Cafe Couture

The ability to layer ones clothes is what sets a fashionable gent apart from the rest of the pack. Mastery of this skill is what will enable you to consistently produce fashionable outfits that express your unique personality. Layering is especially important during the winter and spring months because in addition to adding a flare to your style, it helps to keep you warm. Another great plus for mastering the art of layering is that it is an ideal way to plan ahead, if it is cold in the morning you have more layers, and as it gradually warms up during the day you can take of the required layers and still maintain a stylish persona.

The Metropolitan presents you with some simple guidelines to help you execute that perfect layered look that will keep you ahead of the curve.

1. The thinnest layers always come first (closest to the skin), and they are then topped off with heavier garments which rest over top. This means you want to first put on cotton t-shirts, dress shirts or vests, and use it as a canvas for putting on heavier garments on top of that.

2. Your outfit doesn’t have to match the dull weather outside. If it is cloudy or rainy, that doesn’t mean that you have to wear dull colours to match the environment. Try adding a pop of colour here or there, and you will find that it will lift your spirits as well! Splashes of reds, hints of purple and dashes of green will set you apart from the other monochromatically garmented people that you will see on the streets.

3. In addition to injecting colour into your outfit, remember that each layer has to have the ability to be worn on its own. That means if you take off the layer on top, the layer that remains has to look great as a standalone outfit. This is one of the biggest secrets in layering.

4. Each layer has to tie with the layer above and below it. For example, don’t pair a loud graphic t-shirt with a shabby old vest and dress shirt because you are just creating a hodge-podge look that isn’t aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Aim for congruency. It is always fun to experiment, however, if the occasion deems it necessary to wear formal attire, never go above three layers.

Let us now check out some possible layered looks:

Look 1

This first look is very casual and great for spring time because it keeps you warm, and stylish at the same time. This type of outfit is great for college students because of its more relaxed nature. The hoodie can be removed if the classroom becomes too stuffy, and you will still be able to maintain a trendy style because of the vest and scarf. If you need to get physical for whatever reason, just remove the vest and scarf and you have a crisp white t-shirt with clean lines.

Look 2

Our second look will give you that edgy bad boy appeal. Stick to dark colours and layer a long leeved button up shirt with a dark tank top. Choose a stylish scarf and a structured form fitting black leather jacket and you are good to rock.

Look 3

Our third and final look is the most formal, but heavy on the accessories for those that want to spice it up a notch. The red and white striped tie adds a pop of colour against the backdrop of the white shirt. The navy blue cardigan with toggle buttons goes well with the raw denim jeans and looks equally stylish unfastened as it does closed. The driving gloves add a touch of class and will keep your hands warm during the cool spring breezes. We’d love to hear your views on the topic of layering. So if you would like to get interactive, leave your comments in the comments selection below and make yourself heard!

Founded in the Swedish town of Uddevalla in 1903 by Markus Schwarmann and Hjalmar Nordström this brand is synonymous with trendy menswear for the fashion forward gentleman. Classic fashion staples are updated by Tiger with a modern metropolitan twist to create unique contemporary designs. They have a full collection of business casual clothing with contemporary cuts for quarter length coats and tapered pants that are as perfect for the office as they are for a weekend jaunt to town. Tiger also has a seductive line of lingerie for both men and women. The company started off making only suits exclusively, however, because of their great attention to detail and quality, their slim-fitting parkas, coats and other items are now very popular with fashion conscious males throughout the world.

The picture above illustrates a typical business casual look that can easily be put together with clothes from Tiger. A structured blazer with broad shoulders and a tapered waist will create a very manly physique, and when paired with tapered glenurquhart check pants will finish off the look to create a sleek and desirable silhouette. Tiger of Sweden also has a broad selection of stylish footwear.

It is also worth checking out their unique form fitting coats which are made of high quality wools and will pair nicely with your suit, or weekend wear.