Pass the Courvoisier...

Greetings Gentle Readers,

While reviewing the fall 2010 runway shows, we noticed the emergence of one of our favorite color combinations; cognac-ish hues of brown paired with shades of grey. This super sophisticated pairing has long been one of our favorites and go-to's in dressing. A lot of people are apprehensive when it comes to mixing such staple neutrals because shades of brown apparel (which cognac is, even though it's almost close to a deep red) tend to be paired with shades of brown shoes and accessories, and generally, when pairing greys, people instantly go with black for shoes and accessories. Well, we're here to tell you, "That ain't necessarily so..." Obviously, as we can see from the looks featured in this post, these two tones go quite well together. And you don't have to be a runway model or an extremely talented stylist to pull them off. Let us put you on game...

3 Simple & Easy ways to pair
grey & cognac

1) Expect the unexpected: This color combination isn't the 1st that will come to anyone's mind, so up the ante and go for even more unexpected garment choices; One of our favorite things about the looks featured is where the colors are placed in the wardrobe scheme. You don't have to have an exact percentage of each color, subtlety and nuance work extremely well. For example, in the 1st two looks, the cognac stands out, but the number of grey garments vastly out number it; in the 1st look, (up to the left) the cognac sweater pops through underneath the peacoat (what y'all know 'bout peacoats?? Click here for a refresher) and is the only piece in the ensemble that is cognac, yet it makes it's presence known and the boots perfectly polish off the color statement. When using this pairing, we find it much more chic to lean on the grey and let the cognac accent. It's not exactly a bold color, but, in this pairing a few pieces go the distance.

2) Matching's wack! Matching's cheap!: "Matchy-matchy" is not what we're going for here. As a matter of fact, it's pretty much the antithesis of everything this look is about. This is all about a cohesive color statement. Who cares that the grey in your slacks isn't the same grey in your sweater? Do you want to look like a crayon? No, seriously... This is an expression of style, panache, polish, and sophistication. Focus on coordination and whether or not the garments go instead of if they match. For example, in the 2nd look pictured, notice the different shades of grey, the grey in the shirt isn't the same grey as the tie and the grey in the cardigan isn't the same grey as the slacks. We also love the pairing of the cognac colored belt with the grey boots. In casual settings this is an extremely stylish option (with suiting, and dressier atmospheres your shoes and belt must ALWAYS be the same color; brown shoes =brown belt) that adds style. Notice here that the only two pieces in this look are cognac, this is a largely a grey ensemble, but the cognac not pops and compliments and makes for great finishing touches. (Also, if anyone would like to gift us those boots and that jacket... we'd greatly appreciate it... just saying...)

3) Effective Layers: An additional commonality that these 3 looks share is their effective use of layers. Layering is one of favorite tools for smart autumn dressing, not only does it keep you warm, but you'll be well dressed as well, which to us, is equally as important. When you're mixing neutrals (which both of these colors, in all their shades are) layering is especially effective because it allows you to create depth and texture in your ensemble. Most of the layering here is done with the greys, leaving the cognac to be the finishing touch, which is one way to go, but we also like layering the cognac under a garment or two of grey for a little added depth and style (like in the 1st look with the v-neck sweater). Finally a word about accessories, we like what Usher's done here in paring both tones in his scarf. That's a great way to combine colors. Another way to go is to keep your accessories exclusively one color, and alternate. Either way works just fine.

Well, that about does it for this time around. Use this stylish color combination in your upcoming ensembles, we can almost guarantee turned heads and comments, and always in a good way. Until next time, we remain...

Stylishly yours,
Sartorially Savvy
"Fashion fades, style is eternal." ~Yves Saint Laurent

P.S. For your up to the minute tips on staying classically stylish, timelessly chic and always Sartorially Savvy follow us on Twitter (@SartoriallySvvy or just click here)

Can't Tie A Sweater Over That.... Or Hide it in Pajamas

Greetings Gentle Readers, we heard it snowed for a second in our hometown this past weekend (Whaddup doe D-TOWN!!!! 1 time for Detroit) and it hailed this morning in the concrete jungle... all of which brings us to one our favorite times of year: Sweater Weather!! Now's the perfect time to break out the chunky cowl neck wool sweaters, the cashmere cable knit crew necks, the fair isles (like the one pictured on Chanel Iman at left), the long cardigans, wrap sweaters (like pictured on Chanel Iman below...) and v-necks.

Sweaters are a staple in every season; during the warmer months, light weigh cardigans and v-necks make for great layering pieces and add just the right amount of coverage for cooler nights. Honestly great to layer with year 'round. However, for the purposes of this post, we're discussing more hearty cold weather options... Garments with a bit of bulk. Something that'll keep you warmer than your favorite comforter, and way more stylish. So, let's get this poppin' shall we? For this post, we're going to discuss our 2 top sweaters. The 2 we chose are based on versatility, chicness, and wearability.

Our 2 Top Sweaters for Fall/Winter

1. Cable knit crew necks: We've talked about these before for the fellas (click here for a little refresher), but, they work just as well for ladies. Classic, chic, comfortable. Ladies, your rules are pretty much the same for your cable knit crew neck sweaters. You should be focused on fit (duh, when should you NOT be focused on fit?!?!) looking for a close to the body silhouette, shoulder seams at your shoulders and fitting snugly to the torso. Your cable knit crew necks should stop right about your belt line on your pants, give or take an inch or so. Any higher up is too short, and we're talking cropped or too small, and any further down and we're getting into too big, but not quite long enough to be a sweater dress, though some may try. Just like with the fellas, ladies you can wear cable knit crew neck sweaters over oxfords and polos and under blazers. Try mixing all 3 for classic, clean, preppy-chic layers. Color choice is limitless with these, as are fabric choices. Having varying fabric options also gives you a chance to play with texture; our favorites are silk, cashmere, and wool, and of course any blend of the 3 is just fine as well. Having these sweaters in variety of colors gives you an opportunity to experiment with different color combinations and play around a bit. From jewel tones to pastels, cable knit crewnecks come in a wide array of colors none is wrong to have. You can pretty much wear a cable knit crew neck with anything; jeans, chinos, and skirts. Dress up or dress down, work or play. One of our favorite pairings is are these sweaters with a knee length skirt, it's somewhat unexpected, but is a very classic and chic combination. We like pencil and accordion skirts, but whichever works for you and your body type works with these sweaters.

2. Cardigans: The ultimate layering sweater, versatile for year 'round wear, but particularly perfect for this time of year. We all know what a cardigan is right? Open front sweater with two panels that can be attached to each other via with buttons, snaps, or other sort of fasteners. Cardigans are great over blouses, tanks, and under blazers and suit jackets. Dressed up or dressed down and from work to play, cardigans pretty much work for all occasions. As pictured on Chanel and Joan, dressier cardigans can work for your days in the office as well as nights out on the town. This fall we're enjoying the resurgence of the patterned cardigan, be it stripes, polka dots, or flowers. A patterned cardigan is an excellent way to make a stylish statement and add a touch of panache to any ensemble. For our more classically inclined readers, you can't go wrong with solid cardigans. Just like with the cable knit crew necks, cardigans come in every color in the spectrum. We advise you stock up when you find a style that works for you. If it fits in one color, it's going to fit in all the others. For dressier occasions, or whenever you're feeling particularly stylish, an embellished cardigan is the way to go; beading, sequins, and button details are all uber chic ways to rock an embellished cardigan. You can even take the Martha Stewart route and embellish yourself with a broach, lapel pin or other pendant and attach it to the top left corner of the your cardigans, about where one would find the lapel of a blazer or suit jacket.

Of course, we're fans of other styles of sweaters... the D&G crew neck Fair Isle number that's the opening image of this post, we're particularly fond of (Great use of a menswear inspired aesthetic gone undeniably feminine) v-necks, wraps, cowl and turtlenecks all also tickle our fancy. But we wanted to start at the shallow end of the sweater spectrum before we dive deep. Mastering these two classics will have you cozy and chic throughout the season. Until next time, we remain....

Stylishly yours,
Sartorially Savvy
"Fashion fades, style is eternal" ~Yves Saint Laurent

P.S. For your up to the minute tips on staying classically stylish, timelessly sophisticated, and always Sartorially Savvy follow us on Twitter (@SartoriallySvvy or just click here)

Fall Essentials: Take Three

Greetings Gentle Readers, It's time for another round of fall essentials! As the days turn to nights a little quicker, and warm days give way to cool nights... We're here to have you putting your best (dressed) foot forward!! Just like in the previous 2 "Fall Essentials" posts, we're going to cover 3 of our must haves for fall. These are in no particular order and work for both genders. This time around, we're bringing you, 2 garments and a color combination. Let's begin shall we....

1. Cable knit Crewneck Sweaters: Classic like shell toe Adidas and a Kangol, the cable knit crewneck sweater is to your wardrobe what bread is to your diet; that is, it’s a staple. For those who don’t know, a crew neck is the most popular and common type of neck in most tops. It’s etymology comes from the sweaters worn by oarsmen, or those who rowed the oars on boat. These men were the boat’s crew… hence, crewneck. Crewnecks are round and collarless. Pretty simple right? Bet. The next part is just as simple, the cable knit refers to the stitching producing a pattern resembling the twisting of two ply cable. Basic enough right? Cable knit crewnecks are staples because of their classic nature, widespread availability and ease of wearing. Make sure you have your size and proper fit; The shoulder seam should be at your shoulders, not the middle of your bicep and the fit should be fairly close to the body, without too much excess on the sides. You can rock them solo, or put a button down oxford, tee, or polo underneath or a jean jacket or blazer over top. Cable knits come in almost every color and texture. Stick to natural fibers (wool, silk cashmere, etc) with these because they’ll last longer and keep their shape better than synthetics. Pair these with jeans and sneakers for a casual weekend look, or slacks and loafers, or a pencil skirt and pumps for look that goes from day in the office to a night on the town. Be sure to cop the cable knit crewneck in your signature or favorite color, and when pairing with an oxford or polo, try either the exact same color for a sophisticated monochromatic look, or a contrasting complementary color. Make it your own, play with color, texture, and accessories.

2. Dark denim: Another wardrobe staple, this one is a bit more year 'round than the sweaters... But has a particular place in the fall as well. By "dark denim" we mean indigo, or closest to the natural color of denim before washing and wear. It may be referred to by some brands as "raw." Dark denim is the most versatile of all washes, having the ability to go from day to night, dressed down to up, and in some instances from out to the office. Be it skinny, straight leg, slim, trouser, or boot cut, they all work best when dark and classic. Avoid over embellished pocket detail or hyper whiskering or anything else that makes jeans look to trendy and young.

3. Eggplant & Hunter: One of our favorite color combinations for fall is eggplant purple and hunter green (We've even played off it in the ensemble pictured by pairing eggplant w/lime green instead) The reason this combination is particularly perfect for fall is because it combines rich, saturated and darker hues. Hunter green is an earth tone that is reminiscent of the weather and season as is the eggplant. Both are distinct, mature and sophisticated and the combination provides an unexpected twist. While we wholeheartedly encourage you to try this combination, "Essential" here is the principal; combine rich saturated colors in unexpected ways; wine &chocolate, crimson & cream, slate & navy, etc. You can do this in your garments and accessories, mix and match! As long as the hues are complementary, you're good to go. Remember always that your accessories should play into the overall theme of the look you're going for. For example, if you're going to rock crimson & creme, we'd suggest brown (or a hue of brown like chocolate or caramel) shoes, and gold jewelry, the whole thing just paints a warm color story. Likewise, if you're doing slate grey and navy blue, both are cooler tones, so black shoes and platinum toned jewelry works better, or you can infuse a touch of heat in a red shoe, but make it a red shoe that plays it cool with a silver buckle or silver hardware. See where we're going...? Utilize rich color this fall! It paints a timeless, chic, sophisticated and stylish picture. That 'bout does it for this installment... Until next time we remain...

Stylishly yours,
Sartorially Savvy

P.S. For your up to the moment tips on staying classically stylish, timelessly chic and always Sartorially Savvy, follow us on Twitter (@SartoriallySvvy or click here)

Fall Essentials: Take Two

Greetings Gentle Readers,

It's time for Part II of our "Fall Essentials" guidelines... In part one we talked about a garment, accessory, and color. We're going to stray just slightly from that in this installment, discussing, a garment, fabric texture and color, but we hope the essentials discussed here serve you as well this fall as they have us... Without further ado...

1. Tweed: this classic fabric lends itself to colder months, and because of its mostly earth-tone coloring, specifically to fall. Tweed is warm, durable, and easy to care for. Look for classic wardrobe staples in tweed; i.e. vests (like pictured) blazers, and trousers. Ladies you may also be able to find fantastic suiting in tweed. We don't recommend that gents try the all tweed look. Break up your tweed with other textures. A particularly stylish option is to mix a "rough" texture like tweed with something smooth &soft, like silk, leather, or cashmere. Tweed's color is usually in the dusty brown/heather grey tone, and is achieved through the weaving of the different tones of yarn. Keeping that in mind, accessorize and coordinate tweed with grey and brown tones and colors that contrast with them i.e. pale pinks, yellows, lavenders, any any other hues with grey undertones. If a contrast is what you have in mind, try deep tones and saturated colors, like an eggplant purple, kelly green, or sapphire blue.

2. Grey Trousers: A grey trouser is a excellent year 'round, but is particularly useful in fall also. As an alternative (for both genders) to jeans for evenings out, or for dressier occasions when you'd like to try something other than typical black pants, or even at the office, grey trousers provide an air of sophistication and style that black can sometimes fail to convey. Because they AREN'T black, brown, or navy, grey trousers often seem like an unexpected choice. Grey, however, is a great neutral that is easy to pair with almost any other color; be they other cool tones like blues and most lighter shades and pastels, or warm hues like orange, red, and saturated richer jewel tones. As with all trousers make sure that your grey slacks fit as best they can and find cuts that are most versatile (that way, you get more bang for your buck). Some classic and timeless cuts are a full trouser (like the one pictured) and a slim fit, which contours more to the natural shape of the leg, as opposed to being straight down like a full trouser.

3. Pale Pink: (and other pastels) While most people think of pastels as strictly spring and summer tones, we think of them as quite the opposite. As the weather cools, sometimes we like our colors to cool as well. Summer is known for it's bright colors and patterns, and fall is typically known for warm earth tones, but sticking to norms does not a stylish person make. Cooling down your hues in the fall can be a particularly stylish move. A tip to effectively pulling this off is to use a color whose undertones are similar to that of your other pieces. For example, every garment worn in the featured photo has a grey undertone, thus making them all effectively complement each other. Also, you want to limit the use of cool tones to one or two garments. The desired look is not Easter Egg Chic. You can use cool tones in your accessories instead of garments as well; scarves and neckties are an excellent way to put this technique to use. The aforementioned rules apply to the accessories as well.

That brings to a close this installment of the Fall Essentials. We hope this post has inspired you to go into your wardrobes and pull out a few things and try them in different ways. We'll see you again before you know it with the next installment. Until then, we remain...

Stylishly yours,
Sartorially Savvy

P.S. For your up to the moment tips on remaining classically stylish, timelessly chic, and always Sartorially Savvy follow us on Twitter (@SartoriallySvvy or click here)

Fall Into Autumn Style

Greetings Gentle Readers,

As the air becomes a bit more crisp, the sun sets a little earlier, and the leaves begin to change... we all know it can only mean one thing! Fall is awfully close (in some places, it's already there)... Now, some of you may long for those hot and steamy days of summer gone by... but not us. We love fall, it's our favorite season (followed closely by spring), especially sartorially. In the coming weeks, we'll be coming to you with our fall essentials and tips for staying Sartorially Savvy as the season shifts.

This time around, we'll be covering 3 of our fall favorites in 3 different forms: garment, accessory, and color. Let's take it from the top!

Fall Essentials
Round 1

Blazers: The classic essential works for both genders year 'round, but is particularly pertinent in the autumn as an easy and always stylish layering piece. You can't go wrong with a notch lapel, mid-stance, two button blazer (for other options, check back for the advanced course soon) You can play with color, pattern, and texture in your blazers. Jewel tones, rich saturated colors, classic patterns like herringbone and hounds tooth, and textures like tweed are all distinctly dashing for fall and play well with the tonal changes in the weather. Ladies, to keep an air of femininity, we suggest your blazers being fitted, having feminine accents (such as ruffles or bloused shoulders), or if you rock a "boyfriend" (men's fitting) blazer, make sure your other pieces are fitted and amp up the shoes and accessories for added sex appeal.

Scarves: Fall is optimal time to break out one of our personal favorite accessories: scarves. Scarves are a great way to accent any ensemble, and provide that bit of extra warmth on a chilly morning commute, or a weekend walk through the park. The perfect scarf provides that premium pinch of panache to any ensemble. Scarves are also a great way to show your personality by add a pop of color, pattern, and texture and in the way you wear them; be it looped around your neck (as pictured) knotted, or draped over your shoulders. A great designer scarf (such as the one pictured) also adds an air of luxury and polish to ensembles. We love our scarves in cashmere, not only for the look, but for the uber soft and warm feel. But wool and cashmere blends are a great way to get the feel, but keep the price point down. Your scarves should always be complementary to what you're wearing, whether they blend in or contrast with the ensemble. Have fun w/scarves! You pretty much have carte' blanche!

Hunter Green: Taking our cue from the photo featured in this entry, brings us to one of our favorite colors for fall. Hunter green is one of the few colors in the palette that is flattering on every skin tone. it is particularly complementary to caramel, butterscotch, and chocolate. Hunter green is one of those colors that immediately evokes a sense of fall... perhaps it's because hunter green is close to pine... Greens usually evoke a sense of nature, the brighter hues tend to lend themselves to spring/summer, and deeper, richer tones lend themselves to fall and winter. Hunter green plays right into this, it's an extremely warm tone. In the photo, the blazer is hunter green, but, the ensemble would have worked if the shirt was instead. Hunter green sweaters, button downs and blazers work for both genders and ladies can use the color effectively and w/sex appeal in pencil skirts, and bags.

That about wraps up the 1st installment of the Fall Essentials. Stay tuned for next time when we bring you more of our faves and tell you how to rock them in your wardrobe! Until then we remain...

Stylishly yours,
Sartorially Savvy
"Fashions fade, style is eternal" Yves Saint Laurent

P.S. Follow us on Twitter (@SartoriallySvvy or by clicking here) for your up to the minute tips on staying classically stylish, timelessly chic, and of course, Sartorially Savvy