Keikari.com

“Not being a math major, I figure it’s always safer to say I was born in 1946. My Mercer&Sons designs and manufactures shirts and boxer shorts. I was fortunate to enjoy a classical secondary education and studied the liberal arts and law in Boston in the heyday of the Ivy League look in the late ’50s and ’60s. Growing up in New England and Boston and Cambridge, the Ivy League look was a natural. And New England, contrary to the fashion centers of the world, and especially in the ‘50s and 60’s, stressed value and traditional good looks over flash and indulgence. The more classic the look, the better the make, the older the item, the more prized it was.

My wife Serena is my partner in our small business. She has a very good sense of style and impeccable taste, myself excluded. My son and daughter love our small business, wear lots of Mercer shirts (a Mercer shirt looks fabulous on women, much more stylish than the tight-fitting women’s blouse which the industry pushes), and each is building his and her own just out of college experiences in Bozeman, Montana. My family was always very supportive of my ventures, however impractical and harebrained. My father was an MIT-educated engineer whom few people suspected to be an engineer. He grew up in a rural town of 250 people in Vermont, Illinois. When Bostonians asked Dad where he was from, he told them ‘Vermont’. They would nod and say ‘I thought so’, assuming he was an old New Englander. He was creative and innovative, yet very practical and immensely more mechanically talented than I. But he was fully supportive of my less than traditional path. He enjoyed those who thought outside the box.

Hand-cut shirts from Mercer patterns

My father traveled the world selling rolling mill equipment to the steel industry. Although he spent much time in what is now termed The Rust Belt of America, he also spent a lot of time in London, New York, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Germany. He also had a close friend who ran a small haberdashery in the financial district of Boston. The gentleman had style and was a terrific salesman with a superb sense of humor. He and my father would assemble a number of ties for Christmas Day. We’d draw lots and one tie was always horrendous-looking. Winning the booby prize was the most fun of all.

Over the course of a lifetime, one sees a lot of clothes, a lot of different faces and bodies, and one develops a sense of what works for oneself and others. By good fortune, I have been introduced to expert patternmakers and cutters and seamstresses, people who understand the intricacies and art of shirtmaking. The first person I became intimately involved with in the rag trade was a man by the name of Arthur Feldman. A true gentleman. He made the best ties in the business. Before I met Arthur, I had spoken to a number of the lesser lights in the tie business, all of whom were reluctant to take a chance on me and my crazy designs. Arthur took a look, had the designs struck at his mills in Switzerland and Italy. My first order was for thousands of dollars, as the mills had minimum requirements in order to strike new patterns. Years later I asked Arthur why he never bothered to get any credit information. Arthur said, ‘I knew looking at you that you were honest.’

The Mercer button-down collar

Whenever Arthur wanted to raise prices on ties he made for us, he would call and ask me if he could charge a quarter more per tie in order to give his seamstresses a raise. Before I could say anything, he’d say ‘Think it over, and let me know in a week.’ It’s a little like the fellow who will fix your computer for little or nothing because he loves fixing things while some slick company will charge a fortune and gum up the machine. Arthur loved the business, his ties, those who worked for him, and those fortunate enough to be his customers. Later on, I complained to a friend that so and so certainly didn’t run his business like Arthur Feldman. My friend said that Arthur was an unfortunate introduction to the garment trade. Arthur was one of a kind. They broke the mold with him. I was also fortunate to meet the best patternmaker in the business, who helped me improve upon the basic model of Brooks Brothers shirts of the ’50s and ’60s. A different shirt, ours, but one that incorporates the best of the old and numerous improvements in sizing and construction, and whose actual cutting and sewing and fabric makes for a much better shirt.

Spread Mercer collar

Our goal from day one, in 1982, was to make the best shirt and offer it directly to customers at a fair price. I’ve always loved the mail order business since buying Whammo sling shots from Field and Stream and square inches of land in Alaska from the back of cereal boxes. Over thirty years ago, I understood that the quality of the benchmark button-down was declining and the sizing being skimped upon. Most people did not recognize the changes. And while the quality was slowly declining, the price was going up. If I thought shirtmakers were skimping on cloth then to save a buck, I hate to tell you what I think now.

The button-less BD collar

From day one, people recognized what we were trying to preserve and improve upon. We’ve run a small ad in the New Yorker for years (Serena used to sell advertising for The New Yorker, you just never know what the next sales call will lead to?), and tiny as the shirt drawing is, it catches the eye. The well-made button-down collar is immediately recognizable. From day one, dealing directly with our customers has been one of the most satisfying aspects of our business.  Interesting, diverse lives and stories from all over the world. And any time there’s a question, they speak directly with the Boss(es). Shirtmaking is an art, not a science. A good shirt looks more like a crafted piece of artwork than something produced by a robot. The most automated factories produce a commodity product. While many shirts these days are overpriced, and, upon inspection, are not well-made, ironically enough, some of the most outrageously-priced shirts look like they were made by assembly line robots rather than the hands of a warm-blooded person. Absolute perfection is not as pleasing to the eye as many engineers or product supply people might think. Each and every shirt has character, believe it or not. Many hands, many steps, before the final ironing and pinning.

Regular collar

I have been a country mouse for years now, and dress casually. One of the many wonderful attributes of Mercer shirts is that each shirt really offers two shirts for the price of one in the sense that our shirts are the perfect dress shirts, and yet double as most comfortable and stylish shirts for casual wear as well. Our fit and our soft collar styles are unique and distinguish themselves from all other dress and casual shirts. The fact that the tailoring is impeccable makes them no less useful for sporty wear. They look crisp, and, of course, they last forever. I would not consider myself a fashion maven. I believe strongly that clothes you buy should last forever. I wear old Peal&Co. shoes I bought in the ’60s and ’70s, a Norman Hilton sport coat from the ’70s, the blue blazer from my wedding day almost 30 years ago, khakis, a belt from the ’60s, and a grey wool and nailhead suit from Brooks in the early ’80s. Good, well made classic clothing should last forever. Always easy to dandy up things up a bit with a new shirt, a colorful tie and some interesting socks.

I used to be crazy about good shoes and ties, but long ago bought what I needed and they’ll last a lot longer than I will. I love to read, fish (small brook trout are about the cutest cratures anywhere), I enjoy birds, I take too may photos of the stupidest things, I’m a little obsessive about getting my daily exercise, biking, hiking, rowing machine, I love spectator sports of all kinds, enjoy British comedy and mysteries, do the daily word jumble and love to cook and grill. I enjoy sports of all kinds. My mind is clogged up with so much sports trivia that it probably works at 20% capacity. And it’s getting worse all the time.

Try not to be swept up by the current fashion. Just like investing. Buy for the long haul. As Mr. Buffett says, price is what you pay, value is what you buy. Good clothes are not inexpensive, and are an investment, really. That said, with a little imagination, you can mix and match less expensive items with better ones. You may decide that a particular item is especially important to you. Shoes, for example. Especially for dress, shoes are one thing you must buy carefully. They must fit properly, and never opt for inexpensive shoes. They won’t last, they’ll kill your feet and they’ll ruin your entire get up. And polish regularly. At least buff them every day with an old rag or, better yet, a good brush which has all that old polish in the bristles. Preserves the leather and the patina improves over time. Old shoes look better than new shoes, so take good care of your favorites.

You will have to work to find items that fit your budget and your individual sense of style. Never compromise too much on quality as it will show. It’s penny-wise and pound foolish. Don’t be a slave to fashion or names. Clothes can make the man, or part of him, anyway. But you need to make your own smart decisions, rather than bowing to the latest trend. For years women in particular have fallen prey to the fashionistas. Yet the best-dressed women buy only the classics — shoes, suits and blouses which they can wear for years. Partly because they can afford to, but also because they’re sensible. A few select classics are a much better buy than many mediocre ones. More and more, it seems that men are falling prey to so-called designers trends. Just like investing, buy value not the headlines. Stick to the tried and true. The classics.

Finally, never equate price with quality. Well-made clothing costs more; clothing that costs more is not necessarily well-made or worth the price.”

http://www.mercerandsons.com/

Pictures: © Ivy-Style and Mercer&Sons

‘…there is a difference between being well-dressed and being stylish. When you read most clothing forums/blogs, eventually you’ll see the names of Agnelli, the Duke of Windsor and Cary Grant mentioned as great dressers. Yet, as all three of them were very different men, they all dressed very differently. The Duke wore many patterned suits/sportcoats. He was a man that did not have a “boss” or anyone to answer to. There was no office to attend, no clients to see. Agnelli was an industrialist/playboy. His clothing, while mostly solids, was worn with a panache (watch over the shirt, etc) befitting a jet setter such as himself. Grant, as a Hollywood star, wore a button-down collar, French cuff shirts with double breasted suits, a general “go to hell” kind of look.

What reactions would these gentlemen receive from today’s clothing forums? Probably not a good one. The Duke would be seen as an overwrought Dandy. Agnelli would be thoroughly ridiculed for wearing the watch on top of his sleeve. Cary Grant would probably be tarred and feathered for wearing a button-down collar French cuff shirt with a double-breasted suit. I bring these three gentlemen up because they represent what I think is the best lesson in dressing that anyone can learn. Dress for who you are and for your situation. Agnelli would never wear what the Duke wore. The Duke would have renounced the throne if he had to wear a button down collar shirt with one of his DB’s. In that same light, not everyone can or should wear the latest out of Pitti. Or the latest trend on the forums. Or dress from a book. Or dress like the Duke/Agnelli/Grant. That’s not organic. You may be well dressed but you will not be stylish.’

~ Ed Morel in his interview with Keikari

‘I’m 27, turning on 28, and I am in Business Consulting in a Big 4 firm. I graduated from Paris Pantheon Assas University, which has a lovely situation in front of the Jardins du Luxembourg in Paris, and provided me with great opportunities to work in these charming gardens during spring and summer times while watching people. It’s known to be a good spot for model-hunters, I couldn’t agree more. Nevertheless, I can’t say that style is the main preoccupation of Assas’ students, though they’re probably more interested in it than many other Parisian students. This comment does, however, not apply to girls who were quite stylish. I live with my girlfriend, with no children. I have to say that she proved to be very understanding of my passion for clothing and never criticizes it. Sometimes she realizes the extreme aspects of it, like when I’m putting my 100+ ties back in order, sorting them out by color, fabric and pattern. Nonetheless, she looks terrified when I’m wearing orange or yellow socks, at my greatest amusement.

My father thinks I have way too many suits, shirts, ties, shoes but he gave up making some comments about that fact and still speaks some kind words about how elegant his son is. My grandmother likes very much the fact that I’m so interested in men’s clothing and loves the color diversity. My late grandfather was one of the most well-dressed men I have ever seen, with a way less furnished wardrobe than mine but always wearing an impeccable attire, even on weekends or during days spent at home. This made me very proud of him, as he was naturally elegant. Some people are seeking this effect their whole life but this isn’t something you can obtain with time, or at least with great difficulty, whereas it was entirely natural on his side. My sisters are rather neutral and don’t comment much. The elder sometimes tells me that she secretly wishes her boyfriend would dress more like me but such comments remain exceptional. I can’t say overall that my family is blaming me for my passion but they are certainly impressed, maybe not positively, by the size of my wardrobe.

As mentioned before, my grandfather probably had a great influence on me but the real trigger was one of my former bosses, back in the days when I used to intern in a boutique investment fund. His sense of style was great: suits of all colors, braces, lovely ties and oxfords with a patina. He invited me to “consult” with Michaël Ohnona, a Paris-based MTM tailor, a lovely man with a passion for elegance and style. I know most of Paris tailoring houses, MTM or bespoke and Michaël has undoubtedly one of the most refined sense of style I’ve ever come across. I’ve known him for more than 5 years and every time I see him, I learn new things. I respect him very much for that reason and with time, I like to think that we became friends. He also patronized me upon my first Rolex purchase, a vintage Explorer I. It remains today my favorite watch, despite my owning some more prestigious branded watches. Dressing the Man from Alan Flusser also had a tremendous impact on myself, especially from an educational point of view, sartorially speaking. He covers almost all aspects of menswear in great details and provides exceptional insight.

Your question is right on the spot as far as I’m concerned as I first developed an interest in fashion in the early 2000’s, and was a very active contributor and then-moderator of the CommeUnCamion community which remains, if I’m not mistaken, the largest French fashion forum. I then progressively turned towards elegance and style and drifted away from fashion as “fashion fades, style is eternal,” as Yves Saint-Laurent perfectly pointed out. This might sound like a cliché but it is the truest thing I’ve ever read about style. However, I still have and wear my Dior Homme jeans from back then and they remain some of the greatest purchases I’ve ever made for casual wear. I then started reading Depiedencap forum section and all articles I could find online. I left it quite quickly, though, as there are several harshly criticizing people without real extensive experience on this website. While this also applies to some members of the legendary Styleforum, some members such as Reginald-Jerôme de Mans and his encyclopedic knowledge, or SpooPoker and his great sense of style and color, made a great impression on myself.

It has been a long journey and it started with my grandfather, then with my boss at the investment fund, then with the Internet that is the largest information source one could ever hope to find. I ordered all menswear books and read all of them with great interest without ever discovering another Dressing the man. I spent a lot of time talking to MTM houses and bespoke tailors and learned a tremendous number of things that way. I have especially Michaël Ohnona and Andrea Luparelli from Sartoria Ripense (my official tailor) to thank for their knowledge and friendship. Tumblr is a remarkable source of inspiration where I am also a small contributor.

The greatest progress I’ve made is probably through the daily discussions I’m having with friends and e-friends that all are on the mailing list of Dirnelli. Most people would consider us a group of mentally deranged people but I would say we are a sartorial perfection-obsessed group of people. There are clearly different levels of dedication amongst us but I don’t want to point out who is the most affected of all of us in terms of the quest for the Great Sartorial Truth, he will probably recognize himself.

While I was at first obsessed with Savile Row, probably because of the legend that goes with it, I progressively turned towards Italian and French bespoke tailors and now prefer these above all others. Savile Row has a more structured, military approach of suiting that I respect, but I prefer the French and Italian. While most suit addicts know what English and Italian styles are, very few know how to describe the French one. It’s in my opinion the greatest one of all as it is a mix of English and Italian inspirations with a rather light-floating canvas, slightly more structured than the Neapolitan makers, but with the most incredible level of details and hand-stitching one could ever lay his eyes on. This is especially true for Camps de Luca, Cifonelli and Smalto. They are indeed more expensive than most tailors worldwide or at least on par with Rubinacci, Caraceni and Huntsman, on the other hand.

I am wearing very fitted suits with high armholes, trousers with single pleats and a 4.5cm cuff. I am obsessed with freedom of movement and this is the first thing I’m telling a tailor I’m about to work with: “think Orchestra conductor and if you know him, think Wilhelm Furtwaengler. Now imagine that I’m even more agitated and that I don’t want my suit to move around during the day. It has to be a second skin”.

[My go-to makers are]

RTW: Ring Jacket, Isaia, Belvest, Caruso are my favorites

MTM: Michaël Ohnona and Orazio Luciano

Bespoke: Sartoria Ripense, Camps de Luca

I started my Tumblr exactly when I discovered Tumblr as I thought it would be the best way to benefit from it. I started posting a bit about myself and to reblog my most favorite pictures, whereas I’m almost solely posting my own pictures now. I cannot complain about how I’ve been received; many people follow me, ask me questions and I’ve even had the pleasure of being featured on Putthison.com.

I am truly passionate about classical music and have been for all my life; my dad had a great role in that. My greatuncle was also a world-class cellist. I would dare to say it’s in my blood and, while I have not inherited his genius, I’ve been playing the piano for 23 years and couldn’t imagine stopping. I am actually listening to 5^th Piano Concerto of Beethoven while writing these very words. I am very much into travelling and write a lot of reviews and trip reports following my discoveries. I secretly wish I had been a luxury travel agent or luxury lifestyle advisor. Why haven’t I pursued that career plan? I couldn’t bear the thought of having clients with horrible clothing tastes, I guess. I also despise rude people and a lot of newly wealthy people follow this sad trend.

It does not cost more to buy a suit at the right size. That is the most valuable principle I would love people to apply. Never trust salesmen, especially at well-known brands flagship shops. Educate yourself online, it’s free and you can also ask people on Tumblr for pieces of advice on how to buy a suit. The second principle is that a Dior suit will not make you elegant or stylish if it’s not perfectly fitted for you. Just spend a quarter of that money to buy a suit at a store like Suitsupply or Boggi and select one that suits you well. You will be infinitely more elegant. Learn to drift away from brands and fashion houses, they’re not the absolute truth, far from it.’

http://paul-lux.tumblr.com/

Pictures: © Paul Lux

One English professor took the plunge, deciding to rise and dress for the occupation for one year. As social dynamics mavericks would say, his inner game changed dramatically, not to mention the reactions he received. The alias Thomas H. Benton shares his empirical findings below. Here’s hoping he’ll inspire others and a meta-analysis from sartorial escapades will be available within a decade.

http://chronicle.com/article/The-Year-of-Dressing-Formally/45940