About May Globus
Vancouver City Editor May Globus is obsessed with the sartorial and all that surrounds it: art, design, culture, music and film. Oh, and she really likes writing about it, too. A left coast girl at heart, her Sweetspot finds just might show why the westside really is the best side.
The Dapper Gentleman
the view from vancity: indochino canada, Vancouver
(Jan.15.12)
A very entertaining Vancouver Magazine article entitled "Do Vancouver Men Suck?" recently received massive viral traction and an outpouring of polarized responses from the city's men and women alike.
Bemoaning an inherent lack of chivalry and "graciousness" afflicting the local male population, the article's author also came down hard on their seeming lack of style and penchant for lazy man's grooming (translation: none). However, while I have my opinions on both matters of chivalry and sartorial IQ, I'm only sticking to the latter topic here.
For those shabbily dressed men referred to in the aforementioned write-up, there is a saving grace that happens to be locally based: Indochino. This custom online menswear company has everything every dapper gentleman should have in his closet: suits, sports coats, made-to-measure shirts, pants, ties, cufflinks and, yes, even pocket squares and bow ties (and if your fellow doesn't have these items, you know where to get them!).
Shirt rack.
In my particular case, most guys I know actually do pay careful attention to their appearance. They have manicured five o'clock shadows, wear appropriately scuffed tie-up leather boots (left untied, natch), own a statement watch of some sort and perhaps sport a slicked side part, a la Don Draper (a current, yet classic coif).
One such guy I know has a name, Adrian H., and I recently accompanied him on his quest for the perfect three-piece suit at Indochino's "Traveling Tailor" pop-up shop.
Dapper gent: Adrian H.
Walking into the shop, it became glaringly apparent to me that men in this town enjoy a well-cut suit at a good price (from $379) and a taste of the bespoke — the place was teeming was them. They were chatting with Indochino stylists (like Saul, who helped Adrian match his personal tastes to the right textiles and patterns), getting measurements done by tailors and seamstresses (like the lovely Milica) and picking out additional details to make the attire their own (he went with his name monogrammed inside the suit jacket, a free addition).
Milica taking measurements.
Saul on style.
During this three-piece crusade, I was certainly schooled in men's style. I learned about various collar types, double versus single suit vents, pinstripe widths, French cuffs and vests. I learned that the bottom button of a single breast, two-button suit jacket can be left undone without looking sloppy. I learned there's nothing wrong with different shades of the same colour in a suit situation; going matchy-matchy in hue can be quite sharp.
All kinds of collars.
But most of all (and on behalf of bemoaning local ladies everywhere), I learned that there really are men out there who do care to put themselves together — if not for you, then for themselves.
In the case of heterosexual male sartorial IQ, perhaps Vancouver men don't suck after all.
The final three-piece.
* Indochino's 'Travelling Tailor' events are coming again to Vancouver, as well as Calgary and Montreal.
** If you enjoyed the first Vancouver Magazine article, there is an equally entertaining response to it here.