Read Online Off the Cuff by Carson Kressley - Free Book Online

jeans to a blue blazer. I’m going to hope that you already know what an oxford shirt is: a sturdy, heavier weight pinpoint cotton weave with little buttons on the collar. The oxford shirt originated in Britain and is the backbone of British style—what we think of as classic English dressing. It came to America through prep schools and Brooks Brothers, bless their blue-blooded little hearts. If everyone in America owned a pink oxford, the world would be a much better place.
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    Everyone should also have at least one or two linen shirts in their wardrobe. They’re so classic and good-looking. For the fashion impaired among you, linen is a nubbly, textured lightweight fabric made from flax. Just make sure your linen shirts are hefty enough so we don’t see your nipples or your chest hair. I might like that, but let’s spare the rest of America, shall we?
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    Linen will wrinkle like crazy, but it’s meant to, so deal with it. I do recommend linen shirts more than linen pants, because sitting in pants you can really get some crazy wrinkles, like cat whiskers on the crotch. But that’s why linen is only meant for casual settings. It’s better to be all wrinkled when you’re at the beach having a margarita than when you’re applying to refinance your mortgage.
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    The other important thing to remember about linen is that you need to wear it between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Wearing linen when it’s ten degrees out only makes you look like you have seasonal dyslexia. It’s like, “Hi, how long have you had amnesia? You live in Minneapolis, not Maui.” The only exception to this rule is for our friends in California and Florida, where you can luxuriate in linen year round. Oh, happy day!
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    I also love printed novelty shirts and think everyone should have some. Go ahead, have fun, but keep the prints subtle. Your penchant for Hello Kitty does not need to be shared with the world via your clothing. Printed Hawaiian shirts have gotten so popular that I see guys wearing them everywhere. Casual Friday does not equal Hawaiian shirts, kids.
    Sports Shirts with French cuffs
    These days, there are a lot of sport shirts out there with French cuffs. It’s a fashion thing. They’re wonderful, and it can be a great look. You can either invest in an inexpensive pair of cufflinks (see chapter seven for more), or if you want to go for a more casual look, you can just tszuj the sleeves up and forget the cufflinks. But the important lesson here, friends, is don’t be afraid of French cuffs. French tourists are another matter completely.
    They’re meant for vacations and barbecues, not annual stockholder meetings. I don’t want to see the CEO of the International Edible Underwear Council giving a speech on the state of the industry when he looks like he works as a host at Trader Vic’s. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Fantasy Island , just not so much the fashion.
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    You’ll notice that in our grand tour of the wide world of sport shirts I didn’t mention flannel, much to the chagrin of our lesbian friends. I know you already have some flannel in your closet, so just promise me you’ll wear it sparingly. It’s just too Paul Bunyan for most guys, so step away from the flannel, people.
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    I’m also not a big fan of men in silk shirts. It’s hard for guys to pull it off. Most guys wearing a silk shirt look like they’re waiting for the valet to bring their IROC-Z, they’re in their pajamas, or they’re waiting for the next Air India flight to Bombay.

DRESS SHIRTS
    Dress shirts are the more expensive shirts you’d wear with a suit and a tie. They should be 100 percent cotton, and will be made of a dressier, smoother, more luxurious cotton than your sport shirts, since they’re meant for dressier occasions.
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    If you don’t wear a suit to the office every day, odds are you’re not going to need