pockets, and reveled in their supreme comfort. He wore them constantly–until they were little more than a pile of thread. Sadly, Thomas knew he couldn’t replace them–modern day Dockers didn’t hold a candle to the khakis of yore.

Khakis of yore: a US Soldier in Australia in WWII in a khaki uniform (and with a charming pup) (Photo source: Wikicommons)

So, he decided to make his own. In 1990, Thomas began manufacturing khakis like they did back in WWII, and with all the traits he fell in love with that fateful day in 1984, in the Army surplus store.

The company has tinkered with its products over the years, e.g. adding skinnier fits and more color, but has otherwise remained consistent. No matter if you buy them here at Christopher James Menswear or the Sierra Trading Post (*cough…buy from CJM…cough*), you are guaranteed the same great product. This is why Bill’s Khakis has such a loyal following–men know what they want, and with Bill’s Khakis, they get it.

BK’s khakis come in four basic fits: trim, standard, relaxed, and full, and in a variety of twill cottons, linens, poplin, seersucker, and canvas fabrics. All of their pants, whether pleated, double-pleated, or flat-front, are sewn with expert craftsmanship. They are definitely worth the slightly higher price tag.

Also, Bill’s Khakis is based in Reading, Pennsylvania, and their pants are produced right here in the USA. So, that’s another thing you can feel good about when buying from this company.

Help preserve this “small but symbolic piece of Americana,” as Bill’s Khakis calls it, and come sample our selection of Bill’s Khakis apparel. Find us here.

Hello, gentlemen of Fort Wayne! If you are looking for Allen Edmonds shoes, you must come see us at the store. We have tons of A.E. shoes–we’ve got A.E. wingtips, slip-ons, drivers, boat shoes, and plenty more.

Here is just a small sample of of our selection:

AE’s bourbon leather. These would look fantastic with a navy suit (and we have those too).

What every man should own: AE in classic black. This is only a fraction of our AE black shoe selection.

AE slip ons

Several AE casual styles

More AE casual styles…

It’s tough to tell, but the shoe on the right is a gorgeous deep burgundy leather.

We have these Allen Edmond shoes and more, so definitely come see us for our whole selection.

*ALSO* If you vote for us for the Fort Wayne Newspapers Reader’s Choice Best Of…2014 we will give you 20% off your purchase. We are nominated for Best Men’s Store, Best Shoe Store, and Best Formal Wear Rental & Sales.

(And yeah, we know what your thinking: “Wow, that’s a lot of noms, CJM! Congrats!” Yeah, yeah…well, what can we say? We’re good at what we do…Oh…wait, you were thinking you could get 20% for each category vote? Sorry, one discount per person. We’re good, but not THAT good.)

Show us some love and vote for us here. 

Then, come see us here. We look forward to seeing you.

If you looked up “Coppley custom clothing” in a thesaurus, you would find the following synonyms: high-quality, luxury, and the best in custom suiting.

OK, hypothetically you would.

But you get the point. Coppley is a Canadian-based clothier that pioneered the making of a made-to-measure suit in just seven days, and is one of the best in the biz when it comes to making a suit that fits and looks exactly the way a guy wants. They also make sport coats and trousers that we love.

Coppley’s top-tier products are why we, Christopher James Menswear, are excited to be offering a great sale on all Coppley clothing this month. Here are the deets:

20% off all Coppley custom suits, sport coats, and trousers.
The sale lasts from now until August 2nd.

Obviously, the sooner you come in, the more fabrics you will have to choose from. And so you know, Coppley gets its fabrics from luxury manufacturers around the world like Scabal (Brussles), Zegna (Italy), Holland and Sherry (New York City), and Loro Piana (Italy). We can barely contain all the worldliness and culture here inside CJM in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

(If you’re interested, here’s the latest on the 2014 fall/winter season’s best fabrics from Scabal, one of Coppley’s sources).

Coppley and Christopher James can accommodate any cut–classic or modern slim–and we promise the craftsmanship will be nothing short of exquisite.

So, if you’re looking for a suit that fits like a glove, and looks like a million bucks (but doesn’t cost nearly that), come see us at Christopher James Menswear. We’d love to see you.

Find us here.

So, the children you so lovingly raised with the utmost attention, support, and perfect balance of disciplinarian and loving father, failed to get you anything good this year. It happens. Don’t be disappointed. A guy like you, with superior taste, can be hard to shop for. So it’s more of a compliment, really.

However, you were probably hoping for something a little more fun than compliments this Father’s Day, so if those were all you got, come in and see us at Christopher James Menswear and we’ll help you pick out something you love.

We have tons of Agave knits that are perfect for summer, swimwear from Michael’s that is perfect for the pool or the beach, and as always, a stellar shoe collection. Maybe you want some new kicks for the green? Or a pair more appropriate for summer office attire? We have many options for both. We also have fun accessories, like pocket squares and rounds, which are very in this season.

So, come in and see us. Find us here.

We are almost positive we have something you’ll like. Unless of course, you want a corny tie or an apron that says “Grillmaster.”  Well, then, you know where to look…

Come get this look at Christopher James Menswear. Woman and bison not included.

T-shirt and jeans is a look that is as American as apple pie. From James Dean to the Fonz, to the nerd-chic techies in Silicon Valley, jeans and a t-shirt has acquired a luxury look all its own. Agave, a California-based denim brand, has perfected the luxury jeans and tee look, and flavored it with its signature West Coast aesthetic. They make exceptional jeans (which we carry at CJM), but they also makes knits that every guy in Fort Wayne, Indiana needs in his closet.

Agave knits, like Agave jeans, are well-made and last forever. There is no need to worry that they will fall apart after one wash (here’s looking at you, Mr. Three-Shirt Value Pack from Walmart). Also, Agave knits are 100% cotton or tencel, so they feel delicious. FYI: Tencel is a natural fiber known for nice draping, which is what often gives an Agave t-shirt that sophisticated, high-quality look.

We currently have A TON of Agave Knits in stock, and think you need to own some of them. We have them in a variety of “desert” colors, like tan, dusty blue, indigo, brown, white, eggplant, and more. We also have v-necks, crew necks, and polos, and shirts with and without pockets.

Really, we are like an Agave knit utopia. You have to see for it yourself. Come check out our selection.