Gift the Smart Way This Season with Christopher James

You can read this gift guide as either a handy list of your holiday favorites you can print out and give to your wife or as some favorites that are a must for your dad, son, nephew or friend. In no particular order, behold the Christopher James gift list:

Put a solid or patterned shirt that can be worn untucked high on your list. With the prevalence of adopting casual work cultures, there is less of a need to have many suits hanging in your closet. A shirt by Emanuel Berg, for example, can be worn tucked or untucked with jeans or chinos. We should clarify that not just any button-down shirt can be worn this way. Stop by and we’ll show you how to pull it off. 

 

A quarter-zip sweater from Peter Millar or Robert Graham is utilitarian *and* stylish. Sure, it will keep you warm, but over a patterned button-down, it can make a gent look polished for the office or ready to take a place at this weekend’s flute recital. Worn with jeans by 34 Heritage or with dressier trousers, you’ll have versatility on your side for sure. 

 

Dress socks can be a fun purchase from Christopher James for the guy on your list — or for yourself. Buy a luxurious pair by VKNagrani, which Esquire magazine has billed as “the best socks in the world.” They’ll be a treat for you or a good friend on your list. 

If you know your gift recipient’s size, refined sneaks by Wolverine or or Peter Millar would make a great gift. Available in butter leather and different colors, your someone special would love wearing these to work with jeans or khakis or on the weekend while he’s running errands. 

For the ultimate splurge, put a Hook & Albert garment weekender bag under the tree. The leather bag fully unzips to hold a sport jacket or suit on a hanger. Zip it and tuck in your shoes, shirt, sweater, undergarments and toiletries and you’re ready to say bon voyage. You’ll smile big when your special giftee tells you about the stares and double-takes how received while walking through the airport. 

You can never go wrong with a gift card from Christopher James. It shows just how much you care. 

Happy Holidays from Christopher James and see you soon! 

I Can’t Even: The Best Adulting Menswear Essentials from Christopher James — Part 1

At Christopher James in Fort Wayne, we recognize that the millennial generation values teamwork, the fulfillment of feeling like you belong to something larger than yourself and opportunities for learning and advancement. Adulting and playing the part involves dressing comfortably, confidently and appropriately. Make sure you have these essentials in your wardrobe on your road to success — and watch your investment dollars stretch in high-quality items: 

A well-fitting suit. A Canali, Hickey Freeman or Copply suit in a mid-weight fabric can take you from mild temperatures to the bitter cold with the help of a few layers. An off-the-rack sport coat is no substitute for a tailored suit that fits you perfectly in all the right places and looks like it was made for you. Talk to the team at Christopher James about the right fit and style for you. 

One of the best parts of investing in a suit is its versatility. Use the slacks with a dress shirt and sweater and skip the jacket. Or pair the jacket with more casual trousers, a button-down shirt and refined sneakers. 

Ties. The Christopher James team will help you pick out a tie or two from Robert Talbott to dress up your outfit or give you the courage to get a wild hair and step out with a bold pattern. A snazzy tie can add the perfect punch or give you the missing amount of polish your outfit needs. 

Dress shirts. Eton, Stenstrom’s or Emanuel Berg dress shirts are worth the investment. Let the staff at Christopher James share suggestions for matching dress shirts with ties. Consider purchasing a more subdued neutral solid-colored shirt and patterned one that will go with your suit. 

 

Leather belt. Keep your pants up. Need we say more? 

 

Jeans. Save the severely faded and torn jeans for the weekend. Jeans from 34 Heritage are classy and well-fitting enough to go with a sweater and button-down shirt or an untucked shirt from Peter Millar or Johnnie-O 

Stay tuned for part two of our adulting clothing essentials! In the meantime, see you at Christopher James.

 

Find Your Best Airport Style at Christopher James

Tis the season for vacation travel, relaxation and family time. Much the way you consider the contents of your vacation luggage, it’s worth taking the time to come up with a few comfortable and versatile options for you to wear during your plane trips to and from your destination. Here are some suggestions from the team at Christopher James before you squeeze in your last trip this summer:

Don’t underestimate the importance of high-quality underwear: You’re going to walk a lot, sit, bend down, stretch and maybe even run while en route to your vacation. Saxx underwear provides a good foundation for comfort and ease.

The reality of travel is that it can take long, involve a lot of walking and moving from cool airport lounges to boarding lines packed with a lot of body heat. A Peter Millar Performance Shirt is ideal for the golf course, but it works perfectly for travel days ahead. The moisture-wicking shirts will keep you cool while you’re walking from one end of the airport to the other. The softness and comfortable fit will make you say, “Flight delay? No sweat!”

Make sure you keep your feet comfortable, too, in a stylishly walkable pair of refined kicks from On. You’ll be ON and cushy while walking to your flight terminal in trendy On shoes.

Versatility: Emanuel Berg offers casual styles that can be left untucked and look great with soft 34 Heritage jeans. You’ll look great even after your delayed flight or waiting an extra hour for your luggage to arrive. You won’t be late for a quick nightcap in this outfit. Throw on a sport coat and call it a day.

Safe travels this summer season from Christopher James. See you soon.

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Graduation Gift Shopping for HIM in Fort Wayne Indiana

The Best Gifts for Your Favorite Grad  

 

Winter is finally(!) over and the end of the school year has arrived. It’s an exciting time for grads, so help them celebrate with a stylish gift or two from Fort Wayne’s Christopher James. Here are some of the hot items on our list:

Refined shirts: Reality is setting in and with a job in corporate America (or a non-profit or academic) around the corner, your favorite grad needs to look the part. A new Emanuel Berg shirt will quickly become a favorite in your grad’s spring wardrobe. The fine Italian fabrics and perfect fit makes the product well worth it. If your gift recipient is headed to a more relaxed work environment, opt for a shirt from Emanuel Berg that can be worn untucked. Not just any shirt can be worn this way. We can show your grad how to do it.

Dress socks: We’re not talking about six-packs of socks you can buy in varying patterns. Instead, think of the most luxuriously soft and high quality socks that will wrap your graduate’s feet in comfort all day while at the office. Esquire Magazine hasn’t declared VKNagrani socks the “best dress socks in the world” for no reason. Pay us a visit at Christopher James and we’ll show you why your grad deserves a pair or two.

Half-zip sweaters: A half-zip sweater from Peter Millar is an incredibly versatile wardrobe staple that your grad can wear to the office over a dress shirt or out with shorts or a pair of chinos on a cool day. Layer one under a sport coat until Mother Nature figures out exactly what season we’re in. We have many colors to choose from to pair with a mix of patterned shirts.

A Christopher James gift card: Congratulate your gift recipient with a Christopher James gift card! They’ll be in great hands with our expert staff should they need any advice on suiting, accessories or fashionable matches. See you soon!

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Spring Fashion at Christopher James

April Showers Bring May … Colors?

Flowers are blooming in Fort Wayne and so why not mirror some of the beautiful colors you see outside? Studies indicate that different hues can certainly have an effect on one’s mood and energy levels, so stow away the dark blues, browns and greens and opt for lighter blues, shades of yellow and different pastels.

If you’re not one to wear lighter colored-shirts on top, try easing into spring with accessories from Christopher James that introduce calming colors like blues, inject you with energy, thanks to the likes of shades of violet and red and douse you with rays of sunshine from happy colors like yellows and greens.

Pick up a new pair of socks or a spring-y Robert Talbott tie. Opting for a patterned shirt could be a bold step for some. Loosen the proverbial — or figurative, these days — tie and consider an Emanuel Berg pocket square with bright colors that scream warmer temperatures, brighter moods and new life. A much smaller footprint with a potential to make or break your look, why not take a fashionable leap of faith and stick a stylishly bold pocket square in your blazer breast pocket

Think spring and see you at Christopher James soon!

Men’s Spring Fashions in Ft. Wayne

So Long, Winter! Hello, Spring in Fort Wayne!

You survived winter! You could celebrate by wearing a few of the spring fashion trends that we hear the young men are sporting these days, which include leather pants and tie dye shirts, or you could be a part of the cool kids and don a colorful button-down shirt to go under your blazer or lightweight sweater. Yeah, we at Christopher James think the latter, too.

With patterns such as paisley, plaid and checks, you’ll welcome spring with colors that will brighten up many days ahead. The newest selections from Peter Millar and Emanuel Berg  will help put you in a brighter mood. The trend is big and bold, so go big or go home! Think fun patterns with bright blues and corals against a white background or vibrant plaids that brighten up your wardrobe in a pinch.

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The beauty of sporting a cheerfully patterned shirt is that it can look terrific and add a wonderful pop of color under a smart Maurizio Baldassari sportcoat. Paired with lightweight slacks, you’ll be ready to welcome spring. Don’t forget about your pocket square! It adds a little extra life to your wardrobe and completes the look.

Think spring and come visit us in Fort Wayne. See you soon!

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