Keikari.com

In December 2010, FtDF sat down with one Michael Alden for an in-depth chat. The interview sees him go through personal background, style inspirations, magnetism, the differences between English and Italian tailors, classic style in the 21st century and the online style community. Highly recommended reading to all who care.

‘I have never had a passion for clothes. I am deeply interested in people, people who radiate elegance, be it in their everyday lives or on stage. Being elegant has very little to do with the clothes themselves. It is all about the way you wear the clothes and how you carry yourself. What matters is radiating style.’

http://forthediscerningfew.com/2011/01/14/interview-with-michael-alden/

Andrew McDonald is a Shoemaker from Dumbo Feather on Vimeo.

1.
A few years ago, guys had to identify their style as either fashiony or traditional. Those somewhere in the middle were considered indecisive. Now, if you’re in the middle, you can take the best from both worlds and create something new. For me, it’s handmade Neapolitan tailoring with a modern cut.

2.
There’s an old saying: ‘Wait on the shore of the river and you will see the body of your enemy pass by.’ If someone wrongs you, don’t react with anger or vengeance. Cut off all ties with that person and wait—eventually he’ll get his.

3.
When I eat pasta or mozzarella di bufala, I chew extra hard to get in some exercise. I’m joking, but the point is I still enjoy food and I still look after myself. You need to be in shape, but don’t be obsessed with your body. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.

4.
Do things the way they should be done or don’t do them at all. When I go to Miami, I’d rather spend three days in a beautiful hotel and eat in great restaurants than spend 10 days in a mediocre motel, eating in so-so restaurants. If I’m going to do something, I have to do it right.

5.
Get a suit you really like even if it’s not the safe choice. Buying another blue or gray suit makes you another sheep in the herd. I want to be the black sheep.

6.
In Neapolitan dialect, there’s an expression, fare una sciammeria, which means to have a wild, passionate, crazy night of sex. They don’t come easily — you need to make a bit of effort. To get one you need to invest money — take a woman out to the right restaurant, buy her flowers, do vacations. The money spent will bring you pleasure. It’s the same with a suit — you need to spend money to get the most from one.

7.
You don’t always have to wear wing tips with suits. In the summer, I wear sandals, handmade in Capri, to make my suits a little less dramatic. As long as you wear something naturally, it can never lose its elegance.

8.
You can recognize a good shirt immediately on a plane. If a guy, after placing his luggage in the overhead storage, has to tuck his shirt back in his pants, then it’s not a well-made shirt. A good shirt has a high armhole that fits right under your armpit. It gives you more movement and guarantees the shirt will always stay in place.

9.
A man can wear a ring, a bracelet, or even a necklace — any jewelry he wants. What’s important is that the object become a part of him, or else it’s going to clash.

10.
The biggest fashion mistake men make is to follow the rules of other men. Make your own rules — don’t follow mine.
First published in September 2009 by Details.com.

‘I aspire to be the purple stripe, that is, the garment’s brilliant hem. However small a part it may be, it can still manage to make the garment as a whole attractive. Don’t tell me then, “be like the rest,” because it that case I cannot be the purple stripe.’

~ Epictetus in Of Human Freedom