Lately we see abominations such as striped suits with striped shirts and striped ties in the Brooks Brothers ads. You’d think that being English owned would IMPROVE the place.

I wrote a letter to William Safire bemoaning the actual death of Brooks Brothers. It was the day I received a catalogue featuring a formal shirt with a “wing tip collar.” The funny thing was, the collar had neither a big running board Goodyear welt, nor a series of little perforated designs.

But the reporter really doesn’t know how to dress himself. From the initial article, I thought he was just wearing earthy pink shirt to spice up the check on the suit. But a closer look says something different and far more awful. If it doesn’t look good at conversation distance then well it simply doesn’t look good. He just has pattern overload. You don’t use that gingham with the check along with that geometric number from the pocket square. Not unless you have something to tie them together, which he doesn’t. Too much, sir. Far too much.

As far as the 5 buttons of the cuff goes – what more is there to say. I’m all for experimentation and individuality, but why spend the time and expense on bespoke when what you really want is a designer trend piece? Its like getting spinning mags put on your ‘66 Aston Martin – sure, they’re both cool (in their own way) but just not together.

But, to each their own.