Casual Shoes for Spring & Summer 2023

There is nothing that will boost your confidence or make you look more stylish than great shoes.  Many men make the mistake of overlooking this important fashion accessory.  Edward Baumann Clothiers is there to help you make smart choices in your investment and will show you how to care for them so they will last for years.

The rise of the ‘casual shoe’ started in the 1950’s, when new styles and cheaper manufacturing techniques made shoes more accessible for the average guy. Sneakers and high-top trainers came along in the ‘70s, then Doc Martins and lace-up combat boots, before an explosion of popular styles in the ‘90s and early ‘00s.

Today there are dozens of different shoes that could fall under ‘casual’. But here we’re going to run through the best men’s casual shoes, the most popular styles, and when to where them.

Casual Shoes for Spring & Summer 20232023-05-03T14:15:51+00:00

Will the Pandemic’s Impact on Fashion Be Lasting?

Dressing to impress for a virtual meeting might involve donning a polo shirt and, perhaps – if it’s an important meeting – a well fitted custom sport coats in place of the, button-down shirt, necktie and custom-made suit you might have pulled out of the closet for an in-person meeting in times gone by. 

There are those who say that there will be no going back, that now that we have experienced the freedom and comfort of remote work, we will never again be tied to a corporate office or slip a necktie around our necks. 

But then there are those who are looking forward to stepping out in Dallas wearing a custom suit, knowing they look their best and enjoying the confidence that comes with that. 

What Does the Future Look Like?

If you have taken advantage of the availability of the Covid-19 vaccines to protect yourself and those around you, you may already be in the process of moving toward some sense of a more familiar lifestyle. (The word normal is obviously off the table at this point and no one really knows what the new normal will be yet, so familiar is the goal we have set for ourselves.)

After spending more than a year working from home in sweatpants or pajama pants, are you looking forward to once again pulling your bespoke custom suits out of the closet or are you planning to bring some of that homegrown fashion sense with you as you return to your Dallas office? 

Bowling Green State University in Ohio looked at the pandemic’s impact on the multibillion-dollar fashion industry.

 Takeaways from their report include:

  • According to Marian Zengel, who teaches courses in fashion forecasting and 20th-century fashion, “Consumers will stick with the basics as they often do historically in times of uncertainty.”
  • The colors we gravitate toward might reflect our outlook moving forward. Feelings of optimism would be associated with brighter hues; pastel shades might reflect a more cautious outlook. 
  • Keep in mind that the merchandise on store racks might have been planned and conceived two years ago. “Fashion forecasting predicts trends long before it reaches the consumer, and no one in 2018 expected the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Of course, with a custom suit created by the highly celebrated bespoke tailor at Dallas’ Edward Baumann Clothiers, your clothes will reflect your style and a much more up-to-date fashion sense. Contact us if you would like to arrange a fitting.

Will the Pandemic’s Impact on Fashion Be Lasting?2021-07-15T12:05:47+00:00

Those Jeans Are Made for You

At Edward Baumann Clothiers, fit is everything. That includes custom jeans. From fabric to buttons, from shape to number of pockets—every detail is evaluated to a T because it is that important.

There is no other piece of clothing in the world that people love and cherish more than jeans. Since 1873 when jeans were first invented by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss, men and women alike have tried to find a perfect fit for everyday life or as a fashion statement. 

You can wear jeans almost everywhere today, but it wasn’t always like that.

The History of Blue Jeans

We were curious about the History of Jeans, so we did a little digging around about your favorite garment through the years. Did you know that:

  • No one would say that wearing jeans nowadays is rebellious. It wasn’t like that in the 1950s, though. Blue jeans were considered a rebellious statement against the status quo. 
  • Approximately 450 million pairs of jeans are sold in the United States every year. (Of course, most of them are off-the-shelf, not custom jeans.)
  • Statistically, every American owns seven pairs of blue jeans on average.
  • When blue jeans were worn by factory workers, they had zippers on the front for men and zippers on the side for women. 
  • The very first label ever attached to a piece of a clothing was a red flag that was sewed next to the back pocket of Levi Strauss’ jeans.
  • No one will be surprised by ripped jeans today. People of all ages wear them as a fashion statement. That wasn’t always the case. Ripped jeans prior to the 1970s were a result of overwearing. They were mainly associated with misfortune. Times change!

No matter what style of jeans you chose, the bespoke tailor at Dallas’ Edward Baumann Clothiers and we will make you a pair of beautifully fitted custom men’s jeans. You may want to check out our custom-made men’s suits, too.If you have any questions, please contact us online or give us a call at (972) 895-5172 to ask any questions about custom-made suits and jeans in Dallas.

Those Jeans Are Made for You2022-10-11T20:10:42+00:00

Men’s Fashion Forecast is Cloudy

We all know that a custom-made men’s suit will never go out of style, but when it comes to colors, fabrics and cuts, this year’s style trends are a little murky. 

As the folks at GQ point out, it can be hard to forecast trends when everyone is tucked away at home, presumably wearing sweats.  So, instead of a true style forecast, they decided to take a different approach this year. 

“Instead of any real era-defining capital-M Menswear Trends, we’re blessing you with an oddball assortment of things we’re really feeling at the moment,” they said. “New stuff we want to wear, old stuff we’ve been wearing forever, weird stuff that brings us joy.”

You should definitely check out the whole list of menswear trends for 2021 that Yang-Yi Goh put together for GQ, but here are 5 of our favorites from that list: 

  1. Good vibe T-shirts are at the top of the list.The path to positivity begins in your T-shirt drawer,” they said. Wherever you can find positivity these days, we say embrace it.
  2. Long-sleeved polos made the list, but not because spring is slow in arriving. “Fitted knit polo shirts are the official uniform of Handsome Movie Stars on Press Junkets for a reason: they’re clean, they’re timeless, they make your biceps pop,” Goh writes.
  3. Bright yellow is another choice that seems intended to boost spirits, but as GQ cautions, remember, “A little squeeze of lemon goes a long way.”
  4. Patchwork shirts we aren’t so sure about but we love the logic they came up with: “There are so few opportunities to put on a button-up these days, you might as well wear five at once.”
  5. Jeans made the list, which made us smile (even if they didn’t specify custom-made jeans). Reports of denim’s demise were greatly exaggerated,” Goh writes. “After a year spent mainly in sweats, the occasional pair of jeans will feel downright novel.”

Basically, you could say that whatever makes you feel good about life is on trend this year. If a new custom suit would put a smile on your face, you know who to contact.

Men’s Fashion Forecast is Cloudy2021-07-15T12:00:34+00:00

Flying High and In Style

We have talked before about how the right clothing and the right attitude can make a difference. Wearing a custom-made men’s suit that fits you like a second skin can give you an extra layer of confidence when you start negotiating. And something as simple as wearing custom jeans instead of sweatpants can help you find the motivation you need to be productive at home. 

Well, now we would like to propose that it is time to bring some style back to the friendly skies. 

There was a time when getting on an airplane and flying somewhere was considered to be something of a special occasion. Instead of donning pajama pants and an unwashed t-shirt, people actually dressed nicely before boarding a flight. 

We know that we can’t turn the clock back that far. After all, in those days, not only did people dress nicely, but when they were on board they also had plenty of legroom and were served food on real plates with silverware. (Yes, it’s true.) 

The Way It Was 

In those days, people checked their luggage and carried on only those things they might want or need during the flight. You might need your medication and you might want something like a book or magazine, or maybe even a crossword puzzle to help pass the time. Women, of course, carried their purses with them, but if they wanted to freshen up their lipstick, they went to the restroom to do so.

Obviously, those days are gone. Long gone. 

But (you knew there was a but coming, didn’t you) we can’t help but wonder if, perhaps, after everything we have been through during the pandemic and the necessary restrictions on travel that have been part of our lives, if maybe there might be at least a sliver of a chance that we will once again see air travel as something special. 

We don’t expect you to don a custom bespoke suit for your next flight (unless, of course, you are traveling for business), but how about a nice pair of custom jeans with a crisp, clean tailored shirt? Is that asking too much?

Flying High and In Style2021-04-15T07:00:12+00:00

Looking Good and Feeling Good in 2021

Is the custom-made suit you ordered last year feeling a little snug these days? Does it feel like your favorite pair of custom jeans shrunk in the wash? If you put on a few pounds in 2020, you are not alone. After being on lockdown month after month, lots of folks packed on what some are calling the Covid 19, as in 19 pounds. 

But 2021 has arrived! It’s a New Year and a new opportunity to focus on your health and wellbeing. 

You thought we were going to say a new opportunity to lose weight, didn’t you? Like we haven’t all been down that road before. As Forbes senior contributor Mark Murphy reported last year in a story dealing with the high failure rate of New Year’s resolutions, “Every year more than 50% of people make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, quit smoking, work out, save money, get a promotion, get a raise, and more. And yet, virtually every study tells us that around 80% of New Year’s resolutions will get abandoned.” 

For many, making New Year’s resolutions and then failing to meet them is just one more reason to feel bad about yourself. And nobody needs that right now. Nobody.

 

Focus on Feeling Good

We aren’t out of the woods yet, as far as the pandemic is concerned, so there’s no reason to think that the road is suddenly going to be smoother simply because we’ve turned a page on the calendar. 

But that doesn’t mean you should just throw your hands up in the air and admit defeat before making a beeline for the chips. 

What you should do is take care of yourself. And here are a few suggestions to help you do that:

  • Get plenty of sleep. “Want to reduce your risk of heart disease, weight gain, and hypertension? Getting high-quality rest is shown to improve men’s overall health,” Northwest Primary Care says.
  • Add cardio exercise to your fitness routine
  • Make a doctor’s appointment. “Men make 130 million fewer visits to the doctor than women do, and that’s not including childbirth visits, says Armin Brott, author of Father for Life. He says men tend to discount pain and see themselves as indestructible, especially at younger ages,” WebMD says. “’We’re supposed to be taking care of our families, and we just don’t have time to take care of ourselves,’ says Brott, noting a great percentage of the time men go to the doctor because their wife sent them. By the time they go, however, their condition could have progressed to more troublesome stages.”

And, if your old jeans or your old sportscoat makes you feel uncomfortable or bad about yourself, we highly recommend that you contact our bespoke tailor in Dallas to talk about a new pair of custom jeans or a stylish new bespoke custom suit that will lift your spirits.

Looking Good and Feeling Good in 20212021-02-23T17:59:18+00:00

Santa’s Custom-Made Suit

Not every guy can put on a red suit and get away with it – even if it is a custom-made suit from a bespoke tailor. Santa Claus is, of course, the exception. But even Santa had to work his way up to it. 

Santa’s sense of style developed over the years with a little help, not from bespoke tailors like the ones at Dallas’ Edward Baumann Clothiers, but from artists working in the 19th and 20th centuries.

“The Santa Claus we all know and love — that big, jolly man in the red suit with a white beard — didn’t always look that way. In fact, many people are surprised to learn that prior to 1931, Santa was depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to a spooky-looking elf,” researchers at Coca-Cola say. “In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper’s Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union.”

Early images of Santa – aka Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle and Father Christmas – had him wearing everything from a bishop’s robe to animal skins. Nast, rather than the leading tailor at the North Pole, is credited with getting the jolly old soul to shed the tan coat he’d been wearing in favor of a bright red one. 

Santa Claus and Coca-Cola

Some people will tell you that Santa’s bold fashion choice is tied to his relationship with Coke, but the company says they can’t take the credit. “Coca-Cola did not create the legend of Santa Claus,” they say on their website. “But Coca-Cola advertising did play a big role in shaping the jolly character we know today.”

Coke began using Santa in their holiday advertising during the 1920s, but it wasn’t until 1931 that the switch to “a wholesome Santa who was both realistic and symbolic” was made. Haddon Sundblom was the illustrator who, inspired by “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” came up with the concept of Santa that most of us are familiar with today. 

Santa definitely has a distinct style, one that is easily recognizable and works well with his chosen path in life. (Of course, we don’t know what he wears in the off season.) If you would like a little help developing a style that will convey your confidence and flair, the bespoke tailor at Dallas’ Edward Baumann Clothiers can help you make a meaningful statement with a custom-made men’s suit, fashionable accessories, and maybe a pair of custom jeans.   

Contact us when you are ready to give Santa a run for his money.

Santa’s Custom-Made Suit2020-12-25T09:02:59+00:00

Three Fabulous Fashion Icons from the Big Screen

If someone were to ask you what kind of movies you enjoy watching, you might say action movies, science fiction or comedy. You probably wouldn’t say, “I like watching movies that feature well-dressed men.” Unless, of course, you were a bespoke tailor in Dallas at Edward Baumann Clothiers. 

We confess, we can’t help but notice the fashion statements that Hollywood’s leading men make in the movies. Their wardrobes – from chic evening wear to rugged leather – help to flesh out the character being portrayed on the Silver Screen. Film fashions have also had an impact on consumer culture and men’s off-screen style.

3 Film Icons that Inspire Style

If you are ever looking for some fashion inspiration, you may want to consider these stylish characters, drawn from The Short List’s roundup of the 30 most stylish film characters

  1. James Bond
    • It doesn’t matter whether you prefer Sean Connery or Daniel Craig, 007 knows how to dress. Even Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore had a look that was to-die for when they took on the legendary character. “Since the Sixties, men’s style has changed dramatically. Successive youth cultures have combined to gradually relax the rules of formal attire and revolutionise how chaps dress. And yet, perversely, arguably the most stylish man on film in the last 50 years is one that is governed by the conventions of yesteryear. His name? Bond. James Bond. If you don’t find his elegance utterly bewitching then you’re probably a hipster bore. Or a Goth But not both,” the folks a The Short List say.
  2. Jim Stark (James Dean’s character in Rebel Without A Cause)
    • When it comes to casual cool, it’s hard to beat James Dean in his most iconic performance. “To this day, Stark’s ‘uniform’ – jacket, white T-shirt and jeans – denotes classic outsiderdom,” The Short List says.
  3. Philip Marlowe (Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep)
    • “Gentlemen; if you’re weary of the contemporary preference for all things ‘dude’ –and aspire to be a ‘proper’ man: rugged, silent, funny, tough and possessed of a magnetic appeal to members of the opposite sex, take our advice: watch Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep. That is all. Just watch and learn,” is the advice from the Short List. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. 

And, if you want a little help transforming that inspiration into a look all your own, contact Edward Baumann Clothiers, the go-to destination in Dallas for custom suits, custom men’s jeans and more bespoke custom products.

Three Fabulous Fashion Icons from the Big Screen2021-02-23T17:53:02+00:00

What Does the Best-Dressed Superhero Wear?

It is usually easy to spot the best-dressed man in the room, right? He’s the one wearing a custom-made suit and he’s wearing it with confidence and style. But when it comes to superheroes, they all have custom-made suits, right? (Just not the kind you’ll find here at Edward Baumann Clothiers, the destination for bespoke tailored suits in Dallas.)

Apparently, we are not the first ones to ponder the xx and xx of superhero style. 

Superhero Chic

The folks over at Vanity Fair deemed the question of which superhero is the best-dressed worthy of discussion a couple of years ago. “Batman without his mask is just a man dealing with orphan issues, and Catwoman without her suit is just a burglar: it’s the clothes that separate these heroes from villains,” they pointed out. (Which is superhero speak for “the clothes make the man.”)

Their top 10 list of best-dressed superheroes included: 

  • Iron Man (The magazine dubbed him “science-fiction’s answer to Savile Row.”)
  • Blossom
  • Black Widow
  • Superman
  • Batman
  • Kim Possible (The magazine says, “Her signature combination of harem-cargo fatigues with a black cropped turtleneck suggest a Michael Kors spin on Indiana Jones.”)
  • Catwoman
  • Invisible Woman (A lesson for those of you working from home – even though she can’t be seen, this superhero takes care with her appearance.) 
  • Spider-Man (“Nothing less than the latest smart fabrics for the king of geek chic,” Vanity Fair quips.)

At Stylecaster they not only put together a list of the best-dressed superheroes, they went a step further and called others out with their worst-dressed superhero list. “Just because superheroes take on evil powers (and give us endless inspiration for Halloween costumes) doesn’t mean they’re perfect. Sure, some (like Batman) clean up quite nicely, but others (like The Hulk) are in desperate need of a makeover,” they say. 

Their best-dressed list is topped by:

  • Batman
  • Silk Spectre II
  • Wonder Woman

At the top of Stylecaster’s worst-dressed list of superheroes you will find:

  • Robin
  • The Hulk
  • The Fantastic 4 

These days, it takes superpowers just to get through the week. So, if you’re rising above it all and sticking up for the little guy (and little gals, too), you deserve your own custom men’s suit to celebrate your heroic efforts. And our bespoke tailor in Dallas can help you design one that will put you at the top of any best-dressed list.

What Does the Best-Dressed Superhero Wear?2020-11-27T23:34:17+00:00

Can You Wear White After Labor Day?

The question of whether or not you need to take every stitch of white clothing that you own and pack it away until Memorial Day rolls around again is one that seemingly will not be laid to rest. If you ask the bespoke tailor at Dallas’ Edward Baumann Clothiers, you will be set straight. Yes, it is perfectly fine to wear white after Labor Day. 

A crisp white shirt with a pair of custom jeans custom jeans is a classic look that works any time of year. You might not want to wear a white linen suit to the company Christmas party, but a chic custom-custom-made suite or custom sport coat in white wool – well, that’s a surefire way to make it on Santa’s nice list. 

The editors at Esquire agree. “Not wearing white after Labor Day is absurd. It never should’ve been a thing, and it definitely shouldn’t be one now,” they say. “Incorporating some subtle (and not-so-subtle!) hints of white into your regular rotation year round is never a bad move.” 

“It’s perfectly acceptable to wear white after Labor Day,” the Tailored Man says. “What you want to be careful about is what sort of white clothing you choose in the Fall and Winter months. If you are eyeing that short sleeve white dress shirt or a spring white jacket, don’t do it. Wear a sensible white suit or a white hat, even a long white waistcoat, but don’t make it look like you think it’s May.”

Even the arbiters of etiquette at The Emily Post Institute are on board. “Of course you can wear white after Labor Day,” they say. “It’s more about fabric choice today than color. Even in the dead of winter in northern New England the fashionable wear white wools, cashmeres, jeans, and down-filled parkas.” 

The only remaining question is whether or not you will be among “the fashionable” who will be wearing a white custom suit or a beautifully tailored white custom shirt with your custom-made jeans this winter.

Can You Wear White After Labor Day?2020-10-08T02:30:20+00:00
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