Off the Cuff by Carson Kressley Page A

bracelet Capice?
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    You just want to lay your pocket square flat on a table. Pinch right in the middle between your thumb and forefinger and let it hang naturally—it will sort of look like a little ghost. Make a circle with the thumb and forefinger of your other hand, and draw the “ghost” through. Flip it over, fold it in half and stick it in the pocket. You should have a little bit of the rounded front part and a little bit of the tail sticking out. It’s an art form, so practice makes perfect.

THE FINISHED SUIT LOOK: PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER
    Oooh, that sounds naughty, doesn’t it? That’s bringing back Boy Scout jamboree memories, people. In tents. I mean intense.
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    Anyway, I know you’re confused. You’ve got a great classic suit. You have great shirts. You have some good ties and pocket squares. Now what? Three little words, peanut! Color, pattern, and scale. You can harmonize everything through just those three things. It’s just like making a martini. All it takes is finesse, practice, and good credit.
    Your Friend, The Tailor
    Your neighborhood tailor should become one of your best friends. The tailor is an important professional, just like your doctor, but the licensing requirements are not quite as stringent. Anyone can hang up a shingle and call him or herself a tailor. You have to find the good ones by word of mouth. So if you move to a new area, you need to ask friends, get recommendations, or you need to go and test tailors out by having a shirt altered or pants cuffed. Don’t take your new expensive suit to a brand-new tailor. If you’re buying a suit, and the store doesn’t do its own tailoring, ask the salesperson who they recommend. Generally this is a great way to find a reliable tailor.
    Let’s start, for example, with a charcoal gray suit. Add one accent color in the dress shirt like pink, light blue, or lavender. (White is so boring!) The shirt could also have pattern, like a small gridlike windowpane, a faint herringbone, a tone-on-tone design, or it could be a stripe.
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    The tie adds pattern and dimension. When mixing patterns, it’s all about complementary scale. The scale of the tie pattern should be bolder than the scale of the shirt pattern and should pick up color references from both the suit (charcoal gray) and the shirt (lavender, pink, or blue). It’s as easy as e = mc 2 . You do the math! Now just add a white pocket square for a dash of formality, or choose one that coordinates with—but doesn’t match—the necktie. It’s a little too “I work at Avis” when it all matches.
    Suits and Ties
    Pastel suits. They’ve gone the way of Miami Vice and Don Johnson’s career
    Shiny suits. You never want to look like a walking baked potato.
    Leisure suits. It’s an oxymoron, people.
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    Double breasted blue blazers with anchors on the buttons. You are not the captain of the Good Ship Lollipop. Your blue blazer should be single breasted.
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    Bow ties with suits. Just a little too Orville Redenbacher.
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    Cravats and ascots. Unless you’re trying out for the part of Thurston Howell III or are a member of a royal imperial court.
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    Novelty ties
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    Bolo ties

CHAPTER 6
    It’s a Wrap JACKETS, SCARVES, GLOVES, AND HATS
    YOUR OUTERWEAR (OR A GIGANTIC ZIT, SEE CHAPTER NINE) IS THE FIRST THING PEOPLE SEE WHEN THEY MEET YOU, SO PAY attention. You could be wearing a barrel with suspenders underneath—hell, you could be naked underneath—but if you have a nice-looking jacket on, people are only going to say, “Heeeeey! Looking good!” On the flip side, an inappropriate jacket—like a casual barn coat over a beautiful custom-made suit—can shut you down like a bad Ferris wheel. You could be wearing the most gorgeous suit in the world, and if you throw on a bad coat, game over. It’s like putting t-tops and fuzzy dice on a Rolls. To make it even easier for