Style: Breaking the Rules

Welcome to the latest edition of Elite Daily Style where we will give you valuable tips on how to be the well-dressed rebel and break some of the most concrete rules in the fashion world. 

There comes a time when you should do as you please; there comes a time when you need to manhandle the rules in order to find your own sense of style. Four of the sharpest, most fashionable guys will share their subversive, one-of-a-kind style secrets. This might be the only time we encourage you to steal…

Necklaces by Philip Crangi. Bracelets by Giles & Brother by Philip Crangi. Watch by Hermès. T-shirt by American Apparel. Glasses by Moscot.

Be a Man—Wear Jewelry

Philip Crangi, Jewelry Designer
“People tend to think of jewelry for men in extremes, and it doesn’t function well at extremes. It’s not about chunky silver or NBA diamonds. What it comes back to is, Does it look personal? It should look like you’ve been wearing it for years—something you picked up along the way. I don’t want to look flashy. I want to feel comfortable. When you’re buying jewelry, all you need to ask is, ‘Do I feel like myself with it on?’ ”

 

Get into jewelry. Start with a wrist piece – nothing too obnoxious -and add to it over time. Try using a necklace and maybe even ring. Don’t over do it, buddy. Be careful with this as you may wind up looking like Mr. T.

Tuxedo jacket and jeans by Alexander McQueen. Shirt by Dolce & Gabbana. Bow tie by Polo by Ralph Lauren. Sneakers by Balenciaga.

Disobey the Tux

Dao-Yi Chow, Designer, Public School
“If you look at my outfit, it’s formal from the waist up and nontraditional from the waist down. It’s the perfect balance between luxe and edge. There’s still a fashion component to it, but the way you put it together, you’re not fashion. To pull it off, you have to pay attention: You have to keep the lines from the jacket to the jeans—and the jeans to the shoes—in proportion.”

Dao-Yi’s outfit works so well due to the fact that he focuses on fit of his jeans as well as his tailored tux jacket. Although he’s breaking a common rule in the world of style, both pieces are still perfectly in sync with each other.

Bags by Hermès. Vest and shirt by 45rpm. Jeans by A.P.C. Cap by Browning. Glasses by Number (N)ine. Watch by IWC.

Pull a Chris Brown & Beat Up the Pretty Things

Nathaniel Goldberg, Photographer
“There’s a person at the Serpette flea market in Paris who specializes in secondhand Hermès bags. I bought these about ten years ago; they’re probably from the late ’60s or early ’70s. I paid about $2,000 apiece, but I take both of them with me everywhere, always as carry-on luggage. One I pack with clothes, the other with shoes, toiletries, and a computer. You travel in style, but you pay for it with how heavy they get. It’s a painstaking experience, but I still do it. You have beautiful bags; you want them with you.”

We all hate to admit that quality will cost us – especially when it comes to fashion. But if you invest in a classic piece by a label like Hermès—whose craftsmanship is undisputed—consider it a very smart investment. Can you say, ‘money well spent’?

Pocket square, tie, and shoes by Barker Black. Suit jacket by Thom Browne New York. Shirt, custom-made. Pants by Paul Stuart.

Wear It On Your Chest

Derrick Miller, Creative Director, Barker Black Ltd.
“My dad always said the one part of your outfit you should have fun with is your pocket square. This lime green one was in Barker Black’s very first collection, and I pretty much wear it every day. It’s a little outside my comfort zone in terms of how bright it is, but I like how it pushes the envelope. I have a lot of gray and navy in my wardrobe, and it pops against those colors. My brother and I go back and forth about how to fold a pocket square. My dad just jams it in there, over and over—it’s like a Jackson Pollock. It looks crazy when he’s doing it, but then all of a sudden it’s right. Sometimes it’ll hang four or five inches out of his pocket. I’m not quite there yet; I like to think I’m still a bit more reserved than that.”

Your pocket square should complement your tie, not match it exactly: You don’t want to look like Jimmy and Howie on the Fox NFL pregame show.

Robert Saintlot | Elite Daily

Illustration: Ben Watts | GQ