The call came in and Art of Style was to the rescue.
Our latest AoS client is a husband, father, engineer and lives in Northern California. His build is long and lean. Pre Art of Style our client’s closet had been curated by a box service and many a Christmas by mom. The clean out process told a 15 year story of East Coast young adult goes to grad school to then earning a job in Silicon Valley. Closets hold so much love and life, but WOW what a wardrobe refresh does for the soul. We laughed over stories of adventures in the clothes as we emptied that closet out!
Then came the shopping….
Before I head to the mall I make a list of what I feel like the client needs. I had a $3,000 budget. Let’s chat budgets for a brief minute…. I have worked with ALL different types of budgets. I felt confident (which I now know I was correct) that I could really build a strong foundational wardrobe for his lifestyle with this budget. He does not work in an environment that requires professional attire, so although I like to distinguish a difference between work and weekend clothes, when you work in an ultra casual environment there will be over lap and the budget is able to stretch more.
Curious what we got???
Lulu Lemmon 
Ahhhhh the ABC pant from LuLu is my go-to for AoS men. Because of his slim frame I tried out the Commission Pant Slim and I actually loved it! It is very very trim and having never worn anything but a denim he had to walk around the house for a while before he gave me the thumbs up on these babies. But then once he was sold, he was hooked and through out the session kept asking if everything went back with these. They are just so unbelievably comfortable. If you have more muscular thighs or a booty try the ABC pant. I officially give the AoS stamp of approval on the Commission pant. As for the polo…. he is having me purchase multiple 😉
Baldwin
Baldwin just makes me feel cooler when I walk in. This is also the only spot I couldn’t possibly leave without purchasing something for myself as well. Whoopsies, but an olive canvas Van with cheeta details….. UM Hello New Favorite Shoe 😉 Anyways…. He has long arms and the sweater worked! It was a final sale risk but I took the chance because it is hard to find sweaters that excite me. The fabric is so divine and the weight transitional. My client was super pumped.
Suit Supply
Suit Supply was were I found our splurge item. I really needed a jacket for him that he could wear with a dress button up and still look relaxed, while not athletic. Non athletic is the key phrase in there. When investing in a jacket be aware of the places you want it to take you. We came to the conclusion that being non-athletic was crucial because his office is already so casual, that on days which he needs to elevate his look, there still needs to be a simple and comfortable functionality to the garment. This jacket could not have accomplished that better. The sweater polo I am a MAJOR fan of. SIZE UP!
Nordstrom
If I have the budget Nordstrom is my safe spot for menswear. From the shoes to the button ups, being this was his first AoS experience most of these items are the “go-to” for my clients. These are the items that every male needs in their wardrobe. A brilliantly beautiful button down in a funky print, the classic dressy denim, sports lux Mizzen + Main suit shirts, etc. These right here are closet champions for AoS.
H&M
Inexpensive for the win!! These shorts are the BOMB! They fit great on thin men. Men with thighs or a big booty do not try. The tees are so soft, inexpensive and the bright blue slim one I will use as an undershirt when I style him. It has a very fine detail of stripe to it and when I layered it he was very excited about the detail. Take it for a test drive. The nutmeg colored t-shirt is my kryptonite this season. I try this color on every client in some format, yet it is crucial to be sure it pairs back with your skin tone to pull it off.
Macy’s
I actually purchased way more short sleeve button ups here by surf brands but we only kept these. At first he was not sure about the Japanese style collar, but as he wore it more it grew on me. He decided he felt like he was wearing a hospital gown.
Gap
Easy go to! These pieces may not seem like game changers, but the short sleeve chambray (denim) button up was something he really wanted. I loved this wash the most out of the 75,000 short sleeve chambray button ups I looked at for him. He also loved the subtle collar detail and weight of the tee.
Lucky
I think Lucky is so underrated. I absolutly love the quality for the price point. They have mature graphic tees in ultra soft fabrics. I size two sizes down in the burn out tees for my clients to wear as undershirts. I strongly dislike white under shirts so the easiest way to mix up a man’s style is to get him wearing colored undershirts. The new sateen denim showcased here fits ultra slim, but there is a more traditional cut. I have been shopping this fabric in pants for my gentleman since 2014 and AG has been the only brand I thought did it well, until now that it 🙂 The jacket was a home run with the client. It is made of linen, lending it to be a perfect year round weight.
Club Monaco
I love the suede belt for men. It reads more transitional from casual to dressy. We purchased this in the navy for the perfect “twin-set” look with denim and the gray for the Cole Haan gray sneaker. Remember when purchasing a men’s belt that if he wears a 34 waist in pants he would need a 36 belt.
So there we have it! I hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions on sizing please contact us at [email protected]
