Airline Travel Part 1: packing for your trip.

There are many things to keep in mind and consider when packing for a trip. I usually start by taking into account how long the trip will be. Longer trips are pretty easy to prepare for because you will generally pack more allowing for greater flexibility in outfit choices while shorter trips (which tend to be more common) require more planning. for those shorter trips the best thing to do is pack neutrals for shirts and trousers and use color in other items like socks, ties, and pocket squares. This will allow some flexibility without taking up a lot of suitcase real estate. It's also a great idea to pack for 1 to 2 more days then what the trip requires. It will allow you some wiggle room if a flight is missed or canceled. Make sure to consider what types of things you'll be doing while traveling as it will help you pack appropriately for special events or parties that may require nicer dress. Another tip is to invest in some travel containers for things like aftershave and shave lotion etc. These will take up less space and allow you to pack more efficiently. Lastly, when putting all of your items in your bag, try different configurations to see how items fit best. The more compact you luggage the easier it is to lug around. Hope this makes your holiday travels more efficient. Stay classy.

Holiday gift ideas

As much as I hate lists I have to put one out there for the holidays. These are my top 10 ideas for guys to ask for/the top 10 things girls should consider buying for a guy (assuming he has no idea what to ask for for Christmas). Most of these items are on this list because they are "out of the box" ideas as far as gifts go. These are all things that any self-professed sartorialist needs if he doesn't have already.

(In no particular order)

-Fabric Shaver
-Vintage Watch
-Cedar Shoe Trees
-Horse or Badger Hair Shave Brush
-Fabric Steamer
-Leather Driving Gloves
-Wooden Hangers
-Antique Cigar Humidor
-Monogramed Zippo Lighter
-Vintage Safety or Straight Razor (fully restored and shave-ready of course)

P.S. Us guys always love giftcards too. Consider giftcards for thetiebar.com or for a straight razor shave at a local barber shop.

Stay Classy

Closet Organization

I am a huge advocate of organization in general but just recently I discovered the value of an organized closet. There are many aspects to keeping a closet organized so I decided that this would be a great topic for fitted male. The first thing I did to organize my closet was decide on a game plan. Its good to know what you'd like to accomplish prior to diving in. I knew up front that I had to rearrange things but I also wanted to purge. I think that purging your closet is possibly the most important step in getting organized. I  got rid of anything and everything that no longer fit and moved all of my t-shirts, shorts, and other super casual items to my dresser. I decided that the only things closet worthy would be button up shirts, trousers and denim, sweaters, suits, blazers, cardigans, shoes, and other important accessories. The best way to show you what I came up with is post the pictures.

This is an overview from the doorway of my closet. The shelving unit in the back allows for great storage of shoes, ties, and other accessories. the middle section is dedicated to an organizer that houses pocket squares, collar stays, extra buttons, extra shoe laces, and other various accessories. I also keep my box of shoe polish next to my black shoes below my ties.

One of my best ideas was investing a small amount in all wooden hangers. This is not only a great look but allows you to see all the hanging garments better allowing you to find items faster. You can pick up a large set of hangers from the Hangers Direct eBay store for a great price.

This tie and belt system is something I designed from kitchen drawer organizers and propped up at an angle for easy access at the top of my shelving unit.

This is a storage option that I came up with to keep extra hangers out of the way but still easy to access. Its just a cheap crate from a home store turned on its side.

Hanging closet organizers like this one can provide great storage for many things, not just shoes. I have shoes in the bottom half of this unit but use the top bins for scarves.

I didn't have any other place in my room to put all the books that were stored in my closet so I came up with this creative solution. Once again these are just cheap crates turned on their side with books piled inside. I even used an over-the-door hanger suspended from an opening in the crate to hold an antique camera bag and an old marching band hat. 

Not pictured is the wall that opposes my hanging items. Being that it was empty and didn't offer many options, I chose to put 4 double hooks on the wall next to and below each other. This allows me to hang hoodies and light weight jackets out of the way.

These are simple ideas for great closet organization. If you go shopping at places like The Container Store just keep in mind that every item you see can probably be used for something other than what it was intended. This knowledge will keep you thinking outside of the box (pun intended) on your organization projects. The benefit to getting organized is that you will speed up the process of deciding what to wear and getting dressed. You'll also be able to do quick inventories of what you need, when to do laundry, and what you have and haven't worn recently. Get organized and realize the benefit of a neat clean closet. Stay classy.