Day 3: Grit's Fashion Loves & Loathes

Author:

Instant Grit

March 04, 2013

Charleston's Grit's 12 Days of Fashion: Loves & Loathes

(We want to hear from you! Click here to find out how it works and how to submit yours. Submission details also listed at bottom of this blog...)

DAY 3:

Submitted by: Frances

Age: 41

Occupation: Writer

Lives: Downtown

LOVE: Men in pale pin-striped seersucker suits with bow ties and white/tan saddle shoes, bucks, or spectators.

The Sartorialist (left and right); GQ via Tom + Lorenzo (middle)

So crisp! Such a tip-of-the-hat to old-school style, charm, and the South. Still makes sense today, too. AND it makes sense with our climate. It's one of the best ways for a manly man to dress in light, cheery colors without looking too fey or dandy.

LOATHE: Men in pale, pastel pin-striped seersucker suits with bow ties and dark loafers or clunky winter shoes.

Gentleman's Emporium (left) and AskAndyAboutClothes.com

Shoes that make no sense color- or style-wise with this signature suit are an affront to the entire ensemble. Seeing the combo is like reaching out to a handsome, debonair man, and then getting a limp and clammy handshake. Awful. So close, but so off, and such a fail. When the shoes have nothing to do with the suit I end up fixating. Yes, eHow.com disagrees with me as does Style Guy at GQ, but I am telling you, it makes me twitch. In a bad way. The only way I might get past it? If the suit were tan and white or chocolate and white striped. But soft baby blue? Duckling yellow? Peep pink? No way.

BONUS: The loved and loathed looks all in one:

4.bp.blogspot.com

THE LOATHE RUNNER UP: Nantucket "red" pants, especially worn with nonsensical dark penny loafers.

The Sporting Life

Because they are neither "red" (they're pink, gentlemen), nor are we in Nan-freakin'-tucket. Discuss.

Ready to sound off on your loves and loathes for Grit's 12 Days? Let's do it.

Here's how to submit:

1. Send an email to Grit editor Ellen McGauley at emcgauley@charlestonmag.com. Put 12 Days in the subject line.

2. List one look you love and one you hate. Each should be accompanied by a) a quote about why b) a picture or two illustrating the look.

3. List the online source of any images submitted. We need to credit them correctly.

4. Include first name, general occupation, age, and the part of town in which you live. These will be listed with each submission used.

5. Do it before March 15!

We'll run as many as we can! The more colorful the commentary, the better. So go ahead, give us your Fashion Grit.