Men at Work
The Rat Pack look, brown shoes, and women in suits. Chicago's most creative men's clothiers dish on the best and worst choices for their own—and the opposite—sex
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| Adam Beltzman |
The owner of Haberdash (1350 North Wells Street), an Old Town men's shop that is anything but old hat. No sartorial slouch, Beltzman is on the cutting edge of men's fashion, and his pledge is to provide great service and great clothes.
LIKES TO SEE
"A woman's shoulders, and the right pair of jeans and heels, which can do wonders. My wife [Rachel Beltzman, a dietician] loves turtleneck sweaters and looks great in them, so I am partial to turtlenecks. Women who think they are sexy showing off their breasts don't do it for me, and I am always embarrassed when a woman bends down to pick up her kids and I have to look away because I'm seeing her underwear."
WOMEN WHO SHOP WITH MEN
"Is a hot topic for me; I thought they would bring their guys in and be my savior, but it is the opposite. Men have more confidence in their decisions when they don't have their wives there as a crutch."
FAVORITE THINGS
"Watches. My wife gave me an engraved Cartier tank watch that I wear for dress, but for my 30th birthday I discovered Panerai watches with light-up faces that were made for the Italian navy [starting in 1899] and are having a resurgence. They are the coolest, and you can change the straps to go with what you are wearing."
BEST PURCHASE THIS SPRING
"Every guy needs a great pair of contemporary dress slacks that don't have cuffs or pleats to wear to work with dress shirts tucked in, or untucked after work, or to wear with a sweater or a blazer. Guys have got to update their pants, especially if they are stuck in a Dockers-type of khaki."
ON MEN'S SKIN CARE
"I use a preshave, shave cream, and a moisturizer with an SPF. My wife laughs when I use eye cream, but since I sell skin-care products, it would be hypocritical not to know how they work."
EVERY GUY SHOULD BE ABLE TO
"Do laundry and iron a shirt. You don't always need to send things to the dry cleaners. You should be able to cook some sort of meal-I make a holiday brisket so good that Rachel's grandmother doesn't make hers anymore. And every man should be the master of his grill."
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| Michael Hawley |
His former job at Bloomingdale's in SoHo provided plenty of preparation for Hawley to become the vice president and general manager of Saks Fifth Avenue in Chicago (700 and 717 North Michigan Avenue).
ON TURNING HEADS
"A woman who is comfortable in her skin jumps out in a sea of people. How she carries herself is much more attractive and compelling than what she is wearing, but you can't go wrong in a beautifully tailored suit. And as a man, I love to see her in high heels-the higher, the better."
MEN'S LOOKS FOR SPRING
"Saks has an exclusive Rat Pack collection inspired by the mod fashion of the early sixties, with skinny ties and interesting fabrics driven by a narrow, slim-looking fit, slim lapels, and narrow pants. It is time. Most men go too loose, across the board."
TREND HE IS HAPPY TO SEE
"Many younger guys do not need to wear suits to work but are buying them to wear socially in the evening. They wear them with white shirts and skinny ties or turtlenecks."
ABOUT MEN'S SHOES
"Driving moccasins in interesting colors, like a bright clear red or another jewel tone, will tie back to a navy blazer. There is a tropical air to them that is nautical or military. Brown is also becoming increasingly important; it is the foundation color for shoes."
WHERE TO SEE WELL-DRESSED PEOPLE
"In Chicago, people dress to go to the theatre. It was surprising to me since people don't dress to go to Broadway anymore, and here it is so noticeable it caught my attention."
NOBLE ASPIRATIONS
"Having self-confidence-without arrogance-to negotiate life serves everyone well. Know how to live well, to select a restaurant. In some cases, our culture just forgets the social graces."
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| Kent Nielsen |
A clothing designer, Nielsen is used to wearing dress shirts and suits daily and has developed a strong reputation for the style and construction of his men's and women's fashions. In Chicago, his designs can be found at Jake (939 North Rush Street and 3740 North Southport Avenue).
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN
"The average guy is terrified of looking ridiculous, but you have to make a few mistakes to find out what looks good on you. Women know that-it's why they giggle at their seventh-grade photos. The average woman is miles ahead of men in developing a personal style."
LESSONS FOR WOMEN FROM MENSWEAR
"The difference in quality between a $2,000 men's and women's suit is fascinating. The women's suit can be garbage, and usually the men's will be beautifully made."
HOT FOR MEN THIS SPRING
"Anything seersucker-pants, shirt, jacket, all that stuff. The colors are pink, black, chocolate, purple, white, and, yes, plaid."
HE LOVES WOMEN IN
"A white suit, or wearing vintage. But anything can work as long as you're not a slave to what everyone else is wearing. One lady might rock a suit, but for another it might be jeans with something to set it off-like an Hermès scarf as a belt. My girlfriend wears hats, and that's enough to set her apart."
THE BEST TROUSERS
"Are made of super 130s Italian wool. It is a finer quality and has increased luster and drape. All of my suits and tuxes are 130s, including white tuxedo pants for spring."
MEN SHOULDN'T IGNORE
"The cut of their shirts. There are so many clothes that don't do anyone justice, and thin guys in America have gotten the short end of the stick because everything is cut for big guys, with billows of extra fabric at the belly."
NOBLE ASPIRATIONS
"How about some honesty in figuring out what looks good on you? Think for yourself. And if I see one more comb-over . . . "
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