Proper Press — LOTG

Clinton. Bill Clinton. President. Charmer. Global negotiator. And potentially, America’s first First Gentleman. Clinton understood the power of simplicity. In 1992, his campaign strategist James Carville scrawled four blunt words onto a sign that would shape the election: It’s the economy, stupid. That phrase helped Clinton connect with voters, cut through the noise, and walk into the White House. In men’s style, there’s a truth just as simple—and just as effective:It’s your shoes, stupid. This isn’t about fashion for fashion’s sake. It’s about how you show up in the world. Your shoes speak before you do. They telegraph confidence, taste,...

The Book of Revelation describes four harbingers of doom: Conquest, War, Famine, and Death—riders summoned to cleanse the earth before final judgment. Dramatic, yes. But not entirely unrelated to the contents of your closet. At Commonwealth Proper, we believe a man’s wardrobe reflects his discipline, his ambition, his soul. And yet, even the best-intentioned gentlemen can fall prey to subtle sins of style. The summer is as good a time as any for a reckoning. In that spirit, we present The Four Horsemen of the Wardrobe Apocalypse—the chief agents of sartorial self-destruction. Heed them. And avoid them.     1. The...

A Sartorial TPO Guide:  Dressing for Time, Place, and Occasion I was recently researching a trip to Japan and reading a  Condé Nast article about the culture. It noted the principle of “TPO” in Japan – an acronym for “Time, Place, and Occasion” – which highlights the importance of selecting appropriate attire and conduct based on the specific context of an event or setting. In an era where work-from-home culture and casualization have taken center stage, the principles of dressing intentionally have never been more important. Drawing from this Japanese TPO concept, men can embrace an elevated approach to dressing...

While wholly unimportant to most, the recent Senate hiccup regarding its dress code - or lack thereof - was front page for us at CMMP. I traveled to Congress from our Georgetown Showroom to set up at DRYY who have the exclusive dry cleaning within the House and Senate. Being on the Hill during these interesting times gave me an unique opportunity to reflect on the Senate’s sartorial snafu. I came away understanding that this is an important inflection point to think about re-establishing an intentional standard for one’s own image. If not for their own sake, for the sake...

The great awakening of 2008 saw men caring about how they looked in clothes. Perhaps it was the advent and growth of social media or the fact that the economy was in the tank and men needed to dress well to get noticed for a new job. Whatever the real cause, it happened - men started to care. And with that caring about appearance menswear peaked with a crescendo of gingham, pocket squares and tailored suiting. With this new consciousness came adherence to the traditional rules of dressing well - e.g., proper inseam lengths, proportional lapels, showing a bit of...