Ok gentlemen, this is it. The supreme enchilada, the party of all parties is finally just around the corner: New Year’s Eve.  And considering how crucial it is to look your finest on this particular evening, we’ve saved the New Year’s Eve holiday fashion tidbit for last.

Now whether you’ve realized yet (or not), you’ll have quite a lot to celebrate come December 31st. After all, not only is the whole year said and done, but you’ll have successfully made it through another holiday season with weird relatives and long-distance acquaintances who you’re afraid to be alone in the same room with.

And yes, we do admit that with New Year’s does come with social pressure to “do it up right,” but don’t let the hype intimidate. The key to the success is confidence. So guys, this means it’s time to put your best cuff forward and say, “goodbye 2009, helllllllllo 2010!” 

Clueless how to deal with all this fashion anxiety you didn’t even know you had? No worries, indiTailored’s got your back—literally.

For our “New Year’s Eve Party” shirt, we’ve chosen a bold purple and pink check look that’s sure to show off your confidence and kick the year off with a bang. Made from fine, 100% cotton straight outta Italy, this shirt is sure to make a statement on an evening that calls for just that.

And with purple contrast collars and cuffs, the three button barrel and a slick executive collar to finish the deal, this shirt comes well equipped with undeniable style and flare.

So cheers to you, my friend. With this shirt, 2010 is definitely lookin’ good…

After Santa comes, the feasting is over, and the extended family start to file out, the day after Christmas is suddenly a safe haven where you can breathe a sigh of relief because you’ve officially survived the holidays.

But listen gentleman, just because the big day is done, you don’t have permission to slip into your old college sweat suit. Like we talked about yesterday, your mom and even your girlfriend (if you were lucky enough to bring her home), still have to look at you.

That being said, although we still expect style when you get dressed post Christmas, we understand how crucial comfort is to you. After all, you have spent the past few weeks stressing to finish up work at the office, shop for holiday gifts, and deal with Aunt Betty who still likes to squeeze your cheeks.

The best part about indiTailored shirts is that we have looks for every occasion, including the days when you want to look good and still feel comfortable. So for our “Day After Christmas Shirt” we’ve chosen this casual, yet stylin’ bright blue/yellow striped shirt that strikes the perfect balance between too dressy and not dressy enough. This shirt screams “holiday appropriate” and lets your family and significant other know that although Christmas is over, you still care about putting yourself together.

If you decide to transition this shirt from daytime to night, pair it with a tie and blazer. Need to get some Grandma time in before you head back to your pad? Throw a cream colored sweater over this shirt and you’re guaranteed to look handsome, yet soo precious…

The holidays really are a magical time of year.

Skeptical? Okay—Well, when else can stout men put on bright red, jingle a couple of bells and poof—people appear less stressed, less frowny, and more inclined to say “please” and hold doors. It’s really quite astonishing.

But let us guess. It takes more than a jolly old plump man to lift your spirits…

Our suggestion? Start workin’ the boss today, cross those fingers real hard (you may need some serious luck for this one), and perhaps the holiday cheer will compel the big mucky-muck in your office to utter those words you’ve been dreaming about for weeks now…

“You know, [enter your name here]? You’ve worked hard enough this year. Don’t even bother coming in between Christmas and New Years. Enjoy the break! You’ve earned it!”

Regardless of how far fetched this scenario may seem (REALLY far-fetched), we at indiTailored encourage you to take time for a little excursion this holiday season, even if it is just a short jaunt—because we all know, the holidays are the time of year to be a tourist.

And whether you’re taking on the big city or exploring your quaint hometown, it’s advisible to embrace your inner tourist and travel in style.

So to be the most fashionable tourist on the block (not actually hard to do), we recommend this London-inspired red and black check shirt—complete with a double button spread collar and black and white contrast collar/cuffs, for a shirt full of character and dimension.

Now, off to finding that partner in crime for your winter wanderlust…

There is nothing wrong with being a momma’s boy. In fact, there’s a long list of things that are right with having a special soft spot in your heart for your mom. After all, she did carry you around for 9 months, pack your lunches before school, and buy you clothes until you (recently?) learned how to dress yourself.

That being said, with all the tender love and care your that your mother has given you over the years, it can only be expected that she’s overjoyed with excitement when you tell her you’ve booked your ticket and are heading home for the holidays. And even if going home means dealing with inevitable family stress and weird relatives, you know deep down that you, too, are looking forward to seeing the fam and being taken care of for a bit.

So we ask you please, do your mother a wee little favor, and take some time to put yourself together. Although she may not be that special lady you want to impress, odds are, she’s just as judgmental. So for her sake (and your sanity’s sake), please dress accordingly and assure the matriarch that you’re as handsome as she knows you are.

Our advice? Show your softer yet stylish side by wearing the color lavender with a complimentary brown/purple check contrast collar and cuff (fact: moms love their sons in pastels and appreciate little style details). A button-down collar and tailored fit will give your shirt a casual (but not unkempt) feel—the perfect look for your first day back—and will undoubtedly make your mom proud.

And if momma’s proud, momma’s more likely to feed you—and don’t try and fool us for a second. We know home cookin’ is one of the main reasons why you trekked home this season…

The holiday season may be a whirlwind, but you must remember to take a few moments this December to look longingly at that special someone in your life and get a little extra motivation to do something, well, special (believe us, you’ll never hear the end of it if you don’t…).

That’s why especially during the holidays, indiTailored puts our full stamp of approval on date night.

That’s right gentleman, it’s time to show your special lady friend how much you appreciate her—and if you’re going to put in a bit more effort to say, “I care,” you must do it with the proper style.

So for our “Date Night” shirt, to have you looking your best at times of crucial importance, we’ve selected a dark blue pinpoint shirt with a classy spread collar and a purple flowered pattern contrast.

With a shirt that shows sophistication, personality, and class, you’re bound to impress your gal with your sense of style. She’ll love that her man is comfortable enough to sport a floral contrast collar and cuffs and you’ll appreciate the feel of this 100% cotton, 80s 2-ply pinpoint.

Taking her out for something extra fancy (again, indiTailored fully supports such activities during the holidays)? Pair this shirt with a tie (full windsor knot, preferred) and simple silver tie bar. Add a sweater or fitted blazer to complete the look and you sir, are set for a magical evening.

Ok gentleman, it’s that time of year again.

Yup. You guessed it. It’s the season of the holiday party. And today we’re going to throw you our $.02 about how to dress for the most important of holiday parties: The office holiday party.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, office holiday parties will come around every year, regardless of your sentiments.

Our advice? Take advantage. With a rockin’ outfit to boost your confidence and an open bar to lighten the mood, you’ll be able to both rub elbows with your senior boss and tactfully approach the pretty lady you’ve been eying in the department two doors down—in the same night! How’s that for killing two birds…?

Now to get you in with the boss and the lady friend, we, at indiTailoired, have a few pointers. First, since this is a work event, there are a few key adjectives we want you to keep in mind when picking out your shirt: classy, professional, and stylish. 

Ultimately, your goal is to show that you have style, but not go too crazy with patterns and bright colors.

With that in mind, we’ve come up with a sophisticated twist to a professional office party shirt: A tight-fitted collared shirt with color and the right amount of personality. We’ve chosen a green/blue/white checked luxurious Italian fabric with a blue/white/brown check fabric for the contrast collar and cuffs to add a bit of dimension and spice. If you find yourself at a more formal affair, we fully endorse pairing this shirt with a solid color (think navy) tie and a fitted blazer to top off the look.

Just remember, when mingling with co-workers, you want a style that is festive enough to get you noticed, but not too festive to get you confused with the Christmas tree.

Take it from us, this classy shirt from indiTailored is sure to do the trick…

Think you know how to wash a dress shirt?

Well, if you’re the type that dumps all your clothes in the washing machine, throws in some detergent, drinks a beer (or two or three), and comes back hours later hoping everything turned out alright, it may be time to study up!

Being a grown up means knowing how to wash a dress shirt…properly.

And once you’ve invested in something as awesome as your own indiTailored dress shirt, you’ll surely want to keep it looking sharp.

So here are the indiTailored idiot-proof (not that you’re an idiot—surely YOU are a charming, intelligent, and thoughtful man) tips for washing your shirt, correctly. Believe us, it will save you many a headache.

Idiot-proof tip #1: Check your labels. If a shirt says dry-clean only—that means dry clean only. If they give you specific directions, your best bet is to actually follow them. You don’t want your swank look turned stanky with ruined fabric all over the place. 

Idiot-proof tip #2: If you can wash it at home, do a quick scan for stains—curry, pen ink, blood (we won’t ask), other things you see on ads for stain removers on TV. If you spot any marks, you can pre-treat using the detergent (or stain removers) you’ve got at home. For heavier fabrics, pre-treat with detergent directly; for more delicate fabrics, use a washcloth. If you are concerned about the detergent damaging the fabric, try applying a little bit of the detergent to a part of the fabric that won’t be visible, if damaged (think inside yolk of the shirt). 

Idiot-proof tip #3: When putting your glorious garb in the washer, be sure to put it on the most delicate setting there is. Once it’s done, put it in the dryer—and this part is important—on tumble WITH NO HEAT. Heat is a glorious thing. It keeps us warm in winter, it makes cookies, but it wreaks havoc on our clothes. After drying, flat iron on the lowest setting, and if you prefer a little more structure, a little spray starch could be just the ticket.

Idiot-proof tip #4: Don’t beat your dress shirt. Although this treatment is embraced by the Chinese at the banks of Yangtze River, it turns out this is not the best solution for clothing longevity.

image from cnsphoto

Does your mouth go dry at the idea of ironing a IndiTailored shirt? Never fear noble sirs, we’ve already tackled How to Iron a Shirt in a prior blog entry. 

With monograms, as in other arenas, size absolutely matters—get those three letters stamped a little bit too large and you run the risk of being recruited by someone named Jocky to play on his Polo Team. However, go too far in the other direction and you’ll be treating an awesome tradition with the same sense of shame and chagrin applied to those lunch-box notes mom used to tuck in with your hot-pockets.

Our philosophy is bigger isn’t always better, (that’s what she said). A quarter inch is really all you need. But where is the proper place for a monogram, you ask?

Correct answer: Pocket or cuff.

Which means, monograms are the perfect contribution to your brand spanking new indiTailored custom dress shirt. It’s all about the details. Your initials and a flash of color will give your shirt a subtle pop, which will label you “Man of Mystery” faster than we can begin to hum the Bond theme (and that is pretty damn fast).

So, it’s time to take back the monogram! No longer the currency of the wealthy, the monogram is now the emblem of the proud, the confident, and the achingly well-dressed man. Your monogram literally speaks to who you are, and son, if that ain’t unique, we don’t know what is.