Off the Cuff by Carson Kressley Read Free Book Online

spring and summer khaki. Khaki for the colder seasons will come in a range of colors, from warm golden tones to browns, and will be a heavier weight. For spring and summer, your khakis should be lighter weight cotton twill, and will come in a softer color palette—bone, sand, and putty tones. Summer khakis can even be almost white. I know—crazy, isn’t it?

Corduroys
    Corduroys are just a teensy bit dressier than khakis. Think of them as a cool alternative to jeans. Wear them for casual Fridays, with a sweater and an oxford shirt, or on a date, in place of denim. Much like denim, there are loads of different washes and finishes available. I recommend you have a pair of corduroys in a medium wale. I know that’s a scary word, but wale just refers to the actual width of the “cord” in the corduroy. A super skinny wale will look a little bit dated, and a super wide wale can tend to make you look fat. And because I know you’re going to ask: Yes, you can wear cords in summer.
Jeans, the American Dream
    Jeans are an American icon, so we’re going to spend a lot of time on them. And anytime you say icon, you have to think: “classic”. There’s so much out there in denim for you to choose from, it can get almost overwhelming. But you really shouldn’t be getting mixed up with all that tricky novelty fashion denim. It’s only going to get you into a lot of trouble, so proceed with caution. Sure, it can be fun to try something a little different, like a pair of designer jeans with a fun wash or pocket treatment, but stuff like that comes and goes like gypsies in the night. By the time you get home with the new style, it’s already over. So why take the risk? Besides, we don’t want to overdo your metrosexualization. If you are a straight man, there is absolutely no reason for you to be spending $285 on a pair of designer jeans when you can get a pair of good old, traditional five-pocket, button-fly Levi’s 501s instead for around $50. For most guys that’s all you’re ever really going to need.
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    Personally, I’m a big Levi’s fan. Levi’s are the Mercedes-Benz of denim. They invented the stuff and they know what they’re doing. It’s the real deal. Why mess with that? But Levi’s don’t work on everyone. Not to worry. There are many, many denim brands on the market; you just need to find the one that fits you best. So take a morning and try on all different kinds of jeans and see what works for you. Get a second opinion from your salesperson, or bring a friend—someone who’ll tell you when you look fat, not phat. (You want to look phat, in case that wasn’t clear.)
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    I don’t want to get all Evita on you, dictating exactly what you should buy, but if you’re going to have only one pair of jeans, I think a good choice is a classic Levi’s 501 in the medium indigo wash. And then if you wear lots of denim, you can also have a dark wash pair, which tends to look a little dressier, and maybe a pair of white denim for summer. I don’t like any of those fancy washes, like the ones that make you look like you just sat in wet paint or like someone just sandblasted your ass. And black denim? Nuh-uh. Best left for fashion forward clergy and Shakira, unkay?
    TIP
    Fairy Godstylist Carson
    Here’s a quick fix for one of life’s eternal dilemmas: the proper length of your jeans. If you’re a 31 waist and a 32 inseam, life is good. Just buy the size that you. But if you’re a litle bit chunkier, with a bigger waist and a shoter inseam, it can be hard to find jeans that fit you properly. I know it’s traumatizing, but sometimes jeans that are big enough to fit you in the waist don’t come in shorter lenghs, so you have to buy a pair that’s too long for you.
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    So then what do you do? The answer is not to cuff them, people; unless you want to look like a bad James Dean