Accessories You Can’t Do Without This Spring

How to Accessorize your Wardrobe in Fort Wayne

Gentlemen, don’t overlook new accessories to add to your spring wardrobe this season in Fort Wayne. Whether it’s a pop of color, something new to cinch your waist or a little something out of the ordinary around your neck to complete your look, count on the expert staff at Christopher James to share their expertise on the additions to invest in this spring:

Pocket squares: The smallest details can make the biggest impact. Don’t underestimate the power of the pocket square. Not to be confused with a handkerchief, a colorfully bold pocket square tucked into your jacket breast pocket is all for show and will help you show well. The colors are rich this season — think vibrant blues, red, coral, purple, pink, yellow and orange. Check out our picks from Carrot and Gibbs, Edward Armah and Robert Talbott.

Belts: It’s always helpful to have a smart, sophisticated classic belt in buttery leather from Trafalgar or W. Kleinberg. No need to match your belt to shoes. Instead, choose a complementary color. Play it safe and steer clear of picking a belt in a contrasting color against a dark background.

Underclothes: Who thought underwear could be life changing? You’ll be a believer, too, when you try out Saxx underwear for yourself. They’re well worth the investment. You can choose the material and fit that’s right for you.

Refined sneakers: The brands are many, the colors are endless, the styles are smart and the concept is most welcome. Sneakers you can wear to work! Who knew? With selections from Wolverine and Peter Millar, you’ll have many to choose from.

Stop in to our Ft Wayne Store soon and the Christopher James staff will help you accessorize!

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Pocket Squares & Circles Oleg Style

Hip to be Square! Pocket squares and “circles” are all the rage at Christopher James. Whether to compliment your finest suit or to add some needed dash to your date night sport coat, Christopher James has an impressive collection of pocket accessories from Eton, Robert Talbott. S.T.E.P.  USA, Edward Armah, and more….

Watch Oleg Brown with a series of videos about accessorizing your suit and sport coats with pocket squares and circles…

 

 

 

How To Tie a Bow Tie – Oleg Style

National Bow Tie Day at Christopher James!

Seems there is a holiday for everything and bowties are no exception. Today is National Bow Tie Day! Stop in and see our great selection of ties and check out our own, Oleg Brown on Fort Wayne Magazine’s website as he shows how to tie a bowtie!

As an added bonus, purchase any regular priced Eton shirt today and receive a bow tie FREE!

In honor of the day, ”Tie one on!!!

Kentucky Derby Fashions in Fort Wayne

The Bets Are on at Christopher James!

Whether you’re attending the Kentucky Derby or making an appearance at a local Ft. Wayne, In Derby party, Christopher James Menswear has you covered. That means you too, ladies! You can bet on being stylish with Christopher James in your sport coat pocket. New soft pocket squares made from cotton, cashmere, modal and designed by New York-based artist Ruth Graves are available just in time for your spring celebrations.

The weather is finally turning, and you’ll see the new season demonstrated in Graves’ pastel hues and bright patterns. Her smart designs for Derby day and beyond will add charm to our female customers’ fashions. Derby Day is the fastest two minutes in sports, but Graves’ designs will have a lasting impact on your spring wardrobe.

Graves is a long-time collaborator of ours, and we’re thrilled to have her on-site at the Fort Wayne store on May 9 from 2 to 7 p.m.  Come and hear her talk about her recent creations and stay to see the latest clothing from Byron Clothing, including suits and sportscoats, and Trask, which will have their stylish shoes on display. You’ll also have an opportunity to see Christopher James’ semi-custom dress and sports shirts. They’ll all be on hand with additional merchandise and special pricing.

Speaking of special pricing, from now until May 18, you can save $100 when you spend $500 or $250 off purchases over $1,000 use our Mad About Spring Offer.

We look forward to seeing you soon, and good luck with your Derby pools!

Bow or No? Proper Neckwear For a Tuxedo

Should I wear a bow tie or neck tie with my tuxedo?

“Should I wear a bow tie or necktie with a tuxedo?”

We get this question often here at Christopher James in Fort Wayne.

Our answer is always the same: Bow tie.

(Sorry if that was anti-climatic.)

The explanation is more fun, promise.

A matter of etiquette

Black tie is all about rules, and dressing accordingly shows respect for the event, person, place, etc. for which you’re dressing up. Your wedding, for example. Or an elegant dinner party, reception, or formal dance.

Your date didn’t spend hours primping like royalty to spend the evening with a dude who looks like he couldn’t be bothered to gussy all the way up. (And you don’t want to spend a long evening by the punch bowl.)

Not to mention: a long tie with a tux just looks odd.

It’s not quite a tuxedo, but it’s certainly not a suit. It’s a conundrum, that’s what it is.

Don’t be fooled by celebrities on the red carpet, either. Subtract the glitz and glam of Hollywood (not to mention all the heavy photo editing), and a guy even like, say, Chris Hemsworth, will look goofy in a tie tux combo.

Also keep in mind that a stylist, looking to make a name for him or herself, is often behind the red carpet looks of many celebrity men. To stand out, a stylist must sometimes push boundaries, which is especially true for men’s formal wear because hasn’t changed all that much in the past century.

But, wait.

We don’t mean to sound like a sartorial hall monitor, and we certainly don’t want to squash personal expression. Although you can’t break the rules here, we never said you couldn’t bend them.

Therefore, here are a few ways you can have a little more fun with your bow tie.

  • Nobody said your bow tie must be black. Experiment with a darker color, like burgundy or navy. Patterns are all the rage these days too.
  • Bored with silk satin? Try a lightly textured fabric, or if you’re feeling bold, go black velvet.
  • Butterfly schmutterfly. There are many other knots you can create, including the batwing, the diamond point, the club round, and the jumbo butterfly. Mix it up.

If you’re in the market for fun bow ties, or you want to just see how a patterned bow tie will look with your tux, come see us. We have a superb selection of bow ties here at Christopher James Menswear and we’d love to help you experiment.

Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette Article Featuring Christopher James Menswear

Young men seek pop, local retailers say

Accessories have become an important sales item for Christopher James Menswear, says Chris Lambert, owner of the clothing retailer in Covington Plaza along West Jefferson Boulevard.

Lambert says customers, especially younger men, are looking for just a little more pop to their wardrobe and accessories have met that need.

“Millennials are definitely looking for something different,” says David Rabideau, owner of the David Talbott Collection, which is in the City Exchange, 127 W. Wayne St. He says trends show that younger people are looking for more colors.

Now, there’s not only more colors “that you never saw before,” Rabideau says, but more styles and mixing and matching of patterns.

Some of the accessories getting top billing include the pocket square, which “adds some nice color,” Lambert says, and belts. Lambert says the belt business is strong and that men are seeking custom belts in which they can pick out the leather and stitching.

Of course, there also are socks – especially colorful socks, he says.

Rabideau says when he replaced his conservative selection of black, brown and gray socks with more colorful selections, they sold quickly.

Some of the newer accessories that are catching on are flower lapels for suits that add accent color and a new take on the pocket square – a pocket round.

Cufflinks are also popular. Lambert says cuff links work well with shirts that have convertible cuffs, which means a shirt can either use cuff links or button like normal. And for an added flair, Lambert sells political cuff links. They include images of current candidates, or men can go retro with Kennedy, Reagan and Truman links.

When it comes to ties, Lambert says men tend to wear them less, but when they do, the ties are better made, with unique silks and higher-quality fabrics. Men are seeking ties that offer individuality, he says.

And for those men who don’t want to wear a tie, Rabideau offers the trendy look of wearing high-end T-shirts under a sport coat or dressy suit. These T-shirts come in black – which is the most popular color – steel gray, graphite or burgundy.

“Women have the little black dress; we have the little black T,” Rabideau says. “It gives (a sport coat or suit) an entirely different look.”

Moving even further from the traditional suit or sport coat look, Lambert is seeing more guys wear tennis shoes, which he carries at the store, with their suit. “That whole thing has changed,” Lambert says about what to wear with a suit or sport coat. “The whole dynamic has changed.”

That proves the same for watches, which Rabideau says “are coming back as more of a fashion piece than something to tell time.”

Lambert and Rabideau agree the men’s clothing business has changed.

“It’s actually fun to dress people now because there are so many more options,” Rabideau says.

However, those options could have a downside. Rabideau says guys don’t usually like a lot of options because they don’t like to shop.

But he says men can always come in and he will be more than happy to give style advice.

 

http://www.journalgazette.net/features/Young-men-seek-pop–local-retailers-say-13475720

Saxx Underwear Available in Ft. Wayne

Nothing says “Happy Valentines Day” like a gift from Christopher James. We have you covered from top to bottom. Stop in and check out our new arrivals from Saxx underwear and see for yourself why Men’s Health magazine considers them some of the best underwear in the world.  READ THE ARTICLE >>

Must-Have Winter Accessories for Fort Wayne

Sometimes, it’s the small things that make an outfit. In cold weather, one small thing can mean the difference between being toasty or a human popsicle. So, stay warm and stylish this winter in Fort Wayne with these must-have accessories.

Boots
In Fort Wayne, where snow, rain and frigid temperatures often occur all at once, you must have shoes that defy Mother Nature. Wolverine, a maker of reputable work boots, also makes stylish casual boots for men, and they are perfect for standing up to snow, rain and frigid temperatures.

Wolverine boots in black and brown

Wolverine boots

 

Socks
Nothing else matters when your toes are cold. So, keep your tootsies cozy with the right socks.

gray wool argyle socks

 

A quilted vest
A popular look now is to wear a quilted field vest under a blazer or sport coat. We think it looks quite posh.

Quilted vest

 

A cashmere scarf
Cashmere is a combination of extreme lightness and extreme warmth that only Mother Nature could engineer. This purr-inducing, sophisticated fabric is the fine undercoat of goats that inhabit some of the coldest places on earth (e.g. Mongolia in winter), so it’s silky but incredibly warm. Did we mention it always looks chic? Cashmere is the fabric of the winter season.

Coppley Suit

A cashmere scarf is a very dapper accessory

 

A cozy hat
Science has dispelled the myth that you lose most of your body heat through your head, but when the temperature is below zero (as it often is in during a Fort Wayne winter), retaining every bit of warmth helps. So, cap your precious noggin with a warm hat.

gray winter hat

A cozy hat. Photo Credit: Hedgehog Fibres via Compfight cc

 

Handy Gloves
Sleek leather gloves always look sophisticated. They also always protect your hands from a freezing steering wheel in the morning. Black leather gloves are classic and brown look modern with a dark gray pea coat.

Black leather gloves

Photo Credit: guantipelle via Compfight cc

For more ways to stay warm this winter, come see us at Christopher James Menswear.