Hello, Professor

While we don’t condone any inappropriate behavior, I think we can all admit that there is something sexy about the professorial look. You can psychoanalyze that all you want, but we think it’s the clothes.

The academic look is basically composed of layers. This makes it great for creating a wardrobe because you can mix and match and even choose how formal you want the outfit to be.

Here are your puzzle parts and pieces:

A variety of button-ups in various shades and patterns. The most classic professorial looks are white, oxford blue, and thin blues and white stripes. Must be slim cut.

A few basic cardigans in neutral colors. While I’m all for a variety of cardigans, all you really need are a black, grey, and maybe taupe. These are great toppers for button ups, and can even be layered under other jackets.

Slim-cut pullover sweaters for the same type of layering as cardigans. These are also great in rich jewel tones like hunter green, maroon, and navy. For more info see WAMSW’s Sweaters.

A waistcoat or two that look like they belong to three-piece suits. Waistcoats need to fit properly (aka close to the body) and can easily veer into cheap and sketchy if you aren’t careful. If it comes with a suit, or looks like it does, it won’t be a shiny, tacky mess.

Textured blazers. We’ve already written about tweed, a classic professor look, but any noticeable texture looks like old world money and knowledge. These are great over any combination of the previous tops.

Every neutral shade of slacks available. Personally, I prefer flat-front, as pleated can easily go 90s, but you should figure out what you like best. Flat-front might be more likely to suit slim men. You can also mix in some dark-wash jeans and still keep it pretty academic.

Be sure to have a selection of ties, pocket squares, and leather accessories on hand to top off your outfit. Also consider scarves and maybe suspenders. Thick rimmed, curved bottom glasses are like icing on the cake for a professorial look. 

Create any combo with these and top it off with a little scruff and you are ready to bestow wisdom from your leather armchair in the library.

 

All buttoned up Or…

So I kind of touched on this in my last post, but I’ve noticed two competing trends in menswear: The buttoned all the way up and the letting some chest show. Now obviously you are all buttoned up when you are wearing a tie, so this is for more casual, non-tie days. I honestly don’t have a preference between the two, they are just different looks, but I’ll try and offer some tips on how to do both properly.

I first saw the top-button-done look during my time in England, so I still associate them, and while it is steadily working its way across the Atlantic it is still a look that reads a British aesthetic.

This look take commitment because if done with the wrong shirt it  could look like you just forgot your tie. For that reason I suggest more casual shirts, be they chambray or short-sleeved. Also I would say it is easier to pull-off when the shirt is tucked in, but that doesn’t mean un-tucked is totally out of the question.

All buttoned up is definitely complemented best by skinny or slim cut jeans to keep the correct proportions. In general men want to have a V shape; the top-button-done narrows the top, so you want to balance it with a narrow bottom.

Now for the opposite side of the spectrum. Another thing that’s making a comeback? Chest hair. Believe me, I never thought I’d say those words. However, we are not talking Pierce Brosnan in Die Another Day, but something more manly and less caveman-y.

Like I mentioned in the Tom Mison Spotlight, you just want a glimpse of the chest, not a full-frontal accost. We are talking the top three or so buttons undone (top two is pretty standard and top four could be too much).

This is a sexy and confident look that draws attention up to the face. It also elongates your torso a bit and makes your shoulders seem wider. All pluses, but it can veer into disco or pirate, so be tasteful. Wear with slim fit pants, but not skin-tight.

I’m also going to include wide-necked shirts in this latter category because what we are really after here is collar-bones. For some reason showing off the clavicle is super sexy on a man or woman. The same open neck effect of the slightly un-buttoned can be achieved with a V-neck, boat neck, or other wide necked t-shirts and sweaters. Henleys are good for this.

(Hello Tom Mison’s eyebrows)

 

Spotlight: Tom Mison

Sleepy Hollow returns from hiatus this week and it is easily my favorite new show of the season. It has everything you could want: a strong lady lead, a sassy police captain, demons, apocalyptic prophesies, and of course, a sarcastic British soldier with a photographic memory straight from the 18th century. While fans of the show, actor Orlando Jones included, are clamoring for Ichabod Crane to get a makeover, real-life Tom Mison is doing just fine in the wardrobe department.

Tom Mison is an impressive chameleon, and you may say that all actors are or should be, but he can actually look completely different by just varying hairstyles or facial hair. (I honestly didn’t recognize him from Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, One Day, or Lost in Austen, all of which I saw before Sleepy Hollow premiered.) However, he is most often seen with a pleasant amount of scruff. He also keeps his hair nicely tousled.

Mr. Mison also seems to have mastered the art of showing off his collar bones. Now, I know that sounds super weird, but it’s a sexy and hard to perfect style choice. The trick is not looking sleazy or like a pirate (which, you know, actually works fine for Colin O’Donoghue). Having that many buttons undone can be risky territory, but his shirts don’t pull too tight across his chest, so that it offers more of a peek, rather than a full chest reveal. Another, safer approach to collar bone display is a wide-necked shirt or sweater.

He is also unafraid of variety. All of his looks here are pretty casual, but he doesn’t just rely on a t-shirt. He’s got sweaters, sweater/shirt combos, button-ups, chambray, scarves, beanies, and all of it looks pretty classic and relaxed. I mean, the guy makes even his Revolutionary War gear look pretty effortless.

As an unabashed fan of the show and Mr. Mison, I urge you to go check it out. It has already been renewed for a second season and is worth watching from the beginning to understand all the twists and mythology. Just take your fashion advise from Tom, not Ichabod (WAMSW retains the right to retract this statement after Ichabod gets a makeover)

Wrap it up

The weather around the US has been shockingly cold lately, and it’s that time of year in most of the Northern Hemisphere, so WAMSW is here to keep you warm. Specifically your neck.

Scarves are often seen as an accessory or maybe a bit feminine, but trust me, the shorter your hair, the more you need a scarf. This is definitely a wardrobe piece that changes by region–you are way more likely to see them in bigger cities or on the east coast of the US (than you would in the west) or Europe, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still embrace them.

There are four basic types of scarves, from thickest to thinnest: a thick knit (like a chunky sweater), a thin knit (like a lightweight sweater), a thin cotton/linen (thinner than a t-shirt, normally wider than the other types so it can be bunched), and a silk scarf.

Now, plain and simple, a silk scarf isn’t going to keep you warm. It is merely a statement piece. Silk is also not an easy fabric to take care of, so be prepared.

Cotton scarves are also more of an accessory,  but it will keep the wind off your neck, so they are perfect for crisp fall or spring days. It is probably easier to find more patterns in this weight and the silk and both are better if you don’t like too much bulk around your neck.

The only real difference between the different knit weights is how much bulk you end up with. So try them on and figure out what you’re comfortable with. These will keep you warm and cozy without having to resort to fleece.

Pick a color and pattern that you can wear often and with a lot of outfits, especially if you don’t have a variety already in your possession. You can also tuck scarves into your coat, so that it doesn’t totally overwhelm you.

If you don’t think you are ready to take the scarf plunge, just make sure your coat has a high collar that you can turn up to add edge and wind protection to your outfit.

Disclaimer: All it takes is one scarf to make them your trademark, so be prepared for some attention. (i.e. Isaac “King of the Scarves” Lahey)

Aran Jumpers / Fisherman Sweaters

Depending where you are in the world, the seasons may be starting to change. Where I am, the weather has decided to fluctuate between terribly cold and surprisingly pleasant. It is really quite disorienting. But cooler weather does mean the reemergence of sweaters! A year ago (wow) Miss Rachel did a lovely post on sweaters and provided some wonderful basics, so I’ll focus on a specific type this time.

The Aran jumper, or more colloquially known as a fisherman sweater, hails from the Aran Islands off the coast of Ireland, hence the name. It is known for distinctive chunky knitting and patterns in the texture. Although traditionally made from untreated wool (aka not the comfiest) nowadays I’m sure you can pick up cozy ones from a lot of shops.

They are also traditionally a creamy beige, like the ones above, but can also be found in some great colors.

These sweaters are rugged; more working on the docks than fine cashmere, but can and should be worn everywhere. They are perfect for casual lounging and more dressy occasions. They can be cardigans or pull-overs and both are totally acceptable to us at WAMSW. Personally I prefer the ones with more of a cowl neck or shawl lapels because they look even cozier and more interesting than most sweaters.

There are tons of variations that may not fit the technical definition, but still have the feel of a fisherman sweater. And they are all great for layering or not. They are really a no-lose item of clothing.

*Apparently particularly popular amongst British actors between the ages of 27 and 31.