Pressed & Proper Blog

“I have nothing to wear.”

Admit it, men: although you like to tease other people with full closets for uttering this very cliche, you’ve occasionally muttered the exact same thing to yourself—oftentimes, when looking at your own full closet.

The truth is, “I have nothing to wear” is usually code for: “I don’t see anything I want to wear.” What’s more, the complaint tends to mean that you don’t have enough casual items in your wardrobe. You’re looking for versatile yet dressy pants, for example, and when you look in your dresser, you don’t see them.

Let’s fix that.

As the saying goes, "Clothes make the man.” But only if they’re properly fitting, eye-catching and attractive. The foundation of any man's  wardrobe should be classic style pieces. Take a note from vintage style icons James Dean, Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. Start with basic, timeless items -- then add accessories and seasonal items to get that standout look.

Looking for examples of head-turning style? We've got you covered.

Here are 10 must-have items every man should have in his wardrobe.

It’s not easy being a large in a medium world.

The clothes, even when made larger in proportion, seem designed for someone else. Sometimes you’re too tall for the clothes you bought, resulting in short sleeves or exposed ankles. And sometimes you’re on the wide side of your clothes, resulting in bunching waists and a completely unbalanced outfit. Anyone who’s been considered in the “big and tall” category knows that there’s one particular article of clothing that’s always been particularly vexing:

Trousers.

But fret no more: here at Berle, we make trousers with big and tall men in mind—and we want you to wear them with every bit of style and assurance as the mediums and the smalls.

Depending on where you are in the United States, winter can mean very different things.

In the north, winter is not just an occasional cool day. It’s a way of life, a seasonal changing from “pleasantly warm” to “very, very cold” that’s to be accepted as a fact of life, much like death or taxes. In the south, winter can be a pleasantly mild respite from oppressing hot days, with an occasional snowstorm that means major trouble for roads and public services.

But no matter where you live, winter means that temperatures won’t be as hot. And if you want to continue looking as good as you can—wearing light layers whenever possible—without succumbing to the cold, you’re going to need an action plan.

You’re ready for the job interview, waiting in the lobby, when you notice it; there’s a hole along the inseam of your pants.

“Great,” you think. “Not only do I have another ruined pair of trousers, but I’m going to be thinking about this throughout the whole interview. What am I doing that keeps ruining my pants?”

If what you wear influences your state of mind, then it only serves to reason that taking good care of your trousers will help you to feel confident and sharp in some of life’s most nerve-racking situations. What’s more, taking proper care of your pants—and every item in your wardrobe—will save you money by avoiding big replacement purchases.

It’s tough finding a pair of pants that fit if you’re only buying online without the benefit of a dressing room. But there is a shortcut. If you know your pants size numbers, you should be able to buy a pair of pants that fits every time. In this post we'll walk you through pants W & L, outseam vs inseam, rise and more, so you can get the perfect fit.

Congratulations, you’ve just landed a nine-to-five job! After getting off the phone with your new boss, you let out a happy yelp, succumb to the excitement over a new paycheck, and call everyone you know. Then, after all the celebration is over, a sudden doubt creeps in:

“What the heck will I wear?”

If this 2007 Gallup poll was correct, then the most likely outfit you’ll be expected to wear falls under the umbrella of the well-known term, “business casual.” But even after some quick Googling around, you’re still not quite sure what that means--and you’re definitely not sure how you’ll keep repeating the same dress code day after day with a closet that’s only half-full.

So what exactly is business casual, and how do you wear it day in and day out without repeating the same outfit two days in a row?

It’s almost Labor Day, and for many people—particularly those who are readying for winter in a cold climate—that means the unfortunate end of summer. But with this three-day weekend upon us, everyone is wondering what to wear to the obligatory Labor Day party. After all, you have to make the most of every day off you can get.

But what to wear to the Labor Day party? Is it still summer, or has Labor Day become the unofficial beginning of fall? It can be a little confusing, which is why we put together a few tips for heading to your Labor Day party with the pitch-perfect outfit.

Every year, it seems as though summer will last forever…until it doesn’t. Unless you live in a stupendously warm climate, it’s a reality we have to face every year: the leaves will change, the mercury will dip, and the party will end.

If that sounds like too much of a bummer, remember this: fall is one of the best times of year to experiment with your style. Consider that you get to add new layers, try new clothes, and wear long pants again. And if you’re like your sartorial counterparts further north, you love adding fall colors to your wardrobe.

But what is a fall color, why should you add it to your wardrobe, and how do you pull it off?

The word “fall” means very different things, depending where you’re from.

In the northern sections of the country, “fall” is a definite trend toward the inevitable snow and ice of winter. In many of the southern sections of the country, “fall” is merely a good excuse to switch to long sleeves.

But no matter where you live—and how chilly it gets—you’ve got to be ready for the weather to take a chillier turn once in a while. And with the dog days of summer upon us, it’s time to examine your wardrobe and update it for that next downturn.