When it comes to being fashionable it’s the small details that separate the average person from the stylish and fashion forward person. Paying attention to and mixing the right colors, fabrics, and patterns keep you from blending with your environment.

COLOR: Color combinations can make either make the statement, “Look I bought this off the rack” or “I am a style connoisseur”. The first mistake people generally make is thinking the word “coordinate” means to match colors exactly. This isn’t exactly the case. I provided below a color wheel as a reference for how to group colors together. You will see black and white is not represented on the wheel. That is because black is the presence of all the colors and white is the absence of all color. They are considered shades and not colors.

FABRICS: This can be a little tricky, but simply mix two to three types of fabrics (textiles) together. Combine wools with cotton (or cotton blends) and silks (only ties and hankies NOT shirts, lol). Mix and match. This creates a contrast, thus giving your look depth and layers. Below gives a great example of this mix and match of fabrics.

PATTERNS: When it comes to patterns there is a fine line between looking unique and looking “eccentric”. Mix up your look by matching two to three patterns. Done correctly, gingham and paisley combined look great. Matching hounds tooth with strips creates a classic look. A pattern such as plaid on the other hand generally needs to be paired with solid colors because it is such a dominating pattern; for example a plaid blazer or suit with a solid shirt (you can pick up another pattern in the tie). These are just examples, please feel free to explore and mix and match patterns. Take a look at the items below.

Next time you are looking in your closet or in the store to pull an amazing outfit together, use these simple tips to break out beyond the crowd and be the best dressed gentleman you can be!   

The Southern Gentlemen's Style Council #SGSCStyleSeries Soiree

What happens when some of the most style gentlemen and ladies come together and socialize with the "Gents" of  the Southern Gentlemen's Style Council? You get style and fashion overload! That's what happened Thursday July 26th at the Mosaic Lounge in Raleigh, NC.

(Left to right and rear to front)

Stephon, Geoffrey, Marcus, Andre, Demetris, Jay

Caleb, Terrell, Lawrence, Shanard, William, Shavar 

It's Pocket Square Time!! lol

The #SGSCStyleSeries Soiree is an event that all of use with the Southern Gentlemen's Style Council look forward to, and we were excited to have this one at the Mosaic Lounge in Raleigh. Business owners, fashion bloggers and simply just stylish people made this event amazing. 

Big thanks to fellow Gent Shanard Smith (@DaBestDressed) for coming from the SGSC Charlotte District to support the local Raleigh District.

Shavar (@Veezy_F_Swayze) and John owners of The Session Magazine (@TheSessionMag) stopped by to be in the place. You might recognize the magazine name, I had a men's fashion contribution to their May/June issue. Also thank you to the very fashionable Dinah (@iamdmari) for stopping by.

I know everyone knows these two awesome ladies, Kimberly (@TNFashionista) and Ashely (@missfabellis). Two amazing natural hair and fashion bloggers, oh did I mention both are where awarded Essence's Top 100 Naturalistas on Instagram?! 

William (@emergenco) owner of EmergeNC is socializing with Andre, who by the way is an awesome thrift and consignment shopper. He also has his own online store to sell his amazing finds.

Dee (@ThereGoesDEE) and my lovely wife Latonya came out to socialize with everyone. My wife is killing it in the orange dress!!

   Big Shout out to Caleb (@clwtrademark) owner/stylist of CLW Trademark for making his way all the way from Jacksonville, FL. Is this handshake solidifying the Southern Gentlemen's Style Council Florida District? You will have to just wait and find out! ;-) 

Another big shout out goes to Demetris (@Cre8tv4u) Designer at Creative TOUCH Designs was in the building, love those blue wingtips man! 

Here are some additional pictures of this awesome soiree....

Jay (@JayMo704) was clean and that lapel flower, nice touch sir!

From all the way across the pond, Geoffrey brought Raleigh and little European style with his perfectly tailored suit!

Shanard with Stephon our newest addition to the Southern Gentlemen Style Council Charlotte District .

Feeling like Barack and Michelle Obama in this picture, President Flow!

Marcus of Natty Neckware stopped by to socialize, these gentlemen looked very dapper! (Really the orange slacks, don't hurt'em out there!)

Thanks Donnie of IC Beauty for stopping by!

Shavar and Andre 

Ani and William 

The Mosaic takeover!

The event was amazing and we had a ton a fun! If you wasn't  in the building then you  simply just missed out!! lol
Huge thank you to the Mosaic Lounge (http://www.mosaicwinelounge.com/) and to Stan (@SCJPhotography)
with Stan Chambers Photography (http://stanchambersjr.com/)for capturing the moments.

Of course we couldn't forget the ladies who came out to socialize, thank you for all your support!!


(Left to right and rear to front)
Dinah (far right rear)
Danielle,
Dee, Ani, Latonya, Kimberlee, Ashley

The Gentlemen's Styling Guide: The Art of Great Styling

When trying to achieve that perfectly tailored look with your suit, it’s the details that take you from being an average face in the crowd to standing head and shoulders above the rest. There are some small things you can do to go from an “off the rack” to custom look without the high end cost.

First, invest in the RIGHT suit. The right suit will contain these elements; 2-3 buttons, wool or wool blend, single or side vents, a true modern cut and a straight or slim pant. For a clean and slimming look, go without pleats and cuffs in the pant. Flat front pants have less fabric around the hip area thus giving a smoother and more tailored look. The absence of the cuff allows your pants to fall straight down to your shoes. The pants should stop no further than right at the heel of your shoe. Too much “break” in the pants looks ill-fitting and takes away from the tailored look. A tailored jacket should fit square and clean against the back and the shoulders. The shoulder pads should NOT be bulky or over padded. A narrow or a peaked lapel is also a modern touch to suits. The jacket should fit close around the torso but not so tight it pulls the fabric when you button the jacket. The length should be long enough to cover your behind. Anything longer does not look tailored and anything shorter looks too small. Lastly the sleeve length should hit right before the ball of your hand with your arms down to your side.

There are also important things to remember when accessorizing your suit. Your dress shirt should be the correct size. A modern or slim fit shirt creates less bulk around your torso giving you a clean look. The collar should have just enough space so that when the top button is fastened there is only room for 2 fingers. A spread collar is a little more updated compared to the traditional collar where the “points” face downward. The spread collar also helps give the illusion of wider shoulders which lends to a more masculine look. The sleeve length should stop right at your wrist. A nice French cuff with cuff links is always a great addition. A tie with a wide knot, a slim or skinny tie or bow-ties are great additions to your suit. Ties should stop in the area between the belly button and right above the waist band of the pants. Pockets squares should coordinate but NEVER match exactly. Matching squares give an off the shelf “box set” look which isn't as interesting. If a belt is worn it should match or coordinate with the shoe. If braces or suspenders are worn they should coordinate with the entire look. Socks should coordinate and be darker than the pant. Lastly the shoe should be a simple oxford, wingtip, modern loafer or monk strap. The standard colors are blacks, browns and tans. When considering other colors, make sure it doesn't take away from the strength of the suit.

Remember that a good tailor can work magic if you invest in the correct suit. Hopefully this gets you on the road to achieve that truly custom look and ready to take on the world with your new found confidence.