The Compass | Black Lapel

Hanging Out with Black Lapel: The Dapper Man Shop

by Black Lapel on Jun 15, 2013 • No Comments

A dapper man puts his whole look together with style. For five days, five online menswear brands came together to form The Dapper Man Shop, a popup shop in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. With everything from essentials, like slim fit boxers by Pengallan, to foundation pieces like suits and shirts...

A Guide to French Cuffs and Cufflinks

by Black Lapel on Jun 13, 2013 • 12 Comments

For some guys, it was fumbling through a sweaty, anxious prom night. Some late bloomers even wait until their wedding day. Whenever you had your first experience, you probably cherish the memory as a meaningful step towards becoming a man. We’re talking, of course, about the first time you put...

Guide / Shopping

How to Build Your Dress Shoe Wardrobe

by Black Lapel on Jun 6, 2013 • 31 Comments

Ever seen a well-dressed man wearing some tired old kicks? Nope? Us either. As designer Hardy Amies said, “It is totally impossible to be well-dressed in cheap shoes.” We agree. So do the ladies. Many women consider a man’s shoes the most important thing he wears. (Did you hear that,...

Guide / Weddings

What to Wear to a Summer Wedding

by Black Lapel on May 30, 2013 • 16 Comments

We’re entering June, which means wedding season is in full swing. And even if you’re not the lucky groom, a wedding is one of those rare opportunities to drink on the house, show off those questionable dancing skills, and more importantly, dress up to the nines. So leave the office...

Guide

Father’s Day Gift Guide

by Black Lapel on May 23, 2013 • 4 Comments

He taught you how to ride a two-wheeler, played catch with you out in the yard on countless summer evenings and cooked up plenty of lip-smacking BBQs for you and the fam’. But more than anything else, he taught you to be the man you are today. So, on Father’s...

Why Go Custom

Black Lapel Custom Suits vs. Designer Off-The-Rack Suits

by Black Lapel on Oct 10, 2012 • 15 Comments

A Case for Custom We’ve all felt it before – the anxiety of spending a bit more money than we’d like on article of designer-branded clothing. And it often goes against our natural instincts to pull the trigger…an internal conflict often arises in this familiar form: “I don’t really want...

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Ask A Black Lapel Stylist

Ask a Black Lapel Stylist: How to Wear a Vest Casually

by Black Lapel on Apr 15, 2013 • 15 Comments

Q: “Enjoyed your How to Dress Down Your Suit Jacket post. Do you have any tips for wearing a vest casually?” – Patrick N. A: Go ahead and give that suit jacket or blazer a day off and give that vest a little moonlighting as a stand-alone piece. In fact, a vest can be a...

Guide

How to Match Your Shirts and Ties

by Black Lapel on Apr 11, 2013 • 35 Comments

When it comes to putting together a shirt and tie combination, some gents seem to be born with an uncanny ability to just pull sick ensembles of colors, patterns and texture together. Many other men however often fall into one of two camps: 1) the “I will wear the same exact combinations and hope no...

Guide / Suits

How to Dress Down Your Suit Jacket

by Black Lapel on Apr 4, 2013 • 26 Comments

We hear it all the time. You want to give those custom Black Lapel threads some more wear but your office is a bit too casual to handle all the sartorial heat. Now of course, you wouldn’t want to be the only one in the office who missed the dress code memo and look like...

Suits

Introduction to Double-breasted Suits

by Black Lapel on Mar 21, 2013 • 34 Comments

The double-breasted suit is back with a vengeance and we’re loving every minute of it. Once a staple in every man’s suited wardrobe, the double-breasted suit has become a rather elusive creature of sartorial splendor, only recognizable by the extra gust of wind caused by all the sudden double takes. Today, the double-breasted suit has...

Grooming

How to Choose the Right Hair Product

by Black Lapel on Mar 14, 2013 • 87 Comments

Remember when the High Top Fade was in and hair styling products used to be just gel, mousse and hairspray? Times have changed for the better…at least when it comes to hairstyles. Now, regardless of whether or not you want to pay homage to Vanilla Ice, there are a plethora of hair products ranging from...

Ask A Black Lapel Stylist

Ask a Black Lapel Stylist: Surgeon’s Cuffs and Kissing Buttons

by Black Lapel on Mar 11, 2013 • No Comments

Q: “Black Lapel, can you shed some light on working cuffs? Why should I get them and also, what exactly are kissing buttons?” – Jonas S. A: Working Cuffs (AKA “Surgeon’s Cuffs”) When it comes a well-made suit, it’s all about the details. Why? The details can be a very heuristic tell of the suit’s...

Get the Look / What to Wear on a Date

What to Wear on a Date: Round Two

by Black Lapel on Mar 7, 2013 • 12 Comments

So you took our advice, put on a fresh get up and charmed her with one of our last date ideas. Now there’s a text sitting in your inbox–she wants date numero dos. And maybe that first date was so good…that it was almost too good. And now, you’re anxiously asking yourself, will the sophomore outing...

Suits

Suiting 101: Two-Button or Three-Button Suit

by Black Lapel on Feb 28, 2013 • 30 Comments

Men’s style is all in the details. But you already knew that. And there are few better examples than those 1-inch-diameter disc-shaped objects hanging snugly from the front of your suit. What your buttons are made of is important – real bull horn (what we use) is superior to plastic. But even more to the...

Construction / Suits

Suiting 101: An Introduction to Suit Jacket Construction

by Black Lapel on Feb 21, 2013 • 5 Comments

When you think about suit quality, what are the first few things that come to mind? How killer it makes you look (fit) is obviously numero uno. How nice it feels (fabric quality) is an obvious second. But what about construction? Unlike fit and fabric quality, you may not care about the construction of a...

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